The US and torture

A soon-to-be released report of the US Senate criticises the CIA under President George W. Bush of conducting torture of Al Qaeda suspects. However, it doesn’t assess the responsibility of Bush himself nor his vice president, Dick Cheney.

Koslanda catastrophe: Thundering wakeup call from voiceless people - EDITORIAL

In Sri Lanka’s worst natural disaster since the 2004 Tsunami, at least 300 people are feared dead after a huge mudslide or landslide washed away hundreds of tea estate linerooms in Koslanda near Diyatalawa on Wednesday morning.

Dissent and crosstalk among MPs in the run-up to snap polls

The government’ s preparations for a snap presidential election are gathering momentum at the moment with the opening of election co-ordinating offices at each electorate and engaging its political allies to mobilise their fullest possible support.

In India, life is one long holiday

Anyone visiting India at any time of the year could be forgiven for believing that we Indians hardly work.  There is rarely a month without a single day or several when banks are shut, consumers crowd malls,...

The politics of breastfeeding-EDITORIAL

About Rs.1.5 million from public funds is spent for a day when the devalued, undermined and often bypassed Parliament meets for debates.

‘Lending agencies eager to give loans to Lanka’

The budget 2015 which was presented in Parliament on Friday is currently a hot topic, attracting mixed reactions from politicians, analysts and the general public.

J R, Gamini or Lalith how would they have handled the chaos ?

It is indeed a fascinating exercise to speculate. Not only is it fascinating but taken in the context of great uncertainty that shrouds today’s issues,...

The patient and the ward are sacred-EDITORIAL

When the Government first decided to allow channelled consultation in private hospitals more than 45 years ago, the fee was 4 to 1 - that is Rs.20/= for the consultant and Rs. 5/= for hospital costs.

National Budget 2015 : What we got… & What we expected

The most awaited event of all Sri Lankan citizens like just another cricket World Cup match is the National Budget speech. Many eagerly look forward to see what is in store for them in the coming year and how they can improve their businesses and family life.

Nihilists on the Ramparts of Morality

As we follow the events in Iraq and Syria, it is difficult not to be troubled by the brutal violence of ISIL. The most troubling aspect of this violence is that it often manifests itself with cold rationality. The massacre of non-combatants and prisoners in a manner reminiscent of Genghis Khan acts as a force multiplier in a military sense, sending a warning to unconquered places that resistance is futile. Photographs and videos of beheading

EDITORIAL - UPFA continuing to flog a dead horse

It has been confirmed now that a presidential election is to be held early next year, either in January or March and the people are to be given an opportunity to elect a person to take over their destiny for the next six years or at least four years.

A Bhikkhu’s Bouquet for Indian Premier

The celebrated visit of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to Japan, stirred considerable interest everywhere in the world.  This was the Indian PM’s first official visit to Japan.  But, as a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, long resident in Japan, I am able to discern some facets of this recent visit as Buddhists in Sri Lanka, do in fairness to all Buddhists and to those who believe in religious tolerance.

THE BUDGET Why Rajapaksa is good for economy

On Friday, after reading the budget 2015, President MahindaRajapaksa turned towards the Opposition and asked: “Kohomada baiyange budget eka,” (How is bumpkin’s budget?).

China: Large service industry, dynamic knowledge industry but no democracy

A Western commentator recently made a bleak forecast of international human rights in the 21st century. His forecast was based on the assumption that China was going to be the world’s most powerful country in the world over the coming decades,...

The State, the Market and Civil Society

It was interesting to read a news item in this paper a few days ago reporting that a new UNP government would deviate from neo-liberalism and move in the direction of a socially regulated market economy.

Budget 2015: A policy document or something else?-EDITORIAL

Despite the earlier claims that the 2015 budget wouldn’t be a “bag-full of election goodies,” the budget presented by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the Parliament on Friday, in his capacity as the country’s Finance Minister, proved largely otherwise.

LTTE-enforced boycott lost Ranil the presidency in 2005

Karl Marx expanded famously  on  Friedrich Hegel’s remark about “history”occurring twice and stated that history  repeats  firstly as tragedy and secondly as farce.

LTTE-enforced boycott lost Ranil the presidency in 2005

Karl Marx expanded famously  on  Friedrich Hegel’s remark about “history”occurring twice and stated that history  repeats  firstly as tragedy and secondly as farce.

Out of Afghanistan

The Soviet Army invaded Afghanistan in December 1979 and withdrew, exhausted and demoralised, 10 years later. In Moscow a joke had long circulated: “Why are we still in Afghanistan?” Answer:

King Coal and fiddlers free-EDITORIAL

While the 2015 budget was being presented by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in parliament yesterday, much public attention was focused on frauds and shady deals in a multitude of projects run by huge Chinese companies,...

Ebola

‘‘More to UN’s work in SL than is perceived’’

EDITORIAL : A time to keep promises

G20 UNP pacifies excluded MPs

United National Party (UNP) General Secretary TissaAttanayake received numerous telephone calls last week, inquiring about the exclusion   of some MPs from the G 20,...

Little known Facts about a Well Known Personality

The Ministry of Lands and Land Development which the late Minister Gamini Dissanayake presided over for more than a decade was by present day standards and practices,...

Lies and lies: who takes the responsibility for lives?-EDITORIAL

With the cost of living soaring to the highest levels, millions of people are suffering because their healthcare bills often are much more than their expenses for food, clothing, household utilities and education.

18 th Amendment: can Mahinda contest for the third term?

Controversy has arisen in the political arena regarding the upcoming presidential election. According to the existing law,  a person can hold the office of president twice. But with the 18th Amendment this position was changed.

Knowing when to compromise for a greater principle

This missive is addressed to Ranil Wickremesinghe and Champika Ranawaka, the Leaders of the United National Party (UNP) and the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) respectively. But it is not a “for your eyes only’ memorandum.

Give up veto for world peace-EDITORIAL

United Nations Day will be celebrated worldwide on Friday – marking the 69th anniversary of the world body that is widely accepted but unfortunately not so widely respected because of several political, economic and structural factors.

Boycott food with toxic additives

Instant food that comes in an assortment of flavours, colours and preservatives has plagued the health and well-being of tender lives as much as those of the adults. Delectable dishes that contains a lot of calories beyond the daily requirement, sweets and other sorts of......