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HNB together with Caritas initiates ‘Season of Giving’ to spread joy during the festive season

Published

4 years ago

2022/12/18

With the intention of uplifting the spirits of children in marginalized communities during the festive season, Sri Lanka’s leading private sector bank HNB PLC, launched the ‘Season of Giving’ donation campaign on its premier digital payment app SOLO, to support Caritas Sri Lanka.

The non-profit organization, the social arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka, is one of the largest and most respected humanitarian organisations working Integral Human Development projects across 12 diocese across the island. Chief Guest Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo and Caritas Vice Chairman of the Commission of Justice, Peace and Human Development Rt. Rev. Dr. Maxwell Silva, HNB Director and Chief Operating Officer Dilshan Rodrigo, HNB AGM-Digital Business Chammika Weerasinghe, Caritas Sri Lanka National Director Rev. Fr. Luke Nelson Perera together with reverent fathers and sisters, donors and senior officials of HNB were present at a special ceremony held at Caritas Head Office to launch the initiative.

“The ongoing economic crisis has increased the number of families that do not have access to the proper meals, sanitation and shelter in Sri Lanka. As of now, data indicates that as much as 4.8 million children do not have access to these basic facilities each day. Given that we do not have the funds or the facilities to reach out to each and every one of these children, we partnered with Caritas Sri Lanka to provide for those we can. We hope that many will join us in this worthy cause to provide for those in need, during this festive season,” HNB Director/COO Dilshan Rodrigo said.

All donations made via HNB SOLO will be directly sent to the Caritas Sri Lanka accounts, with the bank making an additional donation for every transaction made by users. Moreover, HNB has also facilitated donations directly to the organization through the Direct Pay option available on the payment app.

“Christmas is the time for giving and sharing. With the support of your donations, these children will receive the necessary books and equipment required to gain the education they need in order to create promising futures for themselves and be free of poverty. Many children have lost their motivation to return to school, but with your support, we can help them get the education they need to create a new change in their lives and communities.

When you donate, you change their future and help them see beyond their struggles of poverty,” Caritas Sri Lanka National Director Rev. Fr. Luke Nelson Perera said commenting on the initiative.Last year, HNB launched a similar campaign with HelpAge Sri Lanka to obtain donations through the SOLO app to uplift the lives of all people.

With 252 customer centres across the country, HNB is one of Sri Lanka’s largest, most technologically innovative banks, having won local and global recognition for its efforts to drive forward a new paradigm in digital banking. The bank has continuously won prestigious accolades including being declared Best Retail Bank in Sri Lanka for 2020 by the Asian Banker Magazine for the eleventh occasion, in addition to being the highest ranked privately owned commercial bank in Sri Lanka by the prestigious Banker Magazine Top 1000 global rankings in 2020.

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Sun directly overhead Mannar, Periyamadu, Puliyankulam, Welioya and Pulmoddai about 12.11 noon today (30)

Published

6 hours ago

2026/08/30

Priyan

The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.

The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (30) are Mannar, Periyamadu, Puliyankulam, Welioya and
Pulmoddai about 12.11 noon.

News

Lanka tracks 11 US-sanctioned Iranian tankers off coast

Published

8 hours ago

2026/08/30

Thilina Walpola

(AFP) Sri Lanka’s maritime authorities were monitoring a fleet of 11 US-sanctioned Iranian oil tankers just off the island’s southern coast, the foreign minister said Wednesday.

The tankers were spotted close to the Galle harbour where an Iranian frigate, IRIS Dena, was sunk by a US submarine in March, killing 104 sailors. Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 32 Iranian sailors from that frigate.

Iranian vessels have been in limbo, unable to return to their home port because of a US blockade.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign minister Vijitha Herath said the tankers were in international waters where they had freedom of navigation.

“These ships are away from our territorial waters… we have no hold on them, nor have we facilitated them,” Herath told AFP.

The military deployed reconnaissance aircraft and patrol boats to monitor the vessels outside Sri Lanka’s 12-nautical-mile territorial waters, a military official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“There is no indication of any ship-to-ship transfer of oil or illegal discharge of pollutants, so there is no basis for Sri Lankan authorities to take action against them,” the official said.

Many Iranian merchant vessels moved east towards the Strait of Malacca and Singapore due to US sanctions, while several remained near Sri Lankan waters, authorities said.

Sri Lankan officials said Washington had not formally notified Colombo about sanctioned Iranian-flagged vessels

News

House to debate abolition of Chief of Defence Staff post

Published

8 hours ago

2026/08/30

Thilina Walpola

Parliament is to debate next Wednesday the Government’s proposal to abolish the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), with the Second Reading of the Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Bill scheduled for September 9.

The Bill seeks to repeal the Chief of Defence Staff Act No. 35 of 2009, which was introduced shortly after the end of the armed conflict.

According to Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera, Parliament will meet from September 8 to 11, with the business for the week approved by the Committee on Parliamentary Business chaired by Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne.

The debate on the Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Bill is scheduled to take place from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, following questions to the Prime Minister and other parliamentary business.

The CDS post was established under the 2009 Act as part of the country’s higher defence command structure.

On Tuesday, September 8, the House will consider two Orders published in Extraordinary Gazettes under the Motor Traffic Act from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m., followed by an Opposition motion at the adjournment.

On Thursday, September 10, Parliament will debate a Resolution under the Women’s Empowerment Act.

The final sitting day of the week, Friday, September 11, has been allocated from 11.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. for several Private Members’ Motions.

The motions will cover issues including regulation of the petroleum, fuel and water industries, measures to increase the birth rate, protection of the Diyagama Forest, pension deductions affecting Pirivena teachers, food-crop cultivation in mountainous areas, development of the Kithul industry and the establishment of a Faculty of Medicine at South Eastern University.

Questions at the adjournment will be taken up at the end of each sitting day.