Modernising public transport

Recent media reports mention that public transport services would be modernised in the near future. This is a welcome move when compared to public transportation in developed countries.

The government: Words and deeds should not diverge

Government ministers are being flayed on social media for actions that run counter to the positions they professed while in the opposition before last year’s presidential and general elections. The left-leaning, JVP-led political force, the National People’s Power (NPP), was once a harsh critic of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Yet, upon assuming office, the NPP decided forthwith to keep the IMF programme intact as initiated by the previo

Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize bid paved with Gaza corpses

In what could be the biggest embarrassment to United States’ diplomacy since the United Nations was set up in 1945, President Donald Trump provided narcissistic entertainment—more like a standup comedian than a world leader—when he addressed the world body’s 80th session on Tuesday.

Stop terrorising tourists!

Our fascinating country has been ranked as the number one travel destination for October 2025 by the global travel guide, Time Out. This no doubt has been arrived at taking into consideration the many tourist attractions that our country is endowed with. We promote our golden beaches, historic sites, and a host of enticements including verdant tea plantations and wild life.

MV X-Press Pearl disaster: Let there be justice to the nature

In July 2025, the Sri Lanka Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling where it ordered the owners of MV X-press Pearl to pay USD 1 billion as compensation based on the Polluter Pays Principle for the devastating environmental and economic damage caused by the ship’s sinking off the island’s western coast in 2021. The decision delivered in a detailed 361-page judgement by a five-judge bench led by former Chief Justice Murdu Fernando, is hailed as

Energy Security in an Uncertain World: How HVDC link with India shields Sri Lanka

Cross-border energy trade shields nations from fossil fuel shocks, supply risks, and regional instability. A High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) interconnection between Sri Lanka and India could transform energy security, resilience, and cooperation amid global volatility. This article examines how HVDC and grid integration embodies advance modern energy security for Sri Lanka’s future. The four pillars of energy security Availability, Accessibili

Lady conductors and drivers’ uniforms

Practical Uniforms for female Bus Drivers and Conductors are a necessity. The recent announcement by the minister about introducing an air hostess-style uniform for female bus (Daily Mirror Sept.22) drivers and conductors has sparked a debate. Air hostesses work in a posh clean environment serving a limited set of posh customers, not travelling in dirty buses amidst road dust rain and sun.

Facebook:How to survive perverts, idiots and con(wo)men

For those who started writing on typewriters, drove rear wheel drive vehicles, or made phone calls on ancient contraptions which insisted that numbers be dialled by turning a ring (crazy!), social media is at best a necessary evil.

CEB unions challenging government and memories of the ‘Aragalaya’

The gloves are off, the loss-making CEB’s Ceylon Electricity Workers Union (CEWU) has warned President Dissanayake, it does not recognise the government’s Extraordinary Gazette declaring electricity-related services as essential!

Unfair Garbage Tax by Kotte MC

Residents of Rajagiriya and surrounding areas are facing an unfair burden with the recent imposition of a new garbage collection tax by the Kotte Municipal Council. This tax, amounting to Rs 1000 per month for each residence, is a significant addition to the already high cost of Municipality property tax plus living expenses.

President AKD’s U-turn: Pre-poll Propaganda and Post-Election Performance

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, known popularly as Anura and “AKD”, won the Presidential election of September 21, 2024, in what was described as a gigantic leap. From 418,553 (3.16%) votes in the 2019 Presidential election, AKD increased his vote tally to 5,634,915 (42.31%) in the 2024 Presidential poll. In the second count of votes with Sajith Premadasa, AKD obtained 5,740,179 (55.89%) votes.

Before Minister Rathnayake’s “do or depart” advice boomerangs…

Reminding us of the Latin phrase “disce aut discede” (Learn or depart) which is also the motto of the Royal College, Colombo, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake in a recent meeting warned officials of the Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) to “do or depart.”

The many aspects of the grisly gun culture in the US

America is everybody’s dream destination. The allure is in its cutting-edge technology, the opportunities it gives to anyone wanting to work hard and excel, and its welcoming approach to foreigners.

Celebrating heroes from everyday life Civil power and the journey from birth to death

Let’s hope Sri Lanka doesn’t become a zombie land!

The other day this writer saw a middle-aged individual dozing off near Borella Junction. While it was extremely worrying to see a drugged individual during an evening hour, one thing certainly became clear; that the drug menace is fast going out of control. The rate at which ICE and other dangerous drugs are being distributed is evident with the major drug busts happening around the country.

Alumex: Four Decades of Aluminium Excellence, Innovation and Sustainability

For nearly 40 years, Alumex PLC has stood as a cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s aluminium industry. Established in 1988, the company began as a modest joint venture at a time when aluminium extrusion was still a developing sector in the country. In 2006,

Between Populist Rhetoric & Neo-liberal Reality Assessing the NPP’s First Year in Power

Every society has elites who wield the most power, wealth and influence, but their dominance isn’t permanent.

The shame of Lanka--elders hopelessly roaming our streets

In our country, we see them here, we see then there, we see them nearly everywhere -- old people at street corners, bus stops, hanging around eating houses and at every traffic light in the city. Begging for money to buy a morsel of food. Somebody’s mother or father Destitute, homeless, with nowhere to go.

Reflection on the NPP’s past year

On September 21, the incumbent government completes one year in power. Unlike former regimes, the incumbent government has taken certain initiatives falling in line with its campaign theme of catching rogues and bringing them to justice.

Youth rebellions and regime change has the Aragalaya been contagious?

The question arises whether the youth, especially the Gen Z, are taking over the political fate of countries, particularly those in South Asia with the recent regime changes and efforts to that effect in countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Nepal.

Shadow of JRJ hovers over promises and realities of governance

One cannot help but admire Comrade Tilvin Silva, the General Secretary of the JVP and a founding father of the National People’s Power (NPP). He has a knack of being truthful, a very admirable but rare trait among politicians in our country.

Kudos to the judiciary

A three-judge bench of the High Court today sentenced Niraj Roshan, alias ‘Ali Roshan’ to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 20.6 million after finding him guilty of unlawfully keeping five elephants without valid permits.

Establish an Advertising Authority in Sri Lanka

The recent surge in TV adverts and language that offends viewers has raised concerns about the need for a regulatory body to address these issues. Unlike countries such as the UK, which has the UK Advertising Authority, and India, with its Broadcasting Commission, Sri Lanka lacks a formal mechanism for viewers to lodge complaints about objectionable content. Current Regulatory Framework in Sri Lanka In Sri Lanka, advertising practices are oversee

Gig-for-Gaza roars louder than Doha debacle

The buildup to Monday’s emergency summit of Arab and Muslim leaders in the Qatari capital, Doha, signalled a potential turning point in Arab-Israeli relations-or a tough retaliation against Israel for bombing Qatar on September 9. But in the end, the outcome was just another round of condemnations and a lengthy communiqué that Israel,

Tax for poverty alleviation or elevation

Sri Lanka, as a country now in the midst of an IMF (International Monetary Fund) programme, has largely achieved macroeconomic stability. The latest World Bank report titled “Sri Lanka Public Finance Review: Towards a Balanced Fiscal Adjustment,” acknowledged it. The revenue adjustment since 2022 has been significant, with a near 5-percentage-point increase in tax-to-GDP to 12.3 percent in 2024. This was driven by sharp increases in tax rates

NPP and hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil

Since President Dissanayaka was elected executive president of our country and inherited the international debt the country is facing, both he and his political party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), have become very circumspect and cautious regarding any comment on Israel and its genocidal war in Palestine.

Shaping the living wage agenda:Asia-Pacific’s call to action

Asia and the Pacific is home to the world’s largest workforce. In recent years, the region has demonstrated remarkable resilience, with real wages (inflation-adjusted pay) continuing to rise even as they declined in many other parts of the world.

Ambitious plans and sobering realities: The World Will Not Wait for Sri Lanka to Reform

In a 1996 speech to the Singapore Press Club, Lee Kuan Yew addressed the challenge of ensuring Singapore’s survival beyond his leadership and laid out the core principle of its success. He explained that Singapore prospered by “creating first-world conditions in a third-world region” and becoming “a base camp from which entrepreneurs forayed into the less developed areas around it”.

Political Revenge or Election Pledge?

With widespread frustration about perceived excesses in political perks, especially in a time of economic strain a main topic pledged in the current Government’s manifesto ‘A Thriving Nation, A Beautiful Life’ is to abolish special privileges given to retired presidents and their families. In Hindsight, 6.8 million people voted for it and obviously the Government had to walk the talk.

When Fear Marches Through London

That was the message flooding WhatsApp groups in South Asian communities across London last week.