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.

Our leaders never viewed the Easter Sunday crimes as a national disaster

Another Easter Sunday -- the seventh after that fateful Easter Sunday which fell on April 21, 2019, has passed two days ago. Ironically, people still debate many unanswered questions about that fateful day when over 270 innocent men, women and children were killed by a group of fanatical Muslim terrorists.

They Chose to Celebrate Differently — and 90 Lives Were Touched

In a world often loud with self-celebration, a quiet act of grace recently unfolded in Colombo. Choosing to forgo a traditional party, two sisters marked their birthdays by hosting an unforgettable outing for 36 children undergoing cancer care and their families. Through the Rays of Hope Foundation and the Indira Cancer Trust, 90 lives were touched by a day of independence, shopping, and laughter. It was a powerful reminder that the truest way to

Bicycles can bring relief during this crisis

With a looming fuel crisis, the question is simple—why are we not using bicycles more?

From Space, One Radiant Planet: On Earth, a Bleeding World

The four astronauts aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission will follow a “free-return” trajectory around the Moon, giving humanity images of Earth as a single, silent, luminous jewel. From space, our planet appears whole, and without borders, an elegant sphere of life floating in vast darkness. But the view from above belies a far more troubling reality on the surface.

Retirement age for judges; innovation and policy

Independence of the judiciary is, without question, an essential element of a functioning democracy. In recognition of this, ample provision is made in the highest law of our country, the Constitution, to engender an environment in which the courts are able to fulfil their public responsibility with total acceptance.

US-Israeli adventure in Iran has backfired: It’s strengthened Iran’s hand

Thirty seven days ago the US together with its partner in crime –Israel- launched a sneak attack on Iran. The attack targeted several civilian as well as military sites.

Mastermind or not, Zahran Hashim had pivotal role in the Easter bombings

‘Pasku Praharaye Mahamolakaru Soyayema (In Search of the Mastermind of the Easter Attacks)’ is the title of a book written by ‘Pivithuru Hela Urumaya’ party leader and former Cabinet minister, Udaya Gammanpila.

The secret of Iran’s missile power

Iran has surprised or shocked the world by the display of missile and drone power against the US and Israel when the latter thought that their airpower would crush Iran, which has no air force worth the name.

The doctors strike: A symptom of a much larger problem

Since the end of March, doctors in our country have been involved in trade union action. Doctors launched a nationwide token strike on March 31.

Concerns on three-wheeler regulation in tourist areas

The continued inaction by authorities regarding the growing influence of informal three-wheeler taxi groups is deeply concerning.