Businessman shot dead in Kotahena

A 54-year-old businessman known as 'Thel Raja', was shot dead at Bloemendhal Road in Colombo 13 a short while ago, hospital sources said

Berty Premalal passes away

North-Central Province former Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake passed away at a private hospital in Colombo a short while ago

Gates calls Ctrl+Alt+Del command a mistake

Bill Gates has described the decision to use Ctrl+Alt+Del as the command needed to log on to a PC as a mistake

Chief Incumbent of Kiriwehera passes away

Dr. Aluthwewa Soratha Nayaka Thera Chief Incumbent of Katharagama Kiriwehera Temple and Chancellor of Uva Wellassa University passed away this afternoon at a Private hospital in Colombo.

Peace in Sri Lanka only after de-militarisation: Vasan

India will help create a conducive situation for the Sri Lankan army to withdraw from the island’s Northern Province as there can be peace only after demilitarisation, Union Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan said here on Thursday

Low salary compels PS member to resign

Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) UPFA member W.W. Chandrasiri has resigned saying the monthly salary being paid to a Pradishiya Sabha member is inadequate and would go back to his previous job at the Civil Defence Unit

NZ PM looking forward to CHOGM

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key in a cordial conversation with President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday expressed his interest in attending the November Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo, the Presidential Media Unit said.

Nabbed for carrying rare birds and mice species

A Sri Lankan arriving from Thailand was arrested by the Airport police Narcotics Bureau last morning for trying to smuggle rare species of live birds and mice, Customs Director and media spokesman Leslie Gamini said

BIA Customs nab 5.5 Kgs of gold in September

A Sri Lankan who attempted to smuggle 12 pieces of gold bars weighing 1500  grammes and  worth Rs. 7.5 million to Bombay was arrested this morning by Customs officers  at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Customs media spokesman Leslie Gamini said

Press SL on Rights: C’wealth Ministers

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) should make the human rights situation in Sri Lanka a priority. CMAG, a rotating group of foreign ministers from eight Commonwealth countries, will meet in New York on September 27, 2013

India turns on the heat during HRC session

India making a statement at the 24th session of the Human Rights Council, said that it encourages the UN Human Rights Commissioner to “continue to provide advice and technical assistance to Sri Lanka in accordance with” the Council’s resolutions

Puttalam election chief transferred

Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya decided yesterday to transfer the Puttalam district Assistant Elections Commissioner to Colombo with effect from October 1, the Elections Department said

Power cuts this week

Due to the ongoing excavations on the outer circular road of the Southern Expressway for the purpose of laying 200 watt transmission lines between Pannipitiya and Biyagama, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) says it had intended to impose two hour power cuts each day from September 12 to 24

US backs Navi's assessment on SL

The United States today said the absence of meaningful progress on accountability calls for an international inquiry will persist, as announced by United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay on Wednesday at the UN Human Rights session in Geneva

A special washroom needed-Customs Chief

The Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) urgently needed a special washroom equipped to help Customs investigations, Custom Director Sarath Nonis said

UNP to undergo significant changes: Harin

UNP parliamentarian Harin Fernando said today the party would undergo significant changes soon in the wake of the defeat at Saturday’s elections to the three provincial councils

Wrong shot; Robber dies

The robber, who was alleged to have been shot by his colleague’s yesterday at Mattakkuliya, is reported to have died in hospital, police said.

Four elected candidates denied from assuming duties

Four elected candidates of the recently concluded Provincial Council election will not be allowed to assume duties in their respective Councils or have their names appear in the gazette

Water cut in Colombo

An eleven hour water cut will be imposed from Friday 9 pm to Saturday 8am in certain areas in Colombo.

Video: Cobra girl in disappearing act

A warrant was issued and thereafter recalled afterNirosha Wimalaratne alias ‘Cobra Girl’ filed a motion today at the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court.

Don’t isolate SL; engage with them, say Australia & UK

Australia and Britain said Wednesday there remain important concerns about human rights and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, but also noted areas of progress and also encouraged countries to participate in the Commonwealth leaders' meeting to be held in Sri Lanka in November

Video: SC determines land powers with Centre

The Supreme Court unanimously today determined that the subject of land is vested with the Central Government and not with the Provincial Council, as stipulated by the 13th amendment.

HC directs SL refugees to submit fresh representation

The Madras High Court today directed Sri Lankan refugees, housed in a special camp at Poonamallee near Chennai, to submit fresh representations to the Tamil Nadu Public Department (SC) Secretary on their request for transferring them to camps at Gummidipoondi or Puzhal.

SL rejects Pillay’s assertion

While strongly repudiating UN Human Rights Chief Navinethem Pillay's assertion that if certain concerns are not comprehensively addressed, she believes ‘the international community will have a duty to establish its own inquiry mechanisms’, Sri Lanka said that she has no mandate to make such a claim.

Pillay hints at int’l probe

Asserting that no new or comprehensive effort has been made to independently or credibly investigate the human rights allegations in Sri Lanka, UN’s rights Chief Navaneethan Pillay said that Sri Lanka should use the time between now and March 2014 to engage in a credible national process with tangible results, in the absence of which she believes the international community will have a duty to establish its own inquiry mechanisms.

MR’s first tweets Q and A: more Q’s than A’s

Although much was expected from the much publicized twitter Q and A with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday, in his first foray into the realm of direct engagement via digital media, the session proved to be a damper to many, with the President answering questions that were only related the UN sessions and issues therein

3-year-old child knocked down by Minister’s vehicle

A three year-old child was knocked down by Minister of Indigenous Medicine Salinda Dissanayake’s vehicle at Gokarella this evening and admitted to the Kurunegala Hospital, police said

Wrong shot

A robber of a gang of three was injured in a shootout at Modara, Mattakkuliya while attempting to rob Rs. 500,000 from a woman this afternoon and was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital, police said

Video: Unite the country; share the power: Sumanthiran

It is good that the government’s propaganda has brought back democracy to the North, TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran said today at a news conference ???

Former IPL chief banned for life

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has banned former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi for life on charges of financial irregularities.