Former Member of Parliament Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero has been remanded until September 12 after appearing before the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court this afternoon (29).

The National Milad-Un-Nabi commemoration ceremony was held this afternoon (05) under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Masjidul Aroosiya Jumma Mosque premises in the Malay Colony village, Ambalantota. The event was organised by the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, together with the Department of Muslim Religious And Cultural Affairs, to mark the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad. A special feature of the commemoration was the active participation and support extended by people of all faiths in the area, including members of the Maha Sangha.  On this occasion, the President was presented with the commemorative postage stamp issued to mark the 2025 National Milad-Un-Nabi celebrations. He was also presented with a book titled The History and Development of the Muslim Community in Hambantota District, compiled to highlight the cultural and historical value of the Muslim community in Hambantota.  President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also awarded prizes and certificates to the winners of an art competition held across all schools in Hambantota District. The competition, open to students of all communities, aimed at fostering ethnic harmony among schoolchildren. In recognition of his participation in the 2025 National Milad-Un-Nabi commemoration, the President was presented with a commemorative gift, while the Muslim community of Hambantota and the Board of Trustees of the Jumma Mosque also offered him a special memento.  Addressing the gathering, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Dr Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, stated that discussions were already underway to further increase Sri Lanka’s quota for Hajj pilgrimages. He noted that this would help reduce costs for local devotees and enable a greater number of pilgrims to perform the Hajj in future. The Minister also conveyed the condolences of the President and the government to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic bus accident that occurred on the Ella–Wellawaya main road last night (04).  Deputy Minister of National Integration, Muneer Mulaffer, in his address, emphasised that peace, unity and mutual respect were the core teachings of Prophet Muhammad. He further noted that the present government aspires to build a beautiful nation founded on peace and coexistence among all people. Recalling the strong participation of local communities in making the 2025 National Milad-Un-Nabi commemoration a success, he said that such unity reinforced confidence in building a harmonious nation.  The ceremony was attended by members of the Maha Sangha and other religious leaders, Deputy Speaker (Dr.) Rizvie Salih, Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Gamagedara Dissanayake, Deputy Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Ruwan Senarath, Hambantota District Development Committee Chairman Nihal Galappaththi MP, other parliamentarians, Secretary to the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs W.P. Senadheera, Director of the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs M.S.M. Nawas, state officials, foreign diplomats, schoolchildren and members of the public. 

Chennai: Actor Sivakarthikeyan's latest psychological action thriller, 'Madharaasi,' directed by AR Murugadoss, has made a decent start at the Tamil Nadu box office, grossing an estimated ₹10 crore on its opening day. Produced by Sri Lakshmi Movies, the film features Sivakarthikeyan in the lead role, alongside Vidyut Jammwal and Rukmini Vasanth. 'Madharaasi' marks Sivakarthikeyan's return to the big screen following his blockbuster military drama, 'Amaran'. The film, which registered average advance sales, received a mixed initial response from both audiences and critics. The performance of 'Madharaasi' is particularly significant for director AR Murugadoss, as his previous directorial ventures, including the Salman Khan starrer 'Sikandar,' had reportedly failed to meet expectations. A strong showing for 'Madharaasi' over the weekend and into the weekdays is crucial for the film to achieve a positive theatrical verdict. Despite the mixed initial reactions, the film has shown promising trends in advance bookings for its second day in Tamil Nadu. 'Madharaasi' has polled approximately ₹4.60 crore from over 380 cinemas, indicating an encouraging 85 percent hold from its opening day advance sales. For sustained success, the action thriller will need to demonstrate better leg on weekdays and attract more audiences.

The Department of Meteorology has forecast a few showers in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces, as well as in the Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle, and Matara districts today. In addition, showers or thundershowers may occur in certain areas of the Uva Province and in the Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 2.00 p.m. Elsewhere across the island, mainly fair weather is expected to prevail, the Met. Department said. The public has been advised to take necessary precautions to minimize potential damages from temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

Donald Trump will order that the Pentagon be called the Department of War as it "conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve". An executive order will be signed by the US president on Friday, in which he will call for the Department of Defense to use the new name as a secondary title. He will also direct that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth be known as Secretary of War. The text of the executive order reads: "The name 'Department of War' conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve compared to 'Department of Defense,' which emphasizes only defensive capabilities." The Pentagon oversees the US armed services and is the successor to the War Department, which was established in 1789 and ran until 1947.