Rajathurai joins NUW

Nuwara Eliya District parliamentarian S. P. Rajathurai, who resigned from the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) on August 8, yesterday joined the National Union of Workers (NUW) led by parliamentarian P. Thigambaram.

Fonterra ad ban extended

The Court of appeal today extended the interim order on Fonterra to refrain from advertising its products as ‘100% perfect’, till September 3

Thai Princess arrives

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand arrived in the country on Sunday starting a four day visit. Pix by Deepa Adikari

Video: Thai Princess Sirindhorn arrives

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand has arrived in the country on Sunday starting a four day visit, the state owned SLBC said.

Hope Indian PM will attend CHOGM-GL

Sri Lanka Sunday said it would "very much like" Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November in Colombo even as Tamil Nadu parties have urged India not to participate in the event.

UK detains partner of journalist under Terrorism Act

The partner of the Guardian journalist who has written a series of stories revealing mass surveillance programmes by the US National Security Agency was held for almost nine hours on Sunday by UK authorities as he passed through London's Heathrow airport on his way home to Rio de Janeiro.

Ranil 'disappointed' over poll process

Leader of Opposition in Sri Lankan Parliament Ranil Wickramasinghe said today that he was disappointed over the election process to the Northern Provincial Council polls in his country.

Indians, Nepalis netted at Panadura

29 Indian and Nepal nationals had been arrested at Panadura, Modera by the Immigration Department officials while they were staying on Sri Lanka without valid visas on Saturday, Controller General of the Department of Immigration and Emigration W. A. Chulananda Perera said.

Two brothers killed in accident

Two brothers were killed in a collision between a van and a bicycle in Karamba on the Kalpitiya -Palavila road today, police said. The victims aged 13 and 14 had died on admission to the Puttalam Hospital.

Love triangle end in shooting

Two Air force personnel, including a woman were killed following a shootout at a guesthouse at Marble Beach, Trincomalee today

Princess Diana murdered? UK Police probe sensational claim

British police are investigating a sensational claim that the Special Air Service commando unit (SAS) was involved in the death of Princess Diana, reports Sean Rayment.

'Kudu Malee' dies

A woman drug dealer from Wanathamulla, Borella had died from swallowing a home made heroin pill, police said

CMC files burnt in cemetery

More than 6,000 files and other documents of the Secretary’s Department, Colombo Municipal Council have been disposed of and secretly burnt at the Borella Cemetery. However, a group of members of the council, both belonging to the ruling party and the opposition who rushed to the scene saved several files and handed them over to the Mayor Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana

Alleged gem smuggler nabbed at BIA

A Sri Lankan who attempted to smuggle gems worth Rs. 8 million to Singapore has been arrested by Customs officers at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) yesterday.

Sri Lankan boat found near Nagai coast

A 17-foot long fibre boat equipped with kerosene powered outboard engine was found abandoned and drifting near the coastal waters off the shore of Point Calimere wildlife sanctuary at the Vedaranyam block of the district on Saturday morning.

Karunanidhi warns of Tamil backlash

DMK Chief M. Karunanidhi has urged the central government to boycott the upcoming Commonwealth of Heads of Government Meet (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka in November.

Sri Lanka is a clean country; Ranbir Kapoor

Lead actor of the movie Bombay Velvet Ranbir Kapoor said, “Sri Lanka is an amazing place and what I love most about it is that, it is extremely clean” The Actor also added “I have been shooting films for quite some time now, but I have never enjoyed shooting as much as I did in Sri Lanka.”

Widow of Ex-LTTE leader hopes to meet Pillay

The widow of a former top rung LTTE leader – Elilan said that she intends meeting the UN High Commissioner for human rights Navaneetham Pillay in order to present her the ‘real incidents’ during the final stages of the war.

Aranayake PS chairman arrested

The Aranayake Pradeshiya Sabha chairman and two others were arrested today for allegedly assaulting a person on last Thursday, police said

Three arrested for swindling money

Three suspects were arrested for swindling Rs. 167, 500 from a man who was told that he had won a Rs.1.5 million cash reward from a private telecommunications service provider, police said

Accident kills two women

Two women were killed and nine injured when a jeep skidded off the road and hit a tree at Ikiliwewa in Thambuththegama this morning, police  said. Pictures

Norochcholai temporarily shut down

The Norochcholai Lakwijaya Coal power plant would be disconnected from the national grid from August 21 for a period of three weeks for annual maintenance work of the power plant, Ceylon Electricity Board said

Do not make water a weapon-Basil

 Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa on Friday said that water should never be made a weapon and said that the British colonialists had destroyed the country’s ancient tanks, irrigation systems, reservoirs and other water resources which were the main stay of the country’s economy

We invented our own methods to fight against LTTE-Army Chief

Army Commander Daya Ratnayake on Friday said that Sri Lanka’s security forces invented their own methods to fight against one of the ferocious terrorist groups in the world

HRC temporarily halts Rathupaswala probe

Inquiries conducted by the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (HRC) into the Weliweriya shooting incident have been temporarily halted pending the outcome of a meeting between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and stakeholders to the issue

Video: Midshipmen passing out parade

SL Army Commander Daya Rathnayake was the Chief Guest in the passing out of Navy officers as Midshipmen, which took place at the Trincomalee Navy Base last Friday (16) Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

Police inaction led to terror in Deraniyagala-Mithrapala

Deputy Minister H.R. Mithrapala responding to allegations against him said it was Police inaction over the ‘reign of terror’ at Noori and Maliboda that led to the villagers suffering at the hands of former Deraniyagala PS Chairman Anil Champika alias Athakota

Inaugural Randoli Perahera

The first Randoli Perahera in this year’s Kandy Esala celebrations is scheduled to leave the precincts of Sri Dalada Maligawa today at 7.21 pm and parade through, Dalada Veediya, D S Senanayke Veediya, Temple Road Deva Veediya, Colombo Street, E L Senanayake Veediya, Cross Road and Raja Veediya, and re enter Sri Dalada Maligawa. Pix by Shane Seneviratne

HC dismisses petition seeking to ban Madras Cafe

Madras High Court bench in Madurai on Friday dismissed a petition seeking to ban the release of Bollywood film "Madras Cafe" of actor-producer John Abraham for allegedly portraying the LTTE in a bad light.

'TTP, LeT and LTTE to join hands'

In what seems to be another challenge emerging India. Intelligence inputs suggest that three terror organisations -- Lashkar-e-Toiba, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and Tehrik-E-Taliban may join hands, indicating a possible threat to India's national interests in the near future.