News

On the eve of President Mahinda Rajapaksa's address to the United Nationa General Assembly, the world body has expressed serious concerns over ''a spate of extrajudicial executions'' by the military, paramilitary forces and insurgent groups in Sri Lanka. A damning report by Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on Summary and Arbitrary Executions, states that in presenting the report to the General Assembly last year, Mr. Alston warned that "Sri Lanka was on the brink of a crisis of major proportions."

Prisons chief says transfer thwarted tunnel escape

Some 64 LTTE cadres, including hardcore members, were metres away from escape from the Kalutara high security prison, if they had not been transferred to the Welikada prison a year ago, the Prisons chief said yesterday. The revelations came as inquiries got underway yesterday to probe how the LTTE prisoners dug a tunnel extending more than 200 metres (600 ft) using improvised devices from their cell close to the Kaluganga.

JHU’s Champika complains of harassment by Canadian HC

Environmental Minister Champika Ranawaka has angrily cancelled a visit to Canada, accusing the High Commission here of humiliating him by delaying the visa for him to receive an environmental award in Montreal. A spokesman for the Minister said he had complained to the Canadian government through the Foreign Ministry here that the High Commission had acted in a manner compelling him to cancel his visit.