Spotlight on Gal Oya National Park: Illegal mine operations threatening flora and fauna

A few weeks ago, at around 1.00 am, I received a phone call from a friend from the Department of Wildlife and Conservation (DWC). “Brother, I’m sorry....

Charitha presented with Eda Sagarra Medal of Excellence

Charitha Marcus, a Sri Lankan lecturer pursuing her doctoral studies in Ireland, has been awarded with the Eda Sagarra Medal of Excellence....

At last, select committee to PROBE Economic Killers

According to news flash and revelations by President, business tycoons that include Cheevaradharin have beaten politicos and....

Air pollution and need for solutions - EDITORIAL

Last Thursday, a haze which many people believed to be a blanket of mist covered Colombo’s environs. However, the day’s particular....

The concept of ‘Might Is Right’ needs to change

Today, powerful countries believe their world outlook is infallible, their security sacrosanct and lesser nations and states must fall in line... or face unenviable consequences. The powerful continue to ride roughshod over smaller countries.

Isn’t there a way to downsize LG bodies?

After weeks of speculation and allegation by the Opposition parties that the government was going to postpone the local government elections,

Save our children from this drug menace! - EDITORIAL

The drug menace raising its head inside schools and children falling prey to narcotics is a great cause for concern. The habit of depending on something like a drug....

Inappropriate push, touch or hug: Need to reform Lanka’s laws

The independent Police Commission’s recent verdict exonerating a senior police officer from charges of inappropriately pushing two female officers, though shocking, failed to generate public anger....

More bitter truths surface regarding sugar scam

The sugar scam amounting up to 16 billion rupees has again become a hot topic for discussion. Those involved in this scam were accused of evading paying government tax. Businessmen with close....

People had been in search for peace and tranquility since independence but never found them

Six to seven million Sri Lankans are reportedly undergoing tremendous hardship for their second meal every day.

A misguided cabinet misguiding Parliament?

Cabinet of Ministers of Sri Lanka has made several decisions over the last few years giving rise to disastrous results to its citizens.

Solidarity, a fundamental value in International relations

With Sri Lanka still facing its worst ever socio-economic and political crisis since independence in 1948, President Ranil Wickremesinghe is striving to pull the country out of its debt crisis

Will the Tamil parties’ talks with the Lankan President bear fruit?

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will be meeting the Tamil parties of the Northern and Eastern Provinces on December 11 to find a solution to the longstanding Tamil issue. But the chances....

Twitter and journalism: An indispensable duo

This is the time of the year that newspapers start working on the year that was segments. 2022 will not give that much trouble to fill a page or more with such a diary. Taking a leaf off the traditional....

Electricity costs, wages and elephant in the room - EDITORIAL

Sri Lanka’s state-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has run up losses of billions of rupees in the first quarter of 2022. Our sister publication the ‘Daily FT’ reports Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera....

Power crisis: Who is responsible?

Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) engineers on November 29 have warned of a power cut of more than 10 hours from April to October next year, due to the delay in coal supply for the coal power plants. Three days later, the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), Janaka Ratnayake also confirmed the looming threat of near half-a-day power cut by mid-next year. They attribute the situation to the shortage of funds in the CEB t

A challenge to Mullahs in Tehran A clerical regime that punishes women for unveiling themselves

After 400 protestors died and sentencing to death of an unknown, countless number in order to suppress a popular uprising against the regime, Iran’s hard-line Mullahs have suddenly made a U-turn, shutting down the infamous m

IMF Budget and Economic Devastation

National budgets reveal the economic policies for the following year, and at historic moments the shift in the economic policy trajectory for a number of years. The recently announced Budget 2023....

University education: Need for change and expansion - EDITORIAL

The current literacy rate in our country is estimated to stand at 92.3% - one of the highest in the Asian region. Yet, at the time we received independence from Britain in 1946, the literacy rate in the country....

President’s call for talks on ethnic problem:No compromise, no solution

During eighties Dr. Ananda Tissa de Alwis, the State Minister under the J.R. Jayewardene government was the Cabinet spokesman who conducted the weekly press briefings.

Troubles brewing in the South China Sea

In August this year US House Speaker Pelosi, despite suggestions from president Biden’ to avoid visiting Taiwan landed in that country.

Sri Lankans have the power to dig themselves out of trouble - EDITORIAL

People who have remained here in Sri Lanka are working harder than before to make ends meet. Some among them are seen opting to buy lottery tickets; in most cases this is a new found habit. There....

Red card for FIFA as Palestinian cause reaches goal at World Cup

On Wednesday at the Education City Stadium at Al-Rayan in Qatar, Tunisia beat defending champions France. As the jubilant Tunisian fans and supporters celebrated despite their failure to go to the second....

Geopolitical tensions and repaying external debt

On different occasions, information released to the public, regarding our external sovereign debt have not been very exact.

System Change: An Aragalist touch-me-not?

Such diversity! Such passion! Such innovation and creativity! Such courage and heroism! Such were and still are the encomiums floating around in mainstream and new media about the Aragalaya.

Mr. President, get the army to bust Ice mafia - EDITORIAL

Last we heard of a drug menace of this magnitude in Sri Lanka was almost four decades ago. With the war came the narcotics. Now....

Now we have a well-read, cultured strongman

President Ranil Wickremesinghe is the most literate, widely read and informed president we have ever had, after Chandrika Kumaratunga....

Right-sizing the Sri Lanka Army

The prime responsibility of the Army is to provide protection to the citizens and safeguard territorial Integrity and Sovereignty

The PC election conundrum

Against the backdrop of President Ranil Wickremesinghe having called on all political parties in Parliament to put their heads together to resolve the long due ethnic problem, Tamil parties representing the Northern and Eastern Pro

Free education: Beyond the Saree

Recently, a rather unusual and indeed needless debate hobbled the country’s schools after a group of teachers ditched their sarees, the standard attire for female teachers in public schools, in favour of more comforting clothing of the