Peeping-tom arrested for watching sleeping women

A peeping-tom in the habit of entering houses at the dead of night and watching women asleep, was arrested by the Haliela police in the early hours of last morning.

EC confirms Samantha Ranasinghe for vacant NPP seat in Parliament

The Election Commission officially announced the approval of Samantha Ranasinghe’s name to fill the vacant Parliamentary seat for the Kegalle District, following the demise of National People’s Power (NPP) MP Kosala Nuwan Jayaweera.

More buses to operate for New Year travel demand: LPBOA

Nearly 1,000 buses will be deployed to meet the passenger demand during the New Year season, Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) Chairman Gemunu Wijerathne said.

President to meet all party leaders tomorrow

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will meet all party leaders tomorrow at the Presidential Sectatariat to discuss the impact of the unusual US tariffs on Sri Lankan exports.

Firecrackers lit in Batticaloa to celebrate Pillayan’s arrest

People in Batticaloa town lit firecrackers yesterday to express their happiness over the arrest of Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) leader and former Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, also known as Pillayan.

Sathsara Nimesh’s body to be exhumed for postmortem

Colombo Additional Magistrate Kemintha Perera today ordered the exhumation of the body of Sathsara Nimesh, who died while in the custody of the Welikada Police, to conduct a fresh postmortem examination by a three-member panel of medical experts.

Nursing home fire in China kills 20 people

Twenty people have been killed in a fire at a nursing home in north-east China, state media report.

Probe on apparel company refusing to pay bonus using reciprocal tax as excuse

A probe is being carried out on an apparel company in Weligama which has refused to pay bonus to its employees by using the US Reciprocal tariff as an excuse, Deputy Minister of Labour Mahinda Jayasinghe told Parliament today.

Mid-term school holiday on Friday

The second phase of the first school term will end on Friday (11), the Education Ministry announced.

Former Kataragama PS Chairman arrested for forging document

Former Kataragama Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Ashoka Wickramasinghe has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Employees hold garment head hostage over bonus issue

A tense situation was reported at a garment factory in Weligama, Matara, last night when a group of employees protested by placing the company’s head under house arrest over the denial of their annual bonus allowance.

State officials also involved in corruption: Outgoing AG

Outgoing Auditor General Chulantha Wickramaratne has revealed that several corruption investigations have uncovered the involvement of state officials.

US reciprocal tax will create political upheavals, will end globalisation: RW

Highlighting that there is a strong possibility of political upheavals due to the deteriorating economic situation brought on by the US reciprocal tax and that it will end globalisation, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe said the government should take several remedial actions.

Tourism Ministry targets USD 200 daily expenditure per tourist

While increasing attractive tourist engagement activities and developing facilities at tourist locations, the Ministry is aiming to raise the average daily expenditure of a tourist in the country to USD 200, Chairman of both the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Buddhika Hewawasam said.

Relief period on Parate executions for SMEs extended

The Ministry of Finance announced an extension of the relief period on Parate executions for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), as part of the government’s ongoing efforts to support the revival of the sector.

Keheliya Rambukwella arrives at CID

Former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella arrived at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to give a statement.

Toddler died in agony after being bitten by fire ants

An adorable two-year-old died after she endured an agonizing allergic reaction to fire ants, and now her parents have filed a lawsuit alleging that the hospital staff could’ve prevented their child’s tragic death.

Extinct dire wolf species returns after 12,500 years

A species of wolf that died out some 12,500 years ago lives again as the “world’s first successfully de-extincted animal,” according to Dallas-based biotech company Colossal Biosciences.

Committee to be appointed to look into repealing of PTA

A Cabinet Paper has been presented to appoint a committee to look into repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament today.

Large scale inclusive and exclusive errors in Aswesuma

There are high inclusive and exclusive errors in the Aswesuma scheme as many who are eligible are not included as recipients while a large number of people who are not eligible have been included as recipients, Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Harsha de Silva told Parliament today.

Namal meets Modi

After attending the ’Rising Bharat Summit 2025’ in New Delhi, SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday.

Grade 6 admissions appeal deadline extended to April 30

The deadline for submission of appeals regarding admission to Grade 6 in 2025, based on the results of the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination, has been extended till April 30, the Education Ministry announced.

Tariffs on China set to rise to at least 104% on Wednesday, White House says

President Donald Trump is set to impose an astounding 104% in levies across all Chinese imports on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Tuesday. This comes on top of Chinese tariffs that were in place prior to Trump’s second term.

Dominican Republic nightclub collapse kills 79

At least 79 people have been killed and more than 150 injured after a roof collapsed at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic’s capital Santo Domingo, officials have said.

Air quality good in several cities, moderate elsewhere

Good levels of air quality were recorded in Kandy, Kegalle, Trincomalee, Mullaitivu, Batticaloa, Kalutara, Hambantota, Polonnaruwa and Moneragala, while moderate levels were recorded in most of the other cities.

Finance companies record Rs.277bn credit expansion in 2024

Sri Lanka’s banks and finance companies ended 2024 on a strong note, disbursing a substantial volume of loans to the private sector as declining interest rates and a recovering economy reignited credit demand.

BOI targets 3Q25 to start construction at Northern investment zones

The Board of Investment (BOI) said yesterday that efforts are underway to accelerate the initial steps needed to ensure infrastructure facilities are in place at the proposed investment zones in Kankesanthurai, Paranthan, and Mankulam, aiming for investors to begin construction by the end of the third quarter.

How Sri Lanka can weather the US tariff storm

As the United States imposes sweeping reciprocal tariffs around the world, Sri Lanka finds itself in especially dire straits. The staggering 44% tariff rate, the sixth highest globally, poses a direct threat to Sri Lanka’s US-dependent export market, potentially leading to steep job losses and economic instability at a time when the country is struggling to recover from a 2022 financial crisis.

Chicken, eggs prices increasing

The prices of a kilogram of chicken and eggs appear to be increasing during the festive season, traders said.

Weather alert issued for multi-day boats in Southwest Bay

Multi-day boats operating in the deep sea areas of southwest Bay of Bengal are advised to stay alert to future forecasts, as a low-pressure area currently in the region is likely to move north-north-westward over the next 24 hours, the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Meteorology Department said.