News Room : Enactment process of Online Safety Act raises questions on law-making: CPA – The Island
ECONOMYNEXT —The process followed in enacting Sri Lanka’s controversial Online Safety Act (OSA) raises serious questions on law-making and its impact on constitutional democracy, the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) said, urging the government to replace the act with a law that “genuinely addresses” concerns on online safety. Claiming that the process of drafting the OSA was shrouded in secrecy,...
News Room : Pakistan elections 2024: Count under way after controversial election
Votes are being counted in Pakistan after Thursday’s general election which was marred by the suspension of mobile phone services and violent unrest. Results have been slow to come out, prompting election officials to warn local officials to speed up the process. The party of disqualified and jailed ex-PM Imran Khan says the delay is a sign of vote-rigging. Unofficial results...
News Room : Some students seeking loans for higher education left high and dry: Opposition Leader
By Saman Indrajith Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa speaking in Parliament yesterday lambasted the government for not taking action to ensure education rights of hundreds of students who had applied for interest free loans to enter two private universities. Premadasa said that the students who had applied for interest free loans to study at the KAATSU International for Undergraduate-studies (KIU)...
News Room : Pakistan holds election tainted by rigging claims
Tens of millions of Pakistanis head to the polls today (08) to vote in a new government amid soaring inflation, rising violence and claims of rigging. The election comes almost two years since the previous prime minister, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, was ousted in a no-confidence vote. Khan was later jailed on corruption charges and is barred from standing. Three-time PM Nawaz Sharif...
News Room : Prez recalls co-operation between JVP and Yahapalana govt., requests Opposition’s help for nation building – The Island
President Ranil Wickremesinghe said in Parliamenty yesterday he was aware that Value Added Tax (VAT) was a burden on the public. He said it would be possible to reduce VAT with the passage of time. Delivering the government policy statement at the commencement of the new session of Parliament, the President said: “The prior scarcity of paper for book printing...
News Room : Fair weather will prevail over the island – The Island
Weather forecast issued at 05.30 a.m. on 05 February 2024 by the Department of Meteorology Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the morning. Several spells of showers will occur in Eastern, North-central and Uva provinces and in Matale and Hambantota districts. Showers or thundershowers will occur at...
News Room : Saharan, Dhas lead India into ninth final with epic partnership
India’s title defence at the Under-19 World Cup met its sternest challenge from hosts South Africa in a pulsating semifinal clash in Benoni. Then Uday Saharan, the captain, and Sachi Dhas put on a game-changing 171-run stand that set the tone for a come-from-behind victory. India are now into their fifth straight final, where they await the winner of...
News Room : Cornell University and University of Moratuwa students pilot innovative industry collaboration with Brandix – The Island
The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has donated 5,000-litre water storage tanks to 50 families in Ginnoruwa, Girandurukotte, as part of the Bank’s continuing support to an initiative to help combat the spread of Chronic Kidney Disease of an unknown origin (CKDu). Designed for the storage of rainwater, the tanks can supply the drinking and cooking water needs of each family...
News Room : W15 Hotel Ownership Hits Back: Denounces Minister’s False Statements and Threats I Sri Lanka Latest News
The ownership of Weligama Boutique Hotel, under the W15 brand, expressed dissatisfaction with Minister Tiran Alas, the Minister of Public Security. Lanka Realty Investments PLC, the owning company, conveyed its concern in a letter to the Minister, highlighting several inaccurate and irresponsible statements made during a news conference on January 18, 2024, chaired by Mr Tiran Alas and Acting...
News Room : Chinese ship, Xiang Yang Hong 3’s port call flares India tension
The expected arrival of a Chinese research ship in the Maldives this week has escalated tensions between Beijing, Delhi and Male. Officially, the vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3 is there to “make a port call, for rotation of personnel and replenishment”. In short, an entirely innocuous stop. But that is not how it is being seen in Delhi. Instead, the ship’s...