News

Sydney church stabbing treated as ‘terrorist act’

Published

2 weeks ago

April 16, 2024

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Australian police have declared Monday’s stabbing at a church in Sydney a “terrorist act”.

A 15-year-old boy was arrested after a bishop and several churchgoers were stabbed during the sermon.

The incident happened in the evening at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in the suburb of Wakeley.

At least four people were stabbed but police say none of their injuries were life-threatening. The incident triggered unrest.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the church, clashing with police – two of whom were injured.

Twenty police vehicles were damaged – with 10 left unusable.

Chief commissioner Karen Webb said those involved in the riots would be hunted by police, describing the actions as “unacceptable”.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said: “I convened a meeting of faith leaders representing major religious organisations across Western Sydney.

“And their message to their communities was universal and identical, and that is that they deplore violence in all forms that they have faith in the New South Wales police to undertake their investigation.

“They call for peace amongst all communities in Sydney, and most importantly, that people remain calm during this obviously distressing period.”

Paramedics had to retreat for cover in the church and were “holed up” there for more than three hours.’

(BBC News)

News

Mahindananda acquitted

Published

4 hours ago

April 30, 2024

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Former Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage has been acquitted in a case filed against him for money laundering.

Aluthgamage has been charged with failure to declare the source of funds used to purchase a luxury house worth Rs. 27.4 million at Kynsey Road in Borella, during his tenure as a minister.

News

Elderly lady lawyer murdered inside house

Published

4 hours ago

April 30, 2024

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Kohuwala Police has said that an unmarried elderly lawyer who had lived alone in a house in Kalubowila, has been murdered on her bed and her property was stolen.

The deceased has been identified as Chandani Satharasinghe, 64, of De Silva Road, Kalubowila. Police said that he had a brother who is living in Canada.

She has been in regular contact with him on the phone and had contacted him for the last time on February 15.

A person residing in the Mirihana area, who is a friend of the Canadian resident brother, had come to the Kohuwala Police Station yesterday afternoon and filed a complaint after the latter’s relative told him to inform the Kohuwala Police regarding the loss of contact with her by phone after February 15.

It has been further revealed during the Police investigations, that an assailant or a group of assailants who entered the house had disconnected the electricity and killed her on the bed, covered her body with cloths and searched the belongings in the house. Mount Lavinia Acting Magistrate Ratna Gamage, who came to the scene of the crime, conducted the preliminary magisterial investigation and ordered the Police to place the body in the morgue of the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital and conduct the postmortem.

Kohuwala Police are conducting further investigations under the directive of Mount Lavinia SSP Prasanna Brahakmanage.

News

Decision on Keheliya’s petition against remand order, deferred

Published

4 hours ago

April 30, 2024

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The Appeals Court has deferred its decision on the writ application filed by former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella challenging the remand order issued by the Maligakanda Magistrate.

The writ application was called before Appeals Court Judge D.N. Samarakoon this morning.
The decision, which was scheduled to be delivered today (30), is now expected to be communicated on May 07.

The former health minister had put forward the relevant petition, seeking a court order invalidating the order issued by the Maligakanda Magistrate under the Public Property Act to remand him until the completion of the trial on substandard human immunoglobulin procurement.