News
Church of Ceylon expresses concern over deteriorating situation
The Church of Ceylon has said it is deeply concerned with the deteriorating situation in the country with regard to governance and the erosion of public confidence in the democratic process.
The Church of Ceylong has, in a media statement, said: “We are all aware that the country was rendered bankrupt due to policy blunders, corruption, waste and mismanagement by those who were entrusted the task of governing the country. The people have now been burdened with very painful economic measures which could have been averted if the right thing was done at the right time,” the Church of Ceylon said in a press statement.
The Church added that the vast majority of Sri Lankans are intelligent and hardworking people and they are now facing hardships due to the negligence and arrogance of a select group of politicians and public officials.
Full text of the statement:
“The decision by the government to withhold funding for the Local Government Election is an unreasonable and arbitrary course of action which will have far-reaching consequences. The government, which sponsored a tamasha at state expense, on account of Independence Day, nearly a fortnight ago has no moral right to withhold funding of an election. It has been nearly a
year since the government announced its decision to default on external creditors. Any government, which claims that it is unable to fund an election, even after defaulting on its obligations to the outside world, has no legitimate authority to continue in office. We call on the government to take immediate measures to provide the resources to the Election Commission, and other state agencies, to hold free and fair elections, as provided for in the Budget that was passed by Parliament.
“The hallmark of any democracy is the opportunity it affords citizens to choose their own elected representatives at the due time. Denying that opportunity to our people will only affirm the fact that we are now under a dictatorship. Deploying thousands of police officers to disperse demonstrations, with water cannons and tear gas, is simply not the solution. Any government in power, which remains blind to the ground realities, will not be able to command support from any quarter to steer the country out of this economic mess. The country needs unity and democracy to face the political and economic challenges ahead.
More than 108,000 complaints of child abuse had been received by the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) between 2015 and 2025, Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj told Parliament yesterday.
Responding to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa under Standing Order 27/2, the Minister said 4,421 child abuse cases were pending before High Courts as of April 30 this year, with indictments already filed against the accused.
She said the NCPA was working with 47 Police Child and Women Protection Bureaus under the Police Children and Women Abuse Prevention Division to expedite the hearing and conclusion of these cases.
The Minister said measures were also being taken to protect child victims during legal proceedings by introducing a system to record their evidence through video in a safe and child-friendly environment, thereby reducing the need for them to appear in court.
She said discussions were underway with the Ministries of Health and Mass Media and other relevant institutions to establish nine provincial video evidence recording units.
by Saman Indrajith ✍️
The Court of Appeal yesterday dismissed a writ petition seeking to postpone the 2026 G.C.E. A/L Examination by two months.
The petition, filed by a group of students due to sit the examination for the first and second time, sought an order delaying the examination, which is scheduled to commence next month.
The Court announced its decision after considering submissions made in support of the application and declined to grant leave to proceed with the petition.
As a result, the 2026 G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination will be held as scheduled in August.
Leader of the House and Minister Bimal Rathnayake yesterday criticised the conduct of MP Archchuna Ramanathan in Parliament, describing the behaviour of certain lawmakers as “uncivilised, disgraceful and indecent”, while a heated exchange followed between government and opposition members.
Rathnayake made the remarks when Ramanathan attempted to raise a point of order during parliamentary proceedings.
“This parliament has one or two members who behave in a very uncivilised, disgraceful manner. We tolerate them because one of them is mentally ill,” Rathnayake said.
He alleged that Ramanathan had insulted even members of the Tamil community.
“The things he says may not be heard through the microphone, but the four walls of this Parliament are witnesses,” Rathnayake said, adding that Ramanathan’s conduct was not limited to Parliament.
He claimed that the Jaffna District Coordinating Committee meeting could not be held due to Ramanathan’s behaviour and said MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam had written to the Speaker stating that he could not sit near him.
The Speaker intervened during the exchange, warning Ramanathan not to behave in a manner that would turn Parliament into “a joke”. He also said the MP had previously addressed him in an insulting manner.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa criticised the manner in which Rathnayake and the Speaker had addressed the matter, saying MPs should not be spoken to improperly and urging members to follow parliamentary Standing Orders.
Ramanathan, responding to the remarks, said: “I may be a psycho, but I am not a homosexual.”
by Saman Indrajith ✍️
Oil prices hit $100 for the first time since May
US hits dozens of trading partners with new wave of tariffs
Arachchige, Rathnayake and Malinga pump Jaffna
Hermann, Liyanage and Mujeeb steer Colombo Kaps to a 23 run win
Showers expected in the Western and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts
Child abuse crisis: 108,000 complaints reported in 10 years
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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