News Room : US deports hundreds of Venezuelans despite court order
More than 200 Venezuelans alleged by the White House to be gang members have been deported from the US to a supermax prison in El Salvador, even as a US judge blocked the removals. El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele wrote on social media that 238 members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua had arrived in the Central American country,...
News Room : MP resigns from Parliament to contest LG polls in East – The Island
Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday rejected the Batalanda Commission report in its entirety. “I wholly reject the report. No one can say the report was kept hidden. It was published as a sessional paper in 2000, but no one, including the JVP, asked for a debate,” Wickremeisnmghe said in a special statement. He also said that there was no precedent in this...
News Room : ‘I Reject Everything Except Crimes Committed by JVP in 88/90’ – RW on Batalanda Commission Report
Issuing a special statement on 16 March, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe categorically rejected the findings of the ‘Batalanda’ Commission report. Wickremesinghe made this statement after the Government tabled Batalanda Commission Report in Parliament on Friday (14 March). Full Statement: “After the signing of the Indo-Lanka Accord, the JVP launched a campaign of terror across the country. At that time, President J. R....
News Room : Man Shot Dead in Ambalangoda Over Suspicion of Being Police Informant
Police suspect that the fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man in Ambalangoda last night (14) was carried out due to suspicions that he was informing authorities about illegal activities in the area. The incident occurred around 6:45 p.m. near a Buddha Shrine (Budu Madura) at Idamthota, Ambalangoda, when two unidentified individuals on a motorcycle opened fire. The victim, Krishantha Mendis, also...
News Room : PM Says Government Committed to Breaking Barriers for Women in Business
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya highlighted that while women play a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s economic and social development, structural barriers still restrict their full participation in the economy. “Our government is committed to breaking these barriers by fostering an inclusive economic environment where women can thrive as business leaders, entrepreneurs, and exporters,” she said. She made this statement at the...
News Room : US had productive talks with Putin over Ukraine war, Trump says – The Island
US President Donald Trump has praised talks held with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the US-proposed ceasefire deal in Ukraine as “good and productive”. This comes after Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff met in Moscow on Thursday evening, after which the Kremlin said it shared the US’s “cautious optimism” over a peace process. Trump said in a Truth Social post...
News Room : Cop had stolen 9mm police pistol and given it to rap artiste – The Island
By Norman Palihawadane and Hemantha Randunu Police officers from the Matara Division Criminal Investigation Unit recovered a 9mm pistol, a magazine, and 10 bullets from the home of rap artiste and television actor Shan Putha, located at Araliya Uyana in Meegoda, yesterday. The weapon and ammunition had been stolen from the Kotawila Police Station, in Matara, by a police constable, who is now...
News Room : They come, they shoot, they vanish – The Island
We have heard of power stations being retired when they outlive their efficiency and usefulness and/or become redundant or potentially dangerous. But Sri Lanka is planning to make some power plants take a break, as it were, during the weekends. It has been alleged that a plan is underway to curtail renewable power generation during the weekends because the...
News Room : Surveillance Failure: Anuradhapura’s CCTV System Has Been Inactive for a Year
The CCTV surveillance system installed to enhance security in Anuradhapura has been inactive for nearly a year, raising concerns about security. Although 47 cameras were set up under the system, none are currently operational, significantly impacting crime detection and law enforcement, officials said. The North Central Provincial Council initially installed CCTV systems in Anuradhapura, Habarana, and Polonnaruwa in 2017 at...
News Room : Sri Lanka’s Pekoe Trail Named Among TIME’s 100 Greatest Places to Visit in 2025
Sri Lanka’s Pekoe Trail has been named one of TIME magazine’s 100 greatest places to visit in 2025, earning recognition as a must-explore destination for travelers. The 186-mile trail, completed in March last year, transforms a 19th-century tea transport network into a breathtaking long-distance hiking route. Once a system of colonial-era dirt roads and railway tracks used by the British...