Lankan mercenaries fighting in Russo-Ukraine war - EDITORIAL

Media reports have been circulating of Sri Lankan ex-military personnel being involved in the Russo-Ukraine conflict. With the war raging in Ukraine, many Ukrainian males of military age have...

Last throes of dynastic enterprise: Rajapaksa plots to stall recovery after ruining economy

Like the rest of his ilk in this part of the world, Mahinda Rajapaksa overstayed his welcome in the power. He ran the economy to the ground as he did with the national carrier...

Expressway beam COLLAPSE causes Rs 66 ML loss to Govt.

The construction of the phase from Kottawa to Pinnaduwa- of the project titled ‘Expressway Network of Sri Lanka’- was completed in 2011. During its construction, a medical....

Election merry-go-round

Election fever is in the air. Yet elections have not been announced. It’s ‘Fun-O-Rama’ time for politicians who are having a ball. Past President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his time was a past master at splitting political parties that opposed him. This time around, the ex-president’s party-the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP)- is one of the political outfits that is faced with several splits. The former chairman of the SLPP with 13 SLPP MPs def

Foreigner, Freeman forced out of Parliament 90 years ago First British passport holder elected to Parliament in 1924

Abolish the National List; empower the electorate to choose their representatives. The current system is flawed, with party leaders and secretaries often lacking insight. They appoint individuals with dubious backgrounds, including terrorists and non-citizens, merely for financial gain. This practice undermines the credibility of our democratic principles and turns them into a farce. Let’s restore integrity to our electoral process by allowing pe

The rise and fall of South Asian leaders in Britain and Ireland

An extraordinary change had taken place in Great Britain and Ireland in the recent past. Persons from the erstwhile British Empire entered British politics, became MPs and Ministers and a few rose to be heads of government. These events changed the racial and political profile of the former imperial power. In 2017, Leo Varadkar (45), part Irish and party Indian, became the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland for the first time. In 2022, he beca

Untangling Sri Lanka’s messy government structure

It would be an absolute surprise for someone walking into a local ministry to find everything crystal clear. Rather it could be just the opposite with the operation all over the place. Sri Lanka’s system of government has a history of assigning unrelated subjects to a single ministry, thereby including multiple departments and institutions under one roof. The latest blueprint document for rational government by Verité Research reveals that the co

Tamil and Muslim voting trends in Presidential Elections

This is the fourth article in a series focusing on Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his evolving strategy to contest....

Israel has lost its moral compass and conscience

Protests against Israeli excesses in conducting its war against Hamas in Gaza are widening in scope....

Who’s to blame for Ms. Diana’s flaws - EDITORIAL

Oh dear, oh dear, a British citizen and non-Sri Lankan, MP Diana (not to be mistaken for Britain’s Princess Diana) has been....

‘The best time to plant a tree was 25 years ago, the second best is today’

While President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Government has pulled Sri Lanka out of one of its worst-ever economic crises, the Government also needs to give special attention to issues such as plant health. Most village folk give much-needed attention to plant health despite problems such as shortage of fertiliser; but city folk generally do not bother much about plant health as they consider planting a tree to be the

Will the approaching elections be free and fair?

What is the significance of the Election Commission’s (EC) announcement on Thursday that the next presidential election would be held between September 17 and October 16? It is a well-known fact to those who know the relevant Article of the Constitution. It would have only been relevant if the EC had announced the exact date for the election. Goodies and freebies Although President Ranil Wickremesinghe has not declared his candidature for the fo

Effectiveness Of Lanka’s Legal System And Challenges That Lie Ahead

Daily Mirror dated 16.4.2024 reported that Marie Antonia von Schonburg, Chief Delegate of the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka has raised the issue of Effectiveness in Sri Lanka’s legal system due to perceived corruption in the country. This fact was patently clear on many occasions in several incidents. In November 2023, the Supreme Court ordered Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon and three others including two police offi

11th Commemoration of Dr. Ranjith Navarathne’s He was dedicated to social justice

This article is penned to mark the 11th Commemoration of the late Dr. Ranjith Navarathne, a former leader of the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party and former Kurunegala District Member of Parliament. The 11th commemoration of this individual fell on May 1 and a memorial service was held in his name on May 4. Born on January 07, 1948 in the beautiful village of Nikawewa in the historical Nikawagampaha Korale, Hiriala Hatpattuwa, North Western Province, Na

“CEYLONA 2024” international girl guide camp at Ibbagamuwa Central College Kurunegala

Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association (SLGGA) has plans to host an International Camp at Ibbagamuwa Central College, Kurunagala from August 18 to 23 (2024). The International Camp is poised to offer a plethora of enriching activities and experiences to participants. From outdoor adventures to leadership workshops the camp aims to provide a holistic learning environment where participants can develop essential life skills while forging lifelong frien

Collective bargaining, a viable alternative for industrial peace

The legal recognition of the fundamental rights of trade unions in this country has been derived from Article 14(1) b, c and d in chapter 3 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka, the ILO Conventions....

How filmmakers and lawmakers view people’s trust - EDITORIAL

Sri Lankans may be wary of trusting their instincts given their bad experiences with politicians. This is a country where the majority of the citizenry hasn’t had the fortune of receiving a university....

Netanyahu in Rafah trap after ceasefire breakthrough

With or without a ceasefire deal, Israel has vowed to launch its grand invasion into Rafah, the Gaza Strip’s southernmost 64-square-kilometre area, where more than 1.5 million....

The political ‘animals’  we choose

Sri Lanka is getting ready for presidential elections, but there is one thing that voters must realise and that is the fact that politicians will hide their dirty traits under the spotless white attires they wear. You can see this happening right now despite so many lessons being learned over the years.

Religious misrepresentation and Israeli bloodlust in Rafah

In the dark ages one could, to an extent excuse bloodlust and calls for the eradication of an entire race of a particular people. People of that day and age were primitive. Bloodthirsty....

Lady picking pockets-symptoms of wider social malaise - EDITORIAL

Two days ago this newspaper highlighted the story of a Woman Police Constable (WPC) being arrested for picking the handbag of a shopper in Kandy. Not many of us citizens were shocked....

How wheeler-dealing over visa could kill tourism’s golden goose

If the Government of Sri Lanka desires to streamline the inefficient and corruption-laden immigration and emigration authorities, one can’t find fault. The Immigration Department...

Collective resolve of regional and international actors, a glimmer of hope for Afghans - Air Chief Marshal Bulathsinghala

Air Chief Marshal Gagan Bulathsinghala addressing a Rotary Club of Colombo meeting in Colombo on May 2 placed before the gathering the current developments in Afghanistan and the importance of humanitarian aid, diplomatic efforts, and global cooperation to address the challenges faced by its people. The speech delivered at the event is as follows; Your club, one of 70 Rotary clubs within Rotary International District 3220 (Sri Lanka & Maldives),

Press freedom, a boon for economic recovery

Sri Lanka ranked 150 out of 180 countries in the 2024 Edition of the Press Freedom Index, published annually by Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontiers - RSF) is a remarkable drop of 15 positions from 135 to 150 when compared to 2023. However, Sri Lanka has been ranked higher than India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. India is ranked 159th, Pakistan 152nd and Bangladesh 165th. Norway is ranked in the top position and Eritrea in the last po

US House passes anti-Semitism curbing Bill as university students turn against Israel

The United States House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a Bill that would expand the definition of anti-Semitism (anti-Jew). The Bill was passed when university students across the US had risen to condemn Israel’s genocide in Gaza. It now goes to the Senate for consideration. When it becomes law, the “Anti-Semitism Awareness Bill” would allow the US Federal Department of Education to restrict funding and other resources to campuses p

Israel vs. rest of the world – this is worse than Netanyahu thinks

Those who think that those who oppose Israel’s brutal war in Gaza are just Arabs, Iranians and a handful of lefties in Europe ....

Wages and worker rights take back seat on May Day - EDITORIAL

May Day came and went. Yet very few words were spoken regarding working conditions in the country. Strangely, it was the head ....

‘Spanner in the Works’: Proposed Estate Worker Wage Hike in the Balance?

President Ranil Wickremesinghe made a groundbreaking announcement during the May Day rally of the Ceylon Workers....

“Ranil Ralla” : Will Wickremesinghe ride on a winning wave?

May Day was at one time a significant event of the workers, for the workers and by the workers. It is not so nowadays where the working class has been relegated to the back seat. The political class has taken over. The rhetoric however echoes and re-echoes on May Day but the reality is different. The May Day events have been turned into a political exercise where competing political parties engage in a show of strength by mobilising huge crowds.

Message from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Yoko Kamikawa on her visit to Sri Lanka Japan is confident Sri Lanka will emerge from current crisis -Japanese Foreign Minister

The following is a statement by the Japanese Foreign Minister who is visiting Sri Lanka on a two-day tour from May 4-5.