BASL urges transparency in Supreme Court appointments

Fort Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura directed the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to conduct a detailed investigation into the disappearance of items valued at Rs. 162 million from the President’s Media Division (PMD) in the past. The CID informed the court that a probe was initiated following a complaint, and that a statement was already recorded from the procurement officer. Efforts are underway to gather statements from individuals who received the items. According to the CID, a list of the misplaced items will be submitted to the court as the investigation progresses.

Court orders probe into missing items from PMD

Police sniffer dog 'Johnny' tracked a scent for 4 km in Wariyapola, leading to the arrest of a suspect who stole five vehicle batteries from evidence at the Wariyapola Magistrate's Court.&nbsp; The stolen items were recovered at a house in Vilakatupotha following Johnny's trail.

Sniffer dog 'Johnny' tracks suspect in battery theft case

The mayor of a small town in southern Italy has issued an unusual proclamation: “Getting sick is prohibited.” Residents of Belcastro in the southern region of Calabria have been “ordered to avoid contracting any illness that requires medical assistance, especially an emergency,” a decree from Mayor Antonio Torchia stated. Torchia told local television that while “we take (the decree) with a bit of irony,” it is intended to highlight the town’s inadequate access to healthcare. Belcastro, a town of about 1,300 people of whom half are elderly, has a health center that is often closed, and on-call doctors are not available on weekends, holidays or after hours, the mayor said. The closure of nearby healthcare centers, and the fact that the nearest emergency room is about 45 kilometers (28 miles) away in the city of Catanzaro, led the mayor to believe it necessary to “adopt an urgent and non-deferrable act of a precautionary nature,” he said. “This is not just a provocation, the ordinance is a cry for help, a way to shine a spotlight on an unacceptable situation,” Torchia told local news outlet Corriere della Calabria. In his decree, the mayor asked people not to “engage in behaviors that may be harmful and to avoid domestic accidents,” and “not to leave the house too often, travel or practice sports, and to rest for the majority of the time.” It’s not clear if, or how, the ordinance will be enforced. The mayor said the order was aimed at provoking regional authorities and health officials to address the issues. The ordinance will stay in effect until the town’s public health center is open regularly, the mayor said. CNN has reached out to the Ministry of Health. “Come and live a week in our small village and try to feel safe knowing that in the event of a health emergency the only hope is to get to Catanzaro in time,” he said while speaking to local media. “Try it and then tell me if this situation seems acceptable to you.” The sparsely populated Calabria region is one of Italy’s poorest and has been susceptible to desertification and brain drain, with many young people moving out of rural communities to live in cities. Over 75% of Calabria towns – roughly 320 – currently had fewer than 5,000 residents in 2021, sparking fears that some communities could die out completely without regeneration. Some towns have even started offering to pay people to live there in an effort to reverse their population decline. Belcastro’s mayor knows that many of the towns face similar healthcare access issues. “I am a drop in the ocean,” Torchia told local broadcaster LaC News24. “The province of Catanzaro has 80 municipalities, and I believe that most of them suffer from the same problems.” Source: CNN

Italian town prohibits residents from falling ill

'Clean Sri Lanka' initiative continues nationwide, with police removing unsafe modifications from vehicles, including three-wheelers and buses. Accordingly, drivers have started removing additional accessories, and a 3 month grace period was given to private bus owners to comply. Vehicle part shops also report a drop in sales. As per the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ initiative, officials from the Habaraduwa Pradeshiya Sabha removed the various signage placed along both sides of the access road leading to the popular Unawatuna - Yaddehimulla tourist area, which caused traffic congestions.

Clean Sri Lanka: Police to continue island-wide operations

Nishantha Samaraweera, MP from the National People Power (NPP), has been appointed Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) in Parliament.

New Chairman Appointed to COPE 

One of India's wealthiest temples has apologised after six people were killed and dozens more injured in a crush as they queued for tickets to a festival which attracts millions each year. The incident took place on Wednesday night after thousands gathered at the Tirupati temple in southern Andhra Pradesh state. Visuals showed a swell of people jostling while the tickets were being distributed at counters set up by temple authorities. Officials in the state have said strict action will be taken against temple employees who are found responsible for the tragedy. BR Naidu, chairman of the temple's trust, said that the crush was caused by "overcrowding". "It is an unfortunate incident," he told local media on Wednesday. Bhanu Prakash Reddy, a board member of the trust, apologised for the incident. "To distribute tokens, we opened 91 counters... it is unfortunate that the stampede happened," he said. "This has never happened in the history of the temple. I sincerely seek an apology from the devotees." Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has expressed his sorrow over the incident - he is due to visit the temple later on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "pained" by the incident and assured those affected that the state government would offer them "all possible assistance". The Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh is one of Hinduism's most sacred shrines. Dedicated to Hindu god Sri Venkateswara - popularly known as Balaji – the temple owns assets worth tens of billions of dollars and is one of the richest in India. It attracts nearly 24 million devotees from India and abroad every year. Its 10-day Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan is considered a highly auspicious event by devotees as they believe they can get a glimpse of the divine gates of heaven. Millions attend the festival every year, with attendance reaching two to three million on some days. On Wednesday, thousands gathered to receive tickets for the festival - which begins on 10 January - at more than 90 counters set up by the temple. As the gates for the counters opened, thousands of people rushed towards the counters, leading to chaos, an eyewitness told the Times of India newspaper, adding that there were just four police personnel there. Several reports say the police had a difficult time managing the crowd. Authorities say those injured in the crush were rushed to a government-run hospital for treatment. Accidents are routinely reported at religious events in India, as huge crowds gather in tight spaces with little adherence to safety measures. Last year, more than 120 people were crushed to death at a religious event in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Source: BBC

Indian temple apologises after six killed in stampede

The Appropriation Bill for the 2025 financial year was presented to Parliament today (9), outlining the Government’s proposed expenditure for the year from 1 January to 31 December 2025. Accordingly, the total estimated Government expenditure for the 2025 financial year was set at Rs. 4,616 billion.

2025 Appropriation Bill: Estimated Govt. expenditure revealed

Deputy Minister of Labour Mahinda Jayasinghe stated that a considerable salary increase for public sector employees is scheduled to be carried out in the upcoming budget. He made this statement in response to a question raised by MP Ravi Karunanayake in Parliament today (9). Accordingly, the Deputy Minister also revealed that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has no objections to increasing the salaries of public sector employees.

BASL urges transparency in Supreme Court appointments

Court orders probe into missing items from PMD

Court orders probe into missin ...

Sniffer dog 'Johnny' tracks suspect in battery theft case

Sniffer dog 'Johnny' tracks su ...

Italian town prohibits residents from falling ill

Italian town prohibits residen ...

Clean Sri Lanka: Police to continue island-wide operations

Clean Sri Lanka: Police to con ...

New Chairman Appointed to COPE

New Chairman Appointed to COPE ...

Indian temple apologises after six killed in stampede

Indian temple apologises after ...

2025 Appropriation Bill: Estimated Govt. expenditure revealed

2025 Appropriation Bill: Estim ...

Budget 2025: Salary increase for public sector employees?

Budget 2025: Salary increase ...

Court orders probe into missing items from PMD

Court orders probe into missin ...

Sniffer dog 'Johnny' tracks suspect in battery theft case

Sniffer dog 'Johnny' tracks su ...

Italian town prohibits residents from falling ill

Italian town prohibits residen ...

Clean Sri Lanka: Police to continue island-wide operations

Clean Sri Lanka: Police to con ...

New Chairman Appointed to COPE

New Chairman Appointed to COPE ...

Indian temple apologises after six killed in stampede

Indian temple apologises after ...

2025 Appropriation Bill: Estimated Govt. expenditure revealed

2025 Appropriation Bill: Estim ...

Budget 2025: Salary increase for public sector employees?

Budget 2025: Salary increase ...

Bringing the news paper to your fingertips

Court orders probe into missing items from PMD

Court orders probe into missin ...

Sniffer dog 'Johnny' tracks suspect in battery theft case

Sniffer dog 'Johnny' tracks su ...

Bringing the news paper to your fingertips

Italian town prohibits residents from falling ill

Italian town prohibits residen ...

Clean Sri Lanka: Police to continue island-wide operations

Clean Sri Lanka: Police to con ...

New Chairman Appointed to COPE

New Chairman Appointed to COPE ...

Indian temple apologises after six killed in stampede

Indian temple apologises after ...