A major fire has broken out at one of Australia’s two oil refineries, deepening fears over the nation’s petrol supplies amid a global fuel crunch. MORE..
TIME released its list of the ‘100 Most Influential People of 2026’ on Wednesday, naming Pope Leo, US President Donald Trump, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, among others. MORE..
Travel to Sri Lanka remains fully unaffected for Bangladeshi tourists despite ongoing global conflicts and economic uncertainties, said Buddhika Hewawasam, Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, while talking to The Bangladesh Monitor during a media networking session held at Le Meridien Dhaka on April 5. MORE..
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was a unanimous demand from the international community. MORE..
The Republican-led Senate on Wednesday rejected the latest Democratic attempt to halt President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, turning aside a resolution that would require the U.S. to withdraw forces from the conflict until Congress authorizes further action. MORE..
The auspicious time for departing for urgent duties, as specified in the Sinhala and Tamil New Year auspicious time schedule (‘Nekath Seettuwa’), falls tomorrow (April 17). MORE..
The Meteorology Department says showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Central, Uva and North-western provinces after 1.00 pm. MORE..
A total of six Chinese nationals who illegally brought a consignment of cigarettes into the country have been arrested by Customs officers at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA). MORE..
In a major global milestone, Ranbir Kapoor has been named among TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people, becoming the only Bollywood actor to feature on this year’s prestigious list. MORE..
A total of nine Chinese nationals were arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayaka early this morning (16) while attempting to enter the country to allegedly engage in cybercrime-related activities. MORE..
The Public Health Inspectors’ Union (PHIU) states that legal action has been initiated against more than 400 traders following island-wide inspections conducted in view of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. MORE..
US president Donald Trump has said talks between the leaders of Israel and Lebanon “will happen” on Thursday. MORE..
The Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) has announced that steps will be taken to operate between 50% and 60% of the private bus fleet island-wide starting today (16). MORE..
US President Donald Trump’s administration plans to launch next Monday the system it will use for issuing refunds to American importers for $166 billion the companies paid in tariffs that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down in February as unlawful. MORE..
An individual died while three of his family members sustained injuries following a fatal road accident reported on the Wellawaya–Monaragala main road in Buttala, early this morning (15), police stated. MORE..
Artificial intelligence-driven chatbots are giving users problematic medical advice about half the time, according to a new study, highlighting the health risks of the technology that is becoming increasingly integral in day-to-day life. MORE..
US President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday that the war against Iran is “very close” to completion. MORE..
Government offices across the country will remain open as usual on April 15, 16, and 17, the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government has announced. MORE..
Japan has decided to provide a total of $10 billion in financial support to Southeast Asian nations struggling with surging crude oil prices amid tensions in the Middle East, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced during an online meeting with Southeast Asian leaders on Wednesday. MORE..
Three brothers who went to bathe in the Mahaweli River, which flows through the Somawathiya Reserve in Serunuwara, have drowned and gone missing. MORE..
A fisherman has reportedly died after two fishing boats collided and capsized in the sea area off Mannar. MORE..
Donald Trump has once again hit out at Pope Leo and NATO in a series of Truth Social posts. MORE..
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is participating in the official state ceremony for the traditional oil-anointing ritual of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in Kandy. MORE..
The US will not renew a 30-day waiver of sanctions on Iranian oil at sea that expires this week, and quietly let a similar waiver on sanctions on Russian oil expire over the weekend, two administration officials told Reuters on Tuesday, as the U.S. imposes a blockade on shipments from Iranian ports. MORE..
Residents of the Udagewatta Road area in Meegoda say that a major water leak caused by a burst pipeline has been persisting for over a week, leading to considerable water wastage. MORE..
An ‘Amber’ advisory has been issued by the Department of Meteorology for severe lightning in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, and Uva provinces, as well as in the Galle, Matara, Anuradhapura, and Kurunegala districts. MORE..
A U.S. destroyer interdicted two oil tankers attempting to leave Iran on Tuesday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump’s blockade went into effect, and instructed them to turn around, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. MORE..
The brother of notorious underworld figure ‘Karandeniya Sudda,’ the organized crime suspect known by the alias ‘Raju’, has been arrested in India, according to Sri Lanka Police. MORE..
Oil prices fell for a second day on Wednesday on expectations peace talks between the US and Iran may resume and eventually release supply from the key Middle East producing region trapped by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. MORE..
The Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) TAIMUR and ASLAT departed the island, following a two-day goodwill visit, the Sri Lanka Navy said. MORE..
A total of 36 road traffic accidents have been reported to the Colombo National Hospital during the New Year period on April 13 and 14, hospital sources said. MORE..
Two murders have been reported in Wellawaya and Payagala resulting in the deaths of a woman and a man, while another unidentified male body has also been recovered, police said. MORE..
Russia has renewed an offer to “resolve the issue of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles”, as speculation mounts of a fresh round of US-Iran peace talks in the coming days, state media reported on Wednesday. MORE..
Based on the needs of passengers who travelled to their hometowns for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, steps have been taken to deploy additional buses to Colombo starting today (15), the National Transport Commission (NTC) has announced. MORE..
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says any attempts by the US or Israel to force Iran to “surrender” are “destined to fail and the Iranian nation will never accept such an approach." MORE..
The Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) generated an income of Rs. 1 billion within six days by providing special services during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season, according to its Chairman, Sajeewa Kanakarathna. MORE..
About 250 Rohingya and Bangladeshis, including children, are missing after their boat capsized last week in the Andaman Sea, according to the United Nations’ refugee and migration agencies. MORE..
Sri Lanka Police have announced that the IGP Relief Day, held for the consideration of appeals submitted by police officers, as well as the ‘IGP Public Relief Day’, will not be conducted this week due to the Sinhala and Tamil New Year festive season. MORE..
Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington following more than a month of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it a “historic opportunity” but making clear that no breakthrough agreement would happen right away. MORE..
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Southern, and North-western provinces and in the Anuradhapura district after 1.00 p.m. today (15), the Department of Meteorology stated. MORE..
Gold prices in Sri Lanka have increased by around Rs. 4,000, Local market data indicates. MORE..
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that a further escalation in the war on Iran and continued disruption to oil markets could push the global economy to the brink of recession, with growth potentially slowing to 2% under its worst-case scenario. MORE..
US President Donald Trump says in an interview on Fox Business Network, that if you give Iran a nuclear weapon, ‘‘the world will be blown up." MORE..
Ali Abdollahi - the commander for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the country’s highest operational command co-ordinating the armed forces - says that if the US continues its blockade and creates “insecurity for Iran’s commercial vessels and oil tankers”, it will “constitute a prelude to a violation of the ceasefire”. MORE..
The auspicious time for the tradition of anointing oil for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year commenced at 6:55 a.m. today (15). MORE..
The official state ceremony for the traditional oil-anointing ritual of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year is scheduled to take place this morning (April 15) at the premises of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy. MORE..
Investors will look for Netflix to emphasize content spending and ad business growth as key drivers when it reports quarterly earnings on Thursday, marking the streaming giant’s first results since its failed bid for Warner Bros Discovery. MORE..
Global superstar Justin Bieber is once again proving his cultural impact extends far beyond the stage. MORE..
Long queues of vehicles were reportedly observed today (15) at the Pinnaduwa entrance of the Southern Expressway in Galle. MORE..
President Donald Trump has suggested talks aimed at ending the war in Iran could resume this week, after negotiations collapsed at the weekend, prompting the US to blockade Iranian ports. MORE..
