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Stamp and Photography Exhibition to mark 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s visit to Ceylon

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After the successful first manned space flight by Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961, earning the title of ‘First Cosmonaut’, he visited Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) eight months later on December 7, 1961.

The year 2021 marks 60 years since this historic moment and the Russian House in Colombo and the Sri Lanka Russia Friendship Society have jointly organized a special Stamp and Photographic Exhibition on April 6, 7 and 8 to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s Space Flight and Visit to Ceylon.

More than a thousand rare and original postage stamps on the first manned space mission and exploration will be on display for public viewing at the Russian House in Colombo.

The inaugural ceremony will be held on April 6 at the Russian House in Colombo with Dr. Seetha Arambepola, State Minister of Skills Development Vocational Education, Research and Innovation as the chief guest. Susil Premajayantha, State Minister of Education Reforms, Open Universities and Distance Learning Promotion and President of the Sri Lanka Russia Friendship Society, Yuri Materiy, Ambassador of the Russian Federation, and Dr. Saman Weerasinghe, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Russia Friendship Society will also be attendance.

The stamp exhibition has been organized in collaboration with Anura Samaraweera, Philatelic Expert and Assistant Treasurer of the Philatelic Society of Sri Lanka. He is also a member of the International Association of Philatelic Journalists. He has been maintaining close ties with the Russian House in Colombo since he was young as a member of the Soviet Cultural House in 1973 when he served as a guitarist of the first musical group of the Soviet Cultural House.

In addition to the stamp exhibition, there will also be a photo exhibition on Yuri Gagarin’s Spaceflight and Visit to Ceylon. The photographic material was obtained from the Russian House archives as well as with the assistance of the Department of National Archives. Adding more colour to the event, a special guest will be present to share her experience as ‘the girl who was chosen to garland Gagarin’ in 1961; Magilin Nona, a local hero of the country who is a living witness of that glorious day.

The exhibition will be open to the public from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm on April 7 and 8



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UN asks govt. to vacate ‘remaining lands still occupied and used economically by the military’

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Volker Türk

Military-held land down to 9% in North and East

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has said that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, during discussions with the Sri Lankan government, stressed the importance of releasing the remaining lands still occupied and used economically by the military.

OHCHR has included updated information provided by the government on land releases in its reports to the Human Rights Council, the OHCHR said.

OHCHR team member Jeremy Laurence said so in response to The Island query regarding the HC’s call for release of land which both serving and retired officers considered unfair.

The Island posed the following question to the HC’s office: “At the conclusion of the UNHRC Chief’s visit to Sri Lanka recently, one of the issues he raised was the failure on the part of the armed forces to vacate public and private property held in the Northern and Eastern provinces. However, the military insists that approximately 91% of the total land held at the time of the conclusion of military operations, in May 2009, had been released. We would like to know whether the UNHRC Chief hadn’t been briefed by the government of Sri Lanka or the UN Mission in Colombo on the vacation of approximately 91% of the land held by the military in 2009.

The Island contacted OHCHR as suggested by the UN Mission in Colombo.

The military pointed out that of over 24,000 acres held in the Jaffna and Kilinochchi sectors in 2009, less than 2,500 acres remained in their hands. “We are down to the bare minimum. Further reductions will pose major challenges,” one retired officer said.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

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Need to attend to sick wild elephants promptly discussed at high-level meeting

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A high-level discussion on the urgent treatment of sick wild elephants was held on Monday (July 7) at the Ministry of Environment under the patronage of Minister of Environment Dr. Dhammika Patabendi and Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody.

Senior veterinary officers representing the Wildlife and Zoological Parks Veterinary Officers’ Association participated in the discussion alongside Secretary to the Ministry of Environment Rohitha Udawawala and Director of Veterinary Services of the Department of Wildlife Conservation Dr. Tharaka Prasad.

The focus of the meeting was to streamline rapid response measures to treat elephants suffering from illnesses in the wild and to ensure timely access to life-saving antibiotics and medical resources.

Commenting on the need for swift intervention, Environment Minister Dr. Dhammika Patabendi said:

“We cannot allow delays when it comes to the treatment of our wild elephants, especially those suffering from life-threatening conditions. These majestic creatures are an integral part of our natural heritage, and it is our duty to act fast. We are committed to providing our veterinary officers with the tools, resources, and policy support necessary to carry out this responsibility efficiently.”

Discussions also focused on identifying infected elephants promptly, administering treatment without delay, and addressing any shortages in medical supplies such as antibiotics. The officials explored avenues to ensure logistical and infrastructural support for veterinarians working in the field.

Significant attention was drawn to the existing cadre shortages within the Department of Wildlife Conservation’s veterinary and technical teams. Plans were discussed to address these gaps with the approval of the Department of Management Services and the Ministry of Public Administration.

Additionally, the need to provide field veterinarians with appropriate technical facilities and mobility support was emphasized as a key priority in enabling effective on-ground operations.

The meeting concluded with an understanding that urgent procedural and administrative steps would be taken to fast-track recruitment, supply of medication, and operational improvements necessary to protect the health of Sri Lanka’s wild elephant population.

By Ifham Nizam

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Navy seizes contraband pesticides and seeds in Puttalam and Kalpitiya

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The Navy detected a significant haul of smuggled pesticides and seeds during operations conducted in Puttalam and Kalpitiya from 20 to 30 June, 2025. The separate operations also resulted in two dinghies and a lorry also being taken into custody, Navy Headquarters said.

In a search operation on 20 June, the Northwestern Naval Command’s SLNS Vijaya inspected a suspicious lorry near Alankuda Beach, Puttalam, resulting in the vehicle, along with 32 sacks of pesticide materials and seeds suspected to have been smuggled into the country, being taken into custody.

On 28 June, during another search near Ippantivu Island, Kalpitiya, naval personnel spotted and took into custody two dinghies carrying 15 sacks of pesticide materials intended for smuggling.

It is suspected that the smugglers abandoned the contraband, along with the lorry and dinghies, due to heightened naval surveillance. The seized items were handed over to the Katunayake Customs Preventive Office for further investigation and legal action.

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