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The Island - July 15, 2025

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In this issue

July 15, 2025

US Senate report slams 'stunning failures' of Secret Service in Trump assassination attempt

IANS: US Senator Rand Paul, Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), released the Committee's final report on Sunday \"regarding what can only be described as stunning failures by the United States Secret Service (USSS) that allowed then-former President Donald Trump to be shot on 13 July, 2024, in an attempted assassination, in Butler, Pennsylvania.\"

1 mins

Air India CEO: Prelim Al-171 crash report found no mechanical or maintenance issues with aircraft or engines

SNS: Air India CEO and Managing Director, Campbell Wilson, on Monday, said that the preliminary investigation report into the Air India AI-171 crash, in Ahmedabad, has found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or engines, and that all mandatory maintenance tasks had been completed.

1 mins

Demand grows for BrahMos missiles – Indian Defence Minister

Around 15 nations have shown an interest in buying long-range BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, the country’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said. The weapons were successfully used by India during its military confrontation with Pakistan in May, RT reported.

1 mins

GMOA swings into action on Vithana's disclosure of MPs' salaries, etc.

The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) has sought an explanation from Parliament regarding how PAYE (Pay As You Earn) is applied to parliamentarians.

3 mins

CID accused of obtaining telephone details without court approval

Civil society activist Chirantha Amarasinghe has, in a letter to the Secretary to the Public Security Ministry, Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne (retd.), raised a contentious issue of law enforcement authorities obtaining information pertaining to telephone calls, without court intervention.

1 mins

Kirinda sand mining project given to Korean Co.: Rajitha seeks anticipatory bail

Former Minister Rajitha Senaratne has filed an anticipatory bail application before the Colombo Magistrate's Court, seeking release on bail in the event of his arrest by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

1 mins

Vavuniya protest demanding repealing of PTA

A group of individuals gathered in Vavuniya over the weekend to take part in a signature campaign organised by the Movement for Equal Rights, calling for the repeal of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), justice for the forcibly disappeared, and the establishment of a new political framework that guarantees equal rights for all, according to Tamil Guardian online report posted on 12 July. Participants demanded urgent accountability for enforced disappearances during and after the armed conflict, and claimed continued use of the PTA to target minority communities and suppress dissent.

1 mins

Committee on High Posts approves appointments of four Ministry Secretaries

The Committee on High Posts, which met recently under the patronage of the Prime Minister, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya in Parliament, has given its approval for the appointment of four new Ministry secretaries.

1 mins

Marikkar elected Chairman of SOC on Infrastructure and Strategic Development

MP S.M. Marikkar was elected the Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development.

1 mins

There was something here before – Exhibition by Zahira Asmal

Colonial link between Cape Town and Colombo

2 mins

Indian HC visits descendants of Sanghamitta Maha Theri's entourage

Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha recently visited Vihara Kallanchiya and met the Maha Duraya Jayawardhana and Heads of the nine villages responsible in the current generation for safeguarding the sacred Maha Bodhi tree.

1 mins

Stranded British F-35B fighter jet in Kerala may finally fly back home

A British F-35B fighter jet, stranded at an Indian airport for nearly a month, is expected to fly back home as early as next week, Indian officials said.

1 mins

Poaching: 24 boats, 181 Indians taken into custody so far this year

In spite of specific warnings issued by fisheries minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar to Indian poachers, trawlers are continuously crossing the Indo-Lanka maritime boundary.

1 mins

Reflections on Cuba, BRICS and geopolitics

Is BRICS the alternative to both authoritarian socialism and neoliberal capitalism, the path to resolving the crisis in Cuba and much of the world? ... The BRICS alliance provides a much-needed platform to explore alternative mechanisms like the New Development Bank and bilateral trade agreements to reduce reliance on Western financial institutions, such as the IMF and currencies, specifically the US dollar. While BRICS rejects certain aspects of Western dominated geopolitics and hierarchical NorthSouth relations, it upholds neoliberal economic principles: competition, free trade, open markets, export-led growth and globalisation, unfettered technological expansion.

6 mins

'Daily shooting of wild elephants' in Sri Lanka? Govt. gives out guns

An AVAAZ petition addressed to Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake by Champa Fernando, President of the Kandy Animal Advocacy Organization KACPAW, alleges “Daily shooting of wild elephants after a government member of Parliament called upon citizens to ‘shoot any animal that wanders into their lands,’ openly inviting them to act in contravention of the Fauna & Flora Protection Ordinance with impunity, issuing 13,207 firearms as of now to deal with crop damage, and publicising off-the-cuff that we have ‘4,000, too many wild elephants.’

4 mins

Easter truth can be the beginning

There has long been speculation that the Easter bombing of April 2019 had a relationship to Sri Lankan politics.

5 mins

Fund-raising project

Sing-Along 2025, a fund-raising project, to raise much needed funds for a worthy cause, the Denipitiya Medical Mission, will be held this Friday, 18th July, from 7.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. at the Grand Bolgoda Hotel, St Peter's Road, Moratuwa.

1 mins

Selena Gomez and Blanco mapping out their big day!

Record producer and songwriter Benny Blanco opened up about his personal life, career, and mental health in a candid new interview, with Blanco reflecting on his relationship with fiancée Selena Gomez, sharing heartfelt stories about his struggles with OCD (a mental health condition), and reminiscing about working with a teenage Billie Eilish at the start of her career.

1 mins

Multi-faceted Sri Lankan celebrity... checking out land of birth

I was sent a video of Noeline Honter doing the song 'Beauty Land the Beast', with Maxi Rosairo, live on stage.

2 mins

Global fashion house Prada may promote Kolhapuri Chappals from India

In a landmark move that could redefine the global perception and value of Indian craftsmanship, the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA) has initiated a cultural collaboration with global fashion house Prada.This follows Prada's Spring-Summer 2026 showcase in Milan in Italy, where designs inspired by the iconic Kolhapuri chappals were presented as “toe-free sandals” without crediting the artisans or acknowledging their Indian origin.

1 mins

Was the Air India crash caused by pilot error or technical fault? None of the theories holds up ... yet

Over the weekend, the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released a preliminary report on last month's crash of Air India flight 171, which killed 260 people, 19 of them on the ground.

3 mins

APIIT University highlights importance of holistic student development

Ravindranath Wijenathan: 'Sports critically important'.

2 mins

'Helmet if you Love' project glows in Ratnapura

Automobile Association of Ceylon (AAC), the oldest & largest motoring organization in Sri Lanka, is well known as the “Voice of the Motorists” and “Partner in Motoring”.

1 mins

'Bit of Sole' celebrates 45th anniversary with pomp and glamour

One of Sri Lanka's leading heritage shoemaking brands 'Bit of Sole' which has earned international recognition for its pure leather customised, handcrafted shoes, celebrated its 45th anniversary recently with pomp and glamour.

2 mins

Pathfinder Foundation conducts Diplomatic Dialogue on energy independence for Sri Lanka

The Pathfinder Foundation hosted the 6th session of its \"Dialogue with Diplomats\" series recently at the Courtyard by Marriott, Colombo.

1 mins

Bridjin enters transaction advisory space with one of Sri Lanka’s largest mergers & acquisition deals in recent years

Transaction value LKR 3.2 billion

2 mins

Justice Wears a Human Face: CIPM Sri Lanka and SLJI empower judges beyond the Bench

In an inspiring and forward-thinking initiative, the Sri Lanka Judges’ Institute (SLJI), in collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) Sri Lanka, conducted a pioneering capacity-building workshop on Human Resource Management and the Human Side of Justice for newly appointed Magistrates and District Judges.

2 mins

Can refrigeration preserve coffee quality?

Coffee, often considered the lifeblood of the working world and the soul of breakfast tables, has sparked a new debate among aficionados and casual drinkers alike: Can refrigerating coffee preserve its quality? At a time when premium beans and artisanal blends are increasingly prized, the question of how best to store coffee has become more than just kitchen curiosity—it’s about safeguarding taste and aroma.

2 mins

Siraj fined for Ben Duckett send-off at Lord's

India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has been fined 15 percent of his match fee and handed one demerit point for sending off Ben Duckett on the fourth day of the third Test against England at Lord's. It amounted to a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct.

1 mins

Australia hold the edge after 15-wicket day

Alzarri has picked three wickets in the innings.

2 mins

Fifa hailing of Club World Cup 'a fiction' says player union

Fifa's hailing of its Club World Cup has been labelled \"nothing more than a fiction\" by the president of leading players' global union Fifpro.

2 mins

'Everything except easy' - how Sinner bounced back to win Wimbledon

Three championship points. Jannik Sinner had been here before. Just 35 days earlier, to be exact.

3 mins

Idupa joins sub 46 club, bags best athlete title

Schoolboy Kalhara Idupa Silva joined an elite group of Sri Lanka's 400 metres sprinters when he achieved a massive personal best time of 45.99 seconds to win the men's 400 metres at the Western Province Athletics Championship of the National Sports Festival concluded at Diyagama on Sunday.

2 mins

Asalanka vows to bounce back after Dambulla drubbing

Skipper Charith Asalanka has promised a swift turnaround after Sri Lanka's crushing defeat in the second T20I against Bangladesh left the three-match series level at 1-1.