Customs work-to-rule campaign: TUs hopeful of cabinet decision today

The Customs’ work-to-rule reached its seventh day today as attempts to meet Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe failed last evening.

I was not recalled, I resigned: A.S.P. Liyanage

Sri Lankan Ambassador to Qatar A.S.P. Liyanage yesterday denied reports of being recalled by President Maithripala Sirisena, claiming instead that he had resigned.

Joseph, Kavinda in verbal spat in Ja-ela

UNP MP  Dr.  Kavinda Jayawardene and former Speaker Joseph Michael Perera who is also an UNP  organizer, engaged in a verbal clash at a function held in a church recently.

A.S.P Liyanage recalled: Govt.

Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Qatar  Mr.  A S. P Liyanage has been recalled, government sources today said.

Sugar containers with cocaine not destined to SL: Customs

The controversial sugar containers, detected with cocaine in 2016 and 2017, were not destined for Sri Lanka, Customs Assistant Supdt. Nuwan Abeynayake said.

Lakdhanavi objects awarding Kerawalapitiya power plant execution to China

Lakdhanavi Ltd, a local power company, objects to fresh moves by the Power and Energy Ministry to award the contract to a Chinese company for the execution of 300-megawatt LNG power plant in Kerawalapitiya despite it being a higher bidder, it is learnt.

Customs strike: Importers say essential food prices would go up

The Essential Food Commodities’ Importers and Traders Association today said it has decided to increase the prices of a number of essential food items this week due to the work-to-rule campaign by the Customs.

Heavy rains expected in coming days

Department of Meteorology forecast fairly heavy rains, exceeding more than 100 mm in the next few days. ?

UN Peacekeepers' remains brought to SL

The remains of the two Sri Lankan Peacekeepers, Major H.W.D Jayawickrama and Sergeant S.S Wijekumara, who were killed in Mali, were brought to the Katunayake Airport a short  while ago, Army Media spokesman Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said.

Ferris wheel collapses at theme park: woman killed, daughter injured

A 47-year-old woman has been killed and her daughter critically injured when a Ferris wheel at a private theme park at Naiwala in Veyangoda collapsed this morning, the police said.

STF Commandant Latiff retires tomorrow

Special Task Force Commandant Senior DIG M.R. Latiff will retire tomorrow (February 5) following 40 years in service.

Mother arrested over missing 4-year-old girl

The mother who confessed to throwing her daughter’s body into the Kala Oya tank after attacking and killing her, was arrested by the police last evening, the police said.

Independence Day: Wishes from several heads of governments

Several heads of governments including Queen Elizabeth II, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian President Ram Nath Kovind have extended their wishes on Sri Lanka’s Independence Day, the Presidential Media Unit said.

Google Doodles with Independence Day

Google celebrated Sri Lanka’s 71st Independence Day today with a Google Doodle featuring the lion and three colours of the national flag.

President opposes proposed national government

President Maithripala Sirisena said today he opposed to forming a new national government with a party that has only one seat in parliament.

Australia beat SL by 366 runs to win series 2-0

Mitchell Starc took his second five-wicket haul in the match to power Australia to a 366-run win in the second test against Sri Lanka at Manuka Oval on Monday and a 2-0 sweep of the series.

Ranil, Karu and Sajith are UNP's potential presidential candidates- Navin

Plantation Industries Minister Navin Dissanayake, who is the National Organiser of the United National Party (UNP), said his party had identified three personages – Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Housing and Construction Minister Sajith Premadasa and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya - to be potential presidential candidates.

PM's Independence Day Message: Let’s join together for a prosperous nation

Celebrating ‘independence’ does not necessarily mean that it has been entirely achieved to the true sense of the word. ‘Independence’ is fully realised only when all human beings in a nation achieve a state of environmental, economic, political, social and spiritual coexistence, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in his Independence Day message.

Shortages loom as Customs slow down

The work-to-rule campaign started by the Customs officials over the replacing of Director General of the Customs Department, Ms P.S.M. Charles, with a retired Navy officer has cost the country thumping Rs 12 billion rupees so far, a spokesman of the Sri Lanka Customs Officers' Union (SLCO) said yesterday.

Be honest and tell you want more ministers: MR

Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa called on the Government on Saturday to be honest and say that that it wanted to increase the number of Ministers without hoodwinking the people by talking about a National Government.

Srinesan wants a DNA test for TNA candidates

Those who aspired to contest under the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) at forthcoming elections must be subjected to a DNA test to ascertain that they did not have qualities of jumping and flying, TNA MP G. Srinesan said yesterday.

Fight poverty and corruption to uplift country: Prez Independence Day Message

President Maithripala Sirisena said that the common enemies of the progress of national revival were poverty and corruption.

Three Forces to fight Sena Caterpillar

The Government was planning to get the assistance of the three Armed Forces to eradicate the Sena Caterpillar menace, Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara said.

PM invites all to join UNF

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had invited all MPs outside the UNF to join in the Government.

Australia declare, set Sri Lanka 516 to win 2nd Test

Australia declared their second innings against Sri Lanka at 196 for three Sunday after Usman Khawaja hit a century, setting the visitors a massive 516 to win the second Test in Canberra.

Maldivian President arrives in SL

Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih arrived in Sri Lanka this morning to attend the 71st Independence Day celebrations.

89 nabbed with narcotics at FB party

A total of 89 individuals including six women had been arrested for use or possessing narcotic drugs at a party organized through Facebook, at a hotel in Hingurakgoda last night.

73 Indians arrested in SL this year for visa violations

Seventy-three Indians have been arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities for violating visa norms this year, officials said on Saturday.

Four Maldivians arrested for operating a drone over Katunayake airport

Four Maldivians were arrested for operating a drone camera and video-graphing the Katunayake Airport in the high-security zone last night.

Bringing down SL UN Peacekeepers' remains delayed

The remains of the two Sri Lankan Peacekeepers, Major H.W.D Jayawickrama and Sergeant S.S Wijekumara, who were killed in Mali, would not be flown down to Sri Lanka on Saturday as earlier scheduled, the Army announced yesterday.