Gotabhaya hands over two baby elephants: Dy Minister

Former Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has handed over two baby elephants that were kept in his care to the zoo, Deputy Minister of Wildlife Wasantha Senanayake said.

Parliament to be dissolved by April 23-Ranil

   Prime Minister Ranil Wickramsinghe has announced today that the Parliament will be dissolved by April 23 this year. 

Sharma in SL

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma who arrived in Sri Lanka this afternoon is due to meet the External Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera.

My brothers asked not to attend rugger practice-Namal

Hambantota UPFA MP Namal Rajapaksa said that his two younger brothers-Yoshitha and Rohitha-who were members of the Sri Lanka Army and Navy rugger teams, were asked not to attend rugby practice without citing any reasons.

SriLankan Airlines air hostess dies in Qatar

A female cabin crew member of the SriLankan Airlines was killed and three others- two flight attendants and an air hostess-were injured when a vehicle on desert safari met with an accident in Doha, Qatar on Friday evening.

Biswal due here on Monday

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal will travel to Sri Lanka on February 2–3, the US Embassy in Colombo announced.

Canada welcomes reinstatement of Shirani as CJ

Canadian Government said it welcomed the reinstatement of Shirani Bandaranayake as Chief Justice of the Sri Lankan Supreme Court.

Audio: Hybrid car prices will go up due to tax revision

Vehicle Importers Association Chairman Mahinda Sarathchandra said yesterday that prices of vehicles below 1000 cc would come down only by Rs. 25, 000 in the wake of the 15% tax reduction announced in Thursday’s mini budget while all hybrid cars would go up by as much as Rupees one million.

Pudukuduiruppu and Maritimepattu PS polls on Feb. 28

Elections to the Pudukuduiruppu and Maritimepattu Pradeshiya Sabhas in the Mullaithivu district will be held on February 28, Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said.

India, Lanka Discuss Voluntary Repatriation of Lankan Refugees

India-Sri Lanka today held talks on voluntary repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees in the country, within days of deciding to "re-engage" on the issue during a meeting between their foreign ministers.

Sripavan sworn in as CJ

The senior most Supreme Court Judge K. Sripavan was a sworn in by President Maithripala Sirisena as the new Chief Justice of Sri Lanka.

Grade 5 scholarship cut off marks released

The cut off marks for the grade 5 scholarship examination were released a short while ago by the education ministry.

Packer's Crown pulls plug on SL casino plan

James Packer's Crown Group says it will not go ahead with a proposed plan to develop a $400 million luxury hotel and resort in Sri Lanka, following a decision by the government in Colombo to scrap tax concessions for the project.

Video: Even Ravi K. has to pay Mansion Tax: JVP

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said today Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayke should be aware that he too would have to pay the newly imposed ‘Mansion Tax’ of Rs.1 million.

Parliament adjourned for 20 minutes

Parliament sessions were adjourned for 20 minutes a short while ago following a special statement made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremeisnghe on the reinstatement of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayak

Audio: We’ll not tax owners of old houses: Harsha

Policy Planning and Economic Development Deputy Minister Harsha De Silva said today the Mansion Tax would not apply to owners of old houses which they had inherited but on the rich who had built huge mansions without any paying any taxes to the Government.

10,000 police transfers postponed

The transfer of some 10,000 police personnel from February 1 has been postponed to May 1, 2015, police said.

Father and son killed in fire

A 42-year-old father and his 2-year-old son were burnt to death at Walathapitiya in Sammanthurai when their house caught fire last night.

UK MP hopes press freedom will be boosted under new govt.

UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister of State for Sri Lanka, Hugo Swire, who travelled to Jaffna today, expressed optimism that press freedom will grow under the new government.

​Dual citizenship potentially available to all Lankans

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake presenting the interim budget 2015 today said that the option of dual citizenship would be available to all persons of Sri Lankan origin and granted after due evaluation. A payment of Rs. 500,000 will have to precede each individual request.

Dhanapala briefs UNHR Chief

Senior Advisor Jayantha Dhanapala briefed United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on the policies of the newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena and the government.

Three members of one family killed in head-on collision

Three persons of one family were killed and another two were injured when their three-wheeler collided head on with a lorry at the Banagala bend in Dompe this evening, the Police said.

Concessions Galore

The new government, in its budget, slashed the prices of 13 essential items, domestic gas, kerosene oil while announcing a host of relief measures for the general public including a monthly pay hike of Rs. 5000 for public servants effective from next month and a Rs.1000 increase on pensions from April

Sanga ton sets up victory

Kumar Sangakkara hit his 21st one-day international century to set up a 34-run victory for Sri Lanka over New Zealand in Thursday's seventh and last game of the one-day series in Wellington.

Video: Lorry with imported liquor taken into custody

The Kirulapana Police last night had taken into custody a lorry loaded with a stock of bottles of foreign liquor at the Suranimala Place, the Police said.

Thewarapperuma further remanded

Matugama Magistrate’s Court today ordered that United National Party (UNP) MP Palitha Thewarapperuma be remanded till February 2 in connection with the Agalawatta assault case, the Police said.   

Video: Sripavan to be appointed CJ

Senior Supreme Court Judge Kanagasabapathy J. Sripavan will be appointed as the next Chief Justice, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne told the Cabinet briefing this morning.

Ceremonial farewell to CJ 43

Delivering her farewell speech in front of a packed gathering of judges, lawyers, ministry officials and staff, Chief Justice 43 Shirani Bandaranayake today said that the judges who upheld the law in the wake of “baseless” accusations should be commended and valued the most.

TN urges Modi to defer meet on SL refugees

Asserting that the conditions in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka are still not conducive for the refugees to return to their native land, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Wednesday said a meeting convened by the Union external affairs ministry to discuss the voluntary repatriation of refugees was premature and that it should be deferred.

Amendment to Budget 2015 today

The government will enact an ‘Urgent Bill’ in the form of an amendment to the 2015 Appropriation Act, to give legal effect to its budgetary proposals, Daily Mirror learns.