She might have been a dark horse at the start of awards season, but this year’s youngest best actress nominee has only gone and done it!

While comeback queen Demi Moore set the pace, scooping up prizes left, right and centre in the run-up to tonight, 25-year-old Madison’s win at the Baftas a couple of weeks ago put her right in the race.

Her raw and honest portrayal of a sex worker trying to keep a lid on her vulnerability has won plaudits since it premiered in Cannes and won the Palme d’Or. Now she’s won the ultimate prize. She said she hadn’t prepared a speech for her Bafta win but hopefully that prompted her to make some notes for this one!

The other nominees in this category were:

• Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
• Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez
• Mikey Madison – Anora
• Demi Moore – The Substance
• Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here

[BBC]

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake affirmed that the National People’s Power (NPP) government is committed to eradicate the criminal underworld that operates within the legal state.

The President emphasized that nationalism and extremism have historically posed significant threats to national security and assured that the current administration will not allow either to resurface in Sri Lanka.

President Dissanayake also stated that the government is prepared to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and introduce a new legal framework to prevent terrorism.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake made these remarks on Friday (28) in Parliament while delivering the response speech as the Minister of Defence during the Committee Stage Debate of the 2025 Budget, addressing the expenditure heads of the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

He firmly stated that his government would never leave room for the opposition to realize their dream of toppling the government, whether by creating an illusion of economic collapse, fabricating a security crisis, or inciting public unrest.

Furthermore, he asserted that the current administration has ended the era of inhumanity and is paving the way for a more disciplined and principled governance. The President challenged the opposition to surpass the standards set by the present government, warning that failure to do so would render them political fossils stuck in out-dated politics.

He also made it clear that no criminal gangs operating within the hidden criminal underworld would receive any protection or endorsement from members of the current government.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake affirmed that the Sri Lanka Army and Police would be restructured into fully professional institutions. He emphasized that all appointments and transfers within the security forces have been conducted without favouritism or political influence.

He further stated that the former Chief of Defence Staff had been granted seven service extensions. However, as key positions cannot be assigned based on personal relationships or favouritism, new appointments have been made to ensure a fresh and merit-based approach.

The President underscored that the current government is committed to building a military that is loyal to the state rather than individuals and to enhancing its professionalism.

He also stated that the government is taking all possible measures to ensure justice and fairness for crimes that have been buried by the passage of time.

Highlighting the importance of trust in the structure of the security sector, the President noted that the current government is working to restore discipline and integrity to the state, which has deteriorated to its deepest level.

The President declared that the opposition’s aspiration to attain power through the creation of an economic crisis has now come to a conclusion. He further expressed scepticism regarding the opposition’s current efforts to seize power by inciting a national security crisis.

The President revealed that an investigation into the five recent crimes that occurred this month indicated they were committed by five criminal gangs. He further stated that, during the investigation, the direction of the inquiry is being directed towards identifying the perpetrators. There is suspicion that multiple gangs operated simultaneously, raising concerns of a possible conspiracy. The President mentioned that once these conspiracies are identified, the government will take steps to suppress them. He emphasized that the era of transferring governmental power through conspiracies has come to an end, and that it is possible to form a government based on civility and proper conduct.

The President further stated that state institutions and political authorities are working towards building a society free from criminal gangs.

The President stated that the current budget includes proposals to increase allowances for foreign training for the defence sectors. Provisions have been allocated for the purchase of necessary aircrafts for the Air Force and, the Navy, and plans are in place to allocate Rs. 1,000 million for providing facilities to the Sri Lanka Police. Additionally, funds have been set aside for new recruitments in the tri-forces and the police. The budget includes provisions for the recruitment of 10,000 personnel each for the Air Force and the Police.

[PMD]

UNDP, too, consulted

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Parliament in consultation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has reduced the number of Sectoral Oversight Committees (SOCs) to seven.In the previous Parliament there were 17 SOCs. The National People’s Power (NPP) government discussed the matter with the UNDP as the latter funded the strengthening of the SOC process.

A four-member Committee, headed by Assistant Secretary General of Parliament, Hansa Abeyratne, has recommended the establishment of seven SOCs to cover all ministries. Sources said that the Committee on Parliamentary Business, chaired by Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, on 27 February, had agreed to form seven SOCs, with the government and the Opposition consenting to share the chairmanships four to three, respectively.

The NPP parliamentary group and the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) consists of 159 and 40 MPs, respectively.

The Speaker and UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Marc-André Franche, discussed the reduction of SOCs from 17 to 7 when the latter paid a courtesy call on the Speaker several weeks before the official announcement made by Parliament following the meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business on 27 February.

The Committee of Selection previously declared that Parliament could establish as many as 20 SOCs.

The parliamentary committee system consists of Select Committees, Ministerial Consultative Committees, Legislative Standing Committees, Committees for Special Purposes and Sectoral Oversight Committees.

SOCs were introduced by the yahapalana parliament through a resolution passed on Dec 19th, 2015. Sources said that the Parliament tasked the Abeyratne committee to make recommendations meant to improve performance and cut down on waste.

Sources said the reduction of the number of SOCs was intended to curtail expenditure.

The USAID, now under a cloud over controversial projects in many countries, funded SOC heads’ visit to the US in late 2023 during Ranil Wickremesinghe’s presidency.