News
26th Edition: Journalism Awards for Excellence 2024
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- Kithsiri Ekanayake IT Manager of UNL receiving Best Designed News Website award from Isuri Alahakoon, Corporate Communication Manager of Dialog-Axiata PLC. Kanishka Sugathadasa – Member of the Panel of Judges (Online Newspapers) is also in the picture
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- Amal Jayasinghe receiving Sepala Gunasena Award for Defending Press Freedom in Sri Lanka from Prabath Sahabandu, Editor of The Island
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- Rajan Philips, Sunday Island Columnist receiving D. R. Wijewardene for Earning the Recognition of Peers and the Public from Sujan Wijewardene, Managing Director of Wijaya Newspapers Ltd
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- Sulochana Ramiah Mohan receiving the Mervyn De Silva Journalist of the Year Award from Dr Nihal Jayawickrama, Chief Guest. Kumar Nadesan Chairman SLPI (left) and Siri Ranasinghe (Right) are also in the picture
Results Sheet
Print Media
1. Mervyn De Silva Journalist of the Year – Single Award
Winner: Ms. Sulochana Ramiah Mohan/Ceylon Today
Merit: Mr. K. Sanjeewa/Anidda
Mr. R. Ramkumar/Virakesari
2. Best Health Care & Medical Reporter of the year – Sinhala
Winner: Ms. M. Madhavi Dharmarathna/Lankadeepa
Merit: NO MERIT
3. Best Health Care & Medical Reporter of the year – Tamil
Winner: Ms. Thushyanthi Suresh/Thamilan
Merit: Ms. Mohaned Hussain Fathima Husna/Thinakkural
4. Best Health Care & Medical Reporter of the year – English
Winner: NO AWARD
Merit: NO MERIT
5. Sports Journalists of the Year – Sinhala
Winner: Mr. T. H. Nadunka Nethsara/Sathi Aga Aruna
Merit: NO MERIT
6. Sports Journalists of the Year – Tamil
Winner: Mr. M. S. Mohamed Firdous/Thinakaran
Merit: Mr. Neville Victor Anthony/Thinakkural
7. Sports Journalists of the Year – English
Winner: NO AWARD
Merit: NO MERIT
8. Business & Finance Journalist of the Year – Sinhala
Winner: Mr. Upul Pradeepa Wickramasinghe/Irida Lankadeepa
Merit: NO MERIT
9. Business & Finance Journalist of the Year – Tamil
Winner: Mr. I. Robert Antony/Virakesari
Merit: NO MERIT
10. Business & Finance Journalist of the Year – English
Winner: Mr. M. A. Nishel Shalinka Fernando/Daily Mirror
Merit: NO MERIT
11. Prof. Kailasapathy Award for Best News or Feature using RTI – Sinhala
Winner: Mr. Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi/Ada
Merit: NO MERIT
12. Prof. Kailasapathy Award for Best News or Feature using RTI – Tamil
Winner: Mr. K. Prasannakumar/Thinakkural
Merit: NO MERIT
13. Prof. Kailasapathy Award for Best News or Feature using RTI – English
Winner: Mr. A. A. M. Rifthi Ali/Ceylon Today
Merit: NO MERIT
14. B. A. Siriwardena Columnist of the Year – Sinhala
Winner: Mr. Kapila Kumara Kalinga/Deshaya
Merit: NO MERIT
15. B. A. Siriwardena Columnist of the Year – Tamil
Winner: NO AWARD
Merit: Mr. Sivalingam Sivakumaran/Virakesari
16. B. A. Siriwardena Columnist of the Year – English
Winner: Mr. M. S. Mohamed Ayub/Daily Mirror
Merit: NO MERIT
17. Subramaniam Chettiar Award for Reporting on Social Issues –
Single Award
Winner: Mr. M. D. Raminda Lasanth/Sunday Divaina
Merit: Mr. Buwanaka S. Perera/Ceylon Today
18. Upali Wijewardene Feature Writer of the Year – Sinhala
Winner: Mr. H. T. Rathnaweera/Irida Divaina
Merit: NO MERIT
19. Upali Wijewardene Feature Writer of the Year – Tamil
Winner: Mr. Sivalingam Sivakumaran/Virakesari
Merit: Mr. R. Ramkumar/Virakesari
Mr. U. L. Noorul Hutha/Thamilan
20. Upali Wijewardene Feature Writer of the Year – English
Winner: Mr. Buwanaka S. Perera/Ceylon Today
Merit: NO MERIT
21. Investigative Journalist of the Year – Single Award
Winner: Ms. Nirmala Dushyanthi Kannangara/Daily Mirror
Merit: IG/05/2024 – Mr. Mahendra Tharaka Wickramasekara/Silumina
Mr. R. Ramkumar/Virakesari
22. Scoop of the Year – Single Award
Winner: NOT AWARDED
Merit: NO MERIT
23. Denzil Peiris Young Reporter of the Year – Single Award
Winner: Mr. Mithun Jayawardhana/Ceylon Today
Merit: Ms. Shashika Abeyrathna/Lankadeepa
24. Best Environmental Reporter of the Year – Sinhala
Winner: Ms. K. S. Chandima Jayaratna/Silumina
Merit: NO MERIT
25. Best Environmental Reporter of the Year – Tamil
Winner: Mr. A. A. M. Rifthi Ali/Thamilan
Merit: NO MERIT
26. Best Environmental Reporter of the Year – English
Winner: Mr. S. W. A. Chaturanga Pradeep/Daily Mirror
Merit: NO MERIT
27. Best Designed Newspaper of the Year – Sinhala
Winner:Anidda Design Team
Merit: Sathi Aga Aruna Design Team
28. Best Designed Newspaper of the Year – Tamil
Winner: Thinakkural Design Team
Merit: S. Devika Kumari/Virakesari
29. Best Designed Newspaper of the Year – English
Winner: The Sunday Times Design Team
Merit: NO MERIT
30. Cartoonist of the Year – Sinhala
Winner: Mr. W. P. Prasad Hasantha/Aruna
Merit: NO MERIT
31. Cartoonist of the Year – Tamil
Winner: NO AWARD
Merit: Mr. Sawunthis Tharmathas/Virakesari
32. Cartoonist of the Year – English
Winner: Mr. Awantha Artigala/Daily Mirror
Merit: NO MERIT
33. Photojournalist of the Year: – Single Award
Winner: Mr. A. H. L. Ishan Sanjeewa/Sathi Aga Aruna
Merit: Mr. Kushan Pathiraja/Daily Mirror
34. Sepala Gunasena Award for Defending Press Freedom in Sri Lanka
Winner: Mr. Amal Jayasinghe
35. D. R. Wijewardene for Earning the Recognition of Peers and the Public
Winner: Rajan Philips.
Online Newspapers
36. Best Designed News Website – Sinhala
Winner: Divaina.lk
Merit: Ada.lk
37. Best Designed News Website – Tamil
Winner: Tamil Mirror.lk
Merit: Virakesari.lk
38. Best Designed News Website – English
Winner: The Sunday Times.lk
Merit: Daily Mirror.lk
39. Best Video Story-telling – Sinhala
Winner: No Award
Merit: No Award
40. Best Video Story-telling – Tamil
Winner: Virakesari (Ill effects of vape cigarettes)
Merit: Virakesari (Ill effects of fake cosmetics)
41. Best Video Story-telling – English
Winner: The Morning (Women’s Diving Championship)
Merit: The Morning (Women’s Surfing Championship Ms. Senuri Madushani)
Award: 41
Merit: 21
Lifetime Achievement Awards
1. Mr. Upali Tennakoon
2. Ms. Pushpa Ilangantilleke
3. Mr. Alexander Balasooriya
4. Mr. R. A. E. Raman
5. . Mr. Sa’adi Thawfeeq
Chief Guest: Dr. Nihal Jayawickrema
The Otter Aquatic Club, Colombo 7 will host its annual Bak Maha Ulela on April 25, 2026, with a full day of festivities to mark the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
The celebration will feature traditional games, cultural activities, creating a vibrant atmosphere for families and friends to enjoy together. Organisers invite everyone to take part in this joyous occasion.
Three Sri Lankan leopard cubs that were born at the Singapore Zoo on Jan 1 have now made their public debut at the facility.
The two males and one female, born to mother Yala and father Asanka, are the first of their species yo be born at the Singapore Zoo. The last successful birth in Singapore was recorded at the Night Safari three decades ago.
The triplets, which are the pair’s first litter, are among around 80 Sri Lankan leopards in zoos worldwide.
The species is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, with fewer than 800 individuals estimated to remain in the wild.
Visitors can now see the triplets at the Wild Africa exhibit, said the Mandai Wildlife Group in a statement on April 16.
The cubs can be found in the exhibit with their mother daily until mid-May and, subsequently, every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
Yala with her cubs in their nest box, a month after their birth on Jan 1. (Straits Times)
A leopard cub investigating a piece of meat suspended from a tree – one of the several enrichment items in the Wild Africa exhibit designed to keep the cats mentally and physically stimulated. (Straits Times)
Mandai Wildlife Group curator Anand Kumar said it took nearly three years and close collaboration across continents to bring together a compatible pair of Sri Lankan leopards.
(Straits Times)
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-zoos-first-sri-lankan-leopard-cubs-make-their-public-debut?ref=top-stories
The Sri Lanka Navy has seized a local multi- day fishing trawler, it’s four man crew together with a consignment suspected to be narcotics off the Southern Coast of the island.
The vessel is presently being escorted to the Dikowita fisheries harbour for further investigations and legal proceedings.
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