Colombage Melani Manel Perera

The celebration presided over by Card. Ranjith together with the Archbishop of Goa, Card. Filipe Neri Ferrao. From Pope Francis a message of closeness to the sick and pilgrims: I invoke upon you the gift of courage and perseverance. Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus also recount the graces received from the Virgin.

Nominations have been finalized for the Sept. 21 vote, the first since the revolt two years ago that led to the ouster of Gotabaya Rajapaksa swept away by the economic crisis. The economist who will lead the country from 2022 presents himself as an “independent.” Opposition leaders are against him, while the old dynasty is running the former president's grandson. Transparency opens website to collect complaints about abuse of public resources in election campaign.

Namal, 38, is the eldest son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and nephew of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, also a former president, who was ousted by street protests in 2022. Many in the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna continue to support the current head of government, Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Last night several members of the Sri Lankan Podujana Peramuna expressed their support for the current president, even though in the past few days the party had decided not to support Wickremesinghe, but to present another candidate. For the time being, it is still unclear how the faction revolving around former president Mahinda Rajapaksa will move.

Accepted by the Sri Lankan Supreme Court nine petitions filed by Card. Ranjith, the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), the Sri Lanka Young Journalists Association and relatives of the victims of the Easter attacks. Inspector Deshbandu Tennakoon is also under investigation for the suppression of protests against then President Rajapaksa in the summer of 2022. Aragalya activists: ‘A victory, but we are waiting for the guilty verdict’.

Following a Supreme Court ruling, the calendar of Sri Lanka’s presidential election is expected in days. The Christian advocacy group urges candidates to limit the powers of the presidency and work on healing the wounds still left open 15 years after the end of the civil war.

Although Sri Lanka does not produce products containing mercury or persistent organic pollutants, it imports a lot of them from abroad. The United Nations Development Programme will implement the activities, which will last five years and have been financed by the Global Environment Facility.

In the village of Iyankerney, in the troubled eastern province, an initiative that creates wealth and strengthens the sense of community through organic farming. The gratitude of the 31 women involved: 'We will continue this work and invite others to do the same'.

A group of activists and journalists met with Fr Bastian Rocknadan, who is fighting for the return of Catholics to the village of Mullikulam. The dispute flared up in 1990, when the Navy took possession of the area, forcing the inhabitants to move. Fifteen years after the end of the war, the issue remains unresolved.

In the hands of Somali pirates for four and a half months, the six Sri Lankan sailors from the ship 'Lorenzo Putha 4' who had been kidnapped at the end of January and then freed by the Seychelles Coast Guard have finally arrived in the port of Dikowita. The joy of re-embracing their families but also concerns about the financial loss they suffered as a result of the unfortunate mishap.

Bishop Fernando received Ranil Wickremesinghe, with whom he discussed topical issues, from the impact of new projects on local fishermen to connections to the Madhu sanctuary. For the president's office, the prelate praised the government's 'efforts'. But there has been no shortage of controversy from part of the Christian community, which accuses the head of state of not doing justice to the victims of the Easter massacre.

More than 3 years after the presentation of the report on the serious responsibilities of intelligence and politicians, President Wickremesinghe has chosen to start from scratch by entrusting a new panel led by a retired judge with a new investigation. The Bishops' Conference: 'What more is there to investigate? Rather explain why those who were responsible continue to be protected'.