Epitome of administrative excellence Ray Forbes (left) being felicitated by former Presidents Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Maithripala Sirisena. image Source:-island Source:-island.lk The late Ray Forbes encompassed within himself administrative excellence and profound humanity. On account of these rare qualities he endeared himself to the staff and students of the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS), Colombo, for well over a decade. The above sentiments were expressed with regard to the former Director of the BCIS, Ray Forbes, by every speaker who was invited to comment on his life and times at a special commomerative ceremony held at the BCIS auditorium on March 7th. The event was presided over by the Chairperson of the BCIS, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. Among the attendees at the simple but august ceremony were senior members of the BCIS management, diplomats, members of the BCIS staff, past and present, and former and present students of ...

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Battle of the Saints” – Recap of Josephian-Peterite Encounters Source:-jpaacanada Joe-Pete – victories and interesting finishes image Source:-jpaacanada Earliest memories begin with the 1963 game where Maurice Deckker and David Heyn trash the Josephian bowlers to all parts of the field during a hurricane unbroken partnership of 73. Several sixes landed on the galvanized sheets of the students’ tent. One of them dislodged a sheet which came tumbling down. I also have vivid memories of Deckker splitting a bail in the process of clean bowling a Josephian batsman. St. Joseph’s pursuing a victory target of 208 were struggling to avoid defeat at 118/7 at the close and survived thanks to a battling 50 by stumper Placidus Liyanage. The ’65 game was the last to be played at the SPC ground. Both teams were packed with outstanding players. I missed this match but closely followed the radio commentaries. The Peterite captain ...

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It all happened in Colombo – a generation ago – By Upali Salgado The changing face of Colombo, and the lifestyles of her people exposed to Western culture are always fascinating.  Two writers, Herbert Hulugalle, a former Editor of the Ceylon Daily News, and Dr. R.L. Brohier, OBE, have in print recorded many facets of the History of Colombo, which was once a Moor trading centre and later a Portuguese and Dutch cittadel. During British times, it was known as the ‘Garden City’. This story is to rekindle the interest of readers about what life in Colombo once was.  The prominent landmarks that beautify the landscape of Colombo are Slave Island with the picturesque Beira Lake encircling the human settlement, and the Galle Face walk (‘Green’ as it is known today). Moors and Malays have lived in Slave Island for over 800 years, and also ‘Kaffir’ soldiers, brought from Mozambique and the ...

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Sri Lanka’s bowlers put Afghanistan to the sword in Colombo and in command to win Test – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (eLanka Sports editor) Sri Lanka’s bowlers wreaked havoc on Afghanistan, bowling them out for 198, and then raced to 80 fo no loss on day one of the only Test at the SSC stadium in Colombo. It was a day out for the fast men as Vishwa Fernando and Asitha Fernando combined with spinner Prabath Jayasuriya to unravel a potent Afghanistan batting line-up in just over half a day to set up what appears a historic first Test win against the visitors. The Afgans were all at sea on a seaming wicket which was exploited by a resurgent Sri Lanka side that has been reshuffled to include some veterans who were overlooked for a while. Only Rahmat Shah who smacked 91 off 139 balls with 13 fours had ...

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Good News From Jayam January 1, 2024 Pls Scroll Down 35 items Christmas Decorations in Colombo Official Opening of the ”Colombo-Street-Lighting” Sri Lanka Tourism blitzed the city of Colombo this festive season by lighting up key streets and areas for a second consecutive year, following the success of last year.  The month of December marks the start of the country’s peak tourist season, and the city light up project by Sri Lanka Tourism aims to add to the festivities and the overall holiday experience of visitors, as they enjoy a variety of events, sites, and the hospitality of Sri Lankans.  Colombo Lights Up For Christmas ! Capturing Festive Magic – Christmas and New Year Celebrations 2023-24 – Colombo, Sri Lanka (Please click on arrow) Congratulations! Vijay Amritraj International Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2024 Since becoming a globally recognized name as an athlete in the 1970s and 1980s, Vijay Amritraj ...

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OBITUARY – PRASANNA NIMAL WIKRAMANAYAKE. KC (11 August 1933 – 20 December 2023) – By Hugh Karunanayake Nimal Wikramanayake, KC, eminent lawyer and the only Asian born Kings Counsel in Australia, passed away on 20 December at a private nursing home where he was recuperating following surgery. He celebrated his 90th birthday just a few months ago. Born in Colombo as the second son to EG(Guy) Wikramanayake, a leading counsel in Colombo in his day, Nimal schooled at S Thomas College, Mount Lavinia. On leaving school, unlike his elder brother Ranji a well known endocrinologist  in Sydney, Nimal chose to follow in the footsteps of his forefathers. His paternal grandfather Edward Beauchamp was a lawyer himself, but it was Edward Beuchamp’s two sons Eric Bird, and Emil Guy, who created legal history by being granted silk, the only instance in Sri Lanka of two brothers being appointed Kings Counsel. Nimal’s ...

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More Indian Tourists are lured to visit the splendid island. – By Dr Harold Gunatillake The tourism industry is optimistic about achieving more than 1.55 million arrivals by the end of the year. The Science of Taste is revolutionising Sri Lanka’s culinary scene, which is driving the creation of new and innovative dishes. This is because the tourist minister targets more than 1.5 million tourists to arrive in 2023 during November and December months and beyond. Sri Lanka tourist venture targets more Indian tourists coming to Sri Lanka, which is how the trend goes. Statistics reveal that this year, though Indian tourists hit the target, tourists arriving from Russia, China, France, Germany, Finland, and other parts of Europe lured Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is on the rise, with more Indian tourists being attracted to the island each year. The culinary scene in Sri Lanka is also evolving, with ...

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SRI LANKA NEWS (OCTOBER  2023) Compiled by Victor Melder. The ban on single-use and short-term use plastics is scheduled to come into effect from tomorrow, 1st October, said the Central Environment Authority (CEA). A gazette notification issued on 19 July 2023 by the Minister of Environment has banned any use of nine plastic products. It prohibits the use of the single-use drinking. Accordingly, the use of those items in any process including manufacturing, and importation for local use, sale, offering for sale, displaying for sale, offering free of charge or exhibiting them will be prohibited with effect from October 01, 2023. CEA chairman Supun S. Pathirage said legal action will be taken against the violators in terms of the provisions of the National Environmental Act and measures will be taken to carry out related raids from tomorrow. (Colombo Page, 1.10.2023) Headline inflation, as measured by the year-on-year (Y-o-Y) change in ...

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Colombo Port City to become a major economic hub in the region – Former British PM David Cameron Source : ft The recently concluded Port City Colombo UAE Road Show unveiled the potential of PCC for all to see, drawing the attention of numerous global investors and dignitaries to the immense investment and business opportunities that this visionary project presents. The event served as an exceptional platform for fruitful discussions and an opportunity to showcase the abundant and diverse prospects at PCC. The Roadshow witnessed an impressive gathering of international investors and influential figures, all eager to explore the myriad investment avenues offered by PCC.  Former British Prime Minister, David Cameron was also present at the event as the Guest of Honour. He delivered a keynote address and participated in a broad discussion about the prospects of PCC. Discussions ranged from real estate development to regional trading and hub operations, luxurious ...

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OLD JOSEPHIANS SPORTS CLUB, COLOMBO – PAST PRESIDENTS & HONY. LIFE MEMBERS OLD JOSEPHIANS SPORTS CLUB – COLOMBO PAST PRESIDENTS & HONY. LIFE MEMBERS                           Ben F Seneviratne  **                         Prema C S Fernando  ** 1964 to 1967   F X A Pereira **                          1968 to 1972   Hector S A Perera  ** 1973 to 1977   Malcolm de Costa  ** 1977 to 1978   H V Perera  ** 1979 to 1980   Mervyn Gunasekera  ** 1981 to 1982   Arthur Raymond ** 1982 to 1984   Harold L de Sayrah 1984 to 1986   Felix Perumal 1986 to 1988   J Lawrence Fernando ** 1988 to 1990   Derrick L E de Zoysa ** 1991 to 1992   Hillary M Marceline ** 1993 to 1995   Phillip Kulatunga ** 1995 to 1996   Jermyn Fernando 1996 to 1998   Felix Perumal 1998 to 2001   Chris F Fernando ** 2001to 2003    Manik Pereira 2003 to 2005   Lakshman Silva 2005 to 2007   Lalith Gamlath 2007 ...

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