Road closure

The Colombo-Katunayake Expressway will be closed from 7.00 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. this evening due to VIP movements, police said.

MR showing the way

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is seen conducting His Royal Highness Prince Charles to his seat prior to the start of the inaugural session of the 23rd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Nelum Pokuna Theatre this morning. Pix by presidential media unit

Cameron meets Wigneswaran, visits ' Uthayan' office

Prime Minister David Cameron is currently visiting the Uthayan newspaper office in Jaffna after concluding a meeting with the Northern Province Chief Minister C.V Wigneswaran at the Jaffna library. Pictures

Video: SL diplomat says rights criticism a 'proxy propaganda war'

Sri Lanka's high commissioner to Britain has blamed criticism of his country's human rights record on a "proxy propaganda war" being carried out by those who funded the nation's "terrorist conflict."

Nawaz praises SL for hosting C’wealth summit

Nawaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan has congratulated Sri Lanka on hosting the Commonwealth leaders' summit

Chairing another ' chair'

CHOGM executive session 1 was held at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Center under the chairmanship of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The CHOGM inauguration was held at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre this morning. Pix by Kushan Pathiraja

C-4 ready to pay driver subject to conditions

Channel-4 journalists said they would pay the vehicle driver, who drove them to Colombo from Anuradhapura “if he was forced to drive them against his will and at his own cost.”

Deyata Sevana

Chief Justice Mohan Peris today planted a Gooseberry (Nelli) sapling at the premise of the Supreme Court to mark the ‘Deyata Sevana’ National Tree-Planting Day. Pix by Nisal Baduge

SL had confronted great adversity in recent years- Prince Charles

Prince Charles said that Sri Lanka had confronted great adversity in recent years.“I am especially pleased to be back among the people of Sri Lanka who, in recent years, have confronted great adversity,” the Prince said.

Abbot says ' justice tomorrow in SL will be better than today'

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott Addressing the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) said that the willingness of Sri Lanka to host CHOGM displayed the country’s commitment to democratic pluralism.

MR says CW should not be judgmental

President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the CHOGM said that “we must first focus on eradicating common -poverty, prior to focusing on the common- wealth”.

CHOGM begins

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was inaugurated a short while ago at the Nelum Pokuna complex in Colombo.

CHOGM at Nelum Pokuna begins at 10.15 a.m.

The inauguration ceremony of CHOGM 2013 will be held at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre from 10.15 am to 11.15 a.m. with much fanfare and the participation of nearly 25 heads of state and delegations from 51 commonwealth countries

Visiting leaders could get horoscopes cast

Culture and the Arts Minister T.B. Ekanayake said yesterday the Heads of the Government visiting Sri Lanka for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) could get their horoscopes cast free of charge at the ‘Nekath Gedara’ in the newly opened Janakala Kendraya in Battaramulla  

Video: Taking over

UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya is seen signing a document after assuming duties as the Chairman of the party’s Leadership Council at the UNP headquarters ‘Sirikotha’ today. UNP National Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and General Secretary Tissa Attanayake are also present. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana

Tree planting Ceremony

Commonwealth Heads of Government today participated in a Tree Planting Ceremony in Mirijjawila Botanic Gardens in Hambantota. President Mahinda Rajapaksa seen here planting a ‘Neralu” Elaeocarpus Serratus tree, at the Tree Planting Ceremony. Pix by Kushan Pathiraja

Happy Birthday Prince Charles

Prince Charles received a plate with a slice of cake from President Mahinda Rajapaksa today while Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa looks on.   Prince Charles, who arrived in the country to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), celebrated his 65th birthday today. The President hosted him and the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker at Temple Trees. President’s Media

Help SL in its reconciliation-Singapore

Singapore Foreign Affairs and Law Minister, K Shanmugam, who is now in Sri Lanka encouraged member countries of the Commonwealth to cooperate constructively with Sri Lanka to help in its reconciliation process with the Tamil population, as well as help it grow economically and distribute the proceeds of that growth to its citizens

MDMK to protest against demolition of Tamil martyrs memorial in TN

Opposing the demolition of the compound wall and removal of a park at the Mullivaaikal Memorial in Tanjavur, built in honour of Tamil 'martyrs' in the civil war in Sri Lanka, MDMK today announced state-wide protest on November 16

Video:Prince Charles is here

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arrived in the island this evening to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo tomorrow. Pix and Video courtesy presidential media

Prince of Wales arrives

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arrived in the island a short while ago to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo tomorrow

Channel-4 crew still to pay me: Driver

The driver of the vehicle which escorted the Channel-4 crew led by Callum Macrae from Anuradhapura to Colombo in a police complaint said he had not been paid by the journalists

Video: Sirikotha turns into a battle field

United National Party (UNP) headquarters Sirikotha turned into a battle field today when monks of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) led by its General Secretary Galagodatthe Gnanasara Thera tried to enter the premises, while an alternative “Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting” programme was in progress. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana and Kithsiri de Mel

William Hague meets TNA

Visiting UK Foreign Secretary William Hague held talks with members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on the devolution and reconciliation in Sri Lanka today, the British High Commission in Colombo said.

Video: UNP to boycott CHOGM

The main opposition United National Party (UNP) today accused the government of tormenting the party and said it would boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) entirely

MR, Sharma conduct pre-CHOGM press meet

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma held a press conference at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo this morning ahead of the commencement of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2013 on November 15-16, this week. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

No protests in Colombo on Nov. 14, 15

A restraining order was obtained today from the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court against the holding of protests in Colombo on November 14 and 15,Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said

Video:Tense situ outside Sirikotha

A tense situation is prevailing outside the UNP headquarters Sirikotha, Pita Kotte due to a protest being held there at the moment. Heavy traffic is also reported in the area.

We have nothing to hide-MR

President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said that Sri Lanka has nothing to hide. “We are very open, we have nothing to hide,” the President said

Lankan arrested in Chennai

The gold worth Rs. 1.21 crore was hidden under a seat; 2 persons, including a Sri Lankan national, were arrested by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)