News Room : JP Morgan agrees to pay $290m to settle lawsuit brought by Jeffrey Epstein victims
JP Morgan has agreed to pay roughly $290m (£232m) to settle a lawsuit brought on behalf of alleged victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Attorneys for the bank said it was “in the best interests of all parties, especially the survivors who were the victims of Epstein’s terrible abuse”. The lawsuit had alleged the largest US bank ignored warning...
News Room : Trump arrives in Florida ahead of court appearance
Former United States President Donald Trump is spending the night in Miami, Florida, before he appears in court there on Tuesday charged with mishandling national security files. The former US president flew from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, to his Trump Doral resort near Miami. He is facing dozens of charges of illegally retaining classified information, including some about...
News Room : House committee warns against privatisation of SLT, citing national security reasons – The Island
The Parliamentary Oversight Committee on National Security has strongly advised the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government against privatising Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT).The 11-member committee, in a report, titled ‘the effects of privatisation of SLT on national security’, which was tabled in Parliament yesterday (09), warned of far reaching consequences of privatisation. Chairman of the Committee, one-time Deputy Chief of Staff of Navy, Rear...
News Room : BASL condemns govt. attempts to restrict freedom of expression – The Island
The Parliamentary Oversight Committee on National Security has strongly advised the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government against privatising Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT).The 11-member committee, in a report, titled ‘the effects of privatisation of SLT on national security’, which was tabled in Parliament yesterday (09), warned of far reaching consequences of privatisation. Chairman of the Committee, one-time Deputy Chief of Staff of Navy, Rear...
News Room : Expedite Action Plan for Reconciliation – President – The Island
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has taken decisive action to combat the spread of Covid-19 and Dengue in the country by establishing both a Ministerial Committee and an Expert Committee. These Committees have been formed in accordance with Cabinet Decision No. 23/Miscellaneous/026. The Ministerial Committee, led by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardene, comprises 8 members, including Cabinet and State Ministers. Their primary responsibility...
News Room : Navy and STF nab suspect in possession of explosives in China Bay – The Island
By Shamindra Ferdinando Chairman of the Oversight Committee on National Security Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara, MP, has warned many countries would endorse Canadian declaration of genocide here unless the government took tangible measures to counter the Ottawa’s politically motivated lie. The warning was issued on Wednesday (07) when the defence top brass, including the heads of State Intelligence Service (SIS) and...
News Room : Showers in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle and Matara districts – The Island
Weather forecast issued at 05.30 a.m. on 08 June 2023 by the Department of Meteorology Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle and Matara districts. Fairly heavy showers above 75mm are likely at some places in the Sabaragamuwa Province and in Galle, Matara and Kalutara districts. Several spells of showers will occur...
News Room : Causing religious tension: Ven. Saddharathana, Bruno and Natasha remanded till 21 June
Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage yesterday (07) ordered that stand-up comedian Natasha Edirisooriya and the owner of the YouTube channel ‘SL VLOG’ Bruno Divakara be further remanded until 21 June, 2023. The CID arrested the ‘SL VLOG’ owner on 31 May. Edirisooriya was arrested by the CID on 28 May at the BIA. Meanwhile, Ven. Rajangane Saddharathana Thera, who had been arrested over...
News Room : India fast tracks construction of sanitation units in Batticaloa – The Island
By Shamindra Ferdinando Declaring that Muslim National Alliance (MNA) MP Ali Sabri Raheem couldn’t continue to be an MP after being fined for an abortive attempt to smuggle in Rs 78.2 mn worth of gold and smartphones, the March 12 Movement has appealed to the executive, legislature and the judiciary to sack the MP, who, they say, has brought Parliament...
News Room : Prices of sixty essential drugs to be reduced from 15th June – The Island
Chief of Staff to the President and National Security Advisor (NSA) Sagala Ratnayaka led the Sri Lanka delegation to the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier Security Summit held in Singapore from 2 – 4 June 2023. The highly anticipated summit commenced on 2 June with a powerful Keynote address delivered by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Throughout the event,...