India to de-linked Sethu project: BJP

In what appeared to be a sigh of relief for Sri Lanka, the Barathiya Janatha Party (BJP) government of India is likely to drop the controversial Sethusamunduram Project in part due to religious sensitivities involved in terms of the Hindu Mythology, the Daily Mirror learns

Ridiculous, says Bar

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) has sought the approval of Secretary to the Ministry of Law and Order regarding a request made by president of Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Upul Jayasuriya urging the IGP to ensure his personal security by providing personnel security travelling with him following the incident where Mr. Jayasuriya had been followed by two unidentified motorcyclists on July 15.

Muslims to celebrate Ramazan on Tuesday

Colombo Grand Mosque has announced that Muslims in Sri Lanka would celebrate the Ramazan Festival on Tuesday (29) as the new moon has not been sighted. 

India to inform terror cloud on Colombo

India will be informing Sri Lanka about an official working with the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo who was allegedly playing a key role in planning terror strikes at the behest of ISI on the US and Israeli consulates in the southern part of this country.

Fire at Beruwala star class hotel

A fire that broke out in a star class hotel in Beruwala was doused by hotel employees using emergency fire equipment installed in the building.

'Unfaithful' expat kills wife in Kuwait

A Sri Lankan man killed his wife in Kuwait by stabbing her many times after she discovered that he was betraying her with another woman

Suspects arrested along with eggs of migrant seabirds

Four persons have been arrested in the coast of Urumalei in Talaimannar while they were attempted to smuggle out 452 eggs of migratory sea birds in a fishing boat, Police said

Two held for trafficking Lankan refugees

The CB-CID wing of Puducherry police arrested two persons in connection with the trafficking of Tamil refugees, who travelled from the Puducherry coast to Christmas Island in June

Resolve Tamil issue for better trade-India

India has told Sri Lanka that it needs to resolve the Tamil issue for making progress in bilateral trade and commerce, a senior BJP leader has said. 

Abbott defends treatment of SL migrants

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott today said his government's treatment of a boatload of 157 asylum-seekers who have been kept at sea for weeks would underline its resolve to stop people-smuggling.

MR calls Indonesian President-elect

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has telephoned the newly elected Indonesian President Joko Widodo to offer congratulations on his decisive victory at the recently concluded Presidential elections and invited the latter to visit Sri Lanka.

Estate workers attacked by wasps

At least eight women in a group of tea pluckers were attacked by a swarm of wasps in a tea estate in Norwood this afternoon, Police said.

Brothel raided in Dehiwala

A brothel operating in the guise of a massage parlour was raided in Dehiwala last evening by the Organised Crimes Investigation Unit, police said.

Malinga fights for his team

Star bowler Lasith Malinga had told Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials yesterday that he has still not decided whether he would represent the local Southern Express team or the IPL team Mumbai Indians at the forthcoming Champions’ League tournament.

Sudesh wins SL's first medal at C’wealth games

Sri Lanka's Sudesh Peiris won the Silver medal for Men’s weightlifting in the 62kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow.

Facebook clarifies disabling of Champika’s FB

The Facebook administration has informed Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka that his facebook account had been disabled due to the incompatibility of the account name with the name appearing in his Parliamentary identity card.

Import levy on grains reduced

The special commodity levy on imported grains has been reduced from July 26 because of the insufficient supply of local grain to the market, the Finance and Planning Ministry said.

Seven feared dead in Helicopter crash in India

Seven people are feared killed in an Indian Air Force helicopter crash near Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.

MR directs Rajarata VC to forgive Uni. students

President Mahinda Rajapaksa directed the Vice Chancellor of the Rajarata University to pardon the university students and to reopen the university immediately, during the District coordinating Committee Meeting held in Anuradhapura today.

Burglary at Wolvendhal Church

The caretaker of the Dutch Reformed Church at Wolvendhal Street in Hulftsdorp was remanded till August 4 on charges of having aided and abetted with some others in robbing equipment at the bottom of the lightning conductor.

UK visa applicants arrested for fraud in Colombo

A married Sri Lankan couple who applied together for UK visas were arrested yesterday for using deception in their applications and unofficially tampering with their passports, the British High Commission in Colombo said.

10 Chinese tourists fall prey to wasps at Sigiriya

About ten Chinese nationals including four women were admitted to the Sigiriya Hospital after they were attacked by wasps when climbing the Sigiriya rock Fortress.

No liquor on July 29

All the liquor shops in the country would be closed on July 29, in view of the Ramadan Festival, the Commissioner General of Department of Excise office said today.

BJP Swamy’s Lanka visit fuels criticism

T. Velmurugan, the President of Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi has questioned the locus standi of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramaniam Swamy visiting Sri Lanka and having discussion with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on strategic issues.

157 asylum seekers to be transferred to Australian mainland

The Australian government’s stretch of six months without an asylum seeker boat passenger arriving in Australia is set to end, as 157 Tamils who have spent four weeks in limbo aboard the Customs Ocean Protector will be brought to the Australian mainland on Saturday.

Wreckage of missing Algerian airliner found in Mali

The wreckage of an Air Algerie plane missing since early Thursday with 116 people on board has been found in Mali near the Burkina Faso border, an army coordinator in Burkina Faso and the French presidency said

Jaya urges PM to give visa to UN team

Expressing surprise over reports indicating denial of visa by the Centre to a United Nations team probing human rights violations in Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grant them visa to enable them to hold a fair probe.

Ukraine PM, cabinet resign over coalition break up

Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and his cabinet on Thursday resigned in a shock move in protest at the disbanding of the ruling parliamentary coalition, plunging the strife-torn nation into political uncertainty.

SC allows Muslim dress sans face cover

The Supreme Court today directed that Muslim mothers could enter schools wearing their traditional dress but with the face uncovered so that the wearer could be easily identified.

Missing Air Algerie flight has crashed: official

An Air Algerie flight that went missing en route from Burkina Faso to Algiers has crashed, an Algerian aviation official told Reuters on Thursday