Dengue is an attitudinal crisis

The spike of dengue cases in the country has risen to an alarming level with the number of cases exceeding 46,000 and deaths nearing 30 for the past six months, according to reports. Authorities cite that the number of cases rose by 500 to 600 daily until last Saturday.

Forest cover and tribal groups affected: India gives up critical naval airbase under environmentalists’ pressure

The Indian government is abandoning a five-year-old project to extend the runway at the naval air station “INS Baaz” on the Car Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, in view of local environmental and socio-economic issues. However, the government has decided to proceed with a new INR 130,000 million greenfield civil-cum-military airport at Chingen in Galathea Bay, further South (see map).

Parents’ Eye-sore: School Uniforms Love Telesdramas

I write as a concerned parent and citizen regarding the growing trend of teledramas that feature school-going boys and girls in uniform engaged in romantic relationships, love triangles, love with young teachers and rebellious behaviour during prime-time TV slots.

Entrepreneurship: The Spinal Cord of Economic Resurgence and the Solution to Unemployment

The modern business lexicon frequently centres around a single, powerful catalyst: entrepreneurship. Derived from the French word entreprendre, meaning “to undertake,” the concept was fundamentally shaped by the Austrian political economist Joseph Schumpeter often regarded as the father of entrepreneurship.

Sacrificing Autonomy- Penny Wise, Pound Foolish: Maritime Security Cooperation with India

As a retired Senior Superintendent of Police with decades of experience in intelligence, counter-terrorism, and strategic security coordination, I have repeatedly seen how short-sighted decisions undermine long-term national resilience.

The two faces of Dubai: Glitzy high-rises, low-paid workers

Last week, we looked at Dubai’s spectacular rise as a mega service and tourism hub, and the reasons why it began unravelling, and why the just-concluded Mideast war can’t be blamed for all of Dubai’s present woes.

Restoring the Uva Railway as alternative to shutting it down

It’s six months since Ditwah hit. It will be another six or seven months before it will be possible to take the train to Kandy, according to the government. How long will it take for the Uva Railway from Peradeniya to Badulla to be fully operational again?

Father’s Day, and the fate of many Lankan fathers

Yesterday (June 21) was dedicated to the fathers in our country. ‘Father’s Day’ in our country, is relatively a modern-day observance.

Is Sri Lanka’s investor-friendly environment at risk?

Barely a month after the Korean envoy highlighted the need to improve Sri Lanka’s ease of doing business and bureaucratic efficiency in trade facilitation, the new Indonesian envoy echoed similar concerns at a round-table discussion organised by the Pathfinder Foundation in Colombo.

Public healthcare facing collapse while citizens face bankruptcy

Our health care system was once described as one of the best in that its pro-poor health system covers all Sri Lankans, thanks mainly to the free health policy implemented since 1951. Thanks to this policy our country has the lowest maternal mortality rate in South Asia. Maternal mortality rates dropped drastically from 56 deaths out of 100,000 live births in 2000 to 36 deaths out of 100,000 live births in 2017.

Rainwater harvesting: A timely investment for Sri Lanka

In the concluding part of your editorial on June 13, 2026, you rightly pointed out that the US-Israeli conflict involving Iran and any closure of the Strait of Hormuz could leave Sri Lanka highly vulnerable. You also stressed the need for the government to invest more in renewable energy to reduce our dependence on external powers and global oil shocks.

Iran-US MoU: Peace or pause?

The long-awaited deal between Iran and the United States is now a reality. Yet the path ahead is paved with uncertainty and geopolitical mines that could shatter the memorandum of understanding or the framework for further talks.

“Finger on Trigger:” US-Iran peace deal is Fragile

Iran’s Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Iran’s “finger is on the trigger,” adding that if diplomacy fails, Tehran would again respond “with the language of power.” “If it doesn’t get done in 60 days, it’s all right,” Trump said at the G7 summit. “We go back to bombing.” That reflects the central tension of the agreement: it is both a peace framework and a warning of renewed war. The United States and Iran have si

Development – not at the cost of people or the environment

Easter Sunday attacks through political party prisms

History is full of bizarre twists where events take surreal turns. Those who appeared to be the saviours of the Easter Sunday terrorist attack victims – victims of one of the most heinous crimes in Sri Lankan history committed seven years ago, now stand accused of the same crime.

Banning social media for children

The UK Prime Minister’s proposal to ban social media for children under 16 is not just a “good idea” – it is an urgent intervention. Our Parliament too, must act immediately.

“Suresh is an innocent man suffering for no reason” – Manori Sallay

Former Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), Retired Major General Suresh Sallay has been detained for over 105 days under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) due to allegations of direct connections to the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage.

Trump’s new forced-labor tariffs strike Sri Lanka’s fragile export recovery

The global trade environment has entered a period of major uncertainty as the United States under President Donald Trump continues to reshape its tariff policies and economic relationships with trading partners. Among the countries facing increased attention is Sri Lanka, a developing economy that depends heavily on exports, particularly the apparel industry.

The US-Iran MoU and the fly in the ointment

It appears the US-Israeli war against Iran is finally coming to a close. But we need be aware there’s many a slip tween cup and the lip. Since US President Trump went to war with Iran on February 28 this year, he has told the world at least 39 times the US was on the brink of ‘declaring peace’ –only to change his mind within a day or two. However, this time around, it appears an agreement has finally been reached and details of a draft memorandu

Banks are facing serious challenges

It appears that our banking system is facing a serious challenge in the area of cash management, with critical internal controls seemingly having broken down. A series of major financial irregularities has raised concerns about the robustness of governance.

More questions than answers in Suresh Sallay’s detention

The idea that nine Islamist suicide bombers had blown themselves up, after pledging allegiance to the Islamic State, to bring to power a Sinhala nationalist as the head of the state is a plot worthy of Orwellian Doublethink.

What Do Sri Lankan Fans Think? Ranking the Top Contenders for the FIFA World Cup 2026

With the FIFA World Cup 2026 fast approaching, Sri Lankan football fans remain divided over who will lift the trophy. A Daily Mirror poll found no clear favourite, with support spread across Spain, France, Argentina, Portugal, England and Brazil.

When Honesty Becomes a Strategy

The goal in most PR crises is not to win everyone back. It is to find the people still willing to listen, earn their attention, and trust in truth. Truth travels further than any carefully managed narrative. This week on our BBC Radio 4 podcast, ‘When It Hits the Fan,’ David Yelland and I looked at three very different stories. Hunter Biden’s unlikely resurgence on X, a platform curated for conflict. The race between AI giants to sell the world t

Transparency, predictability key to encouraging more Australian investment - High Commissioner

Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Matthew Duckworth, in an interview with Daily Mirror, discuss the aspects of bilateral cooperation, dynamics of the Indo-Pacific region. The interview:

Easter Sunday Debacle: Not by Default, But by Design - The Damning 3-P Nexus

Seven years after the horrific Easter Sunday attacks of 21 April 2019, which slaughtered over 270 innocent people and maimed hundreds more, Sri Lanka continues to be haunted by a tragedy that was as much a failure of governance as it was an act of terror. This was no mere “debacle” born of incompetence.

Rights in Custody: A Comparative Look at 1962 Coup Accused and Sallay

A renewed debate over custodial treatment and due process has emerged in Sri Lanka following the detention of former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director Major General (Retd) Suresh Sallay under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Allegations raised by his family regarding his physical condition and treatment in custody, alongside the government’s position that the detention is lawful, have prompted an inquiry by the Human Rights Commissi

Justice, or pleasing the crowd?

When the Supreme Court found politicians (the three Rajapaksa brothers) and senior officials including two former Governors of the Central Bank responsible for the damage caused the 2021-2022 economic crisis, many were unhappy. They wanted the persons found culpable jailed, fined, and otherwise punished.

Monsoon Lessons: What the rains teach Sri Lanka about resilience

Sri Lanka’s monsoon rains have brought floods, landslides, and rising dengue risk across the island. While transport and crops face disruption, the downpours also refill reservoirs, revive farmlands, and cool the air. The season, though harsh, reminds Sri Lankans of endurance — and the balance between nature’s challenge and its gift.

Facing the El Nino phenomenon and proclivities of the West

The Meteorology Department has warned that, while our country is currently experiencing the Southwest Monsoon season, the effects of a weather pattern known as El Niño are expected to become more pronounced in the coming weeks. It added that the developing El Niño will affect Sri Lanka through mid-2026 and beyond.

Dubai: The golden boy of make believe is in crisis

For twenty five years, Dubai was a never-never land for the upwardly mobile from all over the world-from business tycoons to engineers, tech professionals and speculators who wanted the best that money can buy, a futuristic steel-glass-concrete haven where they were immune to the world’s troubles.