News
Scriptwriter of ‘Oshin’ dies
Renowned Japanese scriptwriter Sugako Hashida, best known for the internationally popular TV drama series “Oshin,” has died of lymphoma. She was 95.
Hashida had been treated for the illness since earlier this year. She died Sunday at her home in Atami, west of Tokyo, according to Pinko Izumi, an actress who appeared in many of the dramas Hashida wrote, including “Oshin.”
Born in Korea in 1925 during the Japanese colonization of the Korean Peninsula, Hashida moved to Japan in the late 1930s and grew up in Osaka.
She joined the Shochiku film studio in 1949 before becoming a freelance scriptwriter for television dramas, including the hugely popular morning drama series (asterisk)Oshin(asterisk) broadcast in 1983-1984 on NHK public television.
The fictionalized drama is based on the biography of a Japanese woman who co-founded a famous supermarket chain and her multiple hardships from her childhood until her final days in the 1980s.
“Oshin” was broadcast in more than 60 countries around the world and gained high acclaim.
Her other popular dramas include the long-running series (asterisk)Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari,” or “Making it Through,” a family drama which started in 1990 and aired more than 500 episodes.
Actress Izumi, who was in both “Oshin” and “Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari,” said she was at Hashida’s bedside when she died.
“I said to her ‘mama,’ then she briefly opened her eyes, then it was as if she went back to sleep,” Izumi said in an interview with Japanese media.
Hashida wrote a book asking for the right to die in dignity. According to her request, there will be no funeral.
Hashida received the Japan Order of Culture last year.
News
Cabinet nod to increase the number of new automated passenger clearance gates at the Bandaranayake International Airport to 12
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 19.05.2025 to purchase four (04) automated passenger clearance gates for Bandaranayake International Airport.
In addition, it is expected to extend the automated passenger clearance gates facility so far given only to the Sri Lankans
parallel to the e – passport issuance system to be introduced in the year 2027 also to the foreigners who travel to and from this country.
Furthermore, considering also the number of air passengers rapidly increasing with the fast – forwarding business and tourism field, the appropriateness to increase the total automated passenger clearance gates up to twelve (12) in number has been recognized.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers, approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs to initiate the procurement and installation of 12
automated passenger clearance gates altogether with the already approved four (04) and another eight (08) automated passenger clearance gates adhering to the formal procurement procedure
Based on the observations submitted by the Task Force on Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing for Terrorism, approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 18.12.2024 to amend the Trust Ordinance No. 9 of 1917 including amendments proposed by the Financial
Intelligence Unit of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
Accordingly, clearance of the Attorney General has been granted for the Trust (Amendment) Draft Bill formulated by the Legal Draftsman.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Justice and National Integration
to publish the said draft bill in the government gazette notification and thereby, submit the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Action was taken to provide a fuel relief for the fuel consumers during the months of April, May and June of 2026 to redress by minimizing the impact caused to the day today life of the citizens of this country as well as the entire economy due to the price hike of petroleum fuel in the global market resulting from the war situation in the Middle East.
Government mediation is essential for minimizing the impact on the day to today life of citizens in this country due to that war situation not being ended further. Therefore, it has been planned to redress on the sale price for Auto Diesel and Industrial Diesel for a period of 03 months by the Government to provide relief to the public as well as to maintain the prices at a bearable level to the consumers without escalating the fuel prices in this country compared to the escalation of fuel prices
in the international market.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to
allocate provisions subject to the monthly limitations respectively as rupees 15 billion for the month of October, rupees 13.5 billion for the month of November and rupees 12.15 billion for the month of December to provide the said relief
Cabinet nod to increase the number of new automated passenger clearance gates at the Bandaranayake International Airport to 12
Draft Bill for amending the Trust Ordinance
Implementing further relief programme to Public sffected by the Middle East conflict situation
Establishment of a Spectrum Management and Monitoring System and a Quality of Service and Quality of Experience System for the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka
Appointment of a Committee for the Restitution of Sri Lankan Cultural Heritage Held Abroad
Ten-Year National Action Plan on the Social Protection Sector (2026–2035)
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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