Vaiko making fishermen sentencing a political issue: BJP

BJP's Tamil Nadu unit hit out at MDMK chief Vaiko for making the incident of five Indian fishermen sentencing to death in Sri Lanka a political issue when the Centre was taking legal steps to get them released.

MR to announce presidential election on Nov. 19 or 20

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will declare, on either November 19 or 20, the holing of a snap presidential election, highly placed sources said yesterday.

Parties unite

The political parties, advocating a common candidate to oppose President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Presidential Election, would sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today covering seven elements that include the proposal for the abolition of the Executive Presidency, the Daily Mirror learns.

Mahinda - Modi on a phone chat

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had engaged in a phone conversation last morning and discussed a slew of pending matters, highly placed sources told Daily Mirror.

Sangaree TNA spell fading

The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) leader V. Ananda Sangaree, who accused the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) of misleading the Tamil people, said today that the leader of the LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran could have become the Chief Minister of the Northern Province had his message (Mr.Sangaree) reached the people.

Govt. calls off Koslanda search operations

The government today called off the rescue and search operations at the Koslanda landslide site.  A decision was taken to hold a memorial for the dead and missing people. The landslide area will also be marked as a sanctuary, Government Information Department said.

Video: Prelates against Presidential system

A campaign to pressurise the President to abolish the Executive Presidency and implement the 19th Amendment would be launched by Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera and Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) President Venerable Athuraliye Ratana Thera on November 12 at a mass rally at the Muttaiah Park in Colombo, the prelates announced today.

State violence in SL continues: CM Wigneswaran

Chief Minister of Northern Province C V Wigneswaran today claimed "state violence" in Sri Lanka continued and the judiciary too played a role in foisting a second-class citizenship on Tamils.

Video: UNP to wait and see

The United National Party ( UNP ) was likely to file an objection, when the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa hands in nomination for the Presidential Election, however it would not file any objections to the inquiry that had been initiated by him on the constitutionality of him contesting for a third time, the party said today.

We must enhance the friendship with India-SL PM

India and Sri Lanka have the longest continuous historical link, and both nations have been culturally and historically very close “up to this day”, Sri Lankan Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne said Manipal, in India on Saturday.

Groups seeks ban on SL cricket team

The Tamil Youths and Students Federation and three other groups have demanded that the Sri Lankan cricket team not be allowed to play in India. This is in protest against the recent death sentence on five Indian fishermen on charges of smuggling.

Rs 20L to challenge verdict on fishermen

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday sent Rs 20 lakh to the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka to conduct the cases challenging the death sentence awarded to five fishermen from Thangachimadam in Ramanathapuram district.

Rs. 59 mn gold seized at BIA

Custom officials arrested two Sri Lankans, including a woman with gold biscuits worth Rs.59 million while they were trying to smuggle gold into the country last evening at the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport.

MR congratulates Karu

President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a telephone call has wished UNP’s Karu Jayasuriya today following media reports that Mr.Jayasuriya had been nominated as the common presidential candidate.

DMK wants special TN Assembly session on SL

India’s DMK party on Friday urged Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam to convene a session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly to discuss important issues, including the death sentence awarded to five fishermen in Sri Lanka.

SL hits back at UNHRC chief

The Sri Lankan government today accused the UNHCHR Chief Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein of challenging the right of a sovereign State to raise concern regarding procedural aspects of an Investigation.

Two brothers killed in Gandara

Two brothers aged 36 and 38 were killed after being assaulted with an axe at Nawadunna in Gandara last night, police said.

Two killed in motorbike accident

Two people aged 36 and 38 were killed in a motorbike accident in Sooriyawewa last evening, police said.

Al-Hussein slams govt.

UN Human Rights Chief Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein yesterday said the statements made by the government of Sri Lanka casting doubts on the integrity of the OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) were an insult to the UN mandated investigation.

Three Turkish men in credit card scam arrested

Three Turkish men were arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) last night on charges of fraudulently withdrawing money by using fake credit cards.

Karu to be common candidate?

The opposition parties yesterday agreed to field a common candidate at the forthcoming snap presidential election to be declared on November 19, the Daily Mirror learns.

Three orphans to be looked after by next of kin

The three children who lost both of their parents in the Meeriyabedda landslide were handed over to their closest relatives on an order obtained from the Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court, the National child Protection Authority (NCPA) said today.

Bin Laden's killer now a jobless civilian

Navy Seal who killed Osama Bin Laden broke his silence recounting the night he shot the Al Qaida leader three times and the financial anxiety he now faces as an unemployed civilian.

UNHRC says SL ‘sabotaging’ inquiry

U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville had said Sri Lanka was attempting to ‘sabotage’ the UNHRC inquiry and it raises questions about the government's integrity and are an affront to the U.N. body that mandated the inquiry.

Body found under Borupana bridge

A body which was found floating near the Borupana Bridge on the Ratmalana-Werahera Road was recovered by the police this morning.

Video: One million jobs under UNP Govt: Ranil

United National Party (UNP) National Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said today a million job opportunities would be generated under a UNP government within five years by establishing export oriented industries in the country.

Communist party’s ‘Aththa’ office sealed

The ‘Aththa’ newspaper, a publication of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka has been withdrawn from circulation and its newspaper office sealed early this morning on the orders of the Party high command, sources said.

Lankan nabbed with gold worth Rs.4 million

A 34-year-old Sri Lankan was arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport this morning on charges of attempting to smuggle eight gold biscuits worth Rs.4 million from Singapore, Customs Spokesman Leslie Gamini said.

Swede drowns in Ahangama

A 22-year-old Swedish national was drowned while bathing in the sea off Welhenagoda in Ahangama yesterday, the Police said.

India brush aside rape charges on IPKF

India on Thursday refused to take cognizance of a Sri Lankan minister’s allegation that Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) raped Tamil women during the civil war, stating that there was no official complaint from the Sri Lankan government.