Thuppahi's Blog

Jehan Perera, in The Island, 6 October 2026…… https://islareventing-grievances-from-becoming-communal/nd.lk/p

The death sentence on Sivarasa Anojan, a Sri Lankan citizen convicted of blasphemy in Saudi Arabia, has taken a central place in national consciousness for the past several weeks. It has been in the headline news since it was first reported last month. There have been many initiatives taken locally to get a more lenient sentencing by the Saudi authorities. There is also an undercurrent that is critical of both the culture and religion from which this sentencing emanates. This also sustains the widespread publicity being given nationally to the issue. By way of contrast, the controversy caused by the forcible removal of the Thileepan statue in Jaffna has not significantly impacted upon the national consciousness. There was only passing mention of the incident in the national media which has been overtaken by other events.

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Cat Wright

Two eyes gaze blankly, in the centre of the composition, from a bureaucratic figure who sits behind a counter. Electric strip lighting and sign with printed capital letters hang from the ceiling. Two queues stretch ahead. Most face forward; one reads a book, another peers back at the viewer with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. The scene is rendered in Untitled (Unemployment Line) (1972), drawn by George Beven (1929-2023). Although hailed ‘one of Sri Lanka’s leading contemporary artists’ by The Guardian, his work is also an important part of British art history, as the sketch itself testifies to. (1) The image captures the distribution of dole benefits in the UK during the 1970s, a pivotal historical moment: the decade in which post-war social democracy broke down, to be replaced with a neoliberal counterrevolution. (2) Britain was in its most economically equal in 1976, the year an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan imposed austerity measures, ahead of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s tenure from 1979-1990, which would dismantle common wealth and exacerbate social inequalities. (3)

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Madushka Balasuriya, in ESPNcricinfo, 25 September 2026

Kusal Mendis’ 82-ball hundred set Sri Lanka up for victory  •  AFP/Getty Images

Sri Lanka 321 for 6 (Kusal 121, Kamindu 54) beat England 305 for 9 (Banton 73, Buttler 69, Duckett 67, Jacks 52, Wellalage 3-49) by 16 runs

Seven years on from their last away ODI victory against England – also at Headingley – Sri Lanka repeated the trick, and kept the series alive, ahead of the decider at The Oval on Sunday with a hard fought 16-run win.

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Yomal Senerath-Yapa, in The Sunday Times, October 2026, where the title reads thus: “Legacy of ‘The Eastern Degas’ to give life to creativity” … & the sub-title runs thus “Seven decades of George Beven’s art to fund a new trust for artists”

AI Search Outcome

Lionel Wendt _ About Us  …. The Lionel Wendt Art Centre (and its gallery/theatre) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, has faced two primary areas of management-related criticism and controversy over the years:

1. Operational Mismanagement and “The Tragedy of the Lionel Wendt” (2017)

In late 2017, public outcry and investigative coverage highlighted severe operational failures by the centre’s paid management team and its trustees. Main criticisms included: [1, 2]

• Inaccessibility and Neglect: Paid staff and trustees were accused of being completely unresponsive to the public, leaving office phones unanswered, ignoring emails, and abandoning the venue’s official Facebook page. [1, 2]
• Poor Facility Upkeep: Despite charging steep booking fees to play and performance producers, management failed to use available funds or solicit donations to upgrade outdated facilities, fix deteriorating seating, or address restoration needs. [1, 2]
• Unwelcoming Rules: Audiences criticized heavy-handed policies, such as aggressive handbag searches years after the civil war ended, strict food bans, and removing traditional local snack sellers from the premises. [1]

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Hiran Hewavisenti…..in FACEBOOK ….https://www.facebook.com/

Matters of the cricketing mind

Sri Lankan cricket – which is a passion for some and a religion for others like yours truly – is in shambles. It can’t be anything else when our highest ranking across the three formats is No. 7. Emulating our world champion teams of 1996 and 2014 has thus become a distant dream… because those who have run the show paid lip service to a golden rule of nurturing talent, which we’ve had – and still have – in abundance.

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Chandre Dharmawardena, whose chosen title is  “Fault Lines Threatening Sri Lanka’s Future,”  cast in September 2026 …. and appearing in The Island, 22 September 2026

Introduction
The official narrative surrounding Sri Lanka’s economic recovery is optimistic and up-beat. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has repeatedly assured the public that the nation, which faced catastrophic bankruptcy in 2022, is finally entering "safe waters." This political optimism is backed by data from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL [1]), which projects an annual economic growth rate of approximately 5%, bolstered by the country’s recent structural upgrade to “middle-income” status. On paper, the macroeconomic indicators suggest a remarkable turnaround.

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SENT To Me by Dr Yassus de Silva of Richmond College now in UK

https://share.google/NcN9N2y73syF2Nptb

also see GALLE AS QUIET AS ASLEEP….

book by Norah Roberts
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Darshanie Ratnawalli

 Here’s that statement which, while not binding coz it’s obiter, is certainty persuasive because it was made by an illustrious bench comprising Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Murdu N.B. Fernando and Janak De Silva.

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