Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday (24) said that all agreements with the USAID (United States Agency for International Development) had been approved by Parliament. Ex-parliamentarian Jayasuriya emphasized that not only USAID projects but all such agreements with external parties had been implemented in a similar manner. The former Speaker said so when The Island sought…
The government is focusing on providing packs of essential food items to low-income earners in preparation for the upcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year. In order to make policy decisions related to ensuring food security, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, K.D. Lalkantha, and Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Wasantha…
The Director of the Astronomy and Space Sciences Unit at the University of Colombo’s Department of Physics, Prof. Chandana Jayaratne, says that a rare celestial phenomenon is currently taking place, allowing Sri Lankans the observation of seven planets of the solar system aligned in a row. According to Professor Jayaratne, this remarkable event will be…
An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 hit the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday morning, with tremors felt in Kolkata and several parts of West Bengal. India’s National Center for Seismology (NCS) reported that the quake occurred at 6:10am. An India Meteorological Department official told news agency PTI that the earthquake was recorded near Puri in Odisha….
The spot gold price is trading at record highs and targets the psychological $3000 mark amid flight-to-safety inflows due to growing uncertainties regarding the Ukraine-Russia war and US President Trump’s tariff threats. Support can now be spotted around the recent record highs at $2942 to $2940, which because of inverse polarity, might act as a…
A warning has been issued to 2.5 billion Gmail users over a ‘devastating scam’ that is said to allow hackers to steal banking and sensitive data. While we can all everything we can to ensure our devices are as secure as they possibly can be, some things are sometimes just out of our hands. Cybercriminals…
The Department of Meteorology says showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in Galle, Matara, Kaluthara and Rathnapura districts in the evening or night. Mainly dry weather will prevail elsewhere over the island. Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces during the…
Sanjeewa Kumara Saman Rathna, also known as Ganemulle Sanjeewa, an organized crime figure, was shot dead at the Hultsdorf No. 05 Court Complex this morning (19) . Sri Lanka police reported that the shooting was carried out with a revolver. Ganemulle Sanjeewa was attending a court hearing when the incident occurred. The assailant, disguised as…
The Ministry of Digital Economy says that steps are being taken to issue digital identity cards starting from April 2025. Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne said that the process for collecting data for this purpose, is now in its final stages. It is planned to provide facilities for the general public to supply data through their…
The Meteorology Department has issued a Heat Index Advisory for Northern, North-central, North-western, Western and Southern provinces and Rathnapura district, effective for today(Feb 18). Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is expected to increase up to ‘caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central, North-western, Western and Southern provinces and Rathnapura district, it…
