Repatriation of dead should never become a political issue

At a time when global tensions are rising between United States, Israel and Iran, the last thing a small country like Sri Lanka needs is to be dragged into someone else’s war.

IRIS Dena - Humanity at its best

Sri Lanka proudly placed itself on the world map after coming forward to assist IRIS Dena, an Iranian warship in distress following the Iran-US conflict.

Maha Sanga convention: Revival of Rajapaksa fortune, or reality check on govt?

Two weeks ago, hundreds of Buddhist monks descended on Colombo to protest against the alleged government disrespect of the religion and the clergy.

How King Rajasinghe’s flag was altered

Did the Ceylonese Government at the time of the Independence Act agree to have the Standard (a flag used as the symbol of a person, group, or organisation) of Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe on the flag when our national flag was finalised?

Choice of survival over principles

The Sri Lankan Government facing multiple issues that have stemmed from the missile attack by US and Israeli forces on Iran on February 28 and the latter’s retaliation targeting Israel and the US bases in nine countries in the Middle East that has now grown into a regional war.

For US and Israel, killing the unarmed is business as usual

On February 28, the US and Israel launched a sneak attack on Iran. The attacks resembled Japan’s sneak attack of the American naval base at Pearl Harbour in the Philippines on December 7, 1941 during World War II.

Nuwara Eliya seeing an increase of unauthorised constructions

On October 9, 2011, a weekend newspaper (‘Sunday Times’) carried an article about an illegal construction located at 30, Church Road, Nuwara Eliya.

Justice needed, not political theatre

The arrest of former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay, has sparked intense debate and concern across the country. While any allegation of wrongdoing must be examined carefully and impartially, the circumstances surrounding the action against Sallay raise serious questions about whether the process is being driven by credible evidence or by political motivations. If the latter is the case, it risks turning a serious legal process into an act of vi

An illegal war and its impact

Last Saturday, the United States and Israel without the sanction of the UN Security Council imposed an unlawful war on Iran — the only Middle Eastern nation that stands up to Western and Israeli hegemonic designs. This was not because of a breakdown in the treacherous Trump administration’s talks with Iran, but rather because of a breakthrough. Iran had agreed to a total freeze of its nuclear programme and even consented to include a “never eve

A call for customer-friendly communication by telecommunication companies

I wish to highlight an unfortunate experience regarding the Public Relations Division of a leading telecommunication company in Sri Lanka. One of my brothers-in-law recently relocated from Colombo 14 to Dehiwela and sought clarification from this telecommunication giant on the applicable charges for transferring his landline connection to the new address. When I contacted the PR Division via email to obtain the relevant information, I was advise

Why SL should ban predatory microfinance practices

Poverty alleviation, especially at the rural level had been a central objective of various governments that were in power. But whether successive governments succeeded in alleviating poverty remains unclear. This is because a myriad of issues that have not only pushed people towards abject poverty but have also disrupted social relationships. Predatory microfinance practices has been one such approach that pushed rural communities towards a vicio

Stumbling blocks enroute to regime change in Iran

The joint US-Israeli air attack on Iran was a bid to bring about a regime change and establish total US-Israeli dominance in the West Asian region. The nuclear enrichment issue, which the duo had touted as the reason for the deadly strikes, was only a pretext to forcibly overthrow the radical Islamic regime and install a puppet.

World needs leaders that value human life

A strange and worrying culture seems to be developing in our world.

WHY TRUMP’S ATTACK ON IRAN A CALCULATED STRIKE AGAINST CHINA’S RISE

In the current geopolitical landscape of 2026, the Trump administration’s maneuvers against Iran and Venezuela appear less as isolated regional disputes and more as a coordinated campaign to preserve American hegemony by strangling the energy lifelines of its primary rival, China

Iran fights a twin battle against the US and its own people

On February 28th, Donald Trump, America’s president, delivered a death blow to the theocratic regime of Iran that a succession of his predecessors over the last five decades hesitated to authorise.

Are we prepared for this war?

After four years, winding queues for fuel have emerged again outside filling stations in many parts of the country due to panic buying and hoarding, following the sudden tensions in the Middle East triggered by the unprovoked attack on Iran by the United States and Israel last week.

The game of cricket becoming a damp squib!

The cricket saga has regrettably become quite an ignominious affair that we have witnessed in the recent past, with the onset of the ICC tournament.

Murder in broad daylight: New normal in foreign relations

On 28 February as peace negotiations were ongoing between the US and Iran in a sneak attack the US and its partner Israel, attacked multiple locations in Iran, including the home of Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Among other locations targeted by the US and Israel was a girls kindergarten. Over a hundred little children were killed in the attack.

46,000 families don’t have homes to go back to

People who have lost their homes are all over my social media feeds. But they are from Gaza, not from Sri Lanka. The pictures are horrific and the stories are heart rending.

Good governance, accountability: requires determination

If the present Government is to confidently sail through to the next election, several urgent and strategic priorities must be addressed.

The invisible shield The strategic imperative of national intelligence in the 21st Century

In the grand theatre of global geopolitics, the visible actors, presidents, prime ministers and generals often command the limelight. However, the true script of national survival is frequently written in the shadows by those whose faces remain unknown and whose successes are rarely celebrated.

BLACK Coal Turns RED: Stain that Won’t Wash Away

Coal is a curious thing, a dull black lump of carbon pulled from the earth. It is dirty, so dirty that even the cleanest hands turn black at a touch. Yet coal has a stubborn nature. It is inefficient.

SHOULD ANYONE BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST?

Discrimination is treating one person or a group worse than others. One should realise and accept the fact that it is not justifiable to treat one person or a group of persons as worse or inferior than another, as everyone has equal rights for liberty, equality and fraternity in the face of law. Hence, no one or any group should be discriminated against on any grounds.

Arrest of Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay and the allegations by Azad Maulana

Let me begin this article with an apology and explanation to readers. This week’s column should have been the second and final part of last week’s article (‘Is JVP Gen-Sec Tilvin, the power behind President Dissanayake’s throne?’).

Sallay issue: The government reaches a point of no return

A huge controversy has erupted over the arrest of former State Intelligence Service (SIS) chief Suresh Sallay on Wednesday over the suicide attacks on Christians by a group of Muslim terrorists on 2019 Easter Sunday, which fell on April 21 in that year.

People’s expectations crumble amid the government’s stumble

On February 15, a survey carried out by ‘Verité Research’showed the government’s approval rating stood at 65 percent in early February 2026.

Tourism in a perverse country

Another young man was arrested on Thursday (26) for harassing a female tourist. Even though major tourism campaigns have been launched to generate revenue to the country, there’s much more to be done in terms of hospitality. One cannot quite imagine being harassed in an unknown country when all that you wanted to do was to go on a vacation.

Alleged coal fraud: The government faces test

The government finds itself once again at a crossroads of public trust and governance integrity. What should have been a routine strategic fuel procurement to power the country’s largest electricity generator has instead spiralled into a political, economic and social crisis — revealing serious vulnerabilities in administrative oversight and accountability. Former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka has questioned why, in the backdrop of former Min

Distaste of the Union: The immoral march toward imperialism

Twelve days after United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a fascist, imperialist policy declaration at the Munich Security Summit, President Donald Trump unveiled what could easily be dismissed as an ego-driven distaste of the union.

SL Cricket on its deathbed

When Sri Lanka won the World Cup in 1996, that particular team may have never even dreamt of seeing the current plight of the national cricket team. The team is now in dire straits as a result of corruption, politicisation and bad choices. It is quite unfortunate that our team couldn’t secure a spot in the qualifying teams despite being the host country. They know the pitches, wind directions and everything on their home turf very well. But they