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Cardinal, Easter attack families to meet Pope Francis
ECONOMYNEXT – The head of Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith left to the Vatican Friday morning with a 60-member delegation including families of the 2019 Easter attack victims on an invitation of Pope Francis.
Spokesman of the Archdiocese of Colombo Fr Cyril Gamini told EconomyNext on Friday that the Pope had conveyed to the Cardinal his solidarity with the community in Sri Lanka’s moment of crisis.
Pope Francis will bless the families of Easter Sunday victims at a mass at the St Peter’s basilica. He is also scheduled to hold discussions with the Sri Lankan delegation regarding the tragedy and the progress of investigations into it, said Fr Gamini.
April 21 marked the third anniversary of the Easter bombings that killed 269 and injured over 500. At a ceremony commemorating the event, the Cardinal suggested that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ascendency to power was a plot backed by military intelligence officials.
Cardinal Ranjith and Sri Lanka’s opposition have been crying foul over what they claim is delayed justice for the victims and their families. The former has on several occasions alleged a politically motivated conspiracy.
“We are pushing the government through international communications and organisations like the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to carry out a proper investigation and unveil the truth,” said Fr Gamini.
Protestors at the Galle Face green in Colombo, who have been demanding the resignation of President Rajapaksa and his government over Sri Lanka’s worsening economic crisis, have also joined the chorus of voices demanding justice for the Easter victims.
The belief that the incumbent administration came to power on “the blood of the victims” is becoming increasingly entrenched, with or without evidence to support it, analysts say.
Lakbima Rice Mills (Pvt) Ltd, based in Polonnaruwa, has contributed Rs. 100 million to the Government’s ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, established to provide relief to communities affected by Cyclone Ditwa.
The donation cheque was handed over this morning (13) at the Presidential Secretariat to Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, by Dudley Sirisena, Chairman of the Araliya Group of Companies.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued to the Districts of Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara
Advisory for Severe Lightning
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
at 12.30 p.m. 13 December 2025 valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 13 December 2025 for Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara Districts
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara Districts.
There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers.
General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
Based on the prevailing disaster situation and the upcoming festive season, arrangements have been made to provide a nutrition allowance worth Rs. 5,000 to pregnant mothers.
This allowance, which will be provided only once, will be given to pregnant mothers who were registered at maternal clinics on or before 30 November 2025.
The distribution will take place through the Divisional Secretariat offices from 16 December, as a program of the National Secretariat for Early Childhood Development, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.
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