War in Europe and baiting of China - EDITORIAL

Images of death, destruction and millions of refugees pouring out of Ukraine still live with us. The US and its NATO allies having egged Ukraine on to challenge Russia into attempting to join the NATO....

GIMMICKS IN FUEL CRISIS

The QR code system introduced to reduce fuel queues has been a success so far. However, even with such a system in place people are still waiting in queues due to the failure of the Government. At present....

Versatile Filmmaker Vasantha Obeysekera’s “Dadayama” (The Hunt)

Devoting the first Saturday article of each month to a film, film personality or film-related topic is a practice being followed by this column in recent times.

Policy Statement : The proof of the pudding is in the eating

The policy statement delivered by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament on Wednesday was far ahead of the similar statements made by his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa in progressiveness and inclusiveness.

Einstein says, I should have become a watchmaker

In recent decades, the world came close to a nuclear war, which would have destroyed everyone and everything. During the Cuban Missile Crisis,

This lawless aggressiveness must stop! - EDITORIAL

There is a sense of lawlessness in the country. Even the new president of the country has affirmed that there should be one....

Pelosi’s Taiwan time bomb as Lanka faces dilemma over Chinese research vessel

China’s foreign and defence ministry mandarins must be extremely busy and unceasingly diligent these days, in view of matters.....

Aragalaya: Political leadership or disintegration?

Lead kindly light, amid the encircling gloom

President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing the ceremonial opening of Parliament and making his first major policy statement to the nation—is in such a difficult if not impossible situation that he may have recalled one of his favourite songs as the country face crisis after crisis and crisis within crisis, catastrophe after catastrophe and catastrophe within catastrophe.

Govt. talking to lenders in a void of public legitimacy

The resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his succession by Ranil Wickremesinghe, the incumbent did not create political....

Economy has collapsed - what’s the next step? - EDITORIAL

On May 20, Sri Lanka defaulted on international debt repayment. Defaults happen when governments are unable to meet some or all.....

Constitutional reform and economic downturn

Media reports say that the draft 22nd Amendment (21st Amendment if enacted) is to be debated in the Cabinet today. They also claim that the current draft is different from the 22nd Amendment prepared under the instructions of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Interestingly, both drafts were prepared by the same Justice Minister and he who ju

Why is Bangladesh going for IMF help?

In May 2021, Bangladesh extended a US$ 200 million currency swap facility to Sri Lanka to help the latter face a severe

Steep economic downturn evidenced by shrinking electricity-demand

The fact that Sri Lanka is faced with its worst economic crisis in the modern history is everybody’s knowledge today. Unfortunately, what is not perhaps anybody’s knowledge is how steep and rapid the downturn is, and the depths it is

Fuel shortages, inflation, IMF facility and stability - EDITORIAL

For the past few months, vehicle owners (including farmers, fishermen, persons involved in essential services and transportation) in our country....

Abyss between Legality and Legitimacy

The liberal democratic order in Sri Lanka is collapsing, and the problem is one of legitimacy. Sri Lanka is going through the most severe....

Tamil Parties Must Urge Full Implementation of 13A

Last week’s article was about the guerilla war fought by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) against the Indian Army in the Trincomalee district.

To prevent another Aragalaya…

The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) which had almost gone underground for the past five months due to protests against its government have reestablished its authority over the Sri Lankan politics,

Climate action for most vulnerable people

In Sri Lanka and all over the world, we have divided ourselves in terms of race, religion, caste and social status. But we overlook the fact that we are essentially human beings though scientifically our blood groups may be different.

Let’s consider home growing as a ‘worthy job’ - EDITORIAL

Since of late we’ve read many articles about the need to promote community kitchens. This is largely because as many as 6.26 million....

Crackdown on protests: What the Dickens is happening?

Sri Lanka’s people-power movement is in tatters with the new government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe launching a crackdown....

Ambassador Chung and Xeroxable change

Aragalaya. Translatable as revolt, uprising, protest, agitation, struggle or even insurrection. Aragalaya is singular, but considering statements and actions it was certainly not marked by concert, ideological agreement, unity of purpose etc.

Bring young people to the forefront

Sri Lanka’s youth - female, male and young adults - play the powerful role in the spontaneous and historic public uprising which led to the seemingly strongman President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing the country in an Air force flight to the Maldives.

The trauma of living this story

Being a journalist in Sri Lanka historically is a terrible career choice. Not only are you chronically paid miserably low, but there....

Truth at last -no adequate supply of fuel yet - EDITORIAL

Our Minister of Power and Energy, after having all these long months of having told us that stocks of fuel were on their way, has at last....

Gas shortage could have been averted – Litro Chairman

A serious shortage of fuel, gas and other essential items as a result of the dollar crisis led to protests being staged around the country.....

Improving business strategy through politics and public sentiment

Policies in Sri Lanka tend to change rapidly, and often, overnight. For international and local organisations operating in such....

Place a recovery roadmap before people

Since the July 22 crackdown on the protestors who had occupied the Presidential Secretariat, there seems to be a relative quietness in the political front. The fright instilled in the minds of the people by the crackdown, the images and footages of

Rajapaksa rule by proxy

On Wednesday (20), Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as the 8th executive president of Sri Lanka in a Pa

New President, shortages of essentials and the right to protest - EDITORIAL

Our country has a new president. On July 20, Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected the eighth Executive President of the country. Though Wickremesinghe is not a popularly elected president....