Thuppahi's Blog

Anushka Kuruppu and Nishthula Subasinghe, via Dhananath Fernando & the ADVOCATA INSTITUTE in Sri Lanka, 21 August 2026, with their fulsome title reading thus: “Sri Lanka’s Demographic Moment: 5.13 Million Young People and a Narrowing Window: what comes next

Economics is ultimately about people. It is about whether a young person can find a good job, whether a family can afford a better life, whether an entrepreneur can build a business, and whether an older person can retire with dignity. GDP growth is important, but it is only meaningful when it improves the lives of the people behind the numbers.

And today, Sri Lanka stands at a demographic crossroads. Sri Lanka is ageing. Our fertility rate has fallen, life expectancy has increased, and the share of older people in our population is steadily rising. In the years ahead, fewer working-age people will have to support a growing number of older citizens. This will reshape our economy, our labour market, our pension system, our healthcare system and our public finances.

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 MIAP … https://lankanewsweb.net/archives/245345/five-sri-lankan-cricketers-secure-places-in-2026-caribbean-premier-league/

Wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Perera will turn out for the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons, while all-rounders Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga have been included among the overseas players signed by the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots.

Defending champions St Lucia Kings have also opted for Sri Lankan talent, naming spinner Maheesh Theekshana and batting all-rounder Charith Asalanka in their squad for the upcoming season as they prepare to defend their title.

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Dr. Harold Gunatillake, whose preferred title is “Lakshman Kadirgamar: A Life of Intellect, Service, and Quiet Greatness”

Lakshman Kadirgamar is truly one of the most extraordinary Sri Lankans of our time. His sharp mind, dedication, and steadfast loyalty to the nation raised him to international recognition. As we remembered the 21st anniversary of his passing on August 12th with a heartfelt almsgiving ceremony organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

I couldn’t help but reflect not only on his public accomplishments but also on the personal memories I hold dear from our youth.

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From the  Booklet Edited by Marie Bartholomeusz

Some arbitrary selections by  The Editor, Thuppahi seeking to convey the worldly home  surroundings and travels of the Bartholomeusz lineage, even as a single SHOT underlines Ramani’s striking  beauty. Given her capacities in straddling the  Westernized world of the Sri Lankans and the indigenous Sinhala world her  MURDER can be regarded as a nation’s loss.

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 Chris Bartlett and Anthony Burke, in ABCnet, 18 August 2026, where the title reads: “How Kumar Sangakkara and team restored a world heritage-listed colonial villa in Galle Fort”

Kumar Sangakkara was often described as one of the most elegant cricketers to play the game. The Sri Lankan legend is regarded as one of the greatest wicketkeeper-batsmen, scoring more than 28,000 runs in all forms of the game, including 38 Test centuries.

Since his retirement in 2017, he’s found success off the pitch as a commentator, administrator and coach. Away from cricket, he’s thrown his talents at a passion project in the historic fortress town of Galle, on Sri Lanka’s south coast. There, Sangakkara and his wife Yehali have transformed a colonial-era townhouse into a modern family home, while keeping the unique blend of architectural styles which make Galle unique.

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Harold Gunatilleka in eLanka

Today, I’m excited to share my wonderful trip to Hiriketiya Beach in southern Sri Lanka with you. Tucked into a perfect crescent bay at the very south of Sri Lanka, just 10 minutes from Dikwella and 20 minutes from Tangalle, Hiriketiya is the spot everyone’s talking about — but somehow it still feels like a secret.

Why Hiriketiya is so alluring …..A= Let’s talk more about this Bay.

Picture this: a horseshoe-shaped cove with palm trees leaning over golden sand, turquoise water so clear you can see your feet, and not a single high-rise in sight. It’s small, it’s intimate, and it’s stunning from the moment you arrive.

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Dylan Wave, in Facebook, August 2026 where the title runs thus: “Madhubhashini Disanayaka Ratnayaka. A Distinguished Voice in Sri Lankan Literature”

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Item in eLanka, deploying an Item in the Sundaytimes … under this title: “Brilliant Shakespeare scholar whose goodness radiated a quiet influence on many by Dr Dennis Bartholomeusz” 

Source: Dennis Stephen Bartholomeusz, an acknowledged world authority on Shakespearean studies (90) passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on March 25 in Melbourne.

Dennis was born and raised in Sri Lanka, attended St Joseph’s College Colombo, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Ceylon. He established the English Department at Aquinas University College, in Colombo in 1954, where he was one of the first members of the English Department to be a literature specialist. He directed a number of plays, including ‘The Teahouse of the August Moon’, with Hilary de Alwis, a hilarious Japanese-American clown, ‘Moliere’s Tartuffe’ the two absurd hypocrites played by Percy Colin-Thomé and Brian Rutnam, the tragic beauty of Reneira Campbell’s Joan of Arc in Jean Anouilh’s ‘The Lark’, all box office successes at the Lionel Wendt Theatre in Colombo. In 1966, he graduated with a doctorate in English Literature from the University of London.

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Michael Roberts, presenting an old unpubd article drafted in the 1990s ….with highlights being Today’s insertions

It is feasible to suggest that leisure activity blossomed in Europe in the course of the nineteenth century. As European society was re-ordered by the Industrial Revolution and the bourgeoisification of civilization (e.g. Elias 1978 and 1982), the aristocratic and popular pastimes of the previous centuries were taken over, modified and added to.  Pastimes proliferated. In England, of course, these pastimes bore the imprint of class: one can speak broadly of working class pastimes and upper-class pastimes.

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Michael Roberts

Beauty and Brilliance are not always combined. BUT in Ramani Bartholomeusz these qualities were indelibly combined. Her upbrining in Gampaha and schooling had provided her with a mastery of the Sinhala language in a manner that enabled her to star in  Sinhala films. But, THEN.her lover aand partner chose to murder her with a car as the cruel strike weapon.

    She was only 21 …. Such talent, such indelible beauty ….. destroyed.

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