Mother blessed with triplets

A 31-year-old mother today delivered male triplets at the de Soysa Maternity Hospital and it was her third time. On her first delivery she gave birth to twins and are aged 15 years and on her second delivery, she had another twins who are aged six years now. Pix by Nisal Baduge

SL experienced linguistic struggle not ethnic: Swamy

Chairman of the BJP Committee on Strategic Action and BJP's National Executive Committee Member Subramanium Swamy said today that what took place in Sri Lanka was not an ethnic struggle but a linguistic struggle.

Several roads closed in Colombo

Several Roads leading to Galadari Round About would be closed between 8.30 p.m. to 5.30 a.m. for six days starting today due to a repair work at the Galadari Roundabout, Police said.

Kelaniya undergrads protest

Students of the Kelaniya University Students’ Council today staged a protest at the university premises urging the government on several demands, including selling of Arts Degree for Rs.75,500 and the Management Degree for Rs.12,000 for external students. Pix by Kushan Pathiraja

37 Lankans trapped in Iraq brought back

Thirty seven Sri Lankans, initially believed to be held hostage by Iraqi rebels will be brought back to Sri Lanka today, External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris said.

Video: MR has no authority to donate money-UNP

The United National Party (UNP) said that the President had no authority to announce 1 million US$ as assistance to be provided to the war victims in Palestine from public funds of Sri Lanka and that there was a procedure to grant approval for such grants to other countries.  

Ban asks SL to cooperate with UN panel

UN Chief Ban Ki Moon has given his full backing to the panel investigating alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka, his spokesman said yesterday adding that Mr. Ban had requested Sri Lanka to cooperate with the inquiry

‘Kudu Nuwan’ arrested

Nuwan Udaya Gunathilaka alias ‘Kudu Nuwan’ was arrested on charges of possessing 300 grams of heroin in Meethotamulla by the Colombo Crime Division this morning, the Police said

Speed guns will be used after sign boards in place-Police

Radar guns to check speeding vehicles will come into operation after the sign boards indicating the speed limits are put up, the Police Headquarters said today

'I only have two to three years left to live': Pope

Pope Francis has said he might have only two or three years left to live. On a plane trip back from South Korea, he told journalists he believed he only had limited time left

Lankans keen to host Modi: MR

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi should visit Lanka because Lankans are eager to host him.

Suspected Ebola victim's blood samples to be sent to India

The director of the Medical Research Institute said that arrangements had been made to send blood samples of the suspected female Ebola victim to a laboratory in Pune, India.

India calls meeting on fishermen issue

The Prime Minister's Office has convened a meeting tomorrow to explore a long-term solution to the contentious fishermen issue between India and Sri Lanka.

India, Sri Lanka meet to discuss narcotics menace

India and Sri Lanka are expected to finalize a strategy to jointly tackle cross-border smuggling of narcotics and syndicates running the illegal trade between the two maritime neighbours.

Kachatheevu: SC to hear Karunanidhi, Jayalalitha’s petitions

The Supreme Court of India today agreed to hear together the petitions filed by the DMK President M. Karunanidhi and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa seeking a direction to the Centre to retrieve Kachatheevu Island from Sri Lanka.

Video: Protest over Gaza attack

State sector trade unions staged a protest outside the Fort Railway Station over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. They handed over a letter to the Presidential Secretariat. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

Video: BBS raps Mervyn

Minister Mervyn Silva should correct himself first before making allegations against others, the General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera said today.

BBS after DCD

The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) organised a news conference in Colombo today to express its views on DCD- contaminated dairy products and on food safety in the country.  Pix by Nisal Baduge

Three arrested with 11kg of gold

Three people were arrested this afternoon in Talaimannar on charges of having 53 gold bars weighing 11 kilograms in their possession.

SL to refuse entry to UN investigators

Sri Lanka will not grant visas to UN investigators probing war crimes allegedly committed during the island's decades-long separatist conflict, President Mahinda Rajapakse said Tuesday.

MR appoints two more experts

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has appointed two more international experts to the international panel of experts advising the Presidential Commission to Investigate into Complaints Regarding Missing Persons in Sri Lanka, the President’s Office said.

PC member arrested with illegal firearm

A ruling party member of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council was arrested by the Kegalle police last night in the Ranwala area with an illegal firearm.

SL worker commits suicide in Sharjah

A Sri Lankan worker committed a suicide by hanging himself at home in Sharjah and police said they were investigating the case. The worker was found by colleagues hanging inside his room in the industrial zone 4 in the northern emirate, they said.

Bus crash injures 20 garment workers

Twenty garment factory female employees and the driver of a bus had been admitted to the Eheliyagoda hospital after the bus crashed on to tree on the Ratnapura-Colombo Road this morning, the Police said.

Rains won’t go away

The atmospheric conditions were still favorable for rainy weather over the island, the Meteorology Department said. It said occasional showers or thundershowers would occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and the Central Provinces and in the Galle and Matara Districts.

Alleged brothel raided in Bambalapitiya

A brothel operating under the guise of a massage parlour at Fonseka Place, Bambalapitiya was raided last evening by the Police Organised Crimes Investigation Unit, the Police said.

Modi may visit SL next year: Swamy

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi may visit Sri Lanka early next year, according to Dr Subramanian Swamy, head of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Strategic Action Committee.

Cartoon of the day

Mahela ends Test career on a high

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse shakes hands with cricketer Mahela Jayawardene after victory in the second Test match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo today. AFP

Video: Operation seize fire

The Police had launched a special operation in Colombo and suburbs since Monday to seize illegal firearms following several shooting incidents in the recent past, Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said.