The Department of Meteorology has issued a weather alert, warning that extreme heat can be expected in parts of the island tomorrow (20).

Oil slipped on Friday after prices spiked earlier on reports that Israel had attacked Iran as market fears of a major escalation to hostilities in the Mideast appeared to ease.

The 19-year-old Sri Lankan national charged in the mass killing of a newcomer family in Ottawa has no plan to seek bail, his lawyer says.

State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe says that the government is confident of reaching resolution with commercial creditors and the private bondholders which will enable Sri Lanka to be a debt sustainable country, as the engagements with them are underway.

Kenya s defence chief and nine other top brass died on Thursday in a military helicopter crash in a remote area of the country, President William Ruto said.

Sri Lanka has participated in the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable (GSDR) in Washington DC, which brings together debtor countries and creditors, in a bid to build greater common understanding among key stakeholders on debt sustainability, debt restructuring challenges and ways to address them.

The Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has filed a fundamental rights (FR) petition before the Supreme Court seeking an order that the fundamental rights have been violated through the purchase of certain types of drugs including Human Immunoglobulin vials, without following the proper procurement process.

Polls opened Friday for the first and largest phase of India s marathon general election, kicking off a vote in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking to win a rare third consecutive term.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) says that if the United National Party (UNP) supports Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in the upcoming presidential election, consideration may be given to offering a position to current President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Rain ultimately had the final say in the first T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand. The weather forecast was tricky all day, with intermittent rain forcing a half-hour delay in the toss. No sooner than the toss, which New Zealand won and elected to bat first, was held that the heavens opened again, forcing another […]

A court in the Maldives has overturned the conviction of former President Abdulla Yameen and cancelled his 11-year prison sentence. The High Court said on Thursday that his 2022 trial had been unfair and ordered a new trial.  “The lower court ruling was not fair,” Judge Hassan Shafeeu said while reading out a lengthy decision […]

Weather forecast issued at 05.30 a.m. on 19 April 2024 by the Department of Meteorology Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the morning. Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in Central, North-central, Western, Sabaragamuwa,  Uva, North-western and Northern […]

An Israeli missile has hit Iran, US officials have told the BBC’s partner station CBS News. Blasts were heard in the central province of Isfahan and flights have been suspended over several cities, Iranian media say. Iran is on high alert after Israel said it would respond to an Iranian attack against it on Saturday […]

The Election Commission says it has no legal authorization to intervene to resolve the internal rifts of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

India has achieved remarkable success in recent United Nations elections, highlighting its growing influence and dedication to global cooperation. Notably, Jagjit Pavadia’s re-election for a third term to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) underscores India’s commitment to combating drug abuse and promoting international drug control efforts. Mr. Pavadia’s re-electi...

Terrorism is frequently depicted as a calculated and extreme manifestation of violence driven by perceptions of injustice. However, the aftermath of terrorist incidents is often discussed without delving into the psychological and social factors that underpin such acts The onset of the Soviet-Afghan war in 1979 created an environment conducive to terrorism in the region. […]

Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando, the Editor of the official Catholic Sinhala weekly Gnanartha Pradeepaya , arrived at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) premises this morning (19), complying with the summons issued to him.

The final rites of former Deputy Minister and former UNP parliamentarian Palitha Thewarapperuma are scheduled to be performed this afternoon (19).

Israeli missiles have hit a site in Iran, ABC News reported late on Thursday, citing a U.S. official, days after Iran launched a drone strike on Israel in response to an attack at the Iranian embassy in Syria.

By A.J.A Abeynayaka and Rathindra Kuruwita The Colombo District Court yesterday (18) extended the interim injunction preventing former President Maithripala Sirisena from functioning as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), until May 09. District Court judge Sandun Vithana directed all parties to submit objections to the decision. The order was issued when […]

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed its readiness to assist Sri Lanka in its negotiations with international bondholders, according to a Reuters report. An IMF spokesperson has been quoted as saying that a formal assessment will be provided once a preliminary agreement is reached. The spokesperson has expressed hope that an agreement aligning with […]

Chamari Atapattu smashed the third-highest individual score in women’s ODIs to help Sri Lanka pull off the highest-ever successful run-chase in women’s ODIs.Atapattu was at her brutal best as Sri Lanka stunned South Africa with a record run-chase in Potchefstroom to level the three-match ICC Women’s Championship ODI series and end a highly successful bilateral […]

Sri Lanka’s Piyumi Wijesekara is among the crew of four volunteers, selected by NASA, to participate in a simulated mission to Mars within a habitat at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Jason Lee, Stephanie Navarro, Shareef Al Romaithi, and Wijesekara will step into the agency’s Human Exploration Research Analog, or HERA, on Friday, […]

Unions call it ‘disastrous’ Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara announced on Thursday (18) that the proposed reforms to the electricity sector, titled the ‘Sri Lanka Electricity Bill,’ had been gazetted on Wednesday. Wijesekara revealed in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the bill would be introduced in Parliament during the […]

Apropos our news items (in The Island of 18 April) “Australia-based doc alleges her flat illegally occupied by diplomatic mission employee”, the High Commission for the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Colombo has sent us the following response: “We draw your kind attention to the publication of the news item titled “Australia-based doc alleges her […]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with Sri Lanka Missions in Myanmar and Thailand has facilitated the repatriation of eight Sri Lankans who were trafficked for forced criminal activities in cyber scamming compounds in Myanmar, a Ministry communique said yesterday. Myanmar law enforcement authorities rescued these Sri Lankans on 4 April 2024, following the […]

By Rathindra Kuruwita Health officials have reported that Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) was the leading cause of death in government hospitals from 2010 to 2020. IHD, commonly known as heart attacks, involves heart complications due to narrowed coronary arteries that impair blood flow to the heart muscle. Dr. Sherine J Balasingham, a Consultant Community Physician […]