Uni non-academic staff to go on strike

Non-academic university staff will go on a 48 hour countrywide strike starting today (Thursday) in protest against the government’s failure to provide higher wages and benefits to them, unions said

SL scotches rumours of collaboration with US

Sri Lanka yesterday scotched speculation in diplomatic circles here in Geneva that the country had agreed with the United Stated to draft the proposed resolution to be presented at the upcoming sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) with regard to the country’s human rights situation

Hitch-hiking dengue mosquitoes

Dengue mosquitoes have spread to other parts of the country from Colombo by the mosquitoes hitching rides on vehicles that come to Colombo city and are left parked for some time, a health ministry study has revealed

Govt. hasn't stopped buying fuel from Iran: Minister

In response to our story on Wednesday February 22 under the headline ‘Arabian Light fuel to replace Iranian Oil' Minister of Petroleum Industries Susil Premajayantha yesterday said the government had not stopped buying fuel from Iran

Big time robbers in police custody

Two men allegedly in toe with major robber gangs were arrested today, police said. They said the gangs were wanted in connection with some 22 robberies in Colombo and the suburbs where shops, showrooms and supermarkets had been robbed of goods worth about Rs.5 million

Breakdown in electricity

A breakdown in the electricity supply has been reported in some areas in the country including Kandy and Puttalam due to a technical defect, the Ceylon Electricity Board said

Penal Code is being used fraudulently: JVP

The Penal Code has been fraudulently used to arrest those who criticise the government though there are no such provisions for it, the JVP charged in Parliament today

100 RPGs found

A cache of nearly 100 Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) including live ones were found in Puttalam today and two persons have been arrested PICTURES

Marie Colvin killed in Syria

Veteran war correspondent Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times was killed in Syria on Wednesday along with French photojournalist Remi Ochlik, the French government said

Presenting national action plan to UNHRC bypassing Parliament, breach of constitution: Ranil

Presenting the government’s national action plan on the protection and promotion of human rights to the United Nations Human Rights Council bypassing Parliament is a breach of Constitution, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesighe charged today

Examinations and Student Registrations of Open Uni postponed

All Examinations and Student Registrations of The Open University of Sri Lanka, scheduled for February 23 and 24, 2012 have been postponed until further notice

Fire in Ambuluwawa Forest Reserve

A fire erupted in the Ambuluwawa Forest Reserve destroying an area of  200 acres. The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) deployed two Bell 212 helicopters to douse the fire while the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and the Gampola Police are working together to douse the fire.

Harsha accepts Siyambalapitiya for public debate

UNP National List MP Dr. Harsha De Silva today accepted the government’s offer to send Deputy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya for a public debate on the IMF stand by agreement.

Debate on Human Rights in SL at UK House of Commons today

The British charity Freedom from Torture has said that today’s (February 22) scheduled debate on ‘Human Rights in Sri Lanka’ at the UK House of Commons is “perfect timing” for UK parliamentarians to send a clear signal to the Sri Lankan government ahead of the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) which commences in Geneva next week.

SL transit in cocaine smuggling

The Sri Lankan Police Narcotics Bureau believes that the island is used as a transit point for smuggling cocaine into countries around the world.

NLAC had repeatedly requested for wage increases

The National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) yesterday said that they had made repeated requests to increase wages through the Labour Ministry recently but no such request had been made by any union

SL will convince int’l community

Sri Lanka would do its utmost to convince the international community that she has done enough to implement the recommendations of the LLRC report as demanded by them and was confident that Sri Lanka would emerge unscathed from the upcoming annual UNHRC debate in Geneva, Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Samarasingha said

Govt. starts diplomatic battle in Geneva

Ahead of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions, the government has started a major diplomatic battle here in Geneva to secure the support of the member states to defeat a planned resolution against Sri Lanka with regard to the alleged rights violations during the last stage of the war, Minister G. L. Peiris said yesterday

Govt. has stopped purchasing fuel from Iran

The government had stopped purchasing fuel from Iran as a result of the crisis in that region and had gone for alternatives to obtain fuel, Minister of Power and Energy Susil Premajayantha informed Parliament yesterday

Increase salaries, Ranil requests govt.

Opposition and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe today requested the government to increase salaries if it is unable to reduce a fuel price that was jacked up recently

SL, Cuba and Pakistan seek resolution on transparency at UNHRC

Sri Lanka, along with Cuba and Pakistan, will co-sponsor a resolution seeking transparency in funding and staffing the United Nationals Human Rights Council (UNHRC) here in Geneva, during its 19th session starting this week, diplomatic sources said

Amend circular for Gr.1 admissions: GMOA

Government doctors today called on the Education Ministry to amend a circular for Grade One admissions for their children to allow them to attend good schools or warned that the country would lose its doctors since they would look for more lucrative opportunities overseas where better benefits could be found

Three teams investigating hotel owner’s murder

Three teams are conducting investigations into the killing of the owner of Biyagama Village Hotel, Bernard Jayaratne who was hacked to death yesterday morning by an unidentified person on a motorbike

Body found in Diyawanna Oya

A body of man was found this morning in the Diyawanna Oya close to the Parliament. Police media spokesman Ajith Rohana said that the police was informed by several residents in the area about the body

SL beats India by 51 runs

Sri Lanka beat India by 51 runs in their encounter in the Commonwealth Bank Series. Batting first Sri Lanka scored 289 for 6 and in response India were bowled out for 238

CID record another set of statements from Chilaw incident

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had recorded another set of statements mainly from policemen who were on duty at the time of the shooting incident in Chilaw in which a fisherman was killed during the confrontation on February 15

SL score 289 for 6

Sri Lanka scored 289 runs for the loss of Six wickets in their alloted fifty overs in the match against India played in Brisbane today. Lahiru Thirimanne top scored for Sri Lanka with 62 while former captain Tillakaratne Dilshan scored 51 and Angelo Mathews was not out on 49

UNP MPs protest against financial mismanagement

MP’s of the United National Party (UNP) protested against the financial mismanagement which has led to the fuel price hike and all other crises triggered by it, this morning, UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake said

J'Pura protesters on Nugegoda fly over

Some 300 monks from the Student's Union of the Buddhist and Pali University are currently on a protest march in Nugegoda. The march began at the Sri Jayawardenapura University and will proceed to the University Grants Commission in Colombo

UNP stages protest in front of parliament

UNP MPs are currently staging a protest against the government in front of the Parliament complex