India is building a top-secret nuclear city
CHALLAKERE, India – When labourers began excavating pastureland in India’s southern Karnataka state early in 2012, members of the nomadic Lambani tribe were startled. For centuries, the scarlet-robed herbalists and herders had freely crisscrossed the undulating meadows there, known as kavals, and this uprooting of their landscape came without warning or explanation. By autumn, Puttaranga [...]
Police traffic and PR expert Senaratne makes final journey
A former police officer who was one of the pioneers in the formation of the Traffic Safety squad and Public Relations, Senior Superintendent of Police (retd) S.B. Senaratne passed away and his funeral was held this week at the General Cemetery, Borella Colombo. He was responsible for initiating Road Safety squads in schools countrywide, a [...]
Feasts on Christmas eve and Christmas day at OZO
OZO Colombo is hosting special Christmas feasts at EAT Restaurant to help bring guests some holiday cheers during the festive season. Executive chef Meththa and his team of chefs are sleighing in a host of seasonal treats with two festive dinner events – the Christmas Eve buffet dinner, featuring an all-seafood spread, and the Christmas Day [...]
Public Library’s Korean Corner gets more books
The South Korean embassy donated yesterday 221 of books and audiovisual materials on Korea to the Colombo Public Library’s Korea Corner. South Korean Ambassador Chang Won-sam, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Country Director Cho Kyu-chan, library representatives, Korean language students at the Korean Corner and several wellwishers took part at the ceremony. The Korea Corner [...]
Rotary International gets US$ 100,000 from Lanka
A cheque for US$ 100,000 in favour of the Rotary Foundation was handed over to Rotary International’s new President K.R. Ravindran at a banquet held by Rotary Sri Lanka in honour of him on Sunday at Hotel Hilton. The Rotary Foundation is a non-profit organisation which collects funds through donations and distributes them back to [...]
Documenting rape: In defence of India’s daughter
December 16 marked three years since the gang rape of Jyoti Singh in New Delhi. The 23-year-old physiotherapy student was returning home with a friend, after watching the movie “Life of Pi” and had boarded a private bus on which the brutal gang rape occurred. The macabre details which emerged about the incident were grim. [...]
Longing for Islam’s golden era
Dear Prophet Muhammad, Remember the man who stood up in front of a huge crowd and accused you of stealing from your own people when you were alive? His name was Hurgoos ibn Zuhair? When he stormed out of the mosque you said, “From this man will come people who recite the Quran but they [...]
A fair, efficient, and feasible climate agreement
CAMBRIDGE – How should one evaluate the agreement reached in Paris this month at the United Nations climate change conference? No sooner was the deal announced on December 12 than the debate erupted. Some avid environmentalists were disappointed that the agreement did not commit firmly to limiting global warming to 1.5º Celsius above pre-industrial levels by [...]
The other side of CMC’s 150th anniversary silver coin
A commemorative Rs. 500 sterling silver crown size frosted Proof NCLT coin was issued on 2015 December 14 by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to mark the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Colombo Municipal Council. It was minted by the Mincovna Kremnica, Republic of Slovakia. Obverse: In the center it carries the official logo [...]
Regent Street Christian Reformed Church: Century of togetherness and unity
Neat little blue and white road indicators won’t get you to Regent Street. Neither will you find it on a map of Colombo 10. If anything you would discover that this passage along the Accident Wing of the National Hospital is now called E.W. Perera Mawatha. Surviving this obvious change and many less noticed ones [...]
Sunshine Charity needs your help to be invited to the Global Giving Open Challenge
The Sunshine Charity has been invited to the Global Giving Open Challenge, and they need your help to get through, says co-founder Sharadha de Saram. The Sunshine Charity was established in the aftermath of the Tsunami in 2004, to provide food and clothing to children in Trincomalee affected by the natural disaster. Now quietly celebrating ten [...]
Lanka-US ties to be built on partnership dialogue
To be at this respected institute, named in honour of the late and great Lakshman Kadirgamar, and an institute dedicated to the study of Sri Lanka’s strategic interests, is the right place to be today to talk to all of you, about the partnership between the United States and Sri Lanka. Few understood the strategic [...]
Tackling key questions of imperialism
Sujit Sivasundaram’s book ‘”ISLANDED” – Britain, Sri Lanka & the Bounds of an Indian Ocean Colony’ had its Sri Lankan launch on December 17 at the Barefoot Garden Cafe. First published in the US by Chicago University Press in late 2013 and in South Asia by Oxford University Press, the book focuses on the early [...]
Up close and personal with the paranormal
Bernie Hay launched her book of paranormal experiences titled ‘The Mysterious, The Mystical and the Unexplained’ on December 10 at the National Library and Documentation Services Board. The book documents the paranormal experiences of the author and her family, with two additional stories which have been related to her firsthand. The Chief Guest at the [...]
A day to remember
The children living on the banks of the Wellawatte and Dehiwela canals enjoyed some rare moments of joy presenting their end of year concert at the S. de S. Jayasinghe Hall, Dehiwala last week. The concert was organised by the Shanti organisation which runs five preschools for children in the slum areas. “It was wonderful [...]
Failed foreign policies and the need for a mega ministry
Leelananda De Silva, a former illustrious member of our Administrative Service and subsequently an international public servant, has written a thought-provoking article in the Sunday Times last week under the headline ‘Rethinking the role of Sri Lanka missions abroad’. Does he advocate the creation of a mega foreign policy making Ministry? More anon. Diplomatic missions [...]