The new board members of Sri Lanka United National Association of Canada (SLUNA) met with the Consul General of Sri Lanka Thushara Rodrigo at the Consulate General in Toronto on 15 October 2023.

The consul general welcomed the new board members and appreciated SLUNA’s constructive engagements with the Sri Lankan Canadian community. He commended SLUNA for its longstanding and pivotal role in the community for over 40 years and extended best wishes for the new board members for a successful tenure.

While appreciating the assistance of Sri Lankan Canadians so far extended to Sri Lanka, the consul general emphasized the importance of supporting the motherland in reconciliation and economic recovery efforts irrespective of ethnic, religious, or political differences. He encouraged the new board members to explore the potential to broaden community engagements to further strengthen the multicultural values in the Sri Lankan Canadian community.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): Thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning activity are likely to occur at several places in Northern, North-Central, North-Western, Eastern, Uva and Southern Provinces and in Kandy District during the afternoon or night, the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology said in an advisory statement today (17).

Temporary localised strong winds may appear during thundershowers.

The general public, therefore, is kindly urged to take adequate precautions to minimise damages caused by lightning activity.

The Department further urges the public to, seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees, avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms, avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms, avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc. and beware of fallen trees and power lines.

Colombo (LNW): Prominent Sri Lankan film producer Deshabandu Dr. Buddhi Keerthisena passed away today (17), his family confirmed.

The 83-year-old was also the co-founder of ‘Buddhi Batiks’.

From Wednesday (18) until Thursday (19) at 09.00 a.m., his body will be kept at his Lake Drive residence in Colombo 08.

It will then be moved to the Buddhi Batiks workshop in Koswadiya, Mahawewa until 03.00 p.m. on Saturday (21).

His funeral will take place at 4.00 p.m. on Saturday at the Koswadiya Cemetery.

He leaves behind his wife, Margaret Ranasiri Keerthisena, and children Darshi Keerthisena and noted filmmaker Boodee Keerthisena.

Keerthisena, who has produced films like “Aya Obata Barai”, new production of “Sujatha” the movie, is a business magnet who has played a pioneering mission in Sri Lanka to take the local batik industry to the global stage.

Colombo (LNW): Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasinghe yesterday (16) ordered the remand of six individuals allegedly linked to the April 2019 Easter Sunday massacre until they receive guidance from the Attorney General.

These suspects are believed to have had connections with businessman Ahmed Luqman Talib, who has been identified as a facilitator for al-Qaeda.

The Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) is acting on information from Interpol, which found from phone records that these suspects communicated with Talib. International Police (INTERPOL) have also identified links between Talib and seven Maldivian and two Australian nationals.

The TID is seeking permission to detain three suspects for questioning and aims to obtain statements from three others currently in prison.

Talib, who was arrested in 2021 by Australia for funding Al-Qaeda, also operated a gemstone trading company in Sri Lanka named Right Gems. The U.S. sanctioned him in 2020 for his financial ties to Al-Qaeda.

The TID will continue its investigation under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) based on the evidence from over 700 phone calls.