An agony without an end in sight

We call it an agony for good reason. As never before experienced or seen in Sri Lanka, is the agony of having to spend long hours in ever lengthening queues made worse by the contradictory statements mouthed by the subject ministers,

Elections, electors and elected

There are calls, obviously from oppositional elements, for snap elections. There are of course constitutional provisions for holding parliamentary elections and those who make such demands cannot be ignorant about them.

Protests, discontent and disconnects

This month (March 2022) had seen widespread discontent by many Sri Lankans from all walks of life on new and old social – economic – political concerns, leading to more than 100 street protests across the country, though many of the protests and protesters remain disconnected.

Time to shelf arrogance and embrace knowledge

The recent trends in public rallies and protests showed that people’s thoughts and ideas do matter.

Party politics failed - EDITORIAL

The frustration among the masses over the long-running, incessant shortage of essential items, especially fuel and gas and the steep...

Let there be no more supplicant ‘fixers’

The death of two journalists working for Fox News, US in Ukraine on March 14 has reignited the conversation on the value....

Frustration growing in a ‘land milked of honey’

Our country’s finances are in a parlous position. The country is indebted to the tune of several billion dollars and reserves are, to put it

Four cardinal mistakes the president did not admit in his speech

Last week President Gotabaya Rajapaksa addressed a nation in crisis. Instead of calming the masses, a good part of whose life is now spent in everyday queues, he managed to further enrage them. What could probably be the operating para of his sp

Northern Pre-School Teachers Quest for Survival

Most of us, having spent over a decade growing with schools as much as we did with our families, are constantly reminded.....

Hypocrisy, false propaganda and war in Ukraine - EDITORIAL

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 this year and the war is entering its 26th day. Whilst one may sympathize.....

Archbishop Oscar Romero: champion of human rights

The brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia whose leader Vladimir Putin who is considered by most independent analysts as tyrannical or insane,

Is Basil looking to India at the cost of China?

Twice-postponed Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa’s visit to New Delhi took place finally to secure a US $ 1 billion credit line to purchase essentials - food items and pharmaceuticals for dollar-starved Sri Lanka.

present crisis due to uncontrolled borrowings: Karu Jayasuriya

Former Speaker Deshabandhu Karu Jayasuriya, the Chairman of the National Movement for Social Justice, says that the country’s current crisis is due to the uncontrolled borrowings from foreign countries, the defrauding of public funds and the failure to enforce law in the country.

SOLAR POWER an ALTERNATE ENERGY source

Energy is a hot topic these days globally. So be it in Sri Lanka. The subject energy makes headlines year in and year out in Paradise.

listen to the voice of the people - EDITORIAL

Protests by citizens should never be discouraged. A protest happens when citizens are unhappy and want a change. Last Tuesday’s protest staged by the main opposition gave a clear message....

The Supreme role of the Central bank Governor

One of the principal reasons for our failure as a nation to progress is the absence of strong institutions. If we had a National Panning Commission, Elections Commission with educational....

“Sri Lanka must be prepared to face new Covid variants” - Dr. Hamdani

As some cities in China, the country where Corona virus was first discovered, have gone into fresh lockdowns due to a spike in COVID-19 cases, Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry has also urged Sri Lankans....

Frustration spills over: No saviours in sight

The address to the nation by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday might have aimed at instilling confidence in him and his government in the minds of the public who have been and still....

Lessons from Kalama Sutta

The call for independent thinking and free inquiry in Kalama Sutta, Buddha’s famed discourse, continues to appeal to scholars and dedicated teachers.

The agony when savers become spenders

Sri Lanka’s political scene experienced a charged tempo when the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) took to the streets on Tuesday (March 15) protesting against an inefficient government and demanding from the president to call for an early presidential election. Mostly the idea behind the protests was to send a clear message to the president that he must change as the head of state.

Afraid of tomorrow

Given the chaos, confusion and uncertainty currently prevailing in Sri Lanka, it is only natural for people to be afraid of a worse calamity that tomorrow might unleash on the helpless citizens of this country.

The ugly who?

The adjective has been tagged to the verb ‘American.’ Over the past few weeks, it has been used when referring to Minister Basil Rajapaksa. Subjective. After all beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and, by implication, so too ugliness.

Today’s multiple crises - a deja vu of 70s - EDITORIAL

Owning and operating a private vehicle is getting more and more expensive. Yet, the extremely inadequate public transport system....

Bad governance doesn’t make good decisiOns!

To say that the economic crisis that Sri Lanka is facing is unprecedented and catastrophic, would be a gross understatement. While the public......

Foreign newspaper spills the beans: Myanmar-Sri Lanka rice deal smells of corruption

Focusing on the current plight of the paddy industry in Sri Lanka which runs back to 2600 years ago is a timely requirement. History bears.....

National government; a farce

An idea of a national government has been floated and it is being debated among the leaders of various political parties, against the backdrop of the economic crisis the country is currently faced with. Since the necessity of a national govern

Is ‘Sri Lanka Spring’ in the making?

In recent memory, corrupt and dynastic regimes have fallen not because their citizenry became conscious of democracy overnight, or developed a special alluring for civic rights. But because, the people became poorer, hungrier and angrier. Economic sho

Roots of Russophobia

Righteous indignation at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s brazen invasion of Ukraine without adequately giving diplomacy a chance to resolve Russia’s legitimate security concerns can be justified. But what is abhorrent is the wanton transformatio

Why is Poland jittery after Russia invaded Ukraine?

The war in Ukraine isn’t the walkover that Russian President Vladimir Putin was hoping for. Fierce Ukrainian resistance is demoralising Russian forces, the capital of Kyiv hasn’t fallen. The rolling countryside may be easily traversed by

Joint Celebration of Sri Lanka- Bangladesh relations: Colombo Port stands to benefit from growing Bangladeshi economy