National dignity or national survival?
Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka squirted a stream of ice -cold logic into the escalation of overheated rhetorical wrath over the denial of travel visas to Sri Lanka Army Commander Shavendra Silva and his family by the US government when he pointed out that he, the former Army Commander too had been denied a visa by [...]
A much soughtafter police officer who fell from grace
Here is a warning to serving police officers and the public about the serious ramifications arising from superior officers exploiting good police officers for publicity’s sake. Seeking short term glory for a few while causing long term disaster to the police officer so exploited, the Police Service and the public, is despicable. Inspector Rahula Silva [...]
The first hundred days of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa
I had calculated that in exactly three days, on February 26 2020, Gotabaya Rajapaksa will complete his First Hundred Days of office as our President. It was during the time of the 32nd American president Franklin Roosevelt that this phrase “The First Hundred Days” came into popular culture to describe a new president’s initial achievements [...]
Pariah India: A free-market democracy falling apart
NEW DELHI – After India launched far-reaching economic reforms in 1991, its stature in the world rose steadily. The country was already recognised as a thriving democracy and an example to the world of how to manage diversity in a free and open society. Its enhanced economic clout and the size of its increasingly prosperous [...]
Raising a toast to the grand old Colombo Medical School
In the year 2020, the month of June, Heralds 150 years of the Colombo Medical School! The diseased and depopulated Vanni, in the 1860s Lead to the birth of the medical school in 1870. During governor Hercules Robinson’s reign, In the surgical ward of Colombo General, the school became, The colonial Northern Province surgeon, Dr [...]
A Multi-billion dollar US Mideast arms market may be in jeopardy
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 17 2020 (IPS) – When President Saddam Hussein ran one of the world’s most authoritarian regimes in the militarily-volatile Middle East during 1979-2003, US newspapers routinely described him as “the strongman of Iraq” — as most journalists rightly view dictators worldwide. But one of his political aides, described as “Saddam’s right-hand man” [...]
Raising awareness on Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Strength and compassion can be measured in a multitude of ways. Next Saturday, February 29, it will be measured by the actions of a community coming together to support a very special cause. “Raise to Rise – Help a child walk again”, is a public walk organised by the J.I.A Foundation Sri Lanka to raise [...]
9th International Conference on Birth Defects and Disabilities begins today
The 9th International Conference on Birth Defects and Disabilities in the Developing World will kick-off today at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo. With the theme of ‘Health for All: Accelerate Efforts for Birth Defects Prevention and Care’, the ICBD2020 from February 23-26 is relevant to Sri Lanka as it would provide an opportunity to [...]
Remembering Ven Soma Maha Thera on his 60th death anniversary
Soma Maha Thera was born on December 23, 1898 in Kotahena, Colombo. His father was Emmanuel Marian Pererapulle and his mother Theresa Rodrigo Babapulle and his name was Victor Emmanuel Pererapulle. He received his entire education at St Benedict’s College, Kotahena, the premier Catholic school in Colombo and a school that also produced such great [...]
We are all better people for his path having crossed ours
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” – George Bernard Shaw ‘Man and Superman’ Encapsulating the kind of life that Prasanna Jayawardena P.C. J lived, into a few words, is like being asked to [...]
RCSS ranked high among top global think tanks in 2019 global index report
For the third consecutive year the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS) has been listed as the number one think tank in Sri Lanka and among the top ten think tanks in South Asia within its categories in the ‘2019 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report’. The highly recognised Global Go To Think Tank [...]
Sumith to talk on “Signals, gestures and behaviour of elephants”
Dr Sumith Pilapitiya will talk on “Signals, gestures and behaviour of elephants” at the 124th Session of the monthly lecture series of the National Trust – Sri Lanka. His lecture will be held at the HNB Auditorium, 22nd Floor, HNB Towers, 479 T.B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10 at 6.30p.m. on Thursday, February 27. Elephants are [...]
Lecture on ‘Commercial bivalve farming in Sri Lanka’
A Lecture on ‘Commercial bivalve farming in Sri Lanka’ by Prof. W.M.T.B. Wanninayake formerly of NARA and the Wayamba University will be held tomorrow (February 24) at 6.30 p.m. at the Auditorium of the Organisation of Professional Associations (OPA), 275/75, Prof. Stanley Wijesundara Mawatha, Colombo 7. Organised by the Sri Lanka Natural History Society, entrance [...]