Northern expressway gets off the ground

Construction work on the Northern Expressway will be launched tomorrow by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Highways Project Minister Nirmala Kotalawala said yesterday.

Two bodies floating in Polgolla Reservoir

Unidentified bodies of two dead persons were found floating in the Polgolla Reservoir this morning, the Police said. They said the bodies were suspected to be of two males.

MR ready to pardon fishermen

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is ready to pardon the five Indian fishermen sentenced to death in Sri Lanka if the Indian High Commission in Colombo does not proceed with an appeal against the sentence, Sri Lankan Minister Prabha Ganesan told The Hindu on Tuesday.

Australia verify asylum claims

Australia is verifying the genuineness of the asylum claims of the 157 Sri Lankan Tamils who had left Puducherry by boat, Australian Consul-General to South India Sean Kelly has said.

Mahela willing to open batting

Senior stalwarts Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene had mixed emotions after their team suffered an early series loss against India with two games to go in the five-match ODI series.

SLC seal Penney deal

Sri Lanka Cricket today signed Trevor Penney, the former India fielding coach, as the national team’s fielding coach up to the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, SLC confirmed.

Lankan maid gets three months in prison in Dubai

A Sri Lankan housemaid who stole gold jewellery worth Dh50,000 from her employer’s house before running away was sentenced to three months in prison.

DP alleges its PC members bought over

The Democratic Party (DP) said today it would take legal action against the three Provincial Councillors who joined the government and alleged that they crossed over for personal gains.

Rathana Thera’s FB and mail accounts hacked

Jathika Hela Urumaya Parliamentarian Athuraliye Rathana Thera said his Facebook account and email account had been hacked today.

No legal impediment for third term: SC

Supreme Court was of the opinion that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had no legal impediment to contest for a third term, Leader of the House and Minister Nimal Siri Pala De Silva informed the parliament a short while ago.

Video: BBS ready to contest at Presidential Election

The Bodu Bala Sena today said that it was even ready to contest at the forthcoming Presidential Election independently, saying that its decision depended on how parties gave prominence to Buddhism.

Ranil requests EU to appeal against Court ruling

United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe today said that he had requested the European Union (EU) to lodge an appeal against the EU General Court decision to lift sanctions on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

UN Chief supports Zeid’s views on SL

Malaka refused bail again

A Colombo Magistrate today for the second time refused to grant bail to Minister Mervyn Silva’s son Malaka who has been remanded till November 18 and is to be produced at an identification parade.

‘Paba’ to monitor Minister Dilan

Gampha District MP Upeksha Swarnamali was appointed Monitoring Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Nightclub raid in A’pura

The Police arrested 12 persons including eight women when they raided an illegal nightclub in Anuradhapura this morning.

SL has not implemented death penalty since 1976: CV

In what could be a major relief to the five Tamil fishermen who have been awarded death sentence by the Sri Lankan High Court on drug trafficking charges, the country’s Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran said his country had not implemented death sentence since 1976.

SC sends opinion to President

The Supreme Court yesterday communicated its opinion to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the constitutionality of contesting for a third term under the 18th Amendment to the Constitution.

83 people displaced in Dayagama line room fire

At least 22 line rooms in Dayagama, Nuwara Eliya were gutted by fire this evening, displacing 83 people, police said.

The lady is causing panic: JVP

Government politicians have begun to panic because of a lady who is about to come into the political limelight, JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti said today.

77 Lankan fishermen in foreign custody

At least 77 Sri Lankan fishermen with 29 fishing trawlers are still languishing in Indian, Bangladeshi and Myanmar custody on charges of illegal fishing within their territorial waters, the Sri Lanka Fisheries Department said.

Fonterra to offer free milk to schools in SL

Fonterra is looking to start a pilot free "milk in schools" programme in Sri Lanka, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says.

Video: SF strikes note of caution

Democratic Party Leader Sarath Fonseka struck a note of caution for the common candidate to be picked this time, literally comparing it to the act of sending one to the gallows.

Send back Tamil refugees to SL: Wigneswaran

Visiting Sri Lankan Northern Province Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran today said India should take steps for sending back the about one lakh Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu to counter the island government's “efforts” to push the ethnic community into a further minority.

Priyankara offers portfolio to Mangala

Civil Aviation Minister Piyankara Jayaratne said he would give his portfolio to UNP Parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera if he returned to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

Video: Parties agree on common candidate

Opposition party leaders today expressed their optimism on fielding a common candidate at an upcoming Presidential Election.

NFF denounce UNHR Chief’s statement

The National Freedom Front (NFF) today denounced the statement made by the United Nations Human Rights (UNHR) Chief criticising the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) for refusing to cooperate with the UN mandated investigation on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka.

SL ranked 62nd in World Prosperity Index

Sri Lanka slipped down two notches to 62nd place in this year’s Prosperity Index prepared by Legatum Institute, which measures the well-being of country’s people and its wealth.

CCTV footage on robbery released

Police today released CCTV footage of a Rs.400,000 robbery of a hardware shop at the Watareka Junction  in Padukka yesterday.

SL to transfer TN fishermen on death row to India: Swamy

BJP Leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday said the five Tamil Nadu fishermen sentenced to death in Sri Lanka for drug smuggling would be transferred to an Indian prison, citing a telephonic discussion between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.