Matale Police charges counsellor in child abuse case

A social worker and counsellor who came across an abused child and promptly handed her over to the police in August 2020....

Leopard attack on farmers in Kutumbigala

An abundance of greeneries that come to life with birdsong and calls of the wild, punctuated with rocky outcrops highlight the Kutumbigala Sanctuary as one of the most pristine locations in the Ampara District. Home to one of the ancient Bu

Civil Society Collective tells Govt. Heed advice of medical professionals; allow burial of COVID-19 dead

A collective of civil society leaders and organisations, leaders of Catholic and Christians faiths, leading academics, human rights activists and concerned citizens representing a large number of minority religious groups in a joint statement have welcomed the recent statements by eminent and authoritative individuals and organisations in the medical field in Sri L

Legal governance and its challenges: Civil society seeks answers from govt. 

The Mahara Prison riots, incidents of custodial killings, isolated incidents such as the suspicious death of the Dutch monk, the passing of the 20th Amendment....

His life and times as an Ace Aviator

“It was flying that attracted me while studying at S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia in the 1950s. I used to ‘cut’ school with my friend Rakitha Wickramanayake.....

Book Review: Raja never feared the fight

“I Flew Over the Mountain” is the just-published autobiography of a fellow Richmondite, Raja Arambewela of Galle. The youngest (“bada pissa”) in a family....

In memory of a champion hockey player

Sandiya Ithagane Wijekoon Peiris is an unforgettable name in the history of women’s hockey in Sri Lanka.

Catching a ‘glimpse’ of hope

The story of 37-year-old Sanjaya Sandaruwan from Wennapuwa still echoes to this day. Sandaruwan became a victim of an acid attack on October 18, 2010..

Cracks on the Victoria Dam: When a Professor’s cautions were thrown to the winds

Minister in charge of Mahaweli has said that foreign experts are expected to inspect the Victoria Dam and other dams in the country.

Magic in the offing!

We are fast approaching the end of yet another year, albeit a highly unconventional one. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that the status quo can change for the worse. After all, everything – be it material or non-material – is subject to change.

Unduwap Poya Impacts of planting the Siri Maha Bodhiya

It was just two weeks ago that we saw the firm stand taken by the custodians of the Jaya Siri Maha Bodhiya against a so called anti-virus herbal syrup being taken to its upper precincts for whatever the reason. This hallowed Tree has been pro

Coming to terms with our own mortality

Recently I read an article which stated that those who are extra sensitive, ( artists, musicians- Basically those who create things) expe

MOBILISE project to fight SL’s climate change vulnerability

During a 20 year research, in 2018 Sri Lanka was ranked second in a global index among the most affected countries by extreme weather conditions.

Was Christmas celebrated in the Kandyan Royal Courts?

Christmas may have been a grand occasion in the Royal Courts of the Kandyan kingdom way back in the 16th Century when Konnappu Bandara who reigned as Vimaladharmasuriya 1 in Kandy made Dona Catherina his consort.

She was a beautiful mix of worldliness and innocence

It was a weekday morning in the year 1952. 13-year-old Khair was preparing for school. Her mother was preparing to be admitted to the hospital. Before leaving, she told Khair: “Look after the children”.

A banker with a heart of gold

The sudden death of Arumugam Rasanayagam after a short illness on November 8, 2020 sent shock waves among all the people who knew him and his family.

Christmas heralds the Birth of the Eternal Galilean

Two thousand years ago there lived in the humble sea-sidehamlet of Nazareth to the south of Galilee in Palestine, a carpenter’s son by the name of Jesus.

Uncorking the Sinhala genie: The Champika Project

In the annals of horribilis, 2020 wasn’t just an annus horribilis. It was much more and much worse. Sri Lanka fared better.....

All is from Him to all

The birth of Christ is not an abstract event. It is a most historical event. It embraces the totality of universal history. God took flesh in order to relate.....

Joseph and Mary unified in obedience, trek to Bethlehem, for the fulfillment of the Prophecy

MARY shifted her weight uncomfortably atop the little beast of burden. She had been riding for hours. Just ahead, Joseph walked steadily onward.....

Gender based violence on the rise!

According to the UN, one in three women experiences physical and/or sexual violence especially in the form of intimate partner violence.

AFD aims to transition SL towards a sustainable economy

The French Agency for Development (AFD) started operations in Sri Lanka back in 2005 as part of a post-tsunami intervention.

DMC, experts share lessons on reducing disaster risk

The international symposium on Multi Hazard Early Warning and Disaster Risk Reduction 2020 (MHEW DRR 2020) held from December 14-16 at the BMICH, Colombo witnessed the participation of 32 national, regional and international agencies responsible for tackling disaster risk in Sri Lanka.

Let me help!

As dozens of Covid-19 remedies continue to circulate on social media, a traditional medicine physician has come forward with allegations that indigenous medicine is now ridiculed thanks to the actions of a few quacks.

Pamunuwa traders oppose political hand in clothing business

The clothing business in Pamunuwa, Maharagama contributes largely to the Sri Lankan economy and is sadly in dire straits. Pamunuwa is popular for ready-made garments.

Mandatory Cremation: Bodies in freezers till Govt’s final decision

Fifty-year-old mother of three, Fathima Shakeela died on December 14 while undergoing treatment at the Homagama Base Hospital.

Introducing the Hanuman Plover: An ornithological treasure from Sri Lanka

The discovery of the ‘Hanuman Plover’ bird by a group of researchers in Sri Lanka comes as a ray of hope at a time when the country’s biodiversity is going through a rough patch. While introducing a new species to the world, the research also encou

Tribute to Berti Fernando The wonderful man who was comforted by watching his students being crowned

We have read the works of great captains of world literature such as Disapamok, Duishen, Kobayashi, Ricardo Braithwaite,

Dion Jayasuriya Demise of a thorough gentleman and true friend

Dion Jayasuriya joined S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia in January 1959 from year 1 in the Lower School. I joined S. Thomas’ Mount Lavinia to Lower Four (Standard 6) from St. Thomas’ Prep. School, Kollupitiya and, I had the good

Arisen Ahubudu- An Unparalleled Educator

It is a rare opportunity that a student gets to write about his teacher on his 100th birth anniversary. He was our teacher 51 years ago. But to this day he, and what he taught us is strongly etched in our minds. That is why it is such an honour for me to write about him and the influence he had on generations of Thomians.