Have the governing MPs really understood the Online Safety Bill?

An amended Online Safety Bill was passed in Parliament on Wednesday, despite calls from the opposition to delay the debating of the Bill and international organisations urging extensive revisions to be made. The final reading of the Bill however was approved without a vote.

’’Told you to plant something’’

With vegetable prices skyrocketing, Sri Lankan ministers have come up with an enterprising solution to the problem: Grow your own vegetables!

Tourism is on the rise again, but what does Colombo offer our overseas visitors?

Sri Lanka appears on course to meet its 1.5 million tourist target for 2023, and have set their sights on increasing that number by 1 million next year. But for all the history, culture and natural beauty the country has to offer, how much does Colombo contribute to the tourism industry?

This Week in Our Comments Section: Can a legend save Sri Lanka cricket?

In the aftermath of Sri Lanka’s dreadful Cricket World Cup campaign, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva called on a former cricketing legend to take over the team. Here are some of your comments on the story.

This Week in Our Comments Section: Who runs Sri Lanka Cricket?

President Ranil Wickremesinghe last week clarified suggestions that BCCI Secretary Jay Shah was running Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). Here are some comments from our readers.

How low will our MPs go?

How low will our MPs go?

New face or old guard?

With President Ranil Wickremesinghe telling Parliament that elections will take place next year, who is most suited to lead the country through the uncertain future?

This week in our comment’s section: Ranjith Bandara at Cope

COPE Chair Prof. Ranjith Bandara dominated the headlines this week. Here’s a look at what our readers had to say.

Should our taxes pay for nepotism?

Having chosen not to disclose a previous connection to SLC, opening suggestions of conflict on interest, MP Bandara then appeared to prompt SLC officials to not answer certain questions being asked by fellow COPE members, a video of which went viral on social media.

What’s the most important topic in the country right now?

So what’s the most important topic in the country right now?

Dissolving Sri Lanka Cricket: Will Sri Lanka face ICC sanctions?

Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe took the drastic step of dissolving the Sri Lanka Cricket administration on Monday, appointing an interim committee, headed by 1996 World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga, in its place.

Sri Lanka’s disastrous Cricket World Cup campaign: Is questioning the coaching staff and selectors enough?

The defeat has shaken Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) into action, with SLC calling for an urgent and comprehensive explanation from the entire coaching staff and selectors into the team’s performances at the tournament.

A win for Diana, relief for SJB?

On Tuesday, a petition filed in the Court of Appeal against the State Minister, which was seeking an order to declare her not qualified to be a Member of Parliament, was dismissed.

Why does China need to conduct research in Sri Lankan waters?

Why has a Chinese ship, docking in Sri Lanka, raised concerns in India and the United States?

Parliament debates Israel-Palestine conflict

As the conflict between Israel and Palestine rages on, Sri Lanka’s Parliament expressed differing views during an adjournment debate on Friday.

Should Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have lifted Danushka Gunathilaka’s ban?

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced on Tuesday that a three-member independent inquiry committee, headed by a Retired High Court Judge, had unanimously recommended an ’’immediate lifting’’ of the cricket ban imposed on Gunathilaka by SLC last year following allegations of sexual assault against the cricketer.

Three takeaways from Sri Lanka’s six-wicket defeat to Pakistan

Why is a State Minister paying MP Namal Rajapaksa’s electricity bills?

And more importantly, will the Minister be paying other people’s bills too?

In the news: The Online Safety Bill

Sri Lanka could finally achieve its dream of becoming like Singapore Just not in the way you’d imagine

Let’s Talk Mental Health Extreme Highs and Lows Getting to know Bipolar Disorder

What would it feel like to shift intensely between mood, energy, activity levels and concentration? According to professionals, Bipolar Disorder is not the typical “mood swings” that many of us go through, but a problematic condition where moods range from periods of extremely “up”, elated, irritable or energised behaviour to a very “dow

Working hours for women: laws that need changing

Sri Lanka, a nation where women account for 52% of the population, grapples with a troubling disparity in female representation within the workforce. Despite advancements in education and a growing number of female university graduates, women’s participation in the labour market remains dishearteningly low, hovering between 30-37% for more than a decade.

Let’s talk mental health Undiagnosed ADHD and the hidden struggle

ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a psychological disorder that is often associated with children but can persist into adulthood. However, many adults with ADHD remain undiagnosed and are left to struggle with its symptoms on their own. Two university students from Sri Lanka recently shared their experiences with undiagnosed ADHD, which affected their day-to-day lives, self-esteem, and confidence.

Mannar Wind Power Projects: When questions blow in the wind

Suddenly the remote fishing hamlet on the Mannar Island found their lives in chaos. The Wind Turbine Power plant project jointly implemented by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Adani Group of India is standing at their doorstep and staring right into their eyes and livelihood.

Two Sri Lankans shortlisted for Commonwealth Short Story Prize

Storytelling must be encouraged as it has the potential to foster so much empathy and understanding between people and communities, said Rukshani Weerasooriya Wijemanne, one of the two Sri Lankan....

Can Yala Be Saved?

Yala; a national park which both locals and tourists have been fascinated by and visited countless times. But the question is, will we still have a Yala park in a few years’ time?

The labour that should not be lost

“Women empowerment isn’t about making women stronger as they are already strong. It is about changing the way the world perceives that strength,” Managing Director of Jetwing Travels Shiromal Cooray....

Bad News Overload

It is no secret that the last few years have been interlaced with crisis after crisis on a local and an international scale. 2019 marked the start of some of the most turbulent years Sri Lankans have had to face since the end of the 30-year-long civil war in 2009.

A lack of leadership was Aragalaya’s strength and weakness

2022 was a year of reckoning of double standards, globally and in South Asia, Amnesty International said at the regional launch of its Annual Report on the state of human rights in the world. The report’s country....

COVID-19: a lab leak?

US accuses China of foiling attempts to identify the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak. China scoffs at accusations.

School bullying An issue that is swept under the rug

Most of us have come across the idea of school bullying through Western TV shows or movies.