A Colombo court ordered legislator Sarath Fonseka to appear before it next week in connection with an arms deal awarded during his term as the Army Chief to a company headed by his son-in-law. In February 2010, a Colombo magistrate had issued an arrest warrant for Mr Fonseka’s son-in law Danuna Tilakaratne, over the multi-million dollar Hic-orp deal, a defence contract which was awarded when Mr Fonseka was the Army Chief.
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Protesters in Afghan heckle British troops
London : A group of Muslim protesters heckled British soldiers and brandished placards opposing the war in Afghanistan during a homecoming par-ade for troops in east London. The protesters, wearing black shirts, gathered in Barking town centre, as members of the 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment marched through the streets on Tuesday.
There were about 25 to 30 Muslim protesters, carrying placards saying “Muslims Against Crusades” and “British Soldiers go to Hell.” A Metropolitan Poli-ce spokesman said two people had been arrested for public order offences.
—PTI
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40 missing in Burma flash floods
Rangoon : Flash floods in Burma have left about 40 people missing in an area near the border with Bangladesh, an official in the military-ruled country said on Wednesday.
“The water level rose because of torrential rain,” the official, who did not want to be named, said. “About 40 people were missing and about 2,000 people were relocated because of the flood in Maungdaw town in Rak-hine State,” he said. —AFP
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Pastor sorry for mocking Taoist beliefs
Singapore : A Christian church in Singapore has apologised for a sermon by one of its pastors that mocked Taoist beliefs, the second such incident in 2010 in the city-state where religious speech is closely controlled.
The New Creation Church said it apologised for a sermon by Mark Ng in 2008. “Pastor Mark has explained to us that his intention was to highlight what he viewed as some inconsistencies in the local Chinese practices,” New Creation said in a statement earlier this week. “He appeals to those whom he has offended to forgive him of this serious indiscretion.” —AP
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Police catches man smuggling 50 chameleons
Cairo : Security officers at Cairo’s international airport have stopped an Egyptian man trying to smuggle eight live foxes and 50 chameleons out of the country.
The police says the officers stopped a 36-year-old traveller with a suspicious large suitcase, then opened it to find the animals in small plastic cages. The police confiscated the animals, which would be given to a zoo. The officers made a report but the man was let go. The man purportedly intended to sell the animals in Thailand. —AP