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)
As part of the official visit to London for the 43rd Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Board of Governors Meeting 2026, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, held discussions with academic experts from the British Council on Wednesday [20 May 2026].
The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in education, particularly in the areas of teacher training, English language programmes, education frameworks, and language acquisition skills.
The British Council shared international experience and highlighted its ongoing engagement in Sri Lanka, while expressing readiness to support the country through technical assistance, teacher development initiatives, and policy collaboration.
Discussions also included views on improving quality assurance, expanding research collaboration, and enhancing learning opportunities.
The Prime Minister appreciated the British Council’s continued engagement in Sri Lanka and reiterated the importance of deepening partnerships.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division’
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who is currently on an official visit to the United Kingdom, met with members of the Sri Lankan community living in London on Wednesday [20th] and engaged in cordial discussions.
Despite the event being held on a weekday, it was notable that nearly one thousand Sri Lankans representing the Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim communities attended with great enthusiasm.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that despite natural disasters and international crises, the present government has succeeded in stabilizing the country’s economy while providing relief to the people. She further noted that Sri Lanka’s political culture has now undergone a positive transformation that is irreversible.
Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Paulraj, addressing the event, stated that a governance system has now been established in the country where all communities are treated equally and the benefits of economic development are shared fairly among all citizens.
Moving away from the traditional method of political gatherings, the event also provided an open platform for members of the Sri Lankan community to directly raise questions and express their views to the Prime Minister and the Minister.
Commenting on the organization of the event, the organizing committee stated that all expenses, including dinner, were borne by the participants themselves. The organizers further remarked that it is unsurprising that opposition groups, accustomed to organizing such events through the misuse of public funds, appear unsettled by this transparent process.
The occasion was attended by the Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Paulraj and Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Nimal Senadheera.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya currently undertaking an official visit to London, United Kingdom, to participate in the 43rd Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Board of Governors Meeting 2026 held a bilateral meeting with the Yvette Cooper MP, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom ON Wednesday [20]. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Nimal Senadheera, along with officials from the Sri Lankan High Commission.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister conveyed Sri Lanka’s appreciation to the United Kingdom for the support extended in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwa, including ongoing rebuilding and recovery assistance. The Prime Minister also commended the United Kingdom’s support in facilitating increased bilateral trade and exports for Sri Lanka.
The Prime Minister briefed the UK delegation on Sri Lanka’s recent economic developments and policy priorities, the Government’s commitment to advancing human rights and reconciliation, as well as Sri Lanka’s positive growth trajectory.
The two sides also exchanged views on current global geopolitical developments, challenges in the energy sector, and the importance of enhancing regional connectivity and long-term energy security.
Both sides also emphasised the importance of strengthening structured academic mobility frameworks while ensuring fairness, clarity, and integrity within migration systems.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries in areas of mutual interest.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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