Category: Local News

Buddhist compassion for sentient beings warrants enactment of Sri Lanka’s Animal Welfare Bill without any further delay

  – by Shenali Waduge – Sri Lanka with a Theravada Buddhist civilization that protected and fostered Buddhism has much to introspect. With over 70% of the population being Buddhists it is a national shame that we continue to forget the very basic teachings of the Buddha whose message to us was to treat non […]



An Appeal by Sri Lankan Buddhists to Thailand PM not to allow its land to be used by foreign elements to destabilize Myanmar (Burma)

– by Shenali Waduge – Buddhist Sri Lanka warmly welcomes the arrival of the Prime Minister of Thailand Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra during this Wesak month. The arrival of the Thai Premier will serve to strengthen the pristine links of Theravada Buddhism to which Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Buddhist communities in several other nations of […]



Indo-Sri Lanka ties further strengthened; Says Basil at Indian housing project inauguration ceremony

Economic Development Minster Basil Rajapaksa said on Wednesday (May 22) that only Sinhala Sinhala-Tamil-Muslim unity will bring victory and it is the duty of every one to work in harmony to safeguard this country which has been liberated from terrorism.  Religious and ethnic disharmony will only bring defeat and suffering, he warned. […]



Britain’s accountability for “Bloody Sunday” massacre takes 38 years!

  – by Shenali Waduge – We certainly agree that everybody have to be accountable for their actions. But, we chose to pass on following Britain’s example of “accountability” when its own investigation into a massacre that took place in 1972 underwent 2 British inquiries and lasted 38 years for families of the slain to […]



Kelaniya PS Chairman assaulted

The Chairman of the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha, Prasanna Ranaweera has been admitted to the Kiribathgoda Hospital after allegedly being assault this morning, Ada Derana reporter said. […]



Sri Lanka to resume refinery on Friday with Oman light crude

COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s sole refinery, which was closed last week due to a delayed crude oil delivery, will resume operations in two days with an expected 1 million barrels of Omani crude, Oil Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said. The decades-old 50,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) refinery, which is configured to run […]



China to lend $580 mln for Sri Lanka development projects

(Reuters) – China Development Bank Corporation will lend $580 million to Sri Lanka to help implement key infrastructure projects, a government document released on Wednesday showed. The loan will bring CDB’s total lending to Sri Lanka to more than $1.4 billion. China’s increasing influence in the island nation has stoked concerns in neighbouring India. […]



The Historical Role of Buddhism and significance of Article 9 in Sri Lanka’s Constitution

  – by Shenali Waduge – The most powerful single factor in the development of Sri Lanka has been Buddhism evidence of which is available through 2300 years of predominantly Buddhist  governance. The status quo changed only with the arrival of Western colonials in 1505 ruling, plundering and removing Buddhism from its foremost place among […]




India has 3000 child soldiers!

– by Shenali Waduge – The international mainstream media is back in action with article headings reading “India has 3000 child soldiers”. Many would jump to the conclusion that the Indian Army is forcibly kidnapping and recruiting child soldiers. Is this so? Sri Lanka faced a similar media onslaught where many reporters were hesitant to […]



Sri Lanka opposition says government threatened to sack strikers

COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s opposition parties and trade unions accused the government on Tuesday of threatening state employees with the sack if they took part in planned street protests against a sharp rise in electricity prices. Only a few hundred people joined the demonstrations, coordinated by the political opposition and trade unions, despite expectations […]



Hubby on strike; Maihtri at work

Prof. Maithri Wickremesinghe, wife of Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe reported for duty as usual at the Kelaniya University despite the so called ‘island-wide’ strike called by certain trade unions and organizations led by the UNP, JVP and TNA against the Government. […]




Get Kachatheevu back from Sri Lanka: Jaya to PM

Voicing concern over attacks on Indian fishermen, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday asked the Centre to take urgent steps for retrieval of Katchatheevu islet, ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974, besides redrawing the International Maritime Boundary Line. […]