The Maldives, a nation of friends
A tropical Paradise with crystal clear water, stunning beaches, more than 1,200 tiny islands spread all over the ocean is the Republic of Maldives. Inhabited islands are 200, of which luxury resorts are in more than 150. The first resort was opened in 1972 and over a period of 50 short years the Republic of [...]
Lanka.tax launches relief initiative for Cyclone Ditwah-affected taxpayers and donors
Tax preparation company offers 75% discount and 24/7 support to ease burden on flood-affected Lankans and those who contributed to relief efforts Lanka.tax, a leading tax preparation and advisory services company, announced the launch of its Cyclone Ditwah Relief Support initiative, offering substantial tax filing assistance to both flood-affected individuals and those who donated to [...]
MSF supports Sri Lanka flood relief with delivery of winterised tents to disaster management centre
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) continues its humanitarian response to the devastating floods and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah, which has affected over 1.8 million people across Sri Lanka. MSF is working closely with local partners to address urgent needs in hygiene, shelter, and healthcare. MSF has delivered 1,000 winterized family tents and 1,500 [...]
Bahrain National Day celebration – 2025
Ex and some current Bahrain residents met at the Sofia Hotel Colombo 3 on December 16 to salute Bahrain on its National Day. The event was held for the fourth consecutive year and was organised by the Sri Lanka Club Bahrain alumni group. This year’s event was held in a small scale in the absence [...]
Catholic University Students help flood victims
The Sri Lanka Catholic University Students Movement extended its helping hand to Sippikalana School in Chilaw, in the Puttalam District, by providing stationery and computer equipment worth Rs 130,000 to help resume normal school activities after severe flooding caused by Cyclone Ditwah. This assistance was offered to support the students and staff during a challenging [...]
Mohomed Iqbal wins national award in Hanoi
This year marks 55 years of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The 11th National Award for External Relations organised by the Government of Vietnam was held in Hanoi on December 12. The song ‘Sing songs of love, peace and friendship’, written and sung by Mohomed Iqbal of Sri Lanka, won an award at [...]
Dr B S R K Vittahachchi awarded PhD in Acupuncture
Dr Buddhika Sri Ranga Kumara Vittahachchi, a practitioner of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, has achieved a milestone in his professional journey with the completion of his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Acupuncture from Azteca University of North America. He received his PhD on November 26 from Professor Dr Ricardo Saavedra Hidalgo, Director-Chair of International [...]
FACETS 2026: A bold new chapter begins at Cinnamon Life
Sri Lanka is gearing up to host the first international gem and jewellery exhibition of the year as FACETS Sri Lanka 2026 opens on January 3. Now in its 33rd year, the exhibition marks a milestone with its move to The Forum, Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, creating the most expansive edition of FACETS [...]
Prof. G. L. Peiris offers a rare insider’s account of Sri Lanka’s peace talks with the LTTE
As global attention focuses on high-stakes peace negotiations, a definitive Sri Lankan perspective on the promise and perils of negotiated conflict resolution comes to print At a time when the world is closely watching peace efforts linked to conflicts in Thailand and Cambodia, Gaza and Ukraine, a new book by Prof. G. L. Peiris revisits [...]
The lighter side of life in our diplomatic service
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS – In the Sri Lankan diplomatic service there is never a dull moment. Or so it seems, with a perennial controversy over career diplomats versus political appointees, mostly unqualified for the job. The only exceptions were professionals, including lawyers, academics and journalists who served in several major cities, including New [...]
International conference highlights Circular Economy Pathways for a sustainable future
The 2nd International Conference on Circular Economy and Sustainable Ecosystems (IC2ESE 2025) was successfully held on December 11 at the Open University of Sri Lanka, Nawala, Nugegoda. Organised by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the international conference brought together academics, industry professionals, policymakers, and researchers from Sri Lanka and overseas to discuss transformative circular solutions [...]
S. Nadesan QC: An enduring legend
Dr Reeza Hameed Somasundaram Nadesan, Queens Counsel, who died on 21 December 1986, was an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, a Barrister-at-Law of Lincoln’s Inn, and an Advocate of the High Court of Madras. He took silk in 1954 and was at one time Chairman of the Bar Council. He was elected [...]
America’s civilisational suicide
By Carl Bildt, PROJECT SYNDICATE, EXCLUSIVE TO THE SUNDAY TIMES IN SRI LANKA STOCKHOLM – Earlier this month, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov offered a succinct description of the Trump administration’s new National Security Strategy (NSS), calling it “largely consistent with our vision.” He’s right. The NSS offers not even a hint of criticism of [...]