More asylum seekers to Cocos Islands

A boat carrying 67 Tamil asylum seekers has arrived undetected at the Cocos Islands. The boat was 200 metres from the Cocos Islands when four of the men onboard swam ashore

Chinese presence in SL threat to national security: Karuna

Terming reports of Chinese presence in Sri Lanka a threat to India's national security, DMK chief M Karunanidhi today said the August 12 conference of the pro-Eelam body TESO would discuss it among other things and bring it to the attention of the Centre

SL believes LTTE remnants continue raising funds: US

The Sri Lankan government, which militarily defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in May 2009, believes that the outfit's sympathisers and remnants continue to indulge in fund-raising activities in many countries, according to a United States State Department report on terrorism

Two Iranian caught with drugs worth Rs.250 mln

Two Iranians who attempted to smuggle a stock of the banned drug methamphetamine worth Rs.250 million were arrested this morning. The two suspects, one aged 44 and the other 28, had arrived from Qatar. They had previously been in the country between June 20 and 22.

Sanga nominated for ICC People’s Choice award

Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara is among five international stars nominated for this year’s people’s choice award, the International Cricket Council said.

Niluka beaten

Sri Lankan badminton player Niluka Karunaratne lost his second round match to Indian Kashyap Parupalli 21-14 15-21 21-9 at the Wembley Arena in London a short while ago

Video: Ranil calls for the abolishing of Z-score

UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said the introduction of the Z-score system is the main cause for the present debacle in the education sector

28,000 with warrants arrested

Twenty eight thousand persons with warrants against them were arrested during July in search operations carried out throughout the country on the instructions of the IGP, the police said.

Maho HQI and 11 others transferred

Twelve police personnel including the Maho HQI have been transferred with immediate effect, police spokesman Ajith Rohana said. SP Rohana said they were transferred because they were found inefficient when performing their duties

SL briefs diplomats on LLRC

The government on Tuesday briefed diplomats on the implementation of recommendations of a post war commission that looked into the root causes of the country’s civil war.

Z-score muddle: 1,675 students complain to HRC

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has received as many as 1,675 complaints from students whose Z-scores had changed after the re-calculation based on a Supreme Court ruling, officials said yesterday

No one can fool Gota: Muzammil

Colombo Mayor A.J.M. Muzammil said yesterday no one could fool Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and that the people who had tried to do so had had fallen by the way side

India beat SL by six wickets

ndia beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in the fourth one-day international at R. Premadasa Stadium to lead 3-1 in the five-match series

Sri Lanka reach 251

Sri Lanka scored 251 for 8 wickets in their 50 overs against India in the fourth One Day International (ODI) played at the R Premadasa stadium a short while ago

CEB to switch off 50% street lamps

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) announced that measures will be taken to switch off 50% of all street lamps countrywide with effect from August 1 in order to save electricity.

Substandard diesel troubles engines

Another crisis in the energy sector was emerging as a large number of vehicles, including five locomotive engines and SLTB and private buses had been stalled due to pumping alleged substandard diesel, sources said.

SL won the toss, elected to bat first

Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and chose to bat against India in the fourth of the five-match One-day International (ODI) at the R Premadasa Stadium a short while ago

146 policemen promoted

The Police Chief has promoted 146 police constables to the rank of Sergeant with effect from February 15, 2009, the Police Media Unit said.

Australia drops travel warning

The Australian Foreign Affairs department has dropped its travel warning for northern Sri Lanka - only days after Australia deported a Tamil asylum seeker to the country

12 more illegal immigrants nabbed

Twelve persons including two women were taken into police custody in Chillaw and Mahawewa areas while attempting to flee to Australia illegally yesterday, police said

EC wants armed groups disarmed

Amid allegations that armed groups are operating in the East, the Elections Department has written to Police Chief N.K. Ilangakoon directing him to have the weapons issued to some political parties or individuals returned to the police, officials said yesterday

‘Madam President’, Rajapaksa

Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake, who was present when the President met the Editors, made a faux pas when he addressed President Mahinda Rajapaksa ‘Janadhipathiniyani’ (Madam President) when explaining the status of the strikes by university staff

‘Salon de Mahinda’

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said that the door to the government was similar to that of a salon door

Two drunken men vandalise Gandhi statue

Two men were arrested on charges of having vandalizied the Mahathma Gandhi statue at the Community Hall at Ashirvathappanveethy in Ariyalai, Jaffna Police said

Karunanidhi allowed Prabha to die- Vijayakant

Tamil Nadu actor-turned-politician Vijayakant accused former TN Chief Minister Karunanidhi (DMK) of letting LTTE Leader Prabhakaran die, the Hindu reported

Economic hit-men in Lanka: Harsha

Economist and UNP parliamentarian Harsha de Silva charged that the real “economic hit-men” are those responsible for the transactions that resulted in an enormous loss of public funds

Niluka beats world number 8

Sri Lankan captain Niluka Karunarathne beat world number 8 Tago Kenichi in his first round match at the Olympics a short while ago. Karunarathne comprehensively beat the Japanese 21/16 and 21/18.

Boat saga continues; another 103 nabbed

The Sri Lanka Navy intercepted three boats carrying illegal migrants last night; one in Trincomalee and two in Negombo.A total of 103 persons were arrested and handed over tothe  police for investigations

Courts in North at a standstill

All lawyers in the North have decided to refrain from court duties today and tomorrow urging the authorities to arrest the suspects who pelted stones at the Mannar District courts.

Andhra Pradesh train fire: 47 killed

At least 47 passengers were charred to death and 25 others injured when a fire broke in a coach of the Chennai-bound Tamil Nadu Express near Nellore early this morning