Excise busts booze racket to English fans at Premadasa stadium

A major racket of selling foreign liquor to the UK fans at the fifth One Day International (ODI) cricket encounter between Sri Lanka and England, despite strict laws at R. Premadasa Stadium, was busted by the Colombo Excise officials on Tuesday afternoon when the match was in progress.

President recommends names for SC, CA

President Maithripala Sirisena had sent his recommendations to the Constitutional Council to appoint Appeal Court Judge Deepali Wijesundara as a Supreme Court Judge and High Court Judge Sarojani Kusala Weerawardane as Appeal Court Judge, sources said.

This is the starting point-PM

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who made a special statement on the naming of Sri Lanka as the top destination to visit in 2019 said this achievement should be a starting point to go to a higher level in tourism.

Discovery of suspicious package: CNN news room in NY evacuated

Police evacuated The Time Warner Center in New York City — which contains the headquarters of news network CNN — after the discovery of a suspicious package addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan.

Two spill gates of Victoria reservoir opened

two spill gates of the Victoria reservoir automatically opened this evening due to the heavy rains experienced in the area.

Suspicious packages sent to Clinton, Obama

The US Secret Service said today it had intercepted suspect packages, identified as potential explosive devices, sent to the homes of former president Barack Obama and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

Flight diverted to Mattala due to bad weather

The SriLankan flight UL 405 which was scheduled to land at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake was diverted to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) this evening due to adverse weather, the BIA Duty Manager said.

Hemasiri Fernando appointed BOI Chairman

Incumbent Chairman of People’s Bank Hemasiri Fernando was appointed as the Chairman and Director-General of the Board of Investments, sources said today.

I don’t believe Ministers have links with RAW: MR

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said that he didn’t believe that the Cabinet Ministers would have any links with the RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) of India.

SE University closed indefinitely from this evening

The Administration of the South Eastern University had decided to close the University indefinitely from this evening, Registrar H. Abdul Saththar said.

Assassination plot: CID seeks Huawei help to recover phone evidence

The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court had granted permission to the CID to ask Chinese phone manufacturer Huawei to help recover data which had been deleted from a phone used by Namal Kumara who revealed a plot to kill President Maithripala Sirisena, Reuters reported today.Namal Kumara last month

Navy officer arrested over abduction and disappearance of two CMC workers

Navy Intelligence Officer Lieutenant Commander Sampath Dayananda had been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the abduction and disappearance of two individuals in Kotahena in 2009.

Wiggy parts ways with TNA, forms TPA

Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Vigneswaran today announced the formation of a new political party, the Tamil People’s Alliance (TPA) and his departure from the TNA. Making the announcement at the Tamil Peoples Council (TPC) meeting convened at the Nadaraja Parameswary Hall in Jaffna today

Light Railway construction to begin next year

Construction work of the proposed light railway system would begin at the end of next year, the Megapolis and Western Development Ministry said yesterday.

H’tota Wind Farm to be removed

The Hambantota Wind Farm, the only CEB-owned wind power plant, which was commissioned in 1999, is being disassembled to be removed owing to the high amount of rent the CEB has to pay for the land and also due to its less efficiency, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said.

Lotus Road closed due to protest

The Lotus Road has been temporarily closed due to a protest march carried out by a group of estate workers, Police said.

Four killed in separate accidents in Maho, Kekirawa

Four people were killed while 16 were injured following two separate accidents in Maho and Kekirawa this morning, police said.

Spill gates of several reservoirs opened

Spill gates of Parakrama Samudra, Deduru Oya, Rajanganaya Reservoir, Angamuwa Tank and Thabbowa Reservoir were opened after they reached spill level due to heavy rains experienced in the catchment areas, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said.

UN request to withdraw Commander: Prez expresses concerns

President Maithripala Sirisena is reported to have expressed concerns at yesterday's Cabinet meeting about the UN request for the withdrawal of Lieut. Col. Kalana Amunupura -- the Commander of the 200-strong Sri Lankan military contingent deployed as part of the UN peace keeping mission in Mali.

Man assaulted, shot at in Weeraketiya

A 39-year-old man was killed after two men allegedly assaulted him and fired shots at him at Makuladeniya in Weeraketiya early this morning.The investigations revealed that the victim, who was a resident of Kakuruwela, was killed due to a personal dispute.

Govt. must do its best to have UNHRC resolution withdrawn

Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka told the Cabinet yesterday that the government should launch diplomatic efforts to withdraw its co-sponsorship of the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka.

SriLankan Airlines Commission: There were practices above the law- fmr. minister

There were practices above the law; no matter what laws are created practices are higher. Whether it is a violation of a law at some points a minister has to take that decision because it was the practice at that time, former Civil Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratne yesterday told the SriLankan Airlines Commission

New Constitution was flawed and detrimental to the nation: Ven. Ananda Thera

Most Venerable Tirikunamale Ananda Mahanayaka Thera said yesterday the proposed new Constitution was flawed and detrimental to the nation and that it was a threat to the national reconciliation.

Dissolving the Board of Directors - Shows they are corrupt: JO

President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to replace the Board of Directors of the Bank of Ceylon, People’s Bank and the BOI shows that these institutions are corrupt similar to the Central Bank in the past, joint opposition (JO) MP Bandula Gunawardana said yesterday.

Not a single medicinal drug withdrawn: Rajitha

Not a single essential medicinal drug has been removed from the market other than to replace those that have remained for long periods on pharmacy shelves with new and better drugs, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said yesterday.

Cabinet approves laws to set up Truth Commission

The Cabinet is reported to have approved the draft legislation to set up the National Truth Commission as an initiative to ensure the transitional justice envisaged in resolution 30/1 on Sri Lanka adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).  

MS saying DS' UNP is no more is a joke: SF

Responding to the statement made by President Maithripala Sirisena that the UNP founded by the late D S Senanayake was no more, Minister Sarath Fonseka said yesterday DS was engaged in a different kind of politics during his time.

Govt. failed to uplift the people: JVP

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today people should rally round to send off the government which was not giving relief to the people and selling off State property.

Debt repayment priority, not rupee depreciation, says Mangala

The government’s priority at the moment was debt repayment and not countering currency depreciation as it was a common phenomenon experienced by many emerging and frontier economies, Finance and Mass Media Minister Managala Samaraweera said today.

SL register record win as it hammers England by 219 runs

Top four scored fifties before Akila Dananjaya bagged a four-fer to help the hosts win by 219 runs.