Customs seize 400 grams of gold at Madurai airport

Within days after catching a passenger who had stuffed two gold biscuits in his anus, the Customs officials at Madurai airport caught another passenger on Wednesday for attempting to smuggle four gold biscuits by tying them with a handkerchief under his left armpit

SL agrees to revise Sports Law-IOC

Sri Lanka today agreed to revise its sports law which is in force since 1973 in order to make it compatible with the basic principles which govern the Olympic Movement, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in a statement.

Indian Naval Ship in Colombo

A Naval Ship of Indian Navy arrived at the Port of Colombo this morning on a goodwill visit, the navy said.

Food poisoning hits Cadet HQ

Fifty six student Cadets and twenty five staff of the National Cadet Training headquarters in Randenigala had been hospitalised due to food poisoning this afternoon. Pictures

Australia extends ban on LTTE

The Australian government on Tuesday extended its ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) for a further period of three years.

Health strike restrained by court

The Colombo District Court issued a restraining order against 16 Health Trade Unions preventing them from strike action till December 11, after a complaint was lodged by a patient

Peliyagoda UC budget defeated again

The Peliyagoda Urban Council budget presented by the UPFA administration was defeated at its second reading today with three UPFA Councillorsalso voting against the budget.

Jayapalan Deported

The Norwegian Tamil poet and actor V.I.S Jeyapalan who was arrested by the Terrorist Investigation Department last Friday in Vavuniya for violating visa regulations had been deported last night, Immigration and Emigration Department said today.

Three nabbed with crude jewellery at BIA

Two Lankan women and a girl were arrested while attempting to smuggle unfinished gold jewellery to Chennai this morning by the Customs officers at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Customs Director and media spokesman Leslie Gamini said

Four arrested at brothel in Maradana

Four suspects were arrested on charges of operating a brothel at Sangaraja Mawatha in Maradana by the Walana Police Crime Division yesterday, Police said

Kamburupitiya double murder; 2 more suspects killed

Two more suspects in the killing of a policeman and his wife in Kamburupitiya, drowned after jumping into the Denagama river, while they were trying to escape from the police custody in the early hours today, police said PICTURES

Kandy expressway to begin in Jan

The construction work on the northern expressway linking Colombo to Kurunegala, Dambulla and Kandy, will begin in January, Minister Nirmala Kotalawala said yesterday

National Olympic chief slams minister

Sri Lanka National Olympic Committee (NOC) chairman Hemasiri Fernando launched a scathing attack on Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage today, alleging that the minister has destroyed the autonomy of country’s sports associations by changing the sports law to allow politics to directly control the sports, creating a reign of “terror”

Cameron calls again for credible probe in SL

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday demanded a "transparent, credible and independent" probe into the alleged massacre of Sri Lankan Tamils, days after he pressed President Mahinda Rajapaska for an enquiry into rights violations during the final days of the civil war in 2009.

China, SL pledge to boost military ties

Senior Chinese and Sri Lankan defense officials agreed on Tuesday to promote military cooperation between the two countries.

New rules on taking out jewellery - Customs

The Customs Department intends to introduce new rules regarding the wearing and carrying of gold jewellery by people traveling abroad, after a gold smuggling racket was detected in Kochi, said a Customs Dept. spokesman

SL ranked 171 in Paying Taxes 2014 list

Sri Lanka has been ranked 171st on the Paying Taxes 2014 list of the World Bank.

Farah 3: Customs duty not paid for the scrap metal

The Custom Duty amounting to more than Rs.38 million on the scrap metal from the recently dismantled Jordanian-owned ship Farah-3 off the Mullaitivu coast have not been paid so far, Daily Mirror learns

Dilshan joins Sydney Thunder

The ambitious rebuild of Sydney Thunder after two years of Big Bash League woe has continued with the signing of swashbuckling Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Tackling illegal fishing: EC says SL improved

The European Commission said that Sri Lanka, which was blacklisted for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUUF) on the high seas, has made credible progress to tackle the problem of illegal fishing.

MP Sritharan glorifies Prabhakaran

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian S. Sritharan today read out a prepared statement in Parliament glorifying and romanticizing the acts of slain LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

SL to help Vietnam in legal matters

Sri Lanka said that it is willing to help Vietnam in law and international justice, the sectors of its strength, Tuoitrenews reported

First ever SL Buddhist temple established in Israel

A Buddhist temple has been established for the first time in Israel to cater to the spiritual needs of some 7,000 Sri Lankans in Israel, the External Affairs Ministry said

Secret White House Memo: JFK’s relations with Ceylon a ‘hot potato’

A secret White House memo sent to President John F. Kennedy, now declassified, stated relations with Ceylon had turned  from ‘bad to worse’ and urged the US leader to find a friendly resolution to save Srimavo Bandaranaike’s government from ‘left wing’ pressure in 1963, four months before the President’s assassination.

Cyclonic storm ‘Lehar’ over Bay of Bengal

The Meteorological Department said the severe cyclonic storm ‘Lehar’ remained more or less stationary over the Bay of Bengal but would not have a direct impact on Sri Lanka

Traveller’s cheques no more

The Sri Lanka Banks’ Association (SLBA) yesterday said the issuance of traveller’s cheques has been stopped with immediate effect

Earliest 'shrine' uncovered at Buddha's birthplace

Archaeologists digging at Buddha's birthplace have uncovered remains of the earliest ever "Buddhist shrine". They unearthed a 6th Century BC timber structure buried within the Maya Devi Temple at Lumbini in Nepal

SL raises concern over Sethu project

With the court case on the Sethusamudram project being listed to be taken up in court in India today, the government of Sri Lanka raised its concerns on it both in terms of adverse environmental impacts and the possible damage on Ram Sethu, a sacred symbol which united India and Sri Lanka in the context of culture and legend

SL Customs to keep close eye

Investigations are underway to find out how the arrested 56 Sri Lankans had smuggled gold to India from Sri Lanka, Customs spokesman Leslie Gamini said

Principal nabbed over alleged sexual abuse of 14 students

The Principal of a Tamil School in Haputale has been arrested over alleged sexual harassment involving 14 students, Haputale police said