SC rejects asylum petition: SL not ratified UN convention

The Supreme Court today dismissed a Public Interest Litigation filed by six human rights activists seeking an interim order preventing the deportation of about 2,000 Pakistani and Afghan asylum seekers arrested by the immigration officials.     

Rs.3.3 million robbed in Mt. Lavinia

Two men travelling in a trishaw are alleged to have robbed Rs.3.3 million worth of cash belonging to a private campus in Mount Lavinia when the cash was being taken to be deposited in a private bank.  

Protest at Government Press

The National Trade Union Centre today staged a protest in front of the Government Press in Borella against the Government Printer Lalith de Silva. They charged that the Printer had used his henchmen to assault employees of the Press and urged the police to arrest the assaulters. Pix by Nisal Baduge

D.V Upul noticed to appear in court

A notice has been issued on Southern Provincial Council Minister D.V. Upul to appear before the Bandarawela Magistrate's Court on October 6.

Man sentenced to death for triple murder

A man found guilty of clubbing two men and a woman to death in 1994 in Mahawewa was sentenced to death by the Chilaw Magistrate’s Court today.  

Five rescued from fire gutted boat

Five fishermen were rescued and hospitalised from a fire gutted boat in the sea off Rekawa in Tangalle today.  

Range’s hotel shot at

Multiple shots were fired at a hotel of UNP MP Palitha Range Bandara, located in Karuwalagaswewa this morning, the Police said. Pictures

OIC chief to visit Sri Lanka

The head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will visit Sri Lanka on an invitation from Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, according to a senior official from the Sri Lankan Embassy.

SL navy detains four fishermen

The Sri Lankan Navy detained four Indian fishermen who were repairing their boat near Katchativu, in the wee hours of Sunday. Sources said as many as 533 mechanised boats ventured out into the sea for fishing on Saturday

Jaya’s first day in jail sans visitors

AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa, the first serving chief minister to be convicted in a corruption case, spent her first day in the Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara in Bangalore without meeting any visitors. She has been allotted a normal cell in the women's barracks that she shares with close aide N Sasikala and J Elavarasi. 

Video: Ashin Wirathu Thera of Myanmar to work with BBS

Stressing that a world without extremism was the essence of Buddhism, the founder leader of the 969 organisation of Myanmar, the Venerable Ashin Wirathu Thera said today that his organisation would work with the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) to achieve this goal.

Video: BBS holds conference

The Maha Sanga Samuluwa of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) was held today at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo with a large number of Buddhist monks attending.  Secretary General of the BBS is seen here conducting Ven. Ashin Wirathu of Myanmar who was one of the foreign representatives attended the Sanga Samuluwa to the conference hall. Pic by Nisal Baduge

Video: Another assault video goes viral

A video clip showing a policeman assaulting a woman with a stick near the Ratnapura Bus Stand has gone viral.

Jayalithaa will have no effect: UNP

The issue pertaining to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalithaa Jayaram would not have any effect on Sri Lanka as she was just an opinion maker, United National Party Parliamentarian R. Yogarajan said today.

Panneerselvam to be TN chief minister

A day after a special court in Bangalore unseated AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa as Tamil Nadu chief minister by sentencing her to four years imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case, party MLAs on Sunday elected O Panneerselvam as her successor, as she wished.

MR invites Ban to visit Lanka

President Mahinda Rajapaksa had invited UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon to Sri Lanka when he met Ban on the sidelines of UNGA sessions today, the Information Department said.

Death plunge in Nilwala river

A man of around 40 years had reportedly fallen into the Nilwalaganga in Matara near the Mahanama Bridge and disappeared, residents said.

BASL: Do honest judges have no place?

The President of Sri Lanka Bar Association (BASL) observed that a well experienced, an honest and upright judge in the Court of Appeal who sat in the judgment in a matter that was filed by the 43rd Chief Justice and issued writ quashing the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) proceedings, was being repeatedly overlooked for promotion.

MP Range Bandara arrested

UNP Parliamentarian Palitha Range Bandara was arrested by the Police on charges of assaulting Karuwalagaswewa Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman.

“Kalu Chooty” shot dead

Hiran Darshana alias “Kalu Chooty” was shot dead this morning during a Police shootout at Rajakiya Mawatha in Colombo.

MR meets Modi and Ban Ki-moon in NY

President Mahinda Rajapaksa met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for talks in New York City. Pix by President’s media

Lankan arrested with Rs. 4.4mn foreign currency

A Sri Lankan male was arrested this morning while attempting to smuggle out foreign currency worth Rs.4.4 million concealed inside his baggage at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

Grade 5 scholarship: Venuja on top

W.A. Venuja Nimsath from Embilipitiya Primary School was placed first in the grade-five scholarship examination with 199 marks, the Examinations Department said.

Grade 5 scholarship results released

The Grade 5 Scholarship examination results for year 2014 have been released today, the Examinations Department announced.

MR and Modi agree to strengthen relations

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral discussions in New York City and agreed to work towards further strengthening relations between the two countries.

Jayalalitha gets 4-year jail term

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has been sentenced to four years in jail and slapped a fine of Rs. 100 crore in the 18-year-old disproportionate assets case.

BJP pitches for new maritime policy to solve fishing row

The BJP has advocated the formulation of a new Maritime Indo-Lankan policy to deal with the fishermen issue.

Jayalalithaa guilty in assets case

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was today held guilty in a disproportionate assets case. A special court in Bangalore dealt a big blow to the AIADMK leader, who has become the first chief minister to be convicted in a wealth case and faces up to seven years' jail term.

SL wins backing of 22 nations against UN rights probe

Sri Lanka has won the backing of 22 nations in its battle against the UN's war crimes probe into the country's human rights record during its brutal civil war.  

Donating blood

A blood donation campaign and a health camp organized by the Wijeyaba welfare society was held today at Kalapaluwawa Sri Siddhartha Vidyalaya. Pix by Waruna Wanniarachchi