News Room : UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka amplifies industry leadership – The Island
UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka is introducing a transformative patron structure for its Working Groups, set to take effect in 2025. This initiative strengthens the Network’s commitment to advancing corporate sustainability by amplifying the leadership of select companies within their respective issue areas. The Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed on March 20, 2025, at the 80 Club,...
News Room : Driver of ‘Pillayan’ Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan Arrested by CID
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) this evening arrested the driver of former MP Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, widely known as ‘Pillayan’, in connection with the 2006 abduction and disappearance of former Eastern University Vice Chancellor, Professor S. Raveendranath. This latest arrest comes as part of an intensified investigation into the unresolved case that has haunted the academic community for nearly two decades....
News Room : US senator meets man mistakenly deported to El Salvador
A US senator has met with a man who admitted to being mistakenly deported from Maryland to a mega prison in El Salvador by Trump administration officials. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen posted photos of his meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who the administration has refused to allow to return to the US despite a federal judge’s order. After the meeting,...
News Room : Military intelligence tips off police about stash of Kerala cannabis
A suspect was arrested on Wednesday along with a stock of Kerala cannabis with a street value of approximately Rs. 15 million, concealed a house at Kilinochchi. The search operation, carried out jointly by the STF and the Kilinochchi Police based on the intelligence, led to the detection of the cannabis stash in a house located in the Puliyampokkanai, Dharmapuram...
News Room : Two Under-18 Athletes Lose Medals for Major Misconduct
Two young Sri Lankan athletes have been disqualified from their sprint events at the 2025 Asian Youth Athletics Championships in Saudi Arabia for failing to arrive on time for the event. According to one of the athletes’ coaches, the two sprinters were scheduled to report for the women’s Under-18 1500m event 35 minutes before the start, but the accompanying officials...
News Room : Profit-booking pushes gold to all-time high
Gold fell on Thursday as investors booked profits after gold hit an all-time high earlier in the session, as U.S. restrictions on chip sales to China and continued tariff uncertainty boosted safe-haven demand for the metal. Spot gold was up 0.1% at $3,338.81 an ounce by 0436 GMT, after hitting a record high of $3,357.40 earlier in the session. Gold...
News Room : Home Alone 2 Director Fears Deportation If Trump Cameo Cut
In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Chris Columbus shared that he wants to remove Donald Trump’s cameo from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Home Alone 2 director Chris Columbus has expressed his desire to remove US President Donald Trump’s cameo from the popular film, calling it a “curse” and an “albatross.” In an interview with the San...
News Room : Maldives bans tourists with Israeli passports due to Gaza war
The Maldives has changed its immigration law to ban people with Israeli passports from entering the country in a show of anger over the war in Gaza. According to a statement from the presidential office, the amendment was passed by parliament on Monday and approved by President Mohamed Muuse on Tuesday. The Maldives Immigration Service clarified that Israeli citizens with a...
News Room : Sanctions on Chinese refiner over purchase of more than $1 billion worth of Iranian crude
The United States imposed sanctions on Wednesday on Chinese refiner Shandong Shengxing Chemical Co. Ltd for purchasing more than $1 billion worth of Iranian crude, as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to increase pressure on Tehran. The move will increase pressure on Chinese importers of Iran, including efforts to bring its oil exports to zero, the U.S. Treasury Department said...
News Room : Schoolboy Dies After Falling from Grease Pole (Lissana Gaha)
A 16-year-old schoolboy has died after falling from grease pole (Lissana Gaha) while helping prepare for an Avurudu festival scheduled to be held in Elpitiya today (17 April). The tragic incident took place at the playground near Siriwijayaramaya Temple in Amugoda, Pitigala, during festival preparations. According to Pitigala Police, the boy fell from a 40-foot-tall grease pole and later succumbed...