Battling the coronavirus - EDITORIAL

For the past six months, the world has been battling the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. As at May 22, the virus had spread to 188 countries, with over 5,067,579 persons....

COVID-19 an opportunity to reshape, reorient and reposition economy: -Dr. Kenneth De Zilva

Dr. Kenneth De Zilva, an economist and member of the Monetary Policy Consulting Committee of the Central Bank, speaks about post COVID-19 challenges and opportunities for Sri Lanka. He is a business cycle economist and financial market specialist. He is also a member of the board of the Institute of Policy Studies. The interview:

COVID-19: Lessons learnt

Coronavirus which has by now proved itself to be a killer-pandemic has devastated the entire world, making no distinction whatsoever either of persons or their social status.

Cultural diversity: Don’t allow vultures to destroy noble values

Most independent socio-economic analysts believe Sri Lanka’s foundation needs to be based on spiritual, ethnic and cultural diversity. Therefore, May 21, the world day for cultural diversity for dialogue and development, is of much significance to Sri Lanka. We hope that on all sides petty minded extremists will not be allowed to push Sri Lanka to a point where we will be forced to build on sand and crash when a big storm comes.

Doughnut Economics model for post-pandemic revival

The headline-making coronavirus continues to spread with nearly 5.0 million confirmed cases and 320,000 deaths across globally as at 19th May.

Quarantine Vs. commemorations

Is quarantine a method of punishment? Definitely, this would be a question that would be raised in one’s mind after reading about or watching....

‘War memories that hurt’

The 11th National War Heroes Day (Ranaviru Day) marked the lives sacrificed by the security forces personnel who were part of a struggle to defeat terrorism in this island nation.

Opposition for new cricket stadium - EDITORIAL

The government’s decision to build an international cricket stadium in Homagama has come in for criticism more than praise.

The first rugby visitors: When the All-Blacks played in Colombo in 1907

The first rugby team from parts beyond the seas to play in Sri Lanka, as per the recorded history of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (now Sri Lanka Rugby), was the “All Blacks” Northern Union team. They arrived in Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was t

Strategy of spraying disinfectant needs a re-think

Amid the government’s ongoing measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 - one being the spraying of disinfectant in the belief it would kill the unseen virus - comes the recent situation report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) that spraying disinfectant on roads, buildings, vehicles and on individuals is only a waste of time, ineffective and even harmful.

Triumphalism and Defeatism

Many celebrated writers flocked to Spain in 1936 to defend the Spanish Republic. Among them was the poet W.H. Auden, who served as an ambulance driver. Auden wrote ‘Spain, 1939’ as a call to arms. This is how the poem ended:

COVID-19 a global issue cum strategic tool

The countries in the world are racing against time to develop a vaccine to fight COVID-19. An urgency is felt because of the Coronavirus taking its toll continually on human lives and economic activities. In fact, the entire world has ground to a virtual standstill.

COVID-19: The New Normal

On 31 December 2019, the WHO Country Office in China was notified of pneumonia of unknown causes and this novel disease was renamed as COVID- 19 on 11 February 2020.

PONDER AND WONDER!!!

In the context of the present pandemic, the recent message from the Holy Father is a message that needs to be thought about very deeply, pondered on profoundly and applied to our daily lives.

Missing the Facebook story: Over and over again

Last week Facebook finally admitted to and apologised for something that has not been a secret. It apologised for the role played by the platform in the March 2018 riots.

The old trees of Colombo - EDITORIAL

The old trees in Colombo, especially those in the Colombo 7 and Colombo 3 areas, have been adding to the city beauty for decades.

We are called traitors for carrying forward the Human Rights work of Mahinda Rajapaksa: Brito Fernando

Daily Mirror spoke to Brito Fernando, a well-known long-standing Human Rights activist and trade unionist who recently waged a battle for animal rights....

Widening gap between theory and practice

Health and defence authorities on Sunday claimed that they have contained the coronavirus threat in the country, as no infections have been reported for the past two weeks outside the navy cluster and quarantine centres which are under their microscope. Only a political hypocrite who might fear that the credit for the success in bringing the COVID-19 under con

Coronavirus, Islamaphobia and radicalisation

Sri Lanka appears to have contained the Coronavirus more successfully than its peers. That the new patients have not been foun

oppression and injustice under cover of coronavirus - EDITORIAL

In December 2019, the world was gradually becoming aware that a deadly new disease was making its way via the city of Wuhan in China and spreading like wildfire.

Profession threatened to ‘Down Tools’

Named after the Dutch General Hulft, who was shot by Portuguese in 1656— the place where the gruesome murder took place was named Hulft’s Dorp...

Did the Tigers form TNA in 2001?

Former Jaffna District Parliamentarian and Spokesperson of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Illankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), Mathiaparanan Abraham Sumanthiran is currently in the eye of a political storm. The YouTube interview given by the 56-year-old President’s Counsel cum politician to the “Truth with Chamuditha” show conducted by senior journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrama is the reported cause of the controversy.

SLBFE’s ineptitude leaves migrant workers in the lurch

The present crisis has undoubtedly brought misery and hardship to most segments of society in a magnitude unseen before and from the Sri Lankan perspective, the worst-affected appear to be our migrant workers stranded all over the world.

COVID-19: Opportunity to bring about equality in family life

During the past four months after the volcanic eruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, most families have been virtually forced to stay at home.

COVID-19 exit strategy demands exit strategy for Economic Crisis too

On 12 May, writing a detailed piece to “Daily FT” on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) debacle the previous day, Nisthar Cassim titled it “Stock market loses Rs. 84 b in seconds”.

The Exit plan an essential but dangerous manoeuvre

It seems that only one cluster of Coronavirus infected persons –the Navy cluster that constitutes half of the total infected persons so far - is active now in Sri Lanka

Education during a difficult time - EDITORIAL

Parents would be anxious when their children return to school following the resumption of classroom sessions in the near future.

Trump’s Nakba 2.0 turns milk and honey into oppression and injustice

Yesterday was Al Nakba day – the day on which the freedom-denied Palestinian people remember the catastrophe that hit them 72 years ago.

Jayampathy Wickramaratne, red-herrings and straw-men

(Dr) Jayampathy Wickramaratne, President’s Counsel, is absolutely spot on when he says “The doctrine of necessity is not a panacea for all ills, not a “kokatath thailaya” (see his article, ‘Doctrine of Necessity: Can it be invoked to govern without Parliament?).

Better safe than sorry

The police curfew imposed in the high-risk zones of the Colombo and Gampaha Districts is to continue until further notice, while in the other 23 districts it will be lifted at 5am and re-imposed at 8pm daily.