Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated at the ceremonial opening of the new Sasakawa Memorial Sri Lanka–Japan Cultural Centre today [11th of June 2026].

The cultural centre, commissioned by the Sasakawa Memorial Sri Lanka–Japan Cultural Centre Trust and situated at No. 85, Ward Place, Colombo 07, is a landmark development designed to promote cultural exchange, education, professional training and bilateral cooperation between Sri Lanka and Japan.

The New Sasakawa Centre was ceremonially opened  by the Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka Akio ISOMATA, Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, Yohei SASAKAWA,  Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, Japan, Premalal Fernando, Chairman, Sasakawa Centre Trust. The Prime Minister unveiled the inaugural plaque.

Following the occasion Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Defence and Sasakawa Peace Foundation in the presence of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and  Yohei SASAKAWA, Honorary Chairman.

Addressing the occasion, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated, that the friendship between Sri Lanka and Japan is enriched by a long history of cultural and spiritual connections and that the societies are connected through a deep appreciation of nature, culture, learning, and community.

Highlighting the longstanding contribution of the Sasakawa Centre, the Prime Minister stated that it has played an invaluable role in promoting Japanese language education and strengthening mutual understanding between the people of Sri Lanka and Japan. She expressed confidence that the new Centre would emerge as a dynamic platform for cultural exchange, educational cooperation, and meaningful people-to-people engagement.

The Prime Minister stated that, at a time of increasing global uncertainty, partnerships based on mutual respect, shared values, and a commitment to peace are more important than ever. She reaffirmed that Sri Lanka and Japan remain committed to dialogue, international cooperation, and s rules-based international order that promotes peace, prosperity, and human dignity.

The occasion was attended by the Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka  Akio ISOMATA, Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, Yohei SASAKAWA, Chairman, The Nippon Foundation, Japan, Premalal Fernando, Chairman, Sasakawa Centre Trust and Diplomatic core, distinguished guests.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

World finalist Ja’Kobe Tharp produced a stunning 12.75 run to break the world 110m hurdles record  at the NCAA Championships in Eugene on Wednesday (10).

What made the feat all the more surprising was the fact it came in the heats. The Auburn student powered out of the blocks and executed a flawless run, pulling further ahead of the field after each barrier before charging through the line in 12.75 (1.0m/s), taking 0.05 off the world record set by Aries Merritt in 2012.

Tharp, still just 20 years of age, won the world U20 title in 2024 and then won the NCAA indoor and outdoor titles one year later. He also won at the US Championships last year with a personal  best of 13.01 before going on to finish sixth in the World Championships final.

He is undefeated in individual races this year, including heats, and in March he retained his NCAA indoor title with a world-leading 7.32, elevating him to third on the world all-time list. He continued that momentum outdoors with a string of victories on the US collegiate circuit.

The 110m hurdles final at the NCAA Championships takes place on Friday (12).

[World Athletics]

The Canadian government has introduced a new digital safety bill that would ban social ⁠media for children under 16, with exemptions for platforms that meet certain safety standards.

The bill also aims to make AI chatbots safer by setting up a digital regulator ⁠to establish safety standards, a government official said.

The proposed “Digital Safety Act” makes Canada the latest in a wave of countries moving to crack down on social media platforms over concerns of harm to children.

“We have seen the very serious consequences that online harms can have. The safety of children cannot be an afterthought,” the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, Marc Miller, said in a statement.

Companies could face penalties of 3% of global revenue or up to C$10 million ($7.2 million), whichever is more, for failing to comply.

“Social media platforms and AI chatbots are designed to capture attention. They do not support healthy childhood development and have become a source of anxiety, isolation, depression and a range of other mental health challenges for many young Canadians,” Miller said.

“This legislation will provide a safer environment for young Canadians and empower them to connect in-person, build friendships, focus in school, and learn real-world skills so they can thrive.”

The bill’s introduction in Parliament comes weeks after families affected by one of the country’s worst mass shootings sued OpenAI, alleging that the company knew the killer was planning the attack after it banned the shooter from its platform in June last year over the user’s troubling conversations on ChatGPT, but did not warn police.

In its proposal for Bill C-34, the Canadian government said that apart from individual behaviour, online harms “are also shaped by how digital services are designed and operated. Features such as algorithmic recommendation systems, engagement-based feeds, autoplay, and endless scrolling can amplify harmful content and increase exposure, particularly for young users.”

AI has added new challenges, and digital services have “not kept pace with the scale, speed, and severity of online harms”, the government said.

Against that backdrop, the bill aims to set up new safety requirements for social media and AI chatbot services, requiring them to identify risks of harm on their platforms, adopt measures to address certain risks, implement safety-focused and age-appropriate design features, provide tools, such as blocking and flagging, and more.

It also wants platforms to remove content that includes the non-consensual sharing of intimate images within 24 hours of being flagged, according to local media reports.

In December, Australia became the world’s first country  to ban social media for children under 16. ⁠A month after its law was introduced  social media companies collectively deactivated the accounts of nearly 5 ⁠million teenagers. Government officials in a technical briefing said it could take a year for the bill to pass, and 18 months to set up the digital regulator once it does.

France, Denmark and ⁠Poland are also considering tightening rules around social media use for children, while Greece in April announced it would ban access to young people under 15 from January 2027.

(Aljazeera)