Hiruni, a fisherman’s wife, who has to manage her household (of five people) with an income of about 2.5 euros (500 Sri Lankan rupees) per day, is heavily indebted. In order to increase her household income, she borrowed 50,000 rupees.....

In October last year, twelve Malaysian nationals of Tamil origin were arrested by the Malaysian Police over suspected links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and alleged involvement in terrorist activity.

Many Sri Lankan women travel to foreign countries to seek employment as domestic aides and do similar blue-collar jobs to send money home. But oftentimes, many of them have unpleasant stories to relate. There have been instances when some were tortur

When the house of 48-year old Lalith Priyashantha, a fisherman in Negombo, area, was washed away partially in November 2018, the authorities promised to provide him lands in safer locations.

“May you live in interesting times” is a saying that is believed to be an ancient Chinese curse. Many writers and speakers often use this expression or phrase and attribute Chinese origins to it. In spite of the widely-held belief about Chinese l

At a time when the world has acclaimed Greta Thunberg as a global leader fighting climate change and other pressing environmental issues, the Sri Lankan audience started lauding Gampaha District Forest Officer Devanee Jayathilaka for her courage.

With no practical strategies for garbage disposal in Sri Lanka, the issue has grown into a national crisis. While experts claim properly-managed garbage could be turned into a public resource, this article highlights how some officials have turned..

‘The Missing Lovers Day 2020’, an event organised by the Families of the Disappeared (FOD), was held on February 14, Valentine’s Day. It provided a platform for people who were still holding on to the love saved for their loved ones,

Those utilising transport Apps have experienced what one would call ‘nightmares’ during the recent past. While some, especially ladies, had it in the form of verbal abuse, the males have experienced several incidents of physical abuse. The recent

Residents of Rudra Residencies, Wellawatte claim that they have been deprived of the common facilities that were promised in their sales agreements by the developer. They also claim that the illegal and unconstitutional decisions taken by the Managem

Caste is all present in Jaffna, but a silence prevails about caste oppression. Such silence and invisibility were not always the case, where vibrant struggles against caste oppression shook Jaffna some five decades ago.

Dandu Monara, an ‘aircraft’ that resembled a peacock was used by Ravana, the mythical multi-headed demon-King of Lanka in Valmiki’s Ramayana. In this Sanskrit epic poem of India written in the 5th century BCE, Ravana kidnaps Seetha....

The political landscape of Sri Lanka seems gloomy and desolate. Most of the actors who strut about the political stage posing as visionaries and leaders are in actuality empty vessels devoid of substance. Proverbial wisdom tells us empty vessels make

MCC or the Millennium Challenge Compact is to be signed between US acting through the Millennium Challenge Corporation and The Government of Sri Lanka. This compact deals with....

The United National Party (UNP) is hit by another political storm these days triggering fears whether the grand old party of Sri Lanka is teetering on the brink of another major split on the scale of the debacle that it experienced in 1990 when its s

Ratnapura, the land of gems, is one big mine today. As you go towards the interiors one could witness almost every tributary and main river separated by makeshift dams to aid mining activities. While a handful of these

If you have ever parked along Galle Road, Duplication Road or connecting by-lanes, you would have noticed new parking metres. While common in certain countries for many years, parking metres were installed in Colombo in July 2017. Following numerous

River sand mining has been an illegal money-spinning business filling the pockets of politicians and many other stakeholders in related industries. However, with the new Government’s decision to suspend the licence system for transporting sand....

United National Party (UNP) Parliamentarian and Economist Dr. Harsha de Silva in a candid interview analysed what unravelled in the recently released Forensic Audit Report relating to the Central Bank Bond scam. Being a teacher on the subject of bond

A decade has passed since cartoonist- journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda disappeared. Ekneligoda was reported missing on 24 January 2010, two days before the presidential polls that year.

The number of people infected by the novel Coronavirus 2019 (nCoV) outbreak has risen to nearly 6000 while claiming the lives of 132 people in China as at yesterday (January 29). As such countries around the world are taking precautionary steps to en

Engaging in the media business in Sri Lanka is not an easy task given that there is often an aggressive government to deal with and readers who at times wish to remain drifted away from the truth..

When the word ‘engineer’ comes into your mind, what is the picture that your mind conjures? A man in overalls and the protective head gear. The word ‘engineer’, while gender neutral, in society, it is mostly attributed to males.

With unprecedented rain wreaking havoc in many parts of the country, one has to take extra precaution to prevent the threat of dengue; a menace that has not been curbed successfully to date. As per the latest statistics of the Epidemiological Unit of

January 24, 2020, was 10 years since the disappearance of journalist and cartoonist Prageeth Ekneligoda. It also marked 10 years of struggle for truth and justice by his wife, Sandhya Ekneligoda and two young sons.

Sri Lanka is a blessed land with gentle giants roaming its territory and the Blue Whale occupying its waters. Or so we think. With increased number of humans encroaching into wildlife abundant habitats......

Over the past few weeks, social media had been abuzz with reported incidents of animal cruelty. One incident was reported from a chicken farm in Kobeigane where the watchman was seen shooting a dog and later assaulting it with the weapon.

A study led by a young Sri Lankan marine biologist tells us that over 90% of small fish found in samples from Negombo, Kudawella and Trincomalee contain microplastics. In other words, if your diet includes small fish, you’re most likely ingesting p

At 26, Noor* was a divorcee, a widow and a mother of a 9 year-old-boy. She was married twice, first at the age of 17 and later at the age of 23. She was deserted by her first husband when she was 18, just days after their son was born. She later foun

As a Buddhist country, Sri Lanka’s temples undoubtedly practise Metta (Loving Kindness) meditation and chant the Metta prayer, wishing ‘all beings to be happy’ and most importantly ‘free of suffering’ on a daily basis. But it is appalling t