Train kills four baby elephants in Chettikulam

Four baby elephants were killed when the Colombo bound Thaleimannar Express train crashed into them near Karadikulam, Chettikulam last night, the Railway Control Room said.



People smuggling boat returned to Sri Lanka

Australia has returned a group of Sri Lankan nationals to Sri Lanka yesterday after recently intercepting a people smuggling venture.



Scot hopes for justice against Malaka Silva two years on

A Scots engineer who became an overnight celebrity in Sri Lanka after punching the hated playboy son of a government minister has spoken of his hope to “see justice done” as a long-running investigation into the incident finally comes to court.



Sports ground the center for reconciliation – President

President Maithripala Sirisena said the sports ground is the center for reconciliation as it has no distinction between race, religion, language, caste or colour.



ETCA a win-win situation for all – Indian HC

The proposed Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) between India and Sri Lanka, which would be an improvement over the existing Free Trade Agreement (FTA), may soon be a reality.



Sri Lanka arrests son of former leader Rajapaksa

Sri Lankan financial crime police arrested the eldest son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday on suspicion of laundering money, his lawyer said, the latest legal difficulty for the once-powerful family.



US hails investment friendly environment in Sri Lanka

The United State hailed on Friday what it termed as the investment friendly environment has currently been created in Sri Lanka. The US Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs, Charles H Rivkin said during his meeting with Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake at the Finance Ministry on Saturday.



Japanese tourists drugged, robbed by Lankan guide

A Japanese woman visiting India to document the Independence Day celebrations was drugged and robbed of her belongings by a man who claimed to be a Sri Lankan tour guide.



Ex-LTTE members increasingly taking to writing

Former members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are increasingly taking to writing to articulate their reflections on the civil war, which came to an end in May 2009.



Vijayakala wants wells checked for dead bodies

State Minister of Child Affairs Vijayakala Maheswaran says that the closed water wells in the islands off Jaffna should be immediately inspected under court orders.



Sri Lanka blocks sale of freehold land in $1.4 billion Chinese deal

COLOMBO, Aug 12 Sri Lanka’s government on Friday agreed a new version of its $1.4 billion real estate agreement with China after changing the terms and blocking the outright sale of land – part of a project covering a square mile right next to the capital’s port.



Sri Lankan rupee steady as importer dollar demand offsets exporter sales

The Sri Lankan rupee ended steady on Friday as dollar sales by foreign investors and exporters were offset by importer demand for the greenback, dealers said.



Devolution the only solution – Vigneswaran

C.V. Wigneswaran, chief minister of the Northern Province and member of the Tamil National Alliance, says adopting federalism is the only way to assure transitional justice and provide a long-lasting solution to ethnic conflict.



Sri Lanka parliament endorses office to trace wartime missing

Sri Lanka’s parliament on Thursday passed a law to establish an office to trace people who disappeared during a 26-year war and another insurrection amid protests by former leader Mahinda Rajapaksa’s supporters in the chamber.



Thailand willing to invest in cement manufacture

Leading Thai cement manufacturing company, Siyam City has expressed their interest for more investments in Sri Lanka in Puttlam and Galle cement factories.



Previous government hid debts of at least Rs. 1.36 trillion – PM

Sri Lanka’s previous government hid debts of at least 1.36 trillion rupees on the books of some state and semi-government institutions, aggravating the debt crisis, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Wednesday.