Gunmen kill police officer in Kurunegala

A Sub inspector was shot dead and two other policemen injured when a group of unidentified gunmen opened fire at a police vehicle at Maspotha in Kurunegala last night, police said.

2017 Budget squeezing the necks of the poor: GL

The 2017 Budget as no vision other than including proposals to squeeze the necks of the poor, joint opposition member G.L. Peiris said today.

Wimal usually dodged his summons: FCID

The Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) in a response to claims made by MP Wimal Weerawansa for summoning him on Poya Day to record a statement said they had no other option because the politician keeps dodging his summons saying he was busy with parliamentary affairs.

Power failure in several areas in Kalutara district

The Power supply in several areas in Kalutara, Panadura, Horana, Mathugama and Ambalangoda was disrupted due to the tripping of the Matugama transmission line at the Pannipitiya Grid Substation, Ceylon Electricity Board said (CEB).

India intercepts boat with 2 armed men on tip off from SL Navy

Acting on a tip off from the Sri Lankan Navy, an Indian naval patrol team intercepted a fiberglass boat with two armed men and chased them away when they tried to enter Indian territorial waters.

Cabinet stops water rate hike

The Cabinet has decided to suspend the proposed 30 percent water tariff increase, Minister of Petroleum Chandima Weerakody said today.

Reduce the tax on internet usage for students: WDJS

The 25 per cent internet charges should be reduced for schoolchildren and university students, a government minister told Parliament today.

Mobile brothel raided in Bambalapitiya: four arrested

Four persons including three women were arrested for operating a mobile brothel in Bambalapitiya early this morning.

US may have committed war crimes in Afghanistan: ICC

There is a “reasonable basis” to believe that U.S. soldiers and intelligence agents committed the war crimes of torture and rape in Afghanistan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court says in a report.

Debt Office: JO to file action in Supreme Court

The joint opposition said today it would file action in the Supreme Court with regard to the budget proposal to set up an Independent Debt Office at the General Treasury.

Four Chinese nabbed with cigarettes worth Rs. 3.5 mn

Four Chinese nationals were arrested this morning at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) by the airport customs officers while trying to smuggle cigarettes worth Rs. 3.5million into the country, Deputy Customs Director Parakrama Basnayaka said.

Man who photographed VIPs at Amaradewa's funeral re-remanded

The suspect who was arrested for suspicious behavior and impersonation of a journalist at the funeral of veteran musician W.D. Amaradeva at Independence Square, where the President and other VIPs were present, was re-remanded till November 17 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate today.

TN govt. asks Centre to direct SL to release fishing boats

Tamil Nadu Government on Monday requested the Centre to ask the Sri Lankan government to release over 100 fishing boats, which are still in custody of the island nation.

Central Bank’s autonomy challenged in budget 2017

Certain controversial proposals in the budget 2017 are likely to have massive implications on the country’s financial system and the independence of the Monetary Board (MB) of the Central Bank, according to a leading economist in the country.

Price tags for Health and education: FSP

The government has clearly indicated its desire to convert the health and the education sectors into marketable commodities though the 2017 Budget, the Front-line Socialist Party (FSP) said yesterday.

SLFP disassociates itself from 30% hike: Premajayantha

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) yesterday dis-associated itself from the government’s decision to increase water bills by 30 per cent.

Office of Missing Persons from Jan.1: Mangala

Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera said the Office of Missing Persons Act would become operational in the country from January 1 after it is gazetted by President Maitripala Sirisena.

Pelting of stones: Embassy complains to Ministry

A leading foreign embassy located in Colombo has complained to the Foreign Affairs Ministry that residents living in the neighbourhood were pelting stones at the embassy premises across the parapet wall.

‘Increased fine to minimize road accidents’

The minimum fine for traffic offenses is to be increased to Rs.2,500 through the 2017 budget in an effort to arrest the increasing number of road accidents, Deputy Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Abeysinghe said.

Bus strike called off: LPBOA

The countrywide bus strike to be launched tomorrow was called off after discussions with Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) Chairman Gemunu Wijeratne said a short while ago. The private bus operators had earlier warned they would launch the strike from tomorrow if the government did not rescind its decision to impose a minimum penalty of Rs.2,500 for traffic offences. Mr. Wijeratne told Daily

Bus strike called off: LPBOA

The countrywide bus strike to be launched tomorrow was called off after discussions with Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) Chairman Gemunu Wijeratne said a short while ago.

Sooka calls for UN probe on torture by SL security forces

Former member of the UN special panel Yasmin Sooka has said the UN Committee Against Torture (UNCAT) should visit Sri Lanka and conduct an independent investigation into the continued abductions, torture and sexual violence allegedly committed by the security forces, the Indian Express today reported.

Met Dept. forecast evening thunder showers

The Meteorology Department forecast evening thunder showers over the island today.

Gammanpila predicts a gloomy future for SL

Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) General Secretary MP Udaya Gammanpila today said Sri Lanka would be faced with a great economic collapse in future, even though the government had announced in the 2017 Budget that there would be a positive turnover in the economy of the country next year.

Navy earns Rs. 2.3 bn from Avant Garde operations

Having taken over the Onboard Security Team Operations (OBST) from Avant Garde Maritime Services, the Navy said today said that it had earned an income of Rs. 2.33 billion since November 13 last year.

Countrywide bus strike tomorrow against minimum penalty

Private bus owners will launch an island wide strike protesting against the government’s decision to impose a minimum penalty of Rs. 2,500 for traffic offences, which was proposed in the 2017 budget.

Wimal at FCID

National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader and MP Wimal Weerawansa arrived at the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) today to give a statement in connection with his alleged involvement in misusing a fleet of vehicles belonging to the Presidential Secretariat during the election campaign.

Arrests by TID illegal- relatives of ‘Aava’ suspects

Relatives of eleven suspected members of the "Aava" gang, who were arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) in Jaffna, lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission (HRC) stating that the arrests were illegal.

TN started training LTTE in 1983

Soon after the July 1983 anti-Tamil riots in Sri Lanka and the influx of Tamil refugees into Tamil Nadu, the training of Tamil militants began in Tamil Nadu with the knowledge  and patronage of the Tamil Nadu government. India’s national intelligence agencies started their training program only in 1984, when New Delhi felt that Tamil Nadu’s initiative in the matter might not be in the overall Indian interest, says Air Marshal (Rt

Land Bank:Govt. to bring all crown land under one body

The government is to bring in new legislation providing for the transfer of all the State lands currently remaining under the purview of different bodies to a common institution named State Land Bank for the disbursement of them for development purposes when and where necessary, it is learnt.