Afghanistan floods devastate villages, killing 315

Flash floods caused by heavy rains have devastated villages in northern Afghanistan, killing 315 people and injuring more than 1,600, authorities said on Sunday, as villagers buried their dead and aid agencies warned of widening havoc.

SLFP gets new acting General Secretary

Colombo, May 12 - The faction of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) under the leadership of former President Maithripala Sirisena has announced the appointment of Attorney-at-Law Keerthi Udawatte as the Acting General Secretary.

Love of a mom

As the world commemorated Mother’s day yesterday there is a section of mothers in our society who have little to celebrate. Picture shows those mothers working hard on the streets of Colombo to earn a living for their families. Pix by Kushan Pathiraja

India-Sri Lanka ferry service delayed till May 17

The passenger ferry services scheduled to begin operations on May 13 between Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka and Nagapattinam in India wil be delayed further due to the delay in delivery of the ferry and unavoidable compliance requirements , IndSri Ferry Service Pvt. Ltd. said.

Mahinda Rajapaksa urges postponement of national asset sales

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has expressed concern over the current government’s plans to sell off national assets and state-owned enterprises, calling for the postponement of all such moves until after the next Presidential election, allowing the incoming government to address the issue according to its mandate.

Labour companionship program launched for expectant mothers

In celebration of Mother’s Day today, the Professorial Obstetric Unit of Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila, has announced the launch of its latest initiative, the ’’Maathru Saheli” Labour Companion’’ programme. Pix by Kithsiri de Mel

Maithripala resigns as SLFP Chairman, Wijeyadasa appointed as successor

Former President Maithripala Sirisena stepped down from his role as Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) paving the way for a new leadership.

President vows salary hike for government employees

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said today that measures will be taken to increase government employees’ salaries.

Anderson to retire after Lord's Test against West Indies

James Anderson will bow out as one of cricket’s all-time greats when England face West Indies in July after becoming the first pace bowler to take 700 Test wickets.

PC, two soldiers arrested while using drugs

A police constable and two soldiers who were using ICE narcotic in a house in the Hiripitiya area were taken into custody by the Homagama police on Saturday night (11)

Tuition master involved in sharing O/L English paper arrested in Kandy

The tuition master who was involved in releasing the General English question paper of the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) examination on WhatsApp was arrested this morning from the Katugastota area in Kandy, police said.

Will Sajith, AKD, Prez accept Daily Mirror invitation for debate ?

In India Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accepted an invitation to a public debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was requested by two former judges and a senior journalist through a letter sent to both the leaders.

Over 12,000 army deserters receive legal discharge within three weeks

Over 12,000 soldiers who had deserted the Sri Lanka Army have received legal discharges as of May 11 during an amnesty period declared by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence.

Lightning destroys Walasmulla Hospital ETU

The Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU) of the Walasmulla Base Hospital has been completely destroyed due to a lightning strike with the heavy rains.

Over 10 MPs with dual citizenship still in parliament; step down before elections: Ven. Sobitha Thera

Venerable Omalpe Sobitha Thera told the Daily Mirror today that there are over 10 members currently serving in Parliament who hold dual citizenship and said that those MPs should be removed from their posts before the elections.

‘Yukthiya’ nets over 11,000 suspects since inception

The Yukthiya operation which commenced on December 17, 2023 has resulted in the arrest of 111,074 suspects, with 4,472 currently held under detention orders for further questioning.

Former Indian envoy in Sri Lanka contests Lok Sabha election from BJP

Former Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu has joined India’s ruling BJP and is contesting the elections. After Sri Lanka, he also served in the United States.

New legislation to prevent sharing of false information over telephones

The Sri Lanka Telecommunications (Amendment) Bill which seeks to penalize those who share false information over the telephone and cause public commotion was presented to Parliament.

State officials can become monks in Thailand

The government has decided to implement a referral programme for state officials to become monks in Thailand, theBuddhist Religious and Cultural Affairs Ministry said.

Three day Base Jump from Lotus Tower

The Colombo Lotus Tower Management Company (Private) Limited announced the Base Jump happening at Colombo Lotus Tower for three days from tomorrow.

Sri Lanka votes in favour of Palestine’s UN membership

In a resounding display of solidarity with the Palestinian people, Sri Lanka cast its vote in support of Palestine’s application for membership in the United Nations.

Public warned of severe lightning today

The Department of Meteorology has issued a severe lightning warning for several provinces in Sri Lanka, including the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Central, North-Western, Uva, and North-Central Provinces, as well as the Mannar and Vavuniya districts.

Vesak around the corner…

With Vesak drawing near, lanterns are prominently displayed for sale, and people show enthusiasm in purchasing them. Vesak, falling on May 23 this year, commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and passing away of the Buddha. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

US nominee to Sri Lanka prioritizes fair access to ports for all ships

Amid concerns over the presence of Chinese research vessels conducting surveys in the Indian Ocean, the US nominee to Sri Lanka Elizabeth K. Horst assured the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee to work with Sri Lanka to ensure a moratorium on these vessels remains in place.

Some players excluded from new contracts despite ICC T20 World Cup roles

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has unveiled a revamped contract structure for forty-one national players, with substantial raises in player fees across all formats, ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.

Woman raped, strangled to death in Maradankerni

The Maradankerni Police have initiated an investigation following the suspicious death of a woman at a residence in Thalai Adi, Maradankerni last night.

Woman injured in shooting at Medawachchiya

A 44-year-old woman was hospitalized after she was injured by gunshots in Medawachchiya last night.

Not only on-arrival visas but online visas too should be stopped

Not only the on-arrival visa but the online visa system too should be stopped, as it already affects the number of foreigners who usually arrive in the country, a senior official of the Immigration and Emigration Department said.

Japan bread recalled after rat parts found inside packs

More than 100,000 packets of sliced bread have been recalled in Japan after parts of a rat’s body were discovered inside two of them, the manufacturer said.

English teacher’s, mother’s mobile phones taken into police custody

The mobile phones of the Hasalaka English tuition master and his mother were taken into police custody for circulating the English question paper for the ongoing GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) examinations, police said.