News

The Vatican has just announced the Pope's funeral will take place on Saturday, 26 April at 10:00 local time (09:00 BST).

Pope Francis's funeral will take place outdoors in front of St Peter's Basilica.

The dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, will lead the service.

At the end of the funeral, Re will deliver the final commendation - a concluding prayer where the Pope will be formally entrusted to God - and the body moved to St Mary Major for the burial.

The Vatican has also announced that Pope Francis will be taken to St Peter's Basilica on Wednesday morning at 09:00 local time (08:00 BST).

The Pope's coffin will be there until the burial for the public to pay their respects.

His body is currently laid out in a coffin in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence, where he lived during his 12-year papacy.

Source: BBC

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday, ending an often turbulent reign marked by division and tension as he sought to overhaul the hidebound institution.

He was 88, and had recently survived a serious bout of double pneumonia.

"Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis," Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican's TV channel.

"At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father."

Six years after the deadly Easter Sunday bombings, the United Nations has reiterated its call for justice, accountability, and lasting peace in Sri Lanka.

UN Resident Coordinator Marc-André Franche stressed that the victims’ families still await answers, urging the government to uphold transparency and due process in the ongoing investigations.

The final report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks has been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Secretary to the President, Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, handed over the report on the directive of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala stated that the report was submitted to the CID to facilitate further investigation into the coordinated terror attacks of April 21, 2019.

The Presidential Commission was appointed by former President Maithripala Sirisena on September 22, 2019, and was chaired by Supreme Court Justice Janak de Silva.

The Commission consisted of six members and submitted its final report to then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on February 1, 2021.

However, the report has not yet been made public.

Minister Wijepala confirmed that it will be released to the public in due course.

The Food Security Committee convened for the sixth time today (April 21), at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

The meeting was held under the leadership of Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha and Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe.

The meeting was convened to discuss and formulate policies focused on enhancing food security in the country, the President’s Media Division said in a statement.

The Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Kapila Janaka Bandara and other members of the Food Policy and Security Committee, comprising Ministry Secretaries, were also present at the meeting.

The Meteorology Department says that the Heat Index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ tomorrow (21) in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Western, Southern and Eastern provinces and in Ratnapura, Monaragala districts.

As per the advisory by the Department, under this level of temperature, fatigue is possible with prolonged exposure and activity while continuing activity could result in heat cramps.

Thus, the members of the public are advised to stay hydrated, take breaks in the shade as often as possible and limit strenuous outdoor activities. They are also requested to check up on the elderly and the sick, never leave children unattended inside vehicles and to wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been summoned before the Bribery Commission this week.

Accordingly, the former President has been requested to report to the Bribery Commission at 09.30 am on 25 April.

Ranil Wickremesinghe has been summoned to record a statement regarding the investigation into a complaint against Badulla District MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake.

The former President was previously summoned before the Bribery Commission on 17 April, but he had informed of his unavailability.

As such, the Bribery Commission has issued an alternative day to record the statement.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who had earlier pledged to reveal the masterminds behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks by April 21, stated yesterday (19) that additional time will be required to disclose this information. He made these remarks while addressing a National People's Power rally held in Badulla.

As certain phases of the investigation will need to be carried out discreetly, he said that all details may not be revealed immediately to the public. "A highly significant investigation, closely watched by the entire nation, is currently underway. However, the forthcoming phases of the inquiry must be conducted with utmost precision and caution. As a result, certain developments may not be immediately disclosed to the public. Authorities are proceeding with the investigation in a thorough and methodical manner. Individuals who had previously remained silent are now beginning to come forward. Those who were once hesitant to provide testimony have started cooperating. Furthermore, persons who initially denied any involvement are now being linked to the case through emerging evidence. These developments indicate that the investigation is progressing effectively and in a constructive direction," the President said.

Suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has been issued a notice to appear before the Matara Magistrate’s Court on 25 April 2025.

The Matara Magistrate today ordered Tennakoon, who is currently on bail, to appear before the court in connection with disobeying court orders.

Tennakoon is accused of having acted in a manner that violates court orders when leaving court after receiving bail.

The owner of the car used to escort him out of court has also been ordered to appear before the Matara Magistrate’s Court on the said date.

The court order has been issued after the Attorney General submitted a motion to the court today stating that Tennakoon had violated court orders when he left the Matara Magistrate’s Court complex after being granted bail on 10 April.

Deshabandu Tennakoon was wanted in connection with the shooting incident in front of a prominent hotel in Weligama in 2023.

He is accused of orchestrating the shooting involving officers from the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD), Weligama Police, and the Special Task Force, which resulted in the death of a CCD officer and injuries to another.

After an open warrant was issued to arrest Deshabandu Tennakoon, he surrendered before the Matara Court, having evaded arrest for 20 days, and was remanded.

However, on 10 April, the Matara Magistrate’s Court granted bail to Deshabandu Tennakoon on two sureties of Rs. 1 million each.

A haunting image of a young Gazan boy recovering from war injuries has been named World Press Photo of the Year for 2025.

The portrait, taken by Palestinian photographer Samar Abu Elouf for the New York Times, shows nine-year-old Mahmoud Ajjour, who lost both arms in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City in March 2024.

Abu Elouf, who was evacuated from Gaza in late 2023, lives in the same apartment complex as Mahmoud in Doha, Qatar.

She has documented the lives of several wounded Gazans who made it out for treatment.

"This is a quiet photo that speaks loudly," said World Press Photo executive director Joumana El Zein Khoury.

"It tells the story of one boy, but also of a wider war that will have an impact for generations."

Two finalists were selected as runners up alongside the photo of the year.

Former Minister Mervyn Silva and three others have been further remanded over allegations of the disposal of state land using forged documents.

The Mahara Magistrate’s Court today further remanded the four accused until 05 May 2025.

Former Minister Mervyn Silva was arrested by Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officials while at his residence in Battaramulla in March.

He was arrested related to allegations of financial fraud regarding a state-owned land in Kiribathgoda.

With the SriLankan cabin crew now on a work-to-rule campaign, the airline’s management has decided to recall retirees to service.

The SriLankan Airlines Cabin Crew Members Association launched the protest earlier this month following multiple unaddressed complaints to the management.

Their demands focus on fair treatment, proper rest periods, and reinstated allowances.

The association has also written to president Anura Kumara Dissanayake spelling out their grievances, with focus on the extension of the retirement age to 65 from the current 60.