News Room : Bliss of blessed day – The Island
Neither friend nor foe can have any quarrel with Public Security Minister Tiran Alles for launching the ongoing offensive against the narcotics business. It is much more than a trade nowadays with drug lords, big and small, running not only just fiefdoms but also their own empires. There’s hardly anybody in this country of ours unaware of the dangerous...
News Room : Wolvaardt, Brits in record stand as South Africa clinch series 2-1
South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Bits forged a record-breaking partnership to give their side a series victory in Benoni. After losing the first ODI by 119 runs, South Africa bounced back strongly to end 2023 on a high. After opting to bat on Saturday in Benoni, Wolvaardt struck up a 243-run stand for the first wicket with Brits,the...
News Room : Cargo ship attacked off Gujarat coast
A cargo ship was struck by a drone off the coast of the western Indian state of Gujarat on Saturday. The Liberia-flagged chemical products tanker was linked to Israel, according to maritime security firm Ambrey, and was heading from Saudi Arabia to India. The attack sparked a fire onboard the ship which was put out, but none of the roughly 20...
News Room : Plane grounded in France over human trafficking fears
A plane carrying 303 Indian passengers has been grounded at an airport in north-eastern France on suspicion of human trafficking, French media report. The Airbus A340 was flying from the United Arab Emirates to the Nicaraguan capital, Managua. It was grounded during a technical stopover at the small Vatry airport in Marne on Thursday after an “anonymous tip-off”, prosecutors say. Several people...
News Room : Procurement Committee headed by Health Secy. accepted forged registration – The Island
… suspect in touch with Health Ministry since 2013 By Shamindra Ferdinando Environment Minister Keheliya Rambukwella yesterday (22) said that in spite of the then Chief Executive Officer and Director General of National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) declaring that the proprietor of Isolez Biotech Pharma AG Sugath Janaka Fernando alias Aruna Deepthi had failed to meet stringent requirements needed to supply...
News Room : Corruption scandal threatens PM Kishida’s government
Japan is going through a “once in a generation” political crisis, analysts say, as the government fights to clean up its image in the face of a corruption scandal. Four cabinet ministers from the long-term ruling party have resigned in the past fortnight, as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida fights to hang on. His approval ratings are down to 17%...
News Room : National Action Plan for the Mitigation of Human-Elephant Conflict must be discussed further – Minister of Wildlife, Forest Resources Conservation and Irrigation – The Island
The AJ+ show, Eat This with Yara, has won “Outstanding Lifestyle Program” at the 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. Launched in 2018 by senior producer and host Yara Elmjouie, Eat This with Yara is a short documentary programme exploring the intersection of food and society. The winning episode from the series is called, The Awful Truth About ‘No Trespassing’...
News Room : COP28: UN climate talks in jeopardy in fossil fuel backlash
The UN climate talks in Dubai could be in jeopardy after some nations reacted furiously to a draft deal on fossil fuels they call “weak”. The draft removed language included in a previous text suggesting that fossil fuels could be “phased out”. All 198 countries at the summit must agree or there is no deal. Humans burning fossil fuels is driving global...
News Room : UAE stun Sri Lanka Under 19s at Asia Cup – The Island
Under 19 Division II Tier ‘B’ Cricket Asoka Vidyalaya Colombo will meet Kingswood College Kandy in the semi-final of the Under 19 Division II Tier ‘B’ Limited Overs Cricket tournament at Sooriyawewa today. Asoka Vidyalaya led by Umesh Caldera beat Christ King College Ja Ela to book their semi-final place. They reached the knockout stage as the fourth placed team of...
News Room : Showers above 75mm are likely at some places in Central, Sabaragamuwa and Western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts – The Island
Weather forecast issued at 05.30 a.m. on 11 December 2023 by the Department of Meteorology Misty condition can be expected at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Southern and Uva provinces in the morning. Showers will occur at times in Northern, North-central and Eastern provinces while showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in other provinces of the island after...