Easing not just hunger but anger and social tension

With Sri Lanka still plagued by an inequitable distribution of wealth and resources including food and with malnutrition or undernourishment reported to be much higher than official figures for immediate relief we could take a lesson from what some social justice groups are doing in India and other countries. According to a report in the Guardian The Robin Hood Army (RHA) is an Indian 

Thajudeen murder: Then a mystery, still a mystery

Wasim Thajudeen, a talented rugby player, a friend to all and a man full of smiles, was brutally murdered and his body was left in a charred state at Narahenpita, four years ago.    

People irked by slow pace in probing fraud and corruption

Action against corruption was a main promise given by the leaders of the ‘Yahapalanaya’ government during last year’s presidential and parliamentary elections to woo voters who had been frustrated by 

Port City: Our approach is different -Malik

We are carrying out our work and the plans for development of the country are now being finalised, and within the next six months or one year the envisaged work would commence.    

Two-year scorecard of the Sirisena-Wickremasinghe Combo

It’s not yet two full years, yet close enough. And close enough for us to pass our verdict on the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe Combo that is holding reins in Sri Lanka’s polity today. Passing judgment 

Disability can be conquered through determination

True intelligence is not measured by book-learning alone but also through how people counter daily challenges. Kasun Chamara, 25, from Matara recently graduated from the prestigious Sri 

Policewoman assaults UNDERAGE rape victim at Haputale Police Station

A 14- year-old schoolgirl in Haputale was reported to have  been raped by a bus driver recently. When the complaint was lodged at the Haputale.....

Why we had an ethnic problem – and not Singapore or Malaysia?

Sri Lanka is now making a collective effort to seek national reconciliation. That would require concerted actions, through constitutional and....

Media, alcohol and tobacco: Fantasy vs. Reality

What is the difference between portraying a young actress drinking in a commercial/advertisement and her.....

Social Fatigue in the Era of Perpetual Civic Action

There is almost no need for me to say that we are living in an era of social and political uncertainty, and even turmoil, no matter....

Master Sir, when can we call you friend - EDITORIAL

The well-known singer-songwriter Nimal Mendis, in one of his most popular and challenging songs, ‘Master Sir’ refers to....

Annual Kandy Esala Perahera parades from August 8-18 Saga of Esala Festival

This globally renowned cultural and religious pageant is held annually to pay homage to the sacred Tooth Relic of the Exalted....

Rumpus In The Media: There’s more to ‘telling the truth and letting the people decide’

The media–the print media to be precise–has been in the limelight recently after the PM of the country made allegations that...

Aftermath of ‘Paada Yatra’: Historic UNP-SLFP electoral alliance to legalise the ‘‘cohabitation cont

The panic created within the Unity Regime on hearing the news of Padayatra led to an extension of the Maithri-Ranil temporary ‘Two-year Living-together’ to.....

“Children must be taught how to think; not what to think”

Sri Lanka has been recognized as a country with a high literacy rate. These statistics however do not reveal the factual situation. Reduced...

Is the government disappointing the people?

The majority of the people clearly identified the abysmally low quality politicians who held power with the Rajapaksa government and....

US election and its effect on world politics - EDITORIAL

The US presidential election will be held in November this year. There are major differences between the US presidential election.....

Shelton Ranaraja : Principled Politician and Conscience-Keeper of the Nation

Let me begin this article with a few paragraphs excerpted from William Mcgowan’s book about Sri Lanka “Only man is Vile”   

The future of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs)

State-owned enterprises are a part of public wealth and are supposed to be for the benefit of the people of the country. Therefore, it is necessary to set up a framework to have State-owned 

Rio Olympics 2016 : How we play the game is what matters- EDITORIAL

As the controversial and conflict-ridden Rio de Janeiro Olympic games began at around 5.00 am (Sri Lanka time) today with the biggest ever worldwide television audience of about three billion people, our 

A stroll to become the main Opposition

The rhetorical observations made by those for and against the “Jana Satana Paada Yathra” or the 

Can China threaten the West?

How far behind the West is China? Is its economy still booming so it could within 20 years overtake America? Is its military becoming of such a strength it will take the big decision to confront the US 

Railway crossings; go to the digital fast track

While most of our politicians are arguing over the import of duty-free vehicles worth hundreds of millions of rupees and other privileges, the day to day problems of the ordinary people are often side 

Prison-break

A recent report released by the prison headquarters stated that a staggering 154 prisoners have escaped prisons last year. Accordingly, 127 convicted and 27 remand prisoners have escaped, and 50 of them have been recaptured.  

The rationale behind Paada Yatra

When former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was resting at the Abhayaramaya Temple in Colombo, a police officer delivered him a note with permission for Paada Yatra final day rally to be conducted at Campbell Park. Yet, he declined  to accept it.

The March as a test of ‘Yahapaalanaya’

What did the Joint Opposition achieve by marching from Kandy to Colombo? What does it say about the strength of the joint Opposition? Does it say anything about the strength or otherwise of what is being called, tongue-in-cheek, the ‘Official SLFP (Sri Lanka Freedom Party)’? Has to solidified the alliance between the SLFP and the United National Party (UNP)? Was it an exercise poorly timed because the SLF and the UNP government have b

A new paradise or the risk of universal doom

Saturday August 6, marks the 71st anniversary of the Hiroshima nuclear bomb holocaust. On August 6 1945, during World War II (1939-45), an American B-29 bomber dropped the world’s first atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion wiped out 90 per cent of the city and killed 80,000 people. Tens of thousands more would later die of radiation-exposure. Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another A-bomb on Nagasaki, killi

Relaxing Vibes - ‘Mental strength is physical strength’

Have you ever come home tired and stressed? An urgent draft unfinished and left at the office desk? An ailment? A huge amount of homework awaits you? Stress of exams? Pressure of a match? How many of us wish for a ‘less-stress day? Simply being at peace at the end of a long day?  

A proud Sri Lankan institute with a global bond

This is the first time that we are doing an award ceremony for the Alumni, said W.K.H. Wegapitiya, Chairman of the Sri Jayewardenepura University Alumni Association. 

We don’t serve goals of politicians :Defence Secretary

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Karunasena Hettiarachchi in an interview with the  spoke of issues surrounding the perceived demoralisation of the military, demilitarisation, the occupation of private land and much more.