News
Prez fighting war on virus left with no time for politicking – Johnston

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is being attacked by outsiders as well as members of the government, Chief Government Whip and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the commissioning of the Second Phase of the Central Expressway on Saturday, the Minister said that the dissenters were upset and angry with the President because he would not leave any room for corruption. “The President has taken a vow that he will rid this country of corruption. This has antagonised many, including some in the government ranks. They sling mud at the President since they are frustrated. We will protect the President unconditionally, because we know that he is doing the right thing,” the Minister said.
Minister Fernando said that this country had a political history of killing of civil society leaders, members of the Maha Sangha and innocents with the intention of achieving political goals. “Some of those killers are still alive and masquerading as champions of democracy. We see one of them posing on Facebook as the next President of the country. He is daydreaming. The 6.9 million people who had voted for this President are ready to protect him.”
“It was Mahinda Rajapaksa who gave the leadership to the war to save this land from terrorism. Similarly, it was Gotabaya Rajapaksa who gave political leadership to the country’s war to save people from the COVID-19 pandemic. He has not had any time to do politics during the last two years. His main and only concern is to complete the vaccination drive. While he was trying to save the lives, we had an Opposition leader who went around prescribing drugs for Covid-19.
Latest News
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.
News
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]
News
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.
-
Features4 days ago
They came, they won, they returned to Jaffna isles
-
News6 days ago
UK confirms ongoing war crimes investigation into British mercenaries in Sri Lanka
-
News4 days ago
ITAK candidate elected B’caloa Mayor as NPP seeks alliance with Pillayan
-
Features7 days ago
From economic accountability to war-time accountability
-
Features7 days ago
Singing Chef’s daughter… in the spotlight again
-
Opinion5 days ago
Prof. Dissanayake honoured for oustanding contribution to Sinhala literature
-
Editorial7 days ago
Poya pardon controversy
-
Opinion7 days ago
Celebrating Arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka