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Former Minister Premalal Jayasekara, widely known as “Choka Malli,” has been arrested by the Nuwara Eliya Police following an incident involving a clash between two groups.

According to police, Jayasekara was taken into custody on allegations of criminal intimidation after he allegedly threatened several individuals with a firearm during the confrontation.

Investigations have further revealed that the licence for the firearm in question had already expired at the time of the incident, adding to the seriousness of the allegations.

The arrest has drawn considerable attention, with authorities continuing inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the dispute and the alleged use of the weapon

More than 300 humanoid robots participating in China’s second robot half-marathon on Sunday will be facing tougher terrain designed to test their technical advancements, as Beijing seeks to develop the industry into a major pillar of its economy.

Over 70 teams, almost five times as many as last year, will be competing in the 21 km (13 miles) race in Beijing that includes paved slopes and parkland.

“It will certainly be interesting to see the progress in durability of components and battery lifetime compared to last year,” said Georg Stieler, Asia managing director and head of robotics at Stieler, a technology consultancy.

“Humanoid robot makers need to find a balance between quality in products which are still under constant evolution and price pressure.”

While all of last year’s entrants were remotely controlled, this time almost 40% of the robot participants will navigate the course autonomously, the organisers have said, in a high-profile demonstration of the industry’s growing capabilities. But the event is also likely to highlight the challenges Chinese firms face as they try to create robots that can effectively mimic human ⁠movement and performance.

In last year’s race some robots crashed and fell near the starting line, while the winning Tiangong Ultra model, developed by the state-backed Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics in collaboration with UBTech, finished in 2 hours and 40 minutes, comfortably ahead of its humanoid rivals but more than double the time of the human winner of the conventional race.

Tiangong Ultra will navigate “fully autonomously” this year, relying solely on its sensors to avoid obstacles, and closely mimic the human gait through large-scale data simulation training, the Center of Humanoid Robotics said in a statement.

“When the robot runs at speeds approaching those of professional human athletes, the time window for perception and decision-making is extremely short, placing very high demands on computing power, algorithms, and system response speed,” it said.

Social media videos of the robots training in Beijing at night this month showed some models successfully imitating human running and reaching speeds of 14 km per hour, but others’ movements were more jerky and some fell over or crashed into railings, suggesting they might struggle to make it to the finishing line.

China dominates global humanoid robot installations, accounting for more than 80% of the 16,000 units installed worldwide in 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The top U.S. vendor, Tesla, only accounted for 5% of global humanoid installations, the report said.

⁠Domestic market leaders AgiBot and Unitree each shipped more than 5,000 units last year - the highest globally - while Unitree has pledged to expand production capacity to 75,000 humanoid robots annually.

‘DANCING DISGUISED AS WORKING’

While the half-marathon might make for entertaining viewing, experts say the skills on display do not translate to the widespread commercialisation of humanoid robots in industrial settings, where manual dexterity, real-world perception and capabilities beyond small-scale, repetitive tasks are crucial.

Currently, Unitree’s humanoid models are primarily used by research institutions, for dance performances and as interactive guides in service establishments, according to its IPO prospectus.

And while some humanoids might be able to complete a half-marathon, even in China they remain years away from widespread domestic or industrial deployment, ⁠experts say.

“The reason our applications aren’t taking off is that the robots’ IQ is too low. The models are poor, their success rates are low,” said Tang Wenbin, founder of embodied intelligence startup Yuanli Lingji at a Beijing tech forum last month.

“Honestly, the whole industry’s level is still at a very elementary stage ... Right now, a lot of what we see is ‘dancing disguised as working’.”

The Chinese government has named embodied intelligence, or physical AI, as one of the key ⁠industries it wants to nurture as it looks to automation to boost economic productivity and upgrade traditional manufacturing.

Chinese robotics firms are still struggling to develop the AI software that would enable humanoids to match the efficiency of human factory workers, while components manufacturers are contending with cost pressures, analysts said.

As they seek to improve the software, firms are ploughing resources into large-scale real-world data collection, using human workers fitted with sensors ⁠and deploying more humanoids to factory floors.

In 2024, UBTech had fewer than 10 humanoids in factories. Last year, that number jumped to more than 1,000.

This year, it aims to launch 10,000 full-size humanoid robots, including new models tailored for a variety of commercial settings, Chief Business Officer Michael Tam said during a media tour to the company’s Shenzhen showroom in southern China.

“When we talk about AI, it relies on how much data, especially high-quality data, we can collect,” he said.

Source: Reuters

A spiritual journey dedicated to peace, compassion, and national unity officially begins across Sri Lanka today (21), with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake extending his full support to the initiative titled “Walk for Peace.”

In a message shared on X, the President said he was honoured to stand behind the journey, describing it as a meaningful effort to promote mindfulness, loving-kindness, harmony, and togetherness among all Sri Lankans.

The walk sets out from Dambulla, carrying with it the Sacred Relics of the Buddha and a Bodhi tree sapling, symbols deeply rooted in the island’s spiritual and cultural heritage. As the sacred procession moves across the country, it is expected to inspire reflection on the timeless values of peace and compassion.

President Dissanayake called on the people of Sri Lanka to embrace the deeper message of the journey, encouraging citizens from all communities to reflect on the values that have long shaped the nation’s identity.

He also expressed hope that this spiritual initiative would serve as a powerful step toward strengthening national unity, while sending a profound message of peace from Sri Lanka to the wider world.

The “Walk for Peace” is seen as more than a ceremonial journey—it stands as a symbol of hope, reconciliation, and shared humanity, at a time when unity and compassion remain central to the country’s future.

Crude oil prices rose in early trading Sunday.

The price of U.S. crude oil jumped 6.4% to $87.88 per barrel after trading resumed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

The price of Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 6.5% to $96.25 per barrel.

The market reaction followed more than two days of rising hopes, and then dashed expectations, involving the strait.

Sunday’s early gains erase a portion of the losses seen Friday, when crude plunged more than 9% after Iran’s foreign minister said the strait had reopened to commercial tankers.

Source: AP

A notable increase in road traffic accidents has been recorded during the April 10 to 19 period this year compared to the same dates last year, according to Sri Lanka Police.

Speaking at a media briefing today, April 20, Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Traffic Control and Road Safety, W. P. J. Senadeera, said the rise in accidents has become a matter of serious concern despite ongoing road safety measures.

According to the DIG, fatal accidents have increased by 18 cases year-on-year, while the number of deaths caused by these incidents has risen by 20 during the same period.

He further highlighted that several other categories of road accidents have also shown a sharp increase. Major accidents have gone up by 94 cases, while minor accidents have increased by 49.

In addition, incidents involving property damage alone have risen by 48 cases when compared with the corresponding period last year.

DIG Senadeera noted that the upward trend continues despite intensified law enforcement operations and public awareness campaigns carried out by the authorities.

Police have appealed to motorists and the general public to act with greater responsibility on the roads and support ongoing efforts to reduce the number of serious accidents across the country.