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Deduru Oya drowning incident: Death toll rises to 8 as last two bodies recovered
Deduru Oya drowning incident: Death toll rises to 8 as last two bodies recovered
Sri Lanka Police have confirmed that the recovery of the last two bodies from the Deduru Oya drowning incident has brought the death toll to eight. MORE..
Special bus services deployed for passengers returning to Colombo after New Year
Special bus services deployed for passengers returning to Colombo after New Year
The National Transport Commission (NTC) has announced that special bus services have commenced today for the public returning to Colombo after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year holidays. MORE..
Iran has agreed to hand over its enriched uranium supply, says Trump
Iran has agreed to hand over its enriched uranium supply, says Trump
US President Donald Trump said Thursday (Apr 16) that Iran has agreed to hand over its store of enriched uranium and that the two sides were “close” to a peace deal to end the war that has engulfed the Middle East. MORE..
Attempted shooting targeting “Podi Patty” reported in Ahungalla
Attempted shooting targeting “Podi Patty” reported in Ahungalla
A shooting incident targeting an individual known as “Podi Patty,” the brother of organized criminal figure “Loku Patty,” has been reported in the Ahungalla area. MORE..
Ministry issues notice on implementation of Grade 1 education reforms
Ministry issues notice on implementation of Grade 1 education reforms
The distribution of activity books for Grade 1, covering the second and third terms for the year 2026, has already commenced, according to the Ministry of Education. MORE..
Global oil prices dip as fragile Israel-Lebanon truce announced
Global oil prices dip as fragile Israel-Lebanon truce announced
Global oil prices retreated slightly on Friday morning in Asia after a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel came into effect. MORE..
Over 150 kg of heroin worth Rs. 4 bln found on seized fishing trawler off Southern Seas
Over 150 kg of heroin worth Rs. 4 bln found on seized fishing trawler off Southern Seas
Over 150 kilograms of heroin, valued at around Rs. 4 billion, have been recovered from a fishing trawler seized by the Sri Lanka Navy and brought to the Dikowita Fisheries Harbour this morning (17). MORE..
| April 17, 2026 9:06 am
Six bodies recovered following drowning incident at Deduru Oya
Six bodies recovered following drowning incident at Deduru Oya
Six bodies—comprising two females and four males—have been recovered from among a group of individuals who were reportedly swept away while bathing in the Deduru Oya in the Kuratiyagahamula area of Kobeigane. MORE..
Navy seizes 10 multi-day fishing trawlers linked to drug trafficking in first quarter
Navy seizes 10 multi-day fishing trawlers linked to drug trafficking in first quarter
The Sri Lanka Navy has seized a total of 10 local multi-day fishing trawlers involved in drug trafficking during the first three months of this year. MORE..
Eight people killed in helicopter crash in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan
Eight people killed in helicopter crash in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan
All eight people on board a helicopter were killed when it crashed in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province, authorities said on Friday as search teams tried to retrieve the bodies and wreckage. MORE..
First crude oil tanker since Middle East conflict to arrive today
First crude oil tanker since Middle East conflict to arrive today
Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL) has announced that the first crude oil tanker to arrive in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of the Middle East conflicts is scheduled to arrive today (17). MORE..
Multi-day fishing vessel with suspected narcotics brought to Dikkowita Harbour
Multi-day fishing vessel with suspected narcotics brought to Dikkowita Harbour
UPDATE: The Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) has confirmed that the substance recovered from the local multi-day fishing vessel is heroin. MORE..
| April 17, 2026 7:32 am
Registration of Persons Dept. services suspended today due to system failure
Registration of Persons Dept. services suspended today due to system failure
The Ministry of Digital Economy has announced that all public services of the Department for Registration of Persons (ID Office) have been temporarily suspended today (17) following an unexpected system breakdown. MORE..
Trump says he may go to Islamabad if Iran deal reached
Trump says he may go to Islamabad if Iran deal reached
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that if a deal with Iran to conclude the war is reached and signed in Islamabad, he might go, and that Iran has agreed to almost everything. MORE..
G7 finance chiefs say it is urgent to limit Middle East war’s cost to global economy
G7 finance chiefs say it is urgent to limit Middle East war’s cost to global economy
Finance chiefs of the Group of Seven nations on Thursday said it was urgent to limit the cost to the global economy of an enduring Middle East war and “reaffirmed the pressing need to move toward a lasting peace.” MORE..
Showers expected in several provinces after 1pm today
Showers expected in several provinces after 1pm today
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Uva provinces and in Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts after 1.00 pm, the Department of Meteorology stated. MORE..
Pope criticises ‘tyrants’ who spend billions on wars after Trump spat
Pope criticises ‘tyrants’ who spend billions on wars after Trump spat
Pope Leo has criticised leaders who spend billions on wars and said the world was “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants” in unusually forceful comments during a visit to Cameroon. MORE..
Trump says will invite Netanyahu and Lebanese President Aoun to White House
Trump says will invite Netanyahu and Lebanese President Aoun to White House
Moments after announcing a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, US President Donald Trump says he will be inviting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House “for the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983.” MORE..
Israel and Lebanon agree to 10-day ceasefire, Trump says
Israel and Lebanon agree to 10-day ceasefire, Trump says
The leaders of Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire after officials from the two countries met in Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump said Thursday. MORE..
Europe could run out of jet fuel in 6 weeks, IEA warns
Europe could run out of jet fuel in 6 weeks, IEA warns
Europe may have just six weeks left of jet fuel, with serious consequences for the continent’s economy, the International Energy Agency warned on Thursday. MORE..
SriLankan Airlines suspends Country Manager over incident at Bangkok airport
SriLankan Airlines suspends Country Manager over incident at Bangkok airport
SriLankan Airlines has clarified what it describes as inaccurate and misleading media reports regarding an alleged clash involving an airline official and flight crew at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport. MORE..
SLTB to introduce card-only payment system for bus fares - chairman
SLTB to introduce card-only payment system for bus fares - chairman
All necessary arrangements have been made to introduce a card-only payment system for Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus fares in the near future, says SLTB Chairman Sanjeewa Kanagaratne. MORE..
Two dead, six missing in drowning incident at Deduru Oya - Police
Two dead, six missing in drowning incident at Deduru Oya - Police
Two bodies have been recovered, while two others have been hospitalized and six individuals reportedly remain missing after a group of 15 went bathing in the Deduru Oya near the Kuratiyagahamula area of Nikaweratiya within the Kobeigane Police Division, police said. MORE..
| April 16, 2026 7:51 pm
Sri Lanka better positioned to support vulnerable amid energy risks – IMF
Sri Lanka better positioned to support vulnerable amid energy risks – IMF
Sri Lanka has strengthened its fiscal position over the past three years, placing it in a better position to support vulnerable groups affected by global energy shocks, according to the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Director, Krishna Srinivasan. MORE..
Israeli strike severs last bridge linking southern Lebanon to rest of country – report
Israeli strike severs last bridge linking southern Lebanon to rest of country – report
An Israeli strike has severed the last bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country, a senior Lebanese security official told Reuters, adding that the strike “shattered” the bridge and left no possibility of repairing it.