Lanka News – Lanka Gazette – Sri Lanka News Portal

Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka is most likely to be released from jail next Saturday – on the day of the third year anniversary of the war victory against LTTE separatists, the Daily Mirror learns.

A Senior Cabinet Minister told Daily Mirror yesterday that United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) seniors have pointed out that if something unfortunate were to happen to Mr. Fonseka while in jail, the government might have to face disastrous repercussions locally and internationally.

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Left arm spinner Chamika Karunaratne of St. Mary’s College, Kegalle was distinctively unlucky not to have captured 100 wickets during the cricket season just concluded. His efforts came to an end at 98 wickets.

In 14 matches before their big match against Kegalu Vidyalya he had captured 96 wickets and needed just four wickets for the crowning glory. But fate was very cruel on him. In the big match though the opponents were dismissed for a paltry 98 runs but he could manage only 1 for 36, though he tried very hard.

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A wide variety of crocodiles and snakes were recovered by Wildlife Conservation Officials during a raid on a house at the Ratmalana Sirilmalwatte housing scheme last Saturday.

Among them were dead creatures found in a huge gunny bag and nine bottles which were also seized during the raid. The live creatures included three crocodiles, a tortoise, two pythons, a cobra and a viper.

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Leading transportation company specializing in transportation of hazardous waste JMS Transport Service will go for an expansion by investing Rs 100 million this year. JMS Managing Director Jagath Pushpakumara told Daily News Business that over Rs 25 million will be spent on latest technology required for transportation of hazardous waste.

He said there are lot of emerging opportunities in the country in the transport sector as the government has given special consideration for the beautification of cities.

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The Sri Lanka Navy arrested two persons including a former LTTE cadre when they crossed into Sri Lankan waters from India, Navy spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya said.

They were arrested by a patrol team attached to the North Western Naval Command. At the time of the arrest the two men were swimming to the 9th Sand Bank from the 8th after entering the waters through a hired Indian boat.

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Sri Lanka is a wonderful country to visit and one cannot imagine that there had been a 30 year war two years ago, a young undergraduate from Queens University, New York, Brett Saton who is in Sri Lanka on a holiday for the first time, told the Daily News.

“As a visitor from outside I had no idea about the war here but I found everything so normal and before I came I thought I was going to a tropical paradise, beautiful weather but it was more beautiful than what I expected. It is a lot more busier than I thought and there is lot more English than I expected,” he said.

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London marked 200 days to go until the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games in an upbeat mood on Monday, announcing new deals to secure the future of the mostly completed sites.

Prime Minister David Cameron led a special meeting of his cabinet at the Olympic Park in east London, where he said organisers were “well on track” to delivering a lasting legacy for the whole of Britain. The government announced on Monday that ownership deals had been agreed for the Aquatics Centre, the Handball Arena and Anish Kapoor’s 115-metre (377-foot) high red steel Orbit sculpture, ensuring they will survive beyond the Games.

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A tourist who had fished a turtle in the shallow sea near the Galle Fort ramparts was taken into custody by the Police yesterday on a complaint made by residents to the Galle police post.

At the time of the arrest the tourist was about to kill the animal for consumption, police revealed.

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An illicit distillery operated in a room in a house in Ingiriya was raided by Police on Wednesday night. The raid was carried out following information received by a constable.

The Police found eight barrels of goda at the time of the raid and also seized 15,840 drams of goda.

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Elections for the Pudukudairippu and Muhudubada Pattu Pradeshiya Sabhas in the Mullattivu District were once again postponed by Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya today.

A meeting has been called by Mr. Deshapriya among secretaries of all political parties and independent groups fielding candidates at the election on January 13 to determine whether elections to the two Pradeshiya Sabhas could be held on March 3, 2012, he added. 

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