UN wants new drug laws in SL

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) yesterday asked Sri Lanka to set up a mechanism in the country to prosecute those caught trafficking drugs in the high seas, it is learnt.

Russian couple arrested on expressway

A Russian couple was arrested by the Southern Expressway traffic police for travelling on a motor bike towards Colombo on the expressway near the 82nd mile post, police said

Video: Election Commissioner at SLHRC

Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya is seen coming out of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) today where he met SLHRC Chairman Prathiba Mahanamahewa to discuss about holding a free and fair election. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

Piece of advice

JHU leader Ven Dr. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera making a point with Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the launch of the JHU provincial polls campaign with the participation of its Colombo district candidates, ex-provincial councillor Minister Udaya Gammanpila and JHU spokesman Nishantha Warnasinghe. Pix by Kithsiri De Mel

PC polls ideal for people to express solidarity with MR: Gotabaya

Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa today said that with the Geneva sessions coming up in March, the forthcoming Western and Southern Provincial Council polls was a good opportunity for the people to show that they were still with the government and President Mahinda Rajapaksa

Train services interrupted due to strike

Train services have been interrupted due to a strike launched by the Locomotive Drivers Union and Sri Lanka Railway Technical Trade Union, Union Secretary B.S. Kamal Peiris said.Pictures

Video: Does mode of transport matter?

Eksath Janatha Peramuna Leader and its General Secretary Sirimasiri Hapuarachchi who is contesting the Western Provincial Council Election from the UNP, arrives in his trishaw for the meeting held at the Election Secretariat this morning Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

Australian Senate backs war crimes probe in SL

A Motion backed by Australian Green Party calling on the Australian Government to support an Independent war crimes investigation on Sri Lanka in United Nations Human Rights Council, has been passed in the Australian Senate

Video: UNP, JVP cautiously optimistic after meeting Polls Chief

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said today that the Elections Commissioner has agreed to provide more vote counting officers for the upcoming provincial council elections to ensure transparency and credibility of the vote counting process

Tense situ in Indian Parliament

Bus on fire on E3

Primary protest

Parents and Primary students of Gothatuwa Maha Vidyalaya in Mulleriyawa staged a protest near the school today against the decision taken by the Educational Authorities to terminate the Primary section of the school. Pix by Waruna Wanniarachchi

29 TN Fishermen arrested by SL Navy

The Sri Lanka Navy arrested 29 Tamil Nadu fishermen and took into custody seven trawlers last night, Navy Spokesman Kosala Warankulasooriya said

Rajarata Uni. students arrested over Satyagraha

Rajarata University students who were staging a ‘Satyagraha’ near the Rajarata University in Mihintale had been forcibly removed by the Mihintale Police from the site, the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) charged today

Pro-SL Tamil protestors besiege UNICEF office

Hundreds of people belonging to various Tamil nationalist outfits, led by the May 17 Movement, were arrested after they attempted to besiege the UNICEF office in Adyar

Is Obama having an affair with Beyonce?

A French media firestorm has been circulating claims that Barack Obama and Beyonce are dangerously in love

Yasas says his teledrama has been banned

Popular actor turned politician Ravinda Yassas yesterday charged that there could be a political motive behind the sudden ban of the TV Drama ‘And Company’ which is being telecast over a private TV channel

Water cut in Colombo from tomorrow to 16

Water supply will be interrupted from 8a.m to 5p.m. from tomorrow to16 in Colombo and its suburbs due to a power outage at the Biyagama water filtration centre, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) said

India urges SL to avoid hostility

India’s External Affairs Minister Salman Kurshid today urged the Sri Lankan leadership to look at “possible ways to avoid an hostile attitude towards people and countries that matter,” in the light of a likely US-sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC sessions in March

A laughing matter

SLFP General Secretary of the SLFP, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena seen in a jovial mood at today’s media briefing at the SLFP head office at T.B. Jayah Mawatha. Ministers Nimal Siriripala De Silva and John Seneviratne were also present. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana.

Video: Bribery Commission delivers judgement in its favour

The Janatha  Vimukthi  Peramuna (JVP) said today the Bribery Commission had acted in an arbitrary manner and in violation of natural justice when it dismissed the complaint against the Bribery Commissioner Jagath De Silva Balapatabendi.

I paid the price for others’ foolishness - Ruwanthi ....

Popular actress Ruwanthi Mangala who was in the spotlight a few weeks ago when she faced the SLFP nomination board expressed yesterday her .... Others ‘black spots’ affected my chances - Ginger......

SL ranked 165 in 2014 WPF Index

Sri Lanka had been ranked 165th in the list of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index 2014, Reporters without Borders said in its annual report

Employees of Department of Pensions protest

A protest was launched in front of the Department of Pensions by its employees yesterday urging the department to remove the Director General from his post, among several other demanding. Pix by Kushan Pathiraja

Video: Traffic restrictions on Muttiah Road

Traffic on Muttiah Road, Colombo 2 will be restricted from 4.00 p.m. today until February 16 in view of the Gangarama Nawam Perahera, Police said

Autopsy shows student committed suicide

The postmortem examination of the Peradeniya University student’s body has revealed that his death had resulted from suicide by hanging from a tree, police said

Lankan dies after sex act goes wrong

A Sri Lankan national who had recently graduated from college, was found dead in a condominium in Kuala Lumpur, in what is believed to be a sex act gone wrong

Caring for the helpless

Amid numerous financial and other difficulties, M.K. Somaratne and his wife Alan Kotlin are seen at their home at Ambagamuwa in Ginigathhena taking care of three grown-up sons, who are disabled. They stand out as an example of selfless service in today’s comercialised society.  Pix by Ranjith Rajapaksa

Unidentified body found from Pannipitiya

A body of unidentified person has been found in a three wheeler in Polwatte, Pannipitiya this morning, Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said. PICTURES

NZ bound asylum seekers arrested

A group of 75 would-be asylum seekers including six children were taken into custody by the Police in the  Moragolla, Beruwela area while trying to flee to New Zealand illegally  yesterday, police said.PICTURES