News

4 Lankan peacekeepers injured in Mali blast

Published

2 years ago

May 23, 2023

editor

Detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED) in Mali injured four UN peacekeepers from Sri Lanka, a UN spokesman said on Monday.

The injuries are not serious, and the peacekeepers from the UN mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, are receiving medical treatment, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The incident occurred on Sunday about 12 km northwest of their camp in Tessalit, in the Kidal region, Dujarric said. When the blast occurred, they were in an armored vehicle providing security for a logistics convoy.

“About 40 minutes after the incident, a search of the surrounding area discovered a second IED which was successfully detonated,” he said. “Earlier in the day, the mission had detonated another IED discovered some 23 km northwest of the Tessalit camp.”

The spokesman said the attack on the peacekeepers was indicative of the continuing violence in Mali.

The UN staff union reported earlier this year that the MINUSMA mission was the most deadly of any world body assignment for the ninth year, with 14 personnel killed in 2022.

(Xinhua)

News

Former Eastern Provincial Council member arrested

Published

7 hours ago

July 6, 2025

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Ampara District Organizer of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal party and former member of the Eastern Provincial Council K. Pushpakumar alias Iniya Bharathi has been arrested.

He was arrested over the abduction and disappearance of the former Vice Chancellor of the Eastern University Prof. Subramaniyam Ravindranath.

Sivanathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillayan, the leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) and former State Minister, was arrested by the Colombo Criminal Investigation Department at his office in Batticaloa on April 8, over this incident.

He was later detained for 3 months under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Iniya Bharathi, also known as Kumaraswamy Pushpakumar, was arrested based on information revealed during the interrogation of Pillayan.

News

e-Revenue Licence system down due to technical glitch, ICTA says

Published

7 hours ago

July 6, 2025

editor

The Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) said the electronic Revenue Licence system (eRL 2.0) is currently unavailable due to a critical technical infrastructure issue.

According to the ICTA, the disruption began on July 3, 2025, and has made vehicle revenue licence issuing services inaccessible.

The unavailability is expected to continue until July 9, 2025.

The ICTA expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to the public and assured that technical teams are working urgently to resolve the issue.

The agency also said that further updates will be shared as work progresses, with an official notice to be issued once services are restored.