With a war-mongering president gone, is the world safe from nuclear brinkmanship?
UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – A war-mongering president, with his finger on the nuclear trigger — and who threatened to attack North Korea and Iran — was unceremoniously drummed out of office on January 20. And two days later, the world rejoiced the historic entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons [...]
Sports Editor who challenged the Mighty King Kong
Writing about one’s dad is not an easy topic when it is attached with nostalgic memories. I am proud to say that my dad was one in a million. Shahul Hameed Yoonoos was born on 8th August 1922 in Katugastota, Kandy. He was popularly known as S. H. Yoonoos in journalistic circles. Most of his [...]
Dr. Jayatissa de Costa, PC completes 50 years at the Bar
Dr. Jayatissa de Costa, PC, LLB (Cey), LLM (Lond) and PhD (Colombo) had an impressive 50-year career as a practising lawyer. He did not confine himself to legal practice. He taught law at Sri Lanka Law College and had the distinction of supervising PhD programmes in a British University of Solent. Later, he served as [...]
Will Trump’s immunity last?
With Donald Trump no longer being the President of the United States, the question in many people’s minds is this: For how long does Trump have immunity from prosecution? As long as an American president remains in office, current legal opinion is that he or she cannot be prosecuted for any crime. That immunity from [...]
Compulsory military training or bhikku voluntary ordination?
A regrettable thing about aging is the desire of adults to make children and youth — not only in their family circle but of entire society — to act in accordance to their desires. Thus, the young and even those on the fringe of becoming adults — youth — are concerned, the popular thinking is [...]
Looking at America
I have been musing about the events of these past few weeks – particularly the unprecedented events that took place in the United States during which the “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave” showed itself in its true colours (or colors, as they say) to the rest of the world. To [...]
Whither law and order of a sovereign people?
Sovereignty of the people, constitutionally enshrined, is, in essence, a maxim of conduct or rule or principle which guides the agencies that hold authority. For law and order of the people the agencies need, then, to conduct the Sovereignty of the people as a working principle. Sovereignty, therefore, requires positive action. The principle of sovereignty [...]
A gift of hope from a Right Royal-Rotary Club partnership
The Royal College Group of ’96 and the Rotary Club of Colombo Regency joined hands recently to gift much needed equipment and accessories for the Children’s ward of the National Cancer Hospital of Sri Lanka (Apeksha Hospital). This gift was initiated by Group of ’96 member Dr Rukmal Gunathilake, a Consultant Paediatrician attached to the [...]
Book launch
Jeevithaya Newathila (Life has stopped), a compilation of short stories written by Shelton Hettiarachchi, Provincial Correspondent for Wijeya Newspapers Limited, was released recently at a private ceremony. He is seen here presenting a copy to Nuwara Eliya District Secretary Rohana Pushpakumara.
HelpAge Eye Hospital reopened for free cataract surgeries
After second wave of COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the HelpAge Eye Hospital that performs free cataract surgeries for senior citizens resumed operations last week, keeping in line with health guidelines. HelpAge Chairman Tilak de Zoysa said arrangements were made to reopen the eye hospital following requests made by senior citizens. HelpAge Eye Hospital Manager Lakshman Amaratunga [...]
Korean language speech contest winners felicitated
South Korea’s Ambassador Santhush Woonjin Jeong felicitated the winners of the Korean language speech contest at an event held on Thursday at the embassy premises. Due to the prevailing pandemic, the Korean language speech contest was held online in December last year as an event of “Korea Week”. The winners were awarded prizes by the [...]
How to tackle vulnerable countries’ triple crisis
WASHINGTON, DC – The year 2020 changed everything. The world now faces interconnected health, economic, and climate crises that have no historical parallel. These converging threats affect everyone, but are especially devastating for vulnerable developing countries. The tragedy is that these countries receive relatively little direct public support to build resilience to climate change, and [...]