Mahela notches up 150

Mahela Jayawardene is seen acknowledging the cheers after he scored 150 runs on the second day of the 2nd Test Match between Sri Lanka and South Africa at the SSC cricket grounds today. AFP and Pradeep Dilrukshana

UK visa applicants arrested for fraud in Colombo

A married Sri Lankan couple who applied together for UK visas were arrested yesterday for using deception in their applications and unofficially tampering with their passports, the British High Commission in Colombo said.

10 Chinese tourists fall prey to wasps at Sigiriya

About ten Chinese nationals including four women were admitted to the Sigiriya Hospital after they were attacked by wasps when climbing the Sigiriya rock Fortress.

No liquor on July 29

All the liquor shops in the country would be closed on July 29, in view of the Ramadan Festival, the Commissioner General of Department of Excise office said today.

BJP Swamy’s Lanka visit fuels criticism

T. Velmurugan, the President of Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi has questioned the locus standi of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramaniam Swamy visiting Sri Lanka and having discussion with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on strategic issues.

157 asylum seekers to be transferred to Australian mainland

The Australian government’s stretch of six months without an asylum seeker boat passenger arriving in Australia is set to end, as 157 Tamils who have spent four weeks in limbo aboard the Customs Ocean Protector will be brought to the Australian mainland on Saturday.

Wreckage of missing Algerian airliner found in Mali

The wreckage of an Air Algerie plane missing since early Thursday with 116 people on board has been found in Mali near the Burkina Faso border, an army coordinator in Burkina Faso and the French presidency said

Jaya urges PM to give visa to UN team

Expressing surprise over reports indicating denial of visa by the Centre to a United Nations team probing human rights violations in Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grant them visa to enable them to hold a fair probe.

Ukraine PM, cabinet resign over coalition break up

Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and his cabinet on Thursday resigned in a shock move in protest at the disbanding of the ruling parliamentary coalition, plunging the strife-torn nation into political uncertainty.

A master class inning

Sri Lanka ended the first day of the second Test against South Africa on 305 for the loss of 5 wickets at the SSC today. Mahela Jayawardene's unbeaten 140 helped Sri Lanka recover from early losses. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana

SC allows Muslim dress sans face cover

The Supreme Court today directed that Muslim mothers could enter schools wearing their traditional dress but with the face uncovered so that the wearer could be easily identified.

Video: Call to abolish Executive Presidency

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, TNA Leader R. Sampanthan, Democratic Party Leader Sarath Fonseka, ex-Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake seen at a meeting convened by the National Movement for Social Justice at the New Town Hall in Colombo today urging that the Executive Presidency be abolished. Pix by Nisal Baduge 

Missing Air Algerie flight has crashed: official

An Air Algerie flight that went missing en route from Burkina Faso to Algiers has crashed, an Algerian aviation official told Reuters on Thursday

SL ranked 73 at Human Development Index

Sri Lanka has ranked 73rd position of the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) for 2014 under high development category, leaving all the South Asian countries behind.

Train tragedy for coffin

Three persons traveling in a hearse were injured when an oncoming train crashed into it at a rail road. This is yet another accident in a continuing spree of accidents at unguarded railway crossings. Pix by Lal S. Kumara

Algeria plane disappears from radar

Air Algerie said it lost contact with one of its passenger aircraft nearly an hour after takeoff from Burkina Faso on Thursday bound for Algiers

Eight people injured in train accident

Three people who were travelling in a hearse were injured when a train heading to Colombo from Palai crashed into it at the Thelangapatha railway crossing in Wanawasala this afternoon.

Chinese drowns in sea

A Chinese tourist downed in the seas off Dikwella while another Chinese woman who had got into difficulty was saved and admitted to Matara Hospital in a critical condition, the Dikwella Police said

UNP petition on Uva PC seats dismissed

The Supreme Court today dismissed the petition filed by the UNP on the seat allocation in the Districts of Badulla and Meneragala of the Uva Province.

Four sentenced to death for murder

Four people were sentenced to death by the Kandy High court today on charges of having murdered a van driver at Pelmadulla in 1999.

Largest Motor Track in SL

The largest Motor Track in Sri Lanka was opened yesterday at the Welisara Navy camp followed by a rally event. The opening ceremony was held with the participation of navy’s Sports Director commodore Nevil Sudarshana. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

Sanga and I try to compete with each other - Mahela

A century at his home ground could well sum-up an excellent career for Mahela Jayawardane who will make his last appearance at Sinhalese Sports Club against South Africa.

Indian doctors remove 232 teeth from boy's mouth

Doctors in India have extracted 232 teeth from the mouth of a 17-year-old boy in a seven-hour operation.

Lankan falls to his death in Dubai

An unidentified Sri Lankan fell to his death from the fourth floor of a residential building in Riqqa, reports Al-Rai daily.

Lankan ex-wife murdered in Kuwait

A Kuwaiti citizen murdered his Lankan ex-wife inside his flat in Salmiya area by hitting her several times on her head

Deplorable security by Britain

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has declined an invitation to participate in the Commonwealth’s First World War Commemoration Service at the Glasgow Cathedral on August 4 on the basis of ‘deplorable security lapses’ by the British Government amid protests planned by pro-LTTE groups, Daily Mirror learns.

Speaker asks Rosy to stay close to him

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa yesterday advised United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Rosy Senanayake to stay close to him as otherwise she would disturb the proceedings in the House by chatting to others.

Govt. blocks Karu’s anti casino bill

The Government yesterday prevented United National Party (UNP) MP Karu Jayasuriya from presenting a Bill that prohibited the operation of casinos and other gaming activities under the strategic development projects.

Minister Champika’s Facebook page disabled

The Facebook account and fan page of Technology and Research Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka has been disabled without notice by the Facebook Administration Committee, according to the minister.

Guilty verdict in pizza delivery murder trial

The family of murdered Sri Lankan university graduate Thavisha Pereis today said the conviction of his two killers had brought them “some form of solace” after his death