The killing committee and the death warrant
“I will show how to die…!,”said Madduma Bandara and marched forward before anyone else and placed his head on the jolly old block where the executioner promptly separated it from his body with one mighty stroke.( History – both the story and Madduma Bandara.) I sometimes wonder why on earth Madduma Bandara rushed forward and [...]
BoC celebrates 79 years of service to the nation
Sri Lanka’s number one bank, the Bank of Ceylon, celebrated its 79th anniversary on Wednesday, August 1 with the main ceremony held at the head office premises in Colombo. BoC Chairman Ronald Perera addressing the gathering said: “As celebrations begin for the 79th anniversary, it necessarily calls us to look back at the bank’s journey [...]
Vel festival at Borella Kovil
Sri Badrakali Amman Kovil at Halgaha Kumbura in Borella celebrated the Vel festival recently. Chief guest and Western Provincial Councillor Jayantha de Silva is seen handing over a sembu kudam to a devotee.
Blood donation campaign
In remembrance of the late Venerable Kotte Sri Dewananda Maha Thera, a blood donation campaign will be held on August 11 from 9 am at Shri Kalyani Dharmashramaya, No. 417, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7.
Women in engineering: Breaking barriers and building hopes
Niranjanie Ratnayake (nee Kodikara), Professor Emeritus in Civil Engineering of the University of Moratuwa, and President of the Institution of Engineers of Sri Lanka, delivered the 28th Susan George Pulimood Oration to mark the 111th birth anniversary of the late educationist and Visakha Vidyalaya principal. She spoke on “Breaking Barriers and Changing the World – [...]
Opening a window to Little England’s secret heart
Nuwara Eliya is so deeply engraved in our minds as a misty holiday retreat- a replica of an English village that sprang up in the 19th Century- that we overlook the town’s unique identity- with epigraphical evidence showing it was civilized as far back as the 9th and 10th Century- far from being a British [...]
Death penalty is not the answer
It was reported that President Maithripala Sirisena’s proposal to implement the death penalty to drug traffickers was received with almost unanimous applause by the ministers, at the Cabinet meeting. The sole exception was Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who openly stated he was principally opposed to the death penalty. The death penalty can [...]
Rethinking the Internet of things
SHENZHEN – At a telecommunications conference hosted by Huawei late last year, I told a group of senior executives looking for growth opportunities in a saturated market that one billion new mobile subscribers were just waiting for their services. Then, I showed them a photo of a cow. People took pictures of my presentation with [...]
Lanka’s Informal Sector: A rare gem awaiting a formal polish
Like most developing countries, Sri Lanka, has a large informal sector work force. The term “informal sector” refers to workers who perform an entirely legal task, are paid for their labour in cash, but are not governed by any labour legislation. Labour relations – where they exist – are based mostly on casual employment, kinship [...]
Pakistan’s IMF problem: Repeating the mistakes
ISLAMABAD – After Pakistan’s recent election, Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party are now forming a new government. As usual, it will be greeted by an economic crisis. A trip, cap in hand, to the International Monetary Fund seems inevitable. Pakistan, after all, is an IMF addict. The country has already spent 22 [...]