Decision on burial: Not the last nail in the coffin

When Muslims were a minority in the city state of Mecca in the early 7th century AD, they faced persecution, including torture, economic boycott and social ostracism.

RCEP, the world’s largest trading bloc, signed up amidst pandemic

In years, super-power rivalries have intensified. It climaxed with a trade war between the United States and China. The spat between the world powers is playing out in the Indian Ocean region with a particular focus on China’s rise and increased involvement in transnational trading.

When COVID brings us hard lessons in a teacup!

School education coming to a standstill in Sri Lanka can be viewed from many angles. The word standstill can be too harsh for people supporting this government. But what other best word can describe a situation where students who are studying are told that exams are postponed indefinitely? This is the scenario with the Ordinary Level Examination, which was scheduled to begin on January 18, 2021.

Mahara Prison Riots: Resolve crisis with empathy

In the wake of an increasing number of prison inmates contracting COVID-19 -- some 1,091 as of yesterday -- was the news of a riot that broke out at the Mahara Prison and the attempts by armed prison guards to quell the riots had left 11 inmates dead and 109, including two prison guards, injured.

Sectoral Oversight Committee Report on National Security gathering dust!

On February 19, 2020, i.e. days before Parliament was dissolved and probably in full cognizance of the impending General Election, a report was released by ‘The Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security,’ appointed following the Easter Sunday attacks almost a year before.

Farmer protests in Delhi and the rise of the Sikhs - EDITORIAL

Thousands of farmers led by their turban clad Punjabi leaders thronged to the borders of India’s capital during the past few days.

Be wary of the slapstick

The bravado has not died off, not by a bit. In messaging groups proliferated by Sri Lankan journalists and those connected to the media.....

People and Govt must work with each other

Two important and relevant personalities had expressed concern over the COVID-19 situation in Colombo. The city Mayor Rosy Senanayake in an interview with the Daily Mirror had stated that the situation was serious, pointing out a startling fact that

Sri Lanka’s Covid-19 response is falling by the wayside

Children, education and the Coronavirus - EDITORIAL

The Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic has, according to the United Nations created the biggest disruption of education systems in history....

THE GENDER OF BUDGET 2021

The budget comes at a critical time. It is the first budget in the time of the current President and the government that was voted in August 2020....

People not taking things seriously - Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake

The second wave of the Covid 19 is taking its toll on Sri Lanka and Colombo is one of the most affected areas. With the death toll from Colombo....

Gotabaya Govt’s pre-emptive strike against LTTE Maaveerar Naal

November 27th 1989 was the day on which the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) first observed its annual “Maaveerar Naal” or Great Heroes Day (GHD). The LTTE and its leader Veluppillai Prabakharan are no more after the military defeat of the tigers in May 2009.

Spike in violence against women

Breaking a glass ceiling was the election of the first coloured American-Indian woman Kamala Harris as the Vice-President of the United States.

Challenging impunity for crimes against media in Sri Lanka

Dozens of journalists have been killed, abducted or have disappeared in the past two decades in Sri Lanka, with 2005-2010 being the most dangerous.

PANDEMIC ANGLES

Isolate yourself from news about the VIRUS, everything we need to know we already know. Don’t look for additional information on the Internet.....

Quarantining commemorations

Had the LTTE been successful in their armed struggle for the creation of a separate Tamil State in the Northern and Eastern Provinces....

Let them raise our sagging spirits - EDITORIAL

More than the COVID-19 related news that surfaces now what people have to deal with is the negativity that impacts our lives.

Justice for Palestinians: The burden is on Biden

While President-elect Joe Biden’s team signals a revival of multilateralism in the United States foreign policy and an end to the chaos-ridden international system....

will ‘Citizens Vs judiciary’ be given ‘Leave to Proceed’?

It’s a mischievous headline, admittedly. Citizens are not taking the judges to court. And, even if that happened, the simple matter of interest-conflict would force all judges in all courts to recuse themselves from entertaining such a petition.

LPL amid the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is showing no signs of relenting or loosening its grip on Sri Lanka and is continuing to spread without let or hindrance.

Looking beyond the realms of law

In a country like Sri Lanka the only hope citizens have against surviving the brunt of political power is to have an independent judiciary. Layman might not be highly educated on legal matters, but when a case sees an end the verdict given must look fair in the eyes of the pubic.

Covid-19 vaccine, a light at the end of the tunnel? - EDITORIAL

The Covid-19 pandemic is still very much with us and numbers of people continue falling victim to it worldwide. The disease itself - an infectious virus....

Aftermath of the US Elections: What the Mainstream Media do not say

According to main stream media networks such as CNN, MSNBC, ABC and newspapers such as Washington Post and New York Times....

Are adequate precautions taken by authorities

COVID-19 pandemic has created a hellish situation for the students across the world. In a country like Sri Lanka where poverty and poor access to technology prevail among a sizeable segment of the population, attendance to schools or pursuin

Hard lessons for Sri Lanka from Ethiopia Why ethnic federalism is never a solution?

In December last year, Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia’s new Prime Minister and Africa’s youngest won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in courting peace with former foe, Eritrea and thus ending the Horn of Africa’s longest-running war.

Budget 2021: Economic depression and Govt’s empty response

Budget 2021 does not meet the scale of the challenges Sri Lanka is going to face in the coming years. Instead of offering a realistic, concrete alternative to the current....

Is section of Sangha trying to subjugate President?

An article published in a popular Sinhala daily by a prominent political monk prompted me to respond. Verse 9 in the Yamakavagga of Dhammapada....

1987-90 Violence: Call for State-backed Commemoration Package

As the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (and empathy groups) organizes memorial events every November for thousands killed during the political emergency of 1987-1990....

Covid, budget and the common man - EDITORIAL

By 19 November 2020, a total of 19,280 of our citizens had contracted the coronavirus, 74 unfortunates succumbed to the disease and 13,271....