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China bans Japanese seafood as diplomatic dispute deepens
China bans Japanese seafood as diplomatic dispute deepens
China informed Japan on Wednesday that it will ban all imports of Japanese seafood, media outlets reported - a decision which comes amid an escalating diplomatic dispute between Asia’s top two economies. MORE..
Committee appointed to draft service constitution for specialist doctors
Committee appointed to draft service constitution for specialist doctors
Steps have been taken by the Ministry of Health to appoint a committee to draft the service constitution for specialist doctors. MORE..
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejects Trump’s offer of military intervention against cartels
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejects Trump’s offer of military intervention against cartels
Mexico’s president on Tuesday ruled out allowing U.S. strikes against cartels on Mexican soil, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was willing to do whatever it takes to stop drugs entering the U.S. MORE..
Upcountry train derailment occurred at previously identified hazardous site – Minister
Upcountry train derailment occurred at previously identified hazardous site – Minister
Minister of Transport Bimal Ratnayake stated today (19) in Parliament that the location where a Colombo-bound train derailed along the upcountry line had previously been identified as a hazardous area. MORE..
| November 19, 2025 12:44 pm
Court sets December 16 hearing on Trincomalee temple dispute
Court sets December 16 hearing on Trincomalee temple dispute
The Court of Appeal today (19) scheduled a hearing on December 16 to consider a petition seeking an injunction to prevent the implementation of an order issued by the Department of Coastal Conservation to remove a part of the Trincomalee Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya. MORE..
Individual nabbed for plotting to murder hotel owner in Weligama
Individual nabbed for plotting to murder hotel owner in Weligama
An individual who visited a tourist hotel in Weligama allegedly to murder the owner of the premises has been arrested, police stated. MORE..
Committee appointed to investigate conduct of Dayasiri Jayasekara in Parliament
Committee appointed to investigate conduct of Dayasiri Jayasekara in Parliament
A three-member committee has been appointed to investigate a complaint made by Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala regarding the conduct of Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara. MORE..
| November 19, 2025 12:12 pm
Australian PM says no apology over Border Force’s secret boat returnee scheme
Australian PM says no apology over Border Force’s secret boat returnee scheme
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dismissed concerns a secret operation using fishing boats to remove people from Australia’s northern waters is subsidising illegal fishers and people smugglers. MORE..
Government to introduce new fisherman’s pension scheme
Government to introduce new fisherman’s pension scheme
The government has announced plans to introduce a new Fisherman’s Pension Scheme, effective from December 21, 2025. MORE..
Shortage of medicinal plants has affected Ayurvedic medicine production: Experts
Shortage of medicinal plants has affected Ayurvedic medicine production: Experts
The Sri Lanka Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation states that it is facing a severe crisis due to the shortage of medicinal plants required for the production of local Ayurvedic medicines. MORE..
Chikungunya spreading rapidly in Matara: Entomology officers
Chikungunya spreading rapidly in Matara: Entomology officers
The chikungunya disease is spreading rapidly in the Matara district, the Health Entomology Officers’ Association has warned. MORE..
‘Parasocial’ named Cambridge dictionary word of the year
‘Parasocial’ named Cambridge dictionary word of the year
The Cambridge Dictionary has revealed “parasocial” as its word of the year for 2025, defined as involving a connection someone feels between themselves and a famous person they do not know. MORE..
Fire breaks out at factory in Ranala
Fire breaks out at factory in Ranala
A fire has broken out in a storage facility of a factory in Ranala, Kaduwela early this morning (19), police stated. MORE..
| November 19, 2025 10:05 am
Mobile users levied 20.3% tax on data, 38% on voice calls, TRC confirms
Mobile users levied 20.3% tax on data, 38% on voice calls, TRC confirms
Mobile phone users are required to pay a 20.3% tax on internet services and a 38% tax on regular voice calls, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) has stated. MORE..
Major Green Card change proposed: No PR if immigrants likely to become dependent on govt
Major Green Card change proposed: No PR if immigrants likely to become dependent on govt
The Trump administration on Monday proposed giving immigration officers authority to deny permanent residency to lawfully present immigrants who use Medicaid or other food and housing assistance programs, arguing that “government benefits should not incentivize immigration” and that immigrants should be “self-reliant.”
Three SriLankan Airlines flights diverted
Three SriLankan Airlines flights diverted
Three international flights scheduled to land at the Bandaranaike International Airport this morning have been diverted due to dense fog that significantly reduced visibility. MORE..
Budget 2026: Expenditure heads of Ministries of Public Administration and Labour to be debated today
Budget 2026: Expenditure heads of Ministries of Public Administration and Labour to be debated today
The expenditure heads of the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government and the Ministry of Labour are scheduled to be debated in Parliament today (19). MORE..
Ronaldo attends White House meeting between Trump and Saudi crown prince
Ronaldo attends White House meeting between Trump and Saudi crown prince
Portugal’s soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday attended a White House meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. MORE..
Deputy FM Arun Hemachandra to attend EU-Indo Pacific Ministerial Forum in Belgium
Deputy FM Arun Hemachandra to attend EU-Indo Pacific Ministerial Forum in Belgium
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment, Arun Hemachandra is scheduled to leave for Belgium today (19), to attend the Fourth EU-Indo Pacific Ministerial Forum. MORE..
Sri Lanka’s manufacturing and services sectors expand in October
Sri Lanka’s manufacturing and services sectors expand in October
Sri Lanka’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for October 2025 recorded growth in both manufacturing and services sectors. MORE..
Train services along upcountry line restricted to Nanu Oya due to derailment
Train services along upcountry line restricted to Nanu Oya due to derailment
Train operations along the upcountry railway line are restricted to the Nanu Oya station due to a derailment, Sri Lanka Railways Department stated. MORE..
US Congress approves release of Epstein files
US Congress approves release of Epstein files
The Republican-controlled U.S. Congress voted almost unanimously on Tuesday to force the release of Justice Department files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an outcome President Donald Trump had fought for months before ending his opposition. MORE..
Education holds power to unite people politically, socially and economically – PM Harini
Education holds power to unite people politically, socially and economically – PM Harini
Education is a process of sharing collective knowledge and has the power to bring people together politically, socially and economically, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated. MORE..
Several spells of showers expected in parts of the island
Several spells of showers expected in parts of the island
Several spells of showers are expected in the Northern, North-central and Eastern provinces today (19), the Department of Meteorology said. MORE..
Donald Trump hosts Saudi crown prince Salman for pomp-filled, deal-making visit
Donald Trump hosts Saudi crown prince Salman for pomp-filled, deal-making visit
President Donald Trump hosted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House on Tuesday, with the Saudi de facto ruler seeking to further rehabilitate his global image after the 2018 killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi and deepen ties with Washington. MORE..