Customs at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) yesterday (6) thwarted an attempt to smuggle in ‘Kush’ with a street value of Rs 500 mn.

A senior official said that three Indian passport holders were taken into custody with the stock of narcotics.

The suspects, aged between 25 and 27, landed at the BIA onboard a flight that arrived from Bangkok.

80th Birthday Celebration

For over 50 years, sister Mary Croospulle of the Congregation of Perpetual Help has been a beacon of compassion across Sri Lanka. Born in 1945, she entered the convent in 1965 and was professed in 1968, embarking on a diverse journey of service that has touched countless lives.

Sister Mary’s mission has been defined by her work with the marginalised. She spent decades empowering the deaf community, notably teaching sewing in Moratuwa and looking after deaf children in Ragama. Her heart for the vulnerable also extended to the elderly, where she managed homes in Thimbirigasyaya and Periyamulla.

Her leadership within the congregation was equally profound. She served as General Bursar for 16 years ( 1991 – 2007) and held roles as Superior and Administrator in several regions, including Gothatuwa and Thimbirigasyaya.

Today, Sister Mary continues her mission in Kalpitiya, teaching Religion and English. Her life remains a powerful testament to the charism of the sisters of Perpetual Help, a journey of tireless hands and a heart dedicated to God.

To mark her birthday, a religious alms-giving ceremony was held recently at the Jayaraj Fernandopulle Memorial Hall in Kandasuridugama.

Fifty years on, Mahagama Sekera (1929 – 1976) – artist, poet, writer, lyricist, playwright, filmmaker – remains one of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated and multifaceted artists, whose creative genius continues to inspire generations of art and literary enthusiasts. His diverse and unique body of work, unmatched in the nation’s recent history, opened pathways for emerging Sri Lankan artists to explore creativity without boundaries.

To mark this milestone anniversary, the Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the Mahagama Sekera Archives, presents The Art of Mahagama Sekera, a commemorative exhibition of Sekera’s creative work in painting.

The exhibition will feature original paintings and reproductions which cover two decades of Sekera’s creative experimentation in form, colour, and texture, expressed through a visual language that is modern in every sense.

The exhibition is open to the public on January 14 and 15 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Alliance Française de Colombo (No. 11, Barnes Place, Colombo 7).

A the opening ceremony, Prof. Arjuna Parakrama will deliver the commemorative lecture, “Their burden did I own”: the patient genius of Mahagama Sekera.