High speed internet won’t be affected: Harin

High speed internet access in Sri Lanka would not be affected and instead, the Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure Ministry was taking measures to increase the internet speed through FBH (Fiber to Home), Minister Harin Fernando said yesterday.

1,000 bikers killed in 2015

A total of 1,000 motorbike riders and passengers had been killed in fatal accidents this year, the Police said today.They said a majority of deaths had been reported in accidents which had occurred when motorbikes had collided with other vehicles.

WPC budgets passed unanimously

Budget allocation for the ministries under the purview of the Western Provincial Council Including its Health Ministry was passed unanimously today.

Pakistan to sell JF-17 aircraft to SL

Pakistan is expected to secure an agreement for the sale of the JF-17 Thunder Aircraft during Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit in Sri Lanka in the first week of January 2016, IHS Jane's Defence Weekly reported on Tuesday.

29 Indian fishermen arrested by SL Navy

Sri Lanka Navy has assisted the Sri Lanka Coast Guard to arrest 29 Indian fishermen along with three fishing trawlers poaching in Sri Lankan waters in the Northeast of Kokilai on Wednesday.

12 police transfers with immediate effect

Twelve police officers including three Chief Inspectors and nine Police Inspectors were transferred with immediate effect due to requirement of the service, the police media division said today.

Port City final decision on Jan.6

Sri Lanka and China are set to take a final decision on the proposed Colombo Port City as well as several other development projects at a top-level meeting to be held on January 6 between a high powered Chinese delegation and the Sri Lankan government.

No troubled water over bridge

The plan to construct a bridge connecting Sri Lanka and India will suffer the same fate as the Sethu Samurdram project due to environmental issues, a minister said yesterday.

Govt. wasting money on "hopper revolution"- Wimal

National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa said today that the government was making arrangements to waste people’s money on celebrations to mark the ‘hopper revolution’ in January.

I was removed for voicing against corruption: Nishantha

JHU Spokesman and former Western Province Health Minister Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said today he was removed from his ministerial portfolios in an act of political revenge because he had lodged complaints with the Bribery Commission and other law enforcements agencies against corrupt politicians in the previous government.

End of the road for high speed internet in SL?

In a bizarre turn of events, the newly appointed Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC), Sunil S. Sirisena has decided to discontinue the National Broadband Initiative (NBI), which ensured high speed broadband internet access to citizens at affordable prices, Mirror Business learns.

Entire House to be a Select Committee

Parliament will be converted to a Select Committee which will be responsible for drafting the new constitution, Constitutional Committee Adviser and MP Jayampathy Wickramaratne said today.

Joint opp. warns of Constitutional coup

The Joint Opposition today charged that there was a ‘Constitutional Coup’ backed by the western countries and that’s what had made the government to introduce a new Constitution.

Action against Hirunika if guilty: Minister

Disciplinary action will be taken against UNP parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra if she is found guilty of being involved in the recent abduction drama, a senior minister said today.

CMC blacklists Enrique’s concert organisers

The Colombo Municipality today blacklisted the Company, Live Events which organised the Enrique Iglesias concert at the CR&FC Grounds. The main stakeholders of the company are former cricketing stars Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardane.

Fmr IGP Indra de Silva passes away

Former IGP Indra de Silva had passed away today at the age of 71 while undergoing treatment at the Police Hospital.He had been receiving treatment at the hospital for an illness and had died on admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

GCE A/L results release postponed

Releasing of results of the GCE A/L Examinations held in August has been postponed till January 3, 2016, the Examinations Department announced.

Heavy traffic near WTC

Heavy traffic was reported near the World Trade Centre in Fort as a result of a protest by Joint Union of Port Transport workers against the increase of the vehicle entrance fee to the Colombo Harbour, Police said.

Kolonnawa UC Chairman remanded over assault charges

Colombo Additional Magistrate Augusta Atapattu today criticised the Wellampitiya Police and remanded the Kolonnawa UC Chairman till January 4 on charges of assaulting the participants of a peaceful picket against the garbage dumping in Kolonnawa by the Colombo Municipality.

Namal asked to report to CCD today

UPFA MP Namal Rajapaksa has been asked to report to the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) today to give a statement, the details are still unknown, sources said.

Sigiriya frescoes photographing prohibited

Photographing the Sigiriya Frescoes has been prohibited from today, Central Cultural Fund Director General Dr. Prishantha Gunawardana said.

Disgruntled Enrique concert goer sends Rs.22m letter of demand to Live Events

A lawyer and his wife have sent a letter of demand to Live Events demanding Rs.22 million for “loss, damage and mental stress” experienced during the Enrique Iglesias concert held recently.

Lankan envoy clears up ‘misunderstandings’

In a statement to clear any misunderstanding that the Sri Lankan mission in the Kingdom was not involved in seeking clemency for the Sri Lankan maid, who was recently spared from being sentenced to death for adultery, Azmi Thassim, Sri Lankan Ambassador to the Kingdom, said that the Lankan embassy in Riyadh played a major role in the appeal.

Five killed, 22 injured in road tragedy

Five persons were killed and seven others injured when a bus collided head-on with a van travelling from Kalmunai to Colombo at Dummaladeniya Junction on the Warakapola-Colombo Main Road this morning, the Police said.

Action soon against saboteurs: Rajitha

President Maithripala Sirisena and the leaders of the political parties in the ruling alliance had decided to take firm action against those who were planning to sabotage the Government’s plans to even go beyond Yahapalanaya (Good Governance) policies, a senior Minister said yesterday.

Grade 1 admission threshold raised for 2016

The number of students being admitted to grade one at government schools would be increased to 40 for next year, and the process to cut the number to 35 would start from 2017, the Education Ministry yesterday said.

No ban on foreign artistes

The president and the government have no intention of banning foreign artistes from performing in Sri Lanka, though some have tried to give a wrong interpretation to President Maithripala Sirisena’s statement regarding the Enrique Iglesias concert, the government said today.

Abduction case: Two more suspects surrender

Two more suspects, wanted by the police, in connection with the abduction of a drapery store employee in Dematagoda last week, surrendered to the Colombo Crime Division this evening and were placed under arrest.

BASL condemns Meethotamulla attack

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) tothe head of a Local Government authority, on a group of protesters, who were protesting against the garbage dump at Kolonnawa on Sunday (27) night and demanded that the assailants be immediately apprehended and dealt with according to law, irrespective of their status

Govt. hiding report on ISIS threat: BBS

Two foreign countries had warned the State intelligence of spreading Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorism in Sri Lanka, the General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera said today.