As part of the on-going state visit to Vietnam, President Anura Kumara Disanayake visited the Bai Dinh Pagoda, one of the largest Buddhist temple complexes in Southeast Asia yesterday afternoon (04), where he paid homage and received blessings.

The President received a warm and heartfelt welcome from the Vietnamese people, who had gathered near the entrance of the temple, waving the national flags of both Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

A large crowd lined the pathway within the temple grounds to catch a glimpse of the Sri Lankan President, expressing their respect and goodwill by waving the two nations’ flags.

Upon reaching the main Buddha shrine, President Disnayake paid his respects. The resident monks then chanted Seth Pirith and invoked blessings on the President.

Subsequently, the President paid homage at the Sri Maha Bodhi sapling on the temple grounds, a sacred branch from the Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, which was gifted to the Bai Dinh Pagoda and planted there in 2023.

The outer wall constructed around the sacred Bodhi under the technical guidance of Sri Lanka’s Central Cultural Fund was also officially declared open by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on this occasion.

Later the President planted a sapling of the sacred Sal tree within the temple premises, and observed the commemorative plaque marking the occasion.

As a gesture of reverence, President Disanayake presented a memento to the Chief Incumbent of the temple.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, along with other members of the Sri Lankan delegation, were also present for the occasion.

(President’s Media Division)

A 19-year old has been killed in a shooting incident that occurred this morning (May 05) on Beach Road, Mount Lavinia.

According to the police, 02 unidentified individuals who arrived on a motorcycle carried out the shooting and fled the scene.

The deceased has been identified as a resident of Orban Place, Dehiwala.

Further investigations are underway by the Mount Lavinia Police.

US President Donald Trump has denied that he is considering a third presidential term, a move which experts agree is banned under the US Constitution.

“I’ll be an eight-year president, I’ll be a two-term president. I always thought that was very important,” Trump told NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker in an interview that aired on Sunday.

Trump, 78, has previously said that he was “not joking” about wanting to serve a third, or even fourth, term as US president.

He later said his statements were meant to troll the “fake news media”.

His company, The Trump Organization, has been selling “Trump 2028” hats, fuelling armchair speculation that he may seek to remain in office after his second term ends in January 2029.

In the interview, recorded from his residence in Florida on Friday, Trump said that he has had many “requests” from people asking that he consider seeking to remain in office.

“So many people want me to do it,” Trump said, just days after celebrating his first 100 days of his second term.

“It’s something that, to the best of my knowledge, you’re not allowed to do. I don’t know if that’s constitutional that they’re not allowing you to do it or anything else,” Trump said.

He added that “there are many people selling the 2028 hat”.

“But this is not something I’m looking to do,” he said, going on to list Republicans who could take his place, including Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The Constitution’s 22nd Amendment says that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice”.

Changing the Constitution would require a two-thirds approval from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as approval from three-quarters of the country’s state-level governments.

However, some Trump supporters suggest there is a loophole in the Constitution, which has been untested in court.

Asked by NBC whether anyone has approached him with these theories, Trump deflected, answering that “in a capacity of being a big supporter, many people have said different things”.

(BBC News)