Throwing an open challenge, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), yesterday invited the Minister of Higher Education, S.B. Dissanayake, to a public debate on the turmoil embroiling the higher education sector, ideally, in the presence of university students.

Addressing the media in Colombo, JVP Parliamentary Group Leader, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, claimed the current government was hell bent on suppressing both university students and the public as a whole, in a nutshell, by ruining the system of free education, in the country.

The Colombo University Teachers’ Association (CUTA), which at the end of May threatened an all-out strike within two weeks, if newly appointed Vice Chancellor did not step down from the post, have given up their demand as they lack support.

University sources told The Island yesterday that the scheduled strike would not be staged due to the faculty teachers’ unions not supporting the trade union action.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) claimed yesterday to have in its possession, photographic as well as audio taped evidence of Minister of Higher Education, S.B. Dissanayake, ordering the Vice Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Dr. N.L.A. Karunaratne, to take......immediate action against a group of students taking part in a protest at Wijerama Junction, Nugegoda on 5 June, when the vehicles carrying the minister and the VC were briefly obstructed by the protesting students.

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved to amend the Employee’s Provident Fund Act to allow members to withdraw 30% out of their EPF Account to be used for housing and medical treatment.
Cabinet spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella stated that these orders were presented to the Cabinet according to the Article 46 of the Employees Provident Fund (Amendments) Act 2012.

A group of unidentified persons had attacked a group of students from the Eastern University on Monday night.

A third year student from the university Y. Amirtharaja had even received medical treatment from the Batticaloa Hospital following the attack.

Students believe that the attack was aimed at intimidating them prior to the holding of students’ body elections at the university.

The Eastern University is another focus of the intelligence units apart from the Jaffna University.

As a citizen of Sri Lanka, naturally I was keen to know what the country’s secretary of defense thinks about the current security situation and the military history of Sri Lanka. Therefore, I went through his “lecture”  under the National Interest Module of the inaugural MPhil/PhD Programme of the Kotelawala Defense University. Usually, any “lecture” is followed by a question and answer session unlike “speeches”, especially in an academic institute. I am sure the secretary of defense allowed

Australian Immigration Minister Brendan O’Connor confirmed the 30th plane had landed in Colombo with since the Government began flying Sri Lankans back in August last year.

It brings to been sent home after it was deemed they were not genuine asylum seekers.

Among them, 1035 were returned involuntarily.

Indonesian Police have detained 43 illegal immigrants from Sri Lanka who were stopped at Sindangbarang highway in Cianjur, West Java.

The illegal immigrants chose the road via South Cianjur to the southern coast of Java from which they planned to cross to their final destination Australia’s Christmas Island, Police detective Adj Comr. Gito of the Cianjur police said.

Tension prevailed in the Galle suburb of Karapitiya on Wednesday June 12th 2013 when Muslim women protesting the intended demolition of their homes by the Urban Development Authority(UDA)demonstrated in front of bulldozers and succeeded temporarily in prevented their dwellings being wrecked.

The dramatic incident where around 25 Muslim women bravely sat down or lay down in front of four bulldozers that were getting ready to mow down their homes resulted in the demolition efforts from proceeding further.

DIG Vass Gunawardene, who is being investigated for his alleged involvement in the murder of millionaire businessman, Mohamed Shiyam, had bragged that he is a killer, and had threatened to retaliate against the CID officers who had arrested him, the CID informed the Colombo Additional Magistrate Court, yesterday.

“I knew you were going to do this. But, you cannot keep me inside (in detention) forever, Shani (addressing ASP Shani Abeysekara). I am a killer! See what will happen to all of you when I am released one day,&rd