killing our country

“When virtue is lost, benevolence appears, when benevolence is lost right conduct appears, when right 

Koskulana mini hydro-power project: A disaster for ecological diversity?

Sri Lanka is blessed with plenty of rainforests that had contributed to regulating its climatic conditions over the years. Yet during the recent past, people with influential

Hanging Together to Govern Together?

Underlying this commitment to each other is also a political interdependence, an acknowledgement that they need each other to secure the basic political objective of staying in power and holding onto it 

I strongly disagree that govt. has won over the world - GL

Former External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, in an interview with the Daily Mirror, says....

We love to see unity amongst all Sri Lankans - Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan

Tamil National Alliance Leader R. Sampanthan, in an interview with the Daily Mirror, said the Geneva resolution...

Kashmir: the least of our problem

Early this month, a separatist militant named Burhan Wani was killed in a gun battle with the Indian Army in the Indian administered....

Bridge for unity on the Mahaweli - EDITORIAL

In a major step to consolidate national unity by taking the waters of the Mahaweli to the Northern and Eastern provinces also, President Maithripala Sirisena....

My dissent with MR began with Moragahakanda project

President Maithripala Sirsena in a stoical revelation yesterday said there was a close link between the ceremony held to lay the...

Recurrence; Highly improbable: 33rd Anniversary of July 1983 riots

Instigated by a chauvinistic minister, hooligans set the city on fire and President JR Jayewardene played Nero for four days, fearing....

ESALA POYA FESTIVITIES

The country will soon celebrate Esala at the end of Poson Full Moon. Esala Poya Day, according to Buddhist history, records significant.....

National Audit Bill: Should they hold it up?

Why did a group of powerful Ministers including a few Secretaries to the Ministries are mounting pressure on the President and the....

Turkish coup and impermanence of friends in politics - EDITORIAL

Two weeks ago on 23 June, a surprising sequence of events which started with the UK vote to exit the European Union, the....

Jaffna Varsity Violence: What Really Happened and Why!

Violence reared its ugly head again in the Northern city of Jaffna on Saturday July 16th, 2016 when student groups fought each other within the Jaffna varsity precincts in Thirunelvaeli known generally  as Thinnaivaeli.

Unity with Europe is the answer to Turkey’s attempted coup

Europe is under attack from both ends. In the West, Brexit, the referendum to take Britain out of the European Union (EU). In the East, Turkey, which is not formally a member because of the veto made by the conservative last President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy.   

The health sector is sick

Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, proudly boasting that he believes Sri Lanka has one of the best health services in the region, on Thursday received a World Health Organisation (WHO) certificate declaring Sri Lanka as a filaria-free country. He says Sri Lanka will also soon receive a WHO certificate declaring that we are a malaria free country.   

Anti-coup charade in Turkey: Erdogan cracks the whip

An elderly gentleman was preparing our breakfast in an Ankara hostel. My friend and fellow journalist Latheef Farook and I greeted him as we walked into the kitchen. Leaning against the pantry cupboard, 

Balangoda kitchen; Women are good political cooks, not crooks

Though many may have forgotten it, yesterday, July 21 marked the new chapter in the history of Sri 

The body, innovation and protest

The killing of singer, dancer and social media star Qandeel Baloch by her brother highlights the 

US game plan in Sri Lanka
Biswal, Malinowski playing Chinese chequers?

After yet another visit by the two US Assistant Secretaries of State, Nisha Biswal and Tom Malinowski one cannot help noticing the proximity of the visit to that of Chinese Foreign Minister 

SL will play constructive role in the region: FM

Following is a speech made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera at the South Asia Diaspora Conference Panel on the Geo-Politics of South Asia.   

Extremism foiled but not permanently

Unlike during the communal riots in the past, very few groups tried to rouse the communal feelings of 

Run cricket like a company -Ana

After seeing through Sri Lanka’s successful World Cup campaign in 1996, Ana Punchihewa, the then Sri Lanka Cricket Board president, had never thought he would fail at the election of 

Ravi K bemoans Revenue Proposals challenged in court

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, in an interview with the Dailymirror, says VAT increase was introduced with the aim of collecting Rs.100 billion in terms of revenue for the government. However, he said it was regrettable to note the revenue proposals being challenged in court. The excerpts:  

I do not intend to contest elections in future- Basil

Former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, in an interview with Dailymirror before he was arrested and remanded, said that the Lanka Freedom Party had virtually been divided at the moment. He said the new political movement braced for any election or referendum at any moment. Excerpts of the interview;   

Civilising the civil and public service

In Britain and several other Western countries, the civil and public services have to a large extent functioned independently, effectively and beyond party politics. Governments may change but the civil and public service go on to serve the people in line with the policies of the administration.   

Father to donate liver to daughter; appeals for urgent assistance

When she was one-and-a-half months old, little Buddhima’s skin turned extremely pale. “Her eyes, soles, palms turned yellow,” said U.L Chaminda, 36, the father of Buddhima Shihara who has been diagnosed with liver failure at a tender age by both Dr.Dharmasiri Jayawardena, Paediatrician of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) and  Dr. Gomades Narasingh of the Chennai Global Hospital of India. 

Wildlife photographer of a rare brilliance

Nature itself is an amazing gift of God to mankind which possesses silvery waterfalls, natural habitat, green hills and landscapes. But unfortunately, it is very rarely that we get a chance of stopping by or having a break to admire these precious specimens; as we live our lives in the fast track and are forever struggling to win the race of survival.

The truth, the whole truth and nothing but

Contexts count. Hostage rescue operations are different from wars. Responding to military aggression is different from declaring war on a country on a pretext such as the possession of non-existent weapons of mass destruction. July ’83 is different from July ’16. Clashes between raggers and anti-raggers are different from the clash that took place a few days ago at the Jaffna University. Contexts count. And they frame the assessment o

Joint opposition’s ‘shadow cabinet’… a malignancy beyond cure

“Our civilization survives in the complacency of cowardly or malignant minds -- a sacrifice to the vanity of aging adolescents. In 1953, excess is always a comfort, and sometimes a career.”  

WHY MANGALA MUST EXIT AND AMUNUGAMA MUST ENTER

Sooner, rather than later, there will have to be a ‘Mexit’: Mangala Samaraweera’s exit from the Foreign