Thuppahi's Blog

BBC News Item in  The  ISLAND, 11 February 2026, wth this headline “Pilot praised after crash-landing faulty Somali passenger plane on seashore”  ………………… https://island.lk/pilot-praised-after-crash-landing-faulty-somali-passenger-plane-on-seashore/

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A NOTE From David Sansoni now located in Sydney 

Miliani Henri Sansoni (1849-1907) married Alice Rosalind Aldons

They begat:

Rosalind Sylvia Sansoni

born 5 Nov 1874……

She died 6 May 1875.

Sylvester (Sylvie) Claude Aldons Sansoni (Pip’s and Dominic’s grandfather

born 20 Nov 1875 and died 25 May 1950.

Irene Sansoni

born 28 Jan 1877.

*She died 11 Dec 1877.*

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Caitlin Johnstone …. in a News Item sent to me by a Burgher friend in Melbourne

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Michael Roberts

 I came across the genealogy of the Madugalle Family quite accidentally ..…. https://thuppahis.com/2026/02/08/the-madugalle-genealogy-from-way-back/#more-96229

It should serve as a springboard for historical reflection on the socio-political currents of the 18^th to mid-twentieth  century – work linked to our knowledge of (A) the British aristocracy and middle-class derived from novels as well as historical studies and (B) the data in Robert Knox’s account of his enforced ‘sojourn’ within the Kingdom of Kandy** and (C) our many-sided ‘store’ of family histories – written and oral.

A Kandyan Family ….in the making

Meegasthenna Walauwwa….renamed as Manor House…inside & outside Continue reading →

Cosmic Cowboy

It is a rare celestial event when The Australian publishes something that isn’t sheer propaganda, let alone a piece worth reading. One could argue their last insightful contribution predates the invention of paper 70,000 years ago—a truly “once-in-a-Big-Bang” occurrence.

While recent articles touch on the surface, they fail to grasp that AI represents a shift in civilizational values as profound as the second-century invention of paper in China.

In Australian universities and schools, we are seeing a “wicked problem” where students use AI to bypass thinking, while lecturers use it to generate and grade assignments. This circular automation threatens to render degrees meaningless if every student receives an automated “A.”

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 Andrew Fidel Fernando = “Versatile Kamindu hints at finding his T20 home” ... in ESPNcricinfo, 9 Feb 2026

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Item in DailyFT, 8 February 2026 …. sent to TPS by Asoka Kuruppu in Brisbane

https://www.ft.lk/top-story/CBSL-Governor-dismisses-2028-debt-phobia-ahead-of-key-ISB-investor-call/26-788094

[The Governor of the Central Bank, SL  informed the world …]

• Says no basis for fears of another sovereign default or debt restructuring; a sentiment economists share
• Govt. paid $ 2.5 b in external debt service in 2025
• Reserve build-up targeted at $ 8-10 b over next two years against annual debt service of about $ 3.5 b
• Finance Ministry to brief Bondholders on debt position and fiscal outlook on 11 February

CBSL Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe

Sri Lanka will not face another sovereign debt crisis and will commence repayment of its restructured external debt as scheduled, Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said, dismissing what he described as unfounded fears of a renewed default around 2028.

Speaking at an event organised by The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the Governor rejected claims that the Government and the CBSL would be unable to meet upcoming debt service obligations, warning that such narratives risk undermining investor confidence at a sensitive juncture in Sri Lanka’s post-crisis recovery.

“I don’t see any reason even talking about any restructuring or another default. That is a completely misguided misperception. That creates unnecessary doubt among investors and countries that are willing to lend to Sri Lanka,” he said.
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Truth is King

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Tony Donaldson  

TAKE-IN …. https://youtu.be/A-U2MD-dxXs?si=PK2AN91od1cp2ABD

This is an excellent 8 part series on the SOE in WW2, at least the last 5 programs. 

Ep 4 focuses on the Dutch section which was betrayed. The SS caught the first SOE agents parachuting into Holland, and forced them to continue sending messages to England asking for more agents,  weapons and explosives. The SS were sending the messages, and each new batch was  caught.  SOE agents were supposed to include a mistake in their messages if they were caught and in enemy hands.  SOE in London received message from their agents in Holland without the agreed mistakes which should have alerted them that their agents were in enemy hands, but the SOE Dutch section in London ignored that and kept sending more agents and weapons. The SS caught them all and were running them.

Violette Szabo,1921-1945 Continue reading →

Madushka Balasuriya in ESPNcricinfo ….. https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/the-ssc-finally-steps-out-of-the-sun-and-into-the-floodlights-at-t20-world-cup-1522486

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