SAMANTHA LUNDIN WRITES – Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy in July and its people are starving, as the nation state continues to suffer under its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1948. Sri Lanka defaulted more than $51 billion dollars a few months after the Russian…
Full Article SRI LANKA: A HUNGER FOR SOLUTIONS TO THE FOOD CRISIS
ANDREA PLATE WRITES — Robert McDonald, US Secretary of Veterans Affairs under President Obama, struck deep into the hearts of mental healthcare workers at the West Los Angeles Department of Veterans Affairs, albeit unintentionally, when he told them this: The effects of any war can be felt forty years after…
Full Article SRI LANKA: A NEW NOVEL REOPENS WOUNDS OF WAR
CRISTINA PEDLER WRITES – Sri Lanka is leading the way in banning palm oil imports and phasing out cultivation. In an unexpected turn of events, Sri Lanka has banned imports of palm oil and new palm plantations, and told producers to uproot existing plantations in a phased manner. An announcement…
Full Article SRI LANKA: THE WAR ON PALM OIL MAY SAVE THE WORLD
LAMA AL TAHER WRITES– Who was the mass murderer? Despite ISIS taking credit for the gruesome Easter bombing on April 21, Colombo authorities continue to link the attack to the National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ), a radical Muslim group based in Sri Lanka. However, it is believed that NTJ operatives are…
Full Article SRI LANKA: A MOST UNHOLY HOLY SEASON, WHATEVER THE RELIGION
PEYTON CROSS WRITES- International Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900s. Since then, it has grown in popularity as more countries have began observing and celebrating it. To commemorate the special day, The Independent Television Network (ITN) organized a special day-long program titled “Liya Waruna.” According to the ITN…
Full Article SRI LANKA: Women Represent!
PEYTON CROSS WRITES- With a world press freedom index rating of 165, it is no surprise that the Sri Lankan media is corrupt. Thanks to a recent election, however, it may only be a matter of time before this score improves. On January 24, the Colombo Telegraph called into question…
Full Article Sri Lanka: Sirisena, White Knight of the Free Press
PEYTON CROSS WRITES- As we are coming to terms with our recent midterm elections, Sri Lanka is approaching an election of its own. Scheduled for January 2015, Sri Lankans are already being bombarded with ads and other negative campaign tactics regarding their future presidential candidates. Most of these are funded…
Full Article SRI LANKA: Can the Web Mafia Make an Offer Presidential Candidates Can’t Refuse?
PEYTON CROSS WRITES — The ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa has sent ripples of panic around the globe, from Fox News talk shows in New York to the small island nation of Sri Lanka. On August 18th, the Sri Lankan website News First reported the country’s first possible case.…
Full Article SRI LANKA AND INDIA: The Great Ebola Freakout
PEYTON CROSS WRITES – With the recent release of the iPhone 6, millions of Americans are preparing for a technological upgrade. More than 9,000 miles away, Sri Lanka is also gearing up for its own IT reboot. On September 14, the Colombo Page reported that the Sri Lankan government plans to…
Full Article SRI LANKA: Time for an Upgrade!STEPHANIE GARCIA WRITES – Ever since the end of its 26-year civil war in 2009, Sri Lanka has been in the hot seat, the constant target of allegations of war crimes from the UN and the international community. So it’s no surprise that the island-state is hyper-sensitive to criticism, particularly…
Full Article SRI LANKA: Not Easy to Make a Sympathetic War MovieThe Indian government says Sri Lankan opponents of its newest nuclear power plant have resorted to a campaign of propaganda and media misinformation to keep the facility from going live. All the same, the anti-nuke effort is making an impact: New Delhi said it will enter into a “broad dialogue”…
Full Article SRI LANKA: New Nuclear Plant from India Has Neighbor Up in Arms
Sri Lanka is used to being accused of abusing Tamils, but usually those under attack are their own, not India’s. Sri Lanka appears to be caught up in a publicity scandal in which its Navy has been accused of attacking a ship of 16 Tamil fisherman from India on March…
Full Article SRI LANKA: Navy Denies Attacking Tamil Fishermen From IndiaAlthough the exceptionally long and bloody civil war in Sri Lanka has ended, an extension of the conflict is playing out in the world media. Until recently, world opinion seemed considerably anti-government. But Colombo is mounting a media counter-attack.
Full Article SRI LANKA: Government Periodical Endorses the State’s Documentary “Ruthless”It’s possible to make history but much harder to rewrite it. On February 4th, the government of Sri Lanka celebrated the country’s 64th year of independence from Great Britain with a festive ceremony, including a moment of silence, a parade, and a speech given by current Sri Lankan President Mahinda…
Full Article SRI LANKA: Official History Versus Credited RealityNot that there was any doubt, but it looks as if the truly awful Sir Lankan civil war really is totally, completely, irretrievably over. How do we know? It seems as if the legendary advertising agency BBDO Worldwide, which is known for taking chances but rarely making mistakes, has opened…
Full Article SRI LANKA: So Now …. Dear BBDO …. Get To Work!