Noise Pollution: Katina, feasts and lack of legal protection

Living in a hamlet surrounded by five temples, a catholic church and a mosque, I am inundated with multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious mélange of highly amplified loudspeaker sounds, that include.....

Rise of Sunak: From colonial to PM of coloniser - EDITORIAL

As the world watched in fascination, five days ago - on October 30 to be exact, Rishi Sunak of Indian extraction, became Britain’s first Prime Minister of colour - a former colonial, has now become....

Hooliganism, privilege and sanctity of sanctuaries

Over the past week media -both traditional as well as social media- has been focusing on the ugly incident which took place at the world famed Yala sanctuary on the 23rd of this month.

Achieve objective of Local Govt. Machinery through a simple Election process

At the outset we as sovereign voters exhort that all Politicians and the people with the ‘Country at heart’ must realize and agree that the objective of holding Local Govt.(LG) elections is not to test the popularity or unpopularity of their party but to elect genuine,

Child safety in society is a Human Right! - EDITORIAL

Children in Sri Lanka are not safe when in the company of unknown adults. And when reading recent news we get to understand that even....

Basil not out for good

On what grounds the majority of Parliamentarians of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) voted in favour of the 22nd Amendment....

Yala incident: VIP ‘animals’ facing legal consequences now

We often come across reports about VIP sons and their friends sneaking into national parks of Sri Lanka in private vehicles for joyriding. A similar incident....

Violence against women: Most shameful human rights violation

President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government has taken several practical steps to rescue Sri Lanka from its worst ever socio-economic....

Sunak, dual-citizens and mistaken identity

Asad Heider in his highly acclaimed book ‘Mistaken Identity: Race and Class in the Age of Trump’ contends that identity politics cannot....

All roads lead to modernization

On October 16th, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened in Beijing. I was honoured to join with leaders....

In the midst of quacks of all hues

The first workshop I ever attended on journalism was a fancy two-day affair. Held at the Blue Waters, funded and conducted by the European....

Ageing population lack eldercare facilities - EDITORIAL

Our population is aging. According to ‘Pension Watch’, in 2018, approximately 2,507,630 people were over 60 years of age and....

Constitution: For individuals or the country?

The much touted 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was passed in Parliament on Friday with 174 votes for and none against. Only one vote was cast against it during the second reading of the debate on the Amendment, but the same dissenting MP, Sarath Weerasekara had abstained during the committee stage voting. Will this amendment ma

What we should know about Xi Jinping’s new China?

Chinese President Xi Jinping secured a convention - shattering and unprecedented - though not unexpected- third term at the 20th National People’s Congress that ended on Sunday, elevating him to a status that would even make Mao Zedong envy – and Deng Xiaoping rolling in his grave. Then Mr. Xi staked the Politb

Fake news war-mongering and the war in Ukraine - EDITORIAL

War, armed struggle or individuals resorting to fisticuffs, as a means to finding solutions to problems, is not an acceptable means of problem....

Priority: Make elections free, fair and just

Mr. Nimal G. Punchihewa, Chairman of the Election Commission stated that according to the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance....

Looking back at the Aragalaya and fuel queues

Standing at the checkout counter of the nearby Sathosa store, I heard a woman ask the young cashier about a box full of coupons next....

Creating a world class city for South Asia

Port City Colombo is intended to be Sri Lanka’s main centre and portal for foreign investment. Not merely a financial hub, but also....

How and why MGR launched ADMK 50 years ago

17 October 1972 was a Tuesday. Fifty years ago on that auspicious day, a new political party was launched in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Poverty: Give us this day our daily bread

One of the world’s greatest statespersons Nelson Mandela has said as long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality exist in our world,

22 A: A morality test for the SLPP

Irrespective of whether the 22nd Amendment to the constitution Bill is passed in Parliament or not,

There will be two Sri Lankas soon - EDITORIAL

A large number of people are forced to taste the emptiness of hunger. Some are forced to rob items having great value or engage in petty thefts; all done to earn some dough to have at least one square....

The more corrupt the state the more numerous the laws

Although children are born innocent, most of them, if they live long till old age, die corrupt. The longer we live the more we become corrupt. Of course, there are exceptions. They are the....

Financial crisis, to malnutrition and now dengue

Our country is facing near insurmountable problems at this moment. The country has no liquid cash reserves, fuel supplies have been rationed, and food supplies are out of reach of the poorer section of the community. According to latest figures nearly 46% of our population can now be counted as poor.

Rehabilitation: Broad and narrow, global and local

Rehabilitation is a word that presumes a previous state of perceived acceptance or agreement. Its etymology is interesting and revealing,

Debt-stricken Lanka, its friends and foes - EDITORIAL

Our country is in deep trouble. We have defaulted in repaying our international debts. Have run through reserves in the Central Bank.....

Human Rights and Economic recovery are inseparable

The UNHRC Resolution on Sri Lanka adopted two weeks ago was a stinging rebuke of the Sri Lankan.....

“I’ll try to bring investors to Sri Lanka” – Erik Solheim

Eric Solheim played a critical role in Sri Lanka as peace negotiator during the civil war. Solheim returned to Sri Lanka at the invitation....

It’s the political will that matters most

A new anti-corruption law proposed by the Government envisages the creation of an Independent Commission to deal with corruption in the country. Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe had told media that the Bill will be presented i

Chinese model that Rajapaksas got wrong

China’s President Xi Jinping would be anointed for an unprecedented third term at the end of the 20th National People’s Congress that began in Beijing on Sunday. In all substance, that move would take China’s political structure and its governing principles right into the reign of Chairman