“Limestone quarries have no effect on tremors in Sri Lanka” -Senior Geologist Wilbert Kehelpannala

Tremors are hardly news to Sri Lankans. Even if this statement may sound dubious there is nothing to wonder about earth tremors. Sri Lankans have little or no knowledge about earth tremors.

Is the government to blame for the surge in Covid-19 cases?

With all hospitals entrusted with the care of Covid-19 patients reaching capacity, Sri Lanka is facing a critical moment of action.

GSMB cancels exploration licences of Australian mineral exploration company

The Eastern coast of Sri Lanka has become the destination of choice for several local and foreign mineral exploration and extraction companies.

Medics affirm political will needed to see through new COVID outbreak

The epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic is shifting. From China to Europe and now to neighboring India the virus is showing no mercy to its people. In Sri Lanka, even before the Sinhala and Hindu New Year festivities concluded the country exp

Cardinal’s Candid Comments and the Bathiudeen Brothers Brouhaha

All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) leader and ex-Cabinet Minister Rishad Bathiudeen is a prominent Sri Lankan politician, who is very often in the news for the wrong reasons.

Emergency berthing of M.V BBC Naples at Hambantota Port: SL Atomic Energy Act violated

Even though Sri Lankan waters appear to be calm, geopolitically speaking, the waters are indeed getting rougher by the day. Months after a raging fire....

A motion that would trigger alarms in a democratic community

It was a grim beginning for the new year. Amidst the festive fever of the Sinhala-Tamil Avrudu and the lull in the official business,

Port City Economic Commission Bill; Separate state in the horizon?

Political parties including the Opposition have raised concerns over transparency and the use of Executive powers by the President to run it as a separate state

Security Threats Faced by TNA Jaffna District MP Sumanthiran

Two days before the advent of the “Pilava” April New Year on April 12, Colombo Chief Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala released 11 suspects who had been in custody for two years since early 2019.

Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph was the Voice of the Voiceless

The Easter Sunday bombings of April 21, 2019 and its consequences have caused a profound impact on the body politic of Sri Lanka.

Horowpothana Elephant Transit Home Where fate comes in the form of starvation or death

The human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka has gathered momentum in proportions not seen earlier and available reports indicate that out of a population of 6000 Wild Elephants-recorded between 2014 until March 2021- Sri Lanka has lost 2087 Elephants and nearly 550 human lives.

Sri Lanka’s messy vaccination affair

Sri Lanka commenced its COVID vaccination programme with much fanfare last January. Frontline healthcare workers....

Local teachers discriminated against at international schools

Last year, in November, local teachers of a leading international school in Colombo sent a petition to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa over alleged discriminatory treatment being meted out to them.

Justice Delayed is Justice Denied!

Two years after the Easter Sunday carnage people are left with false hopes and promises. Abrupt compensation schemes, commissions and reports have led to dead ends. Even after arresting 676 people in relation to the deadly series of attacks the government is yet to trace the mastermind. The blame game has continued ever since the incident and what has been revealed is termed as a ‘lapse’ in communication. Security has been beefed up ahead of Apri

Cinematic links between director Lester and actor Gamini

Sinhala cinema’s pioneering director Lester James Peries is the Sri Lankan filmmaker I like, admire and respect most.

Difficult to forgive Easter Sunday bombers: Brother of tourists killed in Sri Lanka

This year marks two years since the deadly Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka in which over 260 people were killed, including some tourists.

The curious case of carcinogenic coconut oil

Consumers are in a quandary wondering how they could possibly fry the kavum and kokis this festive season with the unhealthy coconut oil....

UNHRC resolution is a tragedy The Government’s reaction is a tragicomedy

It is a fool’s errand to make-believe that the UN Human Rights Council Resolution titled, “Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka”, and adopted last week would help promoting human rights in the country.

UNHRC Resolution - No triumphant victory for sl experts point out loopholes

One of the not-so-surprising decisions taken by the present Government was to withdraw from co-sponsoring the landmark United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution 30/1.

Do’s and Don’ts of COVID-19 Vaccines

Since the invention of the Small Pox vaccine by Dr. Edward Jenner in 1796, vaccines have saved millions of lives that would have otherwise perished because of infections.

Monarchs of the wild losing battle of destruction

Sri Lanka’s tuskers are a rarity with only 7% of male elephants on the island carrying tusks. Every individual animal is precious.

Passara bus accident: Trading accusations on road to investigation

Those with a skewed walk habitually check if we are walking straight,” read the slogan detached from the Lunugala-Colombo bus....

DS Senanayake’s 69th death anniversary today: Our roots are in the fields: DS

Environmental groups determined to march forward amidst hurdles

A section of Sri Lanka’s nature-loving fraternity gathered at the Vihara Mahadevi Park last Friday to express their concerns concerning the ongoing....

Zahran Hashim, Kattankudy and the Islamic State in Sri Lanka

The final report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the Easter Sunday attacks was handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa by the Chairman of the Commission, Supreme Court Judge Janak de Silva at the Presidential Secretariat on February 01, 2021.

Police questions young environmental activist: Little Bhagya unmoved by undemocratic forces

19-year-old Bhagya Abeyratne made headlines last week over a statement made during the ‘Sirasa Lakshapathi Programme’ which is aired during weekends on Sirasa Television.

Delays in gazetting proposed Managed Elephant Reserve in Hambantota

Fifty eight (58) days have lapsed since farmers in Walsapugala, a grama niladhari division in Hambantota launched a satyagraha to call upon the government to protect their paddy lands. The human-elephant conflict (HEC) is a threat they have lived with for the greater part of their lives. But this conflict has aggravated as of late with mega scale development projects which are either in the pipeline or are currently underway. This is why around 8

Restriction to enter Iranaithivu island raises concerns of Human rights groups

On March 5, a group of journalists and a human rights activist went to Iranaimathanagar shore from which people used to go to the Iranaithivu island by boat. To find out facts behind the islanders’ protest against the burial of COVID-19 victims, the group tried to visit the island. But the group was not allowed by the Navy personnel at the Iranaimathanagar sh

Searching for the elusive Reconciliation in Practice

Reconciliation became a buzz word at the onset of the Yahapalana Regime and several attempts were made to stabilize a transitional justice process.

Govt. must declare a year of tolerance

This year - 2021- Easter Sunday falls on April 4. Two years ago, in 2019, it was on April 21. All of you who are reading this will recall exactly where you were and what you were doing on that fateful day in 2019.