Looming food shortage and farmers’ woes

Many people predict that Sri Lanka is on the verge of a famine due to an imminent food shortage in Sri Lanka by 2023. However, it seems that there is a possibility of an acute food crisis....

Indigenous people, youth should lead the climate action

In major religions, leaders and scholars have been proclaiming that our spirituality needs to go wider and deeper by our active and effective involvement in poverty alleviation,

Towards peaceful, inclusive EU

A good hearted woman, Barbara Undershaft, devotes all energies to help the poor as a major in the Salvation Army. She sees Andrew, her millionaire father, an arms dealer, as someone who needs to be saved.

Ahead of COP27, Lancet details Climate change’s impact on health

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, designated as COP27, will be held from November 6 to 18 at Sharm El Sheikh....

Our economic crisis needs ‘out of the box’ solutions - EDITORIAL

Our country continues to limp through the worst financial crisis which hit it since independence. Our outstanding foreign debt remains....

The messy electoral reforms

Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has on October 26 requested Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to recommend reforms in all three tiers of elections in the country, Pa

Rishi Sunak; why SL did not have a Tamil or Muslim as President?

Britain now has a British Asian, Hindu Prime Minister, though Rishi Sunak is whiter than White in his policies and richer than the Brit

Noise Pollution: Katina, feasts and lack of legal protection

Living in a hamlet surrounded by five temples, a catholic church and a mosque, I am inundated with multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious mélange of highly amplified loudspeaker sounds, that include.....

Rise of Sunak: From colonial to PM of coloniser - EDITORIAL

As the world watched in fascination, five days ago - on October 30 to be exact, Rishi Sunak of Indian extraction, became Britain’s first Prime Minister of colour - a former colonial, has now become....

Hooliganism, privilege and sanctity of sanctuaries

Over the past week media -both traditional as well as social media- has been focusing on the ugly incident which took place at the world famed Yala sanctuary on the 23rd of this month.

Achieve objective of Local Govt. Machinery through a simple Election process

At the outset we as sovereign voters exhort that all Politicians and the people with the ‘Country at heart’ must realize and agree that the objective of holding Local Govt.(LG) elections is not to test the popularity or unpopularity of their party but to elect genuine,

Child safety in society is a Human Right! - EDITORIAL

Children in Sri Lanka are not safe when in the company of unknown adults. And when reading recent news we get to understand that even....

Basil not out for good

On what grounds the majority of Parliamentarians of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) voted in favour of the 22nd Amendment....

Yala incident: VIP ‘animals’ facing legal consequences now

We often come across reports about VIP sons and their friends sneaking into national parks of Sri Lanka in private vehicles for joyriding. A similar incident....

Violence against women: Most shameful human rights violation

President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government has taken several practical steps to rescue Sri Lanka from its worst ever socio-economic....

Sunak, dual-citizens and mistaken identity

Asad Heider in his highly acclaimed book ‘Mistaken Identity: Race and Class in the Age of Trump’ contends that identity politics cannot....

All roads lead to modernization

On October 16th, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened in Beijing. I was honoured to join with leaders....

In the midst of quacks of all hues

The first workshop I ever attended on journalism was a fancy two-day affair. Held at the Blue Waters, funded and conducted by the European....

Ageing population lack eldercare facilities - EDITORIAL

Our population is aging. According to ‘Pension Watch’, in 2018, approximately 2,507,630 people were over 60 years of age and....

Constitution: For individuals or the country?

The much touted 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was passed in Parliament on Friday with 174 votes for and none against. Only one vote was cast against it during the second reading of the debate on the Amendment, but the same dissenting MP, Sarath Weerasekara had abstained during the committee stage voting. Will this amendment ma

What we should know about Xi Jinping’s new China?

Chinese President Xi Jinping secured a convention - shattering and unprecedented - though not unexpected- third term at the 20th National People’s Congress that ended on Sunday, elevating him to a status that would even make Mao Zedong envy – and Deng Xiaoping rolling in his grave. Then Mr. Xi staked the Politb

Fake news war-mongering and the war in Ukraine - EDITORIAL

War, armed struggle or individuals resorting to fisticuffs, as a means to finding solutions to problems, is not an acceptable means of problem....

Priority: Make elections free, fair and just

Mr. Nimal G. Punchihewa, Chairman of the Election Commission stated that according to the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance....

Looking back at the Aragalaya and fuel queues

Standing at the checkout counter of the nearby Sathosa store, I heard a woman ask the young cashier about a box full of coupons next....

Creating a world class city for South Asia

Port City Colombo is intended to be Sri Lanka’s main centre and portal for foreign investment. Not merely a financial hub, but also....

How and why MGR launched ADMK 50 years ago

17 October 1972 was a Tuesday. Fifty years ago on that auspicious day, a new political party was launched in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Poverty: Give us this day our daily bread

One of the world’s greatest statespersons Nelson Mandela has said as long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality exist in our world,

22 A: A morality test for the SLPP

Irrespective of whether the 22nd Amendment to the constitution Bill is passed in Parliament or not,

There will be two Sri Lankas soon - EDITORIAL

A large number of people are forced to taste the emptiness of hunger. Some are forced to rob items having great value or engage in petty thefts; all done to earn some dough to have at least one square....

The more corrupt the state the more numerous the laws

Although children are born innocent, most of them, if they live long till old age, die corrupt. The longer we live the more we become corrupt. Of course, there are exceptions. They are the....