Sri Lanka ranked 5th most generous country

Sri Lanka has moved up three notches and ranked fifth in the 2016 World Giving Index (WGI) compiled by the UK based Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and released on Monday.

About 148,000 people in 140 countries were surveyed as part of the Gallup World Poll by the CAF to compile this year’s index, which looked at sub categories of number of people donating money, participation in helping a stranger and participation in volunteering time.

Sri Lanka was ranked eight last year and ninth, the year before. Myanmar continues to top the list as the most generous country in the world followed by the US, Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

“Myanmar maintains its number one ranking seen in 2015 but its position has grown stronger as the 2016 score is now five percentage points higher than its five year average. Other countries with strong upward trends this year are Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kenya,” the index report said.

Emerging eastern world power, China ranked at the bottom of the index as the least generous country followed by the Palestinian Territory, Yemen, Greece and the Democratic Republic of Congo which was ranked at 136.      

India, Sri Lanka’s neighboring country, ranked at 91, Pakistan at 92, Afghanistan at 78, Nepal at 39, Bhutan at 18 and Bangladesh at 94 in the index.

John Low, Chief Executive of the CAF said the generosity of people, even in countries suffering from disaster and turmoil, was truly humbling.

“It’s amazing that more than half the people in the world said they helped a stranger. In every country, people have this in-built desire to give and help others. Governments should encourage that spirit of generosity and create the environment in which a strong civil society can flourish allowing people to reach out to those less fortunate than themselves,” he said.

The CAF is an international charity organisation registered in the UK, with a presence in nine countries covering six continents.

(Lanka Hot News)

2016 World Giving Index (WGI)

11 Arrested For Mattakkuliya killings

The Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) arrested eleven suspects in Ratnapura last night, including the main suspect 'Kudu Roshan' for the Mattakkuliya quadruple murder, Police said.

They said the officers attached to the Colombo Crimes Division arrested the suspects along with firearms.

Four persons were killed in the shooting in Samithpura, Mattakkuliya on Sunday (23) and three others also sustained injuries in the incident, Police said.

They said the reason behind the shooting has not been uncovered yet while investigations are carried out by the Colombo Crimes Divisio

Sinhala Edition Click Here (Lanka Hot News)

Daughter accused of Neglecting Mother

An eighty four year old woman who had been locked up in a poultry shed behind a house in Wanni Kudawewa, in Kudawewa was found by the Galgamuwa Police yesterday. Police had taken her daughter into custody on suspicion.

The woman had been locked up in an abandoned poultry shed about twenty feet away from the suspect's house. When police raided the place they had found the woman seated on a plastic chair, a police spokesperson said.

Police sources said that the thatched roof of the poultry shed had decayed and plastic sheets had been laid over them. The poultry shed was constructed of iron mesh. The woman had also been compelled to use the shed as a lavatory: as a result the place had a nauseating smell.

The daughter had admitted that she chained her mother at night to prevent her from wandering about and falling. Police had also found a bed without a mattress or pillows as the aged woman was hunchbacked and could not straighten her back. The daughter had told the police that her mother had been given medical treatment twenty years ago. The daughter was residing in a house with four rooms and a tiled roof.

The police had straightaway admitted the woman, N.M.H. Umma, to the Galgamuwa base hospital. The daughter was taken into custody on suspicion and is to be produced in court. (Lanka Hot News) Sinhala Edition Click Here

Strict Regulations On Tinted Vehicles

A week long operation inspecting vehicles with tinted or curtained front windows was launched countrywide by the police today.

Traffic DIG Palitha Fernando said vehicles should have clear windows in the front of the vehicle. “The police will strictly implement this law and track down vehicles that have any kind of tinted glass or curtains in the front,” he said.

"Use of tinted glasses are appended in Government Gazette 875/08 on 16.06.1995 and Gazette number 1273/28 on 31.01,2003. It is an offence for the windscreen and the two shutters besides the driver to be tinted. A 20% tinted glass could be used only on the top portion of the windscreen,”the Gazette states.

However, it is legal to tint or curtain the back windows and VIP vehicles coming under the purview of ministries are exempted from this law, if they have the necessary approval.

“Motorists will be warned the first time but legal action will be taken if the tint or curtains are not removed,” the DIG said.(Lanka Hot News)

Court of Appeal Extends travel ban on KP

The Court of Appeal yesterday extended till Dec. 16, the travel prohibition imposed on Kumaran Pathmanathan alias ‘KP’. He is said to be the second in command in the LTTE, next to only Prabhakaran. JVP MP Vijitha Herath has filed a writ application in the Court of Appeal, requesting the court to issue a Writ of Mandamus on the IGP, compelling him to arrest KP, who was the financial controller of the LTTE. KP was arrested unlike other hardcore LTTE supporter had been arrested, the petition has said.

Among the respondent in the writ application are, the IGP, the Secretary to the Minister of Defence, the Commissioner General of Immigration and Emigration, the Director of the Terrorist Investigation Unit of the CID and the Attorney General.

Counsels Upul Kumarapperuma and Sunil Watagala appeared for the petitioner, Vijitha Herath.

The Deputy Solicitor General Priyantha Navaratne appeared for the Attorney General.

The Bench comprised Justice S. Thurairajah.

(Lanka Hot News)

Police officer assaulted in Kilinochchi

A clash broke between the protesters, who were demonstrating against the shooting of two Jaffna University students, and the Police near the hospital in Kilinochchi Town.

A protest campaign was staged near Kilinochchi Hospital in relation to the 'Harthal' declared after the death of two students, who were shot when riding a motorcycle.

When the Police were attempting to disperse the gathering, some of the protestors had furiously charged at the Police and hit a sergeant with a bottle, injuring his face.

The Sergeant Samarawickrama attached to the Kilinochchi Police sustained injuries and was hospitalized.

Kilinochchi Police sources revealed that a team of Police officers had been deployed to the location where a group of men were drinking alcohol and behaving in an unruly manner during the protest.

(Lanka Hot News)

Tense Situation in Kilinochchi

Death sentence for Kirulapone killer

Ravindran Surendran, aka Bole, accused of sexual abusing a six-year-old and throwing her into the Kirulapone canal to drown, was sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court this morning.

Colombo High Court Judge Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena said prosecutors had proven beyond reasonable doubt the accused complicity in the crime.

Two other suspects arrested at the time were acquitted of charges.

Six-year old Krishnamoorthy Dushyanthani who lived in the low-income area behind the Kirulapone Police was sexually abused by her distant relative – 18-year-old Ravindran Surendran – at his house on Siddhartha Lane in Kirulapone for some time, before, afraid that she would tell on him, he killed her by throwing her into the Kirulapone canal where she drowned.

Reports at the time said the 18-year-old suspect had joined with the crowd looking for the six-year when she was deemed 'missing'.

AAVA claims responsibility for attack on Jaffna Policemen

A group calling themselves the ‘AAVA Gangsters’ has claimed responsibility for the sword attack on two police officers in the Chunnakam market area. 

The group said the incident was a retaliation for the death of two Jaffna university students who were allegedly shot the by police.

The group warned the police and the public to expect such incidents in the future as retaliation against activities that were destroying the culture and society of Jaffna.  

A rough translation of the poster put up on the walls of Jaffna claimed responsibility for other sword attacks in Jaffna and reasoned that those attacked were violent towards women.

The group stressed that punishment will be meted- out to those engaged in activities that would destroy the social norms and ideas in Jaffna. “We, as Tamils cannot witness the destruction of our culture in Jaffna which is considered “the land of culture” of Tamil Eelam,” a rough translation of the poster read. 

The group also hinted that Tamil policemen would not be spared if they were to be part of the acts which were considered a detriment to the society. “Although there were certain Sinhala Police Officers who supported the tragic incident the Tamil Police Officers played the lead role. According to the orders of Judge Ilancheliyan we will mete out appropriate punishment to all the Tamil Police Officers who carried the shooting under the direction of Sub Inspector Srigajan,” the poster said.

The sword attacks were a measure of preventing social evils in the peninsula which saved many villages from robberies and burglaries and many women from violence, the group claimed.   

In statement previously, the police claimed the policemen were injured while trying to stop a robbery.(Pradeep Kumara)