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

Ranatunga slams sacking of Marsh

Legendary Sri Lankan cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga on Thursday slammed his country's sacking of Australian coach Geoff Marsh as "disgraceful" and "unprofessional"

Gunmen kill Pakistani lawyers in Karachi

Three Pakistani lawyers were shot dead and a fourth wounded on Wednesday in a drive-by sectarian attack in Pakistan's financial capital Karachi, police said

PS, PC interdicted over suspect’s death

A police constable and a police sergeant were interdicted over the death of a suspect who stabbed himself with a knife while in the custody of the Piliyandala police

Govt. won’t present LLRC report to UNHRC

Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report will not be presented by the Sri Lankan Government at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in March this year , External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris said

Asst. director of education suspect in sexual abuse complaint

An Assistant Director of Education in the Hingurakgoda Educational Zone was taken into custody and remanded on suspicion of sexually abusing two girls of the Hakamuna Dharmapala Bosath Children’s Home.

Implementing 13th Amendment plus ploy to hoodwink intl. community: Kiriella

The UNP charged today that the government’s recent pledge to implement the 13th Amendment plus was a ploy to hoodwink the international community.

India, Lanka may sign water MoU

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) proposed by New Delhi to Colombo for the joint management of resources in the waters between India and Sri Lanka hasn’t found favour with the latter.

‘Govt. has to limit pilgrim numbers’

RIYADH: Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar said Wednesday that around 80 countries have requested an increased quota of Haj pilgrims, but the ministry has to restrict the number of Hajis according to the availability of accommodation in Mina.

Van catches fire killing four

Four persons were killed including two children and seven others were injured when a van caught fire in the Elamodhara Bridge area while travelling along the Kalutara-Horana main road this morning, the police said PICTURES

2 Chinese women fined for loitering on the streets

Two Chinese women who pleaded guilty to loitering on a street in Kollupitiya at night in a way to lure people were ordered to pay a fine of Rs.50 by a Colombo Court yesterday

NTC Chairman resigns

National Transport Commission (NTC) Chairman Shashi Welgama yesterday said he was resigning from the NTC to focus on other interests in the midst of charges by private bus operators who claimed that Welgama had chosen to resign as he was unfit for the position

CID sergeant caught in credit card scam

A CID investigator who had earlier cracked several credit card fraud cases was remanded by a Colombo Court today in connection with allegedly committing credit card fraud to the value of Rs.40 million

One-armed school van driver arrested

In a move to take on errant school-van drivers, the Cinnamon Gardens police arrested a van driver without an arm who was found transporting school children to Colombo from Kotugoda in Ekala

Indonesian FM arrives in Colombo

Dr. Marty Natalegawa, Foreign Minister of Indonesia, arrived in the country today on the invitation of External Affairs Minister Professor G.L. Peiris and he will call on President Mahinda Rajapaksa this evening

AG didn’t provide material from the prosecution: IPU rep.

Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) representative Mark Trowell who monitored the legal cases against former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka has noted in his report that the Attorney General did not provide him with material from the prosecution despite repeated assurances

Fishermen in jail on Andaman Islands released

The six fishermen who were taken into custody and jailed in the Andaman Islands for two years on the charge of encroaching the Indian waters returned to the country last morning after their release

Magazine prison riots due to crackdown on drugs, Rs.7.5mn damage

Prison officials said that the main cause for the riots which took place at the Magazine remand prison was due to the crackdown on drugs being smuggled into the prison through meals brought from outside

Pera students protest again

The Students of the Peradeniya University staged a protest today against summons issued to 24 students of the university.  The students of all nine faculties comprising around 3,500, protested at the Galaha Junction today demanding that all charges against the students be dropped forthwith AUDIO

JVP dissidents say 13 Plus won’t solve national issue

The Movement for People’s Struggle (MPS), a breakaway faction of the JVP, said today that the devolution of land and police powers or the implementation of the 13th Amendment plus would not resolve the national question

Postmaster General resigns

Postmaster General M.K.B. Dissanayaka announced today that he would resign from his job amidst continuous protests by postal unions calling on the authorities to remove him from the Postal Department UPDATE

Indian fishermen advancing to our Eastern seas: Navy

The Sri Lanka Navy said that Indian fishermen are now advancing into the Eastern seas to engage in illegal fishing activities PICTURES

No divisions among party, Karu says

Former UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya said that there are no divisions among the party and that all members are with the United National Party

Cairn India misses SL trifecta

Cairn India has completed drilling the third of three deep-water exploration wells off Sri Lanka but, unlike the initial wells, the final probe was a dry hole. 

Platform for Freedom asked to limit protest to Fort Railway Station compound

The Colombo Fort Magistrate ordered police to prevent a media group calling themselves the Platform for Freedom, from engaging in a rally in the Colombo Fort area. The order states that the protest campaign should be limited within the Fort Railway Station compound and not on the roads

Will form wide alliance to take on Govt., Sajith says

Deputy Leader of the UNP Sajith Premadasa says, “We are not dissidents of the United National Party,” adding, “We will always be with and have been with the UNP.” Mr. Premadasa went on to state that they will form a wide alliance to take on the currenty government with people of all strata