Exploiting communal feelings for cheap political ends

President of the World Tamil Confederation, Pazha Nedumaran again on Sunday has stated to an Indian news website that Velupillai Prabhakaran,

Lanka caught in arecanut cutter - EDITORIAL

Our country is today caught up in a financial meltdown of our own making. We are dependent on the goodwill of all nations to keep our country economically afloat. We are now dependent....

Printer, Treasurer, Commission; between devil and deep blue sea

The Independent Election Commission has been under pressure from the ruling party to postpone the LG elections, says Prof. G L Peiris. The group of SLPP dissidents led by GL,Vasu, Dullas, Wimal, and Gammannpila....

Jaffna gets State of the Art Cultural Centre from India

Jaffna City the capital of Sri Lanka’s predominantly Tamil speaking northern province was described as the cultural capital of the Tamils of Sri Lanka during its halcyon days.

Must hope got to have a colour? - EDITORIAL

Citizens of this country received yet another rude shock on Wednesday when the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) with the approval of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) increased electricity....

Brain drain amidst anomie in Sri Lanka

A one-day breakdown in the system in the passport office creates chaotic scenes, with thousands of applicants for new travel documents refusing to leave the premises despite pleas that they will be given priority....

How Independent are the Independent Commissions?

With the postponement of postal voting on Tuesday, the local government elections seem to be hanging in the balance. The main hurdle to the smooth functioning of the Election Commission in respect....

Some people are more than equal: How come Gota is still at large?

Consider the irony! As it should, Maithripala Sirisena, the former president, was indicted and found guilty of failing to prevent the Easter Sunday attack that killed 250 churchgoers and patrons at tourist hotels. He was ordered to pay Rs. 100 million in compensation to the victims of the attack.

“DigitAll”: Innovation, technology for gender equality

Amidst growing controversy over alleged moves to postpone the Local Government elections scheduled to be held on March 9,

When everything goes 100% online…

I remember how excited we were when we got our first home computer. It was bulky IMB that needed two people to carry the monitor. There was no Wi-fi, I don’t think we had heard of that. A friend....

Doctor or judge, jury and executioner… - EDITORIAL

Our country has been in dire straits since it defaulted payment on its foreign borrowings. Our local tax collection dropped well below par, when a now disgraced president decided he was cutting income tax....

Sri Lankan Tamils seek pruning of Governor’s powers

As part of measures to make devolution under the 13th Constitutional Amendment (13A) meaningful, Sri Lankan Tamils have suggested that the powers now vested with the Provincial Governor be pruned, and more powers granted to the Provincial Board of Ministers.

What kind of LG bodies do we need?

The timing of the fire broke out in Kotikawatte garbage dump on Saturday, might be an embarrassing episode for the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) leaders of the Kotikawatte- Mulleriyawa Pradeshiya Sabha, as it is one of the 339 local government bodies for which elections have been scheduled for March 9.

How S.W.R.D surrendered to the power of the ‘saffron robes’

Mihintale Raja Maha Viharaya Chief Incumbent, the outspoken Ven.Walaha henguna wewa Dhammarathana Thera, a few weeks ago....

Jaffna Cultural Center dedicated to the people

High Commission of India (Colombo) states in a press release the official dedicating of the Jaffna Cultural Center (JCC) to the people of Sri Lanka....

Parades, empty stomachs and amendments

The way independence was celebrated this time shows how conventional the government’s thinking is during a time of unprecedented....

Are elections on? Will newer factions take a lead?

As doubts began to surface as to whether the constitutionally required local government elections would be put off or postponed, several political....

Upali: Mighty magnate with Midas touch

40 years ago on February 13, 1983, a privately owned Lear jet flew out of Malaysia’s Subang Airport at 8.41 p.m. with six on board.

13 A, a multi-purpose project

President Ranil Wickremesinghe seems to be using all four “Upayas” (strategies) namely Sama, Dana, Bheda and Danda applied by the ancient Indian scholar Kautilya who lived between 375- 283 BC to solve problems.

The Afghanisation of Ukraine

The never-ending war in Ukraine -like the now concluded war in Afghanistan- continues. Just days ago in a surprise to the UK Volodmyer Zelenskiy, president of Ukraine in a speech to the House of Commons called on British parliamentarians to supply him with British jet fighters.

Today is Russian Diplomats’ Day Russia: History, the present, and the plans

Today Russia celebrates Diplomats’ Day, the professional holiday of the Foreign Ministry’s current and retired staff members. It was established by the Presidential Decree in 2002. The date is closely associated....

Commonwealth’s role in navigating Global era of Polycrisis

The Commonwealth-Secretary General, Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, pledged the Commonwealth Secretariat’s full support to Sri Lanka as the country navigates difficult challenges. Speaking during a lecture....

Can those who love this country be ‘reformed’? - EDITORIAL

Any reforms the government makes to put its economy in order will be painful for the people. Right now people are concerned about how their salaries would be taxed in the future. Apart from that President Ranil....

It’s not party time for US and China after balloon blast

To pop up a balloon, all that is required is a sewing pin or a needle or a backward jump to land on it on your butt. But after sitting on it for days, the United States used fighter jets to blast it. Perhaps, the Pentagon....

Women, girls need to play bigger role in science

With the continuing turmoil in Sri Lanka with the country being bankrupt and the cost of living soaring higher than ever before,

13th Amendment: Some thoughts and the reality

There are some uncomfortable truths about the 13th Amendment, devolution of power and of course provincial councils.

It’s time to put our country first - EDITORIAL

February 4 has come and gone. At the Galle Face Green, government leaders allegedly spent millions of scarce funds to organize pompous military parades to mark our nation’s 75th year ....

Right and wrong of Independence Day protests

During the weekend, when Sri Lanka marked the 75th anniversary of its independence, it was a sober, sad, and indeed a bitter affair. Most of the public was bitterly critical of the celebrations. The police confronted...

Delaying remedy for legal delays

Colombo High Court Judge Adithya Patabendige rejecting a request by former police officer ASP Kulasiri Udugampola that he be acquitted and released from the famous Millennium City safe-house case without calling defence evidence, had decided on January 24 to proceed with the case. What is im

Doing justice to Slave Island

Last week, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena ordered the authorities to officially rename “Slave Island” as “Kompagngna Veediya”. Though already known as Kompanna Veediya, a formal change was considered appropriate as Sri Lanka is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its independence from colonial rule. The term Slave Island was a relic of Portuguese rule (1597 to 1658) when the area housed black African slaves called Kaffirs whom the Portuguese b