And the lights all went out in Bangladesh... - EDITORIAL

Parts of Bangladesh have had their power supply slashed after ‘Adani Power’ set a deadline of Nov 7 to switch off the flow of electricity if there is no clarity on the settlement of the outstanding dues. Adani supplies Bangladesh power from its 1600-megawatt coal-fired plant in eastern India.

The Second Coming of Trump: Prospects for war and peace

Although foreign policy was the least concern of the American voters, it is one of the most talked-about topics outside the United States in the afterglow of Republican powerhouse Donald Trump’s decisive victory over Democratic blowhard Kamala Harris.

A gullible nation that lacks critical thinking

Sri Lankans are gullible to ‘pseudoscience’. Lawmakers and ambitious people are aware of this existence and use it to their advantage. The last time people believed in such nonsense was when a doctor in Kurunegala was accused of performing illegal sterilisation surgeries on females.

General Elections 2024 Time to reject unethical and undemocratic candidates

The period leading up to the current President’s assumption of power was characterised by a series of mass protests and agitations calling for a transformation in political culture, with citizens demanding a new and ethical political environment in the country.

Elections in Lanka and the US in a destabilised world - EDITORIAL

On the fourteenth of November, Lankans will go to the polls. Walking the streets of Colombo or the suburban cities, one hardly sees signs of the upcoming election.

India-Sri Lanka relations under the new Government: What does India want?

The political shift in Sri Lanka following the election of Anura Kumara Dissanayake as president in 2024 has sparked new discussions on the future of India-Sri Lanka relations.

Trump doesn’t make the grade in foreign policy, say US experts

International Relations (IR) scholars at US colleges and universities who were surveyed on the consequences of the 2024 US Presidential election for American foreign policy, felt that the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, would be more effective at managing international challenges.

Political parties on sale - EDITORIAL

The enthusiasm among the people on the November 14 Parliamentary election seems to be very low compared to the September 21 Presidential election.

Fears and Hopes in a World of Turmoil

Today, I mark my one hundred and fiftieth Red Notes column. As I started writing this column, I reflected on if and how I should continue on this twice-a-month weekend preoccupation.

Who pays for these committees and commissions?

The attempt by the leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya Udaya Gammanpila to score brownie points from the voters by embarrassing the government using the two committees appointed by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe on the terrorist attacks launched on the Easter Sunday in 2019 seems to have become a damp squib.

Let not red herrings draw attention away from problems

It has been less than six weeks since the people brought new leaders to the political scene of this country. The fact that a once outlawed political entity has won the presidential hustings seems to have set the cat among the mice.

How Anura Scented the Sweet Smell of Success in 2024 Presidential Race

The Presidential election of November 2019 and the Parliamentary elections of August 2020 proved to be huge disappointments to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and its leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD).

WAR CRIMINALS AS TOURISTS: WHITHER MORALITY?

Sri Lanka should stop issuing tourism visas to Israelis, especially armed forces members, until a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

ARCHITECT OF CHANGE? - EDITORIAL

People in this country want many things changed pretty fast. Now it’s not merely a ‘system change’ that’s needed; these are just loose words.

How planning ahead can reduce disaster risk and support faster recovery

The rains have come again hard, causing flooding, landslides, and displacement, wreaking havoc on already vulnerable populations.

Elections belong to the people - EDITORIAL

Tomorrow, we move into November – a crucial month owing to Sri Lanka’s General Elections scheduled for the 14th.

Problems hang fire while government ponders elections

The new JVP/NPP government has been in power for less than two months. They are faced with mounting problems which are not of their making. In Opposition the president and his political party, which now rules our country condemned the former president Wickremesinghe for ignoring the plight of the masses.

Threat of Islamist extremism is real, don’t play politics with it

For the last couple of years since the tragic Easter Sunday attacks, some sections of the Catholic church led by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and civil society groups have been wanting us to believe that nine Islamist suicide terrorists, having pledged allegiance to the transnational Salafi Jihad terrorist group, Islamic State, blew themselves up killing 250 locals church goers and foreign tourists in order to bring to power an ardent Sinhala Buddhis

Why does Canada want to restrict immigration?

The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on October 23, that Canada will “significantly” reduce the number of new immigrants.

Elpitiya, a wakeup call for amending LG Election Act

The results of Saturday’s Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha election cannot be taken as an indication of the results of the forthcoming Parliamentary election scheduled for November 14, as some suggest, since the two elections are different in several aspects.

Israel’s espionage machine – cyber intelligence, moles and money

Israel pulled off two stunning espionage coups in recent months – the killing of Hamas’s top political leader Ismail Haniye in the Iranian capital Tehran, followed by the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, head of Hezbollah militant organisation in Lebanon.

Petty politics shouldn’t divert attention from justice to Palestine - EDITORIAL

The Middle East, more realistically East Asia, is now virtually a tinder box. Over the past decade or so Israel has assassinated a number of Iranian scientists.

Anura Dissanayake and the Formation of the National People’s Power

This is the fourth part of an extended article focusing on Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. In the first part of this article, the early years of Anura’s eventful life were delved into in some detail. In the second part, AKD’s steady growth as a political leader within the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) was related to some extent. In the third part, Anura’s rise to the leadership position of the JVP was recounted.

Terror attack turned into a political foot ball

The can of worms that was opened by the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader, Parliamentarian Udaya Gammanpila with regard to the Easter Sunday attacks seems to have been overshadowed by the US travel advisory due to a purported plan by certain individuals to launch a similar attack on Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka.

Can government overcome problems of impunity and arm twisting

When ordinary citizens are brought before the law it is seen as a stigma, and shame. Times out of number, when officials are caught out -either embezzling funds, accepting bribes or any other offences; when produced before the court, these individuals tend to cover their faces in shame.

Security alert: More to it than meets the eye

There is more to the Israeli presence in Sri Lanka than meets the eye. Also, there is more to Wednesday’s security alert than what the authorities and embassies claimed.

The Govt. must study Jack Ma and the ecosystem - EDITORIAL

Sri Lanka has long been a country where ambitious individuals have toppled existing regimes and created new ones.

The building of a political force for the benefit of the country

October 24 marks the 30th anniversary of my father’s death. It was a on a day like today on that fateful night when the LTTE assassinated one of the most dynamic and accomplished politicians this country produced.

The colour of the lawmaker who’s not fake

Many moons ago, before the last presidential election, there was great uncertainty because the lawmakers were robbing the people off their tax contributions.

Let’s join the battle against corruption - EDITORIAL

Going by popular trends, most independent analysts are forecasting that the new President and his party will get at least a simple majority in parliament.