Congress downplays Chidambaram’s remark on Lanka issue

Congress today downplayed Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s remark that India should have supported the US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka.

Medical student knocked down by train

A 22-year-old female medical student was killed after she was knocked down by a train in Wellawatte, opposite the Ramakrishna Road this afternoon.

Video: Magampura Harbour

The Magampura Harbour had come alive with the arrival of a large consignment of vehicles. Pictured here some of the vehicles that have been unloaded from the ship. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

Cooperate with resolution-US to SL

US Ambassador Michele J. Sison on Friday urged Sri Lanka to cooperate with the resolution and the plan laid out for a comprehensive international investigation adopted at the UNHRC on Thursday.

DMK flays India’s UN vote, says ‘no’ to Congress

DMK president M. Karunanidhi Friday condemned India’s decision to abstain from voting on a UN resolution against Sri Lanka and said no electoral pact will now be possible with the Congress.

Video: Govt. responsible for Geneva debacle; JVP

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said today the Government was solely responsible for the adoption of the UNHRC resolution because the Government was unable to win the confidence of the 12 countries that abstained due to continuous human right violations and the inability to uphold democracy in the country after the war

Drought takes its toll on Mahaweli

Mahaweli Ganga which is the longest river in Sri Lanka has been severely affected by the drought prevailing in some parts of the country. The river bottom is clearly seen near the Gannoruwa Bridge. Pix by J.A.L. Jayasinghe

We were never against SL: India

Indian envoy Dilip Sinha said India does not support the operative para 10 OF the resolution  which asks for an international inquiry but encourages Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations of an internal inquiry's report and findings

MR orders to release all Indian fishermen

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has advised authorities to release all Indian Fishermen in Sri Lankan custody, President's media announced today

UNHRC decision on SL victory for its people: Cameron

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday welcomed the decision of the UNHRC to initiate its own independent investigation into alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka

Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination cannot be brushed aside

The Centre on Thursday asserted in the Supreme Court that the assassination of the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, in 1991 was a very serious and heinous crime which could not be forgotten so easily or brushed aside

German woman, abducted from night club, abused

A twenty-one-year-old German woman, who had been in an intoxicated state while at a night club, had allegedly been taken a house owned by a millionaire businessman in his car and abused

'Flt MH370 is 3.5km under the sea: Prof. Pattiaratchi

University of Western Australia - Professor of Coastal Oceanography Charitha Pattiaratchi, who is playing a leading role on the Australian side, which is engaging in finding the missing Malaysian Airline, said that the ill-fated plane is in the bottom of the Indian Ocean, just below the Southeast Indian ridge

India had cheated SL Tamils: TNA

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) opposed India for its decision to abstain from the US sponsored resolution in UNHRC which was passed today

MH 370 memorial in SL

A religious ceremony organized by Sri Lankan students studied in China was held last evening at Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya in memorial of passengers on missing Malaysian flight MH370. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

A serious breach of int’l law-SL

Sri Lanka today described the resolution and its content which calls for an international investigation on Sri Lanka as a serious breach of international law and added it ‘poses a grave threat to the sovereign independence of the states in the UN.’

US resolution adopted

The US sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka at the 25th session of the UNHRC in Geneva was adopted short while ago with 23 countries voting for, 12 against and 12 abstained.

Video: Govt. violating election law by hiding behind Geneva

UNP General Secretary and parliamentarian Tissa Attanayake said today the President would violate election laws if he attempted to gain political advantage by going ahead with the planned address to the nation on the Geneva issue

Video: Resolution on SL adopted, 23-12

The US sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka at the 25th session of the UNHRC in Geneva was adopted short while ago with 23 countries voting for, 12 against and 12 abstained

India to abstain from voting

India has decided to abstain from voting for the US-backed resolution at the 25th session of the UNHRC in Geneva against Sri Lanka claiming that an external investigation mechanism hinders the efforts of the Sri Lanka to promote reconciliation rather than contributing constructively and complicates the prevalent situation in the country

Video: Interim admin to take in N/E if the resolution persists; Weerawansa

Minister Wimal Weerawansa today said that the United States backed resolution against Sri Lanka would ultimately lead to an Interim Administration in the North and East (N/E) Provinces under the supervision of the United Nations (UN).

Sergeant on the mat over scolding Magistrate

A Police Sergeant attached to the Maharagama Police Traffic Division has been arrested for verbally abusing the Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage and blocking his official vehicle at Pamunuwa Junction in Maharagama today

Ten sentenced to death in Kandy

Ten suspects found guilty of killing a person in Nagala, Rattota, were sentenced to death by the Kandy High Court Judge today

My first statement can be attributed to my state of mind: Victoria

During the second day of cross examination yesterday, murdered British aid worker Khuram Shaikh’s girlfriend requested Court to consider her frame of mind when giving her statement in the immediate aftermath of the killing

Navy denies attacking Indian fishermen

The Sri Lankan Navy denied Indian media reports that it had attacked fifty fishermen with stones and bottles, fired into the air, cut-up the fishing nets and damaged 30 boats off the Island of Kachchativu

Congress manifesto calls for probe into SL war crimes

Ahead of the Geneva meeting on Friday, the Indian Congress party revealed its stance on Sri Lanka, saying it would push for a "credible, objective, time-bound" probe into allegations of human rights violations and war crimes by Sri Lanka.

19 Indian fishermen arrested for poaching

Nineteen Indian fishermen were arrested and four trawlers taken into custody by the Navy attached to the North-Central Naval Command, navy spokesman Kosala Warnakulasuriya said

SF defamation case: Granted leave to proceed

Mount Laviniya District Judge Gihan Chandraranawana today granted leave to proceed with the defamation case filed by Leader of the Democratic Party Sarath Fonseka against Deputy Minister Sarana Gunawardena demanding compensation of Rs.1billion

Video: Fake notes

Police spokesman Ajith Rohana holds a genuine Rs. 5,000 note in his right hand and a counterfeit 5,000 rupee note on his left hand today, at a media briefing at the Police Headquarters. Pix by Kushan Pathiraja

Video: Russia, China, criticise Pillay’s report; others commend it

Several countries including Russia and China criticised the report compiled by UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay, during the interactive dialogue held at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva yesterday while a majority of countries including the US, UK and France commended the document and called on all countries to support the adoption of the resolution against Sri Lanka ???