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Justice Minister tells Parliament 37 archaic laws will be revised

Revisions include raising age of Muslim marriages to 18
By Saman Indrajith
Justice Minister Ali Sabry told Parliament yesterday that new laws would be introduced soon to raise the mandatory minimum age for Muslim marriages in the country to 18.
“There is no argument on this matter and we have determined to bring in new laws to introduce 18 as the minimum age for Muslim marriages. I have already commenced the process and it is in progress. We’ll soon be able to bring about the particular laws to this House.”
“We update all outdated laws. The updating of laws is done with the intention of ensuring the rule of law and providing necessary infrastructure for the peace and prosperity of the country. Seventy three years have passed since we got Independence. It is doubtful whether we have yet been able to build a unique Sri Lankan identity and to coexist while respecting the diversities of each other. Many other countries in the world have been able to overcome their internal differences to forge their national identities to move forward. But it seems to me when I listen to the speeches made in this august assembly as a new MP and Minister that polarization has increased. We must understand that we are not enemies just because we have different religions, different languages and different lifestyles. The very basic foundation of our national anthem and the flag is that we must respect each other as Sri Lankans. It is the very same foundation on which we have built our freedom of speech. As French author Voltaire said, “I do not have to agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
The minister said: “When we take a look at history it could be seen that we made mistakes such as the riots in 1958, in 1978, setting the Jaffna Library on fire in 1980, July 1983 riots, insurgencies in 1971 and 1988-89, massacre of bhikkhus at Arantalawa, attacking the Dalada Maligawa, attack on the Central Bank, massacre at Kebitigollewa, killings at Muslim mosques in Eravur and Katthankudy, and the most recent terror attacks by Zahran’s group on Easter Sunday. The same history could help us understand that it was the words of the Buddha that hatred never overcomes hatred helped Japan to rise from ashes to become a developed nation. Time has come for us to ask ourselves whether we should learn from those lessons of the past or continue to struggle and fight each other. We must turn this assembly into a platform that helps us to rebuild our nation with a single national identity. We must remember that when Tamil MPs led by Appapillai Amirthalingam left this parliament Tamil people rallied around Velupillai Prbahakaran because they lost faith in the democratic system.
“There is no point in hurling insults at each other. We must work together to realise this country’s full potential. For that purpose we have to amend archaic laws. We have identified 37 Acts and Ordinances to be amended in the process of updating laws.”
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Vraie Cally Balthazaar elected Mayor of Colombo MC

National People’s Power (NPP) councilor Vraie Cally Balthazaar has been elected as the new Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC).
Councilor Balthazaar received 61 votes while Riza Zarook of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya obtained 54 votes at the election.
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Numerous Clean Sri Lanka initiatives were implemented in Anuradhapura during Poson week

Aligned with the 2025 National Poson Festival, the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat spearheaded several environmentally conscious initiatives during Poson Week, including maintaining cleanliness in areas surrounding the Atamasthana (Eight Sacred Places). Key waste management measures included the establishment of permanent, covered enclosures for biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste receptacles near the Atamasthana and Mihintale. Dedicated plastic bottle collection bins were strategically placed alongside general waste bins and in collaboration with Ceypetco, discarded barrels were repurposed as waste containers.
Significant support came from sponsors including the Irrigation Department, ARPICO, Rambewa Mechanical Engineering Works, the Cargills and Keells Group (for plastic containers), Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka (for plastic collection bins), and Ceypetco and the Sri Lanka Army (for waste bins).
Additional safety and awareness initiatives included placing waste bins near bathing areas and bridges adjacent to major reservoirs (Tissa Wewa, Basawakkulama Wewa, Nuwara Wewa, Mahakanadarawa Wewa, Nachchaduwa Wewa, Bulankulama Wewa and Kunchikulama Wewa) to reduce littering. Warning signs were installed at hazardous locations and lifesaving personnel and naval craft were deployed during the Poson Week.
Waste bins for bridge areas were supplied by Phoenix Industries and ARPICO, while informational signage around the Sacred City was sponsored by AIA, Ceylinco and Sri Lanka Insurance. Overall coordination was managed by the Anuradhapura Municipal Commissioner.
A Clean Sri Lanka coordination centre established within the Poson Zone facilitated awareness programmes for schoolchildren and the general public on themes such as environmental stewardship and intergenerational responsibility. These efforts involved Provincial and District Secretaries and institutions including the Post-Harvest Technology Institute. Additional programmes were held targeting public officials and citizens focused on national food security, financial literacy and ethical public service.
Environmental sustainability projects carried out during the week included canal cleaning in collaboration with the Irrigation Department, Provincial Irrigation Department and the Department of Agrarian Development and a tree-planting initiative titled “Environmental Security” in partnership with the Forest Conservation Department and school communities.
Personality development and leadership workshops were also conducted. A full-day session was held on 7 June 2025 at St. Thomas’ College, Anuradhapura (7:30 AM to 7:30 PM), sponsored by Perera & Sons, the Anuradhapura Lions Club and the Dream Force Sri Lanka Society. Similar workshops were conducted at Maithripala Senanayake Vidyalaya and Swarnamali Balika Vidyalaya.
On 11 June 2025, a morning awareness session for rural farmers was held, covering Post-Harvest Technology (presented by C.R. Gunawardana, National Post-Harvest Management Institute) and Financial Management (presented by Duminda Disanayake, Central Bank of Sri Lanka), featuring a special address by MP Susantha Kumara Navaratne.
On the morning of 12 June 2025, the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat and the Anuradhapura Municipal Council jointly conducted a waste removal drive at the Basawakkulama Wewa tank bund, extracting plastic, polythene and other refuse. Participants included venerable monks from the Sri Lanka Bhikkhu University Bhikkhu Student Association, Anuradhapura Mayor N. Karunaratne, the Association President and lay devotees. That afternoon, the Secretariat’s Music Therapy programme began at the Surapura Open Air Theatre, Anuradhapura, attended by over a thousand personnel from the armed forces, police, Civil Security Department and state institutions.
A special lecture was also delivered by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Madhura Gunawardana.
[PMD]
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Workshop on the use of AI to enhance the efficiency and productivity of the public service

A special workshop on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform the public service into a more productive and efficient entity was held on Sunday (15) at Temple Trees.
Titled “AI for Transforming Public Service,” the workshop was attended by officials of the Presidential Secretariat. It aimed to serve as an initial orientation for a major government initiative, the digitalization of the public service, by raising awareness and preparing officials, while also fostering a positive perception of artificial intelligence within the public sector.
Dr. Hans Wijesuriya, Senior Advisor to the President on the Digital Economy, delivered the keynote address. Sanjaya Karunaseena, Executive Director of the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka, also presented a brief address. Subsequently, Harsha Purasinghe and Samisa Abeysinghe, board members of ICTA, conducted awareness sessions incorporating practical demonstrations.
The event was also attended by the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage and several other senior officials from the Presidential Secretariat.
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