Wednesday, November 5, 2025
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Greenpeace South Asia Welcomes Regional Leadership in Ratification of Historic UN Ocean Treaty

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India, Bangladesh and the Maldives have taken historic steps for the protection of our oceans at the UN General Assembly in New York, with India signing the Global Ocean Treaty, (also known as the High Seas Treaty or Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction – BBNJ) and Bangladesh and the Maldives completing their ratification process at the UN Treaty Event.

Avinash Chanchal, Campaign Manager at Greenpeace South Asia said: “India, the Maldives and Bangladesh have shown international leadership for marine biodiversity conservation as this new Treaty will allow the creation of large protected areas on the High Seas, beyond 200 nautical miles (or 370 kilometers) from the coastlines. Such large sanctuaries on the High Seas will allow the recovery of marine life, increase its resilience to climate change, and support the livelihoods of millions of people in the region.”

The Global Ocean Treaty, adopted in June 2023, will enter into force when at least 60 governments have written it into their national law and, as of today, only thirteen countries have completed the ratification process.

“India and other South Asian countries now need to prioritize ratification of the Global Ocean Treaty and step forward as a regional driving force to implement bold measures for biodiversity protection and climate change mitigation”, says Avinash Chanchal.

This year, the wider South Asia region has again suffered from extreme weather events causing too many casualties, meanwhile industrial overfishing, pollution and climate change impacts, such as rising sea levels and temperature, are dramatically affecting coastal fisheries and livelihoods. Oceans and Climate are connected and supporting one another. Government leaders need to understand it and start protecting ecosystems that can best mitigate climate change and secure a sustainable future for all. Protecting the wide Ocean with a Global Treaty to create large scale sanctuaries on the High Seas is a good start, and one within reach.

Anita Perera, Greenpeace South Asia Campaigner in Sri Lanka added: “While most other South Asian countries are committing to Ocean protection, it is important that Sri Lanka, as an island nation, also steps in. The country has just chosen a new President and we urge him to join this positive dynamic in favor of our ocean and climate.”

Now is the time to make history. Greenpeace South Asia is calling on all states in the region to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty to safeguard ocean biodiversity, support climate change mitigation and the future of the next generations.

A suspect held with about 600,000 capsules of prescription drugs

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A search operation conducted by the Navy and Police Special Task Force (STF) led to the arrest of a suspect (01) with about six hundred thousand (600,000) capsules of prescription drugs which were being transferred to sell. The coordinated operation, which also resulted in the seizure of a lorry used to peddle drugs, was mounted in the Borella area on 09th October 2024.

Based on information received by Naval Intelligence, the search operation was mounted by Sri Lanka Navy in coordination with the Police STF. After having searched a suspicious lorry in the Borella area, these capsules of prescription drugs (600,000) were recovered from the possession of the suspect in it. Accordingly, the suspect together with drugs and the lorry were taken into custody.

The suspect held in this operation was identified as a resident of Mannar, aged 44. The suspect, along with capsules of prescription drugs and the lorry, was handed over to the Police Narcotic Bureau, Colombo for onward legal action.

Diva DathataDiriyak Entrepreneurial Skills Development Programme Empowers Women Entrepreneurs in North Central Province

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Diva DathataDiriyakWomen Entrepreneurial Skills Development Programme is a collaborative effort by Diva, one of the leading laundry brands in Sri Lanka from Hemas Consumer Brands and Women in Management(WIM) to support and empower women entrepreneurs island wide. The 6th regional rollout of this program was successfully concluded in Anuradhapura on the 7th of October 2024 with the participation of over 150 participants. The programme was a full-day seminar held at the NuwaragamPalathaCentral Divisional Secretariat, which equipped women entrepreneurs with the required knowledge, skills and confidence to face entrepreneurial challenges.

The programme marked yet another milestone successful series of programmes which has been empowering women entrepreneurs across Sri Lanka covering Nothern, Northwestern, Southern, Uva and Central Provinces. Participants gained essential entrepreneurial skills such as business registration, financial management, customer care, pricing strategies, branding, and packaging during this seminar. There was also a special focus on online marketplaces, which offered valuable insights on elevating smalls businesses in the very competitive digital landscape.

Namal Fernando, Category Manager – Home Care Category, Hemas Consumer Brands shared his thoughts, “Being true to the Brand’s purpose, “Diva DathataDiriyakWomen Entrepreneurial Skills Development Programme” has been instrumental in empowering women entrepreneurs across the island. The programme has been immensely successful,and we hope to see even more participants join the programme in the future as well. We are extremely humbled that this program will not only help the respective individuals, but also their families, local communities and the county at large in making the economy self-sufficient”.

The Diva DathataDiriyak programme continuous to change and enhance lives, empowering women to evolve from producers to successful business owners. Similar to those before, this programme also provided participants with the resources they require to create sustainable businesses and take control of their financial future, even in the midst of economic uncertainty.

With over 275 women entrepreneurs being empowered in localities such as Dankotuwa, Jaffna, Galle, Welimadaand Matale, the edition held in Anuradhapura adds another notch in the programme’s successful legacy.  Diva’s commitment to this programme, which stems from the belief that ‘the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world,’ is further strengthened by its partnerships with local government authorities and organisations such as WIM in empowering women to reach their fullest potential as women entrepreneurs.

The success of the Diva DathataDiriyak Entrepreneurial Skills Development Programme, underscores the importance of fostering an entrepreneurial spirit among women across the island, empowering them to face today’s economic challenges with confidence.

About Hemas Consumer Brands

Hemas Consumer Brands, a leader in Sri Lanka’s Home and Personal Care sector for 60 years, focuses on empowering families to aspire for a better tomorrow. The business takes pride in utilising local insights to innovate and develop consumer centric propositions that have helped establish their purpose led brands as trusted household names in Sri Lanka.  Driven by its deep understanding of the Sri Lankan consumer and an unwavering commitment to delivering superior quality and value through its products, Hemas Consumer Brands continues to enrich the lives of communities across the country.

Paving the Way to Improved Campus Administration at BCAS

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RoosterHR, a leader in HR technology solutions, is excited to announce the successful implementation of its Human Resource Information System (HRIS) at BCAS Campus, a premier educational institution offering a wide range of programs in fields such as business, IT, engineering, health sciences, hospitality, languages, and law. This partnership with RoosterHR is designed to enhance the campus’s management of time and attendance, payroll, and roster management, streamlining operations to support both staff and students. By integrating RoosterHR’s HRIS, BCAS continues to demonstrate its commitment to modernizing administrative processes and providing a world-class educational experience.

BCAS Campus, with over 300 permanent employees and 200 visiting staff across its four branches in Colombo, Kandy, Jaffna, and Kalmunai, faced challenges in tracking the time and attendance of visiting staff and speeding up the payroll process. Rooster’s HRIS addresses these issues with precision and efficiency.

The system’s time and attendance tracking ensures accurate monitoring of staff hours, reducing discrepancies and easing the administrative load on HR personnel. This is particularly beneficial for the visiting lecturers, who have varying schedules.

“Rooster’s HRIS has significantly improved our ability to manage both permanent and visiting staff, ensuring accuracy in attendance tracking and efficiency in payroll processing. We are thrilled with the results and look forward to continuing our partnership with RoosterHR, said Teresh Amaratunga (CEO of BCAS Campus)
Additionally, the HRIS’s payroll module has streamlined the payroll process, minimized errors, and ensuring timely payments for all employees. The new roster management feature further supports efficient scheduling, helping BCAS to manage staff coverage effectively.

“We are proud to partner with BCAS Campus in implementing our HRIS solution,” said Yohan Wijesiriwardane (CEO of RoosterHR). “This collaboration reflects BCAS’s commitment to innovative HR management, and we are confident in the positive impact our system will have on their operations.”

RoosterHR’s HRIS at BCAS Campus demonstrates the system’s capability to meet the complex needs of educational institutions. As BCAS continues to grow, RoosterHR’s technology will play a crucial role in supporting its HR management.

OSC First IB World School to Strike Gold at ARC Awards

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The Overseas School of Colombo (OSC) has cemented its global reputation for excellence by winning Gold at the 2024 International ARC Awards for its 2022/23 Annual Report, themed ‘1957 – 2022: Our Progressive Spirit Continues’. This achievement is monumental for both OSC and Sri Lanka, positioning the school as the first educational institution in the country – and the first International Baccalaureate (IB) World School globally – to secure this prestigious accolade.

The ARC Awards, organised by MerComm Inc. in New York, have been dubbed the “Academy Awards of Annual Reports” due to their prestige and stringent selection process. Attracting over 1,000 entries from more than 30 countries annually, these awards recognise institutions that set the bar in corporate communication, creativity, and transparency. With a panel of more than 200 elite communication professionals evaluating the submissions, only the top 30% of entries earn recognition, making OSC’s Gold victory particularly significant.

This milestone win places OSC among a distinguished cohort of global giants such as Samsung, BMW, Alibaba Group, and McDonald’s, who also received honours at this year’s awards. Winning the ARC Award strengthens the school’s competitive edge and highlights its commitment to excellence in all areas of its operations.

The award-winning 2022/23 Annual Report celebrates OSC’s long-standing legacy as Sri Lanka’s oldest internationally accredited school, while showcasing its commitment to growth, adaptability, and innovation. It reflects OSC’s forward-thinking approach to education, embodying the school’s dedication to providing a holistic and impactful learning experience for its learners. The report is more than just an account of the school’s achievements; it is a testament to OSC’s progressive spirit and vision for the future.

Overseas job departures up 10% in September…

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The Sri Lankan Foreign Employment Bureau states that the departure of Sri Lankans for foreign employment in September 2024 has increased by 10 percent compared to September 2023.

In September 2024, 28,344 Sri Lankans left for foreign jobs, and in September 2023, 25,716 left for foreign jobs.

In the first 9 months of 2024, 240,109 Sri Lankans have been employed abroad, including 99,939 female workers and The number of male workers is 142,170.

During this period, 70,396 skilled workers have gone abroad for work, including 62,177 male workers and 8,219 female workers. In the first 9 months of 2024, 17,649 workers have gone abroad for professional jobs, while the number of Sri Lankans who have gone for semi-skilled jobs is 3,704.

In the first 9 months of 2024, the largest number of Sri Lankans have gone to Saudi Arabia for employment, and the number is 38,133. During this period, 6391 Sri Lankans left for work in Israel, and another 6295 Sri Lankans left for work in Japan.

Also, 5870 have left for jobs in South Korea, 5677 for Kuwait, and 3995 for United Arab Emirates.

Sri Lanka Customs Narcotics Control unit has goods arrested a person With a consignment .

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Sri Lanka Customs Narcotics Control unit has arrested a person With a consignment cleared through a Courier company at Air Cargo Terminal with 1883 grams of Kush Cannabis concealed in Domestic Heating machines. This consignment was received from Canada to a company in Piliyandala. During examination of a Heating Machines officers found 09 parcels concealed in 06 machines. Total Kush Cannabis found is 1883 grams. The street value of the substance found is estimated as Rs. 19 million. The clearing agent was arrested and further investigation is carried out by the officers attached to Narcotics Control Unit and the susbtance found and the suspect will be handed over to Police Narcotics Bureau for further investigation .

Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential to be There: Exhibition at Yale Architecture Gallery

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The exhibition Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential to be There, opened at the Yale School of Architecture Gallery. Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa’s work has been shown around the world including in New York in 1986, yet this is the first exhibition to examine the architect’s five-decade practice through an extensive review of the archives from his practice, with particular focus on its drawings. Debuting in Colombo in 2022, at the Park Street Mews, the exhibition then went on to the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi in 2023.

Geoffrey Bawa (1919–2003), once described his approach as follows: “The site gives the most powerful push to a design along with the brief. Without seeing the site, I cannot work. It is essential to be there.” These words served as a point of departure for understanding Bawa’s attitudes to place-making through his archives. Over 120 documents are organised across four thematic sections, each exploring a different aspect of Bawa’s exploration of place: “Situating a Practice,” “Searching for a Way of Building,” “Defining New Directions,” and “Places Unbuilt.” Each section features a selection of his projects presented through drawings, photographs, and documents aiming to unpack the collaborative nature of the practice and the specific approaches taken to address each project as a unique place-making exercise. In addition to the archival material, the projects are presented through colour photographs by Sebastian Posingis and Dominic Sansoni and short films by Clara Kraft Isono.

Designed in Colombo in 2022, between the lifting of curfews for the pandemic and the eve of Sri Lanka’s economic collapse, the exhibition forced the Geoffrey Bawa Trust curatorial team to reckon with the logistics of a museum-quality display of fragile archival material in a context where materials were in limited supply. An unforeseen national restriction on imports led the team to take a back-to-basics approach for lighting and framing, inspired by Bawa’s own resourceful use of local materials and fabrication techniques during the 1960s and 70s when Sri Lanka was in a similar situation. This recursive approach afforded by reference to the archives, demonstrated the value of looking at the past to find solutions for the present and future, a frequent practice by Bawa and one that continues to resonate with architects and designers of the present age.

The Gallery at the Yale School of Architecture has been an important venue in bringing architecture and design exhibitions to an East Coast US audience; previous retrospectives of George Nelson, Eero Saarinen, Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown and others have helped portray a range of architectural practices to audiences which include students and practitioners. Dean Deborah Berke notes, “There is so much for us to learn from Bawa and it is a privilege to display this overview of his built work and design process.”


The Geoffrey Bawa Trust Chief Curator, Shayari de Silva, an alumnus of the school, (BA ’11, M.Arch ’16) delivered a lecture titled “Drawing from the Archives” at Hastings Hall to mark the exhibition’s opening on September 5th, following a tour for students and faculty in the gallery. Presenting key projects like the Ena de Silva house (1962), the Kandalama Hotel (1994) and Bawa’s own garden Lunuganga (1948–2003) she explored ways in which understanding these projects through the archives added nuance and complexity to Bawa’s oeuvre, while also suggesting that such an investigation required a redefinition of what constituted the archives, particularly to include Bawa’s garden.

Director of Exhibitions at the gallery, Andrew Benner, commented: “What we do gain with an exhibition of this scope and quality is insight into process and an ability to make connections across projects, attuning us to the underlying ethos that guides the work and gives it a unique heft.”

Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential to be There has set a benchmark for presenting architectural work in Sri Lanka, bringing the subject of architecture and its archives to the forefront of cultural discourse. The exhibition has opened avenues for further exploration and dialogue on architectural history, highlighting its critical role in shaping contemporary design and cultural identity.

Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential to be There will be on view at Yale Architecture Gallery until 30th November 2024. For more information, please visit bawaexhibition.com.

BY NELUM BUDDHADASA

Colombo Youth Team won Hameed Al Husseinie College Group of 2003 7A Side Indoor Cricket Tournament

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RUZAIK FAROOK

Hameed Al Husseinie College, Columbo Group of 2003 organized the 7A Side Indoor Cricket Tournament for the second consecutive year at the Club Fusion in Boralesgamuwa recently.

There are 28 teams of 224 past students of the College participated in the preliminary round of the tournament. The Game Changers team and the Colombo Youth team qualified for the finals.

Game Changers team scored 24/6 in 4 overs, while Colombo Youth team won by 3 wickets in 3.4 overs.

Mohamed Rafeek the captain of the Colombo Youth team received the award for the Best Player of the Tournament.

Nizran Nizar of the Spartan team received the award as the Best Batsman and Mohamed Zamri of Colombo Youth team received the award as the Best Bowler.

Shiyam Travels and Tours Pvt Ltd is the Platinum Sponsor for the tournament.

Principal of the College M.R.M. Risky and Azam Ameen of Newswire participated as the chief guests for this tournamen

Founder of the Ananda Balika Vidyalaya Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala’s 160th Birth Anniversary Ceremony.

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RUZAIK FAROOK

The 160th birth anniversary of Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala was held at the Ananda Balika Vidyalaya, Maradana , Colombo on Monday 18th September. It was held under the patronage of Principal of the School W.B.G. Kumuduni.   

The Principal, staff, students and old girls paid floral tributes to the statue of Anagarika Dharmapala with perehera was held participation of the Students, Teachers, Parents and Old Girls.

Also the Old Girls Association had organized an eighth consecutive year blood donation campaign to mark the birth anniversary of Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala at the school premises. OGA event coordinators Deepika Priyadarshini , Anuja De Silva and members of the OGA were present.    

Former President of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress and Vice President of the World Fellowship of Buddhists Jagath Sumathipala, Deputy Principal D.M. Sumanasena ,  Vice Principals  Udayani Pathirange, Manjula Dissanayake and Chamani Perera, Old Girls Association Vice President Dilani Senarathna, Event Coordinator Ruwani Nissansala, Kanchana Dilrukshi, teachers, students and parents were also graced the ceremony.

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