Unauthorized constructions, floods, landslides and LG polls

Local government elections are expected to be held in March this year. The governing central government parties have shown little enthusiasm toward the holding of local hustings. Those in opposition political parties meanwhile speak on the vital importance of holding the election on schedule.

Maldivian ruling party heading for split ahead of Presidential poll?

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which rules the Indian Ocean archipelago, is torn between President Ibrahim Solih and former President and present-day parliament Speaker, Mohamed Nasheed, putting in question its prospects in the September 2023 Presidential election. Nasheed has publicly stated that Solih will not get more than 20% of the votes in the first round if he is the MDP’s candidate.

One day, the storyteller’s tale will be told

The voice would boom through the corridors, “Hey bugger, what have you got for me?” Early morning hours during a mid-weekday in a Sunday newspaper and few staffers were just ambling in. I would be among them; most often returning to the office after several days spent on reporting.

Dire need for One Professional Tourism Authority

To truly position and brand Sri Lanka and to ensure the country meets the global traveler’s expectations, it is essential that the Government merge Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, The Sri Lanka...

Economic meltdown, healthcare crisis and corruption - EDITORIAL

The worst days of the economic meltdown are now behind us. The miles-long fuel queues at petrol sheds are, but a distant memory. The petrol, diesel and kerosene shortage however.....

New burdens of the New Year

Despite President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe having attempted to paint a rosy picture of the current economic situation of the country, the situation does not seem to be so rosy, going b

Sri Lanka ready for another covid wave?

It took a few days of unprecedented mass protests, the largest since the Tiananmen demonstrations in 1989, for the Chinese authorities to ditch the rigid zero covid policies that were, needlessly, in force for nearly three years. However, the

Hunger, power-cuts, elections and New Year - EDITORIAL

Despite wishing our readers a very happy 2023, our people are left carrying forward crises created in the past year. We need to confront.....

Political and Economic Prospects of the Youth

The dawn of the New Year is a time of hope. And hope comes with the energies of the younger generations. I often wonder what the political....

Back to Galle Face!

Our voters have constantly exhibited their ability to change Governments. Unfortunately, in the selection of individual candidates....

Spotlight on Seruwila gold deposit GSMB officials alleged of Malpractices

Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) receives 7% as royalty in mineral exploration. This royalty should be paid to the Department....

What is in store for the people in the New Year?

Sri Lankans are leaving one of the most tumultuous years in the history behind today –December 31, 2022.

The war in Ukraine, injustice and hypocrisy

If the year 2020 was internationally known was the year of the Covid-19 pandemic, year 2022 has been dominated by the war in the Ukraine. The ongoing conflict/war has divided the world into conflicting power blocs and has served as a convenient cover to ignore other ongoing atrocities in different parts of the world.

If immigrants look back at Sri Lanka! - EDITORIAL

How can we make Sri Lankans think differently with the beginning of a new year being just around the corner? One way of thinking in these lines which hasn’t been pursues much is to go to another country...

2022: Covid, self-destructive wars and China’s steady march to No. 1 position

If there is a one-liner to describe the withdrawing year, it may go like this: With Covid, it entered and with Covid, it departed. As we prepare to welcome....

“If we’re to forgive, those who committed abductions should come forward and apologise” - Sandya Ekneligoda

Sandya Ekneligoda, wife of missing journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda, has been fighting a lone battle for 12 long years to seek justice for her husband. In January 2022, Sandya made a vow to Goddess Kali....

Let’s unpack the query in ‘Tamil National Question’

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has called all parties to get together and solve what he calls the ‘ethnic-problem’ that has remained ‘unresolved’ for decades.

Migrant workers are vulnerable but they could be more valuable

With Sri Lanka still struggling to overcome its worst socio-economic crisis since independence, the United Nations recently marked International Migrants’ Day and issued a statement saying in recent years, conflicts, insecurity, and the effects of climate change have heavily contributed to the forced movement of people, whether within countries or across borders.

The old year is passing and the new is yet to be - EDITORIAL

As we approach the end of 2022, it is good to look back, not only at 2022 but to go further back in our history, and learn from mistakes of the past to ensure non-repetition in 2023. Ours is a country....

Social crisis: Losing integrity, honesty and discipline

The recent incidents involving sportsmen, teachers, policemen as well as administrative officials have shown signs of deterioration in the standards of the professionals produced in Sri Lanka, some of these....

Where Next? political consequences of SL’s economic breakdown

The momentous year of 2022 for Sri Lanka can be divided into two major phases. In the first phase, people grew frustrated with the failure of their government led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to solve....

Lesson from South Korean official

Although it is not surprising, it is sad that the reprimanding of Sri Lankans as a whole and a politician in particular by a Korean official for not being punctual and not keeping promises, did not draw attention of the people, at least to the ext

South Korean official gives earful to state minister What does being late tell about power dynamics?

Last week, a visiting South Korean official gave an earful to the state minister of social empowerment, Anupa Pasqual, for being late for a meeting. South Korea Disaster Relief Foundation (SKDRF) President Cho Sung Lea was se

‘Ice’ and ‘Taliban Monks’ ruining younger generation

nAll these years the authorities remained unmoved and now the Mihintale Chief has spoken out

Contract farming could solve some of tea industry’s problems

Labour productivity Lanka is about between 18 and 22 kg per day in Sri Lanka, in contrast to 30 to 60 kg per day in the competing countries

Faculty of Agriculture Undergraduate Research Symposium 2021/22 this Wednesday

The Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya plans to have ‘The faculty of Agriculture Undergraduate Research Symposium 2021/22’ on December 28 (Wednesday) at the Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricul

“Sri Lanka’s economic recovery challenging and the Netherlands is ready to help’’ - Ambassador

The Ambassador of the Netherlands Bonnie Horbach responding to questions posed by the Daily Mirror and shared her views on bilateral relations covering areas such as the island’s economic crisis, women rights....

The troubled year of 2022 - EDITORIAL

When 2022 dawned, no one would have imagined ‘we the people’ were about to begin a year of what could be described as one of an unimaginable and unmitigated disaster. Despite rising.....

Implement critical ‘system changes’ to bring economic stability

The writer has read several well written articles in the press chronologically narrating and analysing the history of our current predicament. Now that the symptoms and diagnosis phases over the last 74 years....

During the Portuguese Era: Conversions to Christianity of Sinhala Monarchs

At least four Sinhala Kings were converted to Christianity with the advent of the Portuguese whereas there was none converted during the Dutch era. According to historians...