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High Commission of India in Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, organized two special meditation sessions to observe the United Nations-designated World Meditation Day on Dec. 21. The sessions, which took place in Colombo and Ratnapura, provided a unique opportunity for individuals to enhance their mental and physical well-being through meditation. The first session was held at the Mayurapathy Meditation Hall in Colombo, while the second was held at Jethvanarama Buddhist Monastery,…

The Kuwait government bestowed its highest honor, “The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer,” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr. Modi is on a two-day visit to Kuwait at the invitation of Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. This is the 20th international honor given to Mr. Modi by a country. The ‘Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ is a knighthood order of Kuwait. The Order is awarded to Heads of State, foreign sovereigns, and members of foreign royal families as a sign of friendship. It has been previously awarded…

Teenage opener Sam Konstas says he is ready and equipped to take on India's feared pace attack in the Boxing Day Test after being called to Australia's squad for the first time. The 19-year-old is poised to open alongside veteran Usman Khawaja — twice his age at 38 — at a sold-out Melbourne Cricket Ground after Nathan McSweeney was axed after just three Tests. "I'm very excited," he said after being dismissed for a three-ball duck playing for Sydney Thunder in the Twenty20 Big Bash League. "I want to be challenged…

Four people died when a helicopter crashed into a hospital in southwestern Turkey on Sunday, the provincial governor said, blaming the accident on thick fog. "The helicopter fell to the ground after having struck the fourth story of a hospital during take-off," killing two pilots, a doctor, and an employee on board the vehicle, Mugla provincial governor Idris Akbiyik said. "There was intense fog," Akbiyik said, adding that the authorities were investigating the cause of the accident. The helicopter took off in…

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will travel to the island's largest bilateral lender, China, for talks in January, he said on Saturday, days after completing a long-delayed foreign debt restructuring. China accounted for more than half of Sri Lanka's bilateral debt during the 2022 economic crash when Colombo ran out of foreign exchange to pay for essential imports such as food, fuel, and medicines. Its economy is recovering after receiving an International Monetary Fund rescue package and imposing…

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake visited the Chief Prelates of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters and received their blessings. The President first visited the Malwathu Maha Viharaya, where he met with the Chief Prelate of the Malwathu Chapter, the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Sumangala Thero. During the meeting, the President inquired about Thero’s well-being and engaged in a brief discussion. Discussions included the current political situation and the President’s recent visit to India. The Malwathu Maha…

Indian Coast Guard Ships Vaibhav and Abhiraj, an Offshore Patrol Vessel and Fast Patrol Vessel, are scheduled to visit Colombo from Dec. 23-27, 2024, and Galle from Dec. 29 to Jan. 2, 2025. The Commanding Officers of the Indian Coast Guard Ships, Commandant Navtej Singh Sohal and Commandant (JG) S Sujith will call on the Director General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard and other Senior Officers. Further, during the visit, joint training on VBSS, Fire Fighting and Damage Control, Maritime Pollution Response, and various…

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake highlighted the critical challenge of transforming Sri Lanka's public service into an efficient state mechanism. He pointed out that the newly appointed committee tasked with reviewing state institutions would make decisions without being influenced by political pressures. The President shared these views while addressing the District and Divisional Secretaries conference at the Ministry of Home Affairs Auditorium in the "Nila Medura" building in Narahenpita. President Dissanayake…

Sri Lanka's navy rescued more than 100 people believed to be Rohingya refugees who were found adrift aboard a fishing trawler off the island nation, a navy spokesman said. Navy spokesman Gayan Wickramasuriya said fishermen had spotted the refugees, including 25 children and 30 women, off Sri Lanka’s northern coast on Thursday. Navy vessels then escorted the trawler to a naval base on Sri Lanka's east coast, where they were given medical care, food, and water. Wickramasuriya said the navy hasn’t yet confirmed whether…

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the extension of the compulsory age limit of retirement for government medical officers up to 63 years, with amendments to be made in line with the Pensions Act. This decision allows government doctors who were set to retire by December 31, 2024, to continue serving until age 63. The extension applies to specialists, all Grades of Medical Officers, Specialist Dental surgeons, all Dental Surgeons, all Medical Officers in Medical Administrative Grade, and all government-registered…

Australia pace bowler Mitchell Starc has paid a glorious tribute to the just-retired Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, saying he has been "a bit of a thorn" for their side in some of the memorable contests. Ashwin, India's premier off-spinner, surprised the cricketing world by announcing his retirement on Wednesday (December 18, 2024), in the middle of the Test series against Australia. He retired from the game as the second-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests with 537 scalps from 106 matches, placing him only…

The deadlock over the hosting of the Champions Trophy finally ended on Thursday when the ICC announced that India will play their matches of the 50-over event at a neutral venue instead of host country Pakistan, which will have a similar arrangement for tournaments to be held in India till 2027. "The ICC Board has approved that all matches between India and Pakistan played at ICC Events during the current rights cycle from 2024 to 2027 will be played at a neutral venue proposed by the tournament host," said the ICC in a…

Dinush Kurera, 47, has been sentenced to 37 years in prison for the “harrowing” murder of his estranged wife, Nelomie Perera, and the attack on their teenage son in December 2022. ABC reports that Justice Mandy Fox delivered the sentence in Melbourne’s Supreme Court, rejecting Kurera’s claim of self-defense as “hopeless.” The court heard that Ms Perera had taken out an intervention order against Kurera, barring him from their Sandhurst home. ABC reports that furious upon his return from an overseas affair and…

The US Supreme Court agreed to hear TikTok's appeal of a law that would force its Chinese owner to sell the online video-sharing platform or shut it down. The top court scheduled oral arguments for Jan. 10, nine days before TikTok faces a ban unless ByteDance divests from the popular app. The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, would block TikTok from US app stores and web hosting services unless ByteDance sells its stake by Jan.19. TikTok argues that the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary…

“Yesterday, we engaged in a robust three-hour debate on debt restructuring. That discussion provided an opportunity to outline the roadmap that has led us to the current stage and highlight our achievements thus far. I will not delve into lengthy explanations, but I must address a propagated narrative. This narrative seeks to instill fear by suggesting that Sri Lanka may face bankruptcy again in 2028. Let me state firmly: under our leadership, we will never allow a situation like 2022-23 to reoccur in our country again.…

Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will become one of India's most outstanding players after retiring from international cricket at 38. India's go-to bowler was central to their Test dominance in the last decade with his ability to outfox top batsmen. Ashwin finished with 537 wickets in 106 Tests since his debut in 2011 against the West Indies in New Delhi. He was also more than useful with the bat. Described as an "all-time great" by his Test captain Rohit Sharma, Ashwin earlier this year became only the ninth bowler…

Sri Lanka is unconcerned about the Adani Group's dealings with other countries and only focused on its $1 billion worth of projects in the island nation, President Anura Kumara Dissanyake told Indian media during an official visit to Delhi this week. Dissanayake was on his first state trip to Sri Lanka's powerful neighbor after winning the presidency in September and securing a landslide parliamentary election victory last month. Sri Lanka is "concerned about our investments, our development," he told The Economic…

Sri Lanka’s President Anura Dissanayake, who was on an official visit to India, met with leading Indian business representatives. The event was organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). President Dissanayake highlighted the investor-friendly environment in Sri Lanka and invited Indian entrepreneurs to explore investment opportunities in the country. “The discussion, aimed at strengthening investment and trade relations between the two nations, focused on key areas such as the digital economy, tourism,…

‘Laapataa Ladies’, India’s official entry in the Best International Feature category at the 97th Academy Awards, is out of the Oscars race. The Hindi film, directed by Kiran Rao, is not part of the shortlist of 15 features that will be vying for a spot in the final five, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced on Wednesday morning. However, British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri's "Santosh", starring Indian actors Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar, representing the UK, has made it to shortlist…

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake spoke at the State Banquet hosted by Her Excellency Droupadi Murmu, President of India. The following are excerpts: The bonds between Sri Lanka and India transcend diplomacy and geographical proximity. Our relationship is civilisationally linked and defined by mutual respect, cooperation, and a shared destiny. From the shores of the Indian Ocean to the heart of the Subcontinent, we are bound by a common heritage of tradition, values, and even a vision for the future inherent in our…