News
Lankan gemstones showcased at glamorous event in Beijing
Sri Lankan gemstones were showcased at a glamorous event hosted by the Sri Lankan Embassy in Beijing last week (17).
Sponsored by the ‘LARWINER – Gem Art Jewellery’, a range of stunning Sri Lankan blue sapphires and other coloured stones were displayed. Around 100 invited guests, including many elite dealers attended the event.
“LARWINER – Gem Art Jewelry” sought to promote Sri Lanka’s superb sapphires and also the gem industry.
The Sri Lankan embassy in Beijing said had been organising a range of events in conjunction with the celebration of the 65th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and the 70th Anniversary of the Rubber-Rice Pact. Earlier, a well-attended tourism event and a media event were hosted at the Embassy.
The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to China Dr. Palitha Kohona, welcoming the guests, explained the history of the Sri Lankan gem trade and the mining process, cutting, polishing and jewellery making. He invited the guests to visit Sri Lanka to witness these for themselves. The Ambassador said that mini exhibitions of this nature will be organised in the future as well and hoped that exhibitors from Sri Lanka also will participate.
Proprietor of the LARWINER Mei Mei said that she has been importing coloured gemstones from Sri Lanka for a long time and found that these were of very high quality compared to the gemstones from other countries. Especially, the sapphires, from Sri Lanka were of superb quality and more than 90% the stones sold in China were the top sapphires from Sri Lanka.
The LARWINER Exhibition gave the audience the opportunity to understand officially certified sapphires and other coloured gemstones of Sri Lanka.
During the Exhibition, there was a lucky draw where many participants won precious jewellery gifted by LARWINER. The Exhibition was concluded with a lavish Sri Lankan style dinner offered to all the participants by the Ambassador.
(Ms.) Nina P. Cainglet, Ambassador of the Philippines to Sri Lanka based in Dhaka, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya at the Prime Minister’s Office on May 16, 2025.
The Prime Minister welcomed Ambassador Cainglet and extended her congratulations on the new appointment. The discussion focused on expanding cooperation in trade and tourism, with both sides expressing their commitment to exploring new opportunities in these key sectors. The meeting also addressed consular matters relating to the Filipino community in Sri Lanka. In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured continued dialogue and necessary support on relevant issues.
The meeting was attended by Ms. Judienne Capiz, Vice Consul of the Embassy of the Philippines in Dhaka, Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister; Ms. Sagarika Bogahawatta, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister; Ms. S.S. Premawardhane, Additional Secretary, Bilateral Political Affairs (East); and M.R. Keegel, Deputy Director, Southeast Asia & Central Asia Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division].
The Bribery Commission on Friday filed a corruption case against former Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and ex-BOI Director General Jayantha Edirisinghe, accusing them of misusing public cash for a lavish newspaper ad campaign back in 2014.
They stand accused of siphoning Rs. 1.7 million in state funds to publish 11 newspaper supplements marking the second inauguration anniversary of then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa on November 19, 2014.
According to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), the move amounted to a clear breach of anti-graft laws, with five formal charges now filed before the Colombo High Court.
The case, centred around alleged misuse of Board of Investment (BOI) funds, is backed by 21 pieces of documentary evidence and testimony from 15 witnesses.
The Bribery Commission maintains that the ad blitz had no official sanction and led to a direct loss of Rs. 1,748,877.76 to the state.
Inspector General of Police T.M.W. Deshabandu Tennakoon is set to face formal questioning tomorrow (May 19) over serious allegations of misconduct and abuse of power, parliamentary sources said on Friday.
A special committee appointed to investigate the claims will commence formal proceedings next week, following several rounds of preliminary discussions held within the parliamentary complex in recent weeks.
The IGP has been officially notified to appear before the committee and is expected to face the inquiry for the first time at 2:00 PM in Committee Room No. 8.
The committee, which met again on Thursday (15) to finalise arrangements, is investigating allegations that Tennakoon misused his official powers in a manner deemed severe and improper.
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