Three teachers arrested for assaulting 19-year-old schoolboy

Three male teachers have been arrested for assaulting a 19-year-old student inside a school in Maha Oya, Police said.

Illegal migrants including Sri Lankans nabbed by Arad Border Police in Romania

Two groups of migrants, a total of 18 people from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, were stopped by border guards with Romanian’s Arad Border Police before illegally crossing the border into the Schengen Area through a field, foreign media reported.

US stands in solidarity with those awaiting justice for Easter Sunday attacks: Julie Chung

The United States honours the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks, their families and all affected communities and stands in solidarity with those awaiting justice, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung said.

Man nabbed while impersonating coordinating secretary to Public Security Minister

An individual who had impersonated the coordinating secretary to the Public Security Minister was arrested by CID officials in Chilaw.

Wasath Siriya - 2023 New Year festival tomorrow in Colombo

The ‘Wasath Siriya – 2023’ Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations will take place tomorrow (22) at the Shangri-la Green premises in Colombo and said a large number of applications have been received, the Presidential Media Division said.

Ex-Parliament Secy. Gen responds to Sajith over RW

With reference to the comments by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on the legitimacy of the mandate of President Ranil Wickremesinghe to hold that office and the demand for a Presidential election to seek a fresh mandate, Former Parliament Secretary General Priyanee Wijesekera has responded with the following facts.

50kg urea bags for 71,000 farming families in 7 districts: Minister

The Agriculture Ministry is to distribute 50kg bags of urea fertilizer each among 71,000 farming families in seven districts.

All night protest march begins to mark fourth anniversary

The Catholic community in Negombo who began an all-night protest to mark the fourth anniversary of the Easter Sunday attacks last evening called for the unveiling of the truth behind the Easter Sunday attacks.

Tea exports down 22% in March, 15% in first quarter

Sri Lanka’s tea exports dipped 22 percent year-on-year (YoY) to 17.97 MnKgs in March continuing the declining trend seen in both tea production and exports in recent times, the data released by Forbes & Walker Tea Brokers showed.

World could face record temperatures in 2023 as El Nino returns

REUTERS: The world could breach a new average temperature record in 2023 or 2024, fuelled by climate change and the anticipated return of the El Nino weather phenomenon, climate scientists say.

Hambantota Port breaks new ground in RO-RO transshipment

​The Hambantota International Port (HIP) last week handled over 900 units of the latest BMWs transshipped from the Port of Koper - Slovenia to the Port of Pyeongtaek in South Korea.

HRCSL to support LGBTQ community in advocating legal reforms

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has expressed its support to the LGBTQ community in protecting its rights as well as advocating for legal reforms over the issues pertaining.

Developing IT skills will help earn more foreign exchange than sending unskilled workers: Ranjan

Former actor-turned-Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake said today that hiring people with knowledge of information technology (IT) rather than sending unskilled labour, such as housemaids, to countries in the Middle East would earn Sri Lanka more foreign exchange.

SpaceX Starship: Elon Musk’s big rocket explodes on test flight

Elon Musk’s SpaceX company’s mammoth new rocket, Starship, has exploded on its maiden flight. No-one was hurt in the uncrewed test that lifted off from Texas’ east coast on Thursday morning local time.

Plans underway to remove lubricant levy from PUCSL to paralyse regulatory: Chairman

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said that the Power and Energy Ministry has proposed to remove the lubricant levy from the PUCSL without providing a proper justification, but to paralyse the independency of the Commission.

Extreme Heat warning issued to 17 districts

The Meteorology Department has issued extreme heat weather advisory tomorrow particularly for Western, North-Western, Northern, North-Central and Eastern provinces and Monaragala and Hambantota Districts.

Appeal applications for Grade 6 admission begin today via online

Based on the 2022 scholarship examination results for Grade 5, the Education Ministry has decided to start calling for appeal applications for Grade 6 for the year 2023 via online as of today.

Rahul Gandhi’s appeal to stay defamation conviction rejected by Indian Court

A Court in India on Thursday rejected Rahul Gandhi’s appeal seeking a stay and suspension of the lower court order which convicted him in the 2019 defamation case and sentenced him to two years in jail.

Monkeys to China for breeding purposes: Ministry

The Agriculture Ministry revealed today that the toque monkeys are to be taken to China for breeding purposes, Ministry Secretary Gunadasa Samarasinghe said.

Sri Lanka had met 25% of IMF commitments and failed one by end-March: Verité Research

Sri Lanka had met 25% of the trackable programme commitments of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme as at the end of March 2023 but had failed on one, according to ’The IMF Tracker’, a new online tool launched by Verité Research.

Highest energy demand in recent times recorded yesterday: Kanchana

The highest Energy demand of 49.53 GWh in recent times was recorded yesterday, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekasra said today.

President has no authority to threaten teachers or take their property away: Stalin

The President does not have any authority or power to make the examinations a compulsory service, to take the exam committee under emergency, to prosecute the teachers who are withdrawing from evaluating examination answer scripts, or to forfeit their property, the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) said.

Dates fixed for debate on IMF Extended Fund Facility

The debate on the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would be held on April 26, 27 and 28 in Parliament, the Parliament media unit said.

Watch out for heat strokes these days: Paediatrician

People are urged to be vigilant of symptoms including fatigue, body pains, drowsiness and nausea which may be signs of dehydration and heat stroke due to the high temperatures experienced these days.

Maximum retail price for eggs by weight announced

An extraordinary gazette notification (2328/05) was issued yesterday announcing the maximum retail price for eggs by weight.

Why is the govt. not claiming a $6.4bn compensation for X-Press Pearl tragedy?

At a time when the country is depending on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and its international partners to bail Sri Lanka out of its worst ever economic crisis, there are serious questions as to why the government has failed to claim massive compensation of US 6.4 billion dollars from the X-Press Pearl Disaster.

Rs.110 spent to recover Rs.20.

The Central Province Chief Secretary’s office has spent Rs.110 as stamp fees to inform a PHI to pay Rs.20 to issue a copy of an audit report under the Right of Information Act.

Tea output dips for third straight month in March

Sri Lanka’s tea production is yet to pick up after being hit by the poorly thought-out fertiliser policy, with the output contracting for three consecutive months in 2023.

Who is the Sri Lankan who was paid $250mn bribe to derail litigation against X-Press Pearl?

Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said he got hold of details regarding the transfer of US $ 250 million to the foreign account of a Sri Lankan as a bribe to obstruct the legal process related to X-Press Pearl disaster and directed the police to initiate investigations into it.

Monkeys exported to China to be eaten raw while they are alive: Environmentalists

Environmentalist Nayanaka Ranwella said today that according to investigations conducted by them, the government is planning to send 100,000 monkeys to China for their brains to be eaten raw while they are still alive.