Renuka Perera expresses a new view on Duminda's release

A suspicion arises whether there is an agreement between the judiciary and Nawaloka Hospital says UPFA Member for Western Provincial Council Renuka Perera.

Participating at the TV political programme 'Janahanda' Mr. Renuka Perera doubts whether Duminda Silva's release on bail could have been due to this secret agreement. He said a suspicion has been created among the masses regarding the manner Mr. Duminda Silva was released from the hospital.

He further said an issue regarding the system of law in the country exists where the affluent is treated in one way and the others are treated in another manner.

Riot at Maharagama UC sitting

A tense atmosphere surfaced at the monthly meeting of the Maharagama UC yesterday when the report of the Standing Committee on Finance was taken up for discussion and the chairperson walked out without answering members’ questions.

When the report was taken up the Leader of the Opposition Rodney Presser questioned about the building purchased by the UC for the Sisilasa park public library in Boralesgamuwa. He said that the building purchased for Rs.10.2 million during the UNP regime had been abandoned for seven years and now the UC was planning to use it for other purposes. The chairperson said the National Library Services Board had not recommended the building for a library. Heated arguments ended in fisticuffs between the opposition members and those of the ruling party when member Ruwan Jayasinghe requested the chairperson to produce the relevant documents.

Bodies of mother, two children found

Bodies of 39-year-old mother and her two children aged 7 and 9 were found from a house in Kotagala, Karandeniya this afternoon, Police said.

Police said that bodies were recovered after area people informed them about a bad smell coming from the house.

Govt to enhance science education by 2016

Minister of Education Bandula Gunawardena said measures are underway to increase the percentage of students studying science by 2016, while reducing the percentage of students studying in the arts stream.

Accordingly, the Ministry wishes to increase the percentage of science students to 40 percent, while the percentage of arts students is to be reduced to 25 percent. The Ministry also expects to increase the percentage of students studying Information Communication Technology to 75 percent, the Minister said.

From this year, the Ministry has launched the technology stream in addition to the traditional science, commerce and arts streams. Any student who has passed science and mathematics with credits to three other subjects can study the technology stream.

Ministries should work to derive maximum benefit for country - President

Signing of agreements with foreign countries related to development and technical information exchanges will amount to a mere farce, if ministries do not take follow up action and explore the opportunities presented by them, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said.

He said ministries should pay close attention to such MOUs and details which are relevant to their fields and initiate follow up action with the aim of deriving maximum benefits for the country. President Rajapaksa noted the above when Irrigation and Water Resources Management Ministry Secretary Ivan Silva suggested that Sri Lanka should sign a scientific and technical exchanges agreements with a foreign country, possibly Thailand to develop subsidiary Food Crop cultivations in the Mahaweli zone. The Secretary made the suggestion at the development review meeting of the ministry held under the patronage of the President at the Ministry premises.

The President in reply said that although Sri Lanka signs many MOU’s with other countries on development and technical information sharing in many fields it was doubtful whether authorities take full use of them.

During the meeting the President also looked into other issues relevant to the sector. He highlighted public complaints, looked into the needs of the ministry and discussed challenges obstructing further development.

One of the issues highlighted was the lack of technical officers and engineers where the President advised both Secretary Silva and Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva to look into the matter and come up with a viable solution.

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa meanwhile suggested that paddy varieties with a high quality should be introduced in the Mahaweli zone with the intention of exporting the excess yield. President Rajapaksa advised officials to pay close attention to the suggestion.

The President also drew attention of the officials to protecting the catchment areas and advised them to take strict action to prevent encroachment and other harmful activities. He also requested the Ministry to prepare a cabinet paper with proposals to protect catchment areas. He also highlighted several complaints received from the public about discrepancies related to distribution of Mahaweli lands among farmers and advised officials to investigate the allegations.

President Rajapaksa also requested the Ministry Secretary to provide compensation without delay for private lands acquired for development purposes.

He drew attention of officials about vehicles belonging to the ministry which lie idle in various places without proper use and advised them to repair those possible and sell the obsolete ones.

He also advised officials that monies should be paid for projects done by private firms only after receiving confirmation that they are up to required quality standards.

While paying attention to irrigation systems and tanks damaged due to floods the President told officials that the government in future will make a separate allocation in the budget to repair such damages.

The President also advised officials to take prompt action against issues highlighted in the media and added that a viable reply to such issues should be sent without delay.

The President also evaluated Key Performance Indicators against agreed targets by the ministry.

President Rajapaksa is stated to visit all key ministries to review the work in progress. He earlier visited the Education Ministry and the Land Ministry.

Hirunika wants MR to provide solution for Duminda Silva situation

Hirunika Premachandra, daughter of slain politician, Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, said Saturday the President should provide a solution to the 'Duminda Silva situation,' and complained, "the man who destroyed four families has now gone to meet the President."

Premachandra, addressing the media after UPFA Colombo district MP Duminda Silva – a suspect in the murder of her father – was released on bail and discharged from the hospital Saturday, said international claims of human rights violations in Sri Lanka "must have some truth in them, if such situations are allowed by the law."

She charged the doctors, who had commented on the state of MP Silva's health, claiming him to be of a fragile condition, were 'lying despite their profession.'

Premachandra also alleged the police and 'other authorities involved' had shown no responsibility when dealing with Silva, expressing shock at the fact that he had been given police protection whilst in Sri Lanka.

She expressed doubt over Silva being shot in the head, and declared that he should have no trouble showing up in Courts, if he was able to walk out of a hospital 'that easily.'

Commenting on the possibility of Silva taking up office in Parliament again in the near future, she said, "A politician is someone who must be able to represent the people. Elections must be held to see if the people truly want Silva back. Just because he has supporters around him, it doesn't mean the majority is on his side," she said.

Premachandra also claimed 'the power of wealth' was displayed for all to see when Silva was granted bail, and also expressed suspicion over the recent increase of the electricity bill, speculating that it was a smokescreen behind which the bail of Sliva would go unnoticed by the public.

Sampanthan denies reports of a rift

TNA Leader, R. Sampanthan, has denied reports of a split within the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). Speaking at the S.J.V. Chelvanayagam memorial event on Friday (26), he said: "There is much speculation in the media, some of which is unfortunately mischievous, in regard to dissension within the TNA. I wish to categorically say there is no dissension whatsoever, within the TNA on any matter of policy, pertaining to the future of the Tamil people. Every constituent party of the TNA is committed to work in unity, towards a future for the Tamil people marked by equality, self respect, dignity and the fulfilment of their legitimate aspirations."

He added, the written submissions made by the TNA for a political solution, which had been rejected by the government were within the framework of a united and undivided Sri Lanka. The proposals are in consonance with proposals made under the auspices of successive governments including the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government, he stressed, charging that though the government had agreed in March 2011 to respond in writing to the proposals of the TNA, the government has up to date failed to do so.

An agreement arrived at between the government and the TNA with regard to the structure and the process relating to the talks had been recorded in the minutes of the said bilateral talks. The TNA had never deviated from the said agreements.

"The government defaulted in attending bilateral talks fixed for the 17, 18 and 19 January 2012, in violation of the said agreements," he said, adding the government has not reacted positively to efforts to overcome the impasse.

"The government's biggest impediment is it does not speak with one voice and the voices of those who speak in public in the name of the government, are generally negative," he said, adding the government was solely responsible for the current stalemate on the talks.

Some TN parties object to TELO resolution

Leading Tamil Nadu political parties have raised objections to a resolution adopted by the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) at its recent convention calling for a political solution that falls short of a separate state, party officials said Saturday.

TELO had its annual convention at Vavuniya last week and adopted a resolution, among others, calling for the re-merger of the North and the East and the evolution of a federal solution.  The party’s newly appointed National Organiser M.K. Sivajilingam has told local media that Tamil Nadu political party representatives were not happy about it.
However, Sivajilingam declined to reveal the names of these Tamil Nadu parties that contacted him over the phone.

TELO is the pioneer armed group that led an insurgency against the state.  It was after the signing of the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord that TELO, along with some other militant groups, joined the democratic stream. The party was registered in 1987 and since then, it has enjoyed parliamentary representation with TELO members Selvam Adaikkalanathan and Vino Noharathalingam in the current Parliament. They contested on the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) ticket.
Sivajilingam said no Tamil party would demand a separate state in Sri Lanka after the war ended in 2009.

Lankan expat nabbed for beating maids

A Sri Lankan expatriate has been arrested for beating fellow nationals seeking work in Saudi Arabia as domestic workers. He was nabbed in Colombo by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), with police assistance, shortly after arriving for his annual vacation.
The man was exposed when amateur footage was screened on several television channels showing him abusing Sri Lankan maids in a room at a safe house in Saudi Arabia.

Mangala Randeniya, deputy general manager of the SLFBE, told Arab News from Colombo that the man was a sub-agent in Saudi Arabia. “As the incident happened in Saudi Arabia, the SLFBE is consulting with the Attorney General’s Department, seeking assistance on the charges that can be leveled against him,” he said.
The legal department of the SLBFE is also monitoring the situation, he added.

Randeniya said the man was found beating and kicking some maids when they were kept in detention by the Saudi job agent before they were transferred to various sponsors in the Kingdom. They were abused because they did not want to go to houses chosen by the local agent.

The women were recruited under the now banned “Court Wakala” system, where visas are obtained by Saudi job agents for domestic workers. The housemaids are then detained in a safe house before being sent to their employers

Southern Provincial Education Minister expresses displeasure regarding Isurupaya

 
Southern Provincial Minister of Education Chandima Rasaputra states that he has questions regarding the activities of the Ministry of Education in Isurupaya.

He made this statement while speaking at a function held in Sangamitta College, Galle which was attended by the minister of education Bandula Gunawardena.

The Southern Provincial Minister of Education stated that the support provided by the Ministry of Education to solve the educational issue in the Southern Province is insufficient.

Following the address by the Southern Provincial Minister of Education, Minister of Education Bandula Gunawardena addressed the gathering.

Responding to the claims made by Minister Rasaputra, Minister Bandula Gunawardena stated that when taking decisions regarding national education, he does not give preference to a particular province.

MP R. Duminda Silva leaves hospital to obtain blessings from President

MP R. Duminda Silva who sustained grievous gunshot injuries to his head left the Nawaloka hospital in Colombo at around 11.30 this morning.
MP R. Duminda Silva who was admitted to a hospital in Singapore arrived in the island on the 5^th of March & was subsequently admitted to the Nawaloka hospital in Colombo.

Expressing his views to the media prior to his departure MP R. Duminda Silva noted that he was headed for the presidential palace in order to receive the blessings of the President.

A large number of well wishers were witnessed outside the Nawaloka hospital in Colombo prior to the departure of MP R. Duminda Silva since early this morning.

A large effort was put in by security forces to escort MP R. Duminda Silva out of the hospital premises.

Despite wave of violent crime, SL remains wary of death penalty

The South Asian island nation of Sri Lanka, which emerged from the ruins of a 30-year war only four years ago, is now contending with a rise in violent crime, including murders,

which has renewed talk from some politicians who want to implement capital punishment.

The death penalty is on the books in Sri Lankan jurisprudence -- indeed, rapists, murderers and drug dealers are handed the ultimate verdict routinely, but no executions have been carried out in the country since 1976.

For example, earlier this month, the operator of a private passenger bus who was blamed for negligence in an accident that killed 41 people was sentenced to death by a high court. Another 461 prisoners are languishing in Sri Lanka prisons, awaiting the hangman's noose -- some for as long as a quarter-century -- with no knowledge of their impending fates, trapped in a kind of limbo.

C. Pallegama, the new chief of the country's prison system, said he wants to resolve the legal status of inmates condemned to death.

"Personally I don't agree with capital punishment," Pallegama told the BBC.

"Some [death row] prisoners have completed 20 years, 24 years, so there is a problem -- their unrest, their stress."

Pallegama was referring to a number of prison riots that have resulted in the deaths of dozens of inmates and raised questions about the culpability of prison guards and security officials brought in to quell the disturbances.

Pallegama, who has met personally with death row prisoners, said the prisoners had "been given severe punishments" and were "suffering," adding that they either want to be executed or formally sentenced to life in prison. (Death row prisoners in Sri Lanka typically have their terms commuted to life sentences, but many remain in legal limbo).

Meanwhile, some prominent Sri Lankan lawmakers have openly called for the execution of condemned prisoners.

Tissa Karaliyadda, Child Development and Women's Affairs Minister, told The Nation that the death penalty should automatically be applied to convicted rapists.

Similarly, Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told the Daily News paper: "The death penalty should be implemented for child molesters and drug lords."

Their voices, often supported by the mass media and even religious figures, come amid horrific bloodshed in what was once an island paradise -- Sri Lanka reports at least 750 homicides annually (including some particularly brutal murders of children and the elderly) and untold thousands of sexual assaults and cases of child abuse.

In a broader context, the civil war between the majority Sinhalese government troops and Tamil rebel separatists hangs over the question of capital punishment. Although no 'Tamil Tigers' are presently on death row, the Sri Lankan government military's history of murdering, torturing and summarily executing rebels during the final weeks of the war would suggest that the state (including its armies of "death squads") has never really stopped the killing of what it perceives to be "criminals."

Some critics blame the rising tide of violence on the legacy of that civil war, as well as a growing wealth gap in Sri Lanka.

"The brutalizing impact of war has been compounded by a worsening economic crisis that is deepening the social divide between rich and poor, and creating festering social problems," wrote Sanjaya Jayasekera for the World Socialist Web Site.

"Many of the murders, often of rape victims, are taking place in rural areas where poverty is rampant. Almost a quarter of Sri Lankans live below the official poverty line, and four-fifths of the poor live in rural areas."

Jayasekera also accuses soldiers (some with ties to ruling politicians and organized crime figures) who fought in the civil war of committing many of the violent crimes attributed to so-called "common criminals."

"Over the past two decades, around 65,000 soldiers deserted the army," he said.

"Some 36,400 of them have been arrested since the end of the war in 2009. Many who remain at large belong to an extensive criminal underworld with close connections to politicians, from the local level right up to government ministers. As well as being involved in drug peddling and other forms of organized crime, these thugs carry out political violence in return for protection."

Meanwhile, the Colombo government continues to hem and haw over its view of the death penalty.

Sri Lanka even abstained on a vote in December 2012 at the UN General Assembly that called for global moratorium of capital punishment.

SLTB loses increase to Rs3.8bn

Sri Lanka Transport Board's (SLTB) losses rose 15.5 percent to 3.8 billion rupees in 2012 and the Treasury had given 3.6 billion rupees in taxes collected from the people for loss making routes, official data has showed.

Revenues rose 25.1 percent to 26.3 billion rupees helped by a 20 percent fare increase from February 2012, the Central Bank's annual report said. But operating expenses had risen 23.8 percent to 30.1 billion rupees, pushing operating losses up 15.5 percent to 3.8 billion rupees in 2012 from 3.3 billion rupees in 2011.

The Treasury had given 2.2 billion rupees to the bus service to operate 'non-economical' routes and 1.2 billion rupees to provide 'season tickets', from taxes collected from the people.

Transferring taxes collected from the people themselves to 'subsidize' services to the people, known as 'income re-distribution' originated Western Europe and it works as long as people are not fully aware that they themselves pay the 'subsidy'.

The state has three means of getting money: taxes which increase the cost of living and makes domestic farming inefficient, borrowing which increases national debt and money printing, which depreciates the exchange rate and generates inflation.

The SLTB operated 338 million kilometres down 0.9 percent from 341 million a year earlier, but had managed to boost passenger kilometres by 8.4 percent to 19.5 billion. The total number of buses owned by SLTB had fallen from 7,821 to 7,750 despite new purchases due to sale of 1,750 broken down buses to private citizens to run. The average number of buses operated had fallen to 4,314 in 2012 compared to 4,365 a year earlier.

According to finance ministry data, the state bus service had 34,263 workers at the beginning of 2012, indicating that there were 7.8 workers per bus in 2012, and it would have worsened unless there were retirees. The number of privately owned buses had risen 3.8 percent to 20,444, while the operated average bus fleet had risen to 17,129 rupees.

Australia returns 25 more SL boat people home

Australia has deported another group of Sri Lankan asylum seekers today from Christmas Island, a territory of Australia where illegal immigrants to the country are detained.

A group of 25 Sri Lankan irregular maritime arrivals has been flown home from Christmas Island to Colombo involuntarily, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Brendan O'Connor announced Friday. All were recent arrivals but were not from the group of 66 which arrived at Geraldton earlier this month, of whom 38 have already been returned to Sri Lanka.

The group has been advised of their status and that they were subject to removal from Australia. None of the 25 people has raised issues that engaged Australia's international obligations.

"Without a valid visa they had no legal right to remain in Australia," the Minister said in a statement. With the latest send-off, since August 13, 2012, Australia has returned 820 Sri Lankans home involuntarily and a total of 1,029 both voluntarily and involuntarily.

"Returning this group to Sri Lanka sends the powerful message that people who pay smugglers are throwing their money away and risking their lives in the process," Mr. O'Connor said.

He said Australia is committed to breaking the evil people smuggling trade, deterring people from taking dangerous journeys by boat and saving lives at sea.

"When people arrive in Australia without authorization, any claims they make for their reasons to travel to Australia are assessed by the Department of Immigration. If these claims are not covered by the refugee convention, they will be returned to their homeland wherever possible," he said.

"There is no visa on arrival, there is no speedy outcome, and there is no special treatment," he said adding that Australia will continue to transfer people to offshore detention centers in Nauru and Manus Island. According to the Australian Minister, people returned involuntarily do not have access to reintegration assistance

Obama threatens daughters with 'family tattoo' America's first couple try their best to keep their daughters from getting tattoos

If they were thinking about getting tattoos, the Obama daughters may want to reconsider.

Speaking on NBC's "Today" show in a segment originally filmed before the Boston Marathon bombings, President Barack Obama revealed the strategy he and First Lady Michelle Obama have been using to keep their daughters away from tattoos.

"What we've said to the girls is, 'If you guys ever decide you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will get the exact same tattoo, in the same place, and we'll go on YouTube and show it off as a family tattoo,'" Obama said.

"Our thinking is that might dissuade them from thinking that somehow that's a good way to rebel."

During the segment, the president also said he understood his wife's "slip of the tongue" when she called herself a "single mother" in early April, noting that they were often apart for a week at a time when he was campaigning for the Senate and presidency.

"I tend to cut my wife or anybody some slack when it comes to just slips of the tongue," he said.

"But there's no doubt that there have been times where Michelle probably felt like a single mom ... She definitely, I think, understands the burdens that women in particular tend to feel if they're both responsible for child rearing and they're responsible for working at the same time," he added.

 

By Reuters

 

 

Photo: US President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia (L) and Sasha borad Air Force One at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. (AFP)

 

Pradeshiya Sabha Vice Chairman and police officers injured in brawl

The police says that they have launched extensive investigations into a brawl which is said to have erupted between police officers and two individuals including the Vice Chairman of the Buttala Pradeshiya Sabha.

The police said that two police officers on traffic duty in the Okkampittiya town have stopped and inspected the motorcycle on which the Vice Chairman was travelling.
A senior officer in charge of the area said that an argument has taken place regarding another individual accompanying the Vice Chairman without a helmet.

This has resulted in a brawl between the two parties.

The police said the two police officers on duty have been injured during the conflict.
They have later been admitted to the Buttala Hospital.

The senior police officer said the police officers have also allegedly fought back which resulted in the Vice Chairman of the Buttala Pradeshiya Sabha sustaining injuries.

A special investigation has been launched into the incident under an assistant superintendent of the police.

Accident kills Puttalam PS Chairman

Chairman of the Puttalam Pradeshiya Sabha Diluk Susara was killed by an accident this morning in Sittamadama, Deduru Oya, police said.

They said that the Chairman’s vehicle had collided with a lorry at the Sittamadama area, police said. The driver was admitted to the Chillaw hospital.

Arrested for selling flowers ----------------------------

Nine people including seven women were arrested while selling flowers illegally along the pavement near the Kalutara Bodhiya today, Police said.

They said separate places had been assigned for flower stalls and those engaged in selling flowers out side were arrested to avoid the inconveniences to devotees.

Meanwhile the flower sellers said they had been selling flowers in the area for several years and it was how they made a living.

All UK visa applications to be made on online

The British High Commission in Colombo yesterday said that from Monday May 6, 2013, applicants and their dependents who are applying for a UK visa will need to make their applications online. From this date, manually completed application forms will no longer be accepted.

Online applications and appointments will be mandated for all applications under the points based system, visitor and settlement routes. This means applicants will need to complete and submit the application form by visiting https://apply.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/iapply.portal.

Applicants will then need to print off a hard copy of their application form and make an online appointment to attend their nearest visa application centre (VAC).

They should bring the application form printout to their appointment at the VAC, along with the necessary supporting documentation. Applicants will need to give their biometrics (finger scans and digital photograph) at the VAC in line with the current practice.  

By completing and submitting a visa application online, the customer saves time when attending the visa application centre. This is because information about the application has been received and recorded. It is also possible for the relatives of applicants to assist them to complete their application online.

ICU closed at Castle Hospital

The Intensive Care Unit at the Castle Street Hospital for Women, Colombo is currently closed following a patient’s death due to infection.

“The patient who died at the ICU had been found infected. It is essential to investigate the premises as this is not a usual situation,” Director General of the Hospital Dr. W.D.K Wickremesinghe said.

He said that even though the hospital’s ICU was closed until the investigations are finalised, the Hospital was functioning as usual.

He said the ICU would be closed until the investigations were over. The hospital has another ICU, however.

“We will refrain from using the ICU until the investigations are finalised, but it won’t affect the day to day functions at the hospital. We have still got another ICU section. If it won’t be sufficient we will send the patients to the nearest Hospital’s ICU,” he said.

He said a committee of specialists and a representative from the Communicable Diseases Unit had been appointed to look into the issue under the directions of the Health Service Director General Dr. Palitha Mahipala.

Meanwhile, a special procedure had been implemented for admissions at the hospital under the committee’s recommendations.

“There are a few patients who were found to be infected in the wards as well. If there is an infected mother in labour, we will provide especial attention,” he said.

He also said it was better to consult a doctor if a pregnant mother has any respiratory infections with cold and fever.

“Presently there is an infection spreading in the country. As pregnant mothers’ immune is generally low, there is a risk of getting infected easily,” he said.

Govt. website hacked

The government Information Department’s official website www.news.lk was hacked by a group identifying itself as Sultan Brain this afternoon.

However, the Director General of the Information Department Dr. Ariyaratne Athugala told the Daily Mirror Online that the website was not hacked but the internet firewall had been compromised and the maintenance of the site was underway.

Saudi donation frees jailed Sri Lanka maids

A Saudi national has offered to pay 22,000 Saudi riyals (Dh21,539) to rescue two Sri Lankan domestic helpers from prison and leave Saudi Arabia.

The two helpers had absconded from the home of their employer, headed to their embassy in the Saudi capital Riyadh and insisted on not returning to work for their employer, local Arabic daily Al Riyadh reported on Wednesday.

The case was eventually taken by the employer to the Riyadh police and the two helpers, who were not identified, were told to honour the contract they had signed when they were hired to work in the kingdom.

The failure to resume work meant for each of the helper paying 11,000 riyals in compensation for travel from Sri Lanka to Saudi Arabia as well as paper work expenses, Gulf News has reported.

Man claims rape and torture upon return to Sri Lanka

A Tamil man living in Australia has detailed shocking claims of rape and torture at the hands of Sri Lankan army intelligence. Last year almost half of the asylum seekers who arrived in Australia were from Sri Lanka, which recently emerged from 30 years of brutal war.

The Government has been sending Sri Lankans home, claiming the threat of war and persecution is over. But one Sri Lankan Tamil living in Australia has told the ABC's 7.30 a very different and disturbing story.

Kumar, as 7.30 chose to call him, says just three weeks ago he was abducted, raped and tortured by Sri Lankan army officers. "I was naked and no place to sleep, except the floor like a dog. I felt like dying but I thought of my kids and family back here," he said.

Kumar arrived in Australia in 2008. He fled Sri Lanka after being interrogated and accused of links to the LTTE. He says he was working as a school bus driver when he was coerced by the Tigers to deliver parcels for them.

"I got afraid and I thought it's not safe to live in Sri Lanka any more," he said. Kumar's family joined him in Australia last year. In March, he needed to return home as his uncle fell ill.

Less than a week after he arrived home to manage his uncle's restaurant, Kumar says he and his brothers were abducted at gunpoint by two men in a white van. He was blindfolded and taken to a dark room with "dried blood" on the walls.

He says the men claimed to be army intelligence officers and grilled him about links to the LTTE, which he denied. "They came back and again started hitting me with a log at my back and now I've got a spine problem as well," Kumar said.

"The two guys were drunk and they came to me and they just put their hand on my body and they just rubbed me and I had some sexual torture as well." On the fourth and final day of his ordeal, Kumar's captors branded his back with hot irons.

"I thought that's the end of my life and I just fainted," Kumar said. "When they see my back they will know what has happened to me recently, because a lot of stories [do not] come out from Sri Lanka.

"I can't forget. No-one wants to get these kinds of things in their life. "I pray to God. No-one must get this kind of punishment."

Kumar says he only made it home because his uncle paid a $20,000 bribe to his captors. Soon after he returned Kumar went to see his local doctor, a fellow Sri Lankan Tamil who issued a referral for Kumar to get urgent psychiatric treatment for his trauma.

The doctor was so horrified by Kumar's injuries that he also sought help from the Tamil Refugee Council. The council consulted Louise Newman, an expert adviser on the mental health of asylum seekers.

Ms Newman says Kumar's is a "credible story". "He provides detail and is very preoccupied with some of the minute details of the actual atrocities that were performed on him which is very typical... of the accounts we get from people who have been through these sorts of experiences," she said.

Gordon Weiss, who was the United Nations spokesman in Sri Lanka during the war, agrees Kumar's story is believable.

"There have been a series of reports in just the last few months from the US state department, from Human Rights Watch, from the UN high commissioner for human rights, detailing this kind of treatment," he said.

"One has to remember that the people in charge of Sri Lanka at the moment have got a long history stretching back to the 1980s of using torture and abduction in order to suppress segments of the population."

But Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to Australia, Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, says the allegations are false. "If he has been treated in the manner that he has just explained by you, he is welcome to come and present it to me or present it to any government authority with his name and identity," he said.

"Sri Lanka is transparent. Our system of judiciary and investigation is transparent." The Australian Government has just returned 38 of the Sri Lankan asylum seekers who arrived by boat at Geraldton in Western Australia earlier this month.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr says there is no evidence their asylum claims are valid. "Since 2010 there has been no evidence of returnees being discriminated against or arrested, let alone tortured," he said.

"I think it's wrong to say Tamils live in fear and are fleeing their country." Kumar's injuries mean he cannot work and is now in danger of losing his visa. If that happens he faces deportation within a month, so his next step would be to apply for asylum.

Parliament adjourned till May 7

Parliament sessions have been adjourned until the 7 of May due to the protests by the UNP MP’s, our parliament sources have informed.

Parliament sessions were suspended for five minutes Wednesday after UNP MP’s protested holding candles against the electricity tariffs hike.

Parliament sessions were abruptly adjourned Tuesday till 1 PM Wednesday by Speaker of Parliament Chamal Rajapaksa, as Opposition members kept on protesting, demanding a debate on increased electricity tariffs.

Bangladesh factory building collapse kills nearly 100

An eight-storey block housing garment factories and a shopping center collapsed on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital on Wednesday, killing nearly 100 people and injuring hundreds more, officials said.

Fire fighters and army personnel worked frantically through the day at the Rana Plaza building in Savar, 30 km (19 miles) outside Dhaka, to rescue people trapped in the rubble. Television showed young women workers, some apparently semi-conscious, being pulled from the debris.

One fireman told Reuters that about 2,000 people were in the building when the upper floors jolted down on top of each other.

Bangladesh's booming garment industry has been plagued by fires and other accidents for years, despite a drive to improve safety standards. In November last year, 112 workers were killed in a blaze at the Tazreen factory in a nearby industrial suburb.

"It looks like an earthquake has struck here," said one resident as he looked on at the chaotic scene of smashed concrete and ambulances making their way through the crowds of workers and wailing relatives.

"I was at work on the third floor, and then suddenly I heard a deafening sound, but couldn't understand what was happening. I ran and was hit by something on my head," said Zohra Begum a worker at one of the factories.

An official at a control room set up to provide information about the missing and injured said that 96 people were confirmed dead and more than 700 were injured.

MP R. Dumindha Silva granted bail today

MP R. Dumindha Silva.Was granted bail by the Colombo High Court today.
Parliamentarian R. Dumindha Silva who received severe injuries at the Mulleriyawa shooting incident returned to the island after recuperating at a Hospital in Singapore on March 5th.
MP R Dumindha Silva was still receiving medical treatments at a private hospital in Colombo.

 

Chris Gayle scores fastest century in cricket history Chris Gayle scores fastest century in cricket history

Chris Gayle has set a new record for the fastest century in the history of professional cricket with an astonishing ton off just 30 balls for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.

The West Indian battered the Pune Warriors bowling attack with a century that included seven dot balls, four singles, eight fours and 11 sixes for the home side at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.

Gayle has been having a hit-and-miss IPL in 2013 thus far, with low scores coupled with an 85 off 50 balls and a 92 off 58. But his assault on the Pune bowling attack on Tuesday was in a different category all together.

The 30-ball ton beats the previous 34-ball Twenty20 record set by Australia’s Andrew Symonds. The record in 50-over cricket is Shahid Afridi’s 37-ball ton for Pakistan against Sri Lanka in 1996. The Test record belongs to Gayle’s fellow West Indian viv Richards, who flayed England for a 56-ball 100 in Antigua in 1986.

Railway trade unions call off strike

Railway trade unions have decided to call off their token strike scheduled to be held from midnight today, demanding a solution for their salary anomalies. 

The Railways Professional Trade Union Alliance stated that they had reached the decision to temporarily call off the strike action after authorities had agreed to discuss the issue tomorrow (23). 

Several railway trade unions were to take part in the token strike claiming that earlier discussions on the matter have been futile.

 

However when inquired, Transport Minister Kumar Welgama had stated that discussions were currently underway with trade unions regarding the matter.

Three injured in van-train collision

Three persons were injured and hospitalized after a van collided with a train this morning at a railway crossing near Siddhartha Maha Vidyalaya in Weligama.

A Matara-bound train arriving from Galle had come into contact with the van at around 11.30am today, the Police Spokesman’s Office said.

The injured persons, a middle-aged couple and an elderly woman, passengers of the van, have been admitted to the Weligama Hospital for treatment. However, they are not in critical condition, police said.

Flaming torch protests grip local councils

Protests against the recent increase in electricity tariffs are being carried out across the island, with opposition members of several provincial councils and local government bodies also joining in the agitations.

Opposition members of the Horana Pradeshiya Sabha and Anuradhapura Pradeshiya Sabha protest against the hike by entering their respective councils carrying flaming torches today.

Meanwhile opposition members of the Central Provincial Council have also attended the assembly carrying flaming torches.

The Ceylon Electricity Board announced last week it had received approval for the higher rates that will go into effect from Saturday.

The CEB had raised tariffs by more than 20 percent in 2011.

Parliament adjourned after uproar over power price hike

arliament was adjourned today after uproar by opposition MPs regarding the recent increase in electricity tariff,  parliament reporters said.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa informed that Parliament will be adjourned until 1.00pm tomorrow (24) after members of the opposition and the government had engaged in heated exchange of words.

Delivering a special statement on the “unreasonable” electricity tariff hike, Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga had called for a one-day parliament debate on the issue.

He stated that special emphasis should be given to this matter as it affects every sector of the economy.

Responding to this statement, Minister of Power and Energy Pavithra Wanniarachchi stated that the revision of the rates was made after concidering it for a long period.

Opposition MPs had reportedly interrupted Minister Wanniarachchi’s speech resulting in the uproar.

GMOA to strike on April 26

The powerful trade union of the state health sector, Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) has announced that the doctors of the government hospitals would launch a strike next week. The union is demanding the government to implement the promotion scheme of the government medical officers who have completed 10 years of service.

Media spokesman of the GMOA Dr. Naveen de Soyza said the doctors have been applying for the promotions for the last 18 months without any tangible results. GMOA has given time to the Ministry of Health to resolve the issue before April 23 to avoid the intended trade union action.

Ambitious plan to build 10 hotels around Mattala airport

The government plans to build 10 star class hotels in the vicinity of the country's new international airport in Mattala in Hambantota district of Southern Province sources said.

Sources said that the Hambantota district MP Namal Rajapaksa had detailed the projects at the Hambantota District Coordinating Committee meeting recently.

The MP has described that these hotels will have 15 rooms each and the ten hotels will add 1500 rooms to boost the tourism industry.

These hotels are to be constructed in scenic villages of Mirijjawila, Weerawila, Suriyaweva, Lunugamvehera, Wlipatanwila, Lellopitiya and several others in the area.

Under the plan to increase the accommodations for the expected influx of 2.5 million tourists by 2015 and with the opening of the new international airport, some old hotels in the area are being renovated with modern facilities now, sources said.

Victim's hand and feet tied in Catania boiler explosion

The explosion in Catania which caused the death of a 42-year-old Sri Lankan woman, Maduri Warnacula Saturday, is believe to have been planned. Her husband, 45-year-old Sarath Moragoda, almost died from the burns caused by the ensuing fire in their home.

Firemen discovered that the woman's hands and feet had been bound. Police officers from the piazza Dante district, coordinated by deputy prosecutor Agata Santonocito, are investigating the scene. A suicide-homicide is being counted as a possibility.

Mano Ganesan pelted with stones in Kotagala

Democratic People’s Front (DPF) leader, Mano Ganesan and his supporters were attacked with stones during a protest in Kotagala, Sunday morning demanding a wage hike for plantation workers.
The Up Country Trade Union Alliance (UTUA) had staged a protest in the Kotagala Town demanding a wage increase of Rs 520 per estate worker.

However, a group suspected to be supporters of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) had pelted stones at DPF leader during the protest, Ganesan has alleged.
He had said that one of the stones was directed at his head but he was able to block it with his hand, which was injured by the stone. Ganesan said he had received treatment at the Kotagala Hospital afterwards.

Mano Ganesan, President of the Democratic Workers’ Congress (DWS), a constituent of the UTUA, claimed that a large number of workers who had arrived from Hatton and Thalawakele were obstructed and prevented from taking part in the protest by police and CWC supporters.
He charged that this had hindered the planned protest, which will be staged at the Dimbulapathana Junction instead.

Fatal accident in Nittambuwa kills 4, injures 6

A collision between a three-wheeler and a van in the Kalagedihena area in Nittambuwa Sunday left four people dead and another six injured, police sources said.
The wounded have been admitted to the Gampaha Hospital for treatment, while the bodies of the deceased are currently placed in the hospital’s mortuary.
Nittambuwa Police is conducting further investigations into the accident. 

Road accident at Dambulla injures 23

Another road accident reported on Dambulla-Kurunegala road, near the Dambulla playground on Sunday, when a private bus had collided with a van injuring some 23 persons in the process, police sources said.

Electricity hike is unreasonable – Former Minister of Power & Energy

Increasing electricity tariff for consumers who use up less than 120 units is very unfair, says former Minister of Power and Energy and present Minister of Technology, Research and Atomic Energy Champika Ranawaka.

Five injured in Kotagala accident

Five persons were wounded and admitted to the Kotagala Hospital this morning after a vehicle crashed into a van and lorry which were parked in the roadside in Kotagala, Dimbulapathana.

Police said a group of persons traveling in a double cab from Balangoda to Kotagala for a wedding reception were injured in the accident.

Heavy mist in the area in the early hours of today is believed to have caused the accident.

Maternity clinics will be modernized – Says Minister Rajapaksa at opening ceremony

The Government has decided to develop maternity and child care clinics throughout the country in keeping with the Mahinda Chinthana Vision of giving pride of place to the mother, according to Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa,

Minister Basil Rajapaksa was addressing those who attended the ceremony held in connection with the opening of maternity and child care clinics at Kadigahawatta, Heenatiyana and Ethgala in the Katana Electorate recently. Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle MP presided over the event which was organised under the guidance of President, Liya Abhiman Organisation, and Attorney Pushpa Rajapaksa.
Minister Basil Rajapaksa said that modern buildings with all facilities will be constructed for this purpose and existing ones will be improved to meet the requirements with the Economic Development Ministry Funds. The upgraded clinics will have rest rooms, TV facilities and play areas for children who accompany their mothers. He added that already health facilities in about 8,300 schools in the island have been improved in accordance with UNICEF policies.

The Minister Rajapaksa observed that the rural development concept in the Mahinda Chinthana Manifesto is now been implemented in the rural areas. It was the government’s aim to develop infrastructure in these areas but also their health facilities. An efficient health protection system would ensure a healthy younger generation which would be an asset to the country.
Drawing attention to the success of small and medium scale development projects following the end of the war, Minister Basil Rajapaksa stressed that it was the duty of mothers and all officials to protect the maternity clinics. He has also instructed the respective local councils to ensure these policies are effectively implemented.

Woman kills a couple

A couple was allegedly hacked to death by a woman in Mahasenpura, Pulmudai this morning, police said.

The victims were a 39 year-old man and his 36 year-old wife.

The suspect woman was reported to have fled the area after the incident. The reason for the killing is yet to be ascertained

Breaking News.......Fatal train-bus accident in Beruwala

Several people were feared dead and some 30 others injured following a train-bus collision near the Rockland Junction, Beruwala a short while ago, sources said.

Pakistan judge remands ex-president Musharraf in custody

A Pakistani court remanded former president Pervez Musharraf in custody for two weeks on Saturday as judges pushed ahead with plans to put the former army chief on trial for a crackdown on the judiciary during his time in office.

Hundreds of lawyers jeered at Musharraf and scuffled with his supporters as he appeared at the Islamabad court a day after police arrested him at his home -- a breach with an unwritten rule in Pakistan that ex-generals are above the law.

The judge ruled that he be detained until his next court appearance on May 4 -- though Musharraf's lawyers said it was not immediately clear if the order meant he would have to go to jail or could be held under house arrest.

"We are not sure whether he will be remanded in jail, or whether his home will be considered as a jail, or whether he will be sent to another place," Qamar Afzal, his lawyer, told Reuters.

Mohammad Amjad, Musharraf's spokesman, said he was hopeful the ex-paratrooper could serve his remand at his farmhouse on the edge of Islamabad and paperwork to that effect was already being processed.

Musharraf's appearance sparked chaotic scenes in the court complex as police formed a human chain to prevent protesting lawyers --- who chanted "Down with Musharraf" -- from getting closer to the former president.

Musharraf left the court after his brief appearance and returned to police headquarters, where he has been detained in a police guest house. It was not clear if he would remain at the station or be transferred to another place of confinement.

Musharraf is facing allegations that he overstepped his powers in a showdown with the judiciary in 2007 when he sacked the chief justice and placed judges under house arrest.

Musharraf's moves against the judiciary earned him widespread scorn among an increasingly activist cadre of lawyers and judges, who have themselves been accused of overstepping the normal limits of judicial authority in their confrontations with the civilian government of President Asif Ali Zardari.

Musharraf's office issued a statement late on Friday saying the allegations were baseless and politically motivated.

Heroin worth over Rs 23mil meant for Sri Lanka seized

Heroin worth over Rs 23 million meant to be smuggled to Sri Lanka was seized on Saturday from a man at a bus stand at Paramakudi, 60 km from Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu police said.
Luggage of the man, moving in a suspicious manner at the bus stand, was searched and the drugs were found inside it, they were quoted as saying by PTI.

Mine clearing to end soon, only 5 pct left - Govt

The government on Saturday said that mine clearing operations in the Northern Province is coming to an end, with less than 100 sq km of mine-infested area left.
The National Mine Action Center, which was established in the Ministry of Economic Development, said that confirmed hazard area left to be cleared of anti-personnel mines was just 96 sq-kms.

In other words, 95 per cent of the estimated 2064 sq-kms has been cleared by March end. The remaining area is shrubs and thick jungle, authorities said.
“Within three year period, the government was able to resettle all the displaced persons due to the conflict followed by massive pace of de-mining,” the Economic Development Ministry said, adding, that several demining agencies have already moved out after completing their tasks while the remaining organizations are still continuing.

Demining began in June 2009, right after the end of the three decades long armed clashes with the Tamil rebels.
Both the LTTE and the Lankan Army used anti-personnel mines as a major weaponry to defend their territories in the northern parts of the island nation.
Sri Lanka’s demining action was funded by Australia, Japan, China, India, EU, US and also by UNDP and UNICEF.

Strong quake hits China; 156 dead, more than 5,500 injured

A strong 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit a remote, mostly rural and mountainous area of southwestern China's Sichuan province on Saturday, killing at least 156 people and injuring about 5,500 close to where a big quake killed almost 70,000 people in 2008.

The earthquake, China's worst in three years, occurred at 8.02 a.m. (0002 GMT) in Lushan county near Ya'an city and the epicenter had a depth of 12 km (7.5 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake was felt by residents in neighboring provinces and in the provincial capital of Chengdu, causing many people to rush out of buildings, according to accounts on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo microblogging service.

State media said 156 people had been confirmed dead with more than 5,500 injured.

President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang said all efforts must be put into rescuing victims to limit the death toll.

After arriving at the disaster zone by helicopter, Li directed earthquake relief efforts from a plaza in Longmen township in Lushan, Xinhua said.

Li asked that a road be opened to Baoxing county, one of the most affected by the earthquake, and that rescuers "act quickly" in their efforts, Xinhua quoted Li as saying.

"The current most urgent issue is grasping the first 24 hours since the quake's occurrence, the golden time for saving lives," Xinhua news agency quoted Li as saying earlier.

Xinhua said 6,000 troops were heading to the area to help with rescue efforts. State television CCTV said only emergency vehicles were being allowed into Ya'an, though Chengdu airport had reopened.

Most of the deaths were concentrated in Lushan, where water and electricity were cut off. Pictures on Chinese news sites showed toppled buildings and people in bloodied bandages being treated in tents outside the hospital, which appeared only lightly damaged.

Rescuers in Lushan had pulled 32 survivors out of rubble, Xinhua said. In villages closest to the epicenter, almost all low rise houses and buildings had collapsed, according to footage broadcast on state television.

"We are very busy right now, there are about eight or nine injured people, the doctors are handling the cases," said a doctor at a Ya'an hospital who gave her family name as Liu.

The hospital was seeing head and leg injuries, she added.