National Crafts Festival in Colombo

The National Handicrafts Festival “SHILPA 2013” organised by the National Crafts Council, was declared opened by Economics Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa this evening at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre. This National Crafts Festival will be held till August 19 from 10 am to 9 pm daily. Pix by Nisal Baduge

Pillay to make field visits to N/E

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, who will make an official visit to Sri Lanka from August 25 to 31, on the invitation extended by the Sri Lankan Government, will undertake field visits to the North and East of the country, her spokesperson Rupert Colville said

Video: Assumes duties

Major General A.K.S. Perera assumed duties as the Commander of the Security Forces Headquarters (Western) today at Panagoda Army cantonment. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

'Kotiya Sunil' arrested

Heroin dealer Kotiya Sunil had been arrested with 33 packets of heroin this morning at his residence in Wellawatte by the Wellawatte Police anti-vice squad.

Traffic Jam at Kelaniya

Heavy traffic is reported in Peliyagoda and surrounding areas as one lane of the new Kelaniya Bridge was closed due to the extension of the Katunayake-Colombo Expressway

India will secure rights over Katchatheevu: Jayalalithaa

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa today hoped that India will soon regain its rights over the Katchatheevu island that was ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974

Jermaine Jackson visits MR

Jermaine Jackson, member of The Jackson 5 and brother of pop icon Michal Jackson met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the President’s House last evening. Mr. Jackson was visiting Sri Lanka on the invitation of MP Namal Rajapaksa. President’s media

Teacher damages mosque board

A Muslim school teacher has been arrested for damaging the board of the mosque in Paragahadeniya in Mawathagama in Kurunegala district

Lankan detained in Cyprus

Migrant support group KISA on Wednesday called for the release of a Sri Lankan man who has lived, worked and raised his children in Cyprus with his wife for the past 20 years but who has been detained for living on the island illegally

Video: Gotabaya to meet Navi Pillay

Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa will meet the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navaneetham Pillai to brief her on the security situation in the country and on accountability when she arrives in the island, said Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Jagath Jayasuriya ???

Video: Four professors in London allegedly to support Tigers

At the Security Council meeting today, the State Intelligence Service (SIS) informed that four professors from local universities are in London on the invitation of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE).

Video: Protest in Fort

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe walks through a sea of protestors gathered to demand justice over the murders in Weliveriya and the alleged law breakers in Grandpass. The protest held opposite the Fort railway station caused heavy traffic around the countrys economic hub Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana

Commissioners appointed to investigate into missing persons

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has appointed three members to the Commission tasked with investigating cases of persons who went missing from the Northern and Eastern Provinces during the war, Presidential Spokesman and International Media Unit said today

Video: Tension in Fort

A tense situation prevails in Colombo Fort after demonstrators pelted stones at the riot Police and are currently engaged in a sit down protest ???

Video: Army should have acted with responsibility – Rosy

UNP parliamentarian Rosy Senanayake said today the army should have acted with responsibility when taking on orders, whoever ordered them to fire at the innocent civilians who protested for clean water at Weliweriya ???

Traffic jam in Fort

Heavy traffic congestion is reported in Fort as one lane along the Olcott Mawatha in front of Fort Railway Station was closed due to the protest by opposition

Don’t let anybody cause public disturbance: Court

The Colombo Additional Magistrate ordered the Fort Police to take necessary action should anyone cause public disturbance during today’s planned opposition protest

Janaka Bandara admitted to hospital

Lands and Land Development Minister Janaka Bandara Thennakoon was admitted to the Dambulla Hospital following a heart attack, a short while ago

Video: Father and son further remanded

Former DIG Vaas Gunawardana and his son Ravindu who were further remanded today by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court are seen escorted out from the Court premises a while ago. (Pix by Pradeep Pathirana)

NZ's Fonterra head of milk products, Romano, resigns

New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra, the world's biggest dairy exporter, said on Wednesday its head of NZ Milk Products, Gary Romano, has resigned with immediate effect

Video: Vaas and his son further remanded

Former DIG Vass Gunawardana and his son Ravindu were further remanded till August 27 by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today

‘Need joint-fishing agreement between SL and India’

The National Fish Workers Forum and the Vangakadal Meen Thozhilalar Sangam has called for a subsidy package for taking up deep-sea fishing

Beheaded woman’s body found

A decapitated woman’s body was found near an Ambalama in Paraviyangala, Uva Paranagama this morning, police said. Uva Paranagama police are conducting further investigations

Eight police personnel interdicted

Eight police personnel attached to the Thanamalwila Police Station were interdicted on fraud charges, Police said.

Another ‘terror spot’ in Deraniyagala

A similar ‘reign of terror’ with complete police and political patronage to that of Noori - Deraniygala is reported from Maliboda - Deraniyagala, the Daily Mirror learns

Video: Indian Navy submarine catches fire, 18 sailors feared trapped

A huge explosion accompanied by a fire rocked an Indian Navy submarine docked in the high security Naval dockyard early on Wednesday, officials said. At least 18 people are feared trapped in the vessel ???

Indian arrested in Kopay

An Indian national who was on tourist visa was arrested near the Kalviyankadu yesterday by the Kopay police while he was engaged in selling clothes which is against the visa regulations, police said

Video: Weliweriya incident: Warning of coming events

Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera said yesterday the attack on innocent civilians who protested for clean water at Weliweriya was a serious warning about the future of the people in the country ???

Manchester Police on trail of Tiger supporter

The CID informed Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishanth Pieris that the International Crime Branch of the Manchester Police was on the lookout to arrest the man who invaded the Cardiff Cricket Grounds in Britain

Beggar’s collection confiscated

A parcel of money containing Rs.16,951, belonging to a 70-year-old female beggar was today confiscated by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court