Buddhist monk attempts self-immolation in Kandy

A Buddhist monk was rushed to the Kandy General Hospital with serious burn injuries after he attempted self-immolation near the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) in Kandy this morning. The Buddhist monk doused himself with petrol and set himself ablaze in front of the Wahalkada of the Dalada Maligawa at around 11.30 a.m. protesting against cattle slaughter, Ada Derana ...

Sri Lanka garment firms boost work conditions

It has been a month since a garment factory collapsed in Bangladesh, killing more than 1,000 people. The disaster has prompted calls for better regulation of the industry in the region. Sri Lanka, a neighbour of Bangladesh, is one country gaining a reputation as an ethical source of clothing, putting pressure on manufacturers to improve safety standards and workers' rights. The ...

Four Sri Lankan refugees stranded in Kovai

Coimbatore police intercepted four Sri Lankan Tamils from various Sri Lankan refugee camps in western Tamil Nadu who were being allegedly escorted to Kochi, Kerala, to be illegally taken to Australia. Each of them reportedly paid 100,000 Indian rupees to agents and was promised a safe passage to Australia by sea in a vessel from Kochi. All four of them have been handed over to Q branch officials ...

Sri Lanka under pressure to halt court proceedings

Some of the projects funded by foreign diplomatic missions in Sri Lanka might not have been in the best interests of the country, Sri Lankan government sources said yesterday.These sources told The Island that in spite of severe criticism of some projects undertaken by NGOs, since 2002, there hadn't been any initiative to inquire into what was going on.Responding to a query, a senior ...

Sri Lankan Defence Secretary warns against Tamil victory in upcoming polls

Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday warned the government of dire consequences in case the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) won the first northern provincial council election. The defence chief was responding to a statement attributed to Petroleum Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, at Wednesday's post-cabinet media briefing, that the election would be held in accordance ...