In a country of cosmetic changes where ‘new faces’ deliver disappointment or worse, it was indeed heartening to learn that Dr Upul Dissanayake has been elected as the President of the Ceylon College of Physicians. I first met him years ago, but it didn’t take that long for me to understand why he is so popular among patients. He struck me as an exceptionally charismatic physician. His sincerity and willingness to listen to patients set him apart.
The news that Sonia de Silva (Aunty Soni) had passed away three months ago on October 17, 2023 came as a shock to me. I had spoken to her only a week ago and I never thought that it would be the last time I would talk to her. She was someone I was close to and we shared a strong bond and friendship despite the fact that she was a few years older to my late mum. I first got to know Aunty Soni- this is how I called her- when we were roommates in th
The 22nd Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF) promises a dynamic blend of discourse and celebration. Renowned journalist, film critic and curator, Anuradha Kodagoda, will deliver the keynote at the Tenth Dhaka International Conference on Women in Cinema which will be held on January 21 and 22 at the Dhaka Club Samson Lounge, Shahbag, Dhaka. The event will explore the nuanced representation of women in Sri Lankan cinema, aiming to move beyon
The ‘Bharathanatya Arangetram’ event of Treashia Ashvini Ignatius will be held on January 21 (Sunday) at Bishop’s College Auditorium, Colombo 3 starting at 5.30 pm. Treashia is a disciple of “Nadamani” Smt. Shanthy Ganesharajah. The chief guest at the event will be ‘Sri Lanka Sikhamani’ K. R. Ravindran. The Guests of Honour will be Bishop of Trincomalee Rt. Rev. Dr C. Noel Emmanuel, ‘Kalasuri’ ‘Aacharya Kala Sagara’ ‘Kalaimamani’ Smt. Vasugy Jeg
Several people affected by obtaining loans from mico-finance companies stages a protest recently at the Fort Railway Station demanding from the government to remove the Micro-finance and Credit....
On Tuesday (January 16), stocks of carrot harvests in Sri Lanka indeed made history. Priced at Rs. 2000 a kilo, the price of carrots experienced an unprecedented surge owing to various reasons. Consumer associations and farmer organizations blamed the reduction in supply and heavy rainfall as main causes for the spike in vegetable prices. The price of carrots reached Rs.2000 at Pettah Market Yesterday (16th) “We don’t think that the prices of car
The author of the book “The Long Lost Princess” Aneeqa Aniff was pleased to be able to publish her first book on January 12 (Friday) at a hotel located in Colombo in the presence of the Bishops’ College Principal Chemali Goonetileke Herath and the school’s Vice Principal Chrishnika Galbadage who was the Guest of Honour. “I wrote ‘The Long Lost Princess’ when I was 10 years old during the year 2020. However, the mere reason it’s been published no
Fishermen fear that the freshwater fishing industry, that was operated along Madu River in Balapitiya, will not sustain in time to come. Although the river once had a large number of ja-kotu or shrimp fishing kraals today less than twenty-five of them remain. Fishermen claim that this reduction is due to the spike in mechanical boats that carry local and foreign tourists daily. The fishermen also say that the situation has been exacerbated by sev
The ongoing economic crisis in the country is not only impacting the availability of food, but has also had a significant effect on population growth. This is evident in the fact that the majority of individuals who married in the years 2021-2022-2023 are choosing not to have children, according to data provided by the Department of Census and Statistics. Consequently, compared to previous years, the number of new births has decreased by about 10
The Tamil festival of Thai Pongal is essentially a harvest festival supposed to have originated from the time when humans started settling down along the banks of rivers with fertile soil. Some historians....
Around forty civil society organisations in a statement have urged Sri Lankan government to take a principle stand on Gaza issue. The statement follows; ‘‘We theundersigned civil society organisations, networks and collectives support the application filed by South Africa, as a State party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, instituting proceedings against Israel before the International Court of Justice.
Music lovers will be in for a treat this January as the Lions District 306A-1 in collaboration with DK Promotions is getting ready to stage ‘Memories of the 70’, a show to relive memories of the greatest hits of the ‘70s. The show will feature a blend of veteran and talented young artistes including Annesley Malewana, Keerthi Pasquel, Chitral Somapala, Pawan Mallawarachchi and Falan Andrea. One of the highlights of the show is the performance by
Are you an Advanced Level Biology student and curious about where your passion for science could lead you? The Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Peradeniya invites students to explore a transformative educational experience with our BSc Honours course in Agricultural Technology and Management. The Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Peradeniya which is celebrating 75 years of excellence stands at the forefront of innovation in t
The name Helakumara Epasinghe remains etched in the memory of most Josephians who had the opportunity of knowing him; largely as a teacher, friend and a guiding light. No Josephian would ever permit another to speak or even whisper ill of him. Affectionately known to generations of Josephians as ‘Epa’ ; he was an icon of goodness to all those who were fortunate enough to have stepped in to the hallowed educational institution called St Joseph’s C
National Institute of Cooperative Development (NICD) was formally called the Cooperative School. NICD is the only institute in Sri Lanka that offers training and education in the Cooperative....
On Tuesday (January 9), staffers in the paramedic services launched an unannounced token strike that crippled the country’s already ailing healthcare sector. The strike was launched in wake of the government approving to double the Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance for doctors by Rs. 70,000, but refused the same for technicians, laboratory workers and other staffers employed in the paramedic services sector. As a result publ
“None of the medicine in Sri Lanka is safe,” said Government Medical Officers’ Forum (GMOF) President Dr. Rukshan Bellana when he addressed the media at a peaceful protest held in front of the Ministry of Health on January 9. This protest was organised by activists and civil society organisations who demanded to arrest former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella in connection with the immunoglobulin scam. Further Dr. Bellana stressed that the CID
Will the Royals who are on a visit to Sri Lanka make a trip to the Victoria Dam? The visit by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence coincides with the diplomatic ties between England and Sri Lanka which mark 75 years this year. Sri Lankan authorities over here in the central hills are making elaborate arrangements to place a statue of Queen Victoria on the Bund of the Victoria Dam. The Governor of
The Chief Commissioner of Sri Lanka Scout Association Janaprith Fernando AAL said that the goal this year is to increase the membership of the Scout Movement to 150,000. Fernando made this statement on January 3 at a function held to mark the official beginning of scouting activities for the New Year under the theme ‘With Transparency, in Unity and Diversity’. Fernando added that everyone who is connected with the Scout Movement is requested to
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the United States through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have partnered with the Sri Lanka Ministry of Agriculture in a (US) $9.2-million activity to continue revitalising agriculture in Sri Lanka by enhancing paddy productivity, diversifying crops on marginal land, and promoting sustainable farming practices. USAID is funding the four-year extension
The sad reality of death has removed from our earthly scene my dearest friend Nuala Thevathasan. It was when I was working at the Cathedral that the then Archdeacon of Colombo asked me to go and help at our Church in Jawatte. After the Service, my friend Nuala told me, “Fr. Sydney, from your sermon I got the impression that you haven’t still got over the death of your wife at an early age due to cancer”. I appreciated her perceptiveness! I saw Nu
Law enforcement authorities have been able to net over 29,000 suspects during the past 22 days under its recently launched ‘Yukthiya’ anti-drug operation. The main objective of this operation is to wipe drugs off the street and to establish a safer society for future generations. Even though the public has extended their support to the police and security forces, incidents of public strip searches and warrantless arrests too had been reported. Am
Sri Lanka continues to set the world record for the highest number of elephant deaths due to human-elephant conflict Our (Biodiversity Conservation and Research Circle of Sri Lanka) research paper article published in 2020 revealed that Sri Lanka is the country where the highest number of elephants die due to human-elephant conflict in the world (https://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/2020/51-16-Prakash.pdf). In that scientific publication, we exposed th
Tourist arrivals surpass 63,000 in first half of October
EDB gets new chief
Colombo welcomes Cinnamon Life
New Board of Directors appointed for SriLankan Airlines
Easter attack: controversy swirls further high
Catholic Church rebuffs Gammanpila’s allegations
Easter Sunday attack: Ravi Seneviratne’s name implicated
SL unveils new ’P’ series passport with enhanced security features