Lanka News – Lanka Gazette – Sri Lanka News Portal

Believe it or not! A brothel located in a posh landmark building in a high security zone in the city was having a roaring business day and night for more than a decade until Police raided it early this week. Continue Reading

The Department of Meteorology cautioned that the initial onset of the monsoon is expected to hit Sri Lanka ahead of the usual schedule. According to Department officials heavy winds and thunder showers should be expected along the coastal areas around May 20. This will be a week ahead of the usual time around when the South-West Monsoon begins.
Meanwhile, the heavy rains that prevailed on Friday affected 40,108 people in the Colombo and Kalutara Districts and 3,740 families in the Gampaha District. The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) is maintaining three centres in these districts to provide temporary housing for affected families. Continue Reading

The projected loss of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) for the year is three times bigger than what government is spending on 1.8 million Samurdhi recipient families, said newly appointed Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.
Speaking to The Nation, Minister Ranawaka said that projected operational loss alone is expected to be Rs.159.9 billion. “Our entire projected income is Rs.127.8 billion. This means we are going to incur Rs.32 billion loss by the end of the year. Even the Rs.127 billion income will only be realistic if we sell a power unit at Rs.14. But at the moment we are selling it at Rs.13.11. So, the loss will be increased by another Rs. 9 billion or so. If we take Samurdhi recipients, the government is only spending Rs.10 billion for 1,800,000 families and the CEB loss is three times bigger than the Samurdhi expenditure.” Continue Reading

The Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs, which has been shrouded in corruption has allegedly defied instructions by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to revise the five-member official delegation to be sent to Saudi Arabia to make arrangements for the forthcoming Hajj Pilgrimage.
The initial five-member delegation, comprising Minister A.H.M. Fowzie (head of delegation), S. Alavi Moulana (Governor of the Western Province), Y.L.M. Navavi (Director, Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs), Rizmy Riyal and M.R.M. Farook (two Hajj Travel Operators) was asked to be revised to include Deputy Minister of Environment Faiszer Musthafa and former Deputy Mayor of Colombo Azath Salley amidst allegations of corruption. Continue Reading

Head of Sri Lanka’s Merchant Shipping, A.W.H.R. Weerakoon said that 16 Sri Lanakan sailors flew out of the country on Friday as the new crew of the Bermudan flagged MV Talca which was released by Somali Pirates on May 11.

“The old crew which was captured by the pirates will get a break, and they will be replaced by a new crew. Sixteen Sri Lankan sailors have been selected to be a part of this new crew, and they flew to Sharjah on Friday, where they will board the ship within the next few days,” Weerakoon said. Continue Reading

More married women use contraceptives in the Polonnaruwa District than in any other district in Sri Lanka, while the least number of contraceptive users among currently married women is in the Batticaloa District. The ratio of contraceptive users among currently married women in the Polonnaruwa District is 78 % as against less than half the number in Batticaloa (35%), according to a Demographic Health Survey taken in 2006/ 2007, which excluded the Northern Province. Continue Reading

The Akmeemana Police took into custody three notorious robbers on Wednesday (12) wanted for a spate of robberies. Within a week they are said to have robbed millions in cash and goods.
Since their arrest Police have recovered so far two Japanese computers, a video camera, a bicycle and some bicycle spares robbed from a supermarket in Labuduwa and Rs.100,000 in cash robbed from a shop in Akmeemana. The loot was recovered from two abandoned houses used by the robbers. The total value of the items recovered has been estimated at Rs.1.2 million
The main suspect is from Saliyapura in Anuradhapura while the other two are from Dangedera, Galle according to Inspector U.D.J. Wasantha of Akmeemana Police. Continue Reading

A 24-year-old bachelor was killed when the motorcycle he rode with two others crashed into a wall in Akmeemana, Galle on Wednesday night. He died of injuries received to the skull.
The incident occurred when three friends who had been in a drinking binge decided to attend a musical show late at night and proceeded to the venue on a motorcycle. Having travelled about one mile they had crashed against the wall.
The other two riders also ended up with broken limbs and admitted to Karapitiya Hospital, according to Akmeemana OIC Inspector U.D.J. Wasantha. Continue Reading

Forgotten by politicians, authorities and media, a community in the heart of Colombo undergoes untold sufferings when the monsoonal rains hit the very centre of their lives

Many got more than what they wished for when rain flooded Colombo ending the hot climate that was prevalent for the past few months. The heavy downpour began on Friday morning and continued till the evening deadlocking Colombo’s traffic. A large number of streets were completely flooded with rainwater while some were blocked as heavy trees fell on to the road. The rain continued as Sri Lanka’s busiest city struggled through the day. Continue Reading

Responding to allegations by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) that the Sri Lankan Government was putting up a farce by appointing the Commission for Reconciliation and Lessons Learned, Minister of Media Keheliya Rambukwella said that Sri Lanka will follow the will of its people, and not back down to biassed international pressures.

Speaking to The Nation Rambukwella said, “Criticisms from foreign powers with personal agendas is not new to us. Over the past four years there have been many allegations raised against us. Despite all that we have moved forward. We won the war against the LTTE when everyone said that it was impossible. Continue Reading