News
Lankans in Las Vegas, Nevada, take lead in the US to help Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan community in the City of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the United States, overwhelmingly gathered at the Buddhist Temple to launch an awareness and fundraising campaign in the United States.
A Temple full of Buddhist worshipers and other well-wishers joined together in prayer on Sunday, 30 November, and hope that their community can enlighten the Sri Lankan and citizens of other denominations, as well as beyond the State of Nevada, in the United States, to the devastation and destruction faced by the Sri Lankan nation.
The outcome of the Prayer at the Buddhist Temple was the consensus and united efforts to reach beyond the State of Nevada and summon the assistance of the Members of the United States Congress, the Senators and House Members to extend solidarity with Sri Lanka.
No sooner the Temple Prayer event was concluded US Congresswoman, Dina Titus, representing the State of Nevada, reached the chief organiser of the event, Sanje Sedera, to inform him that she is negotiating with the United States Government to get more funds allocated for Sri Lanka.
The advantage the Sri Lankan community in Las Vegas, as well as the Lankan community at large in the United States, has is that US Congresswoman, Dina Titus, is a Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee for South Asia and a Senior Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives. In addition, she has a special interest toward the welfare of Sri Lanka in maintaining a close rapport with the Sri Lankan community in the State of Nevada as she holds the position of Chairperson of Sri Lanka-America Caucus in the US Congress.
Reaching to social activist Sanje Sedera, who maintains contacts and dialogue with many leading American lawmakers and their principal staff, Congresswoman Dina Titus assured her fullest initiative to get the US administration to broadly assist Sri Lanka.
In the month of October, Titus attended a specially convened session of the Sri Lanka-America Chamber of Commerce, based in Las Vegas, to strengthen her continuing rapport and dialogue with the Sri Lankan community.
The Buddhist Temple event, on Sunday, 30 November, was initiated by the Chamber of Commerce which has already launched a fund-raiser to get additional funds for Sri Lanka.
“The nature of the catastrophe is significant, and immediate assistance for Sri Lanka is vital”, said Sedera, one of the directors of the Chamber of Commerce.
Bante Punna of the Las Vegas, Nevada Buddhist Temple, who chaired the prayer session, reiterated the ‘urgency of grassroots fundraising as Sri Lanka has faced an unprecedented humanitarian emergency”.
The Buddhist Temple event was telecast in three Nevada television networks.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Showery condition over the island is expected to reduce from tomorrow (15th)
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Fair weather will prevail except for a few showers in the Uva, Eastern, Western and Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Rathnapura districts
Trump cancels US-Iran meetings, urges protesters to take over institutions
Govt. bows to pressure, shelves Grade 6 reforms
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