When peace is not at peace with itself
The war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has been won by the Government. As Aristotle has said, “It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organise the peace”. How are we doing in this respect? On October 4, 2021, the Ven. Hadigalle Wimalsiri Thera, accompanied by many other [...]
Betrayal by Lanka’s ‘Sons of the ‘56 Revolution’
The United Nations in December 1990 had declared October 1 as the International Day for Older Persons, which, despite our long years in the media, we were unaware of. We accidently came across it on the Internet only on its 30th Anniversary. Perhaps only few of the old codgers too would have known about it, [...]
A tribute to a pioneer in modern cardiothoracic surgery in Lanka – Appreciation
It was October 7. The time was about 6pm. There was call from one of my senior house officers. I answered the phone thinking it would be about a patient under my care. However, what was conveyed to me was totally unexpected and unbelievable. It left me in complete disbelief when I heard that Dr.Y.K.M. [...]
SLGJA AGM held virtually
The Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association (SLGJA) held its virtual Annual General Meeting recently. The following were elected as office bearers for 2021/2022. Ajward Deen – Chairman, Ahsan Refai – Immediate Past Chairman, Firaz Hameed – Secretary. Shazeen Farook – Treasurer, Muslim Salahudeen – Vice Chairman (Gem Segment), Akram Cassim – Vice Chairman (Jewellery [...]
WNPS lecture on the ‘Monkey Kingdom in peril’
The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society’s monthly lecture, this time on the topic ‘Monkey Kingdom in peril’, will be delivered by Prof Wolfgang Dittus on October 21, at 6 pm via Zoom and FB Live. Those interested could register online on https://forms.gle/f3zSiquj8JYGBZYA9 Prof Dittus has been studying the primates of Sri Lanka, in particular the [...]
Deaths from tuberculosis rose in 2020: WHO
Deaths from tuberculosis, the world’s biggest infectious disease killer until the Covid-19 pandemic, have increased for the first time in more than a decade, totaling more than 1.5 million people in 2020. That trend is expected to worsen in 2021 and 2022, according to a report released by the World Health Organization. The report confirmed [...]
Will China stand in the way of global health?
LONDON – Last month, I lamented that the leaders of the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) seem incapable of agreeing on coordinated policies that would benefit their own economies and the world. Now, I want to focus on a specific example that helps to illustrate the BRICS’ role – and that [...]