Around 22 persons, including 11 females, have been arrested following a tense situation at a protest in Anuradhapura.

The tense situation was reported after a group of unemployed graduates surrounded the North Central Provincial Council building in protest, seeking solutions to their demands.

Several individuals were reported to be seriously injured in the incident when the Police attempted to diffuse the situation.

The protesters are reported to have surrounded the NCPC building, blocking all exits, with the staff and the NCPC governor – Mahipala Herath inside.

Al Jazeera Media Network has condemned the Israeli government’s decision to close its operations in Israel as a “criminal act” and warned that the country’s suppression of the free press “stands in contravention of international and humanitarian law”.

“Al Jazeera Media Network strongly condemns and denounces this criminal act that violates human rights and the basic right to access of information. Al Jazeera affirms its right to continue to provide news and information to its global audiences,” the network said in a statement on Sunday

“Israel’s ongoing suppression of the free press, seen as an effort to conceal its actions in the Gaza Strip, stands in contravention of international and humanitarian law. Israel’s direct targeting and killing of journalists, arrests, intimidation and threats will not deter Al Jazeera from its commitment to cover, whilst more than 140 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the beginning of the war on Gaza.

“The Network vehemently rejects the allegations presented by Israeli authorities suggesting professional media standards have been violated. It reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the values embodied by its Code of Ethics,” it said.

The statement comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet voted unanimously to close Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel, weeks after Israel’s parliament passed a law allowing the temporary closure of foreign broadcasters considered to be a threat to national security during the months-long war in Gaza.

Netanyahu announced the decision on X, formerly Twitter. “The government headed by me unanimously decided: the incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel,” he posted in Hebrew.

Israel’s Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi wrote on X that he had signed the orders against Al Jazeera, which would be effective immediately.

Karhi said he ordered the seizure of Al Jazeera’s broadcasting equipment “used to deliver the channel’s content”, including editing and routing equipment, cameras, microphones, servers and laptops, as well as wireless transmission equipment and some mobile phones.

Later on Sunday, police raided Al Jazeera’s premises in occupied East Jerusalem and satellite and cable providers took Al Jazeera off air.

Messages have appeared instead of Al Jazeera’s broadcast on a number of satellite providers, including messages with the words “Yes” and “Hot”.

(aljazeera.com)

Public Security Minister Tiran Alles says that action will be taken against the person who caused a disturbance at the visa issuing section at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) Katunayake Airport in Katunayake.

He told a news conference that steps will also be taken against the officers who recorded the incident.

Meanwhile, the man who had spoken out against the takeover of the private company at the BIA, has been summoned to the Katunayake Airport Police to record a statement. Footage of him speaking at the time of the incident, had since gone viral.

The man, who identified himself as Sandaru Kumarasinghe, told reporters that he had been summoned by the Airport Police to record a statement regarding the incident

Speaking to the media, he said that the people must determine whether the statement should be recorded from him, who represented the people, or from those who decided to outsource the visa issuance to a foreign company.