News Buddhist prelate seeks to intervene in Court of Appeal case in support of Sallay Published 2 mins agoon 2026/07/16 Ven. Rajakeeya Panditha Dapane Sri Mahinda Thera, President of the Pasyodunrata Bauddha Sammelanaya and Principal of the historic Kande Vihara Maha Pirivena, t…

News Buddhist prelate seeks to intervene in Court of Appeal case in support of Sallay

Published 2 mins agoon 2026/07/16

Ven. Rajakeeya Panditha Dapane Sri Mahinda Thera, President of the Pasyodunrata Bauddha Sammelanaya and Principal of the historic Kande Vihara Maha Pirivena, together with the Chief Organiser of the Pasyodunrata Bauddha Sammelanaya, has filed an application before the Court of Appeal seeking to be added as an intervening petitioner in the writ application filed by retired Major General Suresh Sallay challenging the legality of his arrest and detention. The intervention is made in the public interest and does not seek to obstruct any lawful investigation. Instead, it urges the Court to consider the wider constitutional and societal implications arising from attempts to reshape the established narrative of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. The application highlights the following points: • The Supreme Court and the Presidential Commission of Inquiry identified the Easter Sunday attacks as being carried out by Zahran Hashim and the ISIS-inspired National Thowheed Jama’ath (NTJ), while attributing responsibility to State officials for failing to act on prior intelligence. • None of the official investigations or judicial findings implicated Major General Suresh Sallay in planning or facilitating the Easter attacks. • The Presidential Commission recorded that Major General Sallay had warned authorities about the rise of Islamist extremism before the attacks. • The intervening petition expresses concern that unproven allegations have created a public narrative suggesting a wider conspiracy involving Sinhala Buddhist military and intelligence officers, contrary to the findings of the Supreme Court and the Presidential Commission. • The petition argues that such unsupported narratives risk undermining public confidence, damaging communal harmony, and unfairly tarnishing the reputation of individuals and institutions without credible evidentiary foundation. • The application respectfully requests the Court to hear the Sangha’s perspective on the broader constitutional and public-interest issues while considering the legality of Major General Sallay’s detention under PTA. The intervening petition supports the granting of the relief sought by Major General Sallay and requests that the Court ensure any allegations capable of affecting national unity and communal harmony are examined against established judicial findings and credible evidence.

News Nalanda student represents Sri Lanka at global German language Olympiad

Published 3 mins agoon 2026/07/16

Disara Hansilu Dayaratne Disara Hansilu Dayaratne, a student of Nalanda College, Colombo, is representing Sri Lanka at the Internationale Deutscholympiade (IDO) 2026 in Mannheim, Germany, the world’s largest Olympiad for students of the German language. Disara earned this honour by securing first place in the All-Island German Olympiad conducted by the Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka. His achievement makes him only the third Sri Lankan to qualify for this prestigious event. The IDO 2026, held from 11 to 23 July, has brought together outstanding young German-language learners from 72 countries, promoting linguistic excellence, cultural exchange, and international friendship. Disara travelled to Germany accompanied by Ms. Poornika Ishadi, a German language teacher from Anuruddha Kumara National College, Nawalapitiya, who is accompanying the Sri Lankan delegation. Apart from his academic achievements, Disara is also a promising junior badminton player who has competed in the M&Q SPBA All Island Open Badminton Championships. Disara’s participation is a proud moment for Nalanda College and Sri Lanka, highlighting the country’s growing presence in international educational competitions.

News Sri Lanka throws open landmark 250 MW Grid-Scale Battery Storage project to global investors

Published 4 mins agoon 2026/07/16

In a landmark move to modernise the national electricity grid and fast-track Sri Lanka’s clean energy transition, the National System Operator (Pvt.) Ltd. (NSO) has invited international competitive bids for the development of a 250 MW/1,000 MWh Standalone Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)—the country’s largest grid-scale battery storage initiative to date. The project, launched under the Ministry of Energy, is expected to play a pivotal role in stabilising the national grid as Sri Lanka accelerates the integration of renewable energy, particularly solar and wind power. The NSO has called for proposals under a Build, Own and Operate (BOO) model, with successful bidders entering into a 15-year Energy Storage Agreement (ESA). The ambitious project will comprise 25 standalone battery storage facilities, each with a capacity of 10 MW/40 MWh, connected at the 33kV level across 25 strategically located grid substations. These include Ambalangoda, Ampara, Bolawatta, Chunnakam, Galle, Hambantota, Kurunegala, Matara, Monaragala and several other key locations around the country. Energy experts describe the tender as a major milestone in Sri Lanka’s power sector reforms, noting that large-scale battery storage has become indispensable for countries seeking to increase renewable energy while maintaining a reliable electricity supply. Unlike conventional power plants, battery energy storage systems absorb excess electricity produced during periods of high renewable generation and dispatch it when demand rises or renewable output falls. This improves grid stability, reduces renewable energy curtailment, enhances frequency regulation and minimises reliance on expensive fossil fuel-based emergency power generation. The tender is expected to attract leading global energy storage developers, battery manufacturers and infrastructure investors, reinforcing Sri Lanka’s emergence as an attractive destination for clean energy investment. The initiative also complements the government’s long-term strategy to transform the national electricity sector through greater renewable energy penetration, lower generation costs and improved energy security. According to the Request for Proposals (RFP), bidding documents will be available until 10.00 a.m. on August 13, 2026, while proposals must be submitted by 10.00 a.m. on August 14, 2026. Power sector analysts believe the project could become a game-changer for Sri Lanka’s electricity network, enabling the country to accommodate significantly higher levels of renewable energy while improving the reliability and resilience of the national grid. The project is also expected to reduce dependence on costly thermal generation during peak demand, lower carbon emissions and provide greater operational flexibility for the power system. By Ifham Nizam