News

The Federative Republic of Brazil through the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) donated to Sri Lanka a consignment of medical supplies including 10, 000 vials of regular human insulin and 08 million polypropylene tips.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya received the donation of medical supplies from Brazilian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Sergio Luiz Canaes at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo on 17 May 2023.

Highlighting the longstanding friendly relations between Sri Lanka and Brazil, State Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed appreciation for this goodwill gesture by the Government of Brazil.

Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs O.L. Ameerajwad and other officials participated. The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Brazil coordinated the donation.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered strict legislation to prevent child abuse in Sri Lanka, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported.

According to the PMD, the President emphasized the urgency of combating child abuse perpetrated by teachers, elders, and various segments of society.

The President highlighted the importance of such measures pointing out the recent incidents of abuse, including the death of a 16-year-old girl and the abuse of 16 children by a tuition teacher, both reported from the Kalutara area. 

President Wickremesinghe also called for amendments to be made to existing legislation, underscoring the importance of careful consideration during the process.

New governors have been appointed for three provinces, the President’s Media Division (PMD) says.

Thereby, the following governors were sworn in before President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (May 17):

• Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena – North-western Province

• P.S.M. Charles – Northern Province

• Senthil Thondaman – Eastern Province

The new appointments were made after the governors of the Eastern, Northern and North-western provinces were removed by the Head of State on Monday (May 15).

The cabinet has called for observations on a paper it has received for the legalization of cannabis for export and as a medicine.

Once the legal draftsman prepares the related bill, it will be approved by the ministers and presented to parliament.

The cabinet paper proposes annual licentiates chosen by the Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation by calling applications to start the cultivation of cannabis on a large-scale.

After calls by state minister Diana Gamage to legalize cannabis, the president proposed through his budget to appoint an experts committee to look into its cultivation for export purposes only.

In medicine, cannabis is recommended for use as a painkiller and in the treatment of arthritis, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed K.A. Rohanadheera to the position of Parliamentary Secretary General with effect from May 23, with the approval of the constitutional council.

Mrs. Rohanadheera is the current chief-of-staff and deputy secretary-general of parliament.

A program to generate income for Sri Lanka through ‘Health Tourism’ is expected to be prepared, says Sagala Ratnayake, the President’s Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of the Presidential Staff.

His remarks came during the event organized at the Colombo Foundation on the occasion of International Nurses Day.

Ratnayake emphasized that in a country like Sri Lanka, which boasts a beautiful environment, the ‘Health Tourism’ program is highly advantageous, and that the nursing centre should devise new programs to help generate revenue for the country.

“Looking to the future, I believe we should be creative and explore new avenues for economic growth. With our country’s beautiful environment, we can develop health tourism as a potential source of income. Let us work together as a nation to build a brighter future for all.

“As a Sri Lankan, I am aware that many Sri Lankans living in England and Australia come back to our country to receive medical treatment. However, we should not view this as a negative thing.”

Ratnayake said Sri Lanka should turn this into a business opportunity and develop this aspect of the country’s healthcare system further.

Speaking on the significant demand for Sri Lankan nurses in foreign countries, Ratnayake said, however, some are facing difficulties due to language barriers and a lack of proficiency in English.

“As a nation, we need to solve these issues and capitalize on this demand. We must strive to create a better country for our young people, and we must take steps towards achieving that goal.

“Fortunately, inflation in our country is currently decreasing, and prices for goods are becoming more reasonable for consumers. If we had not received support from the International Monetary Fund, the situation could have been much worse. It’s essential that policies remain consistent, regardless of changes in government. The government is committed to providing adequate income for all Sri Lankans, and we respect and appreciate the service of each and every citizen to our country.”

he Chief Prelate of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya, Most Venerable Dodampahala Chandrasiri Thero has passed away at the age of 84, while receiving treatment at a hospital in Colombo.

Succeeding the late Most Venerable Aggamahapandita Kotugoda Dhammavasa Mahanayaka Thero, Most Ven. Dodampahala Chandrasiri Mahanayake Thero was appointed as the Chief Prelate of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya on July 20, 2021.

The Mahanayaka Thero was born on December 20, 1939, at Dodampahala in the Southern Province and his parents were Ediriweera Patabandige Saranelis Silva, and Edirisuriya Patabandige Misinona.

After receiving his early childhood education from Dodampahala Central High School, the Thero entered the monkhood at the age of 11 at Walukarama monastery, Kudawella, and received his early monastic education at Wiraba Pirivena in Matara and at Vidyaloka Pirivena in Galle.

Most Ven. Dodampahala Chandrasiri Mahanayake Thero was appointed the Mahanayaka of the Kalyanivamsa chapter in 2013 prior to which he served as the deputy Maha Nayaka Thero and Nayaka Thero in charge of legal affairs of that chapter.

The Venerable Maha Thero has also served as the deputy president and the President of the Amarapura Maha Sangha Sabha representing all 22 fraternities of the Amarapura Chapter.

Efforts made thus far have been insufficient in preventing climate change and amount to nothing more than procrastination – Says President during the Environment Pioneer awards ceremony

During the 10th Environment Pioneer President’s Medal Awarding Ceremony 2020-2021 held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that Sri Lanka is establishing the world’s first international environmental university to support the global effort in addressing climate change.

The President acknowledged that although climate change is a significant challenge for the world, there is no central research hub to study it, and invited multiple countries to join Sri Lanka in the effort.

President Wickremesinghe also stressed that the actions taken so far have only delayed climate change, and not stopped it. The ceremony recognized the excellent service of teachers, schools, regional environmental officials, and offices, with 129 environmental pioneers being awarded Presidential Medals. The Environment Pioneer President’s Medal is the highest accolade under the National Environment Pioneer President’s Medal, and the winners receive an additional 04 points in university entrance.

Aralagangwila Wilayaya National School was awarded as the best school, producing 14 Environment Pioneer President’s Medal winners, while the Central Provincial Office of the Central Environment Authority received the award for the best office, guiding the most significant number of Environment Pioneer President’s Medal winners (25). The Environment Pioneer President’s Medal recipients took a group photo with President Wickremesinghe, who urged them to spread the message of environmental protection in schools as environmental pilots.

The President emphasized that being an environmental pilot is a significant sacrifice and is dedicated to the betterment of future generations.

The President further expressed his views and said,

“As the President of Sri Lanka, I would like to begin by congratulating all the environmental pioneers who have received medals today. This is a commitment that they have made voluntarily, since the establishment of the Central Environment Authority in 1984.

All of us who are part of this movement are making a great sacrifice for the benefit of future generations. The environmental problems in the world today are well known to everyone. Our challenge today is not just to stop climate change, but to slow it down, and we must be successful in this effort.

Over the last two centuries, the world has undergone great changes. When the British arrived in Sri Lanka and signed the Upcountry Treaty in 1815, the population of our country was only two million or less. When we got universal suffrage in 1931, that number had grown to five million. By the time we gained independence, it was seven million. Today, our population has tripled, but our land has not increased, and the amount of forests has decreased.

As a former government minister in 1970, I remember allocating 150,000 -200,000 acres on the side of Polonnaruwa to start the Mahaweli movement. Today, people are living in those areas, and we have become self-sufficient in rice as a result. If that land had not been allocated then, we would not be self-sufficient in rice today.

The world has changed drastically since the time of our ancestors. The consumption patterns of households have increased with the availability of modern amenities like air conditioners, different types of food, and other consumables. The industrial revolution has also led to increased industrialization worldwide, with its attendant environmental impacts. Two major wars broke out during this period, including the dropping of atomic bombs, leading to environmental destruction and changes in our climate.

By 2050, the world’s population is expected to increase even more, and we must be prepared to face the challenges of climate change. As a country, we have taken many steps to address these issues, including the creation of a climate change hub, and the introduction of new rules to protect the Sinharaja forest, Horton plains, Siripada site, and the Knuckles range.

While the environmental laws that we introduced in the past were modern back then, they have become out-dated now, and we need new and more effective environmental and climate change laws to ensure the sustainable development of our country.

As the Minister of Environment, I am proud to announce that we are bringing new laws to protect nature reserves like Muthurajawela and creating new forests. We have taken steps to create the necessary laws for this.

But we didn’t stop there. Recognizing the importance of addressing climate change, we believe it should be included in school and university curricula. That’s why we are planning to establish the International University of Climate Change, which will be the world’s first international environmental university. We expect it to provide opportunities for post-graduation and research work.

Currently, there is no centre in the world dedicated to conducting research on climate change. Therefore, we are taking steps to start the International University on Climate Change by establishing that centre in Sri Lanka. We hope to carry out this work with the participation of many countries and give membership of the governing board to those countries and organizations.

We believe that 2,000-3,000 people will enrol in this university every year, get the necessary training, and build a great relationship with the world. We hope this will be a support that Sri Lanka can provide to face climate change. Therefore, we have discussed this with a number of governments and will be presenting information on this at the conference on climate change in Dubai this year.

As the Minister of Environment, I request all environmental pioneers to convey this message of protecting the environment to their schools. It is your responsibility to provide the necessary guidance for that.”

Minister of Environment Nasir Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment Consultant Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Education M. N. Ranasinghe, Central Environment Authority Chairman Supun S. Pathirage, Acting Director General Dr. R. M. S. K. Rathnayake, environmental Pioneer presidential award winners, their parents, principals, teachers and others participated in this event.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed a new chairman and members to the National Police Commission (NPC), the President's Media Division said.

Accordingly, retired High Court Judge Lalith Ekanayake has been appointed as Chairman of the NPC.

Other members of the Commission are D.K. Renuka Ekanayake, Sarath Gamini de Silva, Dilshan Kapila Jayasuriya and Kanapathipillai Karunaharan.

The price of a 50 kilogram cement bag will be reduced by Rs. 150 with effect from midnight today (13 May).

Accordingly, the price of a 50 kilogram cement bag will be reduced from Rs. 2,750 to Rs. 2,600, wholesale cement traders said.

The President's Media Division announced that the President has removed the governors of the Northern, Eastern, and North Western Provinces.

It was recently reported that the President's Office had requested the governors of the Sabaragamuwa, Uva, Northern, Easter, North-Western, and Western Provinces to step down.

However, the governors in response said that as no official communication was delivered to them, they would continue to function as governors.

On Monday (15) evening, the President had taken measures to remove Northern Province Governor Jeevan Thiagarajah, Eastern Province Governor Anuradha Yahampath, and North-Western Province Governor Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda.

The President's Media Division said the new governors will be appointed on Wednesday (17).

Following a discussion with milk powder importers, Trade Minister Nalin Fernando announced that the price of milk powder will be reduced by Rs. 200 per kilo from 15 May.

The minister said that the decision was made in order to provide relief to the people of Sri Lanka.