News Room : Georgia’s stolen children: Twins sold at birth reunited by TikTok video
Amy and Ano are identical twins, but just after they were born they were taken from their mother and sold to separate families. Years later, they discovered each other by chance thanks to a TV talent show and a TikTok video. As they delved into their past, they realised they were among thousands of babies in Georgia stolen from...
News Room : Oil tanker on fire after Houthi missile attack, firm says
An oil tanker is on fire in the Gulf of Aden, its operator says, after Houthis said they hit it with a missile. The movement said it had targeted the Marlin Luanda on Friday evening. Operator Trafigura told the BBC the strike caused a fire in one of the ship’s cargo tanks and firefighting equipment was being used to contain...
News Room : Tragic crashes – The Island
Thursday’s tragic accident on the Colombo-Katunayake expressway, where State Minister Sanath Nishantha and his security officer died, has rekindled public debate on road safety. That fatal accident could have been avoided if the driver of the ill-fated vehicle had abided by road rules, we are told. A foreigner was killed yesterday when the van he was travelling in with...
News Room : Aryna Sabalenka beats Coco Gauff and faces Zheng Qinwen
Aryna Sabalenka remains on track to defend her Australian Open crown after reaching the Melbourne final by avenging her loss to Coco Gauff in last year’s US Open showpiece. Belarusian second seed Sabalenka won 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 against American fourth seed Gauff in a tense semi-final. Both were edgy in an error-strewn first set with six breaks before Sabalenka pounced...
News Room : Thirty people killed in latest herder violence in Nigeria’s Plateau State – The Island
At least 30 people have been killed in renewed violence in Nigeria’s central Plateau State, where clashes between Muslim herders and Christian farming communities have erupted for years, a community organisation and an aid group source said on Thursday. Despite a 24-hour curfew imposed on Tuesday in Plateau’s Mangu local district, schools, places of worship, and homes have been burned...
News Room : Horses, camels, and dim-witted burglars – The Island
The recent burglary of the residence of former President Maithripala Sirisena’s daughter has triggered a social media feeding frenzy. Sirisena has come under a cyber piranha attack, as it were. He took great pains in Parliament on Wednesday to have the public believe that there was no truth in the media reports that a gold-plated camel statuette gifted to...
News Room : Asante Gold: UK to loan back Ghana’s looted ‘crown jewels’
The UK is sending some of Ghana’s “crown jewels” back home, 150 years after looting them from the court of the Asante king. A gold peace pipe is among 32 items returning under long-term loan deals, the BBC can reveal. The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) is lending 17 pieces and 15 are from the British Museum. Ghana’s chief negotiator said he...
News Room : SLT Digital Services launches innovative School Attendance Notification System as part of ESG initiative – The Island
Standard Chartered has announced the appointment of Rukshila Seneviratne as the new Head of Human Resources for Sri Lanka, effective 12th January 2024. In her new role, Rukshila will lead the country’s people strategy and will join the Bank’s Country Management Team. As part of her appointment, she will also assume duties as the Co-Chair of the Bank’s internal...
News Room : Los Angeles Times to lay off 20% of its workforce
The Los Angeles Times announced on Tuesday that it will be laying off around 20% of its newsroom due to financial struggles. The newspaper said it will let go of at least 115 people – the largest layoff in its 142 year history. The news follows other mass layoffs in the US media industry, including at outlets like Sports Illustrated and...
News Room : Mobitel extends rewards package to journalists on President’s directive – The Island
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said the US is committed to deeper relations with Africa despite global crises as he opened a four-country tour of the continent. Blinken is touring four democracies on the Atlantic Coast – Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Angola – as security deteriorates in the Sahel and doubts grow about a...