News Room : Debt-restructuring about to be completed, govt. proceeding towards 3rd review of IMF programme – Vijitha – The Island
Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday (14) assured the Colombo-based diplomatic community that the new government was going ahead with the IMF-led debt restructuring programme. The assurance was given at an interaction with them at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister Herath said: “Earlier this month, we had productive discussions with the visiting IMF team who reiterated their support to Sri Lanka....
News Room : Floods claim three lives
More than 158,000 affected in 12 districts Floods have claimed at least three lives and affected more than 158,000 people in 12 districts, as of yesterday evening, according to the Disaster Management Centre. Heavy rains over the weekend wreaked havoc, flooding homes, fields and roads and damaged 240 houses and forced nearly 7,000 people out of their home. Rainfall above 100mm was expected in Sabaragamuwa,...
News Room : Semi-final spot at stake as New Zealand face Pakistan – The Island
India’s T20 World Cup semi-final hopes have been taken out of their hands after a nine-run defeat to Australia in their final group-stage match. India have lost two of their four matches and will have to wait on the result of New Zealand vs Pakistan tomorrow to find out if they will advance to the knockouts. Any margin of...
News Room : Heavy showers above 100mm are likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, North-western and Northern provinces and in Galle and Matara districts. – The Island
The landslide early warning centre of the National Building Research Organization has extended the landslide early warnings issued to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura until 4.pm on Sunday Accordingly, Level II landslide early warnings have been issued to the divisional secretaries divisions and surrounding areas of Padukka and Seethawaka in the Colombo...
News Room : Now, UNP-SLPP alliance changes ‘Swan’ to ‘Gas Cylinder’ symbol
General election: by Shamindra Ferdinando The Election Commission (EC) has permitted political parties to change symbols before the handing over of nominations, in keeping with the Parliamentary Elections Act.Authoritative sources said so when The Island sought an explanation as to how the New Democratic Front (NDF) had changed its symbol ‘Swan’ to ‘Gas Cylinder’ to enable the UNP and main breakaway faction of...
News Room : EC to take legal action against candidates who do not submit expense reports
by Rathindra Kuruwita The Election Commission (EC) will institute legal action against presidential candidates who have not submitted their campaign expense reports or whose reports contain inaccuracies.The deadline for the submission of the candidates’ expense reports ended yesterday. By Sunday noon, 31 candidates had submitted their expense reports. Among those who have not handed over their expense reports are several main candidates,...
News Room : Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, North-western, Central and Northern provinces and in Galle and Matara districts – The Island
The landslide early warning centre of the National Building Research Organization has extended the landslide early warnings issued to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura until 4.pm on Sunday Accordingly, Level II landslide early warnings have been issued to the divisional secretaries divisions and surrounding areas of Padukka and Seethawaka in the Colombo...
News Room : ‘Cold case’ investigations into past crimes begin says police
By Norman Palihawadane Massive file retrieval for re-examination goes on at police headquarters and CID by engaging investigators in perusing evidence related to over thousand cases of the past two decades, police headquarters sources said. The investigators have been divided into teams for what a senior police officer called ‘cold case investigation’ perusing archived documents and some are engaged in re-scrutinizing...
News Room : Household healthcare costs rise, access to primary healthcare declines: IPS
ECONOMYNEXT —Household healthcare costs in Sri Lanka have risen 48 percent within a year from 2020 to 2021 and access to primary healthcare has declined from 95 percent in 2019 to 82 percent in 2022/2023, the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) said. Speaking at an event on Tuesday October 08, IPS Economist Sunimalee Madurawala said that, though the country once...
News Room : Flood warning to low lying areas in Attanagalu Oya basin
The Irrigation Department has issued urgent flood warnings for low-lying areas in the Attanagalu Oya and Uruwal Oya river basins, effective until 9:45 a.m. on Sunday (Oct 13). The warning follows significant rainfall recorded in the catchment areas of the Attanagalu Oya Basin as of 9:00 a.m. Friday. Authorities have analysed current rainfall data and river water levels from hydrological...