32 Indian fishermen arrested

The Navy arrested 32 Indian fishermen, who were found poaching within Sri Lanka’s territorial waters last night, Navy spokesman Kosala Warnakulasuriya said. He said the eight fishing boats used by the Indians were also seized

First draft resolution on SL ‘circulated’

The first draft resolution, calling the Sri Lanka government to conduct an independent and credible investigation into allegations of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law was circulated during the first day of the 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday.

Pre-poll scam in South: PAFFREL

UPFA members of the Southern Provincial Council have surreptitiously taken one million rupees each from an institution coming under the provincial authorities to be used for their political activities in view of the March 29 elections, officials said yesterday

Rs.85m. to be confiscated from drug dealers

Rs. 85 million belonging to two drug dealers is to be confiscated, following investigations after the arrest of a Liberian national possessing 30 kilogrammes of heroin, police said

India for 'much more progress' in reconciliation in SL

India on Monday made it clear that it looks for "much more progress" in the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka while being non-committal on how it will vote at the UN Human Rights Council on a resolution on the country's alleged rights abuses during the war with Tamil Tiger rebels. 

UN Chief welcomes Pillay’s report

UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon has welcomed the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay’s report on Sri Lanka

MR offers condolences to Chinese President

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has sent a message of condolences to Chinese President Xi Jinping on the terrorist attack against civilians in the South-western city of Kunming, last Saturday in which several people lost their lives and many more injured

Five injured in an accidental explosion in Kilinochchi

At least five civilians were injured in an accidental explosion at a place where scrap iron is being collected in Kilinochchi this evening, the army said

Ravana Balaya protest against Law College admissions

The Ravana Balaya Organisation today staged a protest in Colombo against what it called alleged irregularities in the admission of Law College students for 2014. Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana

J’pura suspended students barred from sitting exams

The Students' Union of the Sri Jayewardenepura University today threatened to launch a protest campaign aganist the adminstration's decision to debar 18 students, who were earlier suspended over a clash with Internal Security officers, from sitting the ongoing exams that started today, sources said

Video: Bribery Commission acts in suspicious manner: JVP

The Janatha Vimukthi  Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti said today the manner in which the Bribery Commission handled the complaint against its Chairman and the manner in which the investigation was dropped were questionable

LTTE behind Mullaitivu mass grave: Police

An eyewitness has told the police that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was responsible for the recently unearthed mass grave site in Mullaitivu, the Police said today

MR on his way to attend BIMSTEC

President Mahinda Rajapaksa left for Myanmar this morning to attend the third Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Government Information Department said.

Unrest at ‘Gampaha Bandaranayake National School’

The Gampaha Bandaranayake National School has been closed for today following protest demonstrations by the students against the principal, Education Ministry Secretary Anura Dissanayake said.

‘12 Years a Slave’ wins Oscar for Best Picture

The Movie ‘12 Years a Slave’ won the Oscar for the Best Picture at the 86th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, while Alfonso Cuarón won the award for Best Director in ‘Gravity’

Paba ‘officially outshines’ CBK, 43rd CJ

The main Opposition United National Party (UNP) yesterday decried the exclusion of former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and impeached Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake from an official list of Women Achievers while it carried the name of UPFA MP Upeksha Swarnamali.

Fishermen talks in Lanka on March 13: Jaya

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Sunday announced that the second round of talks between fishermen’s organisations of India and Sri Lanka will be held in Colombo on March 13. She has asked the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to ensure the release of 121 Tamil Nadu fishermen before the talks.

Karuna slams Singh over plans to meet MR

DMK today hit out at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the Centre's "indifferent" approach toward Sri Lankan Tamils issue and came down on his reported plans to meet the island nation's President Mahinda Rajapaksa

Hosting IPL matches in SL ruled out

Sri Lanka, the fourth venue for this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), which was under consideration, has been ruled out for hosting the matches due to prospect of rains in the island country during the period, Indian media reported.

Bodh Gaya blasts: Suspected IM activist held

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) activist in connection with Bodh Gaya serial blasts from a village in Bihar’s Arwal district, police said on Sunday.

Minsitry addresses Facebook-phobia

The Education Ministry today said steps had been taken to educate school principals about social network sites such as Facebook, and other issues related to internet usage.

80% disappearance cases in SL point finger at LTTE

Eighty per cent of the complaints of forced disappearance made to the Sri Lankan Presidential Commission of Disappearances blame the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), according to a well-placed source in the Presidential Secretariat.

An apolitical coo

Colombo Mayor A. J. M. Muzammil and Former UNP MP Renuka Herath in conversation at a ceremony held to mark the 23rd death anniversary of former Minister General Ranjan Wijeratne in Colombo. Pix by Kushan Pathiraja

President visits Deyata Kirula

President Mahinda Rajapaksa participated in an inspection tour of the Deyata Kirula national development exhibition premises in Kuliyapitiya on Friday. Pix by President’s media

Russia seizes Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine

Russian armed forces seized control of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula on Saturday, and the Russian Parliament granted President Vladimir Putin broad authority to use military force in response to the political upheaval that dislodged a Kremlin ally.

Wilgamuwa Chairman and Fmr Chairman arrested with ganja

Chairman of the Wilgamuwa Pradeshiya Sabha Jayantha Weerasekara and Former Chairman Ranjith Dissanayake were arrested by the Police while allegedly transporting ganja in the area last night, the Police said.

BJP can be a force of unity-SL envoy

Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India Prasad Kariyawasam said on Saturday that his country believed that the India's Bharathiya Janatha Party(BJP) could be a force of unity.

Hakeem admits to verbal lashing by MR

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem today admitted he received a verbal lashing from President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a cabinet meeting but dismissed it as no more than an "expression of ideas".

Air Force to assist fisheries officials in surveillance

Sri Lanka’s Air Force would assist the country’s fisheries officials in surveillance of the frequent straying by Sri Lankan and Indian fishermen on to each other’s waters, its new chief said on Saturday.

Karzai in Colombo on March 5

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who postponed his planned visit to Sri Lanka last week, has re-scheduled his visit and will be here on March 5, the External Affairs Ministry said today.