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Lankan charged with murder at Canberra zoo

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A Sri Lankan sous chef has been charged with murder over the alleged stabbing death of a young female colleague in a kitchen storeroom at a Canberra zoo, Australian media reported today.

Jude Wijesinghe, 29, was arrested on Monday night and taken to hospital under police guard with “significant” self-inflicted stab wounds.

News.com.au confirmed that the victim is a 29-year-old Bhutanese national.

ATC Policing confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that Wijesinghe had been charged with murder, the report said.

“ACT Policing homicide detectives have today charged a 29-year-old man with one count of murder during a bedside hearing following an incident at the National Zoo & Aquarium yesterday,” an ACT Policing spokesperson confirmed.

The woman, who has not yet been identified, was found at 12.50pm in a commercial kitchen at the National Zoo & Aquarium of Yarralumla.

Police stormed Wijesinghe’s apartment in Oaks Estate around 2pm and spent hours inside, neighbours told Daily Mail Australia.

“He’s been here about one to two years,” one resident told the publication. “Before that, there was a group of guys living in there.”

“I can’t believe it,” another said. “It’s all a bit of a shock.”

Wijesinghe was a chef at Jamala Wildlife Lodge, which is part of the National Zoo & Aquarium, and regularly shared snaps of his culinary creations to social media.

It’s understood he migrated to Australia from Sri Lanka. He studied in Adelaide before working in kitchens across the country.

Metho Dema, First Secretary at the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in Canberra today told news.com.au the victim is from Bhutan.

She added the close-knit Bhutanese community was deeply affected by the young woman’s death.

“The Embassy is in close contact with the bereaved family of the deceased as well as the Police and providing consular support,” Ms Dema said.

“The close-knit Bhutanese community in Canberra is deeply affected by this tragic incident involving a member of our community and is rallying around the bereaved family during this very difficult period.

“On behalf of the family and our community, we request that the media respect their privacy and allow them space to grieve this extremely tragic and sad loss.”

ACT Policing Detective Superintendent of Criminal Investigations Hall O’Meagher said witnesses heard “loud screams” around the kitchen area and responded to the disturbance.

“A homicide investigation has commenced and further inquiries will include an examination of the scene forensically, talking to witnesses and a post-mortem examination that will confirm the cause of death of this woman,” he said.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim.”

The knife police allege was used in the stabbing was found at the scene.

Photos from the scene show an extensive police response, with investigators interviewing people at the zoo.

The incident was contained to the zoo and there is no further threat to the ACT community, the police said.

The man is recovering in hospital under police guard, according to News.com.au.

Police do not know if the pair were in a relationship and are investigating this line of inquiry.

They added that the zoo would be closed “for some time”.

The National Zoo & Aquarium is privately owned 19-hectare zoo and aquarium at the western end of Lake Burley Griffin next to the Scrivener Dam.

The zoo is known for having the largest collection of big cats in Australia, including, until recently, the only tigon (a tiger, lion cross breed) in Australasia.

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UN Rights chief türk to visit Sri Lanka this month

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The United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk will visit
Sri Lanka this month or early July, a Foreign Ministry source confirmed. No dates have been finalised for the visit, though the government has agreed to the visit by Mr. Turk.

It’ll be the first time in nine years that a UN Human Rights Commissioner will be visiting Sri Lanka, the last being Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein in February 2016 during Maithripala Sirisena’s presidencyMr. Turk, an Austrian national who took up his duties in October 2022, will visit at a time the government grapples with how it will address human rights concerns raised by the international

community.

In his report to the UN body in August last year, just ahead of
Sri Lanka’s presidential and parliamentary elections, Mr. Turk said the newly elected government should recommit to addressing the root causes of conflict and undertake fundamental constitutional and institutional reforms to address the accountability gap and work towards reconciliation.

These include the immediate moratorium on the Prevention of Terrorism Act and assurances that any replacement legislation is consistent with international human rights law, repeals or amends existing laws or proposed laws that unduly restrict the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, association, and peaceful assembly, including the Online Safety Act and the ICCPR Act.

Mr. Turk’s predecessor Michelle Bachelet requested a visit to
Sri Lanka, but the matter was put under consideration, and the visit did not materialise.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) set up the Sri Lanka accountability project, an external evidence-gathering mechanism within the OHCHR, during Ms Bachelet’s period in office, a move strongly opposed by the government.

The OHCHR says that as of July 5, 2024, the repository established within the framework of the OHCHR project comprises 96,215 items and contains information from more than 470 different sources (more than 220 witnesses and 250 organisations), including international and multilateral organisations.

Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, who addressed the high-level segment of the UNHRC in March this year, rejected the OHCHR Sri Lanka project and outlined government plans for a credible and sound domestic process to address accountability issues in the country.

“We will ensure that the domestic mechanisms and processes established to address challenges emanating from the conflict will continue their work in an independent and credible manner within the constitutional framework,” the minister told the UNHRC.

Despite a visit by the Human Rights Commissioner, the government will remain opposed to any international legal options to advance accountability in Sri Lanka and maintain that there are adequate domestic mechanisms to address accountability issues.

(sundaytimes.lk)

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Trade unionist Ranjan Jayalal takes helm as Kaduwela Mayor

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Prominent trade union leader Ranjan Jayalal has officially been appointed as the new Mayor of the Kaduwela Municipal Council.

Jayalal, a key member of the Ceylon Electricity Board Employees’ Union and a strong advocate for labor rights, was nominated by the National People’s Power (NPP) following their recent victory at the local government elections.

His appointment was formally confirmed through the government gazette issued by the Election Commission on May 31.

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Sri Lanka must take practical steps to join BRICS – Russian Ambassador

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If Sri Lanka is interested in joining the BRICS alliance, the country must take practical steps, says the Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Levan S. Jagaryan.

Speaking during an event at the Bandaranaike International Centre for International Studies in Colombo, Ambassador Levan S. Jagaryan said Russia and China have been offering support to Sri Lanka, but he has not seen adequate interests from the Sri Lankan side.

Responding to a question raised by a journalist about Sri Lanka joining BRICS, the Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka said, he has been questioned about the matter on several occasions.

Ambassador Levan S. Jagaryan said, “Last October, on the 1st, I met with President Anura Kumar Dissanayake and brought with me an invitation letter from the President of Russia, inviting Sri Lanka to participate in the BRICS summit. I spoke with a language interpreter, but I don’t know if the translation was accurate. The President told me that due to the upcoming general elections, he wouldn’t be able to visit Russia. If Sri Lanka is to join BRICS, it’s not just a matter of Russia; all the member countries need to agree, and there are several steps to take before that happens.”

Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Jagaryan stated that he has not seen much interest at the moment and therefore requested Sri Lanka to take some practical steps, if it is serious about joining BRICS.

(adaderana.lk)
(This story, originally published by adaderana.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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