Colombage Melani Manel Perera

Ten years after the canonisation of Sri Lanka’s saint, pilgrims from India travelled to his shrine on his feast day. Bishop Emeritus Vianney Fernando of Kandy expressed gratitude for his gift, urging seminarians to learn to “be zealous missionaries” like him.

During the celebrations in Hindu temples and Christian churches, school material was handed out to 175 pupils from the disadvantaged Malaiyaha community. The initiative, by the Voice of Plantation People (VOPP), combines faith and cultural identity; particularly this year, which marked 200 years since the arrival of the first Tamils from India to work in local plantations.

On 6 January, Vijitha Herath, Minister of Foreign Affairs, launched the initiative as part of the digitisation process initiated by Dissanayake. A pilot project is active in seven embassies, including Japan, Qatar and Kuwait. Jasintha Subasinghe, Sinhalese in Italy: ‘Visits to the homeland were races for documents’. Cases of abuse of power by officials in some countries.

In a video message, the Archbishop of Colombo explained to Sri Lankan Catholics the significance of the Holy Year as an opportunity for spiritual awakening. ‘Doctrine is not something written in a book: it must be reflected in our choices’. The invitation to families: ‘Pray and read the Bible together during the Jubilee’.

The bishops' appeal: “A call to renew respect for the dignity of life”. In the parish of St Francis Xavier in Wewala the crib built together with the little ones who live in difficult situations: ‘Here they have the chance to know the love of Jesus’.

Rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy, the refugees were crammed onto a fishing boat after more than two weeks at sea, probably blown off course by cyclonic weather. The group also includes 27 women and 49 children, who left camps on the border with Bangladesh where thousands of families have been living since 2017 due to persecution by Myanmar’s military.

This is the first state visit by Sri Lanka’s new president to India since his inauguration. He offered reassurances regarding Delhi's concerns about the presence of Chinese ships. Modi promised collaboration in the country's recovery efforts, but also expressed hope that the new administration would keep its promises vis-à-vis Tamils.

The government of Colombo announces a plan to make the management of representative properties economically advantageous. A symbolic gesture in a country that has just renegotiated its debt with the International Monetary Fund.

The bilateral initiative with the United Kingdom is designed to boost trade relations between the two countries, starting with the promotion of women-led companies. A platform for women entrepreneurs to contact UK buyers has been established. Participants stress the need for Sri Lanka to be inclusive to drive growth.

In northern and eastern Sri Lanka, people held a peaceful day of remembrance on 27 November for their civil war dead. Despite bad weather, they laid flowers, candles, and fruit in Maaveerar Thuyilam Illam, heroes’ final homes. No restrictions were imposed under the new government. Muthukumara, a businessman from Colombo told AsiaNews, that “everyone is a human being,” urging the government “to go ahead with peace.”

The People's Alliance for Land Rights has delivered a report to the new government highlighting the injustices faced by farmers: families have lost ownership over land, which is dedicated to this monoculture even when it is unsuitable.

The National People's Power alliance won 159 seats out of 225. The Marxist-inspired leader, chosen in September's presidential election after decades of family dynasties in power, promised to seek ‘alternative means’ to support the nation's finances. The International Monetary Fund had demanded austerity measures in exchange for a bailout loan.