Are we doing enough to produce skilled youth?

Youth are one of our major assets. This is why our hearts melt when we see unemployed youth playing cricket during daytime when elsewhere youth in large numbers are either at university or serving institutions as employees. Any government must have a plan for unemployed youth. They must be given opportunities to hone their skills. Generally, youth are mostly spoken about and used during election campaigns. Leave the elections aside, we have a da

Gaza: A thousand journalists may fall, but truth must not

Journalists are a species designed to transform themselves into a medium that conveys to news-starved people what they see, hear, smell, taste, feel, and understand—enabling those who consume their news to make informed decisions and sound judgements on issues that are controversial, explosive, or even insipid.

Changing Public Perception – Protecting Sri Lanka’s Leopards

A few articles have appeared in your newspaper regarding protecting Sri Lanka’s Leopards. I fully agree that the Sri Lanka’s Leopards must be protected. Unfortunately, leopards go into human habitations in search of food, their favourites being dogs and cattle.

A welcome move by the President!

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake ordered the temporary suspension of two proposed wind power plants in the Mannar area, a 20 MW facility and a 50 MW project despite tenders being called and contracts already awarded. Mannar has become vulnerable to various development projects over the past few years,

The banning and legalisation of cannabis cultivation in Lanka

In 1935 under the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, the cultivation and use of cannabis was criminalised by the British, the colonial rulers of our country. However, cannabis has been used in Sri Lanka for traditional medicine and culinary purposes long before the British invaders entered our shores. There are no known specific or documented historical records of widespread cannabis addiction in ancient Sri Lanka.

Harsha de Silva’s Twitter Storm ‘A master class of cheap politics’

Parliamentarian Harsha de Silva, SJB’s economic czar, has gone viral on X, formerly Twitter. In a post with nearly 485,000 views as of yesterday, he says: “called out the Govt in @ParliamentLK for mocking India’s bold stand against Trump’s trade tariff. #India, our true ally, stood by us in our toughest times. We should honour their fight, not laugh. India’s courage inspires Asia!”

Free Notice Board in Supermarkets for Customers

During my visit to the United Kingdom, I came across a customer care initiative in UK supermarkets where they provided a free notice board for customers to place adverts .....buy, sell, or give away items or wanted items. This not only helped customers declutter their homes but also fostered a sense of community. I used this service to buy a nearly new laptop during my visit – it’s working perfectly.

Keeping Kadirgamar’s Legacy Alive

This year is a particularly melancholy one as it marks the twentieth death anniversary of my father, Lakshman Kadirgamar and the first death anniversary of my mother, Angela.

A Sri Lankan Sanctuary Faces the Perils of Misguided Renewable Expansion

As the world races to decarbonise its energy systems, renewable energy projects have emerged as both a solution to climate change and a source of new environmental controversy.

Has the rice crisis been resolved?

The first thorny issue that the National People’s Power (NPP) government encountered was a shortage and price hike of rice. The first news item on the matter was carried in the Daily Mirror barely a week after NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake assumed office as the President on September 22 last year.

Over Tourism or Over Visitation?

In the wake of the post-pandemic tourism boom, there is also mounting backlash against an excess of tourism in many countries. When too many tourists flock to a destination, exceeding its ability to manage it sustainably, it leads to negative impacts such as overcrowding, environmental degradation, strained infrastructure, reduced quality of life for residents, and a diminished visitor experience.

Supreme Court Reaffirms Environmental Rule of Law in Iron Ore Mining Case

In a landmark judgment that underscores the primacy of environmental governance, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has overruled a 2011 decision by the Court of Appeal that mandated approval of a magnetite mining project by private partnership Uva Magnetite. The judgment highlights not just procedural deficiencies but the systemic necessity of upholding the rule of law in environmental decision-making.

Why can’t under eighteens cash their cheques?

Last Thursday (August 7th) morning, at the Peoples Bank near my residence, I saw a young man – clearly confident and capable – turned away by the lady teller simply because he was under 18. His cheque was refused to be encashed. He walked out disappointed.

Ratings high on immigration but low on inflation Trump’s loss of popularity could affect Republican prospects

As of August 2025, six months into Donald Trump’s second term as US President, his approval ratings hover between 37% and 50% across national polls, reflecting a polarized public despite legislative successes like the “Big Beautiful Bill” and widespread tariffs on imports from 180 countries.

‘Right of Reply’ Response to K. Krishnapillai’s article on ITAK

The article by a hitherto unknown writer, Krishnapillai, contains several serious factual errors regarding the matters raised by columnist DBS Jeyaraj. First of all, the writer knowingly or unknowingly fails to acknowledge that S.J.V. Chelvanayakam and other senior party stalwarts broke away from the Tamil Congress Party due to the party’s support for government policies, notably that disenfranchising Tamil communities living in the upcountry. Th

From Sputnik’s Triumph to Chi-Chi’s Chaos: Cabinet Confusion Over Supreme SAT

The launch of Sputnik 1 in October 1957 by the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War shattered American confidence in its technological dominance and exposed the fragility of U.S. propaganda. In response, the United States accelerated its efforts in the Space Race.

The UN Resolution on Lanka and hypocrisy of the West

The United Kingdom and Canada informed our government that a new resolution on Sri Lanka would be presented at the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council next month. Resolution 46/1, adopted on March 23, 2021, established an accountability process to collect, analyse, and preserve evidence of war crimes committed in Sri Lanka for use in future prosecutions.

Injustice to the candidates of external examinations

I don’t know the legality behind my act of writing about the nature of operations of the Department of Examinations in accordance with the Examination Act.

The Conservation of the Sri Lankan Elephant: A Call For Reform and Innovation

Sri Lanka’s elephants are more than majestic creatures; they are living symbols of our heritage, biodiversity, and the deep spiritual and cultural ties we share with the natural world. Yet today, elephants face one of their gravest threats, not from nature, but from us.

Politicians ready to commit suicide for their pensions

Among the various responses to the government’s move to scrap pension and other perks provided to the former Presidents and Parliamentarians, the reaction of Nandana Gunathilaka, former provincial council member and member of parliament of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has gone viral.

Curious happenings in a thrice blessed land

Just over a dozen years ago, we had the whole country laughing due to claims that an infamous son of a well-known father had a hand in putting a satellite into space via a company –Supreme SAT. Sadly, this satellite went missing, quite like various items of expenditure during that era.

Give the boy a chance

Your article about the politicians pensions are ‘spot on’ and my hats off to that.

Healthy competition needed to make Sri Lanka’s tourism vibrant

July-August could be the best months to visit Sri Lanka. The Kandy Esala Pageant is in progress and attracting both local and foreign tourists in their numbers. This is the time of the year when the government must provide all facilities for tourists. When you have state patronage, it is so much easier to promote tourism.

The Arab Façade: Occupied Palestine stripped of resistance

In one of his celebrated poems, the famous Tamil poet Subramania Bharathi said, “Let’s destroy the world, if a single person cannot find food.” Reflecting moral urgency and responsibility, he also wrote, “If the young go hungry without food, let the world be destroyed!”

The youth have much more to do than staging protests

Youth representing several youth clubs gathered in front of the Maharagama Youth Services Council urging the government to avoid politicising youth clubs. To begin with, these youth clubs were defunct in most areas of the country for the longest time. These clubs have been established to allow youth in different parts of the country to gather and serve their communities. They engage in fundraising initiatives for various projects, organising dans

Doing away with MPs’ pensions -- the good, bad and ugly

Just days ago the NPP government in keeping with its pre-election promises set in motion legislation to do away with the pension scheme for parliamentarians. The scheme was the brain-child of our first Executive President JR Jayawardene way back in 1977. It was also, according to reports, the first legislative enactment of that regime! The motive was clearly, looking after MPs interests over those of citizens.

Accountability and Agriculture Rice Farmers - Legally Required to Stay Poor

Sri Lanka’s agriculture remains beholden to a law from 1958 that compels nearly half of the country’s poorest farmers to plant rice, even though alternative crops could more than double their earnings. What began as a measure to protect tenant cultivators and secure food supply has become a straitjacket, trapping farmers in persistent poverty and denying them the freedom to respond to market signals. This is accountability turned on its head, wit

Garbage at Armour Street Flat

What a shame in this urban sprawl, Where filth and stench have built a wall.

When do accidents become pathological?

We have always seen bad accidents in Sri Lanka. That didn’t start yesterday, or last year. Some of them – bus, train, even air crashes – were terrible. But most major accidents occur on the roads, involving motor vehicles, rather than trains and aircraft. In 2024, 2,521 people died in road accidents. We shall therefore confine ourselves to that sphere for the sake of this discussion.

Underworld Activities A Clear and Present Danger to Sri Lanka’s National Security

The recent statement by the Secretary of Defence that underworld activities do not pose a threat to national security is a point of contention that demands a rigorous and fact-based examination. This perspective, which seemingly compartmentalises criminal activity from the broader security framework, is at odds with the modern understanding of national security. The evidence, both anecdotal and statistical, points to a clear and direct link betw