PM: Laws to curb social media hate speech soon

Sri Lanka would have new laws enacted to control social media and hate speech, in a few weeks’ time, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.

Australia says SL best partner in tackling people smuggling

While claiming that Sri Lanka is perhaps Australia’s strongest partner in tackling maritime people smuggling, Australia today said it will gift three Port Class vessels to the Sri Lankan Coast Guard later this year.

Uni non-academic staff still not working

The University Trade Union Joint Committee (UTUJC) today said that the work stoppage by the non-academic staff of state universities would continue in the absence of a positive response from the authorities regarding their demands.

Japanese PM assures to provide grants not loans

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated that he would work towards providing grants not loans anytime possible while giving assistance to the development progammes of Sri Lanka.

SLBFE to help bring back housemaid’s remains from Saudi

The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) would help to bring back the remains of the Sri Lankan housemaid, who was shot dead in Saudi Arabia, the SLBFE said today.

'Infertility pill': No documented instances of its use, worldwide

While rejecting the myths regarding the so called "infertility pill", a group of medical professionals today said there were no easily available drugs in western medical practice, which can significantly affect fertility, if they were administered once or for a short period, to an individual.

Sarath Weerasekara urges UNHRC to impose moratorium

Rear Admiral (Retd.) Sarath Weerasekera speaking before the UNHRC in Geneva today urged the Council to impose a moratorium on all actions related to the resolution against Sri Lanka pending a decision on his Complaint Procedures petition.

UK expels 23 Russian diplomats

British Prime Minister Theresa May expelled 23 Russian diplomats today, blaming Moscow for the poisoning of a former Russian spy and sharply escalating the dispute between the two countries, the New York Times reported today.

Merkel sworn in as Chancellor for fourth term

Angela Merkel has been sworn in for a fourth term as German chancellor, after months of political wrangling that left her weakened, the BBC reported today.

JVP urge govt. to restore social media without delay

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) today urged the government to immediately restore social media networks without suppressing the media and causing a serious violation of the peoples’ democratic rights.

President's Secretary and FB reps to meet tomorrow

The President's Secretary Austin Fernando and representatives of facebook will meet at the Presidential Secretariat tomorrow, to work out a method to ensure necessary protection and surveillance, and to lift the temporary restriction on access to the facebook site, the Presidential Secretariat said.

Deportation of SL family in Australia reprieved

A Sri Lankan asylum seeker family in Australia had been pulled from a plane overnight just minutes before they were due to be deported, the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Wednesday.

Restriction on WhatsApp to be lifted from midnight

Restriction on WhatsApp messaging application would be lifted from midnight today, President’s Secretary and Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) Chairman Austin Fernando said today. Restriction on Viber was lifted from midnight yesterday.

26 deported Lankans land at BIA

Twenty six Sri Lankans, deported by Australia and Switzerland arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) this morning, BIA sources said.

23 Indians arrested for visa violation

Twenty-three Indian nationals including a woman was arrested by officers of the Immigration and Emigration Department today for violating visa conditions.

Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Karunasekara retires

Major General Amal Karunasekara, Chief of Staff and Colonel of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI) Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army, relinquished his duties and retired from service with effect from yesterday.

Heroin peddler sentenced to death

A heroin peddler accused of trafficking 14.6 grams of heroin was sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court today.

Prof. Stephen Hawking, renowned physicist dies at 76

Professor Stephen Hawking, the renowned British physicist and author of A Brief History of Time, has died at the age of 76, the Telegraph reported.

Depression moving towards Arabian Sea: Met. Dept.

As the depression to the South-west of Sri Lanka is now located around 550km away from Colombo and likely to move towards the Arabian Sea, its effect to the country will gradually decrease, the Meteorology Department said this morning.

PM in closed-door meetings with Maha Nayake Theras

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is reported to have held closed-door meetings with Maha Nayaka Theras of the Asgiriya and Malwathu Chapters in Kandy last morning.

Govt. to set up new institution to monitor social media: Harin

The government is discussing setting up an institution to monitor social media usage, Minister of Digital Infrastructure Technology Harin Fernando said yesterday.

If something is harmful we have to contain it - President

President Maithripala Sirisena while speaking on the current restrictions on the social media that have been imposed after the violence mainly in Ampara and Kandy Districts said yesterday that if something is detrimental to the society we will have to contain its effects despite it being useful in some other way.

Mahasohon Balakaya office raided

The Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) had recovered several office equipments and propaganda materials, which were used in propagating hate speech, from a office at Naththaranpotha in Kundasale last morning following the information received during the interrogation of the head of ‘Mahasohon Balakaya’

Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Act--Govt. officials not taking it seriously: BC

The Bribery Commission has felt the urgent need to amend the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Act as many government officials and their departments “do not take it very seriously” to facilitate such mandatory personal data annually, a source said.

Regulations needed to stop misuse of cloud apps: JHU

The Government should introduce new regulations to regulate cloud applications like Facebook or WhatsApp to prevent their improper use, Jathika Hela Urumaya General Secretary and Minister Champika Ranawaka said today.

OMP will trace missing, make recommendations: Chairman

While assuring that the OMP would address cases of missing persons irrespective of their ethnicity, the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) Chairman Saliya Pieris PC today said the Commission would trace the missing and make recommendation to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

Sagala wants social media unblocked

Minister of Youth Affairs and Southern Development Sagala Ratnayake in a tweet yesterday said that the recent ban on social media creates a negative impact on many industries including the IT, E-commerce and tourism sectors.

Med. students’ parents complain to BC

Parents' Union of Medical Students (PUMS) today made a complaint to the Bribery Commission stating that the University Grants’ Commission (UGC) and the Higher Education Ministry had shied away from its responsibilities when enrolling students to South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM).

What action against 'forgotten' Mahendran? GL

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) today said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe should reveal the course of action which would be taken against Arjuna Mahendran who was ordered to report to the CID on March 8 but failed to do so.

Restriction on Viber to be lifted from midnight today

Restriction on Viber has been lifted from midnight today, Government Information Department said.