English Writers Collective Workshop on Short Story

The English Writers’ Collective (EWC) will conduct a workshop on short story on Saturday 13 July 2019 from 9.00 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. at the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) 2, Kynsey Terrace, off Kynsey Road, Colombo 7.

AGMs of SLCS and SLBA Developing stronger bonds of friendship among countries

The Annual General Meeting of Sri Lanka China Society (SLCS) and the AGM of Sri Lanka Belgium Association (SLBA) will be held on 03rd August 2019 at No. 50B in Sarana Mawatha Rajagiriya. The two Annual General Meetings will commence at 10.00 a.m. at the Amaradasa Gunawardana Auditorium. All members of the China Society and Belgium Association are kindly invited, states the president of the associations Amaradasa Gunawardene.

SOFA Greener pasture or hotbed of controversy?

Ever since the dastardly Easter Sunday attacks, Sri Lanka’s political landscape has clasped the hot seat. Adding insult to injury is the government’s contemplation of inking the amended Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the US.

Easter Sunday bombings DEAL WITH SYSTEMIC FAILURE, says Peace Council

Following the arrests of former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and IGP Pujith Jayasundera over the April 21 bomb blasts, the National Peace Council (NPC) said that the Easter Sunday bomb blasts were a result of a systemic failure rather than the failure of individual Public Service Officials in key positions.

State Corporation Stock Exchange needed

Celebrating its 10th Anniversary, CPM Sri Lanka launched the Management and Entrepreneurship Programmes with a fully-fledged syllabus and a practical background on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, at the Orchid Room, BMICH under the patronage of Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya. Mr Jayasuriya is also a Founder Patron of CPM (Chartered Professional

What’s the update with land release?

War and conflict cause serious physical destruction to land and property. Bombings, shelling and direct combat result in populations escaping the impacted areas, often having to flee without preparation or warning. This results in the displacement of people who have no choice but to leave behind their ancestral lands, settling and resettling in vacant spaces, camps or

Extremism spoils Janaposha’s free meals

Having a free meal is a dream in today’s context; particularly for those in the lower strata of the society. Although the United Nations lists alleviation of poverty and hunger as Sustainable Development Goals, they seem to be far from being achieved. Sri Lanka, once an agricultural nation, recently witnessed a case of a child who died of hunger. It’s in this context that initiatives

Sri Lanka eliminates measles Vaccination campaigns with a measles-rubella vaccine have been held periodically

The World Health Organization yesterday announced Sri Lanka has eliminated measles, interrupting transmission of the indigenous virus that causes the killer childhood disease.

Dr. Pathmanaban Subramaniam An irreplaceable loss to everyone he knew

It is with profound sadness that we announce the demise of our beloved brother and friend Dr. Pathmanaban Subramaniam who passed away in Malaysia on the 10th of June after a brief illness at the age of 73.

V.A. Sugathadasa -The first Sports Minister in Sri Lanka An honourable man with a farsighted vision

Commemoration of the late Mr. V. A. Sugathadasa will be held today July 10, 2019 at 9.30 a.m. at the Sugathadasa Stadium in front of the Sugathadasa statue. This article is prepared in memory of his yeoman services to sports and the nation.

Coping with yet Another Dengue Outbreak !

After a particularly hot and humid May this year, many Sri Lankans would have eagerly anticipated the south-western monsoon to ease their discomfort. Each year, what Sri Lankans don’t expect however, seems to be the ensuing outbreak of the deadly dengue virus. 2019 doesn’t

’ DEATH PENALTY ’ SHOT DOWN BY VOICES OF DISSENT

After decades of restrictions, the issue of capital punishment is back in the forefront, with President Maithripala Sirisena vowing to carry out executions against drug offenders. The death penalty was effectively abolished in 1978 after the rewrite of the Constitution, and no executions have taken place since 1976. However in 2015, newly-elected President Sirisena stated that he woul

SriLankan Airlines hits financial turbulence

After terminating its contract with Emirates Airlines in 2008, national carrier SriLankan Airlines (SLA) encountered various issues over liabilities. By 2010, the airline lacked funds to proceed with re-fleeting plans and was facing mounting challenges and a precarious future. Against this backdrop, the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into alleged irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka concluded session

Shilpa Sena Exposition - A Tech Feast for your eyes!

This month, and more specifically on July 18-21 at BMICH, hopefully Sri Lankans will see and experience something different when Shilpa Sena Exposition gets underway at its premises. This is designed to be an exhibition with a difference. An exposition that is designed to add Science and Technology to the Sri Lankan mindset and pushing for a sustained economic impact through an event. That is why the show, tell and inspi

Gamperaliya: Reflections on

Published on May 1, 1944, Gamperaliyacelebrates its 75th anniversary this year. The fact that no one announced this on TV or radio, authored at least one critical piece (in English) on the significance of the work, or even organised a school or university level discussion of it, speaks volumes about our priorities. There was one, organised two weeks ago at the Film Corporation. If not many attended, it shou

One of Sri Lanka’s Greatest Statesmen – SJV Chelvanayakam: Remembering a gentle leader

July 1 saw the grand opening of a 1,100-seat memorial conference hall dedicated to SJV, Samuel James Velupillai Chelvanayagam, whom many Sri Lankan Tamils fondly venerate for his leadership, foresight and honest dedication.

‘Grease Yaka Returns’ tomorrow at Lionel Wendt

If art imitates life, then Grease Yaka’s creators are not only observant and clever, but also prescient. The tragedy it foretells (and foretold) suffered Cassandra’s curse, as bedlam and hysteria spiralled out of control in the wake of the Easter attacks and subsequent political machinations. If Grease Yaka was a piece of theatre that was important prior to the attacks, it has now become not only important, but vital.

What is to be done?

In October 2000, at the height of the leadership struggles within Sihala Urumaya, Malinda Seneviratne, in a response to Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, wrote that a Saffron Ocean might not be such a bad idea if that’s what it would take to destroy Eelamist myth making. To be fair by Dr. Dayan, in his first piece he referred to a Saffron Wave, not a Saffron Ocean. Linguistic theatrics aside though, the argument was clear: at the time the only pragmatic way

Dennis my father, best friend, my hero

Dennis my father, best friend my hero

A personal tribute to Aunty Lily

The hard reality of death has sadly removed from our earthly scene my Aunty Lily.

A glimpse into the life of Rev. Ananda Maithriya

The book is about the celebrated scholar-monk Balangoda Ananda Maithriya Thero. But to give an idea as to who the author is might be a good idea at first, since Maithri Rathnayake is one of those industrious and gifted individuals who prefer to work away from high profile platforms and media limelight (even if he had spent a good part of his life in and out of TV stations).

Union-Govt. clash derails train services

Of late, Sri Lanka’s widely-used train services have been hampered by a series of strikes as railway unions and the government tussle over promised economic demands. Inevitably, it is commuters....

Concerns over land demarcation: Pallekandal Church in limelight

Environmental Foundation Limited (EFL), a non-profit organisation dedicated to environmental conservation through public interest litigation, along with WNPS, an organisation aimed at preventing the destruction and harmful....

Polythene not healthy for Pachyderms

Even though much has been spoken about garbage segregation and the responsible disposal of garbage, many Sri Lankans continue to dump garbage in a haphazard way. This is evident for those who travel along the Dambulla-Hettipola road. Not only could one see garbage piling up, but many elephants too have become dependent on these sites. Wildlife enthusiasts

Greta Thunberg Before the Tipping Point…

“What happens next? The year 2078, I will celebrate my 75th birthday. If I have children or grandchildren, maybe they will spend that day with me. Maybe they will ask me about you, the people who were around, back in 2018. Maybe they will ask why you didn’t do anything while there still was time to act. What we do or don’t do right now will affect my entire life and the lives

Monthly Lecture of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society The Secret Lives of Sri Lanka’s Giants

Blue whales and sperm whales, the largest baleen and toothed whales in our oceans, spend time off the coastlines of Sri Lanka. Both species lead fascinating lives that we have gradually begun to unravel.

The SOFA Agreement

I always maintained that the main danger to Sri Lanka’s Sovereignty lay in the North East situation. There is a section of the general public which has voiced its views against this SOFA Agreement on the basis of its assault on the Sovereignty of Sri Lanka as a whole. My concern here is to focus the attention of those interested to the impact the Sofa will have on the North

Failure of NTJ’s second spate of orchestrated attacks

Much has been spoken of the Easter Sunday terror attacks and the network of National Tawheed Jamaat (NTJ) – the hitherto little known terrorist outfit responsible for the bombings in three churches and several deluxe hotels on April 21. Two days subsequent to the dastardly suicide bombings, Indian security agencies alerted Sri Lanka that another attack could be carried out

Controversies over national symbols in South Asia

National emblems and symbols like flags and anthems are meant to be non-controversial because they are supposed to represent national unity. But they are often subjects of differences, and in a few cases, of litigation and boycott.

The lottery business A case of probability over luck?

If you have ever purchased a lottery and have been disappointed, you’re definitely not alone. Daily, many people place a Rs. 20 bet on their luck, hoping that they would win the jackpot. It’s an everyday occurrence to see ticket sellers reaching out to you while you commute, shouting out attractive slogans such as ‘ada adina wasanawa’ (luck to be drawn today), ‘ada adina koti deke jayamalla’ (a twenty million super prize to be drawn today) etc, t