February 26, 2025 · 12:54 am

Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage Celebrates Its 50th Year

Amal Jayasinghe, in The Island, Sunday Edn, with Pics by Ishara Kodikara and this title “Sri Lanka’s first elephant orphanage celebrates 50 years”

 Sri Lanka’s main elephant orphanage marked its 50th anniversary on Sunday February 16 with a fruit feast for the 68 jumbos at the showpiece centre, reputedly the world’s first care home for destitute pachyderms. The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage lavished pineapples, bananas, melons and cucumbers on its residents to celebrate the anniversary of their home, which is a major tourist attraction.

A few officials and tourists invited to the low-key celebration were served milk rice and traditional sweets while four generations of elephants born in captivity frolicked in the nearby Maha Oya river.

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February 26, 2025 · 12:24 am

A Looming ‘Death Threat’ Over the Nicobar Islands

A Frontline News Item & Protective Project ….

Great Nicobar and its companion islands are home to pristine forests that return to the beginning of time. They house flora and fauna that are rare and endemic. The islands are home to indigenous tribes who were there long before “civilisation” as we define it was born. These are important factors. They must weigh with any government before it launches a plan that threatens to wipe out life on the island as we knew it.

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February 25, 2025 · 11:57 pm

Vale: In Appreciation of Dr. Sisira Jayasuriya, A Committed Scholar

Sarath Rajapatirana  & Premachandra Athukorala, whose appraisal is entitled “In Memoriam:   Sisira Jayasuriya, 1946-2025″

The distinguished economist Professor Sisira Kumara Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka-born and a scholar who spent much of his professional life in Australia, passed away on 18 February 2025, after a prolonged battle with cancer.  Sisira was a remarkable man: a highly respected economist whose intellectual contributions ranged far and wide; an influential public intellectual; a wonderful teacher, mentor, and institution-builder; and a deeply loved friend to many people across cultures and all over the world. Continue reading →

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February 25, 2025 · 5:38 pm

Rambanctious Middle-Class Ceylonese of Yesteryear

A NOTE from the THUPPAHIYAA, 25 February 2025

This email memo from a ‘middle class’ Sri Lankan born before World War Two and nurtured in an elite college whci addresses mates nourished in the same schools and planter/military circles is of considerable socio-political significance. Its implications are all the stronger because the “Letter” is An Epitaph for Richard Hermon, an Extraordinary and Rambanctious Sri Lankan of the Old School. 

 AN EMAIL MEMO from Retd Major Lalin Fernando to a  Circle of Ceylonese Pals, 23 February 2025

Dickie was in Alison, a bit junior to me. His cousins Duncan and Tyrone were there too Dickie played Rugby with me in the 2nd XV v SPC (1955) on their grounds when he was 14 or less. There were no age groups then. The Peterites average age would have been around 19. It included their Cricket captain Ken (20 yrs old) but not Russel Duckworth. Dont know if Lakshman Serasinghe too played. Our oldest would have been 16 or so. The first XV match was played before our match as the seniors wanted to watch the CR v CH match. It left us brats to the after the match mercies of the Bamba crowd!

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February 25, 2025 · 9:25 am

Some Biographical Items in TPS Visited Yesterday

Michael Roberts

The THUPPAHI Web-Site has a wide range of biographical tales presented over the years. The items listed below are among those that attracted a few hits yesterday. In marking this result, I seek to remind readers of personnel who have contibuted towards our island’s varied history.

https://thuppahis.com/2020/09/30/the-joseph-family-of-british-ceylon-service-to-mankind

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February 23, 2025 · 7:26 pm

Sachs on USA’s Hegemonic Imperialism

An Email NOTE from Ajit Varuna-Candappa sent to his Royal College classmates, mid-February 2024

https://youtu.be/ZUbBU0OqCgE?si=H084GxLxuFKm6EQp

Dear Tony & all my classmates at Royal of the 57 Group.
We have known each other for 59 years since we entered Royal at age 10+ in 1957 & some since age 6+ from Royal Primary days.  Here is a 15 minutes of absolute irrefutable evidence that we’ve been ‘jived’ by both colonial & imperialist forces at first and now a hegemonic, war mongering frankly psychopathic state called America. 

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February 23, 2025 · 9:50 am

Bam! Bam! Scoop! Aussies Outdo England in High-Scoring ODI

Michael Roberts

Though England galloped to the high score of 351 runs being asked to bat first in the Champions Trophy match at Lahore, Australia ran that target down with 15 balls to spare …. aided by a century from Inglis and quick-scoring contributions from Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell.

So, plenty of reverse sweeps, dilscoops and  other scoop/sweeps and driving and hitting was winesses by the large crowd present.

SEE https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/icc-champions-trophy-2024-25-1459031/australia-vs-england-4th-match-group-b-1466417/match-report

 

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February 22, 2025 · 10:13 am

Migration Scams Rampant in Sri Lanka

Niruni de Mel in The Island, 16 February 2024 … where the title runs thus: “Scammed and Stranded: The Dark Side of Sri Lanka’s Migration Industry”

A fisherman from the quiet town of Mannar sold his mother’s, sisters’, and sister-in-law’s jewelry and, with a loan from his brother, paid a migration agent Rs. 12.8 million for a Canadian visa. Months later, he discovered the agent had vanished, leaving his family in crippling debt and his dreams in ruins. His story is not unique. Across Sri Lanka, countless desperate individuals fall prey to fraudulent migration schemes, losing their life savings in the process.

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February 22, 2025 · 9:04 am

Richard Simon’s THOMIA …. On The Launching Pod Now

THOMIA …. with the world and the moon in its sights and landing sites

RICHARD’s NOTE, 20 February 2024

Two important Thomia-related things happened yesterday. First, I had a call from Softwave to confirm that the first completed copies of the book would be delivered today, 20 February, as promised. Second, I made a call of my own, to confirm with the proprietors of the Barefoot Gallery Cafe that I shall be holding the official launch of Thomia there on the fourth of March.

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February 20, 2025 · 6:14 pm

Oshara Rajapaksa As England Cricket Prospect

Item in The Iskand,  October 2024

Oshara Rajapaksa is making waves in the UK cricket scene, taking giant strides on the field in London and quickly becoming a name to watch for the future. Recently, she earned her stripes by securing a spot in the Middlesex County Cricket Club Under-12 team, a testament to her promising talent.

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