Air Vice Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa has been appointed to the post of Air Force Commander.
The President’s Secretary, Mr. Saman Ekanayake, handed over the appointment letter to AVM Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (28).
In recognition of his exceptional service and in line with his new appointment as the Commander, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has promoted Air Vice Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, to the rank of Air Marshal, effective from tomorrow, the 30th.
As the 19th Air Force Commander of the country, Air Vice Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa proudly represents his alma mater, Ananda College, Colombo, being the first Air Force Commander to be appointed from Ananda College.
His journey began in 1988 when he joined the Kotalawala Defence College as a cadet, and subsequently, he excelled in flight training at the Anuradhapura Camp No. 01, achieving the distinction of being the best cadet in the 33rd Air Cadet Course.
With a combination of local and foreign training, he demonstrated outstanding performance as a flight officer. Prior to his current appointment, he held the second position of command within the Air Force, as the Chief of Staff, and now assumes the prestigious role of Air Force Commander.
Outgoing AF commander promoted
Meanwhile, President Ranil Wickremasinghe in his capacity as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces has also promoted Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana to the four star rank of Air Chief Marshal with effect from today (June 29).
Air Chief Marshal Pathirana took over as the 18th Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force on 03 November 2020 and will relinquish his command today at Air Force Headquarters.
Three persons have died from the bus accident at Dunhinda in Badulla today (June 21), according to hospital sources.
A total of 34 individuals were injured when the bus toppled down a precipice this evening (June 21) at the 4th Mile Post area, near the Dunhinda bends on the Badulla–Mahiyanganaya road.
According to reports, the passengers were a group of pilgrims travelling from Badulla to Anuradhapura.
The injured persons have been admitted to the Badulla General Hospital.
The 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) was celebrated with great enthusiasm by the High Commission of India in Colombo and its cultural arm, the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Sri Lanka at the historic Independence Square in Colombo today (June 21).
This year’s theme, “Yoga for One Earth, One Health”, highlighted the universal relevance of yoga in fostering harmony between humans and nature.
The High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, H.E. Santosh Jha, joined the celebrations along with distinguished guests including Minister of Science and Technology – Dr. Chrishantha Abeysena, Minister of Labour and the Deputy Minister of Economic Development – Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka – Dr. Rizvie Salih, Deputy Minister of Defence – Major General K. P. Aruna Jayasekara, Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs – Gamagedara Dissanayake Deputy Minister of Sports – Sugath Thilakaratna, and other senior dignitaries. The event began with a spiritual invocation through prayers by Most Ven. Dr. Maitipe Wimalasara Nayaka Thera and the Maha Sangha, who offered blessings for peace and well-being. A dynamic and refreshing yoga and meditation session followed, conducted by experts from renowned yoga institutions in India and Sri Lanka. The event brought together hundreds of yoga enthusiasts, dignitaries, and students in a shared spirit of wellness and unity. As part of the celebrations, a specially curated Yoga Pendrive and a Sinhala translation of the Hatha Yoga Pradeepika were launched, aiming to make authentic yoga knowledge more accessible. Complementing the main event in Colombo, the Consulates in Hambantota and Jaffna, along with the Assistant High Commission in Kandy, also organized special events – reflecting the enthusiastic and widespread participation in the 11th International Day of Yoga across Sri Lanka.
In a significant prelude to the main event, the Department of Ayurveda, Ministry of Health, Government of Sri Lanka and Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre jointly organized a landmark, island-wide celebration of the International Day of Yoga on 19 June 2025, with simultaneous yoga sessions held in 113 Ayurveda hospitals and four universities across all nine provinces – marking the first time such a nationwide initiative has been undertaken in Sri Lanka in a unified fashion. It may be recalled that the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution piloted by India in 2014, proclaiming June 21 each year as the International Day of Yoga. The resolution was supported by more than 170 countries, with Sri Lanka being one of its proud co-sponsors.
Angelo Mathews ended his final Test innings today (June 21) after being dismissed during the Test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at Galle International Stadium.
Mathews was dismissed after scoring just 8 runs off 45 balls after being caught by Mominul Haque. The match also ended as a draw.
Mathews retires from the longest format of the game as he made 8,214 runs from 119 Tests at an average of 44.4, with 16 centuries and 49 half-centuries to his name.
In 2013, Angelo Mathews was handed the leadership of the Test side for the first time in his career. He also became historic as the youngest Sri Lanka player to become Test captain.