Today, October 26, 2023, marks the 127th Birth Anniversary of Sir Cyril de Zoysa A legacy of dedication and munificence

Sir Cyril de Zoysa was a man of great munificence, who lived in Sri Lanka, once as President of the Senate too. If ever there was a person who throughout a lifetime, cultivated qualities of devotion, discipline, generosity and wisdom, who was endowed with an immensely dignified personality, who displayed uncompromising self-confidence, who was imbued with knowledge and foresight, who was fortified by a full-blown sense of patriotism and keen busi

Experts’ help needed to keep ‘Old Palace’ from falling

The time has come for architects, artisans, engineers and all those in the field of construction and architecture -regardless whether they have the knowledge of archaeology or not- to put their heads together to prevent the ‘Old Palace’ from falling to pieces. The department of Irrigation and the Department of Archeology department alone would not be able to handle this challenge of keeping the Old Palace of the Kings of Kandy from collap

Web in the village

My village Maradankalla is located 6 kilometres south of Anuradhapura-Trincomalee Road (A12) above Mahakanadarawa wewa, near Mihintale in the North Central Province. But I have lived in Los aAngeles for the past 43 years. During all these years, this village is where my heart has been. Although the history of Maradankalla spans centuries, it was not on the map of the country until 1947 when its elders built the one-room school hoping the govern

Bishop Lakshman Wickremesinghe and his championing of Human Rights

I have written much about my uncle Lakshman since his death, for I continue overwhelmed by the impact he had on so many. Most recently I found in a book about the Student Christian....

‘Footnotes of a Protest’ – A Response in Verse by Tennekoon, E M

The book ‘Footnotes of a Protest’ – A Response in Verse by Tennekoon, EM was handed to me by a close associate, with a request to write a review, if possible. I declined at first because I felt that it should be done by a person more competent than me. Nonetheless, he insisted. True enough, English Literature was a subject I followed for my Senior School Certificate exam, and that was over seven decades ago. English usage has changed considerably

Leading women and Org. demand MPs vote against two repressive laws

125 women including leading professionals, academics, human rights activists and even female victims of various crimes and 35 women’s organisations protesting against the the Online Safety Act’ (OSA) and the ‘Anti-Terror Act’ (ATA) have demanded all Members of the Parliament to vote against the two repressive laws.

Lawyers’ Collective expresses concern over Commission of Inquiry on electoral process

The ‘Lawyers’ Collective’-a group comprising eminent personalities in the law profession- has issued a press release stressing their concerns regarding some of the present government’s decisions which undermine the electoral process, the questionable appointment of a Commission of Inquiry, provisions made to stifle the media and issues related to the upcoming elections.

Ranil heads Trinity College OBA Colombo Branch

Ranil Prematilake, Attorney at Law and Partner of Aequitas Legal was unanimously elected President of the Colombo Branch for the 2023/2024 term at its 117th Annual General Meeting. Sahan Wijewardene, Commercial Executive - GAC Shipping Limited was re-elected as Secretary and Vajira Abeysundera, Senior Manager – Treasury at Hatton National Bank PLC was re-elected as Treasurer.

‘Gee Weenasa’ A literary insight into lyrics of Sinhala songs

‘Gee Weenasa’, a Sinhala book analysing the poetic expressions of more than 50 popular songs sung by a collection of singers representing different generations, was released recently.

Is justice so far away from cries of victims of grave sexual abuse?

On October 13, the Kumbukgete Police Station had received a complaint with regards to an incident of grave sexual abuse. The victim is a 15-year old girl. She had become the victim in this unfortunate....

Mrs. Sunimal Kurumbalapitiya: A teacher beyond compare

It is rarely that we come across a teacher utterly imbued with unceasing quest to impart knowledge and skills to students reach heights of their potentiality. When such an obsession is tempered...

Future of the Belt and Road and the Future of Sri Lanka

This week, leaders from 130 countries have gathered in the Chinese Capital, Beijing, for the 10th-anniversary summit of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China’s signature infrastructure development.....

Lawyers’ collective decries Govt.’s attempts to silence people

The newly revised Anti-Terrorism Act and Online Safety bill was highly criticised by the citizens of the country. By taking this bill into account the Lawyers’ Collective held a media conference on....

IMF programme’s transparency falls to lowest point in September: Verité Research

The latest update from ‘IMF Tracker’ of Verité Research, an online platform which tracks the 100 identified commitments in Sri Lanka’s 17th programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), shows that Sri Lanka verifiably met only 40 of the 71 trackable commitments that were due for completion by end-September 2023. It also shows that Sri Lanka had, at the same time, reached its lowest point in terms of both performance and transparency since

In retrospect of No 4 Squadron

Eelam War I (1983–1987) was the initial phase of the conflict between the government and the LTTE and other Tamil militant groups. Although tensions between the government had been brewing since the 1970s, the full-scale war did not break out until an attack by the LTTE on a Sri Lanka Army patrol in Jaffna, on July 23, 1983, which killed 13 soldiers. The attack and the subsequent riots in the south are generally considered the start of the confli

More substantial measures needed to protect elephants

A distressing incident occurred on September 30, 2023 when a wildlife officer purportedly shot a female elephant by mistake. The animal had been part of the annual Esala Perahera (Pageant) of Mahiyanganaya Rajamaha Viharaya. Although the wildlife officer in question has been placed under arrest by the Mahiyanganaya Police, it is crucial to query whether more substantial measures should be implemented to address this critical issue. The dwindli

Will Online Safety Bill crush virtual freedom of expression?

The Online Safety Bill gazetted on September 18 and tabled in Parliament by Public Security Minister Tiran Alles has come under much scrutiny by media groups, rights activists and civil society organizations. Some of the concerns raised regarding the Bill include vague definitions and the fact that a gamut of offences, which already exist in the Penal Code, have been included in this new Bill with higher penalties. Many policy analysts observe th

Malaiyaha Tamils demand solutions: Voices of courage resurface from estate sector

The Malaiyaha community-whose members are employed in several estates in Mawatagama- staged a protest on October 5 demanding...

Sashi Tharoor to speak at the 18th Sujata Jayawardena Memorial Oration

Dr Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram, India, will deliver the 18th Sujata Jayawardena Memorial Oration....

IPS to launch State of the Economy 2023 report today

The Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka will launch its flagship report titled ‘Sri Lanka: State of the Economy 2023’ today.....

In retrospect of No 4 Squadron

The realm of the No 4 Squadron, a distinguished legacy soars above the rest. Comprising skilled aviators, technically savvy engineers....

SLIC ‘barks’ for dogs on World Animal Day!

‘Pet Insurance’ is a concept introduced by Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) to relieve pet lovers from the financial burden that occurs...

White Cane Day: Helping blind people to live life with dignity

The white cane is used across the world by people who are blind or visually impaired as a tool for safe and reliable navigation. The white cane....

Procurement of low quality IVIG: Medical experts in a dilemma as govt. continues to procure low quality medicines

Health authorities are back in hot water for procuring a low quality intravenous medicine prescribed for patients with severe neurological disorders. IVIG, also known as Human Immunoglobulin...

Dr. Ruchitha Perera appointed fpa’s New Executive Director

Dr. Ruchitha Perera was appointed as the Executive Director of The Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka (FPA) with effect from October 1, 2023. Announcing his appointment, Mrs. Aruni Marcelline, President of the FPA, said, “He brings valuable leadership experience, deep passion for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), and is hugely enthusiastic about leading the Association into our next chapter.” Dr. Perera takes over th

Rajeev Amarasuriya appointed Country Representative of CLEA

Attorney-at-Law Rajeev Amarasuriya has been appointed as the Sri Lanka Country Representative of the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA). Founded in 1971, the CLEA is a Commonwealth-wide body with regional Chapters and Committees in South Asia, Southern Africa, West Africa, the Caribbean and the United Kingdom, and fosters and promotes high standards of Legal Education in the Commonwealth. The goal of the Commonwealth Legal Educ

Shaving Colombo’s tree-line for better safety of pedestrians

When a tree toppled over a bus, heading towards Deniyaya from Colombo last week in Colpetty, immediate action was taken to remove trees which were a threat to pedestrians. The tragedy claimed the lives of five individuals while several others are still receiving treatment. The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), which oversees the maintenance of Colombo’s urban infrastructure, took immediate steps to remove such trees by the roadside. So far around

Guide to Management of Decompression Sickness “Bends”: Collaborative publication spreads awareness of the consequences of diving using wrong procedure

Guide to Management of Decompression Sickness “Bends” is a collaborative publication of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) and Directorate....

119th annual prize giving at St. Joseph’s today

The 119th annual ‘Prize Giving’ of St. Joseph’s College, Colombo 10- one of the premier Catholic schools in the country- will be held....

Viewing needs of the mentally challenged from a human rights perspective

World Mental Health Day is celebrated annually on October 10 and the health authorities of this nation work within limitations....