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President rejects request to extend terms of five envoys

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A request from the Foreign Ministry to grant permission for four ambassadors and one high commissioner to complete a three-year tenure beyond the retirement age of 60 has been turned down by the President’s Office.

Permission had been sought for these heads of missions – one of them who has already completed the date of retirement and four others who will be reaching retirement age by next year — to complete the three-year term.

However, a decision has been taken not to grant any extensions keeping with a government policy that public sector employees should retire at the age of 60.

Several other Foreign Ministry requests have also been turned down.

The Foreign Ministry had taken up the position that permission should be granted to complete the three-year tenure in the case of Heads of Mission appointed from the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, despite the revision of the retirement age.

The Ministry also has cited the practice of allowing Heads of Mission appointed from the Foreign Service to complete their full tenure of three years after reaching 60.

Extensions had been sought in respect of Ambassadors P.M. Amza (Riyadh), Grace Asirwatham (Brussels), A. Sabarulla Khan (Oman) and S.D.K Semasinghe (Warsaw) and High Commissioner A.M.J. Sadiq (Maldives).

The Ministry had recommended that Mr Amza be allowed to complete his tenure till October 2024, Ms Asirwatham till June 2023, Ms Semasinghe till June 2024, Mr Sadiq till January 2025 and Mr Khan till September 2025.

In a related development, instructions have gone out to increase the number of professionally trained and experienced Sri Lanka Foreign Service officers to be posted as Heads of Mission overseas.

Currently, less than 50 percent of the Heads of Missions are from the Foreign Service.

(Sunday Times)

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Lohan Ratwatte transferred to prison hospital 

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Former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte, who was arrested and remanded on charges of using a luxury car illegally imported from abroad and assembled in Sri Lanka, has been transferred to the prison hospital.

He was arrested by Mirihana Police on October 31 in Katugastota, Kandy.

Ratwatte was subsequently produced before the Acting Magistrate of Nugegoda from the Mirihana Police Station, and was ordered to be remanded until November 7.

However, the Acting Magistrate granted permission for Ratwatte to receive treatment at the prison hospital.

Police said that the former state minister was arrested in Kandy over an incident of discovering an unregistered car at his wife’s house in the Mirihana area of Nugegoda.

The car without registered number plates was found on October 26, 2024, according to police.

Police had found the luxury car in question during an inspection carried out based on information received by the police headquarters that there is a luxury car without number plates in a three-storied house in the Embuldeniya area in Mirihana, belonging to Shashi Prabha Ratwatte, the wife of former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte.

During the investigation, both Ratwatte and his wife had explained to the police that his mother-in-law resides in the said house. They had claimed that the car had been brought there three weeks ago by Ratwatte’s private secretary, who was recently found dead with gunshot injuries in the Katugastota area of Kandy.

(AdaDerana)
(This story, originally published by AdaDerana has not been edited by SLM staff)

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Bell 412 helicopter on standby for KDU bus accident patients

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The Defence Secretary has directed the Sri Lanka Air Force to keep a Bell 412 helicopter ready at the Diyatalawa Air Force Base for the potential airlift of patients injured in the recent bus accident to Colombo for further treatment if needed.

The accident, which occurred at Ambagas Junction on the Dunhinda-Badulla road around 7:45 AM on November 1, involved a bus carrying 42 people from the Kotelawala Defence University’s (KDU) Southern Campus. Among the group were 36 students from the 39th KDU Intake, three lecturers, an instructor, a senior military officer, and the bus driver.

Two female students, residents of Kurunegala and Nivithigala, tragically lost their lives. 

The remaining 40 were admitted to the Badulla General Hospital, with seven in the ICU and one in critical condition.

KDU’s Vice-Chancellor confirmed that arrangements for the funerals will be made with university support. 

Preliminary findings suggest a mechanical fault may have caused the accident, with a detailed investigation underway.

The Ministry of Defence has expressed condolences to the victims’ families and commended the prompt rescue efforts of local residents, as well as the swift response by Dr. Palitha Rajapaksa and the hospital staff.

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(Previous News : November 01, 2024 11.28 am)

2 dead in Badulla bus tragedy

Two persons have been reported dead after a bus carrying a group of university students had toppled across the road at Dunhinda Road in Badulla this morning (Nov. 01).

The accident had occurred between the third and fourth kilometer posts on the Badulla-Mahiyanganaya main road, near the Dunhinda access road, after the bus collided with a bund.

According to reports, the bus was carrying a group of students from the Southern Campus of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU), who had been on a field trip.

Over 30 persons injured had been rushed to the Badulla Hospital, reports say.

(Pic : Accident 1st)

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Doctors at Karapitiya Hospital begin 24-hour strike over internal threats

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Doctors at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle have commenced a 24-hour token strike, according to the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA).

GMOA Treasurer Dr. Ubhaya Bandara Warakagoda stated that the strike was initiated in protest over threats made by a doctor against several other doctors of the hospital.

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