Over a billion rupees owed as taxes to the CMB Municipality

The Colombo Municipality said yesterday that tax defaulters owed the municipality over a billion rupees in rates and that many of the private properties that had defaulted would be auctioned next month

Ground frost in Nuwara Eliya

The temperature in the Nuwara Eliya district had gone below 5ºC resulting in ground frost last afternoon, the Meteorology Department said yesterday.

Major changes in top Army positions

Reporting the first major changes in the top ranks of the Sri Lanka Army in the recent times, six Major Generals in the Army including Jaffna Security Forces Commander Mahinda Hathurusinghe have been transferred with effect from January 1, 2014, military sources said.

Video: Doctors ready to face inquiries regarding medical negligence

Government Medical Officer’s Association (GMOA) said, doctors were ready to face any inquiry on their negligence in providing medical services.

‘Sri Siddhartha Gautama’ wins best movie award

The much-hyped epic Sinhala movie ‘Sri Siddhartha Gautama’ which enjoyed a successful run in Sri Lanka, won the award for the best film in the World Cinema section at the second Delhi International Film Festival in India which concluded a short while ago, the film’s director Saman Weeraman told the Daily Mirror.

Delft Island for wild horses to run free

The Government is expected to declare a landmass of 100 acres as a wild life park in the Delft Island off Jaffna for the conservation of the wild horses roaming freely in the area, officials said today.

Panicked by fire, passengers hit by another train: 3 killed

At least three people were killed and several others injured when panicked passengers of the Kandy bound train jumped off the train when the train’s engine caught fire at Waduruwa, Veyangoda a short while ago, official sources said.

Child killed in explosion; 2 injured

A six-year-old child was killed and two other children injured when they tried to check an improvised Explosive Device (IED) found from a nearby jungle at Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee this evening, police said.

75,000 kilos of fruits seized at Manning Market

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) confiscated 75,000 kilograms of several varieties of fruits worth about Rs.10 million from traders at the Manning Market, Cooperatives and Internal Trade Ministry said today

Expressway earns Rs.250 Mn so far

The Colombo- Katunayake Expressway has collected Rs.250 million during the first two months of its operation, Expressway Operation, Maintenance and Management Additional Director R. A. D Kahatapitiya said today.

Indian journo still being questioned

The ‘Junior Vigadan’ Journalist, who was arrested yesterday while videoing the High Security Zone in Jaffna is currently being questioned by the Terrorist Investigations Department, Police said.

Video: Another stock of Ethanol detected

Some 80 barrels consisting of 16,000 litres of Ethanol worth more than Rs.3.2 million and imported from Malaysia were taken into custody by Customs officials at the Orugodawatte container yard this morning

Baduraliya Hospital reopened

The Baduraliya Hospital which had been closed for six days due to a strike by the doctors was reopened for treatment this morning Pictures

Eight students nabbed for smoking marijuana

A group of eight students of several leading international schools in Colombo were arrested by the Kollupitiya police on Christmas day for allegedly smoking marijuana at a leading shopping mall in Colombo

Sri Lanka can solve its own problems-GL

Sri Lanka is fully able to undertake the tasks set out by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission and to guarantee the rights of its citizens, Foreign Minister G. I. Peiris told Prensa Latina in an interview.

Top US delegation due here

Ahead of the March UNHRC session, the United States will dispatch its newly appointed Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal to Sri Lanka next month to review the progress of implementing measures outlined in the previous resolution on Sri Lanka, the Daily Mirror learns.

Census Dept. rejects TNA claims

The Department of Census and Statistics today said the census carried out into the human and material losses incurred due to the conflict, was done according to international standards and norms with every aspect of loss being looked into.

OIC nabbed for sexual bribe

The Maho Police crimes OIC was arrested at a Kurunegala rest house today while allegedly accepting a sexual bribe from a woman.

110 TN fishermen's remand extended

The judicial remand of 110 fishermen from Nagapattinam, arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy earlier this month, was extended till January 6 by the Trincomalee Magistrate today.

‘Gamma irradiation’ plant to be opened in Jan.

Sri Lankas first multi-purpose gamma irradiation plant is scheduled to be opened in January 2014, the Ministry of Technology and Research said today.

Video: Hospital closure creates history: UNP

UNP Kalutara District Parliamentarian Ajith P. Perera today said a hospital had been shut down for five days for the first time in history due to poor administration of the government

Video: Man arrested with 1.8Kg gold in rectum

A man was arrested with gold biscuits worth over Rs.10 million hidden in his rectum early this morning while arriving from Dubai, by the custom officials ???

Bank in Malabe robbed

More than Rs. 1 million was robbed from a private bank in Malabe by two armed men who arrived on a motorcycle a short while ago, police said.

Queen tells of C’wealth ‘family ties’

While claiming that the Commonwealth could offer a fresh view of life, Queen Elisabeth said that Prince Charles spoke of the Commonwealth's 'family ties' that were a source of encouragement to many, during the CHOGM in Colombo.

Indian arrested for filming HSZ

An Indian national who was on tourist visa was arrested yesterday on charges of filming military establishments in Kilinochchi High Security Zone, the Police said

Call 117 in case of disasters

The Disaster Management Ministry today introduced the hotline 117 to inform the DMC any disasters, the Ministry said

Tsunami victims remembered

Two minutes silence was observed nationally this morning at 9.25 am in remembrance of the 2004 tsunami victims, Disaster management Center said

TNA rejects casualty census

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has decided to reject the census taken by the Department of Statistics regarding human and material losses incurred by the civil war

SL Navy Chief visits Iran's submarine

Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy Vice Admiral Jayanath Colombage has visited Iran’s 28th fleet of warships, which includes super-heavy Younes submarine, at the port of Colombo.

Half-hearted film stars undermine politics: Ranil

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe today said that politics could be undermined by the entry of half-hearted film stars and sport stars who are not committed to a full-time political career