News
Lankans among missing victims of sail-boat tragedy off Sicily
At least seven people, including Lankan nationals, are missing after a sailboat, believed to be carrying foreign tourists, capsized and sank off the coast of Sicily, ITV News reported quoting authorities yesterday.
Fifteen people were rescued from the ill-fated boat on Monday morning, but another seven were unaccounted for, said Luca Cari, a spokesman for the Italian fire rescue service.
The sailboat sank off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday morning after getting caught in bad weather.
He said a helicopter and rescue boats from the coast guard and fire rescue service were at the scene searching for the missing people.
A fierce storm, including water spouts, battered the area overnight, according to local media reports.
The daily Il Giornale de Sicilia reported the sailboat was flying a British flag and had mostly British passengers on board, but also had passengers from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Ireland.
The ANSA news agency said the boat, which it said was named “Bajesian,” had been moored in the port at Porticello and had set sail on Sunday evening.
The boat capsized at around 5am off the port of Porticello.
A helicopter and rescue boats from the coast guard and fire rescue service were at the scene.
The BAIA Santa Nicolicchia restaurant in Porticello wrote on its Facebook page that the yacht had been caught in a hurricane.
They called it an “unbelievable tragedy”, adding that they were “lost for words”.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) relating to the project to provide technological solutions to prevent wild elephants from being hit by trains was signed yesterday (01) afternoon at the President’s Media Centre, under the patronage of Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
Coordinated through the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme, the project is being implemented as a public-private partnership, with the Railway Department, the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Forest Conservation Department working together, with full financial support from People’s Bank.
The system consists of three-beam detection, passive infrared (PIR) sensors, automatic temperature sensors and a tamper alarm system to detect animals weighing more than 20 kilogrammes and unauthorised interference. Signal lights (red/yellow/green) installed on either side of the railway tracks, together with a special screen installed inside the locomotive cab, will alert the driver in advance to the exact location of an elephant.
A demonstration test of the system was successfully conducted at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage premises in the presence of the relevant officials, following which a report on the system was prepared.
The system will be implemented as a pilot project from next month at 13 locations where wild elephant accidents are frequent. A newly developed website is also scheduled to be launched to enable the progress of the project to be viewed live.
Additional General Manager of Railways P.D.S.B. Chandrasena, Director General of Wildlife Conservation M.S.L.R.P. Marasinghe, Conservator General of Forests S.C. Palamakuumbura and Chairman of People’s Bank Chandana Guniyangoda signed the relevant MoU. Officials from the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat, including Presidential Additional Secretary (Clean Sri Lanka) Engineer S.P.C. Sugeeshwara, as well as senior officials from the Railway Department, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Forest Conservation Department and People’s Bank, were also present.
[President’s Media Division]
The Commissioner General of Examinations has announced that the results of the 2026 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination have been released online, and can be viewed on the department’s official website: www.doenets.lk
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya departed Sri Lanka on Monday, 31 August, to undertake an official visit to Bhutan to participate in the Global Conscious Food Systems Summit, scheduled to be held in Bhutan.
During her visit, Prime Minister Dr Amarasuriya participated in the opening plenary of the Summit on 1 September, where she delivered a keynote address under the theme “Rising to the Moment: Igniting Consciousness to Address the Polycrisis.”
The Prime Minister will also engage in discussions with international leaders and representatives on strengthening cooperation towards sustainable food systems, food security and resilient communities.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
MoU signed for technology to prevent wild elephant-train collisions
Grade 5 scholarship exam results released
Prime Minister participates in Global Conscious Food Systems Summit in Bhutan
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Muneeba, Pakistan’s spinners knock Thailand out of Asia Cup
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