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Faith leaders oppose bills promoting homosexuality in Lanka
The three new bills are pathways to legalizing homosexuality, abortion, and prostitution, they say
(UCAN) Religious leaders, including Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, have warned Sri Lankan politicians against passing three bills that support homosexuality in the island nation ahead of the polls.
“If you want to win the election, don’t support these bills. As religious leaders, we will initiate efforts to defeat all the political parties who support the bills,” said Venerable Agulugalle Ginananda Thera, representing Buddhism, the official religion of the Indian Ocean nation.
On July 26, the election commission announced that the 2024 presidential polls would take place on September 21. Acting President Ranil Wickramasinghe has already submitted his security deposit to run as an independent candidate.
Thera addressed a press conference on July 25 at the Archbishop’s House in the national capital Colombo.
Behind him was a banner themed ‘Degenerate and Immoral LGBTQ Laws, Destroy Civilized Society’ written in three widely spoken languages in the nation.
Religious leaders of Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, and Muslim communities have protested the implementation of the Gender Equality Bill, Women’s Empowerment Bill, and Penal Code Amendment Bill, labeling them as pathways to legalizing homosexuality, abortion, and prostitution.
According to them, the bills threaten family cohesion and the fabric of a civilized society.
They have asked Wickramasinghe not to implement them.
At the press conference, Thera said a small group of people is attempting to undermine the country’s religious and cultural traditions.
The country’s top court declared the Gender Equality Bill unconstitutional on June 7. The Women’s Empowerment Bill was passed in parliament, and the third one is pending in the House.
At the media briefing, Cardinal Ranjith said the Church was against laws that disrupt marriage and family life.
“As Catholics, we only accept marriage between a man and a woman. These laws disrupt marriage and family life, which are foundational to every religion we believe in,” said the cardinal, archbishop of Colombo.
Muslim cleric Hassan Moulana said the country does not need ‘harmful’ laws.
Cultura Vitae, a local organization opposing the bills, said Western governments, through international organizations, are forcing Sri Lanka to implement the bills.
The president of Cultura Vitae, Eshan Dias, who attended the press conference, told UCA News that “these bills aim to enforce equality by requiring equal representation of LGBTQ+ content in schools, libraries, and media, recognizing all family types as equal.”
In March 2023, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a US$3 billion loan to debt-ridden Sri Lanka to help resolve its economic crisis. The IMF loans are known for strict terms and conditions.Buddhist monks from the three main chapters wrote to Wickremesinghe on July 24 to express their displeasure with the bills.
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Landslide RED warnings issued to the districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale and Nuwara Eliya extended up to 1600 hrs today [07]
The Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale, Matara, Monaragala, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura effective from 16:00 hrs on 06.12.2025 to 16:00 hrs on 07.12.2025.
Accordingly,
LEVEL III RED warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Pathadumbara, Kundasale, Pathahewaheta, Panvila, Medadumbara, Doluwa, Thumpane, Udunuwara, Deltota, Ganga Ihala Korale, Pasbage Korale, Yatinuwara, Hatharaliyadda, Ududumbara, Minipe, Udapalatha, Gangawata Korale, Akurana, Poojapitiya and Harispattuwa in the Kandy district, Thumpane, Udunuwara, Deltota, Ganga Ihala Korale, Pasbage Korale, Yatinuwara, Hatharaliyadda, Ududumbara, Minipe, Udapalatha, Gangawata Korale, Akurana, Poojapitiya and Harispattuwa in the Kegalle district, Alawwa, Rideegama, Polgahawela, Mallawapitiya and Mawathagama inthe Kurunegala district, Ukuwela, Naula, Yatawatta, Laggala Pallegama, Pallepola, Matale, Rattota, Ambanganga Korale and Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Hanguranketha, Mathurata, Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district
LEVEL II AMBER warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Badulla, Kandeketiya, Bandarawela, Soranathota, Hali_Ela, Meegahakivula, Ella, Welimada, Haputhale, Lunugala, Haldummulla and Passara in the Badulla district, Narammala in the Kurunegala district, Kothmale West, Norwood, Ambagamuwa Korale, Thalawakele, Kothmale East and Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district and Godakawela, Kahawaththa and Kolonna in the Ratnapura district.
LEVEL I YELLOW warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Seethawaka and Padukka in the Colonbo district, Elpitiya and Yakkalamulla in the Galle district, Mirigama, Divulapitiya and Attanagalla in the Gampaha district, Ingiriya, Bulathsinhala and Horana in the Kalutara district, Pasgoda and Athuraliya in the Matara district, Bibile and Medagama in the Monaragala district, and Kuruwita, Balangoda, Eheliyagoda, Pelmadulla, Kaltota, Kalawana, Openayake, Ayagama, Nivithigala, Imbulpe, Elapatha, Ratnapura and Kiriella in the Ratnapura district.
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618 dead, 209 missing as at 2000hrs on Saturday [06]
The Situation Report issued by the Disaster Management Center [DMC] at 2000hrs on Saturday [06] confirms that 607 persons have died due to the recent flooding and landslides while another 209 persons were missing.
The death toll in the Kandy district which one of the most affected districts has risen to 232, and 1800 houses have been fully damaged.The number of missing persons reported is 81
100,124 persons belonging to 29,874 families were being housed at 990 safety centers established by the government.

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Opposition blames govt. inaction for severity of disaster impact
The government’s failure to act on expert warnings, including advance forecasts on Cyclone Ditwah, had led to the worsening of disaster impact, Udaya Gammanpila, leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, said at a press conference in Colombo yesterday.
Gammanpila accused the NPP government of ignoring 14 key preventive measures, despite alerts from the Meteorology Department, foreign experts, and the media.
Gammanpila said the government had failed to lower the water levels in reservoirs, dredge estuaries, and deploy the armed forces for canal maintenance. Local government bodies were reportedly sidelined, and that led to a delay in cleaning of drains. He said the government had also failed to evacuate people in a timely manner from seven districts identified by the National Building Research Organisation as landslide-prone. It had delayed declaring emergencies or curfews and the deployment of tri-forces to evacuate people in such areas.
Gammanpila said an experienced public official should have been appointed as Secretary to the President to mobilise the state machinery swiftly during the disaster. He said the government had not convened the National Disaster Council.
“These failures worsened the disaster, causing immense hardship, disruption, and loss of life and property to the people,” Gammanpila said.
The government has denied the Opposition’s claims.
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