Queen, NZ PM to hold talks on SL

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and Queen Elizabeth II are to discuss about Sri Lanka which is hosting the next Commonwealth heads of Government meeting in November, One news Channel reported

Lankan nabbed in Kuwait

Hawalli patrolmen apprehended a Sri Lankan expatriate in Kuwait for possessing drug paraphernalia, reports Al-Seyassah daily

30 to 35 percent turnout in Jaffna

A voter turnout of about 30 - 35% was recorded in Jaffna by 10 am at today’s Northern Provincial Council election and election monitoring bodies have claimed a lack of enthusiasm among voters during the ongoing Provincial Council polls held in the all three provinces

Navi Pillay lashes back at Sri Lanka claims

The United Nations' top human rights official lashed back Friday at the Sri Lankan government, accusing some of its most senior officials of waging a disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting her and her office

Foreign teams to study Kurugala prehistoric human remains

Bio-anthologists from the Oxford and Cambridge universities will arrive in Sri Lanka in November to enhance studies on the recently unearthed human skeletal remains from the Kuragala prehistoric site, the Archaeology Department said yesterday

Two killed in accident

Two people were killed when a lorry collided head on with a car at Aladeniya on Katugastota-Kurunegala road last night, police said

Voting at PC election in progress

Voting at the North, North Western and Central Provinces began at 7.00 am this morning  and will continue till 4.00pm in the evening today

SL plane in emergency landing

A Sri Lankan Airlines plane travelling from Colombo to Heathrow was forced to make an emergency landing at Stansted Airport in London, police said

Video: Ballot boxes to be shuffled to ensure secrecy

Ballot boxes from different villages and divisional secretariat areas will be shuffled together for the first time at the counting of votes in tomorrow’s provincial council election to ensure secrecy on how people in a certain area have voted, Elections Chief Mahinda Deshapriya said today

Father who cheated disabled son storms newspaper office

A man identifying himself as the father against whom the Colombo Fort Magistrate had issued an arrest warrant on charges of having defrauded his son of Rs.150 million is alleged to have stormed the Ada newspaper office of Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. today and threatened the editorial staff.

ECtHR tells France to postpone expulsion of a Tamil

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has invoked on Thursday article 39 of its Rules indicating an interim measure in a case involving the expulsion of a Tamil from France.

UN rights chief accuses SL of slander campaign

The United Nations' rights Chief Navi Pillay, who is investigating allegations of war crimes by Sri Lanka, is the target of a smear campaign by Colombo, her office said Friday

Wasps kill election officer

A 45-year-old school teacher assigned for election duty at the Pudukulam Central College in Vavuniya was killed in a wasp attack while two other teachers were injured and admitted to Vavuniya Hospital, police said Pictures

Video: Stay order on pictorial warning

The Supreme Court today stayed the Gazette notification issued by the Health Ministry to have pictorial health warnings on 80% of the cover of cigarette packets and granted leave to appeal for the petition filed by the Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC)

US concerned over Jaffna attack

The US Embassy in Colombo has expressed its concern regarding the reports of an attack on the residence of an electoral candidate, supporters, and members of a domestic elections monitoring NGO in Jaffna on Thursday

7,000 kgs of coriander confiscated

About 7,000 kilos of coriander, which was unsuitable for human consumption was taken into custody during a raid carried out by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) from a store in Grandpass today

Three OICs transferred

Three OICs and an Inspector were transferred with immediate effect on instructions from the IGP, police said

Lankan refugee arrested for murder

A Sri Lankan refugee was arrested  on Thursday for allegedly murdering a 46-year-old woman  at a public toilet in Alandurai in Coimbatore, India, the New Indian Express reported.

Death plunge by young couple

A girl and a boy are reported to have jumped off a bridge into the sea near the Golden Island at Matara this morning, Police said. They said the victims were aged about 19 and a search was being carried out for them Pictures

Investigations underway into attack on TNA candidate's residence

The Police said they were investigating the attack on TNA candidate Ananthi Sasitharan’s residence at Chullipuram in Jaffna during which several of her supporters and a PAFFREL election monitor were injured.

Sanath awaits report into 'skit'

Former Sri Lankan Cricket captain and current Selection Committee head Sanath Jayasuriya said that he was looking forward to the report into the current inquiry regarding a skit at the Sri Lanka Cricket awards ceremony held recently

No post-conflict country subjected to such pressure as SL-GL

While claiming that no post-conflict country, subjected to pressure as Sri Lanka External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L Peiris said that he felt UN high commissioner for human rights; Navi Pillay could be biased.

Don’t discredit the NPC poll process-SL at HRC

Sri Lanka on Thursday asked detractors at the Human Rights Council not to discredit the Northern Provincial Council election process or prejudge its outcome and impact.

PC candidates submit financial statements

Sixty five percent of the candidates contesting the forthcoming Provincial Council Elections have tendered their asset and liability statements, Senior Manager, Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL), Shan Wijetunga said today

'New Life’ deprives five workers of livelihood

Katunayake Free Trade Zone-based ‘New Life Literature’, a printer of Christian books including bibles for the international market,  allegedly operating with public donations collected from Norway has terminated the services of five workers, all office bearers and members of the newly formed trade union, an International Labour rights activist complained yesterday.

Trial run for see-through ballot boxes in Matale

For the first time in the history of elections in the country, 46 transparent plastic ballot boxes would be used in the forthcoming Central Provincial Council elections

UN Chief calls for post election collaboration

The Secretary- General of the United Nations, issuing a statement on the upcoming Northern Provincial Council elections, called on all parties "to participate peacefully in the elections and to work together in the period following the elections to address the national and post-war agenda constructively and collaboratively"

Election hotlines announced

Two hot lines were setup by the Elections Department to receive complaints of election violence at the Northern, North Western and Central Provincial Council elections, an official said

Pakistan High Commissioner visits North

The High Commissioner of Pakistan in Sri Lanka, Maj Gen Qasim Qureshi visited the Northern Province of Sri Lanka from September 16 to 18, the High Commission said today

Video: Ranil awaits Pillay’s reply over DS statue

Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said today he was awaiting a reply from UNHRC High Commisioner Navi Pillay to clear the air over allegations made by some government officials that she wanted the D.S. Senanayake statue and the Buddhist flag removed at Independence Square ???