Dream degree to make TV, film professionals
Sri Lanka’s first degree programme in film and television, touching the hi-tech and digital dimensions, is to be started at the Kelaniya University on the initiative of one of Sri Lanka’s most eminent film personalities, D.B. Nihalsingha, the son of D. B. Dhanapala, who is regarded as the doyen of journalists. Dr. Nihalsingha, founder Chairman [...]
Sirisena blunder may have given Rajapaksa a return ticket
Just as Mahinda Rajapaksa prepares to make a political comeback, realising he still has a big following, a leading international business daily says President Maithripala Sirisena has blundered in dissolving Parliament and setting the stage for elections. President Sirisena has, meanwhile, acknowledged that his party, the United People’s Freedom Alliance, could lose and told 15 [...]
Senake Bandaranayake: Scholar, art critic and institution builder
Professor Senake Bandaranayake, the prominent Archaeologist and Emeritus Professor, University of Kelaniya, passed away in his sleep, after a long illness, on March 2, 2015. With a liberal mixed Buddhist and Christian upbringing and a radical youth orientation, Professor Senake Bandaranayake blossomed as a leading scholar in Sri Lanka when he opted for Archaeology as [...]
The power of Rotary: Doing good across the world
Rotary International is the world’s first and largest service organisation. Founded 110 years ago, the Rotary Mission is to create positive, lasting change within local communities around the world. The purpose being to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards and help build goodwill and peace in the [...]
Nostalgic memories on a notable milestone
When the invitation reached me to participate in the Sesquicentennial celebration of St. Benedict’s College on Friday, July 10, I was delighted. With it came many nostalgic memories. My career at St. Benedict’s College (Primary) as teacher, Principal / Headmaster took me down memory lane from September 1963 to August 2000. One hundred and fifty [...]
Mercedes-Benz Fashion & Apparel Awards – Sri Lanka to Premiere at SLDF 2015
Sri Lanka Fashion & Apparel Awards has joined hands with Mercedes-Benz – the luxurious international automobile brand for style and glamour. The partnership forged via the local custodian for Mercedes-Benz, Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC (DIMO), was announced recently at a glamorous runway launch. Entries are now being received for the show which will take [...]
All set for print journalists’ show of the yearVeterans honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards
The 16th Journalism Awards for Excellence 2014 ‘Awards Night’ will be held on July 28 at the Mount Lavinia Hotel. A record 250 entries were received this year under the annual Journalism Awards for Excellence Programme Jointly organised by The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka (TEGOSL) and the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI), the industry [...]
Iran nuclear deal may trigger new arms race
UNITED NATIONS, (IPS) – The nuclear agreement concluded last week between Iran and six big powers, the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany, is threatening to trigger a new Middle East military build-up — not with nuclear weapons but with conventional arms, including fighter planes, combat helicopters, warships, missiles, battle tanks and heavy [...]
Fighting corruption won’t end poverty
CAMBRIDGE – Countries are poor because governments are corrupt. And, unless they ensure that public resources are not stolen, and that public power is not used for private gain, they will remain poor, right? It certainly is tempting to believe so. Here, after all, is a narrative that neatly aligns the promise of prosperity with [...]
World Santa Congress in Copenhagen
COPENHAGEN (Reuters)-Chuckling “Ho ho ho” and waving to the public, dozens of Santas brought some Christmas cheer to the Copenhagen summer on Monday as they began their annual World Santa Claus Congress. Drawing Santas from around the world, the three-day event in the Danish capital hosts a range of activities including parades, a Santa Obstacle Course [...]
Maris Stella College Old Boys’ Association presents drama, ‘Lawrancege Manamali’
The Old Boys’ Association, Colombo, of Maris Stella College presents the stage drama, ‘Lawrancege Manamali’ at 7 p.m. on August 1 at the Bishop’s College Auditorium, Colombo 3. ‘Lawrancge Manamali’ is directed by Sujeewa Priyal Yaddehige and stars Dulika Marapana, Mali Jayaweerage, Hemantha Prasad, Sampath Jayaweera and Sujeewa Priyal Yaddehige himself. It is produced by [...]
Spain’s Mattala airport
A group of international investors has won a bankruptcy auction for an abandoned airport in central Spain with a 10,000 euro (£7,000) offer — 100,000 times less than it cost to build. The investors were the only bidders for Ciudad Real airport, south of Madrid, completed during Spain’s boom years. But it is not clear [...]
Mattala – the magnificent mistake
I have not been to Mattala except passing on that 4-lane highway on my way to Yala. I knew there was a big new airport surrounded by controversy. But as it was white-washed so much in politics I paid scant attention to aeroplanes coming and going from Hambantota. Recently I read in the Sunday Times [...]
Kudu and kudos for our police officers
Whether during peace time or days of turmoil or elections, the Police Department which is the primary and only department entrusted with the task of maintaining law and order, is under the public searchlight. This is because the Police Department has constant interaction and contact with the people. Thus they receive more brickbats than bouquets. [...]
There can be no good governance without good policing
The article titled ‘Police corruption and Police supervision’ by Rtd. SSP Tassie Seneviratne (TS) in the Sunday Times of July 12 has drawn my attention to a timely topic. TS nostalgically harps on the good old days laying out some tried and tested methods and adding some interesting anecdotes that reveal what the Police Service [...]