Life and work of Kuldip Nayar
Eminent Indian journalist and a regular columnist of The Daily Star, Kuldip Nayar died on August 23, 2018 at a hospital in Delhi, India. He was 95. In a career that spanned over six decades, Kuldip Nayar was much more than a journalist. He was a champion of civil liberties and human rights, an untiring [...]
Hand grenade in Parliament
Last week, the Sunday Times carried a chapter from Prof. Ravindra Fernando’s soon-to-be released book “Explosion in the Parliament of Sri Lanka”, capturing in detail the bomb attack on UNP parliamentarians during the height of the 1987 JVP insurrection. This week, we publish a chapter titled “Hand Grenade in Parliament” from former Parliament Secretary General [...]
Strengthening the Narcotics Bureau: An urgent need to curtail drug trafficking
This year alone we have witnessed many incidents of drug trafficking, especially heroin, cocaine and Kerala ganja being smuggled through airports, illegal entry points and hidden in containers. From the statistics made available by the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) and the other law enforcement agencies, the quantity of drugs detected has been tremendous. If the [...]
Religious ceremonies to mark historic Panadura Wadaya at Rankoth Viharaya
Several religious ceremonies will be held to mark the 145th anniversary of Panadura Wadaya (the Panadura Debate) at the Rankoth Viharaya in Panadura, the temple which played the foremost role in facilitating the debate and became a centre of the Buddhist revivalist movement. The Venerable Prof Kahapola Sugatharathana Thera, Chief Incumbent of the Viharaya and [...]
Colombo University’s senior alumni felicitated at the 36th AGM
The 36th annual general meeting of the Alumni Association of the University of Colombo was held recently at the university’s Senate Hall at College House, with one of the highlights being the felicitation of seven distinguished alumni for the outstanding services they have rendered to the nation. They were: Tissa Vitarana, former director of the [...]
Endocrine Congress to discuss latest developments
The Endocrine Congress of Sri Lanka 2018 (ESCL 2018) will be held from August 31 to September 2 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo. The congress is organised by the Sri Lanka College of Endocrinologists in collaboration with the European Association for Study of Diabetes (EASD). The chief guest will be EASD Vice President Prof. Chantal [...]
National Trust lecture on Rajagala monastery
“Girikumhilatissa Pabbatha Viharaya – popularly identified as Rajagala monastery complex” will be the topic of the National Trust of Sri Lanka’s monthly lecture to be held on Thursday, August 30, at the HNB Auditorium, 22nd Floor, HNB Towers, 479 T.B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10 at 6.30p.m. Professor P.B. Mandawala, currently Director General of Archaeology and [...]
Kali Amman Kovil Aadi Vila
Dematagoda Dharmarama Road Sri Kali Amman Kovil’s Aadi Vila ceremony was held recently, with devotees being provided porridge prasadam. The chief guest was Western Provincial Councillor and the UNP’s Borella organiser Jayantha de Silva. He is seen here distributing porridge prasadam’s to a devotee.
Run to Remember on Sept. 1
‘Run to Remember’ organised by the Lanka Alzheimer’s Foundation (LAF) kicks off from the hotel Taj Samudra’s North Lawn on Saturday, September 1 at 4.30 p.m. The five kilometre run starts and ends at these premises from the garden near the hotel’s patisserie ‘Pebbles.’ Souvenirs and memorabilia will be sold by volunteers and any level [...]
RASSL lecture tomorrow
The Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka (RASSL)’s monthly lecture will be delivered by Muditha Karunamuni, an independent researcher and Hony. Secretary, Archaeological Society of Sri Lanka and Librarian, Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka on the subject -‘A review of contemporary historical documents about Panadura Wadaya’ . The lecture tomorrow, August 27 at 5 [...]
How to prevent winner-takes-all democracy
NEW DELHI – Democracy is in crisis. Fake news – and fake allegations of fake news – now plagues civil discourse, and political parties have proved increasingly willing to use xenophobia and other malign strategies to win elections. At the same time, revisionist powers like Vladimir Putin’s Russia have been stepping up their efforts to [...]