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Celebrating the 76th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Army, a total of 7,979 Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) have been promoted in recognition of their dedicated service and commitment, the SLA media Spokesman Brig. W.S. Gamage said.

The promotions, effective from 10 October, are ranks from Lance Corporal to Warrant Officer I. According to the SLA, 140 Senior Non-Commissioned Officers holding the rank of Warrant Officer II were promoted to Warrant Officer I, while 818 Staff Sergeants were elevated to Warrant Officer II.

In addition, 1,305 Sergeants were promoted to Staff Sergeant, 2,250 Corporals advanced to Sergeant, 2,395 Lance Corporals rose to Corporal, and 1,071 Ordinary Soldiers were promoted to Lance Corporal.

The 2025 Michelin Key distinctions, recognising the world’s leading hotels for exceptional hospitality, have been announced, with all three properties under Sri Lanka’s Resplendent Ceylon earning recognition in the South Asia region.

Ceylon Tea Trails received the highest distinction with three Michelin Keys, Wild Coast Tented Lodge was awarded two Keys, and Cape Weligama secured one Key, underscoring the group’s consistent performance in luxury hospitality.

Ceylon Tea Trails stands out as the only property in Sri Lanka to be awarded the prestigious three Michelin Keys.

Resplendent Ceylon Chairman Malik J. Fernando said: ‘We are honoured to see all three of our resorts recognised by the Michelin Key distinctions. To have Ceylon Tea Trails as the only Sri Lankan property with three Keys is a proud moment, underscoring our belief in offering extraordinary, authentic experiences that showcase the very best of Sri Lanka.’

‘These accolades are a testament to the passion and dedication of our teams, and to our ongoing mission of elevating the island’s standing as a world-class luxury destination,’ he added.

The Michelin Key distinctions were unveiled in Paris recently at the inaugural global awards ceremony. It was introduced in 2023 as the hotel world’s equivalent of the Michelin Star and highlights the very best stays worldwide.

Keys are awarded to hotels excelling across five universal criteria: architecture and interior design; service quality; personality and character; value for money; and contribution to the local environment.

The recognition spans all types of lodging, from boutique city hotels and heritage castles to ryokans, luxury tents, and remote retreats. While some Key properties may also host Michelin-Starred restaurants, the awards are determined independently, ensuring each Key reflects the highest standards of lodging excellence.

The rare Three Michelin Keys signify an extraordinary stay, the highest benchmark in global hospitality where design, comfort, and service converge to create an experience that lingers in memory long after departure.

Playdium, a bowling and entertainment arena in Sri Lanka hosted the inaugural Playdium Pin League (PPL) recently, marking a significant advancement in the nation’s sporting and leisure landscape.

The debut tournament brought together 22 teams comprising more than 100 corporate and open players, all competing on Brunswick Champion standard bowling alleys, the same technology utilised in leading international tournaments. The event generated a dynamic atmosphere, drawing attention to bowling’s growing popularity in Sri Lanka.

At the conclusion of an evening of spirited competition, the Champion Award winners were Panther Paces, with Fireball and Ball Burners emerging as 1st and 2nd runner-up.

Playdium Director Ashan de Livera said, ‘Hosting the first-ever Premier Bowling League in Sri Lanka is a proud milestone for us. Our vision has always been to provide a platform where competition and entertainment converge, allowing both corporates and individuals to experience bowling at international standards. The success of the inaugural PPL confirms the sport’s growing foothold in Sri Lanka and we are committed to establishing this as a bi-annual competition.’

Strategically located on the ground floor of Shangri-La’s One Galle Face Mall, Playdium is designed to meet international benchmarks as Sri Lanka’s largest world-class bowling and entertainment facility. Beyond its Brunswick Champion standard lanes and advanced scoring systems, the venue spans over 20,000 square feet and features an extensive range of attractions, including Arcade Games, Kids’ Play Area, VR Zone, Bumper Car Zone, Karaoke and Party Facilities as well as the Champions Table Restaurant.

Jaswar Umar the incumbent President of Football Sri Lanka (FSL) has been appointed as a member of the Grassroots and Amateur Football Committee of FIFA recently.

He is the first Asian to be inducted to a committee by the world football Governing body FIFA, which is a rare honour, which eventually will enable him to serve in the policy making body of grassroots and amateur football affairs worldwide.

Jaswar, who completed two years as FSL President few days back, will join hands with a team of 24 other members from various countries.

Sri Lanka rankings up

Meanwhile, after the 1-0 triumph over Turkmenistan, the National Football team has been elevated to the 191st position in the FIFA rankings.

They were at a low 206 for a long time, and later reached 197 few months back with their improved performance. The win over Turkmenistan has helped them to get to 191, which is a record-breaking achievement as it is FIFA world rankings top 20 best point movers.

Having lost their opening game of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup to India and seen their second match against Australia washed out by rain, Sri Lanka who have been out of action in the tournament for 10 days come up against England at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium today in a match that will test their skills and patience.

‘We are aware of the challenges we will have with England. England is on par or second best to Australia in terms of matches won, World Cups won. We are not bothered about that at this stage, but we are aware of that,’ said Sri Lanka Women Head Coach Rumesh Ratnayake at the pre-match media conference.

‘Our main concern will be our preparation. Our preparation with our strengths and how we can match it with their weaknesses. We will watch their strengths, we will watch their weaknesses and how we can establish that or do it at the right moment to get it right. Those are our talks, our conversations. But saying that, in our batting, the girls are really up to it and wanting to do well. That’s a huge plus because they know it’s a big stage.’

‘Sometimes we need to bring it down and say it’s just another match. But they are excited about this big stage. To capitalise on that and to maximise, they need to have runs on the scoreboard. They are aware of that. They are also aware that somebody, at least one or two, should bat till the end. Those are the conversations we’ve had about batting. Bowling also, we are well planned. With our coaches, we are scrutinising every batter of the English team and going through them. We analysed their top nine. But the time for observing is over, now we need to take ownership of the situation, and go out there and perform.’

‘We believe England is a very experienced side, even though they don’t have left-handers they are quite well equipped, so we understand their strengths. We know what they’re strong at and we’ve seen them do it all so to speak. We believe that we are ready to sort of counter-attack that and do the best we can in the best way we could.’

Ratnayake emphasised that in batting what was most needed was patience and discipline. ‘That’s what we lacked maybe against India, not deliberate, but it needs more focus so that it could be established.’

On the contributions expected from the lower order batters Ratnayake said, ‘We actually spoke about this in detail, how those coming lower down the order – even below number seven – need to score more. Our main responsibility is that the top seven need to score the most runs. We’re addressing it differently, because even in the last game no one scored even 50 – not that 50 would have been enough. We’ve spoken about how you need to bat deep – at least one of the top six needs to hang around. It’s because none of those batters hung around that we were unable to chase down India’s score. I’ve seen that tail-enders have come and scored runs in this tournament, but if you look at it from a different angle that’s the way the game is headed now, so we need to also aim to do that and expect runs from numbers eight, nine and ten.’

Sri Lanka actually lost their opening game to India due to poor catching and Ratnayake was quite frank in his assessment of the fielding standards.

‘We saw two sides to ourselves in that game. Our best fielding and our worst. We need to understand that there are 300 deliveries in an innings, so we need to keep up our standards right throughout. We’ve had discussions, we know that nobody drops catches intentionally, but it’s important to keep our concentration levels up.’

Sri Lanka women’s cricket has shown an upward trend since Ratnayake took over two and a half years ago and he put it down to ‘attitude’.

‘The discipline in which they have brought in. But it’s not just me, I think it was set up in a way in which it was easy for me to take over and sort of walk that talk. I believe the girls were really into it too. They wanted to get to that next level and they were very keen on getting there. As a coach it was an absolute delight.’

A visiting team from the UN Technical Electoral Needs Assessment Mission held discussions with key political leaders, including Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, to explore ways of supporting Sri Lanka’s efforts to strengthen its electoral framework.

According to a statement from Parliament, ‘The mission focused on gathering insights from a wide range of stakeholders including Government representatives, political parties, election observers, civil society, and development partners.’

It added, ‘Discussions centred on enhancing the efficiency, transparency, and inclusivity of Sri Lanka’s electoral system.’

The talks covered a range of issues, including improving transparency and integrity in elections, increasing women’s participation in politics, advancing voter education and political literacy, promoting digitalisation of election processes, safeguarding voting rights, and addressing barriers faced by youth and women in political engagement.

The UN delegation expressed readiness to provide technical assistance to help advance ongoing and future electoral reforms.

The mission included UN Electoral Assistance Division Director Michele Griffin, Electoral Policy Specialist Dan Malinovich, Asia and the Pacific Division Political Affairs Officer Amanda Stark, and Political and Electoral Affairs Officer Mikyong Kim.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian Shanakiyan Rasamanickam yesterday urged the Government to focus on developing the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

Speaking in Parliament the MP warned the Government about its growing dependence on Chinese loans, while rejecting Indian grants, raising questions about priorities and transparency in economic decision-making.

‘We welcome the development of the Rathnapura District and the Kandy expressway, but we would like to urge the Government to develop the North and East as well,’ he said.

He criticised the National People’s Power (NPP) administration for following the same pattern of alleged cronyism seen under past regimes in dealings with Chinese firms.

Referring to the recently discussed $ 500 million loan from China to develop the Central Expressway, Rasamanickam noted that the interest is said to be 2.5%, which could go up to 3.5%, and warned that such borrowing raises both financial and political concerns.

‘In the past, there were allegations of fraud in projects linked to Chinese companies. This President has even said it, but now there are questions about the terms of this loan as well,’ he said.

Rasamanickam contrasted this with India’s $ 63 million grant for the Kankesanthurai (KKS) harbour, saying the Government’s rejection of similar assistance was deeply troubling. ‘The Government rejected a development grant, there is no repayment and no interest.’

China is not welcome in the North and East because they do not have the interest of the Tamil people in their agenda,’ he said, recalling Beijing’s opposition at the UN Human Rights Council to resolutions supporting Tamil rights. ‘That is why we say the Chinese are trouble in this country.’

The TNA MP called on the Government to prioritise developing key infrastructure in the North and East, including the Trincomalee harbour, Batticaloa airport, Jaffna’s Palaly airport, and the KKS harbour, noting that better connectivity would unlock regional potential.

‘If these airports and harbours are developed, we can generate funds and attract grants to develop the North and East, but only if the Government of the day allows it,’ he said.

The much looked forward Access Monthly Medal will take place at the Royal Colombo Golf Club with the tee off today at 6.45 a.m.

More than 280 golfers will participate with the awards taking place in the evening at the RCGC Club House from 7 p.m. onwards.

Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa recently undertook an observational visit to the state-of-the-art sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing facility of LAUGFS Life Sciences Ltd., located within the Board of Investment (BOI) Export Processing Zone, Koggala. This visit reflects the company’s commitment to strengthening Sri Lanka’s healthcare system through world-class local manufacturing.

Marking a significant milestone for the country’s healthcare industry, LAUGFS Life Sciences is advancing sterile infusion therapy production, reducing reliance on imports, delivering economic and clinical benefits, and positioning Sri Lanka as a regional hub for quality-driven pharmaceutical manufacturing through innovation, regulatory compliance, and private-sector investment.

The Health Minister was warmly welcomed by LAUGFS Holdings Ltd., Group Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ravi Edirisinghe, LAUGFS Life Sciences Ltd., Chief Executive Officer Dr. Rajiv Perera, Head of Quality Vipin Kumar, General Manager – Operations Ranjith Reddy, and General Manager – Head of Corporate Communications Wasaam Ismail, along with senior managers, quality specialists, and engineers of the facility.

During the visit, Dr. Jayatissa observed LAUGFS Life Sciences’ advanced sterile infusion production lines. The company is preparing to introduce Large Volume Parenterals (LVPs) using Euro Multiport systems and Form-Fill-Seal (FFS) technology. Euro Multiport ensures high-safety, multi-access containers for clinical use, while FFS automates forming, filling, and sealing in a sterile environment, minimising human intervention and contamination risks. These innovations aim to transform infusion therapy in Sri Lanka by reducing import dependence, ensuring a steady supply, and offering affordable solutions for both public and private healthcare sectors.

Dr. Jayatissa said: ‘This project is a commendable step forward for Sri Lanka’s healthcare sector. By investing in advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing, LAUGFS Life Sciences directly supports the Government’s vision of enhancing local production, saving valuable foreign exchange, and providing our citizens with reliable, world-class medical solutions. Public-private partnerships of this nature are critical to building a resilient healthcare system and ensuring patient safety and continuity of treatment.’

Dr. Edirisinghe said: ‘At LAUGFS, we believe in creating industries that bring long-term value to Sri Lanka. Through LAUGFS Life Sciences, we are making strategic investments in sterile pharmaceutical technologies that will not only benefit the local healthcare sector but also strengthen our position as a regional hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing.’

Dr. Perera said: ‘We are committed to ensuring that Sri Lanka has access to globally benchmarked infusion therapies through our advanced LVP production lines. With the integration of Euro Multiport and FFS technologies, we are setting new standards in quality, safety, and efficiency that will directly benefit both patients and healthcare providers.’