News

Lifetime Achievement Awards

Published

4 years ago

2022/12/11

This year the Life Time Achievement Award will be presented to the following senior journalists who have served the profession.

Mr. Daya Lankapura

Mr. Daya Lankapura, has served in the media field for over 55 years. He began his journalistic career at the Aththa newspaper as a reporter in 1966 while studying at the Colombo University. He joined the daily Divana editorial staff of the Upali Newspapers Limited at its inception and served there as parliamentary and political reporter. Subsequently, he joined Lake House briefly as the deputy editor for the Dinamina in 1994 and later associate editor, Silumina and editor of Janatha from May 1994 to May 2004. He later accepted the post of news editor, Sunday Rivira. He also served as Night Editor, Lakbima, News Editor, Irudina, News Editor and Editorial Adviser to Divaina. During this period he was editor of the Information Department’s web site, news.lk until July 2020. He has followed journalism courses in the Western Ontario University in Canada, Bradford University, Britain and the Media Training Institute in South Korea. He is currently a visiting lecturer at the mass media section of the Sri Pali Campus of the University of Colombo.

Mr. A .D. Ranjith Kumara

Mr. A. D. Ranjith Kumara, held the post of Editor in the weekly newspapers of Sarasaviya and Sarasi. He has been associated with journalism for five decades especially in the field of Cinema. He is a past student of Carey College and Ananda College, Colombo. Some of the books he wrote include: Kosgashandiya, Gamini Hela Cinemawe Sakvithi, Rukmani Devi Yugayaka Swarna Geethaya, Sinhala Cinemawe Ridi Rekava and Nova Paraniya Lipi Saranaiya. He has also served as a member on the Advisory Board of the State Literary Awards, Chief Organiser of the Sarasaviya Film Festival and the Sumathi Telefilm Festival. At Sumathi Group of Companies, he held the post of Working Director. He has also received the Ranapala Bodinagoda Cinema Literary Memorial Award, Cyril C. Perera Memorial Award. OCIC Award and the Sumathipala Memorial Award. He is a historian who researchers cinema. In 2017, he received the Presidential Award for Cinema Literature by the National Film Corporation.

Mr. Ponniah Manikavasagam

Mr. Ponniah Manikavasagam known as P. Manikavasagam is a veteran journalist who worked amidst trying conditions for Virakesari for over four decades. His reporting on the conflict from the conflict zone was trues and accurate thereby earning the respect from both the local and foreign media. He was stringer for the BBC for 25 years until the BBC Tamil Radio Service was suspended in 2016 and Reuters for 10 years. He also had filed stories as a Sri Lanka Correspondent for Asia Calling of Indonesia and American Free Speech Radio News both web radios for several years. He has also won the Northeastern Provincial Governor’s Award for journalism, the Kalabooshana Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.

Mrs. Chitra Weerarathna

The Island journalist Mrs. Chitra Weerarathna had her primary and secondary education at Visakha Vidyalaya, Bambalapitiya, she earned a degree in natural sciences from the Colombo University before Chitra, as she is popularly known among scribes, cut her teeth in journalism at the now defunct Sun newspaper of the Independent Newspapers Group. She joined The Island in the early 90s and quickly carved a niche in the court rounds and no court was too small or too big for her, for the subject was literally in her blood being a daughter of late Supreme Court Justice T. A. De S. Wijesundera. On top of that two of her sisters too had followed in their father’s footsteps. Chitra’s late husband, Dr. Susil Weerarathna was a lecturer in Chemical Engineering at the Moratuwa University.

Mr. P. B. Elangasinha

Mr. P. B. Elangasinha is an old boy of Dharmaraja College, Kandy. He joined Janatha Editorial of The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd (Lake House) as a trainee reporter in 1965. He moved to the Silumina Editorial in 1970 and assumed duties as a Sub-Editor under Mr. S. Subasinghe, Editor of Silumina. He became the Deputy Editor of Silumina in 1985. He then moved over to the Wijeya Group and joined Irida Lankadeepa Editorial in January 1995 and is at present its Deputy Editor.

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Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambanthota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/26

Priyan

The National Building Research Institute has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambanthota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura from 16:00 hrs on 25.09.2026 To 16:00 hrs on 26.09.2026

Accordingly,
LEVEL III [RED] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Neluwa, Nagoda, Niyagama and Thawalama inthe Galle district, Ganga Ihala Korale, Udapalatha, Doluwa and Pasbage Korale in the Kandy district, and Kothmale West, Ambagamuwa, Kotmale East and Norwood in the Nuwara Eliya district.

LEVEL II [AMBER] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Elpitiya, Baddegama and Karandeniya in the Galle district, Walallawita in the Kalutara district, Deltota, Udunuwara, Gangawata Korale, Yatinuwara and Panvila in the Kandy district, Aranayake, Dehiowita, Mawanella, Deraniyagala and Yatiyanthota in the Kegalle district, Thalawakelle in the Nuwara Eliya district and Ratnapura and Pelmadulla in the Ratnapura district.

LEVEL I [YELLOW] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Seethawaka and Padukka in the Colombo district, Attanagalla and Mirigama in the Gampaha district, Katuwana and Walasmulla in the Hambanthota district, Ingiriya and Bulathsinhala in the Kalutara district, Hatharaliyadda, Poojapitiya, Medadumbara, Kundasale, Ududumbara, Thumpane, Akurana, Pathadumbara, Harispattuwa and Pathahewaheta in the Kandy district, Warakapola, Bulathkohupitiya, Galigamuwa, Kegalle and Ruwanwella in the Kegalle district, Mallawapitiya, Alawwa, Polgahawela and Mawathagama in the Kegalle district, Pitabeddara, Kotapola and Pasgoda in the Matara district, Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district and Elapatha, Ayagama, Nivithigala, Kuruwita and Kalawana in the Ratnapura district

News

22A, Judicature Amendment Bills passed with 2/3 majority

Published

7 hours ago

2026/09/26

Thilina Walpola

Parliament yesterday passed the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill with two-thirds majorities, with 158 MPs voting in favour and 63 against each Bill.

The Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) voted with the SJB against the Bills.

NDF MPs Ravi Karunanayake and Faizer Musthapha and SJB Badulla District MP Nayana Wasalathilaka were not present when the votes were taken.

The final vote on the Judicature (Amendment) Bill was announced at around 8.08 p.m. after Opposition MPs called for divisions on its clauses during the Committee Stage.

The votes followed a two-day debate which commenced on Thursday (24), after Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara presented the Bills for their Second Reading.

The Supreme Court’s determination on the Bills was presented to Parliament on Tuesday (22) by Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne. The Court determined that the 22nd Amendment Bill did not require approval at a referendum and could be passed by a special two-thirds majority in Parliament.

The amendment provides for raising the mandatory retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 and that of Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65. It also provides for the Chief Justice to retire at 67 or after completing six years in office, whichever comes earlier.

The Speaker informed Parliament that the Judicature (Amendment) Bill could be passed by a simple majority.

The SJB opposed the legislation and its MPs attended Parliament dressed in black yesterday. The party also staged a protest at Polduwa Junction, Battaramulla, under the theme “No to 22, which destroys democracy”, with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and several SJB politicians participating.

News

TIN mandatory for key transactions from Nov. 1

Published

7 hours ago

2026/09/26

Thilina Walpola

A valid Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Certificate will be required for a range of key transactions in Sri Lanka from November 1, 2026, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has announced.

The requirement, introduced under the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Act, No. 11 of 2026, applies to transactions specified under Section 102(3) of the Inland Revenue Act.

Accordingly, individuals will be required to produce a valid TIN Certificate when opening an account at a bank or financial institution, obtaining approval for a building plan, registering or renewing the licence of a motor vehicle, registering land or title to land, registering a business, transferring shares in a company incorporated in Sri Lanka or obtaining a credit card.

In the case of share transfers, both the transferor and transferee will be required to provide TIN certificates.

The IRD said officials handling such transactions had been instructed to ensure that a valid TIN Certificate was submitted before processing or completing the relevant transaction.

The Department advised those who do not already have a TIN to obtain one in advance through its e-Services platform.

It said a printout of the TIN verification result showing the applicant’s National Identity Card number and TIN could also be accepted instead of the certificate.The IRD also reiterated that obtaining a TIN is mandatory for resident individuals aged 18 and above under the applicable provisions.