News Room : FSP frowns on increases in defence expenditure – The Island
BASL says ‘it is a matter entirely for the House’ By Shamindra Ferdinando Prof. Prathiba Mahanamahewa of the Colombo University Law Faculty, yesterday, lambasted the double standards in dealing with lawmakers over contempt of court, which, too, tended to erode public confidence in the parliamentary system. The Attorney-at-Law said so referring to the sentencing of Gampaha District MP Ranjan Ramanayake (SJB) to four years...
News Room : Another huge waste of money is uncovered.
An audit report reveals that the Ministry of Finance has spent nearly ten crores in 2018 to inform the public about the budget and the two-year freedom of the media through electronic and print media. It also states that seven crore thirty nine lakhs (7,38,92,963*) have been spent on creating and advertising advertisements to inform the public about the budget. The...
News Room : CID questions Semini over connection to Thilini Priyamali
The Criminal Investigation Department has interrogated and obtained a statement for nearly 4 hours from popular film and television actress Semini Iddamalgoda for the investigation regarding Thilini Priyamali, who is currently remanded over a large-scale financial fraud. The actress had been summoned by the CID who had arrived along with her husband, Dhammika Iddamalgoda who is also a Police officer. Officers...
News Room : Derana slammed for using ‘Jenny’ a near-threatened species of parrot as gimmick
Environmentalists have slammed the Derana TV channel for their recent use of a ‘Near Threatened’ species of parrot in one of its cricket-related program recently. Taking to his personal Facebook page, environmentalist Supun Jayaweera identified the parrot called ‘Jenny’ as an Alexandrine parakeet (Psittacula eupatria) known as a ‘Labu Girawa’ in the local dialect. According to Jayaweera, Jenny’s species is...
News Room : US embassy official robbed in Colombo
A female US embassy official has been robbed on the streets of Colombo. The woman had been walking down a street in the Cinnamon Gardens area when two men on a motorbike snatched her handbag, it is reported. The Police have commenced an investigation into the matter after the victim had complained of the handbag snatching incident to IGP C.D...
News Room : S Korea in national mourning after deadly Halloween crowd crush – The Island
151 people including 19 foreigners killed (Korea Herald/ANN) Relatives search for missing family members following a crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon that killed 151 people, including 19 foreigners.South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has declared a period of national mourning following a deadly Halloween crush in the country’s capital, Seoul, as distraught relatives flocked to the city’s hospitals searching for their missing family...
News Room : Outsiders occupying MPs’ Madiwala quarters; Speaker orders probe
Security guards, defeated lawmakers among them By Saman indarajith Acting on complaints that some persons are unlawfully occupying many of the MPs’ quarters at Madiwela, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has ordered a special probe. He has called for a report urgently.It has been alleged that some of the MPs houses, numbering 120, are occupied by outsiders, including security guards. Besides, there are...
News Room : Minister shines light on tycoons’ liquor racket
Unauthorised spirit production up by 300% ‘Local brew producers cheated even the British’ A century-old practice of tax evasion by liquor producers had reached a new level in recent months, State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said on Friday.Addressing the Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka Excise Officers’ Association, in Colombo, the Minister said the production of unlicensed liquor had increased...
News Room : Sri Lanka rue dropped catch – The Island
Mosaddek Hossain held his nerve, twice in the space of one legal delivery in a chaotic finish, for Bangladesh to earn a three-run win against Zimbabwe, whose semi-final hopes have now been dented.Zimbabwe needed 16 from the final over, and after Mosaddek got rid of Brad Evans, Richard Ngarava got a leg-bye four and slammed a huge six over fine-leg to give...
News Room : three Lankans arrested – The Island
151 people including 19 foreigners killed (Korea Herald/ANN) Relatives search for missing family members following a crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon that killed 151 people, including 19 foreigners.South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has declared a period of national mourning following a deadly Halloween crush in the country’s capital, Seoul, as distraught relatives flocked to the city’s hospitals searching for their missing family...