News
Pulitzer prize: AP’s Eranga, Rafiq Maqbool named finalists for coverage of Aragalaya
AP photographers Eranga Jayawardena and Rafiq Maqbool were named finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography for images capturing anger over economic collapse in Sri Lanka.
The AP images from Sri Lanka captured the full range of human emotion with protesters pumping their fists in the air shouting anti-government slogans, and also shielding themselves from tear gas and water cannons.
Crowds of Sri Lankans storming the office of the Prime Minister, after the President fled the country, and others celebrating inside the President’s official residence, by jumping in the pool and using the gym equipment.
Eranga Jayawardena was born April 11, 1978, and brought up in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and has been a witness and a recorder through news photography of key natural, socio-political and entertainment events for more than 20 years of his life. Eranga, in 1996 started, taking up assignments, while still at school, for The Island and they mostly comprised of politically motivated ethnicity based violent events.
Rafiq Maqbool is a staff photographer for Associated Press and has been based in Mumbai, India, since 2009. For AP he has covered some of South Asia’s most troubled hotspots, including his homeland of Kashmir. He has extensively documented militancy and violence at its height, in the late 1990s, including the Kargil war between India and Pakistan, as well as the devastating earthquake of 2005 in the region.
The Associated Press has won two Pulitzer Prizes in journalism for its coverage of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, in the categories of public service and breaking news photography. The AP’s coverage of the siege of Mariupol was credited with saving thousands of lives. AL.com, based in Birmingham, Alabama, won Pulitzers for editorial writing and local news coverage. The New York Times also won for Ukraine coverage.
It and the Los Angeles Times won two Pulitzers. The Washington Post, the Atlantic, the Wall Street Journal, Mississippi Today and Gimlet Media also won awards. The Pulitzers annually honour the best in journalism.
News
Establishment of an Institutional Framework to Inagurate Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority
Policy approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 08.06.2026 to establish the Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority for identification and
execution of a formal and long – lasting remedy to secure the central hills including the upper hydro catchment areas enabling them to sustain amidst extreme weather conditions
due to natural calamities and human activities as well as to be used for the sustainable development of the country.
Accordingly, a concept paper has been prepared including
institutional structure, activities, powers, active subject area as well as administrative and coordination mechanism for the proposed authority by an expert technical committee appointed by the Secretary to the President.
Based on the said concept paper, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the President to instruct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft bill including legal provisions required for the establishment of Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority.
News
Introduction of Flora and Fauna (Regulation of actions of the Indigenous Community within the nominated areas) Regulations
With the objective of securing the traditional livelihood and the eco system of the indigenous community, it has been recognized the necessity of introducing a formal regulation methodology to secure their engagement in livelihood activities by being more sensitive to the existing laws.
Thereby, the Fauna and Flora (regularizing) regulations under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (Authority 469) have been prepared so that nominated activities within the prescribed area to a member of the indigenous community
who has been registered for securing the rights acquired from law or custom or usage or traditional stance to execute an act within a certain state land that is fundamental to the survival of the indigenous community permission can be granted
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Environment to publish the said regulations in the government gazette notification and thereby submit to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Latest News
M. M. D. J. Senarathne, appointed Director General of the Department of National Botanical Gardens
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Environment to appoint M. M. D. J. Senarathne, who is the senior most officer in Grade I of Sri Lanka Scientific Service se
Establishment of an Institutional Framework to Inagurate Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority
Introduction of Flora and Fauna (Regulation of actions of the Indigenous Community within the nominated areas) Regulations
M. M. D. J. Senarathne, appointed Director General of the Department of National Botanical Gardens
Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India captain
Turkiye, Pakistan agree Saudi Arabia military deployment under Mecca pact
Rumesh Tharanga among nominees announced for World Athlete of the Year 2026
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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