My father, the migrant worker

In June 1986, soon after I was born, my father went overseas. I grew up in Maruthamunai, a small coastal village of about 15,000 people in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, part of a family of seven. My four sisters and I were all very young when my father left the country to work in Saudi Arabia, as a driver for a household. I cannot begin to imagine how my mother

Annular Solar Eclipse visible in Northern Sri Lanka

A solar eclipse takes place when the sun is covered by the Moon. The annular eclipse, the ring of light around the darkened moon is visible will takes place on 26th December 2019. This eclipse will be visible in Jaffna on the day following Christmas and move in a northerly direction. This will be visible as an annular eclipse to those in the far north and as a partial eclipse to

Lionel Wendt, Harold Peiris & the early days of the Lionel Wendt Theatre : Remembering Wendt

The Lionel Wendt Memorial Fund (LWMF) together with the ESME Trust commemorates the 75th anniversary of the death of Lionel Wendt today at the Lionel Wendt Memorial Theatre, at 7 p. m, with a programme on Lionel Wendt, Harold Peiris & the early days of the Lionel Wendt Theatre.

THE KOREAN DREAM

A coffin was rolled out of the arrival area of the Bandaranaike International Airport. Inside was the remains of twenty-four-year-old Ganushka Madumal who drowned in South Korea in a boat accident. Madumal, who had never swum in Sri Lankan seas, was working in a fishing vessel in Korea. He was not even wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident.

New street art trend Drawing the line between purpose, standard and creativity

Days before the new regime secured power Sri Lanka witnessed many changes, one of them being the much-spoken-about street art trend. Today, every nook and corner of the island is being transformed into a work of art under different themes. But art is not only about colours and figures. Quality, structure and attention to detail also come into play. As such, the new wave

When health risks say hi to mobile phone users!

New innovations in technology have sped up human activities and made them simpler. Among these innovations the mobile phones play a significant role in one’s life. Benefiting humanity to a greater extent, phones have facilitated human activities that we found to be difficult earlier. Phones have made it easy to make connections with people belonging to different ethnic and geographical areas

Zero tolerance on sexual bribery

“Because of the current cultural and social barriers women are reluctant to come forward and make a complaint,”-DIG Crimes and Organized Crimes Priyantha Jayakody Related to a panel discussion on ‘Sexual Bribery’, which was held at the BMICH last month, the unnoted burning issues affecting women, who are subject to sexual bribery, came to light. Sashee

UNIVOTEC IS A UNIQUE UNIVERSITY

Following are excerpts from the speech delivered by Vidya Jyothi Emeritus Prof. Dayantha Wijeysekera at the 5th convocation of the University of Vocational Technology (UNIVOTEC) recently.

Condemning a tusker to death: By Political Decree

Nandimitra is a beautiful young tusker that lives in the Yala National Park. He habituates the vicinity of the Sithulpahuwa Temple as, over the years and despite caution, the residents of the Temple and the pilgrims who visit it have been feeding him and other elephants that come near. This is a clear breach of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPO) but no action has been taken.

Good bye my sweet friend

His face always wore a smile. He had a peaceful personality. My sweet friend, a humanitarian, who led his life with such kindness, is no more.From now on, he can be only seen in photos and video footage.

Sri Lanka Journalists for Global Justice statement on Assange end the smear campaign against him SL Journalists condemns UK’s Assange detention

While Britain preached Human Rights to other countries and is quick to chastise them for their failings, it turns a deaf ear to all appeals that Assange requires special attention and should be treated by qualified medical....

Addressing Climate change imapacts on health

Thus safeguarding human health from climate change impacts is more urgent than ever, yet most countries are not acting fully on their plans to achieve this, according to the first global snapshot of progress on climate change and health.

Felicitating “Podi Hamuduruvo” on his 76th birthday

Our nation is duty bound to salute and express utmost gratitude to Sri Gangarama Viharadhipathi Ven. Dharshana Visharada Galboda Gnanissara Thera, the Chief Sanghanayake Thera of Western Province, on his 76th birthday which dawns today.

Savindra Weerasinghe To the greatest man I ever did know…

My dad was a quiet man. Many didn’t know him the way I did. So in these few words, I’d like to introduce you to the man I knew.

Tuan Kitchil Muhajarine Principled patriarch and man of virtue

Al-haj Tuan Kitchil Muhajarine – family patriarch, public health inspector, respected mosque trustee – passed away in the presence of his beloved family on October 28 at 3:45 p.m. Born to humble circumstances in Nuwara Eliya as the eldest of Abu Cassim Junus and Nona Kitchil’s seven children,

International Symposium on Social Science and Humanities: Development towards Sustainability

The 2nd International Symposium on Social Science and Humanities 2019, organized by the National Centre for Advanced Studies (NCAS) with the Higher Education Ministry, commenced yesterday under the aegis of the High Commission of India.

Excellence in Journalism Awards

Excellence in Journalism Awards....

The alleged abduction of Garnier Banister Francis

The saga of Garnier Banister Francis, the Swiss embassy employee who was allegedly abducted by unidentified men in Colombo and ‘forced to disclose embassy-related information’ under duress, could be likened to a soap opera....

Barring colleague from legal practice Dons condemn UGC decision

A group of 24 academics from six state universities have condemned the University Grants Commission (UGC) decision to bar Jaffna University Law Department Head Dr. Kumaravadivel Guruparan....

Experts quit Hong Kong police probe, in blow to government

HONG KONG AFP, 11 Dec, 2019- An international panel of experts hired to advise Hong Kong on the police response to huge pro-democracy protests announced Wednesday they were quitting, saying the watchdog was not fit for purpose “in a society that values freedom and rights”.

Israeli parliament to head into third elections

With only hours to go until the final deadline to form a government in Israel runs out, chances of a third election within a year looked all but unavoidable on Wednesday as lawmakers continue to deadlock.

Climate strike

Climate-strike is the latest addition to the Collins Dictionary. Witnessing frequent, extreme weather disasters around the world combined with youth generated mass protests demanding immediate action by Governments, uphold climate change as one of the most intriguing topics of 2019 and over the past decade. Disastrous weather events causing national emergencies

Sri Lanka joins countries with high human development

Almost three decades ago the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) changed the landscape of human development, with the introduction of the Human Development Report and Human Development Index.

The Dark Side of Transport Apps

The introduction of transport Apps have made life easier for all of us. Apart from being convenient and budget-friendly, privacy and safety are top concerns for any user. Today, there are many of these services available for users including local and foreign Apps. Uber is one of the Apps that gained much popularity with time. People pay for a service to get maximum out of it or the

Tissa Ranasinghe The World famous sculptor

My earliest memories about the veteran Sculptor Tissa Ranasinghe goes back to 1993 when I sent him a sweetened cashew parcel when he was in England. Much delighted with my gratitude to him he sent me two magazines in reward and also a letter thanking me.

Kookaavya versus Kalidasa The poetry of a rebelling group that stood up against rigid rules

Ever heard of “kookaavya,” a genre of Sanskrit poetry that dared to defy classical Sanskrit literary tradition epitomized by Kalidasa? Growing away from the royal courts and the exclusive confines of Sanskrit literature, “kookaavya” scandalised an audience that had got accustomed to an upper-class set menu of strict Sanskrit poetry.

Emergence and vicissitudes of the ancient Bhikkhuni Order

We are fortunate to possess the chronicles such as Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa to voice about our history with proof corroborated by the early Brahmi inscriptions. The propagation of Buddhism in Sri Lanka took place during the reign of King Devanampiya Tissa (250-210 BCE) by Thera Mahinda. The presence of Theras, Itthika and Mahinda in this island is mentioned in

Exposing the Foreign Job Mafia

Sri Lanka’s foreign recruitment industry plays an essential role in the country’s migrant labour sector with the industry expecting to secure jobs for Sri Lankans within conditions of safety, security and dignity. Despite these conditions, however, a complaint has been lodged to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) to investigate cases of corruption during the 2015-2018 period.

Random thoughts on Ethical Living

When we are young, we want to ‘look good’ in the eyes of our peers and society at large. Selfish consumerism and materialism is at a very high peak these days. Most people desire money and fame, as if though that is all that’s really important. But as one ages and spiritually matures, all this effort of trying to only impress others dissolves and priorities in life begin to change.

Revered Mission by a Royal Family Spread Pure Dhamma, that we Never Grasped

Anula, a Hindu convert wished to enter the Bhikkuni Order. Arhant Mahinda informed his inability to do so, but, advised the King Devanam Pitatissa to send a message to Arhant Mahnda’s father, Emperor Asoka and get the services of his sister Theri Sangamitta, for the purpose as her samanera son was already in Sri Lanka with the uncle, Mahinda thera. Sangamitta