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Sri Lanka ratifies ILO convention on eliminating violence, harassment in workplaces

Sri Lanka ratifies ILO convention on eliminating violence, harassment in workplaces

Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake, has deposited the instrument of ratification of the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190), with the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Mr Gilbert F. Houngbo. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  5:43 pm
Merchant vessels report gunfire as they attempt to cross Hormuz – report

Merchant vessels report gunfire as they attempt to cross Hormuz – report

There have been reports of gunfire after at least two merchant vessels tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the news agency Reuters reports, citing three maritime sources. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  4:42 pm
Special traffic plan announced for visit of Indian VP

Special traffic plan announced for visit of Indian VP

Sri Lanka Police has announced a special traffic plan to be implemented in view of the official visit of the Vice President of India, C. P. Radhakrishnan. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  4:21 pm
Separate incidents of violence against women trigger outrage and police action across Sri Lanka

Separate incidents of violence against women trigger outrage and police action across Sri Lanka

Three separate incidents involving violent attacks on women have been reported from Moragahahena, Gokarella, and Ragama, prompting police investigations and multiple arrests. MORE..

video | April 18, 2026  3:16 pm
Passenger arrested with cigarettes worth over Rs. 5 mln at BIA

Passenger arrested with cigarettes worth over Rs. 5 mln at BIA

A Sri Lankan passenger attempting to smuggle a consignment of foreign-manufactured cigarettes and e-cigarettes valued at Rs. 5.53 million into the country was arrested by Customs officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in the early hours of today (18). MORE..

| April 18, 2026  3:11 pm
Strait of Hormuz ‘closed’ again, Iranian state media say

Strait of Hormuz ‘closed’ again, Iranian state media say

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters said Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state of “strict management” following what it described as Washington’s repeated breaches of commitments by continued blockade. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  2:07 pm
Strait of Hormuz will return to ‘strict control’ due to US blockade, Iranian military says

Strait of Hormuz will return to ‘strict control’ due to US blockade, Iranian military says

The Iranian military’s joint command has released a statement on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  2:06 pm
Former MP Sampath Athukorala attacked with sharp weapon in Pitigala

Former MP Sampath Athukorala attacked with sharp weapon in Pitigala

Former Galle District Member of Parliament representing the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Sampath Athukorala, was injured in an attack carried using a sharp weapon in the Bambarawana area of Pitigala. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  1:42 pm
Iran announces partial reopening of its airspace

Iran announces partial reopening of its airspace

Iran has announced a partial reopening of its airspace after a seven-week hiatus because of the war, state media reported. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  1:21 pm
US, Iran to hold new nuclear talks in Pakistan: Report

US, Iran to hold new nuclear talks in Pakistan: Report

A new round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran is set to take place in the Pakistani capital on Monday, according to a report on Friday. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  1:06 pm
72-hour detention order issued on ‘Karandeniye Raju’ for further investigation

72-hour detention order issued on ‘Karandeniye Raju’ for further investigation

Police Media Spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) F.U. Wootler, has confirmed that “Karandeniye Raju,” an organized criminal suspect recently arrested in India and subsequently brought back to Sri Lanka, is currently being detained for 72 hours for further investigation. MORE..

video | April 18, 2026  12:26 pm
Father drowns while rescuing children in Mihintale Tank

Father drowns while rescuing children in Mihintale Tank

A 55-year-old man, a resident of Maradan Kulama, tragically drowned last afternoon (17) after leaping into the Maradan Kulama Wewa in Mihintale to save his son and another child. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  11:26 am
Trump hints at resuming attacks if ceasefire with Iran expires without a deal

Trump hints at resuming attacks if ceasefire with Iran expires without a deal

U.S. President Donald Trump said the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will remain and attacks will resume if no agreement is reached with Iran, after Tehran said it had fully reopened the strait to commercial vessels but threatened to close it again over the U.S. blockade. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  11:13 am
Gautam Adani overtakes Mukesh Ambani as Asia’s richest, check full list

Gautam Adani overtakes Mukesh Ambani as Asia’s richest, check full list

Gautam Adani, founder and chairman of the Adani Group, is now the richest person in Asia. The billionaire has overtaken Mukesh Ambani, the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries. This comes on the back of gains in Adani Group stock values. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  10:44 am
Litro Gas assures uninterrupted LPG supply through May

Litro Gas assures uninterrupted LPG supply through May

Litro Gas Lanka has announced that it is capable of maintaining an uninterrupted supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) throughout the month of May. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  10:33 am
Son arrested for allegedly beating mother to death following financial dispute

Son arrested for allegedly beating mother to death following financial dispute

A son has been arrested in connection with the murder of his mother following a financial dispute, said police. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  9:33 am
41 apprehended in fortnight-long crackdown on illegal fishing - Navy

41 apprehended in fortnight-long crackdown on illegal fishing - Navy

Sri Lanka Navy, in collaboration with the Coast Guard and the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, conducted a series of coordinated operations across island waters from April 01 to 15 in an effort to safeguard the nation’s marine resources. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  9:19 am
Army soldier killed in building wall collapse at Maduru Oya Training School

Army soldier killed in building wall collapse at Maduru Oya Training School

A Sri Lanka Army soldier was killed last afternoon (17) following an accident in which the wall of an old building collapsed at the Sri Lanka Army Training School in Maduru Oya, police stated. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  9:09 am
US renews sanctions waiver for countries to buy Russian oil

US renews sanctions waiver for countries to buy Russian oil

The Trump administration on Friday renewed a waiver allowing countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil and petroleum products at sea for about a month, two days after saying it had no plans to do so. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  8:21 am
Demand raised for Dy Defence Minister’s removal amid ongoing Easter attacks probe

Demand raised for Dy Defence Minister’s removal amid ongoing Easter attacks probe

Reverend Father Rohan Silva has called on the government to remove Deputy Minister of Defence, Aruna Jayasekera, from his position in order to ensure an impartial investigation into the Easter Sunday bomb attacks. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  8:16 am
Suspect arrested over attempted shooting targeting “Podi Patty”

Suspect arrested over attempted shooting targeting “Podi Patty”

A suspect was arrested yesterday (17) by officers attached to the Ahungalla Police Special Task Force (STF) in connection with the attempted murder of “Podi Patty,” the brother of the organized crime figure known as “Loku Patty.” MORE..

| April 18, 2026  8:15 am
QR code fuel quota system for petrol vehicles to resume from midnight

QR code fuel quota system for petrol vehicles to resume from midnight

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) announced that the temporarily suspended QR code fuel quota system for petrol vehicles will be reinstated from midnight today (18). MORE..

| April 18, 2026  7:55 am
‘Karandeniya Raju’ brought back to Sri Lanka from India

‘Karandeniya Raju’ brought back to Sri Lanka from India

Notorious underworld figure ‘Karandeniya Raju’, wanted in connection with over 15 criminal offences, including murder, was brought back to Sri Lanka yesterday (17) from India by a special team of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). MORE..

video | April 18, 2026  7:47 am
Average of 47 women and girls killed daily during Gaza war, UN says

Average of 47 women and girls killed daily during Gaza war, UN says

An average of at least 47 women and girls were killed each day during the war in Gaza, according to figures published by U.N. Women on Friday, and the agency warned that deaths have continued six months into a fragile ceasefire. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  6:50 am
Fire breaks out at oil terminal in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region, officials say

Fire breaks out at oil terminal in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region, officials say

A fire broke out at an oil terminal in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region, prompting a large firefighting operation, the region’s emergency operational headquarters said early on Saturday. MORE..

| April 18, 2026  6:43 am