Is Sri Lanka an Indian city?
Pre-independence, an influential view was that Sri Lanka was too small to stand by itself as a political and economic unit, hence constitutional arrangements for a federation of nations had been part of the discourse between Sri Lankan and Indian leaders-in-waiting. However it’s doubtful such a plan for integration could have been operationalised given the [...]
Labouring the obvious: Solving worker shortage
The signs are both qualitative and quantitative. Take restaurants: in Thimibirigasyaya, the Vietnamese restaurant has Vietnamese waiters, and the Korean one Koreans; in Kompannaveediya, the Japanese restaurant has Filipino waitresses while in Negombo, the night restaurant has a non-Sinhalese, non-Tamil speaking, South Indians. And, having lost my way off Horana, I ask for directions (in [...]
China says Nobel laureate cremated and wife is ‘free’
SHENYANG, China, July 15 (Reuters) – Deceased Chinese Nobel Peace Prize-winning dissident Liu Xiaobo was cremated today and his wife is “free”, a government official said, as a state-run newspaper attacked him as a “despised” criminal out of step with Chinese society. Liu, 61, died of multiple organ failure on Thursday in a hospital in [...]
Human rights champs shed crocodile tears and offer fulsome praise of Liu Xiaobo
Global human rights flag-bearers shed crocodile tears and offered fulsome praise following the death of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo on Thursday night in a hospital in China, where he had been treated for terminal liver cancer while being detained. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, who has been regularly [...]
Your favourite ‘Sound of Music’ and more at concert in aid of cancer patients
‘Sound of Music’ -the fifth in a series of musical shows which Managing Director and Chairman of Symphony (Pvt.) Ld, Dushyantha Abeygunawardene has been organising for charity, will be held on July 29 at the BMICH. The shows are in aid of cancer patients. This year, the concert and sing along, ‘Sound of Music’ will [...]
200 voices choir to give life to timeless spiritual classics at “The Church’s One Foundation”
In late 2011, the walls of the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour reverberated with the music of a hundred young voices blending as one. Aptly titled, “The Church’s One Foundation” the event was organised under the patronage of the Bishop of Colombo and presented by the De Lanerolle brothers. For Ishan De Lanerolle, the [...]
Discover the stories behind Lanka’s artistes of yesteryear
‘A Heritage of Song’ – a compendium of ‘the musical journeys of musicians with Sri Lankan roots who have performed mainly in English’ will be launched tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Galadari Hotel’s California Grill. The book compiled by Ishan Bahar follows on the first volume released in 2015 and has as many as [...]
Lion Rajah Sinnathuray honoured
Lion Rajah Sinnathuray ( Sergeant at Arms) received a certificate of appreciation for his service for 35 years at Lions Conventions from Chief Guest International Director 2015 – 2017 Lion Sanjay Khetan from Nepal at the 39th annual Multiple District Lions Convention 306 of Sri Lanka held at Water’s Edge recently. Lion Mahendra Amarasuriya – [...]
Ramya Jirasinghe to conduct EWC workshop on Poetry
The English Writers Cooperative of Sri Lanka (EWC) will hold a half day workshop on writing poetry on Saturday, July 22, at the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) at 2, Kynsey Terrace, Colombo 08. The sessions, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (with a refreshment break at 11.45 a.m.)will be conducted through discussion and [...]
Nandikadal – becoming a distraction
The ninth year celebrating Vesak, now universally recognised by the United Nations as a global event, has come and gone. Whether this has been an opportunity to reflect on the events of the past fifty years in this little island, is to be seen. This country has championed the compassionate discourses of the Prince Siddhartha. [...]
Concert to mark Nelson Mandela Day
To mark Nelson Mandela’s 99th birth anniversary that falls on Tuesday, July 18, the South Africa High Commission and the Guitar Association of Sri Lanka have organised a concert with the participation of local artistes at the Russian Centre, Colombo 7 at 7 p.m. Mandela became the first democratically elected President of the Republic of [...]
“ Purple Delights”: High tea, music and more for worthy cause
The Moratuwa Branch of the Sri Lanka Housewives Association presents “Purple Delights” an evening of fashion and fun to raise funds for the forgotten women of the Mulleriyawa Mental Hospital. The event will be held on Saturday, July 22 from 4 p.m.onwards at Berjaya Hotel, Mount Lavinia. A fashion show by Kumarans choreographed by Rozanne [...]
Two-day high level meeting to give direction to hepatology
With more and more people being affected by liver and digestive tract-related diseases, the two-day 5th International Conference of the South Asian Association for the Study of the Liver will be held on July 21 and 22 at the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel in Colombo. ‘Giving direction to hepatology’ is the theme of these Joint Academic Sessions [...]
WNPS lecture on plant migrations
Plants migrate into regions outside their native range by various means. Some plants use natural ways while others migrate through anthropogenic means. Irrespective of the method, most of these migrations have ecological, cultural, historical and economic impacts on the destination, some of which, as in the case of alien invasive species, may be very destructive. [...]
Kali Amman pooja
The annual Kirikala pooja was held at the Halgahakumubura Kali Amman Kovil in Borella recently. Western Provincial Councillor and Pragna Pradeepa Concept initiator Jayantha de Silva is seen here taking part in the pooja as chief guest.