News
Church leaders welcome release of parish sacristan
The Catholic Church leaders have welcomed the release of a parish sacristan on Feb. 9, a month after he was detained on the suspicion of planting a hand grenade inside his church.
Selvadore Francis Munindran and three others, including a nine-year-old child, were detained on Jan. 11 after a live grenade was found inside the All Saints Church near Colombo.
The grenade recovery and arrests happened three days ahead of the local Church’s commemoration of the 1,000th day of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.
Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya ordered Munindran’s release after the government’s legal representative told the court that no criminal charges were being pressed against the suspect due to insufficient evidence.
The three other suspects in the case were released a week earlier.
Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith had protested the arrests of “innocent people” in the case and even boycotted the official Independence Day celebration. He also met Munindran while he was under detention on Feb. 4.
Church officials say police arrested those who reported the crime than identifying the real culprits.
Munindran was instrumental in preventing a blast at the church, said Father Jude Chrisantha, the archdiocesan director of mass communication.
“He is a gentleman and the Cardinal Ranjith had visited him to express the Church’s gratitude to him,” he said.
Neville Abeyratne, the President’s counsel and attorney-at-law said that although it was initially reported that the hand grenade was planted by church workers, their innocence had now been confirmed.
“There is no need for the Catholic church or the cardinal to keep a bomb in the church,” he said.
Abeyratne called for further investigations to uncover the truth behind the incident and the arrests of the real culprits behind it.
He said the incident reveals “a dangerous situation that raises serious suspicions” because the grenade was found near the residence of Cardinal Ranjith.
The Catholic Church, led by Cardinal Ranjith, has been highly critical of the manner in which the Sri Lankan government went about the investigations into the Easter bombings and the conspiracy behind them.
Nuwan Fernando, a Catholic businessman from Colombo, pointed out that the grenade incident had come days after Cardinal Ranjith had hinted at the possibility of another politically motivated attack.
“We believe that politicians wanted to create a misleading story but God prevented it from happening,” said Fernando who was present at a rally marking the 1,000th day of the Easter Sunday bombings. (UCAN)
News
Colombo Metropolitan Region, Eastern Development Plan and the Greater Hambantota Project discussed in detail
A meeting between Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake and relevant ministry officials was held on Tuesday (08) at the Presidential Secretariat regarding the development plans to be implemented in Sri Lanka under three zones, in collaboration with the Surbana Jurong Institute of Singapore and 18 Ministries.
During the meeting it was discussed in detail regarding the plans for the Colombo Metropolitan Region, Eastern Development Plan and the Greater Hambantota Project. The officials from Singapore-based urban planning and infrastructure consultancy Surbana Jurong also joined the discussion virtually.
Progress reports on the three projects were reviewed in detail and Dr. Kumanayake instructed the officials to identify any deficiencies and finalize the necessary actions within the next two weeks.
The discussion also addressed delays in securing necessary approvals for investments under the existing regulatory framework, as well as the urgent need to revise certain legislative instruments to better facilitate national development.
The meeting was attended by Secretary to the Prime Minister G.P. Saputhanthri, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russel Aponsu, Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction and Housing U.G. Ranjith Ariyaratne, and several senior officials from the respective ministries.
News
Heat index at ‘Caution level’ in Northern, North-central, Eastern, North-western, Western provinces and Monaragala district today [09]
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology has issued a Warm Weather Advisory for 09 April 2025
The public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central, Eastern, North-western, and Western provinces and in Monaragala district.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned below is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated. Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
Prof. Jayasumana raises possibility of Lanka ending up with “Quad’
Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa has said it is the responsibility of the NPP government to submit the MoUs/agreements that were recently signed with India to the respective Sectoral Oversight Committees (SOCs).
Premadasa said so when The Island raised the issue with him. He said that during his meeting with Premier Modi his focus had been on opening the Indian market for Sri Lankan garment exports.
The seven MoUs/agreements signed on 05 April included defence cooperation, energy, Eastern Province development and digitalisation.
Meanwhile, the Vice President of Sarvajana Balaya and former lawmaker Prof. Channa Jayasumana said that the government owed an explanation whether the recently signed MoU on defence cooperation directly or indirectly attached Sri Lanka to the Quad security alliance, consisting of the US, Australia, Japan and India.
The former SLPPer raised the issue at a meeting held at Boralesgamuwa on Monday (07) in support of Sarvajana Balaya candidates contesting the May 6 LG polls.
Prof. Jayasumana urged that the MoU on Defence Cooperation be placed before Parliament, and the people, without further delay. The academic who served as State Health Minister during President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s tenure said that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s foreign policy direction should be dealt with.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Colombo Metropolitan Region, Eastern Development Plan and the Greater Hambantota Project discussed in detail
IPL 2025: Sensational Priyansh Arya condemns Chennai Super Kings to another loss
Heat index at ‘Caution level’ in Northern, North-central, Eastern, North-western, Western provinces and Monaragala district today [09]
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