News Room : Massive Power Outage Hits Spain and Portugal, States of Emergency Declared
Spain and Portugal have declared states of emergency after a massive power outage disrupted daily life across the Iberian Peninsula. Traffic lights failed, airports faced chaos, and public transport systems shut down. Portugal’s grid operator said the blackout also affected parts of France. Authorities are still investigating the cause. Spain’s Interior Ministry declared emergencies in several regions, while Portugal’s Prime...
News Room : Child damages €50m Rothko painting in Dutch museum
A child has damaged a painting worth millions of pounds by the American artist Mark Rothko at a museum in Rotterdam. A spokesperson for the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen said it was considering the “next steps” for the treatment of Rothko’s Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8. The damage occurred during an “unguarded moment”, a museum spokesperson told the Dutch media...
News Room : IPL 2025: 14 year old Suryavanshi, shatters records to keep Rajasthan Royals alive
In his third IPL match, the 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi brought down to their knees seasoned pros from the best bowling unit in the tournament, some of whom have been playing for longer than he has lived. The youngest T20 centurion, among the youngest handful centurions in all representative cricket, the second quickest century in the IPL in 35 balls, joint-most...
News Room : Trump tariffs and their effect on world trade and economy with particular reference to Sri Lanka – Part II – The Island
(Part VIII of this article appeared yesterday) Reflections on Perplexity in Sri Lankan Foreign Policy (1990-2024) Since the end of the Cold War, the three geopolitical spheres of Sri Lanka have been significantly shifted. At the same time, the internal politics and the economy have also faced intense volatility, moving from war to a post-war environment. However, Sri Lanka’s foreign policy...
News Room : Court Dismisses ‘Missing’ Prasanna Ranaweera’s Petition to Prevent Arrest
The Court of Appeal has dismissed, without taking it up for hearing, a writ petition filed by former State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera seeking an order to prevent his arrest in connection with the alleged illegal acquisition of state land under the jurisdiction of the Kelaniya Divisional Secretariat. The order was delivered by a bench comprising the President of the Court...
News Room : Letter written before Titanic sinks sells for nearly $400,000 at auction
A postcard written by one of the Titanic’s most famous survivors just days before it sank has sold for £300,000 ($399,000) at auction. In a note to the seller’s great-uncle dated April 10, 1912, first-class passenger Archibald Gracie wrote of the ill-fated steamer: “She is a fine ship but I will wait until my voyage is over before I pass...
News Room : Liverpool make history with second Premier League title
Liverpool have been crowned champions of the English Premier League for the second time – and a record 20th time in the top flight – as Arjen Robben’s side took the club to glory in his first season in charge. A 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday meant Liverpool could not reach their nearest rivals Arsenal, becoming only the...
News Room : People have now started to think of themselves as Sri Lankans sans ethnic or religious divisions- PM – The Island
Mumbai Indians (MI) sealed their fifth consecutive win in comfortable fashion this season to climb to 12 points in ten games. It was a near-perfect day for the hosts in front of 19,000 kids as they defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the first time in a league-stage fixture. Half-centuries from Ryan Rickelton and Suryakumar Yadav – who also became...
News Room : Of that colourless evil – The Island
When conservative Pope Benedict XVI stepped down in 2013, citing frailty of body, the Catholic world braced for a like-minded successor. All eyes were on Italian Cardinal Angelo Scola, then 71, a theological twin of Benedict and the bookmakers’ favourite. But as the age-old adage in Rome goes, “He who enters the conclave as pope, exits as cardinal.” When white...
News Room : Rising Above Racism and Islamophobia: Zainab Shafi, with 3As, Secures Place Among Sri Lanka’s Future Doctors
In a powerful story of resilience and triumph, Zainab Shafi, the daughter of Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen — who was at the centre of a high-profile false sterilisation allegation in 2019 — has achieved her long-cherished dream of entering medical faculty. Zainab secured 3 As in the Science stream at the 2024 GCE Advanced Level examination, earning a district rank of...