London Buddhist Vihara marks 90-year history with exhibition
By Neville de Silva in London A week-long exhibition depicting the 90-year history of the London Buddhist Vihara founded by the Anagarika Dharmapala was held at the Vihara last week. The Vihara has a unique history as the first Buddhist temple to be established outside Asia and the first temple that brought the Buddha Dhamma to [...]
Jaffna International Cinema Festival for second consecutive year
By Minushi Perera Agenda 14 in collaboration with the Fine Arts Department of the University of Jaffna and Ceylon Theatres presents the Jaffna International Cinema Festival JAFFNAICF ) 2016 from September 23 to 27 in Jaffna. JAFFNAICF 2016 is being held for the second consecutive year to celebrate independent cinema in the peninsula, recovering from [...]
Cock-a-doodle-doo, here’s a chance to win two GLF passes
Now here is your chance to show-off your creative abilities, by designing the rooster image of FGLF’s official logo, which is inherent to Galle as the town’s mascot. As history has stated one of the theories of the name “Galle” is that the word is derived from the Dutch word ‘Gallus’ which means rooster. Hence [...]
HSBC gives ear to Music Project
Music has the power to bring people together. It’s this universal power of music that drew HSBC to support The Music Project to work with Sri Lankan youth to establish a long term initiative of peace building through the twinning of schools and communities through music. HSBC will provide financial support to conduct the Orchestral [...]
Ven. Basnagoda Rahula Thera appointed president of Houston Vihara
Professor Ven. Basnagoda Rahula Thera, a popular teacher of Buddhism and meditation, has been appointed president and treasurer of the Houston Buddhist Vihara by Ven. Pannila Ananda Nayaka Thera, former president of the vihara and Chief Incumbent of the Attanagalla Rajamaha Viharaya. The Houston Buddhist Vihara, a prominent Buddhist temple in the United States, serves [...]
Lions to build paediatric ward for Haltota hospital
The Centennial Year Legacy Project (Level 3) of Lions Club District 306 A2 was launched recently with the laying of the foundation stone to construct a much needed paediatric ward for the Rural Government Hospital at Haltota in Horana. The funds to construct and equip this ward – Rs. 3.6 million— were raised by the [...]
Is OMP running low on justice for disappearances?
By M.C.M. Iqbal In response to Kishali Pinto Jayawardena’s column, ‘Focus on Rights’ in the Sunday Times of July 31, 2016 which I read avariciously, I would like to make some observations as a retired public servant once directly involved in the functioning of commissions of inquiry into disappearances of persons (COIs) set up by [...]
The G-20 fiddles while Rome burns
By Somar Wijayadasa NEW YORK (In Depth News IDN) – The G-20 Summit in China took place when our world is more divided than ever before, and multi-millions suffer from wars and other calamities. One showpiece of the Summit – even before it started – was the decision by United States President Barack Obama and [...]
Sri Lanka a pearl in China’s past, present and future
Fascinating stories about a Lankan prince, Maritime Silk Road and the science of tea By Ameen Izzadeen What have a 19th generation Chinese descendant of a Sri Lankan prince, an 11th century mariner and three key cities in China got to do with 17 Sri Lankan journalists, who have just returned from a ten-day trip [...]
Be on your guard, there could be LTTE sleeper cells: Major Gen. Kamal Gunaratne
My book is for the families of the poor soldiers who authored the final victory By Chandani Kirinde Umpteen stories are written on how wars are fought and won and this is true of Sri Lanka, too, where since the defeat of the LTTE in May 2009, countless books have been authored giving different perspectives [...]
India’s prohibition hypocrisy
By Shashi Tharoor NEW DELHI – Last month, 18 people in the Gopalganj district of India’s Bihar state died after consuming illicit alcohol, highlighting – once again – the peculiar relationship between morality and tragedy in India. The victims were poisoned because this April, in a fit of moralism, Bihar adopted a draconian law prohibiting [...]
SAITM medical degrees: Here’s a second opinion
By M. Jinadasa Hours and hours of twiddling our thumbs outside Medical Consultants’ rooms awaiting admission to their “godly” presence, is all what it takes to realize the dearth of qualified doctors in Sri Lanka. My adverse views on the ETKA took a 180 degree turn, in the span of one and half hours at [...]