News Archive

At least 30 injured in bus–tipper truck collision in Handapangodella

At least 30 injured in bus–tipper truck collision in Handapangodella

At least 30 individuals have been hospitalized following a head-on collision between a tipper truck and a private bus on the Dikwella–Beliatta Road in the Handapangodella area, police said. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  6:49 pm
Avoid extravagance and share this Christmas with the poor - Cardinal

Avoid extravagance and share this Christmas with the poor - Cardinal

Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has called on Sri Lankans to avoid all forms of extravagance and celebrate this year’s Christmas in a humble fashion. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  5:39 am
Law to be strictly enforced against individuals who violate environmental regulations

Law to be strictly enforced against individuals who violate environmental regulations

Law will be strictly enforced against individuals who violate environmental regulations, police stated. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  7:57 am
Amazon Web Services servers crash on Christmas, several websites down

Amazon Web Services servers crash on Christmas, several websites down

Several reports claim that the Amazon Web Services servers have crashed on the intervening night of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  9:42 am
China says it hopes firms seek lawful, balanced solutions over TikTok deal

China says it hopes firms seek lawful, balanced solutions over TikTok deal

The Chinese government would like to see companies reach solutions that comply with Chinese laws and regulations and balance the interests of all parties, a commerce ministry spokesperson said on Thursday when asked about the hand-over of TikTok’s U.S. operations. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  2:45 pm
Police seize more than 2,300 firearms, over 23,000 kg of narcotics so far this year

Police seize more than 2,300 firearms, over 23,000 kg of narcotics so far this year

Sri Lanka Police have seized a total of 2,341 firearms during special search and raid operations conducted island-wide since 01 January 2025. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  4:07 pm
Special access to visit inmates on Christmas Day – Prison Commissioner

Special access to visit inmates on Christmas Day – Prison Commissioner

Inmates in all prisons across the island have been granted a special opportunity to meet visitors today (25) in view of Christmas Day, prison authorities said. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  9:53 am
Police obtain detention orders to question suspects arrested in southern seas with large haul of narcotics

Police obtain detention orders to question suspects arrested in southern seas with large haul of narcotics

The Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) has taken steps to obtain seven-day detention orders for the suspects arrested in connection with a stock of narcotics discovered on a multi-day fishing vessel by a group of Sri Lanka Navy officers off the southern coast. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  8:26 am
Excessive commercialization has overshadowed core values associated with Christmas – Cardinal

Excessive commercialization has overshadowed core values associated with Christmas – Cardinal

The commercial economy has gradually transformed Christmas into yet another occasion focused on financial gain, rather than its true spiritual meaning, the Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has stated. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  2:29 pm
India tests K-4 missile, with 3,500-km range, from nuclear-powered submarine

India tests K-4 missile, with 3,500-km range, from nuclear-powered submarine

In a big flex of its nuclear capabilities, India has tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile launched from a nuclear-capable submarine. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  4:41 pm
NORAD tracks Santa’s Yuletide sleigh ride for 70th year

NORAD tracks Santa’s Yuletide sleigh ride for 70th year

Santa Claus drove his reindeer-powered sleigh over rooftops around the world on Wednesday, delivering gifts to millions of children in a magic Christmas Eve ritual that North American air defense officials say they began tracking 70 years ago. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  12:19 pm
Christmas Day cyclone greets remote Australian islands

Christmas Day cyclone greets remote Australian islands

Tropical Cyclone Grant is expected to remain a category one system as it passes just to the north of a tiny group of islands off the West Australian coast today. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  7:27 am
Sri Lanka can rise again as strong, just and humane nation – Opposition Leader

Sri Lanka can rise again as strong, just and humane nation – Opposition Leader

Christmas reminds us not only of what we have lost, but also of what we have not lost within ourselves, our compassion for one another, our willingness to stand together and our faith in hope for tomorrow, stated Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa in his Christmas Day message. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  7:05 am
King Charles III picks Westminster Abbey as the site of his Christmas Day broadcast

King Charles III picks Westminster Abbey as the site of his Christmas Day broadcast

King Charles III has chosen Westminster Abbey as the site of his Christmas Day speech on Thursday, reflecting the idea of pilgrimage that is expected to be a theme of the annual address to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  11:39 am
Sri Lanka to observe two-minute silence to mark 21 years since devastating tsunami

Sri Lanka to observe two-minute silence to mark 21 years since devastating tsunami

Tomorrow (Dec. 26) marks the 21st anniversary of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, one of the world’s deadliest and most destructive natural disasters, which impacted over 10 countries in the Indian Ocean. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  10:14 pm
Let’s renew humanity through compassion and bring joy to every home this Christmas – President

Let’s renew humanity through compassion and bring joy to every home this Christmas – President

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has urged all Sri Lankans to rise together as a nation to face the present challenges with courage and unity. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  5:37 am
Reckless driver defying police orders crashes vehicle in Jaffna

Reckless driver defying police orders crashes vehicle in Jaffna

The driver of a car that failed to comply with police orders was involved in an accident while being pursued by police near the Mooththanainaar Kovil in Jaffna. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  2:38 pm
Sri Lanka Aviation Unit rescues two injured UN personnel in CASEVAC mission

Sri Lanka Aviation Unit rescues two injured UN personnel in CASEVAC mission

The Sri Lanka Aviation Unit operating under the United Nations (UN) mandate in the Central African Republic (CAR) has successfully carried out a critical Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) mission on 15 December 2025, under extremely hostile and volatile conditions. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  2:17 pm
Health Minister chairs discussion on expanding drug quality testing mechanism

Health Minister chairs discussion on expanding drug quality testing mechanism

A special discussion was held under the patronage of the Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, focusing on expanding and strengthening the process of maintaining drug quality standards. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  1:17 pm
Gampaha Crimes OIC arrested for soliciting bribe

Gampaha Crimes OIC arrested for soliciting bribe

The Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Crimes Division of the Gampaha Police Station has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) in connection with an alleged bribery incident. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  7:28 pm
National Safety Day observance at Peraliya Tsunami Memorial tomorrow

National Safety Day observance at Peraliya Tsunami Memorial tomorrow

The main national commemoration of National Safety Day is scheduled to be held tomorrow (26) from 8.30 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. at the Peraliya Tsunami Memorial in Galle. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  1:31 pm
17 feared dead after bus catches fire in India’s Karnataka

17 feared dead after bus catches fire in India’s Karnataka

A horrific road accident on National Highway-48 in Chitradurga in India’s Karnataka has left at least 17 people feared dead after a private sleeper coach bus caught fire following a collision with a lorry. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  9:37 am
Hikkaduwa UC budget defeated for the third time

Hikkaduwa UC budget defeated for the third time

The budget of the Hikkaduwa Urban Council, which is under the control of the National People’s Power (NPP), has been defeated for the third time. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  12:29 pm
Boxing Day sales set to be biggest on record this year

Boxing Day sales set to be biggest on record this year

Australians are forecast to spend $1.6bn in the sales on Boxing Day as the consumer regulator warns shoppers that even major retailers use deceptive sales tactics. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  9:09 am
T-56 assault rifle and ammunition found in Grandpass

T-56 assault rifle and ammunition found in Grandpass

A T-56 assault rifle and 27 rounds of ammunition have been found on a plot of land in 60-Watta, Grandpass, police stated. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  9:02 am
Pope Leo calls for kindness to strangers and the poor in Christmas message

Pope Leo calls for kindness to strangers and the poor in Christmas message

Pope Leo has told Christians that the Christmas story should remind them of their duty to help the poor and strangers. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  6:57 am
Nearly 30,000 individuals subjected to inspection during police operation

Nearly 30,000 individuals subjected to inspection during police operation

A total of 597 individuals have been arrested on suspicion of being involved in criminal activities and also over illicit liquor and drug-related offenses during a special island-wide operation conducted yesterday (24). MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  10:40 am
More than 100 ISIS suspects arrested in Turkey over Christmas terror attack plot

More than 100 ISIS suspects arrested in Turkey over Christmas terror attack plot

More than 100 suspected ISIS members believed to have been planning attacks during the Christmas and New Year season have been arrested in Turkey, authorities said on Thursday. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  8:50 pm
Few showers predicted in several areas of the island today

Few showers predicted in several areas of the island today

A few showers may occur in Uva province and in Ampara, Batticaloa, Matale and Nuwara-Eliya districts.

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  5:38 am
PM Harini calls for unity and compassion while working towards a better tomorrow

PM Harini calls for unity and compassion while working towards a better tomorrow

Let us renew our commitment to act together as citizens, guided by unity, love, compassion, and responsibility, in pursuit of our shared dream of a better tomorrow, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated in her Christmas Day message.

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  6:37 am
Public urged to help those affected by recent calamities during festive period

Public urged to help those affected by recent calamities during festive period

It is appropriate to celebrate this year’s Christmas differently than usual, by helping those affected by recent calamities, said Prelates of the Malwathu and Asgiri chapters. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  11:44 am
Friends and The Middle actor Pat Finn dies aged 60

Friends and The Middle actor Pat Finn dies aged 60

US actor Pat Finn, who appeared in popular TV shows including Friends, Seinfeld and The Middle, has died aged 60. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  10:27 am
Bethlehem celebrates first Christmas in three years

Bethlehem celebrates first Christmas in three years

Celebrations are resuming across the West Bank as a fragile truce holds in the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands of people are facing the winter in makeshift tents and remain in urgent need of basic assistance. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  6:24 am
Christmas is a time to reflect on teaching of Jesus on love and forgiveness –Dilith

Christmas is a time to reflect on teaching of Jesus on love and forgiveness –Dilith

The noble qualities revealed by Jesus Christ should guide both our personal lives and our collective national life which have contributed to the progress of human society, the leader of the Sarvajana Balaya, Member of Parliament Dilith Jayaweera stated in his Christmas Day message. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  11:48 am
14 people hospitalized after bus overturns in Serunuwara

14 people hospitalized after bus overturns in Serunuwara

A total of 14 individuals have sustained injuries after a bus veered off the road and overturned in Serunuwara this morning (25), police stated. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 25, 2025  11:21 am
Trains from Colombo to Kankesanthurai and Batticaloa to resume today

Trains from Colombo to Kankesanthurai and Batticaloa to resume today

The Northern Railway Line will be fully reopened for train operations from today (24), the Department of Railways has announced. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 24, 2025  6:43 am
Gold prices in Sri Lanka increase by another Rs. 2,000

Gold prices in Sri Lanka increase by another Rs. 2,000

Gold rates in the local market continue to rise with the rapid increase in prices in the global market. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 24, 2025  10:22 am
Special security and traffic plan in Colombo

Special security and traffic plan in Colombo

Sri Lanka Police has announced a special traffic plan to minimize congestion in Colombo. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 24, 2025  5:41 am
374,000 workers affected by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka, ILO estimates

374,000 workers affected by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka, ILO estimates

Around 374,000 workers in Sri Lanka have been affected by Cyclone Ditwah, according to a research conducted by the International Labour Organization. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 24, 2025  8:04 am
21kg of heroin and 172kg of ICE found on vessel taken into custody in southern seas

21kg of heroin and 172kg of ICE found on vessel taken into custody in southern seas

A total of 21kg of heroin and 172kg crystal methamphetamine have been found in the multi-day fishing vessel which was taken into custody in southern seas by the Sri Lanka Navy yesterday (23). MORE..

(0)Comments | December 24, 2025  10:51 am
Crisis in India-Bangladesh relations spirals amid violent protests

Crisis in India-Bangladesh relations spirals amid violent protests

The killing of a man from a minority community during recent violent protests in Bangladesh has pushed already strained ties between Dhaka and Delhi into a deeper crisis. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 24, 2025  5:44 am
Fishing vessel taken into custody with narcotics in southern seas brought to Dikkowita Harbour

Fishing vessel taken into custody with narcotics in southern seas brought to Dikkowita Harbour

A multi-day fishing vessel taken into custody by the Sri Lanka Navy along with narcotics in southern seas has been brought to the Dikkowita Fisheries Harbour. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 24, 2025  7:38 am
India successfully launches US BlueBird Block-2 satellite on LVM3 in commercial mission

India successfully launches US BlueBird Block-2 satellite on LVM3 in commercial mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the LVM3-M6 mission today, December 24, delivering the BlueBird Block-2 satellite into orbit. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 24, 2025  9:43 am
Libya’s top military chief killed in plane crash in Turkey

Libya’s top military chief killed in plane crash in Turkey

The head of Libya’s armed forces and four other high-ranking military officials died late on Tuesday (Dec 23) when their business jet crashed shortly after taking off from Ankara, officials in Türkiye’s capital and Tripoli said. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 24, 2025  6:52 am
Special train service in place for Christmas and school holidays

Special train service in place for Christmas and school holidays

The Department of Railways has decided to operate additional train journeys in view of the Christmas season, school holidays, and the year-end long weekend. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 24, 2025  9:14 am
Gold prices hit record high of over US$ 4,500 per ounce

Gold prices hit record high of over US$ 4,500 per ounce

Gold rose to a record above US$ 4,500 an ounce on escalating tensions in Venezuela and expectations for more US rate cuts. Silver and platinum also advanced to all-time peaks. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 24, 2025  7:23 am
Inaugural flight from Poland to Sri Lanka for winter season lands at BIA

Inaugural flight from Poland to Sri Lanka for winter season lands at BIA

The inaugural flight from Poland to Sri Lanka for the winter season landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), last night (23). MORE..

(0)Comments | December 24, 2025  8:27 am
US denies visas to ex-EU commissioner and others over social media rules

US denies visas to ex-EU commissioner and others over social media rules

The US State Department said it would deny visas to five people, including a former EU commissioner, for seeking to “coerce” American social media platforms into suppressing viewpoints they oppose. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 24, 2025  9:47 am
T-56 firearm and ammunition recovered from car abandoned in Ragama

T-56 firearm and ammunition recovered from car abandoned in Ragama

A T-56 firearm and a stock of ammunition have been discovered by the Ragama Police. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 24, 2025  7:09 am
Several spells of showers expected in parts of the island today

Several spells of showers expected in parts of the island today

Several spells of showers are expected in the Central, Uva and Eastern provinces and in the Polonnaruwa and Mullaitivu districts today (24), the Department of Meteorology stated. MORE..

(0)Comments | December 24, 2025  5:40 am