The newborn mortality rate in Sri Lanka which is 5.3 is almost same as that in Kuwait and the US, which is 4, a latest report released by the UNICEF said on Tuesday.

Former Senior Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Hemantha Adhikari yesterday made a confidential statement regarding the murder of former Sunday Leader Editor late Lasantha Wickrematunge before Mount Lavina Magistrate Mohamed Mihail.

The country was facing a huge crisis with the amendments made to the Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) Act on several grounds, including the implementation of the 25 percent quota for women, the Joint Opposition said today.

The government has decided to enroll the students of the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) to the medical faculty of the Sir John Kotelawala Defense University (KDU), Presidential Media Unit said today.

Military Spokesman Brigadier Sumith Atapattu today categorically dismissed today’s explosion in a private bus in Diyatalawa as an act of terrorism.

In the indictment plea in the Tamil Tigers’ trial, in Bellinzona, which lasted for almost two days, Swiss Attorney General Juliette Noto has requested that the 12 Tamils be found guilty of participating or supporting the LTTE.

The contract for the construction of the third phase of Central Expressway from Pothuhera to Galagedera via Rambukkana had been awarded to the Japanese Taisei Corporation.

A Sri Lankan asylum seeker, who is an LTTE suspect, is to be deported from Australia after the UN Committee against torture had withdrawn a request to halt his removal, the Guardian reported on Wednesday.

No one had the power to alter the 25% female representation in the Local Councils, Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) Executive Director Keerthi Tennakoon said today.

The Lotus Road outside the Presidential Secretariat has been closed due to a protest march carrying out by the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) and the Medical Faculty Students’ Action Committee (MFSAC) against SAITM.

Hand grenade explosion has caused the bus tragedy which occurred at Kahagolla in Diyatalawa this morning, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament today. 

The Defence Attaché of the Sri Lankan High Commission in London Brigadier Priyankara Fernando is due in Sri Lanka today, the Army said a while ago.

United National Party (UNP) Leader and Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe and United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) General Secretary and Minister, Mahinda Amaraweera today informed Parliament that the unity government would continue.

Queensland Police in Australia is investigating a ‘racist hoax’ letter, which has said that one Queensland resident has been selected to host a Sri Lankan family during the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, 9news.com.au r

A team of Thai Engineers yesterday carried out a feasibility study in the catchments areas of Castlereigh and Maussakele reservoirs to cause artificial rains in view of the prevailing drought. They had arrived on the request of the Ceylon Electricity

Government has not been decided to increase the price of domestic gas in the upcoming days until the pricing formula is finalised, Industry and Commerce Minister Rishard Bathiudeen said.

Nineteen passengers including twelve military personnel were injured in an explosion inside a bus in Diyatalawa this morning, Army Media Spokesperson Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said.

Elections Commission Mahinda Desapriya said the 25 per cent woman representation could not be maintained in at least ten local government bodies because of a lacuna in the Local Authorities’ Elections Act.

Seven councilors of the Independent Group, which contested from the motor-bicycle symbol for the Maharagama Urban Council, said today that they would not resign as Councillors.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said today he would inform Parliament whether the national government was still in existence and give a ruling on the validity of the Cabinet tomorrow.

Although the yahapalana government is attempting to obtain an Interpol ‘Red Warrant’ on him it had withdrawn some 150 some such warrants including those issued on former LTTE terrorists because of the influence by Tamil politicians, forme

A 33-year-old man was injured after he was shot at in Cotta Road, Borella while he was travelling in a car, a short while ago, police said.  

Parliament was informed that the 25 per cent representation of women in local government bodies would be implemented, other than in those where it was not practically possible.

The joint opposition (JO) said today it would file legal action in the Supreme Court challenging the Active Liability Management Bill, which was presented to Parliament on Monday. JO MP Bandula Gunawardana said the Bill violated the Constitution and

On the instructions of President Sirisena, the Cabinet today decided to suspend the programme to provide Advanced Level students and teachers with Tabs, the Cabinet spokesman said.

Education minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam today instructed the Education Ministry Secretary to suspend the leadership programme till the completion of the investigation of the death of the principal of the Ambalantota Suchi National School.

The debate on the Bond Commission report and the PRECIFAC Report, which was scheduled to be taken up in Parliament today, was postponed indefinitely due to the non-availability of the English and Tamil translation of the PRECIFAC report.

The first batch of the Sri Lanka Army's 12th Force Protection Company (FPC) consisting of two officers and fourteen other rankers left for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Sunday, Defence Ministry said.

Lands and Parliamentary Reforms Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka had been assigned to cover the duties of the Regional Development Ministry from today as Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka is on a foreign visit.

Two men, including a Sri Lankan national, were on Sunday arrested by Visakhapatnam Rural Police for allegedly sexually harassing a tribal woman. The accused and victim worked in a private firm at Brandix India Apparel City, Atchutapuram SEZ area in V