Brinkmanship and dangers of an unintentional nuclear war

War mongering and brinkmanship are escalating in the European theatre, where the US and NATO are fighting a proxy war with Russia in Ukraine. On March 14, a US MQ-9 Reaper drone was brought down over the Black Sea by Russian fighter jets, after the drone allegedly violated Russian airspace and carried out its flight with transponders turned off.

The challenges ahead of ruling parties

The Local Government Elections, which were first scheduled to be held on March 9 and then rescheduled for April 25, are destined to be postponed again as the Government seems to be determined not to release funds for it.

Refusing to see positivity in a land sans queues - EDITORIAL

The Sinhala-Tamil New Year is fast approaching and people are having mixed thoughts about how much they should spend on purchases. This is the time to buy garments because by the time April dawns....

China’s soft power behind Iran-Saudi deal; Changes in Middle East geopolitics

Politics is the art of the possible. As long as politics remains, this quotable quote famously uttered by 19th Century German statesman Otto Von Bismarck will also remain. In real politics, nations and politicians....

Improving Lankan women’s access to economic opportunities: The business case

If 2023 is just like any other year, as women’s history month wraps up this Friday, slowly but surely, women’s faces slowly fall off the panels, roundtables, stages and meeting rooms, and everyone’s favourite buzzword, “empowerment” is retired for another year.

Human rights: The way, truth and the light

Today in Sri Lanka, President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the splintered Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) government are trying pull the country out of its worst ever socioeconomic crisis since independence in 1948.

Let’s talk digital hygiene

Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi, my colleague from the deep south is a bit of cocky character. Abrasive at times, hard to deal with. But he is a heck of a journalist. he is one....

Keep Indian Ocean, a ‘Zone of Peace’ - EDITORIAL

Today once again a repetition of the ‘Cold war’ between the US and Russia is threatening to spill over into a military confrontation in the battlefields of Europe. The epicenter Ukraine – where the US....

English medium education and the hurdles ahead

April 2022 makes me feel proud of Sri Lanka

It was a warm April night. You could say typical, notwithstanding global warming and vagaries of weather. But something exceptional happened.

Quick impressions on post-war development

The recent visit to Jaffna, after several years of forbidden travel due to the pandemic, provided an opportunity to revisit areas of interest and observe the changes, including positive and negative developments, in both the economic and social fronts.

Role of diasporas in the contemporary world

Diasporas are not a new phenomenon. The Jewish Diaspora is one of the earliest and also the best known. But it is only now that the Diasporas have become a political factor in their host countries and their countries of origin (the Homelands).

IMF facility, ethnic harmony and sports diplomacy - EDITORIAL

During the past few months, the single most talked-about subject in our country has been - whether the country would receive ....

71st and 51st Death Anniversaries of Two Greats: Ranil-Rajapaksa or Ranil-Gunawardena?

The Live telecast of adjournment debate on the President’s statement on IMF, was different. It signified a paradigm shift in the stance....

With IMF boost, Ranil will target 2024 Presidential poll

Friday, March 24 was the 74th birthday of Ranil Sriyan Wickremesinghe. The Sri Lankan President was born in Colombo on 24 March 1949.

It’s too early to celebrate

Some of the responses of the ruling parties and some in the Opposition parties on the approval of the bailout package for Sri Lanka by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday were amusing.

Foibles and follies in Ukraine, tensions with China

The war in Ukraine -Europe’s latest war is into its 365th day. Columnists of major US and European news sites have from time to time expressed surprise that there could be an ongoing war in Europe in this day and age.

Teacher transfers and Stalin’s ‘bubble’ - EDITORIAL

The teaching profession is slowly becoming a volatile ground. Teacher protests have continued for years; thus giving all signs that this is a profession where some individuals cannot find satisfaction....

Iraq war, 20 years on: Why the horror story should be retold

As the Iraq war’s 20th anniversary is marked this week, it is time to take an audit of the evil nature of war. How it all began should be retold....

Don’t undermine democracy

A group of 84 individuals, civil rights activists, and intellectuals has issued a statement on the political development in the country recently. In particular, they had mentioned the delay in holding....

Mother dearest, mother fairest

The Popular St. Francis of Assisi, whose movie “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” turned into one of the best and most loved film ever made,

On plugging the oil leaks in CPC

We are talking here about the energy sector. We are talking about petroleum. About crude oil. Refined petroleum fuels and products.

Importance of “deep sea” biodiversity preservation for Sri Lanka

On March 4 in New York, 200 countries endorsed a UN treaty to protect biodiversity in “seas beyond national jurisdiction” also called the “high seas”. The treaty is described by Carnegie Endowment as the...

More universities or continued procrastination? - EDITORIAL

The present capacity of our universities is unable to accommodate the numbers of students qualified to enter these hallowed halls of learning. Education Ministry statistics for 2020 revealed as many....

A Sense of Progress: The Sri Lankan Square Deal

“The Principles for which we stand are the principles of fair play and a square deal for every man and every woman...a square deal politically, a square deal in matters social and industrial...

Will IMF save Sri Lanka?

The staff level agreement between Sri Lanka and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which was arrived at on September 1 last year,

IMF bailout: SL’s march to recovery and political opportunists who stand on the way

Yesterday was a momentous day! With the International Monetary Fund’s executive board poised to approve the US$ 2.9 billion extended funding facility last night, Sri Lanka’s long march for economic recovery could only now begin.

Interim Order of the Supreme Court and the LG polls

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on 3rd March issued an interim order to the Finance Secretary and the Attorney General who represent the Finance Minister preventing them from withholding any funds earmarked....

Ukraine; from “Bread Basket” to “Meat Grinder” A Mission for GL and Veteran Vasu

Ukraine is a large producer of corn and barley and the world’s fourth-largest producer of potatoes. They have the ability to meet food requirements for 600 million humans; hence it is called the “Bread Basket.” The ill-fated....

Imminent arrest of Trump and warrant on Putin - EDITORIAL

Two days ago, former US President Trump announced, that he would be arrested on Tuesday and called on his supporters to launch mass protests. The former president had already announced his....