News
Lankans in Las Vegas, Nevada, take lead in the US to help Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan community in the City of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the United States, overwhelmingly gathered at the Buddhist Temple to launch an awareness and fundraising campaign in the United States.
A Temple full of Buddhist worshipers and other well-wishers joined together in prayer on Sunday, 30 November, and hope that their community can enlighten the Sri Lankan and citizens of other denominations, as well as beyond the State of Nevada, in the United States, to the devastation and destruction faced by the Sri Lankan nation.
The outcome of the Prayer at the Buddhist Temple was the consensus and united efforts to reach beyond the State of Nevada and summon the assistance of the Members of the United States Congress, the Senators and House Members to extend solidarity with Sri Lanka.
No sooner the Temple Prayer event was concluded US Congresswoman, Dina Titus, representing the State of Nevada, reached the chief organiser of the event, Sanje Sedera, to inform him that she is negotiating with the United States Government to get more funds allocated for Sri Lanka.
The advantage the Sri Lankan community in Las Vegas, as well as the Lankan community at large in the United States, has is that US Congresswoman, Dina Titus, is a Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee for South Asia and a Senior Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives. In addition, she has a special interest toward the welfare of Sri Lanka in maintaining a close rapport with the Sri Lankan community in the State of Nevada as she holds the position of Chairperson of Sri Lanka-America Caucus in the US Congress.
Reaching to social activist Sanje Sedera, who maintains contacts and dialogue with many leading American lawmakers and their principal staff, Congresswoman Dina Titus assured her fullest initiative to get the US administration to broadly assist Sri Lanka.
In the month of October, Titus attended a specially convened session of the Sri Lanka-America Chamber of Commerce, based in Las Vegas, to strengthen her continuing rapport and dialogue with the Sri Lankan community.
The Buddhist Temple event, on Sunday, 30 November, was initiated by the Chamber of Commerce which has already launched a fund-raiser to get additional funds for Sri Lanka.
“The nature of the catastrophe is significant, and immediate assistance for Sri Lanka is vital”, said Sedera, one of the directors of the Chamber of Commerce.
Bante Punna of the Las Vegas, Nevada Buddhist Temple, who chaired the prayer session, reiterated the ‘urgency of grassroots fundraising as Sri Lanka has faced an unprecedented humanitarian emergency”.
The Buddhist Temple event was telecast in three Nevada television networks.
The High Court has convicted 14 of the 24 men accused of being directly involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people.
The three-judge bench read out its decision on Tuesday after a five-year trial and said sentencing would take place later, the AFP news agency reported.
The charges included murder and conspiracy to commit terrorism.
Nine others were acquitted, while another defendant was found guilty of only some of the charges, the court said.
[Aljazeera]
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The ruling NPP yesterday (21) dismissed claims of a widening rift, within the government, over the proposed 22nd Amendment. Asked whether the NPP was concerned over a section of the Opposition alleging Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and two dozen MPs taking a view contrary to that of the party in this regard, authoritative party sources said some persons were propagating speculation for their own interest.
Declaring that there was absolutely no issue regarding the controversial Amendment, sources emphasised once it was tabled in Parliament, it would be passed with 2/3 majority.
Sources dismissed claims that out of its 159-member parliamentary group a section of NPPers was opposed to the government move. According to an influential Opposition activist, there are 57 JVPers and 66 NPPers in the government group and the rest contested the last parliamentary polls, having aligned with the JVP.
Ministerial sources told The Island that the government was confident of going ahead with the 22nd Amendment and Judicature (Amendment) Bills. Sources said that the NPP was not bothered about the Opposition protests in and outside Parliament.
Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne is expected to disclose the confidential ruling that he received from the Supreme Court in respect of more than 65 petitions for and against the 22nd Amendment and Judicial Amendment Bills. The enactment of the 22nd Amendment would pave the way for extending the retirement age of Supreme Court judges, from 65 to 67 years, and Court of Appeal judges, from 63 to 65 years.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Court of Appeal Judge Mayadunna Sri Mevan Anthony Edirimannasuriya Corea as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal.
The appointment has been made as President’s Counsel Nalin Rohantha Abeysuriya, who currently serves as President of the Court of Appeal, will be overseas until the 24th.
Accordingly Justice Mayadunna Corea was sworn in as Acting President of the Court of Appeal before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential secretariat last morning (21).
Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake was also present at the occasion.
High Court convicts 14 over deadly Easter bombings
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Showers about 100mm will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara Districts
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