53 students remanded in Samanthurai

Fifty three students including three female students of the South Eastern University in Samanthurai were remanded by the Samanthurai Magistrate today.

Wigneswaran to take oaths before MR

Retired Supreme Court Judge and Northern Province Chief Minister elect, C.V. Wigneswaran will take oaths before President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Chief Minister on October 7, at the Temple Trees, the TNA said.

Khurshid to visit SL to take up fishers issue

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will visit Sri Lanka on October 7 to hold discussions with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and senior officials there on halting the recurring attacks and arrests of Indian fishermen

Traffic due to student protest

A traffic Congestion is reported in Maradana , and its surrounding areas due to a protest march by the University students of Kelaniya.

Customs team apprehends Lankan

A day after the district police had arrested a Sri Lankan Tamil who landed at Arichalmunai off Danushkodi from Jaffna, a Customs team apprehended a Sri Lankan Tamil, who arrived clandestinely from Talaimannar and two refugees who attempted to flee to Talaimannar on Thursday

TNA leader meets President

TNA leader R. Sampanthan met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees this morning, the President's office said

Switzerland defends deportation of Sri Lankans

Switzerland on Thursday defended the deportation of two asylum seekers who were arrested upon returning to Sri Lanka, saying they were accused of backing Tamil rebels

Weliweriya shooting: Army exceeded its remit

The Court of Inquiry appointed Army Commander Lt. General Daya Ratnayake had found that the army had exceeded their legal duties during the Weliveriya shootings, and a ‘summary of evidence’ is currently under way in order to frame charges for a Court Martial

District Judge orders count of sealed ballot papers

District Judge Ranga Dissanayake, today ordered the Puttalam police through the Registrar of Courts to inform the officers who conducted investigations into the marked ballot papers found at St. Andrew’s College Puttalam, to open the sealed packets containing marked ballot papers and subject them to a recount

Video: ‘School children addicted to sexual enhancement drugs’

The Cosmetics Devices and Drugs Control Authority said there was a high tendency of school children getting addicted to sexual enhancement drugs to merely get a kick out of such drugs, which has become a serious issue

Protest against appointment of CP Chief Minister

A protest was held in Kandy town against the appointment of Sarath Ekanayake as Chief Minister of the Central Province by supporters of Anuradha Jayaratne who obtained the highest number of preferential votes in the Province

Namal appointed new rugby captain

Namal Rajapaksa replaced his brother Yoshitha as Sri Lanka’s national rugby captain ahead of the Serendib International Cup 2013 to be played in Sri Lanka later this month, as preparation for next years Asian Five Nations tournament

SL wants Nepal to stop screening three films

The Sri Lankan Government has pressurised the Nepali authorities to stop the screening of all three documentaries from Sri Lanka selected for the Film Southasia (FSA) 2013.

Tissa Attanayake’s resignation accepted

UNP media spokesman Gayantha Karunathilaka said today that UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake’s resignation as the Kunadasale organiser has been accepted by party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe today

Navy operation to rescue 65 on-board stranded vessel

The Sri Lanka Navy has launched an operation to rescue 65 individuals on board a vessel stranded between the Maldives and Sri Lanka, the Navy said.

Undergrads clash in Sammanthurai; 23 injured

At least 23 undergraduates attached to the South Eastern University in Sammanthurai were injured and 41 undergraduates were arrested by the police following a clash between two students factions of the Science Faculty a short while ago, police said.

Two Sri Lankan refugees, ferry operator held

Two Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and a ferry operator from the island nation were on Thursday nabbed by customs officials when the trio were moving in suspicious circumstances, police said.

Cobra girl pleads guilty; fined Rs. 100

Nirosha Wimalaratne, known as the Cobra girl, who was arrested for keeping a snake in her possession at a night club in Kollupitiya today pleaded guilty of the charges and was sentenced to three months imprisonment suspended for five years by the Colombo Court Magistrate

UNP: Tissa resigns as organiser

The General Secretary of the United National Party (UNP) Tissa Attanayake said today that he would not hesitate to step down from his position of the party if there was a necessity

Dayasiri and Ekanayake sworn in as Chief Ministers

Dayasiri Jayasekara and Sarath Ekanayake were sworn in Chief Ministers of the North Western Province and the Central Province respectively before President Mahinda Rajapaksa a short while ago at the Presidential Secretariat.Pictures

Queen Victoria statue to be given a facelift in Colombo

A statue of Queen Victoria in Sri Lanka's main city, Colombo, has been taken off its plinth for renovation ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held there next month

Sri Lankan team attack: Alleged mastermind’s bail challenged

LAHORE: After an anti-terrorism court granted bail to the primary suspect in the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, the decision was challenged by the Punjab government.

Lankan held at Danushkodi

The Danushkodi police have arrested a Sri Lankan Tamil who clandestinely landed at Arichal Munai off Danushkodi on Wednesday morning

Fire at Himbiliyakada forest reserve

A fire broke out yesterday at the Godaulpatha mountain area in the Himbiliyakada forest reserve in Wilgamuwa destroying hundreds of acres of forest area, police said

Police on lookout for Africans

Police are on the lookout for a large number of Africans alleged to be overstaying in Sri Lanka, following arrests made in the Katunayake, Negombo and Seeduwa areas recently.

Disneyland tour for first in scholarship exam

The Education Minister of the Southern Provincial Council on Wednesday promised that the student who had obtained the highest marks in the island at the grade 5 scholarship examination would be sent on a trip to Disneyland in the United States.

Ranil ready to take any step for UNP’s progress

In a new development with regard to the future of the United National Party (UNP) its leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed the members of the United Bikkhu Front that he was ready to take any step for the betterment of the party

I couldn’t meet MR due to the time factor-Indian PM

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he couldn’t meet Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in New York as the dates given were not convenient to him, India Times reported.

Drought hits Polonnaruwa

More than 5,500 people had been affected by the prevailing drought in the Polonnaruwa District, Asst. Director of the Disaster Management Centre Upul Nanayakkara said

Lankan national sneaking into Rameswaram held

Despite the claim of tight vigil by naval and coast guard personnel following an alert about possible infiltration of terrorists through the sea, a Sri Lankan Tamil managed to sneak into the island by a high-speed boat early on Wednesday morning