Dengue mosquitoes have spread to other parts of the country from Colombo by the mosquitoes hitching rides on vehicles that come to Colombo city and are left parked for some time, a health ministry study has revealed.

In response to yesterday’s Daily Mirror lead story headlined, ‘Military workshop for Ministers and Govt. MPS’ the Defence Ministry said it did not have a hand in organising the proposed workshop.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan has told President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a one-toone meeting on Tuesday that the TNA will participate in the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) if there was consensus that the...

Sri Lanka, yesterday, scotched speculation in diplomatic circles here in Geneva that the country had agreed with the United States (US) to draft the proposed resolution to be presented at the upcoming session of the United Nations Human Rights Council...

Presenting the government’s national action plan on protection and promotion of human rights at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) bypassing Parliament is a violation of the Constitution, Opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said...

The All Ceylon Health Workers Union launched a protest campaign yesterday urging the government to provide the allowances owed to them or otherwise to declare Saturday as a holiday and provide a salary increase for the additional eight hours that they...

The United Kingdom is likely to support the resolution on Sri Lanka that is being drafted by the United States for presentation at the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) next week, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)...

A fishing craft belonging to a Sri Lankan, seized in the Andaman Islands and held by the Indian authorities for nearly two years had been released on a court order. It arrived in Trincomalee harbour last morning. The fishing craft owner R. P. Ananda...

Being close to the Parliament brings suspicion. Some time ago also I remember the police found bodies -Suraj

The Police Chief was to probe into the selling of air fresheners with the picture of Buddha in Piliyandala area, Parliament was informed. Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena who was a former Cultural Affairs Minister, told Parliament that...

Sounds good, I hope it is been conducted by our Defence Secretary so then they will take it seriously -Minal

The council is influenced by Western nations; it is obvious when you look at the resolutions passed and statements made by the council. Other countries like Russia and China which have influence in world political affairs should work actively with...

A police team which was conducting a special operation in the Kurundugahahethekma area found a large stock of explosives hidden inside a trishaw. Police found 25 kilogrammes of Ammonia which was hidden in two gunny bags, 50 gelignite sticks and 50...

Counsel for the former UNP MP Myown Mustafa informed court that his client had gone abroad for treatment and to fix the case for hearing in absentia of the suspect. When the case was taken up for inquiry before the High Court Judge, Sunil Rajapaksa,...

An area extending up to 200 acres in the Ambuluwawa forest reserve in Gampola had been completely destroyed due to a wild fire. The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) deployed two Bell 212 helicopters from Hingurakgoda and Ratmalana to douse the fire. The...

Colombo High Court yesterday postponed the case in which former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka and his personal assistant Captain Senaka Haripriya de Silva were indicted for harbouring army deserters and for committing mutiny and insubordination to the...

In response to our story on Wednesday, February 22 under the head lines ‘Arabian Light fuel to replace Iranian Oil ’ Minister of Petroleum Industries Susil Premajayantha yesterday said the government had not stopped buying fuel from Iran. However, he...

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa yesterday said he would be compelled to reduce the number of oral questions that are allowed to be raised by the members in Parliament as they take too much time. Speaker Rajapaksa made this point when Minister Ports...

Traffic accidents have killed over 112 persons in January this year while 2600 persons have been killed last year, Minister P. Dayaratne told a news conference yesterday. Minister Dayaratne who is the chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee...

Two men allegedly in toe with major robber gangs were arrested yesterday, police said. They said the gangs were wanted in connection with some 22 robberies in Colombo and the suburbs where shops, showrooms and supermarkets had been robbed of goods...

The Government has to be blamed if a resolution is passed against Sri Lanka in Geneva because External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris and former Attorney General Mohan Peiris had given an undertaking to the UNHRC to investigate alleged human rights...

The District Court of Colombo, yesterday, allowed UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe time till May ninth to file objections to the petition filed by Southern Provincial Councillor Maithree Gunaratna asserting that the election held on December 19, 2010 to...

Penal Code had been fraudulently used to arrest those who criticized the government though there are no such provisions for it, JVP charged in Parliament yesterday. JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake who raised a question on such...

The Chilaw fishermen continued to refrain from going out to sea with yesterday marking the tenth day since they began a protest to urge the government to provide them a much needed fuel subsidy. The fishermen in this area said they had not yet been...

UNP MP Wijedasa Rajapakshe was heading for a comfortable win at the Bar Association election last night. He held a comfortable lead in many areas at the time this report went to press. Mr. Rajapakshe had obtained 1294 votes in Colombo against 676...

The gem deposit that was accidentally discovered in Thammannwa, Kataragama a fortnight ago was part of one of the biggest blue sapphire-gem deposits to be discovered in Sri Lanka, said the National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA). The stones had...

Non-academic university staffs were due to go on a 48 hour countrywide strike starting today (23) to protest against the government’s failure to provide higher wages and benefits to them, unions said. The Executive Officers, Academic Sub-ordinary and...

The Department of Census and Statistics yesterday asked the people to ensure they were counted at the countrywide population census to be held between February 27 and March 21. It said all citizens were legally bound to provide accurate information...

UNP National List MP Dr. Harsha De Silva yesterday accepted the Government’s offer to send Deputy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya for a public debate on the IMF standby agreement. The Government had informed him that Deputy Minister Siyambalapitiya...

Maldivian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Hussain Shihab yesterday said that cordial relations that existed between ousted Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed and President Mahinda Rajapaksa would not affect the new Maldivian government’s relationship...

A four member committee to probe into the continuous breakdowns and fires breaking out at the ‘Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant’ (LCPP) at Norochcholai, has been appointed by Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika. The committee is headed by the Moratuwa...

When we finally made our way to Chilaw it was evident that the town had turned into a high security zone overnight. We saw three armoured vehicles parked around the junction and many army personnel lined up in every street. We also saw burnt tyre...

The Opposition today, be it as separate entities or the voice raised together have a consistent allegation coupled with a demand from them. The rampant corruption and the continuous financial mismanagement of the government is the main placard that the...

My dear Mahinda Aiya, Ayubowan, vannakam, assalamu alaikum and best wishes as the writing on the wall or on the super expressway to Galle, appears to remind us that pride goes before a fall and that the higher the pedestal, the greater the fall. Till...

However, this very LLRC report could serve as the savior of the Government at the international foras. The report, no doubt, is a comprehensive report, in spite if it not being the best in all aspectss The Western countries and the INGOS working in...

“Meoww, meow,” Tommo the pussycat kept purring between pulls on a cigarette as he drove his mistresses’ Toyota with Ooty an owl, his pal and fellow worker perched on the passenger seat. “Meeoowwahhh, this is what I call life, Ooty,” sighed pussy who...

Left hand batsman Bhanuka Rajapakse, Chathupama Gunasinghe and Kaushal Lokuarachchi helped SSC come out on top against Badureliya CC on day two of their Premier Tier cricket encounter played at the SSC grounds. Bhanuka playing in only his first season...

Feb 21 (Reuters) - Kevin Pietersen's second successive century led England to a four-wicket victory over Pakistan and a series whitewash after the fourth and final one-day international in Dubai on Tuesday. Pietersen smashed 130 off 153 balls as...

Skipper Mahela Jayawardene is pretty pleased with the effort of his charges so far in the Commnewalth Bank Series Tri Nation tournament but still feels they have to tighten up a few loose ends if they really want to become serious contenders for the...

St. Benedict’s recorded an easy first innings win over DS Senanayake in their Under 19 inter-school cricket encounter concluded at Wijerama Mawatha yesterday. St. Benedict’s resuming from their overnight score of 175 for 5 went on to make a score of...

The pitch inside London’s Olympic Stadium is not up to Premier League standards and will have to be ripped up after the Games at a cost to public funds to allow West Ham or any other club to use the venue in the top flight. The £486 million stadium...

Sweden to unleash City wonderkid Guidetti ahead of Euro 2012 Sweden are ready to unleash Manchester City wonderkid John Guidetti on the international scene, hoping the teenage strike sensation can become their secret weapon when they take on England...

Manchester United are bracing themselves for a massive dip in media revenues following their exit from the Champions League. While United were able to confirm growth in all areas when they announced secondquarter results, they also know the effect of...

MELBOURNE, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Whether it be pulling a short delivery to the fence or plucking a lightning-quick catch in the slips, Ricky Ponting's formidable powers of anticipation have rarely been questioned throughout his storied career. So it is...

A land deeds were donated to the gold medal winners of Asian Beach Sport Competition held at Divisional Secretariat, Horana with the initiative of Minister of Good Governance and Infrastructure Facilities, Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka. This donation was...

Feb 22 (Reuters) - South Africa clinched the Twenty20 international series against New Zealand after Marchant de Lange claimed two wickets in an eventful final over to seal a thrilling three-run victory in the third and final match in Auckland on...

NEW DELHI, Feb 22 (Reuters) - The inaugural edition of India's Premier League Soccer (PLS), featuring World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro and former France international Robert Pires, has been postponed because of a lack of venues, organisers told Reuters...

The annual Zahira College Primary inter-house Sports Meet will be held on February 23 at the College ground at 1.30 p.m The Sports Meet will be conducted under the able leadership of the Principal. Mohamed Jiffry.his Excellency Ashok K. Kantha, High...

The 16th men’s and women’s badminton championships 2011 concluded at St. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia, Indoor Stadium recently. Srilankan Airlines retained the Men’s Open and the Men’s Veterans while Cinnamon Lakeside emerged as the new Women’s...

The Seventh Cricket encounter known as the “Friends Battle” between Vidyaloka Vidyalaya MV, Galle and Meepawala Amarasuriya Vidyalaya MV., will be played on February 24 and 25 at the Galle International Cricket Ground. The matches between these two...

The contest of the Bata-sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2012 is yet going in one direction as Thurstan skipper Sajeewa Salgado keeps on increasing his lead and is the man for the others to overcome. The completion of the...

The completion of the fifth round of matches in the Premier Tier ‘A’ and ‘B’ cricket tournament over the weekend saw SSC’S Dimuth Karunaratne and Dilruwan Perera of Colts along with Kanishka Amarasinghe of Saracens SC and Seekkuge Prasanna of Army...

Calspence Technologies (Private) Ltd., an Oracle Gold Level Partner, which started operations as a joint venture between Aitken Spence PLC and Calsoft Group of India, has decided to consolidate its operations, as they complete the first year of...

The majority of the enterprises in Sri Lanka are small and medium scale enterprises and their contribution to the development of national economy is significant. Our aim is to support the small and medium scale entrepreneurs, said Minister of Industry...

The Bolton University opened its Sri Lanka academic center, WCMT at Mount L av i n i a yesterday with the patronage of Higher Education Minister, S.B. Dissanayake. Minister Dissanayake explaining that the current world context is competitive than ever...

SHANGHAI: A Chinese technology firm sought to halt the sale of Apple Inc's ipads across the affluent city of Shanghai, arguing at a local court hearing on Wednesday that the U.S. firm had infringed on its trademark. Previous court rulings in favour of...

LONDON: Around 35 per cent of directors of British business firms think there is a high risk of arecession this year, says a survey. A poll by the Institute of Directors (IOD) said that of the 1,000 directors polled, about 53 per cent said they...

VIENNA: The UN atomic agency said yseterday that "intensive efforts" by its team visiting Iran on the way forward failed, and that they were denied access to a key military site. "Intensive efforts were made to reach agreement on a document...

BEIJING: China's manufacturing activity continued to contract in February as export orders weakened,hsbc said Wednesday, in a f urther sign t hat theeurozone crisis and US weakness are hurting demand. HSBC'S preliminary purchasing managers index rose...

MEXICO CITY: Europe's debt crisis will dominate talks between Group of 20 (G20) policymakers this weekend as the rest of the world looks for pledges that the euro zone will boost its crisis safety net. Advanced and developing nations alike are keen...

SHRIMP COCKTAILS ARE DESTROYING THE ENVIRONMENT, SCIENTIST CLAIMS If you’re looking for a side of guilt with your meal, shrimp cocktail might be just the thing to order. The tiny fish is the most damaging animal you can eat when measured in terms of...

In a world so commercialized and with every individual swamped in a sea of activities believed to be life threateningly urgent, it is often easy to completely forget about those whose lives have been swamped in a sea of darkness right from the...

James Kerr and Matthew Johnstone celebrate the A-Z of love. This week, C is for commitment. When many of us see the word commitment, we read confinement. Like ‘marriage', it is more a sentence than a word. But love is not a feeling. It's not a...

Teen and tween girls and boys are posting clips of themselves on to Youtube accompanied by the question ‘Am I ugly?' A short search yields scores of videos from insecure 11, 12, 13 and 14-year-olds, their anxiety forcing them into the notoriously...

There have long been suspicions over the levels of t oxins i n make-up, with numerous reports paying close attention, in particular, to lead levels in lipsticks. But the practice of including harmful chemicals and heavy metals in make-up does not end...

Many an actress is this week fretting about her Oscars outfit, but behind every A-list name is an army of stylists clamouring for her attention and, more to the point, her business. Stories of in-fighting between stylists are common - competition for...

37 th lecture in the Monthly Lecture series of the National Trust of Sri Lanka will be held at the HNB Auditorium, 22nd Floor, HNB Towers, 479 T.B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10 at 6.30 p.m. on Thursday the 23rd FEBRUARY 2012. Prof Nimal de Silva is the...

The station that plays ‘today’s best variety’, Lite 89.2 FM in Colombo, 98.2 in Kandy, 92.5 down south and 90 island wide, gears up to celebrate its 13th year on the airwaves on 27 February. Started in 1999 by TNL Radio Network Pvt. Ltd, as the...

If you are disappointed of not getting tickets for The De Lanerolle Brothers Live3 Concert at Waters Edge don't be disappointed and you may be lucky to see them again in a matter of 10 days. Sources say that they are looking forward to having another...

The Cavalli family arrives in Sri Lanka to launch the luxury brand of boutiques and ultra-premium Roberto Cavalli beverage in Colombo. Tommaso, son of the celebrated infamous Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli will host the exclusive high society...

Cool cocktails, breezy beverages, or just fresh juice by the pool. In the mornings, this is the place where you head to after your splash in the aqua blue water of the hotel pool. In the afternoon it's a hot spot for informal meetings over an ice cool...

Rebel's Valentines' collection is an outstanding collection with attention grabbing show stoppers. The collection plays with cocktail dresses in black, red and white. Rebel is the brainchild of designer Ruchira Karunaratne who has made a name in the...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - R&B singer Chris Brown has earned a measure of musical redemption and forgiveness from ex-girlfriend Rihanna by collaborating on new music together, three years after Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting the pop star. Brown, 22,...

THE A list Bollywood playback singer Sonu Niigam who came down for his maiden live concert in Sri Lanka on Saturday stayed on for a couple of days to get a taste of the country. We caught up with the down to earth Niigaam on the third day after the...

Love was brought to Life!! So last week I had a Valentine 's Day competition to all my wonderful reads, as I need to find ways s to make you happy!! I can't write that well as well, so I find other ways. To make my Valentines day special I had hot...

NINA JAFFERJI a New York-based independent make up artist working in fashion and entertainment arrived this week to act as the lead make up artist for CFW 2012 alongside Ramani Fernando Salons, the official hair and beauty partner of HSBC CFW 2012 For...