154 death row inmates cleared for Presidential Pardon remain in Prison after more than four years

A total of 154 death row inmates who were recommended for release under a presidential pardon by several expert committees appointed by the Ministry of Justice in previous governments have remained behind bars for more than four years, according to prison sources.

Strongest-in-a-century earthquakes hit Venezuela, buildings collapse in Caracas

Back-to-back powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela in the early hours of Thursday (Indian Standard Time), causing widespread damage and collapsing buildings in the capital, Caracas, according to officials and monitoring agencies. The twin earthquakes, measuring 7.1 and 7.5 in magnitude, were the most powerful to hit the Latin American country in a century.

Post-mortem confirms female physiotherapist was strangled to death

The post-mortem examination has confirmed that the suspicious death of a female physiotherapist from the Ampara Hospital in the Teldeniya area was a homicide caused by strangulation.

Elon Musk loses trillionaire status as global tech rout hits SpaceX

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk lost his trillionaire status on Tuesday, less than two weeks after becoming the first person to achieve it following SpaceX’s public debut, according to data from Bloomberg.

Teldeniya car death suspect arrested; Trail of multi-million rupee scams exposed

A series of financial frauds has been uncovered following the arrest of a suspect wanted in connection with the death of a woman found inside a car in Teldeniya.

More than Rs. 200 billion worth of narcotic drugs recovered in 2025/26: Minister

In what seemed to be a shocking disclosure, narcotic drugs worth more than Rs. 200 billion have been recovered during the period from January 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala revealed in Parliament.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to have separate changing room during England series. Here’s why

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s cricket journey, that has already started taking wings, will reach new heights when he gets down to action with the senior Indian men’s cricket team for the tour of Ireland and England. The 15-year-old is already a star after he finished as the top-scorer in IPL 2026 with a tally of 776 runs. Now, if he makes his senior debut against Ireland or England, he will be the youngest to do so in Indian cricket history.

O/L 2025 certificates to be issued only through online system

The Department of Examinations has announced that certificates for the G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination 2025 (2026) will be issued exclusively through an online system.

Second reading of National Environment Amendment Bill approved

The second reading of the National Environment (Amendment) Bill was approved in Parliament today by a majority of 102 votes, with 113 Members of Parliament voting in favour and 10 voting against.

Power outages hit France as record heatwave set to peak

Tens of thousands of homes are without power in western France, as temperatures are set to peak across the country on Wednesday during a record-breaking heatwave.

Further hearing into Gotabaya’s writ petition fixed for July 6

Further hearing into the writ petition filed by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa seeking an order preventing his arrest in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks was today fixed for July 6 by the Court of Appeal.

COPF, COPE battle for Committee rooms in Parliament

The Committee on Public Finance (COPF) and the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) are in a battle over the sharing of the Committee room, it was revealed today.

France confirms first Ebola case

France has reported its first case of Ebola during the latest outbreak after a doctor returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) tested positive.

Grama Niladharis withdraw from field duties from today

Grama Niladharis across the country have decided to withdraw from all field duties with effect from today (June 24), according to the Grama Niladhari Trade Union Alliance.

Congress passes war powers measure for first time, breaking with Trump over Iran

The Republican-controlled US Senate has approved a measure demanding that President Donald Trump halt the war in Iran or seek congressional approval before continuing military action.

Oman opens temporary Strait of Hormuz maritime corridor

Oman has announced the establishment of a temporary maritime corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, following coordination with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and understandings reached between the United States and Iran.

Rupee depreciates further against US Dollar

The Sri Lankan Rupee depreciated further against the US Dollar today (24), with the selling rate crossing the Rs. 340 mark, according to the latest exchange rates released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

World Cup History Made as Ronaldo Scores in Sixth Tournament

Ronaldo makes history with a new World Cup scoring record, Donald Trump is set to present the trophy at the final, and more breaking news from World Cup 2026.

19-year-old girl missing from Hali Ela

Police have requested public assistance to trace a 19-year-old girl reported missing from the Hali Ela area.

Police officers involved in Deraniyagala clash will be penalised if found guilty: Minister

Police officers who were involved in the clash in Deraniyagala recently will be penalised if found guilty, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala told Parliament today.

National Environment Amendment Bill unconstitutional: Opposition

The Opposition in Parliament today argued that the National Environment Amendment Bill is unconstitutional as it violates the 13th Amendment.

Extreme heat forces school closures across Britain

Hundreds of schools across Britain have been forced to close or send pupils home early as the country braces for a rare red extreme heat warning, with temperatures expected to soar to a record 40°C.

Tourist arrivals cross 1.1 million mark

Sri Lanka has recorded more than 1.1 million tourist arrivals between January 1 and June 21 this year, reflecting the continued recovery of the country’s tourism sector, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

No decision to increase paddy purchasing price by PMB

The government is likely to focus on increasing concessions given to paddy farmers rather than increasing the purchase price of paddy by the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB), Minister of Agriculture K.D. Lal Kantha told Parliament today.

24-hour water cut in several areas from tonight

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has announced a 24-hour water cut in several areas, including Padukka, Homagama, Kottawa, Pannipitiya and Pelenwatte, from tonight.

Dengue nears 50,000 cases as islandwide control drive begins

Sri Lanka has launched a three-day islandwide dengue control programme today (24) as health authorities race to contain the rapid spread of the disease, which has infected close to 50,000 people and claimed 28 lives so far this year.

AKD wanted applause for a case pertaining to a traffic offence by MP on May 25: Opposition

The opposition in Parliament yesterday questioned whether President Anura Kumara Dissanayake wanted people to applaud a verdict which was given against sitting MP Chaminda Wijesiri who was charged with a traffic offence.

Ministry mulls penalties for school canteens flouting healthy food guidelines

The Ministry of Health is considering imposing penalties on school canteens that fail to comply with newly introduced healthy food guidelines aimed at promoting safe and nutritious eating habits among students, Daily Mirror learns.

Sri Lanka promises to make payment clearance as soon as feasible

The recent US $2.5 million cyber theft from the newly established Public Debt Management Office (PDMO)—where a sovereign debt repayment to Australia was intercepted via systemic digital breaches, had a direct bearing on Sri Lanka’s programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to a top official.

Pope’s intervention sought by relatives of Sallay

An appeal has been made to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV seeking humanitarian intervention regarding the detention of former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director Major General (Retd.) Suresh Sallay, who is currently being held under the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).