The UPFA has secured the postal votes in the Hambantota district with 7,527 votes (64.2%) and UNP has secured the second place with 1761 votes (15%), in the Southern Provincial Council election, concluded this evening.

With an overall 55% to 60% voter turnout was reported from the just concluded Western and Southern Provincial Council election, People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) said.

A tense situation is reported from Deenagoda in Beruwala during a clash between the supporters of UPFA and UNP this afternoon, police said.

The United States on Friday expressed disappointment over India abstaining from US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

As at 12 noon about 30% to 35% voter turnout has been reported in the Western and Southern provinces, PAFFREL director Rohana Hettiarachchi said.

Declaring a voter turnout of 20% by 11 am today, election monitors said the election in the two provinces has been peaceful so far

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is seen casting his vote at the Medamulana D.A. Rajapaksa Maha Vidyalaya this morning. The Elections to the Western and Southern provinces began today to elect 159 members to the two provinces. UPDATED

Following protests against the release and screening of Santosh Sivan’s Inam, five scenes that showed the humane side of Sinhalese soldiers as well as the loss of LTTE chief V Prabhakaran were clipped.

Three persons were killed and another eight were seriously injured when a Colombo-bound intercity bus from Kandy collided head on with a tipper at Tholangamuwa in Warakapola last night.

Ballot boxes being loaded into buses parked outside Isipathana College to be transported under police protection to the polling booths in the districts. Pic by Kithsiri de Mel

Bambalapitiya Police today obtained a 48-hour detention order from the Colombo Magistrate Court to detain for further questioning, a suspect who was arrested for alleged sexual abuse on a German woman.

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

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.

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

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 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.

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 vio

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

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

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

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