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Japanese atomic bomb survivors win Nobel Peace Prize

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Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese group of atomic bomb survivors, has won the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.

Known as hibakusha, the survivors of the 1945 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been recognised by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

Nobel Committee Chair Joergen Watne Frydnes said the group had “contributed greatly to the establishment of the nuclear taboo”.

Mr Frydnes warned the “nuclear taboo” was now “under pressure” – and praised the group’s use of witness testimony to ensure nuclear weapons must never be used again.

Founded in 1956, the organisation sends survivors around the world to share their testimonies of the “atrocious damage” and suffering caused by the use of nuclear weapons, according to its website.

Their work began almost a decade after the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

On 6 August 1945, a US bomber dropped the uranium bomb above the city of Hiroshima, killing around 140,000 people.

Three days later a second nuclear weapon was dropped on Nagasaki. Two weeks later Japan surrendered, ending World War Two.

Speaking to reporters in Japan, a tearful Toshiyuki Mimaki, the co-head of the group, said: “Never did I dream this could happen,” the AFP news agency quotes him as saying.

Mr Mimaki criticised the idea that nuclear weapons bring peace. “It has been said that because of nuclear weapons, the world maintains peace. But nuclear weapons can be used by terrorists,” Mr Mimaki said, according to reports by AFP.

In a BBC interview last year, he said despite only being three years old at the time the nuclear bomb hit Hiroshima – he could still remember dazed and burnt survivors fleeing past his home.

The prize – which consist of a diploma, a gold medal and a sum of $1m (£765,800) – will be presented at a ceremonies in Oslo in December, marking the anniversary of the death of the scientist and prize creator Alfred Nobel.

The group has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize “many times” in the past, including in 2005 when it received a special mention by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, its website says.

The decision to recognise Nihon Hidankyo means the Nobel committee has steered away from more controversial nominees for the peace prize.

There had been widespread speculation the United Nations agency supporting Palestinians – UNRWA – was being considered for the prize.

Although the organisation is the main provider of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, nine of its members were fired for alleged involvement in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 last year.

More than 12,000 people had signed a petition urging the committee not to award UNRWA the prize.

There were equal concerns about the nomination of the International Court of Justice.

The UN’s main judicial organ is currently considering allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and has already issued a statement urging the Israeli authorities to refrain from genocidal acts.

But while giving the prize to Nihon Hidankyo may be a non-controversial choice, it could also focus global attention on the threat of nuclear conflict which overshadows the fighting in both Ukraine and the Middle East.

Throughout Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its leaders have repeatedly hinted that they may be ready to use tactical nuclear weapons if western allies increase their support for Ukraine in a way Russia considers unacceptable.

These threats have succeeded in restraining western support for fear of escalation.

In the Middle East, the subtext for much of Israel’s strategy is the fear that Iran is seeking nuclear capability, something Tehran denies.

The Nobel committee’s decision may renew a debate about the use of nuclear weapons at a time when some countries look enviously at their deterring power.

This year’s peace prize had 286 nominations, a number comprising 197 individuals and 89 organisations.

Nominations can be made by people in positions of significant authority, including members of national assemblies, governments and international courts of law.

Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi won the prize in 2023, when she was honoured for her work fighting the oppression of women in Iran.

Ms Mohammadi is currently being held in Evin prison in Tehran, having already spent 12 years in jail serving multiple sentences related to her activism.

(BBC News)

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Essential to enhance facilities in education system – President

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President Anura Kumara Disanayake emphasized that in order to successfully implement the proposed educational reforms, it is essential to enhance the facilities throughout the entire education system while also strengthening the institutional framework.  

The President made these remarks during a discussion held today (July 08) at the Presidential Secretariat with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and senior officials of the Ministry of Education regarding the proposed new education reform process.

During the meeting, officials from the Ministry provided the President with an overview of the suggested reforms.

The President stated that the government is ready to study the reform proposals and allocate the necessary resources based on identified needs.

President Disanayake further pointed out that in order to achieve the intended outcomes of these reforms, a comprehensive transformation of the entire system is required. He stressed that attention must be paid not only to developing physical and infrastructural resources but also to enhancing human resources. The President instructed that a full study be conducted before presenting plans and budget estimates, and assured that necessary provisions would be allocated through the upcoming national budget.

He also emphasized the importance of paying attention to teachers and students of teacher training colleges throughout this reform process and called for broad consultations with all stakeholders to gather their views and suggestions.

As a first step, the President advised Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya to organize two workshops to brief all Members of Parliament on the proposed education reform programme and to gather their input and recommendations.

The discussion was also attended by Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education Madhura Seneviratne, Deputy Minister of Vocational Education Nalin Hewage, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa and a group of senior officials from the Ministry.

(President’s Media Division)

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CID reopens Lalith-Kugan disappearance case after 14 yrs.

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The Sri Lankan government has officially handed over the long-stalled investigation into the disappearance of human rights activists Lalith Kumar Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala made the announcement in Parliament today (7).

The two activists went missing on December 9, 2011, in Jaffna, under circumstances that have remained unresolved for over a decade.

Initial reports were submitted to the judiciary on December 12, 2011, and the case was heard multiple times before being set aside by court order on October 10, 2014 due to lack of investigative progress.

Minister Wijepala revealed that, due to the prolonged stagnation of the case, the Acting Inspector General of Police issued formal instructions on June 3, 2025, directing the CID to take over the investigation.

A letter was subsequently sent to the Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police for the Northern Province, requesting all relevant case files and forensic reports from the Achchuveli Police Station, the Jaffna Division Crime Investigation Unit, and the regional forensic laboratory.

These documents were officially transferred to the CID on June 11, 2025. The Homicide and Organized Crime Division of the CID has now begun active investigations into the case.

The Minister also disclosed that the CID is currently investigating four other disappearance cases in the Northern and Eastern provinces, while the Colombo Crime Division is handling six additional cases. None of these investigations have yet been concluded.

(News1st)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by News1st has not been edited by SLM staff)

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This week’s Cabinet decisions

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A number of decisions have been taken at the Cabinet meeting held yesterday (July 07).

The decisions taken by the Cabinet of Ministers are as follows :

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