expansion of Pallekandal Church within Wilpattu

Wilpattu National Park (WNP) was declared as a national park in 1938. It is the oldest and the largest national park in Sri Lanka. WNP consists of a unique and sensitive ecosystem forming one of the ‘Villu’ ecosystems present in the North Western region. A total of 284 faunal species belonging to 101 families have been recorded within the WNP, with 21 endemic and 30 nationally threatened species among them.

MCC: a matter for the new parliament to decide

As United States’ Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo (Mike Pompeo) contacted Foreign Relations Minister Dinesh Gunawardane over the phone at the appointed time of 6.30pm on Monday (local time), the two highest diplomats discussed a broad range of matters covering bilateral relations.

The MCC Compact: US Embassy should stop being cagey

The committee appointed to review the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact has raised serious concerns about the draft agreement. Noting that the document as it stands is detrimental to the national interest and essentially subverts sovereignty while surrendering judicial oversight, the committee clearly recommends that the Government should not sign the document unless such sections are amended. The US Government has not indicated any

Oh! What games some politicians play

The controversy surrounding the public boast by Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman alias ‘Colonel’ Karuna, at a political rally held in Navadinveli in Ampara, of having killed up to 3,000 soldiers in a single night at Elephant Pass and several more at Kilinochchi, seems to have cast a shadow over the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).

MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA: THE POWER BEHIND THE PEOPLE

As we commemorate 50 years in Politics of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa (here forth referred to as Mahinda), I thought it befitting to pen an article....

Serving on the Election Commission: Public service?

Our main job on the Election Commission is to uphold election laws and conduct free and fair elections. Of necessity, this involves interdicting election law violations....

General Elections and the social media landscape

Facebook included its ad library tool to cover Sri Lanka from the last week of May. What this means is that now we can find out....

Israel, the annexation of the West Bank and apartheid - EDITORIAL

In May this year, Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that on -July 01- it would, in line with US President Trump’s one-sided Middle East.....

How can voters know their candidate?

The country is not in a mood for an election, despite the Election Commission (EC) having announced the General Election to elect 225 members to Parliament, to be held in another 35 days. The country is

UNP at crossroads and the coming wrecking of multi-party democracy

The Grand Old Party, the UNP is in deep trouble. The multi-party democracy in Sri Lanka is too. People are right to scorn the UNP for its self-inflicted calamity. But it is foolhardy to brush off the looming prospect of something of a near r

Benefits of global fuel price reduction will be given to people in mid 2021 -Mahinda Amaraweera-

The discussed politics, Power, Energy and Transport sector changes in the country with the subject Minister Mahinda Amaraweera. The Excerpts:

Tribute to CBK on her 75th birthday We must not forget her sacrifice, dedication as a mother and President

I remember my first encounter with Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (CBK) so vividly. Seven years ago, around mid-morning in late August, I returned a missed call on my phone. I made the usual greeting and asked who it was that I had miss

MCC compact: One size will not fit all

With the American Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact (MCC), getting into hot water in Sri Lanka, Nepal and some countries in Africa, what is apparent is that one size will not fit all. Each cou

Mangala, Harin in sacrilege or speaking the Truth?

Both politics and religion have one common objective: that is to obtain power and use it to realize their aims.

COVID-19 and the need for a vaccine - EDITORIAL

As at Sunday, June 28, more than 501,000 people worldwide had died from the coronavirus since it emerged in China late last year.

As of now we are a safe nation” – Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva–

Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Lt. General Shavendra Silva said Sri Lanka’s battle against COVID-19 was a success story.....

“Col” Karuna’s Eastern Tiger Revolt Against LTTE Chief Prabhakaran.

inayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias “Karuna Amman” a.k.a. “Col” Karuna has got himself into hot water by shooting his mouth off at an election meeting in the East. Currently Karuna Ammaan is the chief candidate on the Amparai District list of the ‘AhilaIlankai Thamizh Maha Sabha’ (All Ceylon Greater Tamil Council). With an intense election campaign being conducted, political party speakers and propagandists are engaged in banter and riposte with ea

The SLPP and the SJB: Which way forward?

The government and what remains of the opposition will be going out to the polls in a month’s time. Freed from lockdowns and curfews, candidates are already organising small scale rallies, challenging opponents, and racking up one controversy after another.

Drug menace: Better knowledge for better care

The United Nations yesterday marked the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.

Karuna’s attempt to market his past

A good case in point is the response by the leaders and majority of supporters of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) to the recent remark by the former special commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam....

Reading attack shows more to be done to curb terrorism

Last weekend’s terror attack at a park in Reading, west of London, is a stark reminder that terrorism has not gone away despite the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 481,000 lives worldwide.

‘Empower them for health’s sake! - EDITORIAL

The average citizen of this country is often found guilty of some offence because of not knowing the law. At the present moment Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) are encountering problems.....

Karuna, Harin miscalculate their remarks

In an era with advanced communication technology and the alert media, politicians are required to carefully calculate in advance the possible ramifications of what they should say before the people, be it in urban areas or in the remotest corners of the country.

Dealing with an apolitical president Driven by performance not votes

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is an apolitical individual. That would sound like trouble for his party, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), which is gearing for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Racism and police brutality:the USA and Sri Lanka

A lawyer in the USA,T. Greg Doucetteand a mathematician namedJason Miller have compiled a list of 780 videos (as of June 16) showing police brutality. The investigative journalism website Bellingcat has documented more than 140 incidents of police violence against journalists during the protests.

Aluthgamage’s ‘sixers’ and Karuna’s ‘stripes’

Not many weeks after casting insinuations at Kuwait -- even going to the extent of claiming it had dropped a ‘bomb’ on Sri Lanka when those repatriated from that country were found infected with COVID19 -- former minister and ruling party candidate Mahindananda Aluthgamage has now opened another can of worms with his match-fixing allegations.

A/L 2020 – Revise the Overs and Fielding Restrictions

Over the past few days, the government’s notice to have the already postponed GCE Advanced Level examination in September triggered much discussion.

THE REALITY OF GETTING OLD!

Today, I would like to share with you an article, not just for senior citizens but for everyone, that getting old is a reality that we need to embrace and prepare for.

PHIs demand a shot in the arm

Public Health Inspectors (PHI) Union of Sri Lanka is to instigate a trade union action within next few days following Ministry of Health’s failure....

Harin Fernando’s statement: From homilies on piety to harangues in politics

The comment made by maverick politician Harin Fernando, during an election rally, that His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith had played....