News
Ex-Justice Minister while serving a severe indictment on country’s prisons urges relocation of women’s wards

“Drug addiction cannot be changed by punishment”
SJB Ratnapura District MP and former Justice Minister Thalatha Atukorale yesterday in Parliament called for the relocation of the female wards of the country’s prisons to their own separate premises and for the rehabilitation of drug addicts.
Atukorale said relocating the female wards would be “good for everybody”.
“I cannot think of a place as corrupt as the prisons, a place that doesn’t treat people as badly as they’re treated there.
“Though a female ward exists, it should be relocated to some other region. This would be good for everybody,” she said.
Atukorale said Sri Lanka’s prisons are packed with drug offenders.
“Even prisoners who don’t take drugs, come out as users,” she said.
Since it’s rare that major drug lords are imprisoned and it’s mostly users who are low-level dealers that end up in prison, the MP said, they should also be separately rehabilitated with the assistance of the Dangerous Drugs Control Board.
“Take them to an outdoor rehabilitation centre far away or to private centres like the one run by Bodananda Thera in Kuppiyawatta and recommence the rehabilitation programme. [Drug addiction] cannot be changed by punishment,” she said.
News
Hundreds fired at aviation safety agency, union says
The Trump administration has begun firing hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, according to the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) union, weeks after a fatal mid-air plane collision in Washington DC.
Several hundreds of the agency’s probationary workers – who have generally been in their positions for less than a year – received the news via email late on Friday night, a statement from PASS’s head, Alex Spero said.
It is a part of a cost-cutting drive, driven by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge)., that aims to drastically cut the federal workforce.
Spero called the firings “shameful” and said they “will increase the workload and place new responsibilities on a workforce that is already stretched thin”.
News
The term of Acting President of the Court of Appeal Justice Mohammed Thahir Laffar extended

The term of Acting President of the Court of Appeal Justice Mohammed Thahir Laffar has been extended.
Accordingly, Justice Mohammed Thahir Laffar took his oath before President Anura Kumara Disanayake at the Presidential Secretariat on Monday (17). Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake was also present on this occasion.
Latest News
Colombo High Court serves indictments against SLPP Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa

The Colombo High Court has served indictments against Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa.over alleged misappropriation of Rs. 70 million provided by Krrish Company for development of rugby in Sri Lanka.
-
Midweek Review7 days ago
How USAID influenced Sri Lanka
-
News7 days ago
AKD’s attention drawn to ITAK’s threat to demolish Tissa Raja Maha Viharaya
-
News7 days ago
Open verdicts returned on deaths of two foreigners
-
News6 days ago
Oracle Corporation pledges support for Sri Lanka’s digitalization
-
Sports3 days ago
Remarkable turnaround for Sri Lanka’s ODI team
-
Editorial6 days ago
Groping in the dark
-
News7 days ago
Gevindu opposes Karu’s move to promote Yahapalana federal proposals, points to NPP-US nexus
-
Editorial7 days ago
Buses as Chariots of Death