Amid the continuing controversy on the quality of higher education offered by private sector educational institutions, the Higher Education Ministry is to introduce legislation in Parliament to standardize the degree courses offered by State and non-State institutions, Minister Lakshman Kiriella said yesterday.

Eighteen Sri Lankans who attempted to migrate to New Zealand illegally were arrested in Negombo in a combined operation carried out by the Navy and the police last night.

Sri Lankan asylum seekers living in Hong Kong fear they are being illegally pursued by police after sheltering the US whistleblower Edward Snowden in the city.

The Hindus believe that Maha Siva Rathri is the favored night of Lord Shiva; it is spent in the company of friends and family amidst great fellowship.

The prime expectation and the noble vision of all religions is to promote spiritual and moral well-being of humankind. All their religious rituals and celebrations recall those core values ofreligious teachings.

If the government opts for a Constitutional referendum, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) will achieve its objectives regardless of the referendum results, the Joint Opposition (JO) said yesterday.

NFF leader and Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa yesterday charged that some CID officers had assaulted a retired Army Intelligence Officer to get him to state what they wanted in connection with the Keith Noyahr investigation.

Sri Lankan Tamils agitating for the last twenty days on the issue of forced disappearances and non-return of lands by the military, have, for the first time, kept the movement apolitical and did not involve any political party.

President Maithripala Sirisena says he has given instructions to the Inspector General of Police to pay special attention to prevent inhuman ragging in universities carried out by a minority group of students in order to interrupt the education of the majority of students.

The TNA promising that they would extend the maximum co-operation for the constitution making processes demanded that those processes should “be taken forward in a genuine and purposeful manner, so as to ensure permanent peace with justice and equality to all citizens.”

President Maithripala Sirisena said he would take a decision on private universities in the country including the Malabe SAITM private medical college, taking into consideration the best interests and the productivity of the country.

An Indian immigrant labour was charged at the Magistrate’s Court in Sungai Petani , Malaysia yesterday with the murder of his Sri Lankan colleague two weeks ago.

India is to donate eight water bowsers or large tanks and 100 metric tons of rice to Sri Lanka, as part of drought relief for the island country which is headed for one of its worst droughts in 30 years.

A Sri Lankan commission investigating irregularities in government bond sales questioned the new head of the country’s central bank on Tuesday, as the government’s anti-corruption policy came under scrutiny.

Activist Lena Hendry has been found guilty by the Magistrate Court today for allegedly screening a documentary on the Sri Lankan civil war without the approval of the Censorship Board.

Sri Lankan government sector kept on expanding year on year and today the total number of state employees is at over 1.1 million.