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Armed Forces Remembrance and Poppy Day Commemoration 2025

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The Armed Forces Remembrance and Poppy flower celebration Day commemoration ceremony was held on 16th of November 2025 at the Cenotaph War Memorial at Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo, under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

The Cenotaph War Memorial has been built in memory of war heroes from Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) who were killed in action during World War I and World War II.

It was designed by the architect Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens.

This monument is one of the oldest and most significant war memorials in Sri Lanka, and the national commemoration ceremony is held here annually on Remembrance Day (the Sunday closest to November 11).

During the event, the Prime Minister laid a wreath of poppies at the War Heroes’ Memorial and paid floral tributes in remembrance of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives.

The main purpose of this annual commemoration was to honour and remember all war heroes who have sacrificed their lives for the protection of the motherland from the period of the First World War to the present and to recognize their noble cause.

Poppy Day has been commemorated in Great Britain since 1919 to remember the members of the armed forces who died in the First World War, with the poppy becoming the main symbol of remembrance.

The poem “In Flanders Fields”, written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae after witnessing the poppies that had grown on the graves of fallen soldiers on a battlefield in Belgium, played a significant role in establishing the poppy as an eternal symbol of remembrance.

Later, Ms. Moina Michael, who served as a secretary at the American Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), further strengthened the significance of the poppy by initiating the sale of poppies and directing the proceeds towards the welfare of the families of war heroes.

The Poppy Day commemoration in Sri Lanka was organized in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen’s Association and the Armed Forces.

The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (Retired) Aruna Jayasekara, Secretary of Defence Ministry Air Vice Marshal (Retired) Sampath Thuyacontha, Tri-Forces Commanders, retired Tri-Forces Commanders, foreign diplomats, as well as the Chairman, Secretary, and a large number of members of the Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen’s Association.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]



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Kuwait desalination plant, oil refinery hit by missile and drone strikes

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The Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery in Kuwait [Aljazeera]

Kuwait says a power and desalination plant has been hit by an Iranian attack.

Gulf countries continue to face retaliatory strikes on the  35th day, of the United States and Israel’s war on Iran.

Kuwaiti authorities said the plant was struck before midday local time on Friday. The extent of the damage is not yet known.

The attack came hours after the Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery was targeted in early morning drone strikes. State news agency KUNA said the attack caused fires in a “number of operational units,” and no employees were injured.

Emergency and firefighting teams were sent with environmental experts monitoring air quality.

Al Jazeera’s Malik Traina, reporting from the capital, Kuwait City, said this was the third time the refinery’s been hit and that people across the country are on “high alert”.

“It’s one of the biggest refineries in the Middle East and it is also critical for local consumption,” he said.

Kuwait “is the closest country to Iran – just 80 kilometres separates Kuwait from Iran’s coastlines, so it’s perhaps the most easily targeted from these attacks from Iran,” he added.

In an early post on X, KUNA warned that “hostile missile and drone attacks” on Kuwait were under way. Sirens sounded during midair explosions as interceptions of Iranian missiles were heard across the country, the agency reported.

Kuwait and much of the Gulf are highly dependent on desalinated water. An Indian national was killed on March 30 after a Kuwaiti power and desalination plant was hit. Iran denied claims it launched the attacks and blamed Israel.

Elsewhere, the United Arab Emirates’ defence ministry said the country was battling a new wave of suspected Iranian missile and drone attacks.

[Aljazeera]

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Chamodi Prabodha to lead Sri Lanka women’s U19 National Team for the tour of Australia

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The Sri Lanka Cricket Selection Panel has named a 15-member squad for the upcoming Tri- Series tour of Australia, which will also feature England.

During the tour, the team will play a total of six matches, comprising two One Day and four T20 games, scheduled for the 7th, 8th, 12th, 13th, 17th, and 18th of April.

The squad is scheduled to depart for Australia today [3rd April 2026.]

 

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Sri Lanka Cricket Appoint National coaches for Bowling, Fielding and Spin Bowling

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Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced the following appointments to the National High Performance Center:

Ryan van Niekerk – National Bowling Coach

Ryan van Niekerk, who served as the bowling coach and interim head coach of the Netherlands national team from 2023 to 2026, was appointed as the national bowling coach of Sri Lanka Cricket.

In this role, he will oversee fast bowling across all national teams, including the national men’s team.

Before taking over the interim role, he worked as the assistant coach and bowling coach of the Netherlands national men’s team.

During his stint with the Netherlands team, Ryan has contributed to the team’s participation in major international tournaments such as the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

He was appointed for a two-year tenure, commencing on 15th April 2026.

Jordan Gregory – National Fielding and Spin Bowling Coach

Jordan Gregory, who has worked as a fielding consultant for Netherlands Cricket, was appointed as the national fielding and spin bowling coach.

He will be responsible for overseeing fielding and spin bowling across all national teams at the High Performance Center, including the national men’s team.

During his time with Netherlands Cricket, Gregory has contributed to several bilateral and multinational tournaments, including the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2023.

Jordan will begin his two-year tenure on 15th April 2026.

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