The Department of Meteorology says South-West monsoon conditions are gradually getting established over the island and it will be in effect until 5.30 am tomorrow (20).

Cloudy skies can be expected over most parts of the island.

Meanwhile, wind speed in the sea areas of the relevant areas may increase to 55 – 65 kmph at times.

Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, North-western, Central, Southern and Northern provinces.

Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara, Puttalam, Nuwara-Eliya and Kandy districts.

Several spells of showers will occur in the North-central province.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at several places elsewhere on the island during the evening or night.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

The 16th National War Heroes Commemoration Ceremony will be held on Monday (19 May) at the National War Hero Cenotaph in Sri Jayawardenepura, Kotte, from 4.00pm to 6.00pm.

A series of island-wide community welfare programmes will also be carried out by armed forces, Police and Civil Security Department in view of the War Hero Commemorations.

Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) is expected to represent President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the event. Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda and Marshal of the Sri Lanka Air Force Roshan Gunathilleke are also scheduled to attend the ceremony.

The Ministry of Defence on Friday convened a press conference to announce the preparations for the ceremony. Commanders of the Navy and Air Force, Army Chief of Staff, senior military officials and Ministry representatives were present at the press briefing.

Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) underscored the national significance of the annual commemoration, paying tribute to the brave men and women of the armed forces, Sri Lanka Police and Civil Security Department who laid down their lives in the defence of the nation.

He reiterated the Ministry’s and the Tri-forces’ commitment to preserving the memory of fallen heroes, ensuring that their legacy of patriotism, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to duty continues to inspire future generations.

During the briefing, officials of Ranaviru Seva Authority and armed forces provided an overview of the ceremonial proceedings, which will include wreath-laying, special tributes, and military honours, with the participation of distinguished guests, military personnel, and the families of war heroes.

The event seeks to serve as a solemn occasion for the nation to express its gratitude and respect for those who selflessly served the country’s sovereignty and national security.

The Ministry of Defence calls upon all citizens to stand in solidarity in remembering the nation’s war heroes, reaffirming collective appreciation for their dedication to protecting the country and its people.

Saveen Semage, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), resigned with immediate effect yesterday, citing threats to his life.

On May 9, CCTV in his home captured two men breaking in and walking around the residence for around half an hour from 11.30pm to midnight. They were observed peeping into the bedroom where Dr. Semage slept. His wife and children were also asleep in the house.

Dr. Semage, a public health specialist, was appointed to the position in January 2024. He was also previously CEO from November 2021 to May 2022, when he resigned over differences with former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. He was brought back last year by Ramesh Pathirana—who replaced Minister Rambukwella after he was forced to resign over irregularities in drug procurement—to clean up the drugs regulatory mechanism.

However, he faced stiff resistance from the pharma industry, particularly in his efforts to break drug monopolies and oligopolies that were blamed for rigging tenders (typically agreements among competitors to fix prices, allocate markets, or engage in other anticompetitive activity). He was also a victim of social media attacks largely blaming him for being politically motivated.

“There was a lot of tension within the NMRA and the pharmaceutical industry during the last two to three weeks because of my efforts in pricing and in breaking monopolies and oligopolies to save public funds,” Dr. Semage told the Sunday Times. “I think the break-in was a threat in an effort to remove me.”

“During the past 15 months, the NMRA has cleared the backlog of registrations and streamlined re-registration for drugs. He was also able to trace fake documents and to kick-start a digitalisation process that abruptly came to an end in 2021 when the NMRA database was mysteriously erased. During his term, the Authority also doubled its staff, taking in 30 new pharmacists, among others. The National Advisory Committee and Appeals Committee were also put in place, and a pricing mechanism, along with guidelines, was published.

(sundaytimes.lk)
(This story, originally published by sundaytimes.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)