Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday paid homage to Sri Lanka’s sacred Buddhist tree before wrapping up a state visit during which he secured defense and energy deals, seen as a move to counter rival China’s growing influence in the region.
Modi offered flowers to the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, an object of worship and a symbol of sovereignty for the Buddhist-majority island, in the pilgrim city of Anuradhapura.
The tightly guarded fig tree is believed to have grown from a sapling of the tree in India under which the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago.
Photo: EPA-EFE / Sri Lankan President Media Division
The tree — which is guarded around the clock by monks, police and armed troops — is worshiped daily by thousands as a symbol of the “living Buddha,” its branches propped up by gold-plated iron supports.
“This visit has reaffirmed the deep cultural, spiritual and civilizational ties between our two nations,” Modi wrote on social media, before returning to India.
On Saturday, Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake oversaw the signing of seven agreements including on defense and energy.
Dissanayake rolled out the red carpet for Modi and conferred on him the country’s highest civilian honor for “the deep personal friendship” shown to Sri Lanka.
“We believe that our security interests are aligned,” Modi said on Saturday. “Our security is interdependent and interconnected.”
A five-year defense cooperation agreement provides training of Sri Lankan military personnel in India as well as information and technology sharing.
Dissanayake said he had assured Modi that Sri Lankan territory “will not be allowed to be used by anyone to undermine India’s security.”
India has previously objected to Chinese submarines and research vessels that have called at the main seaport in Colombo.
Sri Lanka has not allowed Chinese submarines to dock since 2014, after India raised concerns over two such visits.
Last year, Colombo imposed a ban on foreign research vessels following New Delhi’s accusations that Chinese ships were being used to spy on India.
The collapse of the Swiss Birch glacier serves as a chilling warning of the escalating dangers faced by communities worldwide living under the shadow of fragile ice, particularly in Asia, experts said. Footage of the collapse on Wednesday showed a huge cloud of ice and rubble hurtling down the mountainside into the hamlet of Blatten. Swiss Development Cooperation disaster risk reduction adviser Ali Neumann said that while the role of climate change in the case of Blatten “still needs to be investigated,” the wider impacts were clear on the cryosphere — the part of the world covered by frozen water. “Climate change and
Packed crowds in India celebrating their cricket team’s victory ended in a deadly stampede on Wednesday, with 11 mainly young fans crushed to death, the local state’s chief minister said. Joyous cricket fans had come out to celebrate and welcome home their heroes, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, after they beat Punjab Kings in a roller-coaster Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket final on Tuesday night. However, the euphoria of the vast crowds in the southern tech city of Bengaluru ended in disaster, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra calling it “absolutely heartrending.” Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said most of the deceased are young, with 11 dead
Poland is set to hold a presidential runoff election today between two candidates offering starkly different visions for the country’s future. The winner would succeed Polish President Andrzej Duda, a conservative who is finishing his second and final term. The outcome would determine whether Poland embraces a nationalist populist trajectory or pivots more fully toward liberal, pro-European policies. An exit poll by Ipsos would be released when polls close today at 9pm local time, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. Final results are expected tomorrow. Whoever wins can be expected to either help or hinder the
DENIAL: Musk said that the ‘New York Times was lying their ass off,’ after it reported he used so much drugs that he developed bladder problems Elon Musk on Saturday denied a report that he used ketamine and other drugs extensively last year on the US presidential campaign trail. The New York Times on Friday reported that the billionaire adviser to US President Donald Trump used so much ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, that he developed bladder problems. The newspaper said the world’s richest person also took ecstasy and mushrooms, and traveled with a pill box last year, adding that it was not known whether Musk also took drugs while heading the so-called US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after Trump took power in January. In a
RSS