‘IS child bomber’ kills at least 51 at Turkish wedding

A suicide bomber as young as 12 killed at least 51 people at a wedding in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday, pointing the finger at the Islamic State group.

Erdogan said Saturday’s blast in Gaziantep near the Syria border “was the result of a suicide bomber aged between 12 and 14 who either detonated (the bomb) or others detonated it.” The explosion was the latest attack to rock the key NATO member in a horrific  year that has seen strikes blamed on Kurdish and Islamist militants as well as a bloody July 15 botched coup.

The president said the Islamic State group was the “likely perpetrator” of the bomb attack, the deadliest in 2016, that targeted a celebration attended by many Kurds.

The remains of a suicide vest were found at the scene, the chief prosecutor’s office said Sunday according to broadcaster CNN-Turk.

Gulser Ates, one of scores wounded in the attack, told Hurriyet the attack took place as the party was breaking up.

“We were sitting on chairs, having a chat with one of our neighbours.

“During the explosion, the neighbour died on top of me. I remember being underneath. If my neighbour hadn’t fallen on top of me, I would have died,” she said.

“The bride and groom’s happiest day was poisoned.” Another resident in Gaziantep told Dogan news agency he saw many dead bodies and body parts including a “head, arm, hand scattered on the ground”.

The bride and groom -- Besna and Nurettin Akdogan -- were rushed to hospital but were not seriously wounded. - AFP

All SLFP JO MPs to quit from organiser ranks

All Joint Opposition MPs attached to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) will step down from their district and electoral organiser ranks within the next few days, MP Keheliya Rumbukwella said.

Speaking to the Daily News yesterday, Rambukwella said the resignation letters would be sent to the Party Leadership shortly.MPs Dullas Alahapperuma and Bandula Gunawardena announced their decisions to resign from organiser posts, stating that the resignation letters would be sent to President Maithripala Sirisena today.

Rambukwella said the rest of the JO members would also follow the same line.

SLFP MPs Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Kumara Welgama, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Mohan de Silva, Lohan Ratwatte, Johnston Fernando, Vidura Wickremanayake, Ranjith de Zoysa and Janaka Wakkumbura will resign from district and electoral organiser ranks in the coming few days.

This decision comes in the wake of President Maithripala Sirisena appointing 40 new district and electoral organiders as a part of the restructuring process of the party. With the new appointments seven JO MPs including Keheliya Rambukwella, Gamini Lokuge, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, C.B. Rathnayake, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Rohitha Abeygunawardena and Uditha Lokubandara were stripped off their positions.

At the same time, the JO sent a letter to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya last week asking to recognise them as Independent MPs in the Opposition. Rambukwella said all 51 JO MPs signed this letter.

He said the JO meeting convened today would take several crucial decisions including that of their decision to be independent MPs in Parliament. Asked whether they would also claim for the post of Opposition Leader, the MP said it would also be discussed but added the JO should win their due rights and privileges in Parliament before claiming on that position.

Commenting on this development, Finance State Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said it exposes the JO MPs anxieties that they would be the next to be removed. “They are uncertain about their positions as they know their wrongful conduct. Their resignations will have no effect to the Party. The Party Leadership will appoint new organisers and take the party forward with a new look,” he said. The state minister also said none of the SLFP members in government ranks would join with the JO group. “All those speculations in that regard were untrue,” he said.

Meanwhile, MP Chamal Rajapaksa said that he has not signed the letter by the JO handed over to the Speaker asking to be recognised as independent MPs.

He also said that his participation to the JO meeting today was unsure.

“I have got another meeting at the Speaker’s residence. I will attend it first and then decide on the JO meeting,” he said.

Asked about his participation at the 65th SLFP Convention in Kurunegala, MP Rajapaksa said he would decide it after having a round of talks with the SLFPers in his electorate. “I will not go by the decisions made by any other group. My decision will be made after discussing with the members of SLFP branches in my area and I hope to meet them shortly,” he said.

Commenting over the JO’s decision to resign from electoral and district organiser posts, MP Rajapaksa said it is better if both sides of the division in the SLFP be patient and flexible at this time as the party is undergoing a turbulent time.

“I remember when former Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was leading the party, Philip Gunawardena tried to break away with a group. Bandaranaike at that time personally talked to each member in the rebel group and asked them not to leave the party. These are past experiences which will be useful in dealing with the present situation. Threatening and intimidating would make the matters worse,” he said.

SriLankan suspends pilot : Delay due to drunk pilot

The passengers affected by the prolonged delay on flight UL 554 from Frankfurt to Colombo on August 19 will be compensated as per EU regulations, SriLankan Airlines spokesman Deepal Perera said. The flight carrying 259 passengers was scheduled to depart Frankfurt, Germany at 3.20 p.m. on Friday for Sri Lanka. It was delayed 15 hours due to the non arrival of a crew member. As the Frankfurt airport closes at night, the flight commenced its journey bound to Colombo at 6.20 a.m. on Saturday.

As of the Air Passenger Rights of the EU, if a flight arrives more than three hours late at final destination stated on the ticket, the passengers are entitled to compensation.

According to the EU regulations, the passengers in a delayed flight between an EU airport and non EU airports with over 3,500 km distance can seek compensation of 600 Euros.

The distance between Frankfurt, Germany and Katunayake,

Sri Lanka is 8,087 km. Therefore, the flag carrier will have to pay 600 Euros (Approximately Rs. 96,960) to each passenger. However, asked from the spokesman whether SriLankan Airlines will pay this compensation for all passengers including the locals, he said he was not yet aware of this.

SriLankan Airlines later issuing a press release stated a service of a pilot had been suspended over this issue.

It stated the all the passengers affected by the delay were provided food and accommodation. “SriLankan Airlines confirmed that one of its Captains who was due to operate UL554 Frankfurt to Colombo on August 19 failed to pass a Breathalyzer, (alcohol test) carried out by the authorities at Frankfurt Airport in Germany. Upon receiving the results SriLankan Airlines took immediate steps to suspend the services of the said captain and took alternative measures to operate the flight to Colombo,” the airlines stated.

“SriLankan Airlines has a well-established strict substance abuse policy that is designed to put the safety of our customers and employees first.

"The Airline has no tolerance for abuse or violations of this policy and accordingly the Airline will thoroughly investigate this matter, whilst extending its fullest co-operation to the law enforcement authorities in Germany. The crew member concerned has been suspended and will be withheld from operating services pending the outcome of the investigation.

SriLankan Airlines would like to reassure its customers that the safety of passengers and crew are the paramount consideration of the Airline and will not be compromised under any circumstances,” the release added.

The airline also apologized to the customers for the prolonged delay on flight UL554.

When contacted, the Airline Pilot’s Guild of Sri Lanka, a spokesperson said she was aware of the matter but said she could not comment on it at this moment.

She said the Committee members of the Guild were on duty on board and therefore unable to reach until Tuesday.

Bandula Resigns As Homagama SLFP Organizer

UPFA MP Bandula Gunawardena announced his resignation as Homagama Sri Lanka Freedom Party Chief Organizer.

He made this announcement in a public meeting in Pitipana today.

This comes two days after a controversial speech by President Maithripala Sirisena threatening the 'Joint Opposition' which backs former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and a few days after some SLFP organizers were sacked by Sirisena.

Gunawardena publicly denounced Sirisena's speech yesterday.UPFA MP Dullas Alahapperuma also resigned as the SLFP District Leader in Matara on August 19.

Photos of Namal's Iresha emerge!

'Lanka E News' has published photos of Batapola Arachchilage Ornella Iresha Silva, a directress of MP Namal Rajapaksa’s NR Consultancy who faces an international red warrant.

In one photo, she is pictured with her brothers - Bruno and Enrico Silva.Another photo shows when she had taken oaths as a lawyer, on the same day which Namal Rajapaksa too, took oaths as a lawyer.

Colombo magistrate’s court issued a warrant to Interpol yesterday (19) to arrest Ms. Silva.

Wanted by the FCID over her having aided Namal in a Rs. 125 million fraud, she has fled the country and is in hiding in England.

UN denies report about Golden Temple

The U.N.’s cultural agency has denied reports it is considering taking an ancient Sri Lankan cave temple off a list of world heritage sites, as a local conservation official Saturday renewed fears about its status.

On a visit to the island last week, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova told reporters she had raised concerns over the maintenance of the Golden Temple of Dambulla with local authorities.

However, Bokova’s office later stressed she did not say the centuries-old monastery risked being removed from the list of World Heritage Sites, but rather that UNESCO is in dialogue with Sri Lankan authorities over the temple’s condition.

“The Office of the Director-General reiterates that the Organization is engaged in a process of dialogue with national authorities on this matter, and that no reference was ever made to its delisting as a World Heritage Site,” the statement released Thursday said.

Sri Lanka’s top official in charge of heritage conservation told AFP Saturday he believed the Dambulla temple was in fact in danger of being removed from the list owing to decades of neglect.

“The temple risks losing the World Heritage status for two reasons. One is the new constructions that have been added and the second is the damage to murals and the failure to conserve them,” Prishanta Gunawardhana, the head of the government’s Central Cultural Fund told AFP.

A resident monk had for more than two decades denied conservation officials full access to the temple but a recent change of chief priest had given authorities hope the decline could be stopped, Gunawardhana said.

“This is a national tragedy. We will take at least five months to assess the damage caused by years of neglect,” Gunawardhana said. -Agencies

Source: AFP

Sujani in hospital to avoid arrest

The Financial Crimes Division (FCID) yesterday, informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate that Sujani Bogollagama, a Director of N. R. Consultant and Govers Corporation had admitted herself to the paying ward of the National Hospital, to avoid arrest.

The Colombo Fort Magistrate ordered the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) to examine the suspect Sujani Bogollagama and hand over a full report concerning the state of her health, on August 22.

A warrant is out for Bogollagama's arrest under the Money Laundering Act for purchasing Rs. 100 million worth shares of a company called Hello Corp, using allegedly ill-gotten funds.

N.R. Consultant and Govers Corporation are allegedly owned by MP Namal Rajapaksa who was arrested on Monday. Nithya Senanayake Samaranayaka, another director of the company, was also arrested this week.

The Court also issued an international warrant on another director of the same two companies - Ornella Iresha Silva.

Around 10,000 Lankans die from diabetes annually

Around 10,000 Sri Lankans die from diabetes annually and another eight percent of the population receive treatment for diabetes, Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said.

He said earlier, diabetes was common only among adults, but nowadays, schoolchildren develop the disease. The issue poses a significant challenge for the entire health system of the country as health services have an extra burden due to the development.

He was addressing the Endocrine Congress 2016 in Colombo recently.

Minister Dr. Senaratne said 25 percent of Sri Lankans are over weight and another seven percent suffer from obesity.

The country needs to take action to prevent Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) caused by life style related negative changes.

The government will bring legislation to regulate fat and salt in food and beverages. About 842 Healthy Life Centres and 946 Well Women Clinics have been set up countrywide to offer the public free screening for NCDs and keep people healthy, the minister said.