Gota not in Court to give evidence

Colombo Special High Court hearing LTTE cases yesterday postponed the trial against five LTTE cadres for June 27 when it was found that former defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is one of the prosecution witnesses was not present in court to give evidence.

Tongue in the bottle

A 15-year-old schoolgirl who had bitten off a part of the tongue of a youth who attempted to molest her visited the Mawathagama police with her parents and handed over the half inch piece of the tongue in a bottle.

Media secretary to be removed

The government has decided to remove Nimal Bopage from the post of Secretary of the Ministry of Parliamentary reforms and Mass media.

Gayantha condemns JO members’ actions

The Parliamentary sittings were suspended today due to the unruly behaviour of members of the joint opposition, Mass Media Minister Gayantha Karunathilake said.

UNP MPs started to attack us: Jt.Opp

The Joint Opposition said UNP MPs had started the brawl inside the Parliament chamber, when some Joint Opposition members were conducting a peaceful protest inside the chamber today.

Landslide in Balangoda

A landslide was reported in Imbulpe on the Ratnapura - Balangoda road this evening. It was caused by the heavy rains in the area, the Disaster Management Centre said.

CSN lawyer faults FCID action

Attorney Premanath Dolawatta appearing for Carlton Sports Network (CSN), in the money laundering case,said today the Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID) was obtaining legal recognition by seeking Court orders on the ongoing investigation.

Gammanpila is a parasite: Mervyn

Former minister Mervyn Silva today lashed out at MP Udaya Gammanpila over his remarks that Mr. Silva was responsible for the downfall of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and called Mr. Gammanpila a parasite.

RTI Bill requires 2/3rd majority-Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has explained that some sections of the Right to Information (RTI) Bill are inconsistent with the Constitution and it needs a two third majority, the Speaker announced today.

Clash in House; UNP MP hospitalized

UNP MP Sandith Samarasinghe was admitted to the General hospital after he suffered face and head injuries during a clash in Parliament, hospital sources said.

Parliament sitting suspended following tense situ.

Parliament sitting was suspended for five minutes following a tense situation a short while ago while Field Marshal and Minister Sarath Fonseka was commenting on the security provided to former President and Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa.

No Sri Lankans involved in ATM scam: CID

No further arrests have been made in connection with the ATM scam involving two Chinese men who were arrested on Friday, the CID said today.

84 illegal firearms handed over within a week

At least 84 illegal firearms have been handed over to the government so far during the amnesty period declared by the Defence Ministry on April 25

Boat carrying SL asylum seekers arrives in Cocos Islands

A boat carrying Sri Lankan asylum seekers has arrived within the Cocos Islands, according to locals, who say the vessel approached on Monday morning in bad weather.

NCP Minister says attended both SLFP rallies

The Provincial Minister of Irrigation of the ruling UPFA North Central Provincial Council H.B. Semasinghe said that he attended both SLFP rallies held on the May Day in Galle and Kirulapone, Colombo.

Mustapha: LG polls not this year

Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Faizser Mustapha today ruled out the possibility of elections for local authorities this year, because of work involved in delimitation.

Interpol help sought to arrest kidney trader

The Police had sought the assistance of the Interpol to arrest the first suspect in the kidney racket Vijithagiri Suresh Lakshman Kumar, the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) told Colombo Chief Magistrate today.

Eastern schools to close early due to heat

All the schools in the Eastern Province function from 7.30 a.m. to 12 for nine days from tomorrow due to prevailing heat in the region, Eastern Provincial Council Education Minister Singaravelu Thandauthapani said today.

Police Media Unit suspended

Police Media Unit had been suspended with effect from today, the Ministry of Law and Order said.A Spokesman for the Ministry told the Daily Mirror that the decision to suspend the Media Unit was made by IGP Pujith Jayasundara following an action by the officers of the Media Unit, which had given a verbal statement to media on the recent haul of arms in Chavakachcheri.

Reconsider MR's security withdrawal: Joint Opp.

While denouncing the Government’s move to assign Police personnel for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s security detail, the Joint Opposition requested both the President and the Prime Minister, to call off the move.  

Another LTTE leader arrested

Former LTTE leader Krishnapillai Kalainesan alias Praba had been arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) at Eravur in Batticaloa, Police sources said.

Gammanpila tells Gayantha to remove Bopage from his post

The Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) General Secretary and MP Udaya Gammanpila requested the Parliament Reforms and Mass Media Minister Gayantha Karunathilake to save the reputation of the ministry and himself by removing Ministry secretary Nimal Bopage from his post if he has expressed his personal opinion through the missive issued by him to the media on the ‘Joint Opposition’.

PM tells Bopage: Get your media releases approved

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had directed Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media Nimal Bopage not to issue press releases without the approval of the Subject Minister.

MR’s military security replaced with police personnel

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s military security will be replaced with police personnel by this afternoon, Mr. Rajapaksa's media unit said.

8 Nigerians, two Lankan arrested with cocaine

Eight Nigerian nationals and two Sri Lankans were arrested with 222 grams of cocaine, in joint operation carried out by the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB) and the Special Task Force (STF) yesterday.

What is happening now is what I said earlier: Attanayake

Former General Secretary of the UNP Tissa Attanayake said what is now happening in the North is what he had said earlier and which were not accepted by some.

TNA against VAT on food and education

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a May Day resolution, requested the government not to increase the Value Added Tax (VAT) on food items consumed by the general public and education services.

President promises a host of benefits for workers

President Maithripala Sirisena, speaking at the Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s (SLFP's) May Day rally in Galle yesterday, vowed that five major changes to the working conditions of the workers -- increasing of pensionable age to 60, full maternity leave for all private sector female employees, making the minimum private sector salary Rs. 13,500, ensuring that all public service employees get a Rs.10,000 pay increase and creating a pension sc

I'll fight for the rights of the people- MR

Former president and present Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa, speaking at the May Day rally organised by the Joint Opposition in Kirulapone, Colombo today, said his family members, including his son MP Namal Rajapaksa and brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa faced imminent arrest, but he would not shy away from fighting for the rights of people because of such threats.

JVP calls for socialism and a political culture

Reiterating that the Capitalism has no answer to the people’s problems, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) today requested the people to rally together for socialism in the country and begin a new political culture in which the suppressed would be facilitated.