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Highest number of crimes in SL from Kelaniya

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During this year, 29,930 incidents of serious crimes have been reported, Professor Wasantha Athukorala of Peradeniya University’s Department of Economics said.

Professor Athukorala said that there have been 497 murders, of which 223 were due to shootings or assaults.

He said this was revealed in a survey conducted by the university.

During this period, 16,317 property-related crimes and 5,964 crimes related to people have been committed.

The survey said that 1,466 cases of vehicle theft have been reported in the past 11 months. Professor Athukorala said the majority of them are motorcycle and three-wheeler theft cases, of which 39 per cent have been reported from the Western Province, 14 per cent from the North-Western Province and 13 per cent from the Southern Province.

Among the police divisions where serious crimes have been committed, Kelaniya Police Division has recorded the highest number of crimes this year which is 2,287.

Prof. Athukorala said 2,058 crimes have been reported from Anuradhapura and 2,018 from Nugegoda.

In addition, it is stated that more than 1,000 crimes have been reported from the police divisions of Negombo, Kandy, Kurunegala, Mount Lavinia, Colombo, Ratnapura, Gampaha, Kuliyapitiya and Panadura.

During the same period, 3,596 cases of kidnapping, 6,208 incidents of break-ins, and 2,159 robberies have been reported.

Compared to 2020, the number of serious crimes in Sri Lanka has increased by 4,336 in 2021.

In 2020, 31,098 serious crimes were reported and in 2021, the number increased to 35,434.

The survey said the economic crisis in the country has been the main reason for the increase in crimes.

However, Prof. Athukorala said the full report on crimes committed in 2022 has not been completed yet.

“According to the information received, about 29,930 serious crimes have been reported. About 36% of these crimes are reported from the Western Province, 13% from the North-Western Province, 10% from the Southern Province, 9% from Sabaragamuwa and 8% from the Central Province,” he said.

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Passengers jump from plane’s wing after fire alert on Spain flight, triggers panic

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Wildfires have broken out on an island and in towns near Athens in Greece, with blazes also being sparked in Turkey and Syria.

The Hellenic Fire Service and local authorities said that two villages – Tsakeoi and Limnionas – had been evacuated on the island of Evia after the blaze started late on Friday.

One fire service official said more than 160 firefighters, 46 trucks and five aircraft were deployed in southern Evia to put out the fire.

Southern Evia, to the east of Athens, was one of several regions in Greece placed on high alert for wildfires over gale-force winds forecast for today.

Images from Koropi, a town to the southwest of Athens, also show houses burnt down and helicopters dropping water on burning forests.

It marks the latest wildfires to break out in Greece – where blazes are common during the summer – as it tackles strong winds and dry conditions amid an early summer heatwave in southern Europe.

Officials have linked the conditions to at least nine deaths across the continent.

A wildfire broke out in Achlia on the island of Crete on Wednesday, forcing thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate – with some taken to a nearby basketball arena and hotels in safer parts of the island.

The fire service official told Reuters on Friday that the fire in Crete was largely contained.

Meanwhile, blazes have also broken out on Turkey’s west coast – the latest in a series of blazes which started in late June – as well as its southerly neighbour Syria.

At least five fires have been reported in Izmir after extreme heat, strong winds and low humidity. Two people have been killed by the blazes, while tens of thousands have been evacuated.

Fires also flared on both sides of the Turkish-Syrian border on Friday, with a new blaze reported near the town of Dortyol in Turkey’s border province of Hatay.

According to Syria’s Civil Defence, wildfires have spread across large parts of mountainous areas in the Latakia province.

The government department added that conditions have hampered efforts to bring the fire under control, and noted unexploded ordnance could be in some of the areas affected.

Source: SKY NEWS

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CBSL extends Perpetual Treasuries suspension for six months

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The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has decided to extend the suspension of Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) from carrying on the business and activities of a Primary Dealer for a further period of six months.

The extension is with effect from 4.30 p.m. on 05th July 2025, in order to continue the investigations being conducted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

The suspension has been extended by CBSL acting in terms of the Regulations made under the Registered Stock and Securities Ordinance and the Local Treasury Bills Ordinance.

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Kataragama Basnayake Nilame pressured over complaint against Kapuwas’ donation misuse

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It has been reported that Dishan Wickramaratne Gunasekara – the Basnayake Nilame of the historic Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya, is facing pressure including from several parties including political circles to withdraw his complaint lodged against the custodians (Kapu Mahattaya) of the devalaya.

The issue had arisen after it was discovered that some custodians were collecting money into their own tills instead of allowing them to be deposited in the official donation box.

Public discussion about the transparency of the temple’s donations intensified after the Basnayake Nilame had begun using a portion of the funds for community projects like hospital construction.

Traditionally, devotees often handed donations directly to the custodians, but the Basnayake Nilame had urged the public via media to place offerings only in the official donation box managed by the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs.

He subsequently arranged a proper audit of all such donations for the first time.

In response, some custodians had reportedly begun pressuring devotees near the official box to hand over donations to them instead.

Upon learning of this, the Basnayake Nilame had lodged a complaint with the Kataragama Police, arguing that diverting funds from the official box amounts to fraudulent misappropriation.

Acting on the complaint, police arrested 02 custodians who were collecting offerings near the official box.

However, other custodians then surrounded the police station and pressured the officers to release the arrested individuals, resulting in their release.

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