Fortune favoured Rani from the jaws of death

Afterwards, instead of taking necessary steps to improve conditions for foreign employment or to 

Ministers harbour differences on key matters

As the annual budget debate progresses in Parliament, the government looks engulfed in 

Who manoeuvred the SLFP to safety C P or S B?

A popular thinking among the SLFP supporters in particular was that the second leader of the SLFP 

Can reckless driving be curbed by increasing age limit?

Against the backdrop of the Government move to increase the minimum fine for traffic offences, the 

Budget 2017 A Boon or Bane?

“Accelerating Growth with Social Inclusion” creating the broader theme for the National Budget 2017, marks the 71st Budget of Sri Lanka. As the second Budget presented by Good Governance, Budget 2017 aims at delivering relief for Sri Lankans through paving the path for sustainable development. Amidst mixed opinions, the second reading of the Budget proposals for 2017 was passed in Parliament last Friday with a majority of 107 votes an

Global march of populist nationalism

Disclosing on his blog that he was “reluctantly voting” for Hillary Clinton and explaining why, Richard Falk, Prof Emeritus of International Law at Princeton and former UN Special Rapporteur on Occupied Palestinian Territories, noted with characteristic lucidity that the global Left was divided between those outside the USA, who were primarily anti-Clinton and those within the USA, who were primarily anti-Trump.   

Traffic fines: Let us turn to the High Road

After Monday’s discussions held by the Finance and Transport Ministers with private bus owners, operators and other stakeholders, it was announced they had agreed that a thumping fine of more than Rs. 25,000 would be imposed on those found guilty of seven traffic offences. 

13th Amendment Land and police powersto a certain extent -Swaminathan

Rehabilitation, Resettlement, Prison Reforms and Hindu Religious Affairs Minister D.M. Swaminathan speaks about the political solution....

Altogether now – Shove them out!

Need of a nation is for fresh leadership – both of the government and the opposition. A generation of ‘royal’ pretenders squandered the....

Anti-Muslim hate: ‘Post War Sinhala Buddhist’ and selective truth telling

The recent fire that broke out at the Fashion Bug store in Pepiliyana has given rise to new questions. For anyone who.....

Free Tabs are good, better still with English

For instance, giving free tabs to students would bridge, to a greater degree, the digital divide between the rich and the poor and....

Parliamentarians, be truly honourable now - EDITORIAL

In a major step towards transparency and public accountability, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya announced that from yesterday parliamentary....

Solution is Federalism: Siddharthan

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP for the Jaffna District Dharmalingam Siddharthan speaks about the political solution, the aspirations...

Health Promotion; the way forward for a healthy nation

Sri Lanka is in a better footing compared to most countries in South Asia in the context of child healthcare; especially in terms...

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Can Sri Lanka achieve economic growth and development without a significant reduction of corruption – sans good governance.....

Let the National Anthem unite us - EDITORIAL

On Friday, November 18, 2016 the Supreme Court (SC) of Sri Lanka upheld the right of the people of Sri Lanka to sing the national anthem....

Drones safety, security and privacy

Remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) are a new component of the aviation system. RPAS alter drastically what the world....

Grandpa’s Supermoon and Limousines for Legislators

On Ill Full Moon Day my neighbour, a retired school head, famously known as ‘…… Sir’, by his Mathematics students was on....

COPE report: Parliament accountable to people

On 17 November the Organisation of Professional Associations organised a seminar on ‘COPE- RESPONSIBILITY OF PARLIAMENT’ at....

UNP and SLFP miserably failed the country Inevitable need for third political force

People in general are fed up and disgusted at the government’s refusal to fulfil its pledge to bring to book, those involved in crime, corruption, amassed wealth illegally, plundered the country, waste and other such activities during the previous regime. 

Does widowhood change the gender roles assigned to women?

In women studies, the major space is given to analyze gender roles assigned to men and women and how women become the second category prior to men’s dominance. In order to identify the gender and gender roles, difference between sex and gender should be clarified, and though many use the terms gender and sex, interchangeably, those two terms have distinct meanings.

‘English for Everyone’ A guide to improving English grammar

Verbal communication stands as one of the most effective forms of communication, and thus each and every individual use different languages to express themselves. For an instance, a newborn is taught a language at home. Then the child is sent to kindergarten, where he or she learns the alphabet. Later, the child learns finer points of grammar and by the time the child leaves school, he or she will be well-versed in mother-tongue or a second langu

Perfect peace in Antarctica

In 1772, sailing to the far south, Captain James Cook deflated the prevailing myth of Antarctica, that it was a temperate land, fertile and populated. Although he never landed on the continent he saw the vast icebergs, the frozen sea and the “worst weather anywhere in the world”. He wrote that “it is a continent doomed by nature” and doubted that man would ever find a use for it.   

What we want for every child

Tomorrow, November 20, is the Universal Children’s Day as declared by a resolution approved by the United Nation’s General Assembly (UNGA ) in 1954. It is a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding among children, with activity devoted to promoting the ideals and objectives of the Charter and the welfare of the children of the world. It was on November 20 that the UNGA adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 an

A comprehensive study into Constitution-making in Sri Lanka

This collection of essays and articles, written and mostly published previously covering various issues of the Constitution-making process in Sri  Lanka, focuses on ethnic reconciliation and democratisation of the political system.   

Professor Ashley Halpe An epitome of virtue with a uniquely creative spirit

It is with profound sorrow that I wish to record the passing away of Professor Ashley Halpe who was closely associated with the Peradeniya  University for over 60 years as student, lecturer, professor, Head of the Department, and Faculty Dean, as well as in key student services positions. 

An attempt to ‘re-invent the wheel’

A hilarious debate on the Muslim Personal Law or particularly the Muslim Marriages and Divorce Act (MMDA) is ongoing on social media between certain Muslim and non-Muslim groups. It is indeed hilarious because the contending parties have no basic difference of opinion, but they keep shouting at the top of their voices. 

Int’l treaties protect personal laws of minorities

The aboriginal or indigenous Sri Lankans, known as the Veddahs, appear to be happy as they are. They seem to enjoy some ancient rituals and customs to this day, and apparently have no issue with their lifestyle. Although they do see how other Sri Lankans live in this country, they prefer their inherited style of living. They probably resist external intrusions. 

Trump Presidency: Fear is the key

We said last week that it was too early to judge the United States’ president-elect Donald Trump, notwithstanding his outrageous campaign utterances. But as days pass by, our fears are only increasing however much we say “give him a chance.”

Victims of auto-immune diseases, here’s the cure

Whether people know it or not an autoimmune disease epidemic is sweeping the globe. It has already hit tens of thousands of Sri Lankan people and most of them do not even know they are having some of these secret diseases. The mysterious epidemic is aided and abetted by the poisons used in agriculture and in our food. Subtly marketed by multi-million dollar profit-making multi-national corporations and so called local experts including specialist