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JRJ’s historic speech commemorated in Tokyo
The historic speech quoting Buddha’s teaching to attain peace given by the then Sri Lankan Finance Minister J.R. Jayewardene on September 06, 1951, at the San Francisco Peace Conference, has been commemorated on its 60th anniversary with the participation of a limited Japanese VIP delegation at the Sri Lanka Embassy in Tokyo last Monday (06).
The ceremony began with the national anthem followed by the lighting of the traditional oil lamp and flower laying ceremony. Major Japanese TV Channels as well as all major Print Media representatives were present to cover the event which was broadcasted live. The event also included the reading of the original speech of late Mr. Jayewardene, a photo exhibition, video presentation about the speech and the San Francisco Treaty conference in 1951.
Former Representative from the Government of Japan on Peace-Building, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi, Former Prime Minister of Japan Yasuo Fukuda, and current Secretary General of Japan Sri Lanka Parliamentarians’ Friendship League Yuko Obuchi spoke at this remembrance event. President Jayewardene’s grandson Pradeep Jayewardene joined the programme live and spoke from Jayewardene Centre in Colombo.
Ambassador Sanjiv Gunasekara touched on the history of how this speech was composed after much consultations and meetings with Asian countries and mentioned the case for independent Japan following the devastating war was first considered at the “Colombo Plan conference”. The Ambassador also spoke of the Sri Lanka-Japan relationship that was built on Mutual Admiration and highlighted the shared values, culture and the practice of Buddha’s teachings that was common between the people of the two countries.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
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.
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