Fire at BMICH premises

A fire has erupted in a temporarily built building at the BMICH premises a short while ago and the fire brigade was called in to douse the fire, police said

Eight fishermen still not found

The Fisheries Department said today that rescue operations were still continuing to locate the eight fishermen who went missing due to the Lehar cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal a couple of days ago

US extends Iran oil sanctions waivers to SL

The U.S. State Department extended six-month Iran sanctions waivers on Friday to nine countries including Sri Lanka in exchange for their reducing purchases of Iranian crude oil earlier this year.

India offers to train Sri Lanka Navy

India today offered to train Sri Lankan naval officers as part of ongoing defence cooperation between the two countries.

India is struggling with bowling- Arjuna

Former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga feels India might find it difficult to defend their World Cup title in 2015, scheduled in Australia and New Zealand, due to the team's weak bowling resources.

2014 Budget passed

The second reading of the 2014 Budget was passed in Parliament with a majority of 99 votes. 154 members voted in favour while 55 voted against. The United National Party, the Tamil National Alliance and Democratic National Alliance opposed the Budget.

Man killed in hand grenade explosion

A 56-year old man was killed in a suspected hand grenade explosion in Musalpitiya, Thambuththegama a short while ago, police said

Talangama businesswoman further remanded

Businesswoman Himali Karunaratne, who was remanded on charges of abducting and killing her husband in Thalangama, was further remanded till December 13 by Kaduwela Magistrate Wasantha Jinadasa today

Body of a trishaw driver found in Moratuwa

The body of a trishaw driver, who is believed to have been hacked to death, was found this morning at Moratumulla in Moratuwa, police said

Video: Elections behind Cameron’s HR allegations-SL

Sri Lanka said British Prime Minister David Cameron had probably highlighted alleged human right violations in Sri Lanka in anticipation of the British elections in 2015 ???

Petition against Kariyawasam rejected in India

A division bench in the Madras High Court bench in Madurai, Tamil Nadu on Thursday dismissed a public interest litigation filed seeking the declaration of the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India as a persona non grata (an unwelcome person) as per Article 9 of the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations, 1961, on the grounds that the petition is not maintainable.

SL seeks Indian help to locate missing fishermen

Indian help has been sought to locate eight Sri Lankan fishermen who ventured into rough seas in the East from Negombo and south coast in two boats amidst strong winds and rain, officials said

Cartoon of the day

‘The Last Phase’, screened at EU Parliament

‘The Last Phase’, a documentary film depicting the life story of a former female LTTE cadre during the final stages of the humanitarian operation in Sri Lanka was screened on Thursday at the European Union (EU) Parliament in Brussels for the first time.

Video: BBS lashes out at MPs

While claiming that TNA MP S.Sridharan should be arrested over the speech he made in the Parliament glorifying the LTTE leader, the Bodu Bala Sena today accused the parliamentarians who were present in the house during the speech for not immediately reacting to the speech

R.I.T. Alles passes away

Educationist and the Founder principal of D.S Senanayake College R.I. T. Alles passed away a few hours ago at a private hospital in Colombo at the age of 81 following a brief illness, the government information Department said.

China: SL making progress on HR

Claiming that Sri Lanka has made progress in promoting human rights and towards national reconciliation, China called on the international community to desist from taking measures that 'may complicate the issue'

HSTUA says not aware of court order

The Health Services Trade Union Alliance (HSTUA) today said that it was not aware of the restraining order against the strike and said it would continue the strike till tomorrow as planned

Nose-bite case amicably settled

The case filed against Ratnapura District UNP Parliamentarian Dinesh Gankanda on the charges of having assaulted a businessman and biting his nose, was amicably settled before the Colombo Fort Magistrate today

21 sailors injured in accident

At least 21 sailors were injured near the Diyatalawa railway station when a navy bus carrying 25 sailors from Colombo to Diyatalawa met with an accident this afternoon, police said

SF in court

Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka today giving evidence in the attempted assassination on him by a suicide bomber on September 2006 at the Army Headquarters in Colombo, recalled the harrowing ordeal which left him critically injured

Two more Japanese ships in Colombo

Two Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) ships, Samidare DD-106 and Sazanami DD-113, arrived at the Port of Colombo for a goodwill and supply visit today.

Moratuwa carpenters protest over permit issue

Some 500 carpenters in Moratuwa are staging a protest at Kurusa Junction on the Galle road against the Budget proposal enabling the transport of furniture without permits

SL says ‘nothing to hide’ as it counts war dead

Sri Lanka on Thursday said it had “nothing to hide” as it began compiling a death toll from its war against Tamil separatists, AFP reported today.

Video: Some elements trying to shatter unity with UNP - Kiriella

Rejecting claims that the UNP Leadership Council had no powers vested in it, UNP parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella today said some elements were attempting to shatter the new unity that’s emerging within the party

Osu Sala to step in during strikes

Government hospital in-house patients could get medicines free of charge on prescriptions from nearby state Osu Sala outlets whenever hospital staff went on strike, the Health Ministry said

Stones pelted

An armed gang had pelted stones at Northern Provincial Council Fisheries Minister Ponnuthurai Aingaranesan and Council member Arnold’s houses in Jaffna this morning, sources said.

Audio: Abott urged to clarify Australia's stance on torture

A New York-based human rights group is calling on the prime minister to retract some comments he made during a recent visit to Sri Lanka for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Sri Lankan fishermen detained

The Indian Coast Guard on Tuesday detained six Sri Lankan nationals on board a fishing boat in Indian waters. According to an official release, the Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Vishwast’ intercepted the boat off the Ramayapatnam coast.

British envoy in India justifies Cameron’s participation at CHOGM

Bharat Joshi, the new British deputy high commissioner to India, on Wednesday stressed that he believed that his country was right in attending the recently concluded Common Wealth Heads of Government Meet ( CHOGM) in Sri Lanka