Migration out of Ceylon & Sri Lanka – by Michael Roberts in ADELAIDE To those CEYLONESE – term used advisedly to mark time-emphasis – who migrated from the island in the period 1948 to 1970 ….and even in the next two decades … do take the trouble to respond to these questions at whatever length you consider suitable. DEAR I am now 85 years old. I left Sri Lanka with my family in 1977 and was therefore aware of the socio-political currents that prevailed from the 1950s onwards. Some of these developments and currents motivated several Western-educated personnel of middle-class status to migrate. Some of my relatives were among those who moved out to UK, Canada and Australia. That was THEN. But these personnel are presently in the Now …unless they have departed from life on earth. All the survivors will have grey hair …. or none at all. These features ...

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PRESS RELEASE – British Sri Lankan Association seeks Award nominations to recognise future leaders in society THE BRITISH SRI LANKAN Association (BRISLA) will hold their annual BRISLA Awards Ceremony on 20th October 2023 at the Caledonian Club in London. These awards were established seven years ago by Chair, Dr Zimar Sivardeen and are now recognised as the highlight of the year. A not-for-profit organisation, BRISLA brings together the diverse community of Sri Lankans from across the UK and provides a forum that facilitates co-operation between the two countries at an economic, educational, health and environmental level. In addition, this partnership works towards developing stronger links relating to trade and commerce, all within the framework of a creating a cohesive, fair and prosperous society for all. The BRISLA Awards recognise the achievements, hard work and the professionalism of individuals and organisations who are seen to embody BRISLA’s mission. This year there ...

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Honouring Desmond in Colombo & London After a super successful event in Sydney to Honour the legend Desmond De Silva, there has been a call from expats across the globe for similar events to honour & celebrate his life and bring closure to his sudden passing.  The next event is planned around Desmond’s birthday on 13th July.  For those who plan to be in Colombo around that time the date is 8 th July at the BMICH.  The artistes that would be performing will be a stellar lineup and the concert will be a sell out. Following the concert in Colombo there will be a Gala Concert/Dinner Dance in London on 9 th September at the Courtyard Marriott in Hayes. Ticket reservations are advised as this event is set to attract Desmond’s friends & fans from all over the UK and tickets are limited.  Once again performing artistes are senior ...

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NEW UK PRIME MINISTER – RISHI SUNAK – By Dr Tilak S Fernando Rishi Sunak became the first Asian Prime Minister in the UK on 7th November 2022, creating a world record in the history of politics. Liz Truss decided to give up the premiership due to the extreme pressure of the UK’s economic crisis, and she entered the history books as the shortest Prime Minister in the UK. Rishi Sunak was the Chancellor of the Exchequer before contesting for the Premier’s post. More surprising is how approximately over two hundred members of his party supported him to be the Prime Minister. Th Conservative party respects traditional values and shows the diversity and talent of the party. Rishi Sunak was born in the UK, Southampton, to an Indian family. His father was a pharmacist, and his mother was a General Practitioner attached to the National Health Service (NHS). Rishi Sunak ...

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Charles to meet British- based Lankans Source : dailymirror King Charles is to meet the British-based Sri Lankan community in his first public engagement.  Among King Charles’ inaugural events, since the end of the period of royal mourning, will be a reception in Edinburgh in Scotland for South Asian communities living across the UK – bringing together people with links to several South Asian countries including Sri Lanka. “They will invite 200-300 guests of British-based Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepalese, Bhutanese and Maldivian heritage from across the UK to attend,” UK media reports said. The event aims to recognise the contribution from these communities have made to UK life, from the National Health Service to the arts, media, education, business, and the Armed Forces, reports added.  ...

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SL declares holiday, day of mourning on Queen Elizabeth’s funeral – by Marziya Sharif President Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the British High Commission in Colombo to sign the book of condolence. Source : siasat Sri Lanka, a former British colony, has declared a special holiday and a day of mourning on September 19 in lieu of the funeral of late Queen Elizabeth II. Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs announced the government holiday and directed that the national flag be hoisted at half-mast until the said date. The UK’s longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II who died at the age of 96 on September 8, after reigning for 70 years was Sri Lanka’s head of state until 1972, the year the island nation became a republic, fully freed from the British sovereign. The late queen visited Sri Lanka in 1954 and 1981 and later she was represented by the ...

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SL to get access to UK market for over 80% products under new Trading Scheme Source : dailymirror Sri Lanka is included in the UK’s new Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) which replaces the UK’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP), accessing to the UK market for over 80% of Sri Lankan export products. “The UK’s new Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) is one of the most generous sets of trading preferences of any country in the world and will benefit Sri Lanka by boosting the economy and supporting jobs,” British High Commissioner Sarah Hulton said. She said that the DCTS will remove tariffs an over 150 additional products and also it will also simplify some seasonal tariffs, meaning additional and simpler access for Sri Lanka’s exports to the UK. “The new scheme, which replaces UK GSP, will come into force in 2023 and the UK looks forward to future trading opportunities ...

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Sports-tech startup Koach Hub expands boundaries with Daryll Cullinan Source:-www.ft.lk Singapore based Koach Hub, the revolutionary sports-tech platform, has signed a partnership with renowned South African cricketing legend Daryll Cullinan to expand its platform to cricket.  Koach was launched in January this year as a solution to increasing market demand for an intelligent collaboration tool for sports, especially soccer. The company has seen rapid expansion across the world, and is deployed across clubs and academies in Australia, Singapore, USA, UK, Netherlands, Japan, Lebanon, Ghana, Bermuda, and Sri Lanka within the last eight months.  Being able to collaborate with Legendary Daryll Cullinan is indeed a huge step forward. Cullinan became, at the young age of 16, the youngest South African to strike a first-class century. He also scored 337 not out, the highest first-class score in domestic South African cricket at the time. Daryll Cullinan was the centrepiece of South Africa’s ...

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SAKS assigned with CX Management of Sri Lanka’s leading ride-sharing platform   In a move to further enhance customer engagement, Sri Lanka’s leading on-demand mobility solutions provider has entrusted global business services titan, SAKS Global, with its Customer Experience Management (CEM). SAKS commenced contact centre operations utilising its advanced Customer Experience (CX) platform to equip the company with real-time data to help accurately align its business strategies and policies with customers’ needs. In an age where customers are equipped with an ever-expanding network of channels to engage with brands, companies are in turn expected to enhance their digital infrastructure, improving services and support, to keep up with this fast-evolving user behaviour. The ride hailing app has taken significant strides in the digital commerce arena by expanding its customer offering to include food, grocery, and gas delivery services -among others. This has resulted in a notable increase in its client base, ...

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England tour to Sri Lanka 2021: When the Test series starts, dates, squad and how to watch live on TV by Chris Stocks An undercooked England face a Sri Lanka side who are coming straight off a two-Test series in South Africa By Chris Stocks January 8, 2021 6:32 pm Updated January 8, 2021 6:58 pm Source:-inews England will head into the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle not only undercooked but positively rare after less than two full days’ match practice. It is a concern given their last Test against Pakistan in August was almost six months ago. But a combination of Covid and a packed winter that sees Joe Root’s team head to India for four Tests immediately after this two-match series means just a sole two-day intra-squad warm-up match was scheduled at the start of this tour. Day one took place on Friday, with Team Root facing off against Team Buttler in Hambantota. ...

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