SL navy participates in joint Indo-SL sea exercise

Sri Lanka Navy’s Offshore Patrol Vessel, SLNS Sagara participates in the joint maritime fleet exercise, ‘SLINEX 2013’, conducted in the seas off Goa in India from November 04th to 08th 2013

Large haul of heroin nabbed at BIA

A person carrying a foreign diplomatic passport was arrested today at the Bandaranaike International Airport with more than 30 kilogrammes of heroin, the Customs said Pictures

Video: Intermittent Road closures

Several roads in Colombo are expected to be closed for short time spans and such closures will be confined to the period during which the Commonwealth leaders travel, the Police said

Two army officers killed in road tragedy

A Lance Corporal and a soldier were killed and three others injured in a road accident at Kilinochchi early this morning, Police said

New Rs.500 notes for CHOGM

New 500-rupee currency notes with the CHOGM-Sri Lanka logo would be released for circulation from November15 to mark the CHOGM, the Central Bank said

A family of five hacked to death

Three women and two men belonging to one family were hacked to death in their house at Halmillakulama in Anuradhapura last night, police said

HC seeks government's view on memorial for SL Tamils

The Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) has sought the State Government’s view on a petition filed by World Tamil Confederation leader Pazha Nedumaran seeking permission to inaugurate a memorial for the Tamils killed in Mullaivaikkal during the end stage Eelam War in Sri Lanka in May 2009

Suspect’s bail plea dismissed in SL team attack

A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Monday dismissed as withdrawn a bail petition of Malik Ishaq of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (formerly Lashkar-e-Jhangvi) facing abetment charges in the Sri Lankan cricket team attack case

No visa for SL war documentary maker-India

India has denied a visa to Callum Macrae, the director of a documentary that exposed war crimes in Sri Lanka

Govt. to seek direction on 18A from SC

The government is to seek an interpretation on the 18th Amendment to the Constitution from the Supreme Court regarding the time period during which a Presidential Election could be held during the second term of office of the incumbent.

35 schools closed for CHOGM

The government has decided to close 29 schools in the Colombo city from November 6 to 19 in view of the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) scheduled to be held in Colombo, the Ministry of Education said

Sharma defends CHOGM in SL

The selection of Sri Lanka as the location for the biennial Commonwealth summit has been defended by Commonwealth secretary-general Kamalesh Sharma.

Video: Ranil says he has taken a historic decision

UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he had made a historic decision to handover powers to the leadership council. ???

Nine dead in Bandarawela bus tragedy

At least nine people were killed and more than 20 injured following the accident which occurred in Bandarawela this evening when a bus plying on the Bandarawela- Punagala route skidded off the road and plunged into a precipice at Punagala.

Video: Sajith refuses to accept appointment

UNP MP Sajith Premadasa who was clamoring for substantial reforms refused to be in the council claiming that the leadership council did not represent wide sections of the party ???

Video: UNP WC approves 9-member leadership council

The Working Committee of the United National Party today approved the leadership council comprising nine members with Ranil Wickremesinghe being elevated to the position of ‘national leader’ of the party ???

15 injured as bus goes down precipice

At least 15 passengers were hospitalised when an SLTB bus plying on the Bandarawela- Punagala route skidded off the road and plunged into a precipice at Punagala in Bandarawela this evening, police said

Korean gambler robbed by SL escort

A Korean today alleged that a female escort who accompanied him to a five-star hotel had robbed him of Rs.510,000 which he had won at gambling in a Casino in Colombo and an additional Rs.300,00 which he had with him. He alleged that the woman was gone by the time he woke up.

CHOGM protest: 45 arrested in Tamil Nadu

As many 45 persons belonging to different pro-Tamil outfits were on Monday arrested for attempting to picket trains and bus-stand in nearby Tirupur and Udhagamandalam, demanding that India should not participate in the CHOGM scheduled in Sri Lanka this month.

Two Indian ministers don’t want Singh to travel to SL

Voices within the Cabinet grew lounder against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visiting Sri Lanka with two more ministers saying today that he should not attend Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in view of alleged atrocities against ethnic Tamils, Indian media reported.

Matara clash: UNP goes to HRC to obtain redress

The United National Party (UNP) today filed a complaint at the Human Rights Commission over the arrest of several of its members in connection with the Matara Clash on October 5

Ministry gets new name

The Ministry of Ports and Highways had been renamed as the Ministry of Highways, Ports and Shipping, the ministry said. The ministry said that it received the Gazette notification in this regard today.

Possibility of heavy rainfall in several provinces

The Department of Meteorology said showers or thundershowers would occur in the Northern, North-Central, Eastern, Southern and Uva Provinces during this afternoon and night.

12-hour water cut in Kolonnawa

A 12-hour water cut will be imposed from 8.00 a.m. tomorrow (05) till 8.00 p.m., in the Kolonnawa area because of vital repairs being carried out to the electricity supply by the Lanka Electricity Company (LECO), the National Water Supply and Drainage Board said.

British man drowns in Hikkaduwa Sea

A British man who was bathing in the Hikkaduwa sea with three other British nationals drowned yesterday

Lankan refugees in TN injured in clash

Fifteen persons were injured when a group of people from Pudhupatti village and Sri Lankan refugees clashed over a personal dispute near Batlagundu on Sunday night.

Two arrested over the killing of film maker’s aunt

Two suspects in the killing of an aunt of the late filmmaker Tissa Abeysekara in Welikada on September 28 were arrested today by the special investigation unit of the Western Province (South) DIG’s office.

UK scraps visa bond plan

Britain is scrapping a plan to force visitors from six "high risk" countries including Sri Lanka to pay a cash bond of £3,000 the interior ministry said on Sunday.

India wants probe on Ch 4 clip

India on Saturday called on the Sri Lankan government to investigate into the latest Video by Britain’s Channel 4, which contained alleged rape and murder of an LTTE female combatant, the PTI news agency reported.

Trishaw cruises on Expressway

A man who allegedly entered the Katunayake–Colombo Expressway in a trishaw, defying Expressway traffic officers at the Peliyagoda entrance, was arrested by the traffic officers near the 11.9 km post on Saturday night, and handed over to the Pamunugama police.