Was Slavery the World’s First Human Rights Violation?
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 7 2019 (IPS) - The United Nations, which diligently monitors human rights violations worldwide, believes that centuries-old slavery still exists worldwide. The UN mandate on “contemporary forms of slavery” includes, but is not limited to, issues such as: traditional slavery, forced labour, debt bondage, serfdom, children working in slavery or slavery-like conditions, domestic [...]
Mahinda’s poll strategy: ‘Mal pooja’ and ‘gal pooja’
Clowns of Colombo’s political circus have been, of late, providing entertainment as good in other capitals such as in Washington D.C. by Donald Trump. In Colombo, we have vital issues flashing away with the rapidity of press camera flashes causing much sound and fury but generating little sense, only to be forgotten soon with another [...]
Better waste management options explored at NIBM workshop
Under its ‘Idea Space for Business Intelligence’ initiative, the National Institute for Business Management (NIBM) held a workshop on “Urban Organic Waste – could we manage better?” at its National Innovation Centre on March 1, with Megapolis and Western Development Minister Champika Ranawaka taking part as chief guest. The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) was [...]
Commemorative meeting in honour of life and work of Jayatilleke de Silva
The Sri Lanka Committee for the Solidarity with Palestine together with the Sri Lanka Journalists for Global Justice will hold a meeting on Wednesday March 13 at 4.30 pm at the Havelock City Club House to commemorate former Sunday Observer editor and social justice activist Jayatilleke de Silva and his contributions towards social justice and [...]
Ravana Sithabhilashaya at Vidyaloka Vidyalaya
Ravana Sithabhilashaya – a Musical, will go on the boards at Vidyaloka Vidyalaya, Waragoda, Kelaniya on March 11 at noon and 3.30 p.m. The second show is held as a tribute to the film and stage artistes of the area. The play is jointly scripted by Prof. J. B. Disanayaka and Namel Weeramuni. The cast [...]
Cotta Rd. Welfare Soc. marks 73rd anniversary
The Cotta Road Welfare Society celebrated its 73rd anniversary recently, with Jayantha de Silva, Western Provincial Council member and the UNP’s chief organiser for Borella, taking part as chief guest. He is seen here presenting a souvenir to a member.
Norochcholai ash contaminates Lanka’s western atmosphere
Our instruments indicated that very fine air-borne ash particulates from the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant were reaching the hills of Nawalapitiya and Colombo in March and April last year. We measured particulate matter so fine that it could lodge inside one’s lungs (2.5 micro-metres abbreviated as pm2.5). These particulates will diminish rain bearing clouds, will [...]
15th Sujata Jayawardena Memorial Oration to focus on the use of AI and digitalisation
Millennium IT and a Visionary Sri Lankan Entrepreneur founder Tony Weerasinghe will deliver the 15th Annual Sujata Jayawardena Memorial Oration on Thursday, March 28, at the BMICH on the topic “Up in the Cloud – Using Artificial Intelligence and Digitalisation to transform Sri Lanka to a Developed Country”. Mr. Weerasinghe, a visionary in the field [...]
Ex-Ramanathians to hold Pearl Jubilee bash
The 30th annual get-together of the former residents of Peradeniya University’s Ramanathan Hall will take place on Saturday March 30 from 10 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. at the Police Families’ Welfare Association Hall, next to the Police Officers Mess, at no. 67, Joseph Frazer Road, Bambalapitiya, Colombo. On behalf of the organising committee, Amaradasa Gunewardena [...]
Rooftop Solar Power Generation pilot project faces cloudy outlook
Sri Lanka’s ‘Rooftop Solar Power Generation Pilot (RSPGP) project’ has failed to sparkle as envisioned due to shortcomings and poor quality standards of some of the local solar power companies selected as service providers, official sources said. Even with all the checks and balances of the government, the Rooftop Solar Power Generation Project has failed [...]
The Pharaoh-friendly West
WASHINGTON, DC – Last month, Egypt’s parliament overwhelmingly approved draft constitutional changes that would allow President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to remain in office until 2034. And the West – fixated on upholding political stability and maintaining access to lucrative weapons markets – is content to let it happen. Amending Article 140 of the 2014 constitution [...]
After an “identity crisis,” Social Capital CEO Chamath Palihapitiya says he’s taught himself how to be happy again
After a speech at Stanford University in late 2017, Chamath Palihapitiya says he realized that something in his life needed to change. “In Italian, there’s a beautiful word, basta, which is basically like your way of saying, ‘Enough!’” the Social Capital CEO said on the latest episode of Recode Decode. “And so I woke up one day [...]
Child rights activist, Sri Lanka’s recipient of the International Women of Courage 2019 award
“I consider myself privileged to be pelted with stones. As American writer Dale Carnegie said, ‘no one kicks a dead dog’,” says Marini de Livera, Sri Lanka’s recipient of the International Women of Courage 2019 award (IWOC) from the US Department of State. Mrs. De Livera was among other trailblazing women from Bangladesh, Burma, Djibouti, [...]
Samanera in need of urgent eye surgery
Fourteen-year-old samanera Indrarathana Wellampitiye is currently awaiting a DSEK/PK+ eye operation to regain sight in his right eye after an accident. In the past three years, his eyesight has deteriorated as he could not afford the cost of the operation. The surgery is now urgently needed, and Dr. Charith Fonseka, Consultant Eye Surgeon of Durdans [...]
“The Orenburg Region of Russia – the Heart of Eurasia ” ends today
With International Women’s Day celebrated worldwide on March 8, the Russian Centre in Colombo hosted the exhibition “The Orenburg Region of Russia – the Heart of Eurasia “. The exhibition which opened on March 6 featured art photography by the famous Russian nature photographer Sergey Zhdanov, a bright display of silk paintings by the artist [...]