’’GREASE YAKA RETURNS’’

Grease Yaka Returns will be staged at the Lionel Wendt this Sunday, July 7. It marks the second time the production will be staged at the Wendt and the third time, after its unveiling at the State Drama Festival, it will be staged to the public. Between the second and third shows, of course, much water has flown under it; recognised as the Best Production at the Festival, it returns this time not with a different pl

ATBC-AP 2019 Conference Bridging the elements of biodiversity conservation: Save, Study, Use

The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) founded in 1963, is the world’s largest and oldest academic society dedicated to the study and conservation of tropical ecosystems. The society is international

Over-worked & under-funded

Sri Lanka has a street animal crisis. You can’t blame the dogs and cats for it; they only live on the road because humans had a hand in putting them there, directly or indirectly. We’ve all seen boxes of puppies and kittens left at temple gates....

OLD ANANDIANS-70/75: Anandians honour teachers

The Old Anandians’ 70-75 group has for the 13th consecutive year organized– Nena Harasara 2018 to recognize students who excelled at the GCE (A/L) examination held in 2018 and to felicitate the members of the Tutorial...

Countering hate speech: When and how

Much has been spoken about hate speech and several interpretations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act have also been made. In the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attacks....

The 89th Birth Commemoration of Prof. Anton Jayasuriya

The 89th Birth Commemoration of Lord. Pandit, Prof. Dr. Sir Anton Chitralal Jayasuriya who was born on 20th June, 1930 and died on 6th April, 2005

LtCdr Lalinda Silva Honoured with Title ‘Deshamanya’

A teacher of Siri Mihindu Sunday School, Egodauyana, Moratuwa and Justice of Peace (Whole Island) and Sri Lanka Navy Officer Lieutenant Commander Lalinda Silva was honoured with the National honorary title “Deshamanya” by All Ceylon Cultural United Foundation recently at the BMICH.

Sivaji The Humble Principal

It gives me great pleasure to write a few lines of appreciation about Sivaji, who died prematurely at the age of 71. As he prefers to speak in English in some functions, I wish to write the appreciation in English.

A letter to Our Dear Martyrs of Easter Sunday 2019

You received the palm of martyrdom at St. Sebastian’s Church Katuwapitiya, St. Antony’s Church Kochchikade and Zion Church Batticaloa on Easter Sunday. It is more than two months since you left us. We realize that we do not have to pray for you, but pray with you and intercede through you.

Towards a truly national consensus

Karl Marx did something no other economist or thinker before him had: he reduced everything, if not almost everything, to the level of relations of productions.

Two ASGs appointed as President’s Counsel

Two Additional Solicitors General Susantha Balapatabendi and Sumathi Dharmawardena were appointed President’s Counsel at a ceremonial sitting....

post-war Sri Lanka: Re-imposing of death penalty

The Forum on Disarmament and Development (FDD) strongly condemns recent statements by His Excellency the President on re-imposing of the death penalty after 43 years....

Legal Perspectives on the draft CTA: Countering terrorism: Law in the making

Global Terrorism has led to violence, blood shed, trauma and uncertainty in people’s lives the world over. In Sri Lanka terrorists wreaked havoc when nine suicide bombers blew themselves off killing more than 250 and injuring more than 500 in their wake.

Chinese cigarette licence - Digging our own grave

The one cardinal rule that should be followed when one is in a hole, is to stop digging. The government of Sri Lanka does not seem to follow this simple rule in many fronts.

The pride and privilege of having been a woman police officer

To be a woman security officer to Queen Elizabeth II when she arrived in Sri Lanka (the Ceylon) to declare open Elizabeth Quay was a privilege, especially for a woman police officer.

Implementing Accessibility - SC orders

Most of us never thought that in a blink of an eye, our ABILITY to attend to the usual daily necessities could be taken away from us.

How reality shows create fake worlds and identities

Most Television channels find that reality shows cost money since the contestants are not celebrities. But average people including children don’t have to be paid.

Tourism experts look at Turning setback into opportunity

From having continuous bookings, that had made the usual off-season a non-entity, to a crumbling loss of its major markets, the knock-back of the approximately six hundred thousand- person involving- industry has left its scar. From tourist guides to hotel security personnel, the range of professions and income-sources depending on the country’s recovery from its present aftermath is substantial.

Hafez Divan - a Divine Work

Relations between Sri Lanka and Iran date back to the Pre-Islamic era of the Persian Empire. In this context, the ‘Pathfinder Foundation’, has recently established the Hafez Centre for Cultural Understanding located at its headquarters at Riverpoint, Peliyagoda. The Centre has been set up with the purpose of studying, creating awareness, and promoting cultural understanding between Sri Lanka and Iran by focusing on the historical links, culture,

Oil spill in Mt. Lavinia sea Clean up concludes, but search for offenders continues

22-million tree planting project to commence this July

With President Sirisena banning chainsaws and saw mills, the entire carpentry industry is at a standstill. While it is their mode of daily income, many people criticized President’s decision. In this backdrop, the founders of ‘Nokunu - Aloka Citizens’ Initiative’ is planning to plant a tree for every tree that is being cut. “The cost of one plant is Rs.30 and why we chose

‘Satanin Satana’: Putting the record straight

‘Satanin Satana,’ the second part of Dharman Wickremaratne’s history of the JVP’s second rebellion has followed the first with commendable speed. The first volume had so much detail that one would have believed it to be conclusive.

Finding honest public officials

Following the success of the Integrity Idol Campaign held last year, Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) said in a media release that it was pleased to announce that the campaign would be conducted in 2019.....

History Flows for All: The War and its Aftermath in Sri Lanka

Ethnic and religious polarisation has been spreading in South Asia and far in recent decades. Sadly, sections of the intelligentsia and the clergy have also been fuelling divisive nationalist forces and xenophobia.

Asia’s economic rise makes way for reassurance of Asian culture

When Indian star Aamir Khan appeared in the Conference Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC) on May 15, 2019, in Beijing, China, a lot of people were taking photographs of him. Indian movies, such as Dangal have become very popular in China, according to reports.

Cardinal expresses gratitude to well-wishers

It is with sincere thanks and heartfelt gratitude that I wish to acknowledge the numerous emails and letters of condolence expressing your sense of solidarity and closeness, generous monetary contributions, various proposition and offers of help towards the victims of the Easter Sunday violence, which I have received, after the senseless attack on our places of worship and other places. It is truly a tragedy and are still trying to recover from t

First Josephian Prime Minister and President of Sri Lanka

This article is published to commemorate the 94th birth anniversary of former President, the late Ranasinghe Premadasa, which falls on June 23, 2019.

11-month-old Malik dies of Malnutrition in Hambantota: starving to death

Saddened with the heart-breaking news of the 11-month-old child, who died of starvation, the Hambantota District Secretary said this is a tragedy that could have been avoided if we remained attentive to the difficulties of the poor families....

On the political journey of the JHU

The Chandrika Kumaratunga government was not exactly promising. After clinching the biggest victory a political party has ever clinched at a presidential election in Sri Lanka, it did everything to alienate the Sinhala Buddhists.

Asgiriya prelate’s rhetoric draws criticism

As of late, those donning yellow robes, seemed to have crossed paths with politics. A very recent example was the speech made by Ven. Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thera, the incumbent Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter...