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2019 Easter Attacks: Court rejects ex-IGP Pujith’s request to amend testimony

2019 Easter Attacks: Court rejects ex-IGP Pujith’s request to amend testimony

The three-member bench of the Colombo Special High Court today rejected a request made by former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundera to introduce new facts to the statement he had previously made from the dock. MORE..

| April 24, 2026  1:00 pm
Sri Lanka probing $2.5 million cyber heist with international assistance – PM

Sri Lanka probing $2.5 million cyber heist with international assistance – PM

Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that investigations have been initiated into the theft of USD 2.5 million in funds from the Ministry of Finance by cybercriminals. MORE..

| April 24, 2026  12:54 pm
Severe dry conditions drive rapid drop in Castlereagh and Maussakelle reservoir water levels

Severe dry conditions drive rapid drop in Castlereagh and Maussakelle reservoir water levels

Water levels in the Castlereagh and Maussakelle reservoirs are declining rapidly due to the prevailing extreme dry weather conditions in the catchment areas on the western slopes of the Central Hills, engineers responsible for the reservoirs have reported. MORE..

video | April 24, 2026  11:50 am
Two Bangladeshi nationals arrested with foreign cigarettes worth Rs. 4.26 mln at BIA

Two Bangladeshi nationals arrested with foreign cigarettes worth Rs. 4.26 mln at BIA

Two foreign nationals were arrested in the early hours of today (24) by Sri Lanka Customs officials at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for attempting to smuggle a consignment of cigarettes manufactured in China into the country. MORE..

| April 24, 2026  11:25 am
Hearing of case against Yoshitha and his grandmother postponed to June

Hearing of case against Yoshitha and his grandmother postponed to June

The Colombo High Court today (24) has postponed the hearing of the case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his grandmother Daisy Forest, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, until June 10, 2026. MORE..

| April 24, 2026  10:49 am
Trump administration reclassifies cannabis as less dangerous

Trump administration reclassifies cannabis as less dangerous

The US Department of Justice has officially reclassified cannabis as less dangerous, marking a major shift in the country’s drug policy. MORE..

| April 24, 2026  10:24 am
Pope says he ‘cannot support war,’ citing rising toll on innocent lives

Pope says he ‘cannot support war,’ citing rising toll on innocent lives

Pope Leo XIV said Thursday that he “cannot be in favor of war,” warning that conflicts around the world are claiming the lives of too many innocent people, including children. MORE..

| April 24, 2026  9:41 am
Office train services to continue despite ‘Sagarika’ derailment in Wadduwa - SLR

Office train services to continue despite ‘Sagarika’ derailment in Wadduwa - SLR

Despite the derailment of the “Sagarika” express train at Wadduwa, Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) has decided to continue office train services without cancellations. MORE..

| April 24, 2026  9:35 am
Fairly heavy rainfall expected in several parts of the island

Fairly heavy rainfall expected in several parts of the island

The Department of Meteorology has announced that showers or thundershowers will occur in most parts of the island after 1.00 p.m. MORE..

| April 24, 2026  9:04 am
Sri Lanka’s Q1 2026 export earnings rise 2% despite Middle East conflict

Sri Lanka’s Q1 2026 export earnings rise 2% despite Middle East conflict

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB Sri Lanka) states that despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Sri Lanka recorded export earnings of US$ 1,467 million in March. MORE..

| April 24, 2026  8:35 am
‘Walk for Peace’ heads to Beligammana Rajamaha Viharaya in Mawanella today

‘Walk for Peace’ heads to Beligammana Rajamaha Viharaya in Mawanella today

Today (23) marks the third day of the internationally recognized “Ehipassiko - Walk for Peace.” MORE..

| April 24, 2026  8:34 am
Deadline for 2026 A/L exam applications ends midnight today

Deadline for 2026 A/L exam applications ends midnight today

The Department of Examinations of Sri Lanka has announced that the acceptance of applications for the 2026 G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) Examination will conclude today (24) at 12:00 midnight. MORE..

| April 24, 2026  8:33 am
Trains delayed on coastal line after ‘Sagarika’ derails near Wadduwa

Trains delayed on coastal line after ‘Sagarika’ derails near Wadduwa

Train services on the coastal line were disrupted after the ‘Sagarika’ express train, travelling from Beliatta to Maradana, derailed this morning (24), the Department of Railways said. MORE..

video | April 24, 2026  8:09 am
Iran has to cut Hezbollah’s funding: Trump

Iran has to cut Hezbollah’s funding: Trump

US President Donald Trump has been assembling the protagonists of today’s peace talks for another impromptu news conference at the White House. MORE..

| April 24, 2026  5:41 am
Trump says leaders of Lebanon and Israel could meet in next three weeks

Trump says leaders of Lebanon and Israel could meet in next three weeks

U.S. President Donald Trump said ‌on Thursday that the leaders of Lebanon and Israel could ⁠meet at the White House during the next three weeks - the period for which a ceasefire between ‌the ⁠two countries has been extended. MORE..

| April 24, 2026  5:32 am
Trump says Lebanon and Israel agree to extend Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire by 3 weeks

Trump says Lebanon and Israel agree to extend Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire by 3 weeks

President Donald Trump said Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks after talks at the White House on Thursday. MORE..

| April 24, 2026  4:38 am
Israel awaiting US green light to ‘return Iran to Stone Age’: defence minister

Israel awaiting US green light to ‘return Iran to Stone Age’: defence minister

Defence minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that Israel was “prepared to resume the war against Iran”, adding that his country was awaiting a green light from the United States to return Iran to “the Stone Age”. MORE..

| April 23, 2026  10:37 pm
May 02 holiday revised; May 31 declared public holiday for Vesak

May 02 holiday revised; May 31 declared public holiday for Vesak

As the official program for the 2026 State Vesak Festival is scheduled to be held on May 30, the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government has issued an extraordinary gazette notification declaring the following day, May 31, as a public holiday. MORE..

| April 23, 2026  10:25 pm
Iran war pushing more than 30 million back into poverty, UN development chief says

Iran war pushing more than 30 million back into poverty, UN development chief says

More than 30 million people will be pushed back into poverty by the impacts of the Iran war including disruptions to fuel and fertiliser supplies just as farmers are planting crops, U.N. development chief Alexander De Croo said on Thursday. MORE..

| April 23, 2026  9:58 pm
West Bengal and Tamil Nadu record highest voter turnout in India

West Bengal and Tamil Nadu record highest voter turnout in India

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar praised voters for their participation as polling concluded at 6 pm on Thursday, announcing that West Bengal and Tamil Nadu achieved the highest-ever voter turnout since Independence. MORE..

| April 23, 2026  9:49 pm
Deadline for 2026 A/L exam applications ends midnight tomorrow

Deadline for 2026 A/L exam applications ends midnight tomorrow

The Department of Examinations has announced that the acceptance of applications for the 2026 G.C.E Advanced Level (A/L) Examination will conclude tomorrow (24) at 12.00 midnight. MORE..

| April 23, 2026  8:29 pm
Italy ready to deploy two minesweepers in Hormuz Strait, navy chief says

Italy ready to deploy two minesweepers in Hormuz Strait, navy chief says

Italy is ready to deploy up to four vessels, including two minesweepers, as part of an international mission to clear the Strait of Hormuz, the navy’s chief of staff said. MORE..

| April 23, 2026  8:21 pm
Trump orders Navy to ‘shoot and kill any boat’ laying mines in Hormuz Strait

Trump orders Navy to ‘shoot and kill any boat’ laying mines in Hormuz Strait

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he has ordered the U.S. Navy “to shoot and kill any boat” that is laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. MORE..

| April 23, 2026  7:42 pm
Maithri Gunaratne accuses President, Finance Secretary after hackers steal $2.5 mln

Maithri Gunaratne accuses President, Finance Secretary after hackers steal $2.5 mln

The President of the Free Lawyers Organisation, President’s Counsel Maithri Gunaratne, has claimed that both the President and the Secretary to the Finance Ministry should be held responsible over the disappearance of a USD 2.5 million payment owed to Australia. MORE..

| April 23, 2026  7:21 pm
US military seizes another oil tanker associated with Iran in Indian ocean

US military seizes another oil tanker associated with Iran in Indian ocean

The US military on Thursday seized another tanker associated with the smuggling of Iranian oil, ratcheting up a standoff with Iran a day after its paramilitary Revolutionary Guards took control of two vessels in the crucial Strait of Hormuz. MORE..

| April 23, 2026  7:00 pm