News Room : A global perspective for Sri Lanka – The Island
By Professor Ajith DeSilvaLDESILVA@westga.edu The concept of “Free Education” has long been a cornerstone of Sri Lankan identity, championed as a remarkable achievement of Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara’s visionary reforms in the mid-20th century. However, in today’s globalised world, it is essential to critically examine what “Free Education” truly means—and whether Sri Lanka’s system is as unique as it is often...
News Room : Over 3,600 aftershocks detected following 6.8-magnitude Xizang quake – The Island
South Korea’s suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol will receive his annual pay rise despite his impeachment for briefly placing the country under martial law, the government has said.Yoon’s salary will increase by 3% to 262.6 million won ($179,000; £147,000), in line with the standard for government officials.Since his impeachment in December, Yoon has resisted attempts to investigate and arrest...
News Room : World’s biggest religious festival begins in India – The Island
By Shiran Illanperuma Positioned at the geographic and political heart of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is the epicentre of the 21st century struggle for regional influence. U.S. Department of State, Integrated Country Strategy – Sri Lanka, 2022 Anura Kumara Disanayake (AKD) is the first President of Sri Lanka not affiliated with the political duopoly of the nationalist Sri Lanka Freedom Party...
News Room : Croatian president re-elected in landslide victory
Voters in Croatia have re-elected Zoran Milanovic to a second term, after he won almost three-quarters of votes cast in the country’s presidential election. It was a dismal result for his opponent Dragan Primorac, who had the backing of the governing centre-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party. Primorac picked up 25 percent of the vote – the worst-ever result for...
News Room : LA fires death toll rises to 24 as high winds expected
Weather forecasters in California are warning fierce winds which fuelled the infernos around Los Angeles are expected to pick up again this week, as fire crews on the ground race to make progress controlling three wildfires. Officials warned that after a weekend of relatively calm winds, the notoriously dry Santa Ana winds would pick up again from Sunday night until...
News Room : Rodrigues’ maiden international hundred seal series win for India – The Island
India notched up a series win that never appeared to be in any doubt, but in batting out 50 overs for a second straight game in Rajkot, Ireland ticked off a few boxes as part of their preparations for the World Cup qualifiers.India stormed to their highest ever ODI score, fuelled by Jemimah Rodrigues’ maiden ODI century, and then...
News Room : Four new SC judges appointed – The Island
… alleges current pricing formula helps fleece consumers by Shamindra Ferdinando Alleging that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) had sought to put off the scheduled power tariff revision, on the basis of false data and assessment provided to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), prominent SJB trade union activist Ananda Palitha yesterday (12) said that the PUC could grant as much as...
News Room : Not all farmers have received fertiliser subsidies – Sajith
69 Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa alleged that a large number of farmers are yet to receive the fertiliser subsidy and added that the Government should announce when they are planning to pay the subsidy for those who have not received it, at the earliest. Speaking to the media, Premadasa said, “According to the Government, there are 996,992 farmers eligible for fertiliser...
News Room : A murder that shook British India and toppled a king
It looked like an ordinary murder. One hundred years ago on this day – 12 January 1925 – a group of men attacked a couple on a car ride in a upmarket suburb in Bombay (now Mumbai) in colonial India, shooting the man dead and slashing the woman’s face. But the story that unfolded brought global spotlight on the case, while...
News Room : Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Northern, North-central, Eastern, Uva and Central provinces – The Island
Weather forecast issued at 05.30 a.m. on 11 January 2025 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 times in Northern, North-central, Eastern, Uva and Central provinces. Heavy showers above 100 mm can be expected...