North Korea’s defiance underlines the urgency to eradicate nuclear weapons
NEW YORK (IDN) – North Korea defied world powers, on January 6, by announcing that it had successfully tested a miniaturized hydrogen nuclear device – in contravention of the international norm against nuclear testing. The miniaturizing allows the device to be placed on a missile thereby significantly increasing its strike capabilities not only against Japan [...]
Patronage, privilege – and principles
“You know, Silva” said my friend Perera, as we sat chatting over a drink at our usual watering hole, where we less than affluent journalists have been meeting ever since I can remember “on this very day last year we were all thinking that the regime change that we voters had effected would ensure that [...]
Sharp and funny: Legally Brown comedian Nazeem Hussain on tour
Nazeem Hussain, the son of Sri Lankan emigrants is the star of his own critically-acclaimed TV show, ‘Legally Brown’ in Australia. He will bring his own brand of comedy here when he performs ‘Nazeem Hussain is Legally Brown in Sri Lanka’ next Sunday, January 17 at the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre at 7.30 [...]
Dr.Wimal Karandagoda to steer Durdans
The First Joint Commission International accredited hospital in Sri Lanka, Durdans Hospital, recently appointed veteran medical administrator Dr.Wimal Karandagoda as its Chief Operations Officer and Director Medical Services. Dr.Karandagoda taking up his new position on January 1, 2016 said, “It is indeed a privilege and honour for me to take up these positions at a [...]
Lecture on political agenda behind Leonard Woolf’s Village in the jungle
Dr. Shihan de Silva Jayasuriya, Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London will deliver a lecture on Leonard Woolf’s Novel “The Village in the Jungle : Political Agenda Behind the Literary Work”on Tuesday, January 12 at the ICES Auditorium, 2, Kynsey Terrace, Colombo 8 at 4.30 p.m. [...]
Rehan’s take on contemporary Sri Lankan Cinema
Young film-maker Rehan Mudannayake will speak on ‘Contemporary Sri Lankan Cinema: From Script to Screen’ today, January 10 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at 199 Temple Road, Jaffna. Entrance is free. Rehan Mudannayake hails from a new generation of young Sri Lanka filmmakers who write, direct and produce both documentary and fictional video works. To date [...]
Indian Cultural Centre presents lecture on The Buddha’s journey to Lanka
The Indian Cultural Centre, Colombo will present a lecture with power point presentation by Kanchana Mukhopadhyay on “Gautama Buddha’s journey from Moghalmari to Sri Lanka” on January 13 at 6 p.m. at its auditorium at the Indian Cultural Centre, 16/2 Gregory’s Road, Colombo 7. Kanchana Mukhopadhyay started her career as lecturer in History in a [...]
20 global beauties at Sri Lanka’s first Ms. Tourism pageant
An ornate Ceylon stone studded crown is being crafted for the prestigious Ms. Tourism Sri Lanka International 2016 pageant that will be held in Sri Lanka for the first time in February. Ceylon stones in the sparkling crown will be among the unique facets inherent to the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’ that the world [...]
What has happened to us Sri Lankans?
I am pleased to note that our people welcomed the New Year with great rejoicing. There was a time when people squandered large sums of money to enjoy themselves in hotels and other places. Some hotels charged Rs. 75,000 or more. On an earlier occasion, I told you about a 15-year-old drunk teenager killing a [...]
A proposal for the new constitution
Currently the most important foundation Sri Lanka needs is unity and trust amongst her people. To promote this, we need national acceptance of equal opportunity, human rights and diversity through legislation. Therefore, the proposed new constitution for Sri Lanka should protect and uphold human rights, accept diversity and promote true democracy. It is also prudent [...]
Carpet bombing, Thirty-Year War and West Asia crisis
NEW YORK – Ted Cruz, one of the Republican candidates for the US presidency, recently said that his solution to the turmoil in the Middle East would be to “carpet bomb” the Islamic State (ISIS) and see if “sand can glow in the dark.” Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner, promised to “bomb the shit out [...]
Bliss it was when public shows were for the family
There has been much hype generated in the media over The Enrique bra Incident at a public concert. The publicity is not really due to the bra incident itself but due to the puerile pretension of President Sirisena to show himself as an ‘Upasaka’. If not for President Sirisena’s exuberant outburst, the bra incident would [...]
Quality education for all in Sri Lanka
The first part of this article appeared last week 6. Proposed sector wide interventions to address present issues Early Child Cared Education (ECCE): Early childhood is typically considered as the period from birth to age 6 or 7 years. Early child care is an important aspect in the growth of a child and even nutrition [...]
The literary empire strikes back
Every January I return to South Asia to experience an assault on all my senses by two of the best-attended English language literary festivals in the world. From January 14 to 17, 2016, the Galle Literary Festival will be held in a restored Dutch Fort on the southern tip of Sri Lanka. The historic Diggi [...]