News Room : What Takes Priority – School Reputation or Children’s Wellbeing? PM Harini Questions School Principals
Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya has raised serious concerns over how incidents of violence against children within schools are being handled, questioning whether school administrations are prioritising institutional reputation over the wellbeing of students. Speaking at a recent event organised by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka in Colombo, the Prime Minister directly addressed a gathering of school principals,...
News Room : Sri Lanka’s Economic Crisis Fuel Kollywood Hit: ‘Tourist Family’ Crosses ₹750M Mark
Tourist Family, the debut film of director Abishan Jeevinth, is proving to be 2025’s breakout Tamil hit, crossing an impressive Rs 75 crore at the global box office. Released on May 1, the film has steadily grown in popularity, bolstered by glowing reviews from both the public and the press. A Poignant Tale Rooted in Reality Set against the backdrop of...
News Room : Sri Lankan Man Caught Smuggling Live Animals at Thailand Airport
Enhanced security checks on international flights at Suvarnabhumi Airport have resulted in the arrest of two foreign nationals attempting to smuggle live wild animals, with officials rescuing dozens of creatures destined for India and Sri Lanka. Sadudee Phanthapakdee, Director of the CITES Management Authority’s Wildlife and Plant Protection Division, received reports from Komkrit Pinsai, Chief of the Wildlife Inspection Station...
News Room : Crowds overrun US-backed group’s new aid distribution site in Gaza
Thousands of Palestinians have overrun an aid distribution site in Gaza set up by a controversial US and Israeli-backed group, a day after it began working there. Videos showed crowds walking over torn-down fences and earth berms at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s (GHF) compound in the southern city of Rafah. The group said that at one point its team fell back...
News Room : IPL 2025: Jitesh 85* trumps Pant 118* as Royal Challengers Bengaluru make Qualifier 1
Royal Challlengers Bengaluru (RCB) stormed into Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025 as stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma’s 85 not out off 33 balls helped them pull off the third highest successful chase in the tournament’s history. Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten 118 off 61 balls had powered Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to 227 for 3, but RCB chased it down with eight balls...
News Room : SLT-MOBITEL and Department of Pensions renew partnership to enhance digital access – The Island
One of Sri Lanka’s fastest growing finance companies, Mahindra Ideal Finance Limited (MIFL), posted robust top and bottom-line performance for the financial year ended 31 March 2025. Backed by strong demand across its lending segments and disciplined cost management initiatives, the Company posted a Profit after tax (PAT) of Rs. 146 million in FY25, an increase of 41% over FY24....
News Room : Wimal Says He’s Next on Bribery Commission’s 40-Politician Arrest List
Amid a series of indictments against politicians by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa has claimed that a list of 40 politicians—including himself—has been prepared for arrest on the instructions of the Presidential Secretariat. Speaking during a television programme, Weerawansa accused the Presidential Secretariat of orchestrating a politically motivated...
News Room : Regret or Not? – Nalinda Grilled on Malini Fonseka’s Rs 5.5 Million President’s Fund Grant
Responding to a question during a Cabinet media briefing, Cabinet Spokesperson Dr Nalinda Jayatissa said he revealed only the list of Members of Parliament who obtained large sums from the President’s Fund, not the names of artists who received financial assistance. He made this remark in response to a question about whether he regretted mentioning the name of the late...
News Room : Why Was Malini Fonseka’s Funeral Not Given State Honours? – Government Responds
Cabinet Spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa today addressed growing public concern over whether the government accorded full state honours for the funeral of Sri Lankan cinema icon Malini Fonseka, widely celebrated as the “Queen of Sinhala Cinema.” Responding to a journalist’s question at the weekly Cabinet media briefing, Jayatissa acknowledged the active public discourse, particularly on social media, regarding the nature of...
News Room : Chikungunya Alert: Health Officials Warn of Chikungunya Threat in Densely Populated Areas
The Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health has issued a warning about the potential spread of Chikungunya in several regions across the country. Epidemiologist Dr Chinthana Perera stated that the disease is currently prevalent in Kaduwela, Gothatuwa, and Battaramulla in the Colombo District, as well as in densely populated areas of the Gampaha District. He noted that Sri Lanka experienced...