The hallmark of the 21st Century was that whatever stability and narratives that governed the 20th century started to unravel at...

Cancer. Stroke. Heart Disease. Asthma. These are some of the life-threatening diseases caused by air pollution, a problem that kills more than six million people worldwide every year and which is the most pressing environmental health risk humanity f

With war and violence, fraud and corruption, drug addiction and sex addiction and the latest vice of “fake news”—which was chosen by Collins dictionary as the word of 2017—the media spotlight is more on negative factors instea

Prime Minister Narendra Modi who enjoyed a sunny season with western media for three years appears to have hit a snag during the past few months. 

‘While there’s water, mix the plaster,’ says a Chinese proverb equivalent to the English proverb ‘Strike the iron when it is hot’. This was exactly what President Xi Jinping did 12 days ago. 

“The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana, while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1)(e).&rdqu

It is disheartening to note many people coming forward to defend National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa who threatened to bomb the Parliament if it adopted a Constitution based on the interim report of the Steering Committee appointed u

The country witnessed a major uproar after the Steering Committee released its interim report outlining proposals for constitutional changes.

Going by the rhetoric and the text pertaining to constitutional reform currently being debated in Parliament, it is all about two things. 1) Expunging of the clause supposedly privileging Buddhism, and 2) Devolution of power.   

Following are excerpts of the speech made by TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran at the Parliament debate on the Interim report of the Steering Committee of the Constitutional Assembly. 

Following are excerpts of a statement issued by former Justice and Buddha Sasana Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe PC regarding the much talked about Interim Report of the Steering Committee presented to parliament for debate. 

“There are no grievances specific to Tamils” - Udaya Gammanpila, Western Provincial Council Minister, 2014 

I was pleasantly surprised to read the very perceptive and might I say brilliantly argued piece by Dr. Dayan Jayatilleke in the Daily Mirror of October 11, 2017, “Constitutional Conversation :What the Government and the nationalists don&rsquo

There is currently a debate about the drafting of a ‘New Constitution’ for the country among the academic community and the general public in Sri Lanka. This started with the appointment of a 19-member Committee headed by Lal Wijenayake

“The scientific method is the addition of new truths to the stock of old truths, or the increasing approximation of theories to the truth, and in the odd case, the correction of past errors”

I look out the window. The sun, already below the horizon, having left its day’s legacy of tireless yet unkind assault on mother earth, with the darkening western sky, is behaving in her usual splendor, creating a riot of colors; a magnificen

Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam in a recent interview with the Daily Mirror  spoke on educational reforms and the incorporation of technology in education while responding to criticism of his ambitious strategies. Following are e

The Supreme Court determination in the Chandrasoma Vs Senathirajah case (SC Spl 03/2014 -Decided on 04/08/2017), this August, did not receive the public attention it deserved. The silence speaks volumes for a society that chooses to languish in ign

Several people have come forward to defend National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa who threatened to bomb the Parliament if a new Constitution was adopted on the basis 

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, in an interview with the Daily Mirror, speaks out his stand on the constitution making process and the enactment of the Provincial Councils Elections Act. Excerpts:

Yesterday, Parliament took up for debate the Steering Committee Report on the Constituent Assembly. The first round of the debate will be held until Wednesday.    However, the history of Sinhala hardline obstructionism is repeating itse

Prof. Yash Ghai, a Harvard Scholar and Prof. Emeritus of the Nairobi University, was a Kenyan who had over the years been regarded as an international expert in constitutional making. It was a great honour for the University of Nairobi to have educat

“Disasters are becoming increasingly common and dangerous. Many populations are vulnerable to disasters. As large populations are now urbanized, and living in coastal areas, they are more prone to disasters.”   

Sri Lanka has a long history of providing its citizens with food aid. In fact the first such aid programme was introduced to the country....

The main function of a modern State is the management of public affairs in keeping with widely accepted principles, values and....

– Oliver Cromwell (1599 –1658) - English military and political leader’s address to British Parliamentarians on April 20...

Reports on a recent incident in a Colombo suburb, where a refugee centre housing a group of Rohingya was attacked by a mob....

It was the age of reason, it was the age of ignorance/chaos, it was the era of tradition, it was the era of optimism, it was the season of arguments, it was the season of agreements.   

Over recent years, many Iranians in the big cities confided quietly to the opinion pollsters that they felt an empathy with the West. It was not reciprocated. Frankly, most people in the West have no in-depth opinion about Iran. If they think about i

Concerns have been expressed about the possibility that in consequence of the Government’s ratification of the Convention on Enforced Disappearances, Sri Lanka would appear to have submitted to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Cou