‎by Reemus Fernando
‎
‎The Sri Lanka Automobile Association in Japan (SLAAJ) has awarded a brand-new Honda Vezel to gold medallist Rumesh Tharanga at a felicitation ceremony for the Sri Lankan team that competed at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.

‎The gift was announced at the ceremony, held on the eve of the team’s departure from Nagoya.

‎”We decided to reward every Sri Lankan athlete who wins a gold medal with a brand-new vehicle. We invited all the Sri Lankan athletes taking part in the Games to the felicitation, and at the time of the event, only Tharanga had won gold,”

Nishantha Meegalla, Vice President of the Nagoya Prefecture of the Sri Lanka Business Council of Japan, told ‘The Island’.

‎Tharanga, the world’s top-ranked javelin thrower this season, won Sri Lanka’s first-ever javelin medal at the Asian Games on Monday, sealing the historic victory with a throw of 88.55 metres.

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 30 SEPTEMBER 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 30 September 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

The atmospheric conditions are getting favorable for afternoon thundershowers in most parts of the island from October 1st.

Misty conditions can be expected at some places in the Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces during the early hours of the morning.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at several places in the Uva, Eastern and Central provinces and in Polonnaruwa and Mullaittivu districts after 1.00 p.m. Fairly heavy showers above 50 mm are likely at some places in the above areas.

A Few shower may occur in the coastal areas of the Western Province and Galle and Matara districts during the morning.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

Court of Appeal issues warrant for monk’s arrest

by Shamindra Ferdinando

Civil society activist Gamini Viyangoda on Monday (28) lambasted the NPP government for its failure to act promptly on the Supreme Court cancelling the presidential pardon granted to the General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Galagodaatte Gnanasara.

Addressing a gathering at the Sri Lanka Foundation to mark the launch of ‘Rajapaksha Samagama’ and ‘Pasku Praharaye Thoththa Babala’ by Lasantha Ruhununuge and Tharindu Uduwaragedara and M.F.M., Faseer, Viyangoda alleged that President Dissanayake’s government was also acting in a manner partial to Gnanasara Thera, the way all previous governments had done.

The NPP should be ashamed of its pathetic failure to act swiftly and decisively, immediately after the Supreme Court revoked President Maithripala Sirisena’s pardon. Viyangoda said that the government owed an explanation as to why law enforcement authorities couldn’t apprehend Gnanasara, following the announcement made on 14 Sept. “For two weeks what were they doing,” he asked.

Ven. Gnanasara was sentenced, in 2018, for a six-year period for contempt of court and intimidating Sandya Eknaligoda, the wife of Prageeth Eknaligoda who disappeared in 2010. But, President Sirisena pardoned him before the convicted monk completed one year of his six-year term.

Viyangoda said that Ven. Gnanasara had openly moved about freely, launched a book and acted as if the Supreme Court ruling didn’t have any impact. Every minute Gnanasara stayed in the open it was an affront to the Supreme Court, Viyangoda said, accusing the government of shielding a wrongdoer.

Referring to certain incidents during the Yahapalana time, Viyangoda revealed that he personally sought the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s direct intervention to have Ven. Gnanasara, hiding at a faraway temple, apprehended. “I met Wickremesinghe at Temple Trees. When I raised the failure on the part of police to apprehend Gnanasara, Wickremasinghe immediately called Sagala Ratnayake, who was in charge of public security at that time. Ratnayake promised to take the monk to custody the following day. The next day, Gnanasara surrendered through a lawyer.”

Viyangoda alleged that the Wickremesinghe government had shielded Vem. Gnanasara. The Wickremesinghe-Sagala Ratnayaka duo did that in style, he said, accusing the present government, too, of doing the same.

The Court of Appeal yesterday (29) issued a warrant for the arrest of Gnanasara Thera and ordered that he be produced before the court on 1 Oct.

The court further directed that the warrant be executed through the Inspector General of Police.

This happened when a motion filed by the Attorney General, seeking an order to enforce the prison sentence imposed on Gnanasara Thera, was taken up before the Court of Appeal.

The motion was heard before a Court of Appeal bench, comprising Justices Mayadunne Corea and Lakmali Karunanayake.

President’s Counsel Anura Meddegoda, appearing for Gnanasara Thera, told the court that his client was resting due to illness and requested a date to study the motion and make submissions.

But State Counsel Sajith Bandara declared that the matter concerned a criminal case and requested that the court issue a warrant if the accused failed to appear before the court.