January 4, 2018 · 5:16 pm

Indian Aid is without Strings says Ambassador Sandhu

Editor, NewsInAsia, 4 January 2018, where the title runs  India’s only aim in Lanka is to cooperate and collaborate with it, says envoy Taranjit Singh Sandhu””

The Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, has said that India’s only agenda in Sri Lanka is to “cooperate and collaborate” with it, and that Indo-Lankan bilateral cooperation is all about “sharing and caring” and devoid of “caveats and riders”. Speaking here on Wednesday following the signing of an agreement by which Sri Lanka will purchase 209 state of the art ambulances with an Indian grant of US$ 15.02 million, the Indian envoy quoted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi  who said in July 2016 that India joins hands with its dear and near partner, Sri Lanka, to cooperate on projects, “based on Sri Lanka’s own choices and priorities for development.”

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January 3, 2018 · 3:32 pm

Appreciating the Lake House Building

Ishara Jayawardane in conversation with Professor Manawadu, 3 Janaury 2018, where the title is

The physical presence of the Lake House building is enough to awaken a sense of awe in all those who behold it. The building commissioned by D.R. Wijewardena, is a white colossal monument that has dominated the landscape, housing some of the most revered newspapers in the world.

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January 3, 2018 · 1:58 pm

Celebrating DR Wijewardene and the DAILY NEWS

Lakdev Liyanagama, in Daily News, 3 January 2018, with the title A century’s fruition

The centenary that the Ceylon Daily News celebrates this year is also a hundred years where this newspaper, newspapers in Sri Lanka and indeed the media, in general, have metamorphosed several times over, serving different roles depending on the needs of the day.

“DR’–a classic photograph by Lionel Wendt

A hundred years ago, in 1917, the Ceylon Daily News was born when Don Richard Wijewardene (known as ‘DR’ to all), took ownership of The Ceylonese and re-christened it the Ceylon Daily News. Wijewardene was involved in the movement to gain Independence from Britain and was not shy to use his newspaper for that purpose. In that sense, the Ceylon Daily News had an enmeshed roe in the country’s politics from its very inception. Continue reading →

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January 2, 2018 · 5:54 pm

The Colombo Port City: Basic Details

Editor, News-in-Asia, 2 January 2018, where the title is  Sri Lankan PM undertakes inspection tour of China funded Port City project””

Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, on Tuesday made an inspection tour of a 1.4 billion dollar mega port city which is being constructed close to the Colombo Harbour in the island’s capital.

The Colombo Port City, which will be the first of its kind in South Asia, is being constructed by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC). Wickremesinghe, who was accompanied by several ministers, was briefed by the Port City management on the overall project and the present stage of construction. “This project which will also be a financial center will convert Sri Lanka into a global hub in the Indian Ocean region,” Wickremesinghe told reporters at the site of construction.

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January 1, 2018 · 1:02 pm

Terrorism within Pakistan Today

Zahid Hussain, in Dawn, 1 January 2017,  where the title  is “The Missing Element

The attack on a Quetta church on Christmas Eve, days after the carnage at a Peshawar college, is a grim reminder of terrorism far from being contained despite the government’s claim of success in counter-terrorism drive branded as Raddul Fasaad, or ‘elimination of discord’. While the security officials describe it as the next phase of the ongoing campaign, there are some serious flaws in the approach as witnessed during 2017.

  Terror outfit ISIS have claimed the Quetta bomb blast which killed 15 and wounded 40 (Reuters)

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January 1, 2018 · 12:45 pm

Malala outpaces Jinnah, Benezir and Imran in Wikipedia Reference stakes in 2017

DAWN Item entitled “Malala was the most popular Pakistani on Wikipedia in 2017: report

A report by The Wikimedia Foundation’s Pakistan affiliate revealed Malala’s Wikipedia page had over 2.5 million views

Malala Yousufzai topped the list of most searched Pakistanis on Wikipedia for a second year in a row, revealed a report of the Pakistan affiliate of The Wikimedia Foundation. The list, which tabulates Wikipedia searches of Pakistani personalities, is based on searches carried out from January 1, 2017 to December 20, 2017.  Here’s who all made it to the top 20:

1) Malala Yousufzai (2,558,980 pageviews)

How Malala made headlines in 2017:

Malala makes it to Bazaar’s 150 Visionary Women list

Relax, Malala’s jeans aren’t an assault on your national identity

Urdu edition of Malala’s book ‘will remove misconceptions’

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December 31, 2017 · 6:57 am

About Hathuru …. before Q and A with Hathuru

Rex Clementine in Island, 31 December 2017, where the title runs Hathurusingha harps on No Dickheads policy”….. with emphasis in highlights added by Editor, Thuppahi

Not many Asian teams go to South Africa and excel. Sri Lanka in particular have a disastrous record over there. Yet, one man conquered the last frontier. Chandika Hathurusingha took a young Sri Lanka ‘A’ side to South Africa in 2009 comprising the likes of Angelo Mathews, Tharanga Paranavithana and Suranga Lakmal and they recorded a 4-1 series win against a strong opposition.

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December 29, 2017 · 3:58 am

Balancing Human Rights with Poverty Alleviation

Sanja De Silva Jayatilleka, in The Island, 29 December 2017

Professor Richard Falk’s inspiring and reflective article on Human Rights, Democracy and International Liberalism in ‘The Island’ of Dec 28th (originally titled ‘Democracy, Development, and Reputation: Vietnam, Turkey, and International Liberalism’) re-thinks human rights in a way that potentially introduces a whole new paradigm which  will resonate with many developing countries including Sri Lanka. That it was written by an internationally eminent Professor of Law who has been involved with issues of Human Rights for decades including as Special Rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Council, makes it all the more important.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_A._Falk

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December 29, 2017 · 1:54 am

Geo-Political Power in the Human Rights ‘Órder’

Richard Falk, in Island, 28 December 2017, where the title is “Human rights, democracy & international liberalism””

The liberal exclusion of collective rights should be reviewed, and the tendency to gloss over the existence of poverty and gross inequality endemic in capitalist societies should be subjected to critical scrutiny. As well, the tendency of socialist or state-dominated societies to undervalue civil and political rights of individuals should be equally scrutinized.

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December 27, 2017 · 3:10 am

A Fateful Day: 26th December Thirteen Years Back

with these images below from Daily News, 27 December 2017, … http://www.dailynews.lk/2017/12/27/local/138327/remebering-their-loved-ones

A ceremony to remember thousands of people who lost their lives to the deadly tsunami that hit the island 13 years ago was held at Pereliya, Galle – the location of the largest single rail disaster in world history. On December 26, 2004, over 1,500 people onboard the Matara bound train were swept away by the deadly tsunami waves at Peraliya — Picture by Wimal Karunatilake 

Two boys light incense sticks beside a photograph of their loved ones at a memorial held yesterday to remember those who were killed in the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami.  Memorial events to mark 13 years since the Tsunami were held at Thiruchchenthoor,  Dutch Bar, Kallady Mukathuwaram and Navalady in Batticaloa with religious leaders, parents, relations and friends of the departed gathering to pay respects to their loved ones — Picture by  Sivam Packiyanathan, Batticaloa Special Correspondent

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