Sunday, November 1, 2026

CAFE 2026 to showcase Sri Lankan culinary expertise and hospitality innovation

Coincides with Sri Lanka’s participation in Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg

Sri Lanka’s food and hospitality sector is preparing for its premier trade event as the Chefs’ Guild of Lanka, in partnership with CDC Events & Travels, hosts the 23rd Culinary Art Food Expo (CAFE 2026) from 27 to 29 November at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo, followed by an awards ceremony on 30 November. Expecting over 15,000 visitors and more than 200 exhibition stalls, the showcase serves as a core platform for trade, technological integration, and industry-wide networking across the local value chain.

At the heart of the expo is an expansive international culinary competition featuring upwards of 3,000 participants, nearly 4,000 culinary entries, and a panel exceeding 40 local and international judges. Contests span live cooking, pastry, cake decoration, ice and vegetable carving, and mixology. .

The event aligns with heightened global positioning for the nation’s culinary sector, coinciding with Sri Lanka’s participation in the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg and the Chefs’ Guild’s bid to host the Worldchefs Congress in 2030.

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Jet crashes into trailer park as emergency services race to scene

Authorities said there are "multiple fatalities"

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Saturday, October 31, 2026

Sri Lankan turbine project fuels anger as fish hauls plunge

Mannar – 25 October 2026 08:48- AFP (Philippe ALFROY) 25 October 2026

Since they appeared six years ago, the Mannar wind in turbines in Sri Lanka have been blamed for a host of problems — from dwindling catches to floods, fuelling opposition to green energy projects as fuel costs soar Fisherman complain of dwindling catches and smaller fish, which they believe is linked to the turbines

Fisherman complain of dwindling catches and smaller fish, which they believe is linked to the turbinesBenedict Mary Vijiliya’s village, around 100 metres (330 feet) from the coast, is surrounded by wind turbines which she believes have impacted water drainage

Benedict Mary Vijiliya’s village, around 100 metres (330 feet) from the coast, is surrounded by wind turbines which she believes have impacted water drainageThe government aims to generate 70 percent of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030, including wind power. But it has frozen new projects in Mannar to ease local opposition

The government aims to generate 70 percent of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030, including wind power. But it has frozen new projects in Mannar to ease local opposition

QCV01 : Au Sri Lanka, le vent de la colère souffle dans les éoliennes de Mannar

Beneath rotating wind turbines on Sri Lanka’s Mannar peninsula, a fishing net is hauled up the beach by tractor winches and 20 men, but once again the catch is meagre.

“I’ve been fishing here since I was a boy,” said Venkatasamy Kalimuththu, 65, looking disappointedly at the catch — a few good fish, some small fry, and several clumps of seaweed.

“Before the wind turbines were installed, we caught a lot of fish,” he added. “Now, much less.”

Since they appeared six years ago, the Mannar wind turbines have been blamed for a host of problems — from dwindling catches to floods, fuelling opposition to green energy projects as fuel costs soar.

Local residents are determined to see them dismantled or, at the very least, prevent more from being built.

The opposition comes as war in the Middle East sends fuel and electricity costs soaring, making the shift to renewable energy an economic imperative.

Although he admits he has no proof, Kalimuththu is convinced the spinning blades are driving fish away.

“When the fans rotate, the shadow falls on the water,” he said. “So the fish don’t swim up to the shallows.”

His colleagues agree, also blaming the turbines — as well as competition from Indian trawlers.

“We are not opposed to renewable energy in principle,” said Lesley Jesurajan, a leading figure in the local civil society group OPEnE. “But not here. There are plenty of other places to install wind turbines.”

Owned by state utility Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the turbines line a narrow strip of sand exposed to winds sweeping across the gulf between Sri Lanka and India.

The first phase — 30 turbines with a combined capacity of 104 megawatts — joined the grid in 2020, and construction on another 14 has begun.

A third phase of 52 turbines had been awarded to Indian conglomerate Adani, but the government cancelled the contract in 2025 after a dispute over the price per kilowatt-hour.

Even the first phase has fuelled anger.

Benedict Mary Vijiliya’s village, around 100 metres (330 feet) from the coast, is surrounded by wind turbines.

She claims concrete foundations and trenches for access roads have prevented rainwater from draining towards the sea.

“During the monsoon rains, the water comes up to our waists and the toilets overflow,” complains Vijiliya, president of the Women’s Rural Development Society (WRDS), showing photographs on her phone of her home submerged under about a metre of water.

“We never had experienced that before 2020. Our homes are damaged, our cattle and our crops are affected, our livelihood is impacted and we can’t even drink the water of our well anymore”.

In neighbouring Pesalai, fishing incomes have plummeted, said A. Stanislas Peries, head of the local fishermen’s cooperative.

“Before, people could earn up to 5,000 rupees ($15) a day from fishing. Now they barely make more than 1,000. Things have become very difficult.”

Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka said he had heard the complaints.

“We are carrying out feasibility studies,” he said. “Once we implement this…the flood situation they are currently facing can be reduced.”

The government aims to generate 70 percent of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030, including wind power. But it has frozen new projects in Mannar to ease local opposition.

“We have already pledged… that only those projects already approved will be carried out.”

Father S. Marcus, a Catholic priest and head of the Mannar Citizens’ Committee, remains unconvinced.

“They had several times promised mitigation measures but nothing happened … they are cheating our people,” he added.

At his initiative, residents have filed two complaints in Sri Lankan courts. But a separate one has been filed against him.

“Apparently, we are disrupting the government,” he said. “But we will not back down — we will put an end to all this.”

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A strong Veterinary profession Is essential for national development – Prime Minister

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated as the Chief Guest at the 78th Annual General Meeting and Convention of the Sri Lanka Veterinary Association (SLVA), held at the Shangri-La Colombo on 30 October 2026.

The event brought together government representatives, veterinary professionals, academics, policymakers and international partners to recognise the contribution of the veterinary profession to public health, food security, animal welfare and sustainable development.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister emphasised that veterinary medicine is an integral part of national development, extending beyond animal healthcare to protecting public health, preventing diseases transmitted between animals and humans, ensuring food safety, supporting farmers and conserving wildlife. “Veterinary professionals play a vital role in safeguarding animal health and protecting human well-being. Their contribution directly impacts public health, food security, livelihoods and environmental sustainability,” she stated.

Highlighting the importance of the profession to Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector, the Prime Minister noted that veterinary services are essential to improving livestock productivity, preventing disease and strengthening the resilience of farming communities. She also stressed the need to strengthen animal welfare and wildlife protection through improved legal safeguards against animal cruelty, responsible animal ownership and effective responses to injured and distressed wildlife. “The Government recognises that these priorities require a strong, adequately resourced and professionally supported veterinary sector,” the Prime Minister stated, emphasising the need to address staff vacancies through appropriate recruitment and deployment, strengthen infrastructure and improve access to modern equipment and technology.

Concluding her remarks, the Prime Minister underscored the importance of supporting veterinary professionals as part of the country’s broader development priorities. “A strong veterinary profession is essential to a healthy population, a productive agricultural sector and a sustainable environment. Supporting this profession is not merely a sectoral concern; it is an investment in the well-being and future of our country,” she said.

The occasion was attended by Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr.Sugath Premachandra, President , Sri Lanka Veterinary Association, Office-bearers and members of the Sri Lanka Veterinary Association, The Chairman of the National Livestock Development Board, Vimlendra Sharan, FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives; Veterinarians representing government services, universities, private practice, research institutions, and the livestock and animal healthcare industries.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

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Minhas’ match-turning 61, Fakhar 127 take Pakistan to tri-series title

A masterclass hundred from Fakhar Zaman in another final and a searing 61 off 31 balls from No. 7 Arafat Mihas saw Pakistan speed to a target of 326 with nine balls and three wickets remaining in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka to clinch the trophy. Along the way, there had also been Saad Baig’s 74 off 75 deliveries adding serious heft to Pakistan’s innings, as he and Fakhar raised Pakistan up from 14 for 2 with a 149-run third-wicket stand.

Fittingly, captain Shaheen Afridi thumped the winning runs, hitting Dilshan Madushanka over the deep-midwicket boundary for six. Earlier, it had been Afridi who took the vital wicket of Sri Lanka’s centurion Kamindu Mendis to set in motion a chain of wickets that saw Sri Lanka stutter in the last nine overs of their batting innings, stumbling to to 325 for 8, when, at the end of 41 overs, they had been 255 for 2, and headed for a total close to 350.

Where Sri Lanka and Pakistan’s top orders largely canceled each other out, Kamindu and Pavan Rathnayake’s third-wicket partnership of 146 runs from 119 balls was very similar to the stand between Fakhar and Baig. Instead, it was contributions from Pakistan’s lower-order batters that saw them overcome Sri Lanka. Where Sri Lanka’s batting withered after Kamindu’s dismissal, losing five wickets for 28 runs, Minhas and Hasan Nawaz clobbered 94 off 65 deliveries for the sixth wicket to essentially seal victory for Pakistan.

On another track suited to batting, Pakistan’s quicks also shone collectively in the final nine overs of Sri Lanka’s innings. Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah took two wickets each, as Afridi collected excellent figures of 2 for 50 from his ten overs.

Pakistan did have a significant advantage in bowling and fielding first, however. Significant dew settled on the Lahore outfield late in the evening, hampering Sri Lanka’s bowling and fielding. That Fakhar was dropped on 69 in the 25th over by Maheesh Theekshana – it was a tough chance – did not help, but there were also many ground fielding errors which seemed to compound as Pakistan got closer to the target, and the dew became more pronounced.

Fakhar lived dangerously but paced his innings of 127 off 99 balls beautifully, and forged the kinds of brisk, substantial partnerships that big chases thrive on. His first boundary was a six that touched the fingertips of Madushanka at deep third, as the latter couldn’t quite haul it in. The dropped catch to Theekshana in the 25th over was another difficult chance. Later, in the 32nd over, Theekshana got another hand to a potential catch from Fakhar but had to trod on the boundary and would have struggled to get a hand on it if he hadn’t.

But in any case, Fakhar had done just enough to avoid giving more straightforward catches to Sri Lanka’s fielders. And in between, he struck brutal boundaries. Fakhar was productive on the leg side as usual, with 72 of his 127 runs coming in that direction. The arc between fine leg and midwicket proved particularly fruitful for him. He swept beautifully, pulled with conviction, and though he was occasionally forced to attack the frontline quicks, he also dominated the spinners and less-accomplished seamers with special ferocity.

Sri Lanka had been in control when Fakhar and Baig came together in the fourth over. Madushanka had struck twice with the new ball, having both Maaz Sadaqat and Babar Azam caught at slip. Baig, Fakhar’s partner through the massive recovery stand, was also strong square of the wicket, the pitch providing true bounce that the Sri Lanka batters had also trusted earlier in the day.

Fakhar took 52 balls to get to his fifty, perhaps because early wickets had fallen. But he climbed into a high gear soon after. He got to his 12th ODI hundred off the 84th ball he faced, and had struck 75 off his last 40 deliveries. Fakhar was dismissed in the 34th over by Madushanka, who, having dismissed each of the Pakistan top three, eventually finished with figures of 3 for 63 from 9.3 overs – the best figures in the game.

Pakistan still needed 106 runs at the point of Fakhar’s dismissal, but the pace at which he had scored those runs meant Pakistan’s required rate was less than 6.5 runs an over for the last 16.5 overs. In fact, Pakistan endured a nine-over stretch between overs 33 and 42 in which they did not found the boundary. And yet with batting to come, they were still ahead in the match.

Minhas’ innings was laudably pragmatic. He bided his time and came to grips with conditions in the first 14 balls he faced, hitting no boundaries. Then, after the 42nd over, and after the heavy dew had set in, he exploded. Minhas reaped 48 runs off the last 17 balls he faced, hitting four sixes and three fours all up. The most spectacular of his sixes was a check-driven hit over long-on off Madushanka in the 47th over.

At the start of the next over, Pakistan needed 18 off 18 balls. Minhas then struck two sixes and a four off Asitha Fernando to get Pakistan to within two runs of victory before top-edging a slower ball which Asitha himself chased down. With so many balls remaining, however, there was little doubt who would win by that stage.

Earlier, Sri Lanka scorched their way to 255 in 41 overs, propelled by Kamindu’s maiden ODI hundred and another sparkling innings from Rathnayake, who hit 77 from 65 balls. Both were brutal on errors of length on a true pitch, with Rathnayake showcasing a powerful sweep again, in addition to his ravishing pull. Kamindu, meanwhile, unleashed virtually the full array of his strokes on his first trip to triple figures in white-ball cricket.

He had been largely unhurried in the early overs, though there was an excellent reverse sweep off Minhas in the seventh over. But having been 18 off 29 balls at the end of the ninth over, he accelerated through the middle overs. That happened first in the company of Avishka Fernando, with whom Kamindu put on 87 off 104 deliveries at the top of the innings, before Rathnayake joined Kamindu in the 22nd over for their big stand.

But Pakistan’s quicks rallied in the last nine overs, and Sri Lanka’s middle order collapsed, as the tailenders had to play out the last 11 balls. After Afridi had got Kamindu lbw when the batter missed a sweep, and Dasun Shanaka was caught at long-on off Afridi in the 44th over, Sri Lanka’s final push was already struggling for momentum.

Then, next over, Rathnayake was caught on the straight boundary off Rauf. That was the first time in four innings that Rathnayake was out for less than 100. He finished as the top run-scorer in the series by a distance, with 427 runs in the tournament at a strike rate of 122.70.

Naseem and Rauf made further strikes to shackle Sri Lanka at the death, producing perhaps the most consequential passage of play in the match – Sri Lanka’s stilted finish.

Scores:

Pakistan 331 for 7 in 48.3 overs (Fakhar Zaman 127, Saad Baig 74, Arafat Minhas 61; Asita Fernando 2-72, Dilshan Madushanka 3-63) beat Sri Lanka 325 for 8 in 50 overs (Kamindu Mendis 131, Pavan Rathnayake 77; Salman Agha 2-44, Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-50, Naseem Shah 2-80, Haris Rauf 2-60 ) by three wickets

(Cricinfo)

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Friday, October 30, 2026

Hiker's final voicemail to dad before harrowing fatal grizzly bear attack

Anthony Pollio, 33, an experienced hiker on a two-week solo trip through Glacier National Park in Montana, left a final voicemail for his father before being killed in a grizzly bear attack on the Mount Brown Trail

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Thursday, October 29, 2026

Duckett 167, Dawson four-for, guide England to consolation win

A week after the run fest in Rawalpindi, England and Sri Lanka played out another high-scorer, in Lahore. This time England’s 386 for 5 prevailed, as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 331 in the 45th over.

Ben Duckett scorched his way to a career-best 167 off 132 balls to lead England to their second successive mammoth total against Sri Lanka. Pavan Rathnayake then marshalled the chase, hitting 118 off 77, having also struck a match-winning 130 in the last match against England. But in the 43rd over, the pursuit began to fall apart, and Sri Lanka lost their last five wickets for 16 runs.

Before that nosedive, they had needed 72 runs off 46 balls. They had been roughly on track. But England held their nerve. Debutant Henry Crocombe sparked the collapse by having Sahan Arachchige caught at long-on. The run out of Dunith Wellalage – resulting from a huge mix-up – then left Rathnayake with no good batters at the other end. When Rathnayake was then dismissed, caught off the top-edge off the bowling of Liam Dawson, Sri Lanka’s hopes plummeted. They were all out in the 46th over.

Dawson could in fact have been the difference between the sides. Where Sri Lanka’s spinners had struggled, he took four for 49 in his 10 overs. In addition to Rathnayake, he also dismissed Avishka Fernando – who looked dangerous during his 48 off 50, and Dasun Shanaka, who had hurt England a week ago. Sonny Baker also took two wickets, though he travelled at 8.33 across his nine overs. Among Sri Lanka’s bowlers, Asitha Fernando returned the best figures, taking 2 for 63.

When England were batting, two partnerships had done most of their legwork, Duckett shared a 163-run stand with opening partner Tom Banton, who was the only other batter to make a half century, before putting on a breakneck 107 off 75 with Harry Brook. Those two stands carried England to 270 for 2 in the middle of the 38th over, putting them in the vicinity of another 400-plus total. Although England’s finish was excellent, Sri Lanka’s attack may reflect that keeping England to 94 runs in the last 10 overs was almost as good as they could have hoped for, given the batting mayhem that had defined much of the innings.

Duckett’s innings, though utterly violent, was unusual in its composition. He didn’t hit a six, but struck 24 fours for starters. Of those 24, 17 came on the leg-side, as Duckett’s hook and pull punished a Sri Lanka attack guilty of trying the short ball too many times. And none of those fours came down the ground.

To get himself going, Duckett had struck successive boundaries in the second over, then moved briskly to a half-century off 46 balls, before bringing up his hundred – the sixth of his ODI career – in 89 balls. He moved up gears in the company of Brook, as the pair reaped 80 in a seven-over stretch starting with the 31st over. Brook, who struck the fastest ODI double-hundred the last time these teams met, had promoted himself up the order and reeled off 44 off 34 himself, before getting into a tangle attempting to scoop Asitha. Duckett’s eventual dismissal, in the 42nd over, was also the result of a scoop-gone-wrong, this time against an Eshan Malinga slower ball.

Earlier, Banton had mostly kept pace with Duckett as he hit 74 off 75 deliveries. He was more comfortable hitting down the ground, launching spin for two sixes over long-on and long-off. He was out playing on to a length delivery from Dasun Shanaka, and will perhaps rue having not converted one of his three fifties this series to a triple-figure score.

Sri Lanka lost Kamindu Mendis early, but had a buoyant start nonetheless, Avishka scoring briskly in the powerplay while Kusal Mendis smote his way to 89 off 71. He had been in exceptional touch before he under-edged Joe Root down the leg-side into the keeper’s gloves. England had had to review to overturn the original not-out decision.

Rathnayake’s hundred, like Duckett’s, was heavy on the square boundaries. He hit 15 fours producing brutal pulls, ravishing cuts, and a single, delectable six, off Gus Atkinson, which sailed poetically over deep cover. He batted as a player in the form of his young career, staying low, and frequently nailing expansive strokes and injecting fearlessness again into a Sri Lanka chase. He got to his hundred off the 70th ball he faced, but could not hold the chase together after Sahan Arachchige (with whom he’d shared a 57-run stand) and Dunith Wellalage fell in quick succession. Wellalage’s wicket had been sacrificial – he walked out of his crease to ensure Rathnayake’s survival after both batters ended up at the striker’s end. Dawson then ended any serious Sri Lanka hopes with Rathnayake’s wicket.

The win is only a consolation for England, who will not play the final on Saturday. For what it’s worth Pakistan finished top in this round, claiming three wins from four matches. Sri Lanka won twice and England just this time.