I’ll meet you under the Tamarind tree – Royal Memories
At the request Mr B A Abeyrathna, the Principal of Royal College, the Group of 93’ of the Royal College Union undertook a project to improve the area around the historic Tamarind trees, adjacent to the main grounds. This was completed with the support of the members of the group, and under the guidance of [...]
Coronavirus: Safety concerns over disinfection sprays
According to global scientific consensus, sanitising hard surfaces that are frequently touched, frequent handwashing to prevent cross-contamination and self-contamination, social distancing of two-metres, wearing protective facemasks and good general hygiene practices are more conducive methods in protecting people from SARS-Cov-2. However, the effectiveness of disinfecting solutions is a concern. According to the US Environmental Protection [...]
End of Sinhala political history?
Higher Education Minister and Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawardena in the current election campaign has been promising to establish so many universities reminiscent of politicians in the past promising to open public toilets in towns where they were addressing political rallies. We have been unable to keep an accurate count of the promised universities but we [...]
Responsible urbanism: Inclusive cities and national development
Pinocchio was cared by a fairy after his father was swallowed up by a shark. He promised to the fairy that he would be a good boy. One day he went to the beach with other boys and got into trouble. He came back to the fairy’s castle very late. A tortoise, who was the [...]
Ignorance of the law is not an excuse
A youth, who has an interest in law and order and is a follower of my articles, came up with some pertinent questions for discussion. His first question pertained to the legal principle that ‘ignorance of the law is not an excuse’. His question was, “what about knowledge of that law which says so? How [...]
The politics of a COVID-19 vaccine
NEW YORK – The global toll of the COVID-19 pandemic is enormous: more than a half-million lives lost, hundreds of millions out of work, and trillions of dollars of wealth destroyed. And the disease has by no means run its course; hundreds of thousands more could well die from it. Not surprisingly, there is tremendous [...]
US-Vietnam ties: Past, present, and future
On July 11, the United States and Vietnam commemorated the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, which occurred under former US President Bill Clinton in 1995 after grappling with the legacies of the Vietnam War. The commemoration is an occasion not just to reflect on the remarkable trajectory of [...]