APPA award for Sri Lankan doctor
Consultant Paediatrician Dr. LakKumar Fernando attached to the Gampaha Hospital was presented with the Outstanding Asian Paediatrician Award by the Asia Pacific Paediatric Association (APPA) on January 21 in Hyderabad, India. The award was in recognition of Dr. Fernando’s work done both nationally and internationally, with special consideration being given to the latter. In Sri [...]
A sensible, scientific approach to HIV prevention
This letter comes to you from Positive Hopes Alliance; an organisation comprising people living with HIV, The National Union of Sea Farers in Sri Lanka; a union that works tirelessly to prevent HIV among the seafaring community of this country, The Youth Advocacy Network Sri Lanka; young people that advocates for sexual and reproductive health [...]
Gamani Corea Foundation Seminar on Economics
The Gamani Corea Foundation is conducting another Seminar in its series on development issues on Wednesday, March 16 at 5:30 p.m. at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) Committee Room D. The Seminar on the theme “Economics beyond the Market” would be led by Dr Nishan de Mel, Executive Director of Verite Research. The [...]
Thambirajah Sridaran appointed JP
Thambirajah Sridaran has been appointed as a Justice of the Peace for the Whole Island. He took his oaths before Additional District Judge Chirshanthi Amaratunga at the Mount Lavinia District Court on March 4. Mr. Sridaran, a past pupil of St.Thomas’s College. Guruthalawa, is a retired teacher and a sworn translator. He also served as [...]
India’s antiquated penal code
NEW DELHI – A number of seemingly unrelated controversies in India actually have one important element in common: They all relate to criminal offenses codified by India’s British imperial rulers in the mid-nineteenth century that India has proved unable or unwilling to outgrow. The problematic features of the British-drafted Indian Penal Code include the prohibition [...]
Constitutionally speaking: The people’s verdict
A country is governed by convention or by adhering to a constitution. When our colonial masters namely the British granted independence to Ceylon they introduced a constitution better known as the Soulbury constitution to govern independent Ceylon. Though a constitution was formulated and introduced by the British to govern independent Ceylon their own country is [...]
Christina Fonfe presented with the British Empire Medal
The British Empire Medal, formally known as the British Empire Medal for Meritorious service was presented to Christina Fonfe at the British High Commission in Colombo in recognition of her eleven years of selfless work with the Sri Lanka Women’s Swimming Project (WSP). WSP is a community drowning reduction program that teaches underprivileged women and [...]
A shadow over the silver screen
On September 30, 2004, 11 years ago Sri Lanka’s heroic epoch era of Sinhala cinema died, alongside the sudden demise of a legendary film personality and politician. It was comparable to the shutting down of the screen of the Sinhala cinema where he stood very tall for nearly three decades dominating in many spheres spaced [...]
Climate crisis and country with a date of expiry
UNITED NATIONS— When world leaders meet at the United Nations on April 22 to sign a historic climate change treaty, the implementation of that agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions will determine the fate of several small island states, including Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Maldives, which are in danger of sinking due to a sea-level [...]
Easter carol service
Easter is the fundamental and most important festival of the Eastern and Orthodox Churches. Every other religious festival in the Christian calendar, including Christmas, is secondary in importance to the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is reflected in rich Paschal customs in the cultures of countries that have traditionally had an Orthodox [...]
Nancy buried next to Reagan; 1000 guests at funeral
SIMI VALLEY, Calif., March 11 (Reuters) – Nearly 1,000 guests attended memorial services for Nancy Reagan, including close relatives from 10 current and former White House families, on Friday at her late husband’s presidential library in Southern California. The funeral for the former Hollywood actress and first lady capped two days during which thousands of [...]
Nancy’s letter to Elina Jayewardene
This is the letter of condolence Nancy Reagan wrote to Elina Jayewardene when her husband and Sri Lanka’s President J.R. Jayewardene passed away in 1996. During a visit to the United States in June 1984, President Ronald Reagan hosted President Jayewardene to a state dinner at the White House. Proposing the toast at this dinner, [...]
Slaving in West Asia
Mothers, sisters and daughters of Sri Lanka as household employees in the petro-dollar world – do we care for them? The mother is the most venerated person, may be the world over. In Sri Lanka too the mother is the most respected person in society; it is our culture seeped in Buddism that has made [...]