Probation officers to keep an eye on student hacker

Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya today directed probation officers to monitor the behaviour of the Kadugannawa schoolboy who had hacked the President’s website.

UN tells Muslims to cooperate with peace process: Bathiudeen

Minister Rishad Bathiudeen said yesterday the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Miroslav Jenca had requested the Sri Lankan Muslim community to work closely with the country’s peace process.

Keshap optimistic admiration towards SL remains same

With the election of Republican Candidate Donald Trump as the President of the US, US Ambassador for Sri Lanka Atul Keshap said he hoped the admiration of the new administration towards Sri Lanka would remain the same.  

I am satisfied with my performance: President

President Maithripala Sirisena said he was satisfied with his performance as the President where he succeeded in getting the 19th Amendment to the Constitution passed in parliament and getting independent commissions established.

India will retrieve 115 seized boats from SL: Minister

Union Minister of State Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan on Thursday said the Centre would secure the release of 115 boats of Tamil Nadu fishermen.

Gymkhana set to rob government

Once the country’s most prestigious recreational and sports clubs, Gymkhana has fallen under the iron grip of a few shady officials who have been carrying out some corrupt activity for a long time at one of Colombo Seven’s most iconic landmarks to bring the club to its knees, while their latest unscrupulous adventure seems set to rob the country of a few billion Rupees.  

Five escaped Indian kidney transplant racketeers arrested

Five out of seven Indian nationals who were allegedly involved in the kidney transplant racket were arrested by the Pesalai police yesterday, police said.

Donald Trump had acted in a Sri Lankan film

America’s President-elect Donald Trump had acted in a film co-produced by the veteran Sri Lankan film-maker Chandran Rutnam along with Bo Derek.

Budget looks good on paper: TNA

TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran said the prices of some essential goods have been reduced marginally and the budget looks good on paper.“The budget looks good on paper but one wonders how realistic some proposals which were presented such as revenue collection, It seems that the trend continues

Govt. ministers call budget one of prosperity and development

Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara said that the budget outlines plans of the government to take the nation towards economic prosperity with an emphasis on the issues faced by the youth.

More taxes will increase burden on people: JVP

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Leader, MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the government had now decided to put taxes on goods and services that were exempted in the past and the new taxes such as  the carbon tax will increase the burden on the people.

Budget will have adverse effect on working class: Dinesh

Commenting on the 2017 budget proposals Parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardane noted that the increase in taxes would effect almost all sectors as well as the working class citizens of this country.

Sarath Jayamanne appointed Bribery Commission DG

President’s Counsel Sarath Jayamanne has been appointed as Director General of the Commission to Investigate allegations of Bribery or Corruption by President Maithripala Sirisena today.

Aussie company forced to pay thousands to underpaid Lankan

A Melbourne removalist company has been forced to pay $9,000 to a Sri Lankan asylum seeker it underpaid for work over three months, the Guardian reported on Thursday.

Tax for electric cars reduced: Ravi

The Excise Duty on electric cars with motor power less than 100 KW was reduced in the 2017 budget presented by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake today as a commitment to encourage green energy consumption.

Fine for traffic offences up to Rs 2,500, case filing fee imposed

The minimum penalty on traffic offences will be increased to Rs. 2,500, the Finance Minister said presenting the Budget 2017 in Parliament.

Prices of several essential items reduced

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, in his Budget speech announced that the prices of several essential items would be reduced.

Budget: Govt. to monitor private sector education

The private education sector would be monitored by the government, the Budget 2017 proposed.  

Death sentence for three family members

Three members of a family, found guilty of murdering a resident of Kegalle in 2005, were today sentenced to death by Kegalle Chief Magistrate Dhammika Ganepola.

Tiran Alles granted bail

Former MP Tiran Alles and two others, who were arrested and remanded over the RADA case, were granted bail by the Colombo High Court today.

Thousands across the USA protest Trump victory

Protesters took to the streets Wednesday in at least 10 cities to march against president-elect Donald Trump - and numerous college students and faculty leaders took to social media to announce support groups and even postponed exams.

Escaped kidney racketeers still at large

The Colombo Crimes Division and the Mirihana police are investigating the escape of the seven Indian nationals who arrested in connection with the kidney transplant racket, police said.

SL aware of Lankans joining foreign terrorist organizations: IGP

Though the country was now free of conventional terrorism, the Sri Lankan Government was very much aware of the threat of its citizens joining foreign terrorist organizations, Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara said addressing the INTERPOL General Assembly in Bali, Indonesia yesterday.

Govt. plans to reduce deficit to 4.7%: Ravi

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said the government targets a fiscal deficit of 3.5 percent of GDP by 2020, while it has planned to reduce the deficit to 4.7 percent next year from a targeted 5.4 percent in 2016.

Govt. having deals with 2012 Welikada prison massacre culprits’

The Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners yesterday charged that all hopes that justice would be served with regards the ‘massacre’ of 27 prisoners at the Welikada Prison on November 10, 2012 under the good-governance motto of the government, had faded as the government was allegedly having secret deals with those who are responsible for the deaths of these prisoners.

War Veterans' Department will be established: Ruwan

State Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene said a War Veterans' Department would be established next year to prevent a repitition of incidents such as that which occurred in front of the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday, when a group of disabled soldiers clashed with the police.

Hillary Clinton delivers painful concession speech

"I'm sorry."With those simple words, Hillary Clinton, who thought she would wake up Wednesday as the first woman president-elect but crashed to a stunning election defeat to Donald Trump, ended her White House quest and likely her political career.

Cocaine seized in Kelaniya

Thirty one kilograms of cocaine, valued at Rs.500 million, were seized by the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) officials from a warehouse in Pethiyagoda, Kelaniya this evening.

Bond scam: JVP will campaign on six demands

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) which highlighted that the government cannot run away from its responsibility of taking action against those who are charged with the bond scam today said it would campaign on several demands regarding the issue.

Looking forward to new world order: MR

With the election of Donald Trump as the next US President, former president and MP Mahinda Rajapaksa said today that he was looking forward to a new world order based on the principles of the sovereign equality of all nations and non-interference in the internal affairs of nation states.