DNA test to confirm suspect in Payagala crash

The police are to conduct a DNA test to ascertain the identity of the suspect who is in police custody over the death of two cyclists who were knocked down by him on Saturday night in Payagala, a nephew of a Deputy Minister

PSC to decide on 13+: MR

President Mahinda Rajapaksa says he only discussed 13 plus with India and it is up to select committee to decide on political solutions

Fire at Mathugama PS building

A fire broke out at the Mathugama Pradeshiya Sabha Building last night and Kalutara Urban Council fire brigade was called in to douse the fire

Destroyed documents to be collected from respective courts

The Prison Department is to collect the criminal records of the prisoners in remand for narcotic offences from respective courts destroyed after the records room of the Magazine remand prison was set on fire during riots on Tuesday, a senior prison officer said.

Thondaman harassed in India

Indian police had to escort Minister Arumugam Thondaman’s nephew Uva Provincial Councillor Senthil Thondaman who was on a visit to Thirunallar Temple in Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu, when a group of political activists tried to surround him on Saturday night, Indian media reports said.

I have the power to steer party: Ranil

Opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe today claimed that by virtue of the party’s Constitution he had full powers to give orders and take decisions to ensure strict discipline in the party.

Snakes, crocodiles in Ratmalana house

A wide variety of crocodiles and snakes were recovered by Wildlife Conservation Officials during a raid on a house at the Ratmalana Sirilmalwatte housing scheme last Saturday.

Abducted man found in hiding

A youth from Trincomalee who had reportedly been abducted, was arrested by the Police while hiding in Achchuveli, Jaffna today.

School development project failure:JVP

The JVP today cited the project for the development of 1,000 secondary schools as a total failure and therefore urged the government to abrogate the programme immediately.

Man pulled away by crocodiles

A man who was cutting grass in a marshy land area situated close to the Ragama town disappeared when he was pulled deep into the marshy fields by a group of crocodiles.

Seventeen killed due to accidents

Seventeen persons were killed due to road accidents reported from 6.00am on Saturday and 6.00am today due recklessness, driving after consuming alcohol and speeding, bringing in a marked rise in fatal road accidents, the Police Headquarters said today

Political parties asked to submit accounts

The Elections Secretariat  has informed all political parties to submit their annual accounts for the year 2011 by January 31.  The Secretariat has informed 27 Political parties which had failed to submit their accounts to the secretariat to do so by January 31.

UGC calls for University applications

The University Grants Commission called for applications today for the 2012 academic year from eligible students who passed the 2011 Advanced Level examination

NCPA to inspect school vans regularly

The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) yesterday said it would inspect more than 6,000 school vans to grant NCPA certification which would be given based on school van maintenance and information related to the driver and van owner

Police to monitor allocated seat capacity of vehicles

The police are to strictly monitor vehicles and take action against them, if they are engaged in transporting more than the given seat capacity of passengers

Chinese takeover? UNP

Major development projects funded by China are to become Chinese entities in the near future with the government’s decision to handover stakes of major development projects to China instead of paying the debt in owes to that country, the main opposition UNP charged yesterday.

69 arrested for gambling in Colombo

The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) arrested 69 persons who were gambling inside a bar situated in Union Place last night. The raid was carried out by several police teams after the CCD obtained a search warrant from the Fort Magistrate

Govt. to open positions in police for rehabilitated LTTE combatants

The government has opened up doors for rehabilitated LTTE combatants to join the police service if they have fulfilled necessary educational qualifications along with other requirements, officials said yesterday

TNA welcomes international mediation for future negotiations

In the backdrop of a deadlock in talks between the government and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the TNA said yesterday that they would welcome an international mediation at this time to facilitate future negotiations

Lawyer's rights at police stations to be gazetted

The Attorney General had informed the Supreme Court that steps were being taken by the Police Department to gazette the regulations covering the rights of Attorneys-at-Law to represent their clients at police stations

1,500 schools on verge of closing due to lack of funds

While the authorities had taken steps to set up private educational institutions some 1,500 schools in the country on the verge of shutting down as they did not have the money for maintenance, the Maoist Ceylon Communist Party said

Govt. has disregarded people’s fundamental right to conduct peaceful protests: LfD

The Lawyers for Democracy (LFD) an organisation that comprises legal practitioners throughout the country today said that the Government and its agents had disregarded the people’s fundamental right to conduct peaceful protests in Sri Lanka after it had tried to prevent a

Inmates had motive to flee

Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Chandrasiri Gajadeera says that the inmates set fire to the records room of the Magazine remand prison on Tuesday, in order to destroy their documents as they had the motive to flee on that day or later

UK visa applicant arrested for deception

On January 9, 2012, a Sri Lankan visa applicant was arrested for using deception and counterfeit documents to apply for a UK visa. The visa applicant was referred by the UK Border Agency to CID police in Colombo. The person concerned had submitted a passport containing a counterfeit Sri Lankan immigration arrival stamp

India–SL bilateral trade surges by 70 per cent

Trade between India and Sri Lanka surged by more than 70 per cent in 2011 over the previous year, touching an all-time high of $5 billion, Indian High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha has said

Captaincy only for short time: Jayawardene

Mahela Jayawardene on Thursday said he has taken up the Sri Lanka captaincy for a short term and rejected rumours that there was an internal bickering in the side

Lankan files case against X-files actress

A differently abled Sri Lankan Army Captain who had been appointed as a caretaker of the properties owned by popular X-files actress Gillian Anderson had filed a case at the Colombo Commercial High Court against Ms. Anderson and her husband claiming Rs.100 million as compensation

Woman fined for assisting brothel operation

A Thai woman who pleaded guilty to charges of assisting in the operation of a brothel at R.A. de Mel Mawatha in Kollupitiya was ordered to pay a fine of Rs.50,000 by a Colombo Court yesterday

GMOA objects to reduction of pass mark

The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) today objected to a decision by the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) Chief to negotiate the reduction of the pass mark for foreign qualified students to practice medicine in Sri Lanka

Shavendra appointed to UN advisory peacekeeping group

Major General Shavendra Silva - Deputy Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations has been selected to the Special Advisory Group on Peace Keeping Operations established by the UN Secretary General to advise on rates of reimbursement to troop-contributing countries and related issues