Thuppahi's Blog

L. Manawadu & Nelun Fernando, an article in a refereed outlet entitled “Proceeses Driving Ethnic Segregation in Cities: A Case Study of the City of Colombo,” … the change in title being an imposition  by The Editor, Thuppahi

Sri Lanka ka has a multi-ethnic composition with Sinhalese, Tamils, Moors, Burghers and Malays comprising the key ethnic groups. During the late 20^th century, the concentration of two minority ethnic groups, i.e. the Tamils and the Moors, has steadily increased in a few wards. Spatial and temporal changes in the pattern of ethnic segregation within the city are traced using a segregation index.  Reasons for the rise in ethnic segregation within the city include in-migration of people displaced following ethnic conflicts in other parts of the country, high natural growth rates particularly within the Moor community and low socio-economic conditions leading to congestion. The wards exhibiting a high segregation index value have a large proportion of under-served settlements and are located close to the Central Business District. Urban land use zoning regulations need to be redefined to discourage segregation and to upgrade under-served settlements.

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SENT by Lokubanda Tillakaratne [now in California]

 R.W. Ievers (1850-1905)  was the Government Agent of the North Central Province …See Manual of North Central Province (1899) ……This poem was provided by H.C.P. Bell, Archaeological Commissioner of Ceylon to the Times of Ceylon in 1917 and appeared on its Christmas Number of that year.

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Rohan Gunaratne in Substack, 23 August 2026, with the above title …

Iran’s Shia crescent – its group of partners and proxies – have taken a severe beating. Nonetheless Iran, especially the IRGC, is determined to fight back.

The Shift

From the Strait of Hormuz, the center of gravity of the Middle East conflict has shifted to the Red Sea. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) has directed Houthi Movement’s Ansarallah to destabilise its enemies. In addition to the U.S. and Israel, Iran’s key enemies are the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.

Tensions and fighting between Yemen’s Houthi movement and Saudi Arabia have sharply escalated, effectively ending the relative calm established by the 2022 UN-brokered truce. Houthi cross-border drone and missile strikes targeting Saudi energy and airport infrastructure have met with retaliatory coalition air strikes, pushing Yemen toward renewed full-scale conflict. Saudi Arabia previously led a regional military coalition starting in March 2015 to support Yemen’s internationally recognized government after the Houthis took over the capital, Sanaa. An informal calm held since 2022, but regional ripples from broader Middle Eastern conflicts and clashes over blockades strained the status quo. Coalition-backed Yemeni government strikes on Sanaa Airport prompted the Houthis to announce a naval and economic blockade against Saudi Arabia, hitting back with a wave of anti-infrastructure and maritime drone attacks. The Houthis claimed responsibility for multiple drone and missile operations targeting Saudi regional assets, including facilities in Najran and Red Sea shipping lanes near Mocha. Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces launched dozens of active ground and air operations targeting Houthi strongholds and military infrastructure in western and northern Yemen. Aid organizations warn that a full return to hostilities threatens to worsen what remains one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.

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KK de Silva 

  Marcus Dias Jayasinghe – Cricket Coach at St. Aloysius College, Galle in the mid 1950s, was a brother of the more famous Ceylon cricketer Douglas Dias Jayasinghe , the first Southerner to play for Ceylon, and later in the 1960s, Chairman of the  of the Board of  Selectors for Cricket, for many years. Both were old Mahindians and  Douglas captained the cricket team at Mahinda and Marcus played under him. Both played for the Galle Cricket Club Team.

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 Andrew McGlashan in ESPNcricinfo, 24 August 2026, where the title runs thus: “A short and not-very-sweet Test debut for Mackay” 

When Alex Carey spoke to the media at Great Barrier Reef Arena on Monday morning, he was the only international cricketer at the venue. There was the clunking and whirring of the broadcast crew derigging, branding was being taken down, and the Country Club was preparing for its daily routine.

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KK De Silva: Marcus Dias Jayasinghe – SAC Cricket Coach in the mid 1950s

Marcus Dias Jayasinghe, Cricket Coach at St. Aloysius College, Galle in the mid 1950s, was a brother of the more famous Ceylon cricketer Douglas Dias Jayasinghe, the first Southerner to play for Ceylon, and later in the 1960s, Chairman of the  of the Board of  Selectors for Cricket, for many years. Both were old Mahindians and  Douglas captained the cricket team at Mahinda and Marcus played under him. Both played for the Galle Cricket Club Team.

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Madushka Balasuriya in ESPNcricinfo, 23 August 2026, where the title reads “Padikkal century puts India ahead on hard-fought day”

Devdutt Padikkal struck a century for a second consecutive Test as India wrangled up 300 for 5 on the opening day of the second Test at the SSC in Colombo. At the crease at stumps were debutant Saransh Jain and Dhruv Jurel on 4 and 7, respectively. Padikkal’s 117 came across three separate stands, the most prominent being 120 with Shubman Gill and 74 with Ravindra Jadeja. Sri Lanka’s bowlers toiled on a hot and humid day, having lost the toss and been asked to field.

Asitha Fernando – the scrapper who refuses bad days

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Danny Byrne at Mackey, deploying this title: “Eighteen wickets fall in an extraordinary first day in Mackay”

The sponsors would have you believe my 88^th Test match ground was called the Great Barrier Reef Arena. Everywhere else it is simply Harrup Park and that will do for me. The queue for entry was already over 100 metres long when I arrived two hours before the start of play. The gates were not opened until 8.30 am after which a Steward walked down the line inviting anyone without bags to join an “Express” line. So, after patiently waiting in a queue for half an hour, nearly 200 people were allowed jump ahead of me from further back down the line and potentially get the best positions or grab the few seats available. They wouldn’t even allow this in India. In fact, they couldn’t allow it in India as there wouldn’t be a queue for people with bags.

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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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