Shattering the glass ceiling, Kamala Harris style

It’s champagne time in the United States. Some 231 years after the founding of the US, the world’s most powerful country has c

SL could look forward to fruitful ties with US under Biden

Going by the policy pronouncements made by the US President-elect Joe Biden during the poll campaign, it seems that Sri Lanka can hope for better understanding from, and fruitful bilateral cooperation with, the Biden Administration when i

Biden faces old problems and new challenges

Joe Biden will assume office as the 46th President of USA on January 20, 2021. He defeated the incumbent Donald Trump in a bitterly fought contest. Biden polled 75.2m (50.7%) votes and has secured 290 of the 538 electoral c

Regime change in the US: Who gains? - EDITORIAL

In the early hours of Sunday (November 8) morning, CNN announced the projected victory of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States.

‘Pandemoniac’ Yankees; Lost in an Archaic E-College

Pandemic deaths averaged 1200 with over 120,000 new cases added each day, while election hanged on swing states for four days.

How the SLAF killed the LTTE’s “Smiling Cobra” in an air strike

More than eleven years have passed since the war between the Sri Lankan Armed Forces and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organisation concluded.

COVID-19: Responsibility left with the people

In the first seven months between March 11 and October 4 Sri Lanka saw only around 3500 coronavirus infected people out of whom 13 died. But, for the past one month since October 4 the number of infected persons has surged by over 9,000, bringing the total close to 13,000, while the death toll dreadfully rose up to 29.

Biden will turn the catastrophe into a blessing

America’s coloured people like the famous “Old black Joe” who picked cotton for centuries, yesterday were given the blessing and Beatitude virtues of picking the most powerful man in the United states if not the world.

Muslims love a peaceful existence - EDITORIAL

There is much hate against the Muslims the world over and even those practising the faith preached by Prophet Mohammad in Sri Lanka wouldn’t tend to think otherwise.

Is can’t-lose Trump trying to subvert democracy?

What is separating United States President and Republican candidate Donald Trump and the much fought for second presidential term....

A new constitution, seriously?

Crisis. This is interestingly a word that at some level warms the cockles of a politician’s heart. Governments can point to calamities and pooh-pooh demands to address issues that have plagued society for a long time. They provide ammunition to the opposition, even one which is weak, clueless and indeed precipitated the issues that are marked ‘Of overriding importance.’

Being socially responsible and protecting each other

It is getting to be too difficult to keep pace with the rapidly-spreading COVID-19, mainly in the Colombo District, which Army Commander Shavendra Silva, who Heads the National Operation Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), has described as the hotbed of the infection.

Different implications of U.S. electoral outcome on SL

Presidential Elections in the United States (US) generate interest from the world over. Americans went to polls on November 3 in record numbers, according to the foreign media, braving the pandemic.

A sick mentality worse than COVID

Leave the dangers of COVID-19 alone the mentality of Sri Lankans in how they set about dealing with this pandemic isn’t very healthy.

United States’ Presidential Elections 2020 - EDITORIAL

Yesterday, 3 November 2020, Americans went to the polls. They began voting for their next president. Americans have a choice between Donald Trump....

Public trust a must for effective contact tracing

Looking at Sri Lanka while stuck somewhere thousands of miles far off has always given me a sense of living in two parallel universes.

Pompeo’s visit and issues beyond MCC

Visits from US Secretaries of State to Sri Lanka are rare. In the past seventy two years there have been only four visits - 1956, 1972, 2005 and 2015....

WHAT IS BEAUTY?

Beauty has varied throughout time, various cultures and the vast different perceptions of the universe have applied varied connotations and perceptions to Beauty.

What is conscience in politics?

The way the 20th Amendment to the Constitution was passed on October 22 has again opened the debate over the party politics a

Is China a predator?

America’s Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who was in Colombo, making the second stop in his four-nation Asian tour slighted China as a predator, last week. “We see from bad dea

Human Rights and accountability “We do share concerns raised regarding commitments” Norwegian envoy Trine Joranli Eskedal

Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Trine Joranli Eskedal speaks to the Daily Mirror about the direction of bilateral relations under current circumstances. Norway played the role of peace facilitator between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL

Support for 20 A: What would the Muslim MPs get in return?

Will the Government bring in a new Constitution replacing the 2nd Republican Constitution with its 20 amendments during its tenure? This question has to be raised as the Government has passed a separate Constitutional amendment, the 20th Amendment on October 22, which has awarded almost dictatorial powers to the President. Minister Keheliya

Between bread and liberties; hunger wins

The human mind survives, even thrives, on an age-old but simple mechanism called complacency. Even when things look pretty bad, it keeps saying, no, it can’t happen to you.

Murder in the Cathedral - EDITORIAL

A man armed with a knife killed three persons in a terrorist attack on a church in Nice - France. The killings occurred at around 9.00 am inside.....

Going Guaidó’s way: Lessons for the Opposition

At the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, Donald Trump chose not to meet Juan Guaidó. Exactly a year earlier, in January 2019, Guaidó had declared himself interim president of Venezuela after securing the support of some 50 countries; US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the Trump administration’s top officials, had quickly made known their recognition of his self-appointment.

The grave headlines and dead-lines for journalists - EDITORIAL

With the 20th Amendment being pushed through after using various means to get the support of eight Opposition MPs,

Killing of Premachandra and conviction of Duminda Silva

The Government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa achieved a significant victory last week when the 20th Constitutional Amendment was passed in Parliament with 156 MP’s voting in support and 65 Voting against.

Stop moving and COVID-19 will also stop! - EDITORIAL

South Asian Great Game a challenge to Lanka’s neutrality

These are times when Lanka’s moment of glory in the international scene has much to do with her geostrategic beauty than her achievements.....

Dimensions of a ‘Sri Lanka First’ policy regime

Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Admiral (Rtd.) Jayanath Colombage, said quite a mouthful when he said Sri Lanka has an ‘India First’ foreign policy. He didn’t say, for example, ‘first India, others later.’ He later said ‘Sri Lanka first.’ Maybe he could have explained it all this way: ‘Of course Sri Lanka comes first, it goes without saying.’ On the other hand, abject servility to other countries by governments and political leaders over