Thousands of devotees paid homage at the historical Sri Maha Bodiya and the Atamasthanaya in Anuradhapura on the thrice-blessed Day of Vesak. They also participated in several religious rituals held at Mihintale, Thanthirimale and Aukana. The...

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) yesterday urged the government to resolve the issues pertaining to the Northern Provincial Council elections and power devolution because of the contrasting views expressed by some of the United People’s Freedom...

A major fire broke out at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) in-bound cargo warehouse (CFS 1) yesterday morning causing heavy damage to the warehouse, in which a large number of imported items were stored. The government analyst inspected the scene...

In a tragic accident yesterday, an eighteen month old child died after being run over by his father’s car in Tangalle. The father who is a lawyer had not noticed that his youngest son was behind the car when he was reversing it to the garage. The...

A Buddhist monk set himself on fire after pouring petrol all over his body in the presence of large crowd of devotees, who had gathered at the Kandy Sri Dalada Maligawa last morning to participate in religious observances. Before setting himself on...

The take-off of a Mihin Lanka flight was suspended at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake yesterday due to a mechanical malfunction in the aircraft. The Madurai-bound plane had experienced a mechanical failure earlier too in its first...

Sri Lanka has ranked high among informal money transfers in the south Asian region last year, a new Gallup study revealed. Nearly 800 million South Asians and Indonesians, which equals to 60% of the adult population in the South Asian region and...

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will leave for China tomorrow (26) on a four-day official visit. President Rajapaksa who has been invited by the Chinese Government is scheduled to meet the Chinese President and several high ranking officials during his...

Police are on the lookout for the man who is alleged to have provided petrol to the monk, who was hospitalised yesterday with serious burn injuries after he set himself on fire outside the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy.

The much talked of mega tele-series based on the life of Buddha was launched on the auspicious day of Buddha Poornima (Vesak), the Times of India reported yesterday. The tele-series produced by Spice studios had specifically booked Vesak Day for the...

The Q branch of the Tamil Nadu police, with the assistance of the Ernakulam North police, arrested 21 Sri Lankans who were about to sail to Australia in a fishing boat from Kochi. The operation was carried out after information about it was passed on...

A businessman who was wanted in connection with the alleged fraud of Rs. 15,200,765 was arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Thursday (23) by the Immigration and Emigration Department officials, when he had returned to the country from...

The Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development, Douglas Devananda declaring open the fully restored Clock Tower in Jaffna city at a cost of Rs. 3.4 Million said that clock towers were important landmarks to cities, and erecting...

When the case of the alleged stealing committed by a female lawyer, of Rs 40,000 cash, a Mobile phone valued at Rs 15000, and several valuable documents including an affidavit belonging to another lawyer, was taken up before the Mahara Magistrate Ms...

A rare sighting of three planets Mercury, Venus and Jupiter shortly after sunset on Sunday May 26 and on Monday would be possible, Prof. Chandana Jayaratne of the Department of Physics, University of Colombo said yesterday. Dr. Jayaratne said this...

Unnecessary and unwanted

One and only Kelaniya Kelaniya drama never ends it seems I thought Mervyn has nothing to do with the Kelaniya electorate anymore

That explains about the tariff hike Good story and people need to be serious about this hereafter, at least when they get the next month’s bill I wonder how they calculated this; people are not fools

The Dominican Republic’s National Investigations Department (DNI) has arrested members of a people-trafficking network with possible links to international terrorist cells. They had used the Dominican Republic as a bridge from Sri Lanka, Cuba, France,...

The Military said that in less than four years since the war ended nearly all areas in the conflict zone excepting for 96 square kilometres had been cleared of landmines and could be now used for resettlement purposes. Military spokesman Ruwan...

Some 38 parliamentarians had purchased computers and other accessories last year taking advantage of the perks entitled to them, the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry annual report said. It said Rs. 350,000 was allocated to each parliamentarian to buy...

The 206th ‘Upasampada’ ceremony began at the Asgiriya and Malwatte Viharayas yesterday. The two Samenera monks who were to receive Upasampada or Higher ordination are from Kurunegala and Werellegama. Both Samanera monks were dressed in laymen's attire...

An alleged quack running a medical centre at Walpitamulla in Veyangoda with forged documents had been taken into custody by the Gampaha District Special Crime Investigation Division last morning. Police said the suspect had used a forged identity card...

The workers of Browhill Estate in Nawalapitiyia staged a protest against a decision to eject more than 2000 people belonging to 480 families. They warned that they would resort to self-immolation if they were ejected from the estate where their...

An exposition of Buddha relics (Kesha dathu) has been organised in the Gampola Vesak Zone under the guidance of the Rathanaghara Temple Chief incumbent Udapalatha Chief Sanganayaka Ven Bowala Wimaladhamma Thera, following a request made by Prime...

A programme to encourage the use of compost fertiliser has been implemented by the Southern Province Agricultural Department. Asst. Director of Agriculture Thamara Pushpalatha said 2000 farmers have been selected under the programme at the first...

A motorcyclist died in a head on collision with a van at Kindelpitiya on Bandaragama – Piliyandala road on Tuesday night (23), Police said. The victim, an Aryurvedic physician from Bandaragama, had died on the spot. The driver of the van was taken...

More than 13,000 dengue cases have been reported so far this year with 25% of them being from the Colombo district, the Health Ministry’s Epidemiology Unit said yesterday. It said 3,334 cases of dengue patients were reported from the Colombo district,...

Six suspects including a woman taken into custody and produced in court in connection with the alleged abduction of a businessman and robbery of Rs. 800,000 were remanded by Mahara Magistrate Darshika Wimalasiri till June 3. The suspects Abekoon...

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena has requested the authorities to investigate as to who imported rubber masks known as Zombies for the Vesak festival. While highlighting the purity of Vesak and the reality of Buddhism, the minister asked what...

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said that members of Sri Lanka’s Youth Parliament should make national unity their top priority. He said this while addressing the maiden session of the Second Youth Parliament held yesterday at the National Youth...

A gang of seven suspected treasure hunters who dug up the grave of an ancient king at Pompirippu in Pallivasalkulam in the Wilpattu National park was taken into custody by t he Flying Squad of the Wildlife Conservation Department recently. Officials...

China had expressed interest in getting back the Noraichcholai coal power plant, because it was a failed project, Parliamentarian Wijedasa Rajapakshe said in Maharagama He was addressing a public meeting opening a branch office of the UNP at...

Three young men posing as marriage brokers and a bogus bridegroom who had cheated a businessman in Panadura were produced before Panadura Magistrate Ruchira Weliwatta and released on personnel bail in Rs. 500,000 each. The men had allegedly cheated...

The contribution made by the private sector to preserve the country’s national heritage has come in for praise by the government. National Heritage Minister Jagath Balasuriya reopening a renovated part of the national museum said the government would...

The body of a man with cut wounds was found by the side of the Colombo-Kandy main road near Kirillawala Madya Maha Vidyalaya yesterday. The Kadawatha Police, who are investigating the matter, believe the man was hacked to death by a gang of drug...

More than 10,000 devotees flocked to the Kataragama sacred areas to attend religious observances on the Vesak full Moon (Poya) day yesterday. About 5000 devotees had observed Sil at the Kirivehera temple, sources said. Several businessmen offered the...

The CID is investigating a fraud which is alleged to have taken place at the Polonnaruwa SP’s office where an office accountant had reportedly pilferred funds set apart to be given to policemen as distress loans whenever the need arises. Several...

The peace that was won after three decades of war can only be preserved through strengthening unity among the different communities in the country, Jaffna Security Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Mahinda Hathurusinghe said yesterday. Addressing a function...

The government continues to ignore the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) even though it controls five local government bodies in the Eastern Province, party leader and Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem said on Thursday. The minister made these comments...

More than 2000 baby-turtles were released to the sea by the Kosgoda Turtle Conservastion Society to mark World Turtle Day on May 23. President of the society Chandrasiri Thabrew said they had set up the turtle conservation society to protect turtles...

A thirty foot Buddha statue, costing over a million rupees was unveiled on Thursday opposite the Kandy Police Station by the Anunayake of Malwatta Chapter Ven. Dimulkumbure Dharmakeerthi Thera. The Buddha Statue was erected out of public funds and by...

Australian Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor has granted legal access to two Tamil asylum seekers who feared they would be removed to Sri Lanka, the Canberra Times reported yesterday. The asylum seekers – who cannot be named – emailed refugee...

Twenty-six Indian fishermen, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on April 5 while fishing off Kodiakarai (Vedaryanyam) coast, returned yesterday morning (24), the PTI reported citing Indian Fisheries Department officials. The fishermen were in...

Kalpa Palliyaguru who held a prominent post of Nil Balakaya and who pioneered the campaign of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the 2010 presidential election had joined UNP and had been appointed as the party’s organiser for Mahara. Mr. Palliyaguru...

Remittances or payments could have been domestic or international; sent to friends or family, a school, or other institutions; or received from the government, a nongovernment employer, or from the sale of crops, produce, or livestock. Sri Lanka and...

As the procession wended its way to the lower Maluwa, the entire area reverberated to the sound of ‘sadhu, sadhu’, chanted by the large crowd of devotees assembled in the precincts of the Sacred Bodhiya. The offering of milk rice to the deities was...

The film which is expected to be one of its kind, was launched amid several film makers having attempted to recreate the Buddha era. Big names like Shekhar Kapur and Aushitosh Gowarikar have constantly been on the creative helm for this ambitious...

Engineers tried to fix the fault after the first attempt failed, but it failed to take off the second time too. According to sources only A 320 aircraft can land in the Madurai Airport. The 150 passengers were flown to Madurai via a SriLankan...

Initial investigations revealed that the man had disappeared after the monk had set himself on fire. The monk was admitted to the Kandy hospital and later air lifted to the National Hospital following a directive by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The damage caused is being estimated by officials under the direction of SLPA Chairman Priyath Bandu Wickrama.