Alleged USD 2.5 million payment and concerns regarding the Treasury

I refer to the erroneous payment of USD 2.5 by the Treasury which translates to nearly Rs. 800 million, a staggering loss by any standard. Such an error cannot be dismissed as routine oversight; it reflects negligence of the highest order. In any properly governed payment process, several basic controls are non-negotiable. Before settling a liability, officers are expected to verify the agreement, confirm the identity of the creditor, check the d

If only every street dog in the world was treated like Aloka…

Sri Lanka is once again in the global spotlight with the ‘Ehipassiko’ Global Walk for Peace currently parading the streets across the country. Led by Ven. Pannakara Thera, the Walk commenced in October 2025 when monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Centre in Texas walked 2,300+ miles to Washington DC. The main objective of this Walk is to promote unity, compassion and mindfulness amidst social division.

Coal deal: Did the NPP lose its moral high ground?

Flaws in procedures in procurement of 14,000 carrom boards and 11,000 checkers (Damm) boards landed former Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and former Sathosa Chairman Nalin Fernando in jail last year. Would a similar scenario take place in the case regarding the coal procurement controversy, landing Kumara Jayakody, the Energy Minister of the National People Power (NPP) government, in prison?

Why Colombo Must Transition to Solar Street Lighting?

Amid prevailing dry weather conditions and the urgent need to conserve grid electricity, a significant number of street lights across Colombo remain switched off. While the intention to save energy is understandable, the unintended consequences of inadequate street lighting are both serious and far-reaching.

Walk for Peace by Ven. Pannakara: Buddha’s teachings promoted by a global peace walker!

All the “Living Beings” prove that they are living by being in ‘action’ and it proves that the ‘actions’ are prompted by initiation, which in turn prove that they need kinds of prodding that may be very mild at the lowest while such can be very forceful.

Jonklaas’s Loach: ‘An overlooked fish’ that reveals the health of the water people depend on

In some Sri Lankan streams, what disappears first is not the water, but our understanding of what still lives there.

Human-Elephant Conflict: Fixes that Backfire

Sri Lanka is spending hundreds of millions of rupees on elephant management strategies that scientists, affected communities, but Sri Lanka’s own National Action Plan (NAP), as all acknowledge, is making the problem worse.

A tired driver is a dangerous driver

In Sri Lanka today, getting onto a public bus is no longer a simple or routine part of life. For many, it has quietly become something they do with hesitation. There is always that small, unspoken fear in the back of the mind. Will I reach home safely?

Who Is Responsible for the State of Public Property?

The refurbished Pettah Bus Stand has quickly become the talk of the town. While many commend the government for upgrading passenger facilities, others lament the rapid deterioration caused by users — littering, betel chewing, spitting, and even damaging fittings.

Censorship would not work in a digital era

One can hardly contest the argument by leaders of the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) that system change cannot be brought in overnight. Yes, it is a change expected to be realised within a degenerate society, utilising components of the very same society which would inevitably take time. System change is not a singe act but a long process.

NDB Fraud: Questions Beyond Internal Failures

The reported Rs.13.2 billion fraud at NDB Bank highlights a serious breakdown of internal controls. Responsibility must primarily rest with the bank’s management structure —ranging from junior accounting staff to the CFO, internal audit, board audit committee, and even reputed external auditors. Such a multi-layered failure is deeply concerning. While it may be argued that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka cannot be held directly responsible for this

Impact of Trump-Pope spat on American Catholics

People wonder what effect US President Donald Trump’s brazen utterances against Pope Leo XIV would have had on American Catholics. At the very least, the spat put US Catholics in a quandary, having to choose between the Pope, the global leader of their faith, and the US President, a proximate political leader vested with raw power.

ARTEMIS, Silent Orbit of LAIKA, and Noise of Human ‘Glory’

The successful return of Artemis II marks yet another milestone in humanity’s long and ambitious journey into space.

Sinhala and Tamil New Year goes beyond festivities

The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is more than a festive occasion marked by sweetmeats, rituals, and games. It is a civilisational marker—one that binds agrarian rhythms, cosmological beliefs, and community life into a shared cultural experience.

It’s time to think about our ‘Alokas’ first

It is quite a special moment for many Sri Lankans to witness the Global Peace Walk here on this paradise isle.

Why so many students realize too late they chose the wrong path and what parents can do earlier

Every year, thousands of students follow the “right” path—choosing degrees, meeting expectations, and doing everything they were told would lead to success. Yet for many, that path quietly leads to confusion, misalignment, and a question they were never prepared to answer: Is this really right for me?

Iran restored dignity of Muslims worldwide

Iran restored the dignity of Muslims worldwide by single-handedly fighting against the world’s most powerful sole super power United States and the artificial political entity of Israel, planted by British and US powers for Jewish settlers, after driving out Palestinian, sons and daughters of the soil, by means of massacres and genocides.

The desert blooms while the ‘Indian Ocean’s Pearl’ withers

Our country the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’ is once again in the middle of spell of dry weather. Temperatures are soaring and authorities governing our water resources are demanding, people use water sparingly.

Regulating online medical advice, is urgent

Much of the global conversation on social media has rightly focused on its harmful effects on children, including addiction. Several countries have already introduced legislation restricting access for younger users.

Substandard coal: problem lies somewhere, Prez cannot bluff

Finally, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake himself admitted that inferior quality coal had been supplied for power generation. Simultaneously, the Auditor General reports that the procurement process is scarred with some grey areas. Come what may, it has once again cast a spotlight on the vulnerabilities within Sri Lanka’s energy sector. While the President clarified that the tender procedure had not been violated, the admission that coal of sub

Shaky truce: Winners, losers and saboteurs

It is said that truth is the first casualty of war. But when men lacking integrity lead the world, truth becomes a casualty even in peace. Deception shrouds the 14‑day truce announced early Wednesday, just hours before the deadline US President Donald Trump imposed with a genocidal warning: “A whole civilisation will die tonight” unless Iran agrees to a deal to end the war and lift the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Having been deceived twice,

Trust Breached: The ‘Safe as a Bank’ Myth Shattered by the NDB Fraud

The simile “as safe as a bank” stands gravely undermined in the wake of the fraud reported at NDB Bank, where an alarming sum of LKR 13.2 million remained undetected over a prolonged period. This incident raises serious concerns about systemic lapses and institutional accountability within the banking framework. How could such a significant fraud evade detection for years? This question inevitably directs scrutiny toward multiple layers of oversi

Power and prospects of the Houthis and Hezbollah in West Asia

In international geopolitical discourse, the ongoing war in West Asia is often framed as a direct confrontation between Iran and the US-Israel alliance. Yet two key Iranian allies - the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon - play significant supporting roles, functioning as partners or proxies in the broader conflict. Like their Iranian backers, both groups are Shia Muslim and share a vehement anti-Israel and anti-US stance.

Iran’s leader must know about guns and flowers

The Iran vs America-Israel war gives no signs of ending permanently, even though there is a temporary ceasefire agreed upon by the two main parties in conflict. We can safely say that there is huge potential for a full-scale war to resume until America’s Donald Trump is not taken out of the equation. The American Constitution’s 25th Amendment provides for high-level officials to remove a President from office if the latter is unfit to hold the

A country’s healthcare system should always be a national priority

It is normal for patients to spend almost an entire day at a government or private hospital in Sri Lanka. It takes hours to complete their registration, doctor’s consultation and then obtain medicines from the pharmacy. Even for a common sickness like a fever, it is quite difficult to grab the attention of nurses or the supporting staff to get the temperature checked as they stick to ‘strict’ procedures at times.

It’s time to move beyond coal

MP Ramanathan Archchuna’s decision to raise the alleged coal procurement irregularities with the IMF delegation, during his recent meeting alongside Opposition MPs, brings renewed attention to a deeper and more pressing concern Sri Lanka’s continued reliance on coal.

Let the courts decide who the mastermind is

Former Minister Udaya Gammanpila has stolen the limelight at least for a few weeks by launching his book ‘Searching for the Mastermind of the Easter Sunday Attacks’, despite it disappointing many

How America’s war on Iran has shattered the myth of a multipolar world

Donald Trump’s deadline for ‘power plant day’ and ‘bridge day’ to blow up Iranian civilian infrastructure if Tehran refused to open the Strait of Hormuz was set to pass 8 p.m. on Tuesday, setting the stage for a dangerous escalation in the Middle Eastern conflict.

Mahinda Wijesekara: a fisheries minister who did not achieve much!

In Sri Lanka, we have a habit of remembering our politicians with more emotion than honesty. When a public figure fades from power or passes on, the narrative often shifts quickly from scrutiny to sympathy.

Holding Police officers accountable for rights violations

Recent court rulings have repeatedly found Police officers guilty of violating the fundamental rights of citizens. In several of these cases, the courts have imposed fines to be paid personally by the offending officers and have directed that the judgements be forwarded to the National Police Commission for appropriate disciplinary action.