MP’s Coordinating Sec. accidently shoots himself

Coordinating secretary to MP Weerakumara Dissanayeke has been hospitalized after he accidentally shot himself in Anuradhapura last night.

Mt. Lavinia HQI transferred

Four Chief Inspectors of Police including the HQI of the Mount Lavinia Police CI C.W. Iddamalgoda have been transferred due to service requirements with effect from yesterday, Police said.

Don't use licence to insult religions: PM tells electronic media

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday warned that action would be taken against the electronic media, who used government's telecasting licence to insult religions and some sections of the society.

Imran Farooq murder: FIA team to visit SL to collect evidence

The Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director Akbar Hoti on Saturday allowed the investigation team to visit the United Kingdom (UK) and Sri Lanka to collect evidence for the murder of British-Pakistani politician Imran Farooq.

27 injured in bus, container collision

At least 27 people, including 25 female students, were hospitalized after a bus and a container collided head on and toppled at Otthekade in Bandarawela this morning.

I saved Mahinda from the electric chair-MS

President Maithripala Sirisena said that he is the one who saved former President Mahinda Rajapaksa from being sent to the electric chair.

Missing persons;SL to work with Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has decided to work with the Sri Lankan government in assisting the families of those reported missing during the nearly three-decade long separatist conflict in the country, foreign ministry said.

Jayalalithaa writes to Modi on arrest of fishermen by SL Navy

Asserting that her government was committed to ensuring the rights of fishermen in traditional waters of Palk Bay, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalaithaa on Friday said the Centre should take concerted efforts to halt their repeated arrests by Sri Lankan Navy

SL working with local and international stakeholders:Envoy

Ambassador for Sri Lanka to United States Prasad Kariyawasam said the Government was working with all stakeholders in the country and the international community to establish mechanisms for truth-seeking, justice, and reparations to give solace to all those who suffered during the armed conflict

SL willing for int'l probe on war crimes: Ranil

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday made it clear that his government was not averse to international participation in investigating the alleged war crimes in his country, but said "final judgment will be made by the internal judicial system."  

IMF audit on MR projects

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will visit Sri Lanka next week for a joint ‘Forensic Audit’ with the Central Bank to check on the rationale behind the development projects worth US$250 billion launched by the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime just before the 2015 presidential elections, a senior cabinet minister said yesterday.

Claims by MR on UNHRC baseless: Ruwan

State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene refuted claims made by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa that the UNHRC resolution would make provision to arrest Sri Lankan military forces personnel and that the government was also assisting the UNHRC to achieve this.

Thisara claims hat-trick

Thisara Perera became only the fourth bowler to have taken a hat-trick in T20 internationals when he picked the wickets of Hardik Pandya, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh of successive deliveries  during the second T20 match between Sri Lanka and India.

Maj. Gen. Milinda Peiris new Army Chief of Staff

Major General Milinda Peiris has been appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army while Major General Sumedha Perera was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Staff with effect from today (12) and February 15 respectively the Army said.

Eight arrested over bicycle theft

Eight people were arrested by the Bambalapitiya Police today on charges of stealing four three-wheelers and selling after cannibalizing them.

SLFP MPs, ministers must be here or there: MR

Ex-president and Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa said today he hoped the SLFP MPs and ministers, who had joined the government, would soon make up their mind as to which side they belonged.

SLFP says no to separate opposition

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Central Committee today declined to endorse a request by some SLFP members in the joint apposition to be recognizes as a separate entity in Parliament.  

Wele Suda still in business: CID

In a facts report on the money laundering inquiry against Samantha Kumara alias ‘Wele Suda’ and seven others, the CID informed Court that Wele Suda had continued to speak to drug dealers through a mobile phone and was involved in drug trafficking while in the Welikada prison.

Unauthorised structures along coastal belt demolished

All unauthorised structures along the coastal belt from Dehiwala to Mount Lavinia were demolished today by the Coast Conservation Department (CCD) with the help of the Police and the Army.

Lankan girl receives Australian visa after minister intervenes

The Sri Lankan girl who made headlines after being refused a temporary visa because she has Down syndrome would be allowed to live in Australia, after Immigration Minister Peter Dutton intervened in her case.

Teacher ‘kneeler’ invited as chief guest to sports-meet

The Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) has requested the Education Ministry to inquire as to why the Navagaththegama Navodya School Principal had invited former UPFA North-Western provincial councillor Ananda Sarath Kumara -- who was remanded for forcing a female teacher to kneel down before him last June -- for the school’s inter-house sports-meet.

No objections to Coorey as NP Governor: Sivajilingam

TNA Northern Provincial Councillor M.K. Sivajilingam said today they were not opposed to the appointment of Reginald Coorey as the Northern Province Governor because he was an experienced politician but they would have preferred a Tamil or a Muslim as the Northern Province Governor.

MR opens new political office

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa's new political and public relations office was opened at Nelum Mawatha, Battaramulla this morning.  

UN Special Rapporteur asks SL not to be hasty

UN Special Rapporteur on Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of Non-Recurrence Pablo de Greiff has said that Sri Lanka should not be hasty in trying to meet its commitments to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in regard to issues of transitional justice, the New Indian Express reported.

FM seeks approval to pay Sobitha Thera's hospital bills

A supplementary estimate was presented to Parliament yesterday to seek its approval to spend a sum of Rs 17.2 million to settle the outstanding bills for the emergency medical treatment of the late Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Nayaka Thera in Singapore.

Paddy stocks yet to be removed from MRIA

The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) said yesterday more than 3000 MT of paddy stocks was still there in the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) and that it would be removed within the next three weeks.

Ranil leaves for India

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe left for India this morning on a private tour.

Preamble to Constitution making resolution to be amended

The government will list the resolution to initiate the constitution making process for debate in Parliament during the next sitting week, with amendments to its preamble, officials said yesterday.

SL maid sentenced to be stoned will return next year

The 45-year-old Sri Lankan woman whose death sentence by stoning for adultery, was commuted by the Saudi Arabian government last December, will return to Sri Lanka in the middle of next year after completing her term of imprisonment, the Foreign Employment Bureau (FEB) stated yesterday.

FCID quizzes Maheepala, D V Upul

Sabaragamuwa Province Chief Minister Maheepala Herath and Southern Province Fisheries Minister D V Upul were questioned by the Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division today over the alleged misappropriation of Rs.2 billion from the Department of Cooperatives Development.