News

Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga was arrested at the Dubai airport and is being escorted back to Sri Lanka, unof ficial sources claimed.

The former diplomat who is accused of financial fraud in the controversial MiG transaction was issued a red notice for his arrest via Interpol.

According to reports, he was arrested for questioning at the Dubai airport while trying to go overseas.

A special Navy team attached to the North Central Naval Command and Special Boat Squadron apprehended 2 Indian nationals attempting to smuggle into Sri Lanka 425g of heroin and a stock of tobacco products (Beedi) in a small fishing boat (Vallam) on Friday.

The raid was carried out on a tip-off received by the Navy.

The suspects were held in the Sri Lankan territorial waters, east of the Mannar Lighthouse. The apprehended Indian nationals along with heroin, fishing boat and tobacco products were handed over to the Talaimannar Police for further investigation and legal action.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested former director of Perpetual Treasuries Limited Arjun Aloysius and its Chief Executive Officer Kasun Palisena this morning.

Arjun Aloysius, the son-in-law of former Central Bank Governor Arjun Mahendran was arrested at his residence at Flower Road, Kollupitiya. Kasun Palisena was arrested from a residence in Wellawatta.

The Colombo Fort Magistrate on Friday named former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran along Perpetual Treasuries Limited Director Arjun Aloysius and CEO Kasun Palisena as suspects in the Treasury bond scam.

Arjuna Mahendran and Arjun Aloysius are accused of manipulating bond auctions in 2015 and 2016, causing losses of over $11 million to the state.

Ven. Prof. Bellanwila Wimalaratana Nayaka Thera (77), Chief Incumbent of the Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya and Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayawardanapura passed away yesterday morning while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.

The Ven. Wimalaratana Thera was hospitalized on Friday after injuring himself while feeding the temple elephant “Miyan Kumara”. The Ven. Thera was seriously injured in the incident and admitted to the Colombo South Teaching Hospital where the there underwent a surgery and later transferred to the Asiri Surgical Hospital for further treatment.

Sri Lanka yesterday urged the Maldives to find a peaceful solution to the current situation and uphold rule of law and constitution, in a release issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Releasing a statement the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Sri Lankan Government is observing the evolving situation in the Maldives while urging all parties to uphold the rule of law and the Constitution in order to find a peaceful solution to the current situation.

The Maldives is currently in a political turmoil following the arrest of former President Nasheed. On Friday the country's Supreme Court ruled the release of nine high profile political prisoners in the lead up to expected presidential elections this year. Nasheed who is exiled in the UK too faces charges under the present government.

The Indian Express today said the Government of Maldives, however, had not yet acted on the Supreme Court ruling.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera today reported that hundreds of people have rallied in Male urging President Abdulla Yameen to comply with the court ruling to release jailed opposition leaders.

A schoolgirl was “electrocuted in her bath” after her smartphone fell in the water while she was charging it, say police. The 12-year-old, named only as Kseniya P, reportedly died instantly.

Her distraught mother told police she took a bath when she returned home from playing basketball after school. The girl was listening to music but her smartphone ran out of power during the tragic incident in Russia.

She plugged it in to charge in the bathroom but then phone with the cable attached fell into the water, according to a preliminary investigation. Her mother was cooking an evening meal and become worried about Kseniya’s silence. She went into the bathroom and found the girl “already dead with her head under the water”.

The phone was floating in the bath. She called emergency services and tried to resuscitate Kseniya but it was too late. Kseniya was the only child in her family, living in Bolshoe Gryzlovo village in the Serpukhovsky district of Moscow region. Her mother is PA to a senior company manager, and her father works as a driver. Kseniya was keen on sports and a passionate dancer and skier.

A friend called Anna said it was a “terrible tragedy”. Online commenters urged parents to “warn their children about the terrible risks of using phones in the bath”.

One person wrote: “Don’t people know the basic rules of safety and explain them to their children?” Another said: “How many times do we have to hear about such cases? “People prefer to learn from their own mistakes, at the cost of their own lives, and do not separate themselves their phones even in the bath…" The case is being probed by Moscow regional Investigative Committee.

Source : Mirror UK

The Bellanwila Rajamaha Viharaya addressing the circumstances and in particular the rumours behind the Bellanwila Wimalarathana Thera’s injuries and passing away disclaimed that he was attacked by the temple elephant Miyan Kumara. The temple on its official Facebook page claimed that the Thera had suffered a fall while feeding the elephant and that the rumours of him being attacked by the animal are completely false.

Rumours have been rife that the Thera had been attacked by the elephant while attempting to feed the tusker ‘Miyan Kumara’ at the temple premises on the day, a ritual which he is said to carry out almost every morning resulting in him suffering injuries to his ribs.

However speaking to the Media, members of the Dayaka Sabha and other priests of the temple said the Chief Incumbent himself had told them that the elephant did not attack him.

Meanwhile, the Cremation Ceremony of late Bellanwila Wimalaratana Nayaka Thera will be held on February 08 at the Sri Jayawardenepura grounds.

Prior to his appointment to the post of Chancellor in the Year 2000, Ven. Thera held the position of Professor, associate professor, lecturer and visiting lecturer, respectively at the Sri Jayawardenapura University. He was also a Visiting Professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies University of London, United Kingdom.

The Ven. Thera obtained a Doctorate in Philosophy (Ph.D) in 1980 from the University of Lancaster, United Kingdom. He also served as the Deputy Chief Prelate (Anunayaka) of the Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dhamma Maha Sangha Sabha of the Syamopali Maha Nikaya.

A decision to overturn the Olympic life bans of 28 Russian athletes "may have a serious impact on the future fight against doping", says the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) overturned the IOC suspensions - for doping at the 2014 Winter Olympics - partially upholding 11 other appeals.

Cas said that in 28 cases evidence was "insufficient" to prove doping.

The IOC said it would consider its own appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

Cas said that for the 11 athletes whose appeals had been partially upheld, evidence "was sufficient to establish an anti-doping rule violation" had taken place. It said they would be "declared ineligible" for this month's Games "instead of a life ban from all Olympic Games".

The IOC said that the Cas ruling "does not mean that athletes from the group of 28 will be invited" to this month's Games in Pyeongchang.
It expressed its "satisfaction on one hand and disappointment on the other" at Thursday's decision, made eight days before the 2018 Winter

Olympics begin in South Korea.

"On the one hand, the confirmation of the anti-doping rule violations for 11 athletes because of the manipulation of their samples clearly demonstrates once more the existence of the systemic manipulation of the anti-doping system at Sochi 2014," a statement added.

"On the other hand, the IOC regrets very much that - according to the Cas press release - the panels did not take this proven existence of the systemic manipulation of the anti-doping system into consideration for the other 28 cases.

"This may have a serious impact on the future fight against doping. "Therefore, the IOC will analyse the reasoned decisions very carefully once they are available and consider consequences, including an appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal."

Britain in line for another bronze?

The Cas decision makes it likely that Britain's four-man bobsleigh team from Sochi will be upgraded to a bronze medal. John James Jackson, Bruce Tasker, Stuart Benson and Joel Fearon finished fifth, but the IOC disqualified two Russian sleds who finished first and fourth following re-examination of the doping tests conducted at the time.

Athletes from both Russian sleds were included in the 11 whose doping violations were confirmed by Cas.

The IOC is yet to officially reallocate the medals from that event, but if confirmed it would raise Britain's medal count to five and make Sochi 2014 their most successful Winter Olympics.

Jackson told BBC Sport: "Do I feel like an Olympic bronze medallist? I think it's starting to sink in, but I think once we have the medal it will feel more real.

"It's been a long waiting game since the McLaren report came out to get to a decision. I wasn't expecting the final outcome of the 28 appeals being upheld, but always thought a life-time ban wouldn't be upheld either way."

'A get out of jail free card'

Cas said it considered testimony from experts including former Russian anti-doping official and whistleblower Dr Grigory Rodchenkov and Canadian lawyer Professor Richard McLaren, who authored a damning 2016 report into doping in Russia.

A statement from Dr Rodchenkov's lawyers said: "This panel's unfortunate decision provides a very small measure of punishment for some athletes but a complete 'get out of jail free card' for most.

"The Cas decision only emboldens cheaters, makes it harder for clean athletes to win, and provides yet another ill-gotten gain for the corrupt Russian doping system generally, and [President Vladimir] Putin specifically.

"Clean sport is dead. The Cas decision proves that certain countries can get away with anything and everything. Today's decision will forever stand as the low point in sports integrity."

'We expect to compete' - reaction in Russia

Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov said: "Our guys and all of us are happy that justice has finally triumphed. Today's rulings confirm that many of those who were accused are clean athletes."

The Interfax news agency quoted Russian Olympic Committee head Alexander Zhukov as saying: "We are simply happy now that the court has restored the athletes' good name and returned their awards."

Interfax also quoted Kolobkov as saying: "The athletes who fought for their rights have finally won, and are, naturally, happy and looking forward to continuing their careers.

"They expect the International Olympics Committee to accept the Cas ruling and allow them unconditional rights to take part in the upcoming Olympic games."

Alexander Zubkov, president of the Russian bobsleigh federation, Sochi gold medallist and one of 11 athletes confirmed to have committed a doping offence, told Reuters he was "partly satisfied" with the decision as "a large number of athletes were exonerated".

But he was puzzled as to why he was not among them, adding: "I have said many times that I have never doped and do not dope now. What am I being accused of? What anti-doping rule violation do they want to slap against me?"

Source : BBC

Award-winning Hollywood actress, writer and UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, Ashley Judd, will be in Sri Lanka for a short mission next week.

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) during her visit to Sri Lanka, Judd will engage with women and girls from different backgrounds, to learn about their livelihoods and views on gender-based violence.

She will also meet with stakeholders from the public sector, private sector, and donor community, to highlight the importance of investing in the reproductive health and rights of people.

Judd was appointed as a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador in March 2016 and is a passionate advocate for ending all forms of gender-based violence around the world.

170 female BBC employees have accused the broadcaster of a “longstanding breach of trust, transparency and accountability” over gender pay inequalities and demanded a public apology.

In a submission to an influential parliamentary select committee, the BBC Women group said the corporation was breaking equality laws as a result of a “culture of gender discrimination”.

While recent disclosures have revealed a significant gender pay gap among the BBC’s top stars, the group said the same exists across all levels of the corporation.

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee will grill Tony Hall, the BBC Director-General, on Wednesday as part of its inquiry into BBC pay. Carrie Gracie, the broadcaster’s former China Editor who resigned earlier this month over pay inequality, will also be questioned.

It comes after The Independent revealed MPs’ concern that the BBC is using non-disclosure agreements to “silence” victims of gender discrimination and harassment. In addition to the DCMS Committee, the Women and Equalities Committee is also looking at the issue.

Since the BBC was forced to admit to gaping pay discrepancies, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has taken up the cases of more than 120 female BBC employees who believe they are being paid unfairly in comparison to male colleagues.

A recent audit found the BBC has a gender pay gap of 9.3 per cent. However, BBC Women said the problem was not just a disproportionate number of men in higher-paid roles but the fact that many women are being paid less than male counterparts in exactly the same jobs.

In written evidence to the DCMS Committee, they said: “BBC Women are very concerned that this publicly funded body is perpetuating a longstanding breach of its stated values of trust, transparency and accountability. We believe the BBC must put these matters right by admitting the problem, apologising and setting in place an equal, fair and transparent pay structure.”

They added: “For many years women at all levels and in all grades and positions in the BBC both on and off air, staff and freelance, working in the UK and abroad had suspected they were not being paid equally – even when management expressly assured them they were.”

“Following the publication of the list as women began to come together, sharing salary details with each other and with some male colleagues, a shocking picture of illegal pay discrimination and obfuscation began to emerge.”

Suggesting the pay gap is part of a wider problem, they said: “Behind the headline and most important issue of equal pay at the BBC we believe there is a wider culture of gender discrimination which can be seen in the patterns of promotion, especially after women take maternity leave.

“Too often talented BBC women are overlooked in favour of male colleagues or outsiders brought in – sometimes at inflated rates – without the appointment being made through any transparent appointment process. Older women worry about their futures at the BBC and younger ones about their chances of career promotion.

The group also criticised the BBC for not consulting them on a largescale review of pay inequality.

“Despite repeated requests to Lord Hall, the Director General, there has been no consultation with us on this review and no clarity around the people included in it”, they said. “Therefore women at the BBC can have no confidence in the review’s conclusions.”

The submission included testimony from a number of female BBC employees.

Source : The Independent

Any member of the public hoping to see the viral laptop dance at the Independence Day parade will be disappointed today as the dance using laptops as a prop has been removed from the 70th Independence Day celebrations, Secretary to the Ministry of Education Sunil Hettiarachchi said.

The dance presented by a group of teachers from the Wayamba Faculty of Science drew criticism and evoked mirth on social media websites when videos and pictures of the dance taken during rehearsals surfaced online.

Educationists also criticized the dance claiming that presenting such a dance when rural schools do not have access to such equipment are not only insulting but using teachers for the item is demeaning to their profession.

According to sources, the dance using telescopes and laptops as props has now been removed on the orders of the Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam. While attempts were later to be replaced the props with globes that idea too was struck off later the source said.

The Ministry Secretary claimed they had no prior knowledge of the dance and acted promptly to remove the item from the parade once it was brought to their notice.

The Colombo High Court today rejected the petition filed by former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa seeking to discharge him from the Avant-Garde case.

The Bribery Commission had filed a case against 8 defendants including Rajapaksa accusing them of causing Rs. 11.4 billion in losses to the government by allowing Avant Garde Maritime Services (Pvt) Ltd to maintain a floating armoury.

Attorneys representing the former Defence Secretary had filed a revised petition with the High Court seeking a court order clearing them of the said charges.

The petition claims that the Director General of the Bribery Commission had failed to obtain permission in writing from the commission before filing the case and that therefore it was unlawful.

It states that the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court had rejected the request made by the eight defendants to clear them from all the charges in the Avant Garde case and requested the High Court to annul the decision of the magistrate.

However, Colombo High Court Judge Sampath Wijeratne pointed out that clear legal provisions have not been set making it mandatory for the DG to seek the approval of the Bribery Commission.

Therefore the court rejected the revision petition.

(Ada Derana)