SL and Indian fishermen clash off Kalpitiya

A group of fishermen from Sri Lanka and India clashed in Sri Lankan waters off Kalpitiya in the early hours today, sources said.

Indonesian maid accused of poisoning baby escapes Saudi death penalty

An Indonesian maid charged with murdering the infant son of her employers by mixing rat poison into his milk, has been cleared in court. Despite the ruling the baby's parents are insisting on the death penalty for the maid.

Over 40 injured in wasp attack

At least 38 students from a Sunday school and seven monks were hospitalized after they were attacked by wasps this morning in Wennoruwa, Katugastota, hospital sources said.

Video: UN ‘deeply disturbed’ by SL shooting

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay tells Channel 4 News that she is ‘deeply disturbed’ by the shooting of a Sri Lankan journalist and calls on the Sri Lankan government to protect him.

Attack on journalist:UK expresses shock & concern

Britain Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt has expressed shock and serious concern at the shooting of a British journalist in Sri Lanka.

Fifteen DIGs transferred

Fifteen Deputy Inspector Generals of Police including the DIGs of Presidential Security Division (PSD) and Ministerial Security Division (MSD) have been transferred with effect from today, Police Headquarters said.

Alien substances from Galle?

Unidentified substances similar to cobweb-like fibers have allegedly been reported to be falling from the skies of Aparekka, Galle and Colombo University lecturer and Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies Consultant Dr. Chandana Jayaratne said the phenomenon might be linked to the asteroid 2012 DA14  travelling close to earth today.

32 foreigners rescued off eastern sea

A group of 32 Myanmar nationals stranded in a vessel off eastern Sri Lanka has been rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy this afternoon.

Facebook Hacked

Facebook has revealed that it was "targeted in a sophisticated attack" by hackers last month -- this not long after Twitter and The New York Times reported that hackers got into their computers.

Cable car project at Lake Gregory in Nuwara Eliya

A cable car is to be constructed in Nuwara Eliya between the Gregory’s Lake Park and the Single Tree Mountain, as a tourist attraction, the Nuwara Eliya Mayor said

MR orders immediate probe

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered the IGP to launch an immediate investigation into the shooting of Sunday Leader journalist Faraz Shaukarally, Presidential Spokesman Mohan Samaranayake said. 

Private Universities to be set up through BoI

The government has undertaken to set up non-state universities through the Board of Investment (BoI), leaving aside the Higher Education Ministry only to standardize such academic institutions, officials said yesterday.

Achala’s family can only support a legal action

The brother of Achala Priyadharshani, whose hand had been amputated due to alleged medical negligence, said that his family was prepared to support a legal action that could possibly be taken by the Colombo Law Faculty Students Union.

Video: Sunday Leader journalist Faraz shot

Sunday Leader Journalist Faraz Shaukatally was shot by an unidentified group last night, a reporter said. He was admitted to the Kalubowila hospital.

Hacker says SL govt corrupted

A website hacker, known as Davy Jones, who hacked several Sri Lankan government websites in the recent past said ‘he is attacking Sri Lankan websites because he believes the country’s government is corrupted,’ the softpedia.com said.

Sluice gates of major tanks remain open

As many as 35 major tanks in the country have reached spill level while the sluice gates of 13 major tanks remained open, the Department of Irrigation said

Commotion at Satyagraha in Jaffna

There was a commotion during the Sathyagraha launched by the IDPs in Jaffna today when a handful of people started to hoot soon after Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had left the place after giving a speech.

Lankan lasses placed fifth in roller coaster WC

Ending a roller coaster campaign of World Cup, the Sri Lankan Women’s cricket team, were placed fifth in the overall rankings after they beat South Africa by 87 runs today

Smart cards for pvt. busses

Private Transport Minister C.B. Rathnayake said that a smart card system would be introduced to all private busses from March 1.

Video : Meteorite hits Russia, 400 hurt

About 400 people were injured when a meteorite shot across the sky in central Russia on Friday sending fireballs crashing to Earth, smashing windows and setting off car alarms

Military has retained its tight grip on north-Burt

Alistair Burt the Parliamentary undersecretary of state at the foreign and the Commonwealth office in an opinion column on Sri Lanka said that despite the “fading of the manifestations of conflict, the root causes are not”

Pakistan CJ disowns letter over Lankan CJ removal

Two Vice Presidents of International Council of Jurists (ICJ) and Pakistan’s Chief Justice have contradicted the letter issued to President Mahinda Rajapaksa by Council President Dr. Adish C. Agrawal approving the impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake and expressing support to new CJ Mohan Peiris

Shelling not caused by the Army-report

Sri Lanka Army’s court of inquiry report, that was handed over today revealed that the instances of shelling referred in the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report were not caused by the army, the government information department said quoting the Army spokesman.

Plea in Madras HC to shut Indian mission in SL

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has reserved its orders on a writ petition seeking to close down the Indian High Commission and Embassy at Sri Lanka and to recall its ambassador as a mark of International protest

Video: Asteroid 2012 DA14 To Whiz Past Earth Safely

The small near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 will pass very close to Earth on Feb. 15, 2013. Asteroid 2012 DA14 will be closest to Earth at about 11:24 a.m. PST (2:24 p.m. EST and 1924 UTC), on Feb. 15, when it will be at a distance of about 27,700 kilometers (17,200 miles) above Earth's surface

Youth killed in Col-7 club clash

A 22-year-old resident of Barnes Watta, Barnes Place, Colombo 7 has been killed at a club in Cinnamon Gardens early today following a clash between two groups, police said PICTURES

Negligence led to amputation of Achala’s hand

The investigating committee of specialists who probed the circumstances that had led to the amputation of the left hand of Achala Priyadharshani of the Colombo Law Faculty have determined that it was due to the negligence of the staff of the Matara hospital and various shortcomings in the hospital services.

GL in crucial talks in Dhaka

In bid to avert a possible hearing on Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meeting in April this year, External Affairs Minister G.L Peiris held meetings in Bangladesh, which currently holds the Chair of the CMAG

Govt. won’t reapply for GSP plus facility

Despite concerns by exporters regarding the impact on losing the GSP plus facility, the government is adamant that it will not reapply for it, it is learnt

Private hospital detains teenage girl until bill is settled

In a shocking revelation, a 45-year-old man told a magistrate that his 13-year-old daughter was detained in the custody of a private hospital in Colombo until the bill involving his wife’s hospitalization was settled