The Buddhist devotees were seen engaging religious activities at Gangarama Temple on Poson Full moon poya day. Poson Poya is an annual festival held by Sri Lankan Buddhists celebrating the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 3rd century. The most important festivals of the festival are held in Anuradhapura and Mihinthalee.Pix by Kithsiri De Mel
The foundation stone was laid today for the state-of-the-art Planet Green Force (PGF) Centre, a new eco-friendly learning lab at Ananda College, Colombo incorporating the four pillars of UNESCO Green Academies and the latest sustainable features.
Sri Lanka showcases industries as the “International Industry Expo 2024”, was launched at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) today. The exhibition will continue till Sunday (23).The Expo is organized by the Industries Ministry and the Industrial Development Board (IDB) with the main objective of creating a platform to bring together industry related local & international stakeholders.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe distributed letters of appointment to United National Party (UNP) zonal organizers at the party headquarters, Sirikotha, today (June 18). UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara, Chairman Vajira Abeywardana and National Organiser Sagala Ratnayake were also present. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana
The National Federation of Public Service Pensioners’ Association staged a protest at Polduwa Junction, Battaramulla today, demanding a 15% senior citizens’ fixed deposit interest rate and at least 70% of the increased allowance provided to state employees.
The annual art exhibition and drawing competition was held, targeting schools in the Northern Province, under the guidance of the National Transport Commission. The main event was held last Saturday (15) at the Jaffna Hindu College. The primary purpose of the art competition is to educate schoolchildren on road safety and improve their creative abilities in the Northern Province.
A book about Anton Marcus, written by political columnist Kusal Perera, was launched today at the Foundation Institute. The book covers Anton Marcus’s 50-year career as a trade unionist. Several MPs from the government, the Opposition, and various political parties attended the event. Anton Marcus is the General Secretary of the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union.
The Hajj Shopping Festival 2024 commenced yesterday at the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre (SLECC), featuring over 100 shopping stalls offering a wide range of products and services under one roof, accompanied by exciting discounts and offers. The festival will remain open to the public until 10 p.m. today.
The Future Minds exhibition was launched today at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), building on strong relationships with the Higher Education community. The exhibition aims to foster a highly productive exchange on all aspects of Higher Education in 2024. The education fair will run till June 16. Pix by Kithsiri de Mel
A Maradana bound train from Panadura derailed near the Panadura railway station, disrupting services on the coastal line. One of the compartments struck a nearby signal post, completely disabling the signal system. An official stated that restoring the track will take considerable time, resulting in delays of trains operating on the coastal line.
The Ports Trade Unions Collective staged a protest outside the Ports Authority premises in Colombo against the use of employees from manpower agencies and also in protest of the Eastern Container Terminal. Their protest slogan was ’’No man power - Let’s save the Eastern Container Terminal.’’ Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana
The Teachers’ and Principals’ Trade Union Alliance in the Colombo Educational Zone launched a token strike at Borella Junction today, demanding the government to rectify the remaining two-thirds of their salary anomaly and uphold the rights of children. Pix by Kithsiri de Mel
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