A group with Woman go in search for King Ravana

A group moved into a cave in Karandagolla in Ravana Ella claiming that King Ravana was rising again. The group undertook this journey on Tuesday morning.

A group of eight from various parts of the country, including Moratuwa, visited the Karandagolla area in Rawana Ella located on the Ella Wellawaya road. According to the group, they entered the cave after the leader of the group, a girl, had a dream.

The seven other members of the group claim that they are direct descendants of the Ravana generation. Police officers recorded the details of the group. The group entered the cave together with a group of live-saving personnel and a journalist and moved 2500 feet forward with the greatest difficulty.

After reaching the place called the Blue Water Pond, the group had sent away the journalist and others, citing that only they must move ahead. One individual out of the eight was restrained from entering the cave and was returned, and the life guards remained throughout the expedition.

Our correspondent, who also descended into the cave, stated that there was no clear roadway after they arrived at a place that is called the Blue Water Pond and added that the group of seven who engaged in this dangerous journey returned to the surface by evening.

Mammoty handle pierces man's rectum and abdomen

A man, who fell down from the upper floor of a building is reported to have landed on a mammoty handle, which pierced his rectum and the abdomen.

Awissawella Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Aruna Jayatilleka said the man underwent a successful emergency surgical operation to remove the mammoty handle and later transferred to the intensive care unit for further treatment.

Surgeon Eranga Perera, who headed the panel of doctors, said the mammoty handle had pierced the abdomen through the rectum. V. Sivakumar (40) is a resident of Wewelakanda in Karandana and works as a manual labourer. He was working on the upper floor of a building at Thalduwa in Awissawella when he fell off. (Buddhika Kumarasiri)

Sri Lanka’s first Safari Park opens in Hambantota

The country’s first Safari Park was declared open now. The Safari Park built with the aim of giving a novel experience to tourists is located in the Ridiyagama area in Hambantota.

Among those who joined in the opening of the Safari Park were Ministers Gamini Jayawickrema Perera and Sajith Premadasa, Deputy Minister Sumedha Jayasena, and Parliamentarian Chamal Rajapaksa. The Safari Park is centred on an extent of 500 acres.

The expenditure incurred on the Project was 1450 million rupees. It provides en environment for the animals to live in freedom.

The construction is being carried out in two stages. It was the first stage which covers the African Lion Zone and the Sri Lankan Elephant Zone as well as the World Zone that was opened today. The release of lions to the African Lions Zone took place recently. 

The second stage covers the African, Asian and Australian Zones and the kingdom of small animals. Facilities are provided for the local as well as foreign tourists to view the Zones in special buses. The Safari Park also has a veterinary hospital, an internal road network and parking facilities. There is a mechanism for the disposal of garbage without causing any harm to the environment. The opening of the Safari Park at Ridiyagama in Hambantota, gives the local as well as foreign tourists to get a new experience.

Sri Lanka's first Safari Park opens in Hambantota

The government has made arrangements to open the country's first safari park today at Ridiyagama in Hambantota in Southern province.

The construction work at the first Safari Park in the island started in 2008 under the direction of National Zoological Department. The park, being built under two phases, covers an expanse of about 500 acres and it contains a public entertainment zone extending to about 69 acres.

Four of the park's six zones will be reserved for carnivorous animals while the remaining two zones will be set apart for the herbivores. Two zones of the carnivore section will be exclusively reserved for the dangerous animals such as lions, tigers, and leopards.

According to the Government Information Department, the first phase with the African Lion Zone, Sri Lanka Elephant Zone and World Zone will be opened tomorrow. The Lions were released to the African Zone yesterday. The animals can move freely in the park.

African, Asian, Australian Zones and a small animal kingdom will be built under the second phase.

A special bus service will be available for the tourists to move around the park. The park consists of all facilities such as animal hospitals, internal road network and vehicle parks. Waste disposal methodologies have been introduced to protect the environment.

The Safari Park constructed at a cost of Rs.1.6 billion is seen as an avenue to attract more tourists to the island and a boom to the tourism industry.

Facebook Apologizes For Safety Check Bug After Lahore Attack

Facebook activated its Safety Check tool in the aftermath of a suicide bombing in Pakistan that killed at least 65 people on Sunday - but a glitch asked users nowhere near the area if they had been affected by the blast.

The company apologized after the urgent notification was mistakenly sent to people in countries thousands of miles away, sparking fear and confusion online.

'Are you OK?' the message read. 'It looks like you're in the area affected by The Explosion in Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park, Lahore, Pakistan. Let friends know that you're safe.'

Some people whose phone numbers are linked to their Facebook accounts also received the alert through text message. 

The social network launched the feature in October 2014 so users caught up in disaster-struck areas would be able to quickly let family and friends know they area safe.
In recent months, Safety Check has been activated several times, including during the floods in Chennai (India), after earthquakes in northeast India and southern Taiwan, and after terrorist attacks in Paris, Brussels, Yola, and Ankara.

Wattala jogging track destroyed

A jogging track constructed by the previous government at Wattala was destroyed on Saturday night to the dismay of area residents'

Residents said the track had been removed to build a road at the behest of a property developer with political connections'

The Wattala police" contacted for comment" said that they knew nothing about incident'

Meanwhile" Media Spokesman for the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development Dhanushka Ramanayake said that the jogging track had been removed in line with a plan to widen a road leading to a canal reservation'

˜‍Once the development work is completed the government will take action to construct the track again"˜‍ he said'

He said the contract to widen the road leading to the canal reservation had been given to a private contractor' It was a mistake on the part of the contractor not to inform the general public before taking the decision to remove the jogging track" he said'

D M Jayaratne Sadly Speaking at an event in Kandy

Former Prime Minister D M Jayaratne today made an emotional appeal to President Maithripala Sirisena, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former President Chandrika Kumaratunga to take measures to ensure the Sri Lanka Freedom Party does not split.

Speaking at an event in Kandy yesterday, Jayaratne said that he feels very sad at what is taking place within the SLFP.

He said that he personally met President Maithripala Sirisena and the two former President’s and appealed to them to protect the SLFP.

Jayaratne, who was Prime Minister under Rajapaksa, said that he feels outside influence has resulted in attempts to split the party.

“I am still attempting to unite these three leaders,” Jayaratne said.

Jayaratne said that if the three leaders unite then the SLFP can easily win an election at any time.

He said that so many SLFP supporters have urged him to unite the party and he will continue to make that effort.

The former Prime Minister said that he knows he will not live long but his love for the party will never die.

No Space for cheering decisions while changing the corrupted culture -Minister Arjuna

There is no space for cheering decisions while trying to change the corrupted culture which was around 10 years, quoted by Hon. Minister Arjuna Ranathunga. And also no goodwill for the person who changed the corrupted culture at all. 

It is a common incident in political phenomena, but we have to take some rough decisions on behalf of better society said by Minister at Sri Lankan Shippers’ Council 50th anniversary celebration.

“Today Sri Lankan Shippers’ Council celebrates its 50th anniversary.It is very long period, I personally appreciate its service even in a very competitive manner. They have been contributing to the development of our maritime sector. 

Now it has become very complex subject. We had to take very tough decisions in past season. We could capture new market opportunities. It wasn’t an easy step during a very different system within last 10 years, therefore no space for cheering decisions at that moment.  Its common thing in Sri Lankan Politics” stated by Minister Arjuna Ranathunga.

So the anniversary of SLSC was held at the Hambantota Harbor premises today. During the program introducing the new logo of SLSC and Tree planting campaign also took a part. Especially it was launching of latest news web site for the Sri Lankan ports, maritime sector as www.maritimesrilanka.com .

 it is the very first news web site for the ports, shipping and maritime sector in Sri Lanka, stated Mr. Sean Van Dort the Chairman of SLSC. And also he said that this web can communicate latest news of Sri Lankan ports and maritime to international level. It can be seen as a good opportunity to strategically capture international market.

The SLSC was established on a recommendation by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 1966. This can be considered as the first Maritime union in Sri Lanka. SLSC should be established in order that they could negotiate collectively with shipping conferences among developing and developed countries. As well as the members of SLSC carried most of the world's trade except for oil and bulk products. Especially SLSC will host the Annual General Meeting of the Global Shippers Forum for the year 2016, in Colombo.The Global Shippers' Forum (GSF) is the world's leading trade association for shippers engaged in international trade moving goods by all modes of transport. This will be the first time that the Annual general Meeting of the GSF will be hosted in Asia.