Would Deduru Oya become home to the most predacious snakehead fish?

Fishermen in Deduru Oya are seeking support from volunteers to help them fight an ecological disaster in the form of an invasive alien species. The Giant snakehead fish (Channa micropeltes), commonly known as the Channa fish had become a threat to the livelihood of fishermen due to its predatory nature. While their daily catch is rapidly declining, fishermen are now in a race against time to reduce numbers of this new species before it spreads to

A life dedicated to Dhamma, Nation

The Buddhist Sangha community in Sri Lanka and globally mourns the untimely demise of the Most Venerable Anamaduwe Sri Rathanapala Buddharakkhita Dhammadassi Anunayake Thera of the Asgiri Maha Vihara Chapter of the Siam Sect, who passed away on July 21, 2025, at the age of 67.

Reopening Nonpareil road to Horton plains would endanger wildlife

The decision of the political authority to re-open the road through Nonpareil village in Belihuloya to Horton Plains, which had been left to the mercy of the jungle, has been met with protests from environmental organisations.

Sri Lanka’s first Student Ambassadorship Programme Empowering students to grow in a culture free of ragging

In an attempt to empower student leadership and promote a culture free of ragging and bullying in State Universities, the Department of Disability Studies (DDS) at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya,

Guiding lights in promoting English language Education

I was away when Ranga Jayasuriya wrote his article with a headline about Sunil Handunetti being possibly a guiding light in promoting English language education.

Remembering a ‘dark July’ to secure the future

Forty-two years after the violence of Black July, Sri Lanka continues to live in the shadow of unacknowledged violence that shattered the lives of thousands of Tamil families.

When wide-ranging imagination pours out in poetry

Palitha Ranatunga is at the forefront of a new generation of bold Sri Lankan poets exploring a vast array of themes ranging from personal histories, nature of the world we live in, natural beauty, complexity of love and injustice.

Dangerous silence:The hidden cost of ignoring sex education

In Sri Lanka conversations around sexual health are often met with silence, stigma and embarrassment, and the consequences of not educating our young people are becoming tragically clear.

Proposed floating solar project generates much criticism

The proposed 50 megawatt floating solar power project in Kaluganga reservoir has been met with criticism by environmental organisations. They have pointed out that the proposed project would cause extensive environmental damage to the reservoir and pose a threat to several species of fish endemic to Sri Lanka.

People of Kalmunai urge govt. to ‘act fast’against coastal erosion

The coastal areas of Kalmunai city are being destroyed to a large extent due to sea erosion. This phenomenon has affected the livelihoods of many fishermen

Homegrown talent honoured with Gratiaen for homegrown ‘Rumours’

The Gratiaen Prize is an annual literary award presented to the best work of creative writing in English by a Sri Lankan author. It was established in 1992 by Michael Ondaatje, using the prize money he received from winning the Booker Prize for ‘The English Patient’. The prize is administered by the Gratiaen Trust, which is based in Sri Lanka.

Helplessly standing between gun barrel and the next elephant

The fall of another majestic tusker underscores the need to bring about urgent reforms in Sri Lanka’s wildlife conservation strategies.

Ragging: Confronting the silent destroyer

A pervasive and destructive crisis, ragging, continues to plague Sri Lanka’s higher education, often masked as a harmless rite of passage. This abusive practice, extending beyond mere bullying to encompass indoctrination and institutional complicity, has tragically resurfaced with recent student deaths.

Technocratic “Toiya” Vs. Populist “Bhaiya” Inside ITAK Right of reply

The respected veteran journalist has presented his view—albeit from faraway Toronto—though his source is most likely a close relative and a party to what may be referred to as the conflict within the ITAK (Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi), also known as the Federal Party.

Disappearance of Fr. Selvarajah in Sorikalmunai in 1990

Today, 11th July 2025, is 35 years since the disappearance of Fr. Saverimuttu Selvarajah, a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Batticaloa.

Founder’s flaw How Family Businesses Crash

At a recent Colombo conference, renowned financial consultant Rakesh Sharma delivered a stark warning to family business owners: without a deliberate and structured approach to succession, 95% of businesses are destined for conflict and collapse

Dahaiyagala Elephant Corridor threatened by encroachment activities

“Based on our observations, approximately 600 to 800 wild elephants use this corridor annually. The Dahaiyagala–Bogahapattiya route is a major migration path for elephants. However, over the years, this corridor has been increasingly encroached upon by various individuals, causing a steady decline in its area. Additionally, political and administrative efforts to distribute land within this corridor to private individuals have severely impacted i

Sri Lanka’s Peacock Flower Hope for cancer patients ?

In the scrublands and home gardens of Sri Lanka, where fire-orange blooms dance in the tropical heat, a quiet revolution is taking place. The peacock flower (Caesalpinia pulcherrima), long admired for its beauty and revered in traditional medicine, may hold the key to a new frontier in cancer care.

How ‘Sri Lankan English’ adapted, borrowed and blended into the Oxford English Dictionary

Be it asweddumized fields or mallung in a rice and curry meal, kiribath for a special occasion, sizzling kottu, scrumptious watalappam or a happening baila song – each one of these examples provides a glimpse of Sri Lanka in a nutshell.

‘Missing Orchid resurfaces’ from Dumbara mountain range

A team of Sri Lankan researchers has been able to discover from Dumbara mountain range a variety of orchid endemic to Sri Lanka.

Jaffna protesters tell the President: ‘We want our land back’

A protest was organised in front of the Presidential Secretariat at Galle Face on the 15th of July by the people of Jaffna claiming that they had lost their lands due to the interference of the Sri Lankan government.

The Strategic Imperative

In an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape, Sri Lanka, strategically positioned at the nexus of vital Indian Ocean sea lanes, faces a profound choice regarding its future. A strategic recalibration, is not merely a diplomatic preference but an imperative for safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty, fostering internal cohesion, bolstering economic resilience, and ensuring enduring stability amidst the escalating competition that defines the

Don’t feed the elephant!

The chance to see wild Asian elephants is rare. Sri Lanka and India are home to some of the last abundant populations, making them top tourist attractions.

The quiet unraveling How IMF reforms are reshaping Sri Lanka’s economic future

Sri Lanka’s economic future is being quietly reshaped beneath the surface of fiscal targets and IMF scorecards.

Manel Liyanagama In appreciation of a remarkable woman

It is with immense gratitude and admiration that I pay tribute to my mother, Manel Liyanagama, a remarkable woman whose life has been defined by quiet strength, boundless compassion, and unwavering dedication to others.

Dambulla tax racketeers and their white-collar crimes

Crimes committed with technical expertise and professionalism are known as white-collar crimes. Such crimes have been observed in the process of disposing of government lands. In these cases, officials bypass existing land laws by engaging in the drafting of misleading official documents. They often gain undue benefits, making these deliberate and well-planned offences. A network engaged in land rackets is involved in these activities.

Nurdle Free Lanka Campaign protecting Sri Lanka’s shoreline from plastic pellets

‘The Pearl Protectors’, a youth-led marine conservation volunteer organisation, recently held a beach clean-up campaign at Kinross beach in Wellawatta, with the participation of the organisation’s volunteer collective and concerned individuals.

The Mirage of Mastery How the 12-Day War Reawakened the Ghosts of 1914

The genius of diplomacy is not in its mastery of force, but in its restraint from using it. Yet history, like a deaf sovereign, often favours the loudest actors. The 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June 2025, overshadowed by media spectacles and spun as a “strategic victory” by its instigators, demands more serious attention. Beneath its tactical brevity lies a tectonic disturbance in international relations. It was not merely a regional sk

Malaysia: Where cultures meet and memories begin

In an era where travel is no longer a luxury but a lifestyle, Malaysians and Sri Lankans are finding common ground in shared experiences, vibrant cultures, and breathtaking destinations.

Unravelling the “Sitavaka” mystery

Was Sita held captive by Ravana in Sitavaka? Was the name Sitavaka coined after this fact? And did Ravana rule Sri Lanka five thousand years ago?