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Cardinal: ‘We know Easter Sunday carnage conspirators’
By Rex Clementine
Participating in an anti-government protest in Negombo on Saturday, the Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith urged the government to step down and let capable people of integrity take the country forward.
People of other faiths and their religious leaders also took part in the protest. Those who had gathered in Negombo then marched towards St. Anthony’s Shrine, in Kochchikade, one of the Catholic’s holiest shrines, attacked on Easter Sunday in 2019.
“Soon after the Easter bombings, I urged Catholics not to harm any believers of Islam as I felt that it could be a conspiracy. Now, we know who the conspirators are. They can grab power through conspiracies but they can’t hold on to it. God is watching all this,” the Papabile told the gathering.
A total of 269 people died in the Easter Sunday bombings as terrorists targeted Church goers and tourists at five star hotels, in Colombo. “We have been urging the government to implement the recommendations of the Presidential Commission that probed the attacks. But the government has failed to do it. They are happy to pin the blame of these attacks on the Muslim community. There’s been an effort to hide the other forces that were behind these attacks,” Cardinal Malcolm who recently briefed Pope Francis I, in Vatican, on the developments, said.
Cardinal Malcolm is expected to retire in November this year, but during the protest, he didn’t sound like someone who was looking to put his feet up.
“I’m not afraid to tell the Prime Minister and the President that the curse of the people, who shed blood on Easter Sunday, is coming to haunt you.”
One of the leading candidates to succeed Pope Francis I, according to the new book ‘The Next Pope’ written by Vaticanologist Edward Pentin, Cardinal Malcolm also spoke of corruption in the government. “The Attorney General today has no power. He has to only carry out what the government wants. Corruption is rampant under this government. The Pandora Papers have exposed a member of the Rajapaksa family. They have left the country.
“I have recently read in the newspapers that a beggar, in India, has donated money to help those suffering in Sri Lanka. That sums up the story. Our country is begging from even beggars at the moment. This is what politicians, over the last 74 years, have done for this beautiful country. Therefore, I urge the people to ask these rulers to go home. They have destroyed the country,” Cardinal Malcolm concluded.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka today (07) presented its flagship publication, the Annual Economic Review for 2024 (AER 2024), to President and Minister of Finance, Anura Kumara Disanayake, highlighting the steady progress of Sri Lanka’s economic recovery following the country’s most severe downturn in recent history.
The report was officially handed over by Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of the Central Bank, during a special ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat.
AER 2024 comprises four main chapters: Macroeconomic Developments, Conditions of the Financial System, Review of Central Bank’s Policies and Macroeconomic Outlook.
According to the Review, the Sri Lankan economy showed significant signs of recovery in 2024, following the deep economic crisis experienced two years ago. The recovery trajectory, though challenging, has been notably faster than that of many other debt-distressed countries.
Improvements in economic activity, a partial resurgence in purchasing power and reduced uncertainty are among the key positive indicators noted in the report.
The event was attended by Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, K. M. Mahinda Siriwardena, Secretary to the Treasury, Mrs. K. M. A. N. Daulagala, Senior Deputy Governor, Dr. C. Amarasekara, Assistant Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) S. Jegajeevan, Director of Economic Research and Dr. L. R. C. Pathberiya and Additional Director of Economic Research at the Central Bank Dr. V. D. Wickramarachchi.
[PMD]
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The sun will be directly overhead Colombo, Awissawella, Talawakelle, Dimbula, Galakumbura and Dambagalla at about 12:12 noon today [07]
On the apparent northward relative motion of the sun, it is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka during 05th to 14th of April in this year.
The nearest areas of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (07th) are Colombo, Awissawella, Talawakelle, Dimbula, Galakumbura and Dambagalla at about 12:12 noon.
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