Education sector to disrupt due to a token strike

Country’s education sector to disrupt due to an islandwide token strike by Education Administrative service officers, school principals and teachers on Thursday (26) urging the Government to suspend 1,014 appointments made under the political victimization scheme immediately.

SLA will not close camps in North: Army Commander

Army Commander Mahesh Senanayake today said in a media statement that as a responsible Army, SLA would not close down Army camps in the Northern Province as alleged by some media reports.

Glyphosate ban lifted

The Government has lifted the ban on glyphosate for all crops throughout the country by a gazette issued by the Registrar of Pesticides.

Prices of bakery products up by Rs. 5 except bread

All bakery products, except bread, would be increased by Rs. 5 from midnight today (15) because of the recent fuel price hike and domestic gas price hike, the All Island Bakery Owners’ Association (AIBOA) said.

Fake passport racket helping Lankans fly abroad as Indians busted in TN

Indian Police have busted a fake passport racket in Tamil Nadu, which helped Sri Lankan nationals fly abroad from the city as Indian citizens, the PTI reported.

Belgium beat England to finish third

Belgium earned its highest World Cup finish on Saturday by beating England 2-0 in the third-place match.

SL workers vulnerable to forced labour in NZ, Egypt

Sri Lankan workers are vulnerable to forced labour in New Zealand and Egypt and they are subjected to forced labour in Pakistan, the 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report released by the US Department of State said.

South Africa get its lowest score ever

Dilruwan Perera and Rangana Herath cleaned up the house in the second session, as South Africa came out to chase 352. South Africa bowlers did well to bowl out the hosts for 10 in the first session, but they failed yet again with the bat. The Proteas were once again undone by the spin with Perera taking 6 wickets and Herath cleaning up the rest. Lakshan Sandakan took the final wicket of Tabraiz Shamsi as South Africa were bowled out for 73. Sri L

Drug traffickers - Dilshan praises MS for implementing death sentence

Sri Lanka former national cricket team's ca[taom T.M. Dilshan yesterday praised President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to implement the death sentence for drug traffickers.

Carrying out death sentence won't stop crimes: Ajith P Perera

Carrying out the death sentence will not stop crimes, State Minister Ajith P. Perera told a media briefing yesterday and added that this is a reality he learned through his experience as a lawyer and a lecturer at the police training school.

'Ava' gangsters influenced by violence in Tamil films: Minister

After a fact finding mission in Jaffna, Law and Order Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara said yesterday the ‘Ava’ criminal gang was a phenomenon created by some youngsters influenced by violent scenes in Tamil films.

UNP to consider 20-A on Monday

The United National Party (UNP) will on Monday take up for discussions the 20th Amendment to the Constitution submitted by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) on the abolishing of the executive presidential system, House Leader and Minister Lakshman Kiriella said yesterday.

A'pura MC approves resolution to sing national anthem in cinema halls

A resolution submitted by Anuradhapura Municipal Council's Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna member Ranjith Rajakaruna that cinema hall owners should be instructed to play the national anthem at all cinema halls before the screening movies was unanimously passed at the monthly council meeting yesterday.

Unruly behaviour: MP Ranaweera summoned by P’ment Privilege Committee

Joint opposition MP Prasanna Ranaweera has been summoned to appear before the Parliament Privilege Committee on Monday over his unruly behaviour in Parliament when former State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran made a statement regarding LTTE resurgence.

Over 100 Killed in blast at election rally in Pakistan

The death toll in a suicide bombing in southwestern Pakistan Friday jumped to 128, an official said, the deadliest in a string of attacks on political rallies that have raised security fears ahead of nationwide polls.

‘Janabalaya Kolambata’ on August 17: Namal

‘Janabalaya Kolambata,’ a massive anti-government protest campaign organised by the joint opposition, will be held on August 17 in Colombo, MP Namal Rajapaksa said today.

Nawaz Sharif, daughter arrested on arrival in Pakistan

Pakistan’s former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and his daughter, Maryam, have been arrested after flying back to the country to face lengthy prison sentences, in a high-stakes gamble to galvanise their party ahead of an election on 25 July.

Five arrested in alleged attempt to kill Welikada inmate’s wife

Five suspects who are alleged to have attempted to kill the wife of a Welikada Prison inmate have been taken into custody by the STF this evening, Police Media Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said.

Projects invested by India to be launched this year: PM

The projects which were assisted and invested by India would be commenced this year, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today said. He expressed this when Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale called on the PM at Temple Trees in Colombo.  

Tourists trapped on Wangedigala Mountain rescued

Ten people, who were trapped in the Wangedigala mountain because of a spreading wildfire near the Bambarakanda falls in Haldummulla, Badulla, were rescued this evening.

Duterte lauds Sirisena's recognition of Philippines’ war on drugs

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte had lauded President Maithripala Sirisena for Sri Lanka’s plan to replicate the success of the Philippines’ war on drugs, the Philippine News Agency reported on Thursday.

Mahanama, Dissanayake re-remanded till July 24

President Maithripala Sirisena's former chief of staff I.H.K. Mahanama and State Timber Corporation (STC) former chairman P. Dissanayaka who are in remand custody on charges of accepting a Rs.20 million bribe, were today re-remanded till July 24 by Colombo Chief Magistrate.

5.5 kgs of heroin detected in Sampur

Some 5.5 kgs of heroin worth Rs. 66 million was found abandoned at the Ilakkanda Beach in Sampur today, Police said.

Imran Khans’s ex-wife spins it all

The book that Pakistan was waiting for is finally out. Two weeks before a make-or-break election for Imran Khan, his ex-wife Reham Khan’s autobiography portrays the former cricketing superstar and prime ministerial hopeful as a man who led “a bizarre life” of “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll”.

Court allows police to obtain translations of Vijayakala's speech

Colombo Chief Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake today directed the Commissioner of the Department of Official Languages to provide verbatim reports of the Sinhala and Tamil video recordings relating to the speech of former child affairs state minister Vijayakala Maheswaren to the Organised Crime Prevention Division (OCPD).

Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam to be arrested in Lahore today

Pakistan’s embattled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam are set to arrive in Lahore today to face arrest in a corruption case, amid high security and a massive crackdown on his party activists.

SL-Thailand sign MoU on Strategic Economic Partnership

Several agreements were signed between Sri Lanka and Thailand yesterday including a Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Economic Partnership which was signed by Minister Malik Samarawickrama and Thailand’s Deputy Minister of Trade.

Don’t provide info to army: CV tells state officials in north

Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Vignewswaran has requested all state officials in the Northern Province not to provide any information to the army without seeking his advice.

Life imprisonment for reckless driving: Minister

Civil Aviation and Transport Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva opined that the life imprisonment sentence should be brought in to punish reckless drivers in the same way that President Maithripala Sirisena had proposed the re-introduction of capital punishment for drug traffickers.

Knuckles range- Projects in conservation area withdrawn: SPC

The State Plantations Corporation (SPC) yesterday said it had withdrawn some projects attached to the Knuckles mountain range after finding that the lands given to those projects belonged to the Knuckles conservation area.