News Room : Sri Lankans to Witness Rare Blood Moon Tonight – See Timings Here
Sri Lankans will have a rare chance to witness a “blood moon” later today (7 September), said Prof. Chandana Jayaratne, Head of the Department of Physics and Director of the Astronomy and Space Science Unit at the University of Colombo, and Chairman of the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies. The Moon will undergo a total lunar eclipse, glowing...
News Room : Tight vote in Norway to decide whether to stick with Labour or turn right
Norwegians go to the polls on Sunday and Monday in a tight race to decide whether to continue with a Labour-led government or turn to the centre right. There are only four million voters in this founding member of Nato, which shares an Artic border with Russia and is part of the EU’s single market but not a member state. Despite...
News Room : Boko Haram kills at least 60 in overnight attack on Nigerian village – The Island
Foreign policy has rarely been far away from the election campaign, and recent weeks have been dominated by a move by Norway’s sovereign wealth fund – the world’s largest – to scrap investments in almost half the Israeli companies it held because of alleged rights violations.The $1.9tn (£1.4tn) fund, built up over decades from Norway’s enormous oil and gas...
News Room : Israel destroys second high-rise as assault on Gaza City intensifies
The Israeli military has destroyed a high-rise block in Gaza City, the second major tower it has targeted in as many days. Defence Minister Israel Katz posted video of the building collapsing on X, with the caption: “We’re continuing”. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which has been expanding operations in Gaza, said the Sussi Tower was being used by Hamas –...
News Room : Endless tragedies – The Island
Seldom does a day pass in this country without shooting incidents or fatal accidents making headlines. On Thursday night, a bus toppled down a precipice near the famous Ravana Falls on the Ella-Wellawaya road, killing 15 passengers and injuring about dozen others. Some of the injured were in a critical condition in the Badulla hospital. The ill-fated vehicle was...
News Room : Padme’s Meth Lab Chemicals: Fmr SLPP PS Member Arrested
Former Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Angunukolapelessa Pradeshiya Sabha member Piyal Manamperi has been arrested in connection with the recent recovery of chemicals allegedly used to manufacture ‘Ice’ (crystal methamphetamine) at Middeniya, police said. An investigation has been launched to determine how containers of chemicals used in the production of crystal methamphetamine (ice) in Sri Lanka, reportedly for a facility...
News Room : Shasheendra Rajapaksa Admitted to Prison Hospital
Former State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa, who remains in remand custody, has been admitted to the Prison Hospital, the Prisons Department confirmed. On 29 August, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court further remanded Rajapaksa until 12 September, rejecting a bail application filed on his behalf. Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanka S. Bodaragama ordered that he remain in custody until the specified date. Rajapaksa was arrested...
News Room : UK Deputy PM Resigns Over Underpaid Property Tax
British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner resigned on Friday after saying she deeply regretted her mistake of underpaying property tax on a new home, in a damaging blow for her boss, Prime Minister Keir Starmer. After Britain’s independent adviser ruled that she had breached the ministerial code by failing to pay the correct tax, there was little Starmer could do...
News Room : Ella Bus Tragedy: Passenger and Conductor Recall Panic as Vehicle Goes Out of Control
One of the survivors of the horrific Ella bus accident shared his harrowing experience with the media. “Near a bend in Ella, someone said the brakes were not working. I was sitting on the bonnet, talking with others. The driver said it, and then the conductor laughed. Then those sitting below also laughed. Someone sitting on the other side also...
News Room : Interim Order Issued on Case Against Ravi Seneviratne
The Court of Appeal has issued an interim order halting the trial against Defence Ministry Secretary and retired SDIG Ravi Seneviratne, which was being heard before the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court. Seneviratne faces charges including driving under the influence of alcohol and failing to prevent a road accident in 2023. The order was issued after considering a petition filed by Seneviratne...