Two brothers drown while fishing in deep sea

Two youth from the same family drowned while they were fishing in deep sea on a multi-day fishing trawler.

Youth arrested for video recording President’s helicopter

A 26 year old man was arrested yesterday by the Bambalapitiya Police on charges of having video recorded the helicopter which carried President Maithripala Sirisena as it landed at the Bambalapitiya Police Field Force Headquarters Grounds, Police said.

SL committed to combat IUU fishing: Mangala

While assuring that Sri Lanka was committed to combat IUU fishing, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said Sri Lanka would prohibit destructive fishing gear and introduce an effective fisheries management system through vessel monitoring and enforcement of relevant laws.

Bodies of two missing in Panadura Sea found

The bodies of the two men who went missing yesterday while bathing in the sea off Panadura were recovered this morning, Police said.

Biswal holds talks with Tamil diaspora on reconciliation in SL

US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal has held discussions with the Tamil diaspora on the accountability and reconciliation process in Sri Lanka

One killed, 11 injured after Perahera elephant goes on rampage

A 60-year-old woman was killed and 11 others injured when an elephant went on rampage at the Ratnapura Maha Saman Devalaya before its final Perahera commenced last night, Police said.

President leaves for UN tomorrow

President Maithripala Sirisena and the Sri Lankan delegation will leave tomorrow to attend the 71st United Nations General Assembly due to be held at the UN Headquarters in New York from September 19 to 26.

Lost and found youth has no signs of assault: Matara JMO

The youth from Bandagiriya, who went missing while in the custody of the Hambantota Police and found later in a temple, has not been psychically harmed, a Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) said after examining him.

SL to continue issuing on-arrival visas to Bangladeshis

The Sri Lankan Government has assured it would continue issuing on-arrival visas to Bangladesh citizens, Star Online reported on Thursday.

Avant Garde: Court tells CID to submit final report on Oct.5

The Galle Chief Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura today directed the CID to submit to Court on Oct. 5 the final report on its investigation into the Avant Garde controversy.

No big change in amended VAT Bill: JVP

The amended VAT Bill which the Government assured was being prepared with the people's well-being in mind is almost similar to the Bill introduced some months ago, with the only difference being the few changes made to mitigate protests by traders, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said today.

One drowns, two missing while sea bathing

One man drowned while two others had gone missing today when bathing in the sea off Panadura, Police said.

PM to undertake official visit to New Zealand

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would undertake an official three-day visit to New Zealand in early October, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has announced today.

Hambantota youth remanded

The 22-year-old youth who was reported missing while in the custody of the Hambantota Police but was later found in Dickwella was remanded till September 21 by Hambantota Magistrate Manjula Karunaratne today.

Two killed by lightening

Two men were killed after they were struck by lightning in Mangalagama, Ampara while they were kept vigil at a chena cultivation last evening, Police said.

PM was a puppet in previous regime: SLFP

SLFP Minister Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa said yesterday that it was the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa who governed the country using executive powers sidelining the premier and going against democratic values.

Special commodity levy on imported sugar increased

The Special Commodity Levy on imported white sugar has been increased to Rs 2.00 per kilogram and Rs 15 per kilogram on raw sugar with effect from midnight yesterday, the Finance Ministry announced.

PM wants to determine if political hand behind disappearance of youth

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered the intelligence unit to determine whether any political group is behind the disappearance of the youth in Bandagiriya, Hambantota.  

Positive steps taken in SL: UNHRC Working Group

During the ongoing session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances noted that positive steps had been taken in Sri Lanka in relation to the right to truth for past disappearances; but that there was “much still to be done, especially when it comes to accountability and bringing perpetrators to justice."  

CEB looking to recover Rs.3bn of missing EPF funds

Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said yesterday that they were looking for the possibility of filing a civil case over the incident in which Rs. 3 billion from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) belonging to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) was misplaced.

'Entire health sector should be exempted from VAT'

In response to the amendments to the Value Added Tax (VAT) which was announced by the government on Wednesday, a leading consumer rights group yesterday said the entire health sector should be exempted from VAT.  

Tabs to replace textbooks: Minister

Ten-inch tabs programmed with the entire school syllabus would be distributed to the students above grade nine in schools, instead of textbooks, Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure Minister Harin Fernando today said.

Malaysia confirms debris found in Tanzania is from MH370

Malaysia said on Thursday that a large piece of aircraft debris discovered on the island of Pemba, off the coast of Tanzania, in June, was from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet MH370.

SriLankan bans use or charging of Samsung Galaxy Note 7

SriLankan Airlines said today that it has completely banned the use or charging of Samsung’s latest Galaxy Note7 smartphone on board all its flights with immediate effect until further notice.

SL refugee in UK jailed for sexually attacking woman

A 31-year-old Sri Lankan asylum seeker in UK has been jailed for 30 months on charges of sexually attacking a woman, three years after he was saved from deportation in a campaign led by his local MP, the Daily Mail reported on Wednesday.

Youth gone missing in Hambantota found

The youth reported to have gone missing while in the custody of the Hambantota police was found at a Temple in Dikwella today, Police said.  

Yoshitha’s Mt. Lavinia land to be surveyed

Mount Lavinia Additional Magistrate Sulochana Weerasinghe today ordered the land belonging to Yoshitha Rajapaksa and his grandaunt Daisy Forestat in Mihindu Mawatha, Mt. Lavinia be surveyed on September 20.

Thajudeen’s body parts: Ex-JMO’S bail application rejected

The anticipatory bail application filed by Colombo's former chief judicial medical officer Ananda Samarasekera, seeking court to prevent his arrest in connection with Wasim Thajudeen’s missing body parts, was today rejected by Colombo Additional Magistrate Dulani Amarasinghe.

Mahindananda remanded

Parliamentarian Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who was arrested by the CID over money laundering charges on purchasing a property worth Rs. 27 Million in Colombo 7, was ordered to be remanded till September 22 by Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris today.

Sinhalese have their origins in Bengal, Odisha: Research

When three years back, a Sri Lankan envoy sought Indian support on the basis of the claim that the Sinhalese people are descendents of Bengalis and Odias, there was an upsurge of perplexity and outrage among large sections of the Indian population.