Friday 6th October, 2023 President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent interview with Deutsche Welle (DW), in Berlin, has been trending in the digital realm—not for all the right reasons, though. Thanks to it, the genre of interrogative interview has apparently taken on a whole new meaning, with the interviewee aggressively interrogating the interviewer! There was obviously much […]

by Shihar Aneez State revenue has seen a shortfall of Rs. 100 billion as of now compared to the revenue target agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said.Tax cuts for political reasons in December 2019 has resulted in a sharp fall in Sri Lanka’s tax revenue to GDP ratio, […]

By Shamindra Ferdinando Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, declared in Parliament that the winners of LPL (Lanka Premier League) 2023 B-Love Kandy had been sponsored by an enterprise that was banned in the country. The statement was made in Parliament on 24th August. The one-time President of the Bar Association found fault with SLC […]

Wednesday 2nd August, 2023 A brouhaha has erupted over what is described as the distortion of the national anthem at the Lanka Premier League (LPL) opening ceremony. Talented young vocalist Umara Sinhawansa has been drawing heavy fire for singing the national anthem in operatic style, and mispronouncing some words therein. Her performance has sparked a […]

Tuesday 1st August, 2023 The QR code-based rationing mechanism introduced one year ago has helped halve the national fuel consumption, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has said, according to media reports. In fact, it helped bring order out of chaos and thereby saved current dispensation. Ideally, fuel should be available sans any restrictions, but the […]

By Jayantha Somasundaram (This articlecontinued from yesterday (25) is based on reporting by the international media on the events in Sri Lanka forty years ago.) “For day after day Tamils were beaten, hacked or burned to death in the streets, on buses, on trains – sometimes in the sight of horrified foreign tourists. Their homes […]

(Excerpted from volume ii of the Sarath Amunugama autobiography) During one of my visits to Colombo I got a call to see the President at ‘Breamar’. Gamini Dissanayake had told him of my friendship with Parathasarathy and he wanted me to help him repair the damage done to their friendship due to the abuse heaped […]

The muted, panicked voice came through the phone of a friend who croaked she was very confidentially warning Cassandra and advising her. Yours truly was immediately panic infected. With deep emphasis and concern the friend took her time to advise that Cass withdraws all money from banks. Cass was for once glad she was poor […]

Wednesday 21st June, 2023 The ‘Rice Mafia’ has emerged so powerful over the years that it is now running a parallel government of sorts. Wealthy rice millers resort to market manipulations, determine paddy and rice prices and exploit farmers and consumers alike, with impunity. This country is not short of political leaders who talk tough […]

A highly appreciative skill of the Pakistani administration is their extensive theatricals which can deceive the most intelligent of men. Lengthy speeches in the parliament are converted into minutes packed with wise counsel. After collecting enough praises and spewing venom on the opposition, they end up ultimately doing what they would do anyway — putting […]

Wednesday 7th June, 2023 The easiest task in Sri Lanka is perhaps to distract the public. In ancient Rome, the patricians used bread and circuses to take the plebeians for a ride, but there is no need for bread to hoodwink the masses in this country, where a mere political circus can make them forget […]

New laws contemplated by the government appears to have caused much concern among Opposition political parties for obvious reasons. The constitutionality of the proposed Broadcasting Authority Bill is expected to be challenged in the Supreme Court. The whole process of law making raised quite a stir in the wake of the recent shocking Supreme Court […]

‘Broadcasting Authority a political mechanism led by Media Secretary’ By Shamindra Ferdinando Top Opposition spokesman Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday (05) alleged that President Ranil Wickremesinghe intended to silence television and radio stations through the proposed Broadcasting Authority Bill (BAB). The former External Affairs Minister asserted that the BAB was part of a destructive political [&...

President Ranil Wickremesinghe will deliver a special statement on the government’s efforts taken over the past nine months to revive Sri Lanka’s economy, as well as outlining the forthcoming stages of the country’s social, economic, and political reform agenda. This special statement is scheduled

Eid was celebrated with enthusiasm in Srinagar while on the other hand in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, people are not able to enjoy and celebrate the festival due to the crisis in Pakistani economy, the News Intervention reported. The Pakistani establishment has created

by Sushant Sareen The good news is that there is some new evidence that despite all the adventurism and brinkmanship, the top echelons of the Pakistan Army have, by and large, remained rational and not radicalised players. The bad news is that the Pakistan Army’s bluster and grandstanding have injected exaggerated notions of its military […]

From the end of the 1980s towards the beginning of 1990s, in our region (Azad Kashmir), a storm erupted in newspapers, TV, mosques, schools, colleges, cities, markets, and villages. There were chants, songs, processions, Mujahideens, prisoners, killers, dacoits, Kalashnikovs, camps, training, Vigo cars, double-door vehicles, agencies etc. etc., it appeared as if Kashmir’s independence is […]

By Prof. Nalin Abeysekera Sri Lankans are celebrating the traditional New Year, and we can see that despite many obstacles people wanted to move back to their normal lives. The country has suffered three different blows––the Easter Sunday attack, Covid-19, and the economic crisis. They have caused many hardships for the general public. There has […]