Latest News

Management Committee of the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund Appointed with Representatives from the Public and Private Sectors

Published

2 months ago

2025/12/3

Priyan

Cabinet approval has been granted to establish the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, aimed at rebuilding the country following the severe devastation caused by Cyclone ‘Ditwah’, one of the worst natural disasters in Sri Lanka’s recent history. The Fund is to be established as a statutory fund under the Presidential Secretariat and its Management Committee will comprise representatives from both the public and private sectors.

Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, will serve as the Chairman of the Committee, while Mr. G. M. R. D. Aponsu, Senior Additional Secretary to the President, will serve as the Convener.

The other members of the Committee are:

• Hanif Yusoof, Governor of the Western Province and Special Representative of the President for Foreign Investments

• Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance

• Duminda Hulangamuwa, Senior Economic Adviser to the President

• Sugeeshwara Gunaratne, Director General For Europe & North America, Ministry Of Foriegn Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism

• Mohan Pandithage, Chairman, Hayleys Group

• Krishan Balendra, Chairman, John Keells

• Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director, Aitken Spence

• Ashroff Omar, Group Chief Executive Officer, Brandix

• Ishara Nanayakkara, Executive Chairman, LOLC Holdings

The Management Committee will be empowered to ensure the effective administration of the Fund, including assessing requirements, setting priorities, allocating resources and disbursing funds for approved recovery activities. The Committee will also ensure full transparency in all financial operations of the Fund, including financial management and auditing.

Accordingly, contributions may be made to the Fund by any donor, local or overseas, either in Sri Lankan Rupees or in any foreign currency, to the following Bank of Ceylon account:

Account Name: Deputy Secretary to the Treasury
Account Number: 2026450
Bank: Bank of Ceylon, Taprobane Branch
Swift Code: BCEYLKLX

In addition, donors wishing to make direct deposits into foreign currency accounts of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka may do so through the following accounts.
Account details for foreign currency deposits:

1. US Dollar (USD)
Bank: Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, New York, USA
Recipient Account Name: Central Bank of Sri Lanka
Account Number: 04015541
Routing Number: 021001033
SWIFT: BKTRUS33XXX

2. Euro (EUR)
Bank: ODDO BHF Bank, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Recipient Account Name: Central Bank of Sri Lanka
Account Number: 0000739854
IBAN: DE39500202000000739854
SWIFT: BHFBDEFF500

3. Pound Sterling (GBP) – Account 1
Bank: HSBC Bank Plc, London, UK
Recipient Account Name: Central Bank of Sri Lanka
Account Number: 39600144
Sort Code: 40-05-15
IBAN: GB48MIDL40051539600144
SWIFT: MIDLGB22XXX

4. Pound Sterling (GBP) – Account 2
Bank: Bank of Ceylon (UK) Ltd, London, UK
Recipient Account Name: Central Bank of Sri Lanka
Account Number: 88001249
Sort Code: 40-50-56
IBAN: GB89BCEY40505688001249
SWIFT: BCEYGB2LXXX

5. Japanese Yen (JPY)
Bank: MUFG Bank, Tokyo, Japan
Recipient Account Name: Central Bank of Sri Lanka
Account Number: 653-0407895
SWIFT: BOTKJPJTXXX

6. Australian Dollar (AUD)
Bank: Reserve Bank of Australia
Recipient Account Name: Central Bank of Sri Lanka
Account Number: 81736-4
BSB: 092002
SWIFT: RSBKAU2SXXX

All News Advertisement

Latest News

Seven million cancers a year are preventable, says report

Published

4 hours ago

2026/02/4

Priyan

Air quality around the Delhi region of India reached 'severe' levels in November [BBC]

Seven million people’s cancer could be prevented each year, according to the first global analysis.

A report by World Health Organization (WHO) scientists estimates 37% of cancers are caused by infections, lifestyle choices and environmental pollutants that could be avoided.

This includes cervical cancers caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) infections which vaccination can help prevent, as well as a host of tumours caused by tobacco smoke from cigarettes.

The researchers said their report showed there is a “powerful opportunity” to transform the lives of millions of people.

Some cancers are inevitable – either because of damage we unavoidably build up in our DNA as we age or because we inherit genes that put us at greater risk of the disease.

But researcher Dr Isabelle Soerjomataram said “people are surprised to hear” that nearly four in 10 cancers can be prevented as it is “a substantial number”.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the WHO, analysed 30 preventable factors known to increase the risk of cancer.

These include smoking and ultraviolet (UV) radiation which can directly damage our DNA; obesity and too little physical activity which alter inflammation and hormones in the body to raise cancer risk; and air pollution which can wake up dormant cancer cells.

The agency’s report also looked at nine cancer-causing infections including HPV, hepatitis viruses which lead to liver cancer and the stomach bug H. pylori.

The team used data on cancer cases from 2022 and from the 30 risk factors a decade earlier – across 185 countries – to perform their statistical analysis.

The big three contributors to more than 18 million cancer cases around the world were found to be:

smoking tobacco which caused 3.3 million cancers
infections causing 2.3 million cancers
alcohol use leading to 700,000 cancers

Getty Images Nine people, mostly women, in a line at a bar, smoking cigarettes and holding alcoholic drinks. They all look dressed up for a fun night out. — *Smoking and alcohol were two of the main causes of preventable cancers [BBC]*

However, the overall figures mask a nuanced picture of cancer risk around the world.

There is a stark sex-divide with 45% of men’s cancers being preventable compared with 30% in women, partly down to higher levels of smoking among men.

In women living in Europe, the top three preventable causes of cancer are smoking, closely followed by infection and then obesity.

While in sub-Saharan Africa, infections dominate and account for nearly 80% of preventable cancers in women.

This means any measures to tackle these cancers would need to be tailored to each region or country.

“This landmark study is a comprehensive assessment of preventable cancer worldwide, incorporating for the first time infectious causes of cancer alongside behavioural, environmental, and occupational risks,” said Soerjomataram, the deputy head of the IARC Cancer Surveillance Unit.

“Addressing these preventable causes represents one of the most powerful opportunities to reduce the global cancer burden.”

The report, published in the journal **Nature Medicine**, showed lung cancer (linked to smoking and air pollution) stomach cancer (linked to H. pylori infection) and cervical cancer (linked to HPV infection) made up nearly half of all preventable cases of cancer.

Dr Andre Ilbawi, team lead for cancer control at WHO, said the study was “good news” as it showed something could be done and he pointed to the success of countries that have introduced policies to tackle smoking or vaccinate against HPV.

“The percentage of preventable cancers can change over time and our goal is to get it as close to zero as possible,” he said.

***[BBC]***

Latest News

Spain announces plans to ban social media for under-16s

Published

4 hours ago

2026/02/4

Priyan

EPA/Shutterstock Pedro Sanchez, wearing a blue blazer and dark green tie, standing at the lectern at the World Government's summit. It's a bright blue background.EPA/Shutterstock Pedro Sánchez said the changes would protect children from the "digital Wild West"

Spain has become the latest European country to make plans to ban social media for children under the age of 16.

“We will protect them from the digital Wild West,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday.

The ban, which still needs parliamentary approval, is part of a raft of changes that include making company executives responsible for “illegal or harmful content” on their platforms.

Australia became the world’s first country to bring in a ban last year, with others watching – and judging – its success.

France, Denmark and Austria have also announced that they are considering their own national age limits.

The UK government has launched a consultation on whether to implement a ban for under-16s.

Social media companies have argued that the bans would be ineffective, difficult to implement and could isolate vulnerable teenagers. Reddit is challenging Australia’s ban in the High Court.

“Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone,” Sánchez said, describing social media as a place of “addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation [and] violence. “We will no longer accept that. We will protect them.”

Sánchez first mooted a possible ban in November, but on Tuesday, the plan was fleshed out.

Under the changes, social media platforms would be required to have effective age verification systems, “not just check boxes, but real barriers that work,” the prime minister explained, in a possible reference to the loopholes Australian children use to bypass checks – including simply using a photo of an adult.

The new laws would also criminalise manipulating algorithms to amplify illegal content.

“This is something created, promoted, and disseminated by certain actors whom we will investigate, as well as the platforms whose algorithms amplify disinformation in exchange for profit,” Sánchez said.

“Hiding behind code and claiming that technology is neutral is no longer acceptable.”

There would also be a new system designed to track “how digital platforms fuel division and amplify hate”. No further details were given on how this would work.

Another measure, Sánchez said, would be to “investigate and prosecute the crimes committed by Grok [X’s AI tool], TikTok, and Instagram”.

The European Commission has launched an investigation into Grok over concerns it was used to create sexualised images of real people.

The UK has announced its own investigation into Grok and on Tuesday in France, the offices of X were raided by the Paris prosecutor’s cyber-crime unit as it looked into allegations of offences including unlawful data extraction and complicity in the possession of child pornography.

X is yet to respond to either investigation – the BBC has approached it for comment. It has previously characterised the French investigation as an attack on free speech.

[BBC]

Latest News

Join hands in unity, determination and brotherhood to build the beautiful shared dream of ‘A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life’ – President

Published

4 hours ago

2026/02/4

Priyan

President Anura Kumara Dissanayaike in his Independence Day message called upon all Sri Lankans to join hands in unity, determination and brotherhood to build the beautiful shared dream of ‘A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life’

The full text of the President’s message:

“We commemorate the 78th National Independence Day at a historic moment when, despite numerous challenges, our country is moving steadily forward while regaining economic stability. As Sri Lankans, through our collective struggle, we have within a short period of approximately eighteen months succeeded in achieving tangible economic progress. Amidst adversity, acting collectively and with determination, we have been able to position Sri Lanka on the international stage as a nation branded by a clean and principled political culture, a beautiful country rising with integrity.

Our next foremost objective is to ensure that the macroeconomic gains we have achieved flow to communities of all ethnicities across all provinces of Sri Lanka. We firmly believe that without this, it will be impossible to realise the true rhythm and essence of the new development process we are building.

Recently, we were compelled to confront the largest natural disaster of our time. While the experience of this calamity was painful, the strong foundations we have built over the past eighteen months have enabled us, with the support of all stakeholders, to move forward successfully in the process of recovery and restoration.

Throughout the period since independence, our nation has often missed golden opportunities to steer the country in the right direction, to achieve our national aspirations, and to live together in unity. This time, however, we are determined not to repeat those mistakes. With unwavering resolve, we are striving to elevate our country into a more advanced, resilient and dignified State than it has ever been. I wish to emphasise that this endeavour is being carried out while safeguarding our proud culture, our ancient history and our invaluable heritage, standing firmly upon them.

I hold an unshakable faith that by realising in the twenty-first century, the dream of a proud nation that was born in the twentieth century but later became blurred, we can build Sri Lanka into the developed, prosperous and virtuous country that our people expect, and thereby certainly create the new era for which we have long aspired. In this endeavour, we place our firm confidence in the strength of all our citizens, in their collective spirit and in their unwavering character.

As we reclaim for our nation the victories that were lost in the past century, I once again invite all citizens to join hands in unity, determination and brotherhood to build the beautiful shared dream of ‘A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life’. With this call, I extend my warm wishes for a meaningful National Independence Day that inspires us all to advance towards the true objectives of freedom”.