Sri Lanka’s Silence on Chemmani Mass Grave: A Call for Justice and Unity

Imagine a loved one goes missing: your child, sibling, spouse or parent, you would do anything in your power to bring them back, or at least find out what happened to them.

On media freedom and regime change in Iran

In grim video footage, a female anchor was live on air, passionately espousing, when debris filled the studio with thunder in the background as the Israeli military attacked Iran’s State-run Television network.

The Mayoral stakes, crossovers and slum dwellers in Lanka

At the recently held local government election, National People’s Power (NPP) captured power in 266 out of 339 local government bodies.The election was held on May 06.

So Much for Ease of Doing Business

The Inland Revenue Department recently announced that all individuals over the age of 18 are required to obtain a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).

Israel-Iran rapprochement not farfetched

Given the ferocity of the on-going Israel-Iran war, and the hyperbolic declarations of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, any talk of a rapprochement would seem farfetched.

Request for Night Patrol at Wilson Street–Oilman Street Junction

The Board of Trustees of Jamiul Ashroff Jumma Masjid, located at No. 99 Belmont Street, Colombo 12, together with concerned residents of the area, wish to bring to the attention of Mr. Sujith Priyantha, Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Keselwatte Police Station, a matter of growing public concern.

104th Birth Anniversary Celebration of M H Mohamed: Karu Jayasuriya shares reflections on the life of former Mayor of Colombo

Former Speaker of the Parliament, Karu Jayasuriya, conveyed his thoughts at the 104th Birth Anniversary of the 14th Speaker of Parliament and former Mayor of Colombo, M.H. Mohamed, which was attended by family members and well-wishers, prominent ministers and the current Speaker of Parliament.

The ragging epidemic: Sorry seems to be the hardest word

Barely a month after the suicide of Sabaragamuwa University student Charith Dilshan, the entire episode seems to be forgotten. There are new scandals and shocks almost on a daily basis. A disastrous bus accident, cyclonic weather and a new Covid variant have dominated the curriculum of daily worries. This is precisely the climate in which raggers and their obnoxious subculture of ragging thrive. They know that public outrage won’t last, and they

Respect for judiciary an essential component for peace and democracy

The case against certain prison officials including the Prisons Commissioner General for allegedly releasing prisoners illegally in the guise of a presidential pardon is not merely a corruption case, it is a matter of paramount importance as it concerns rights of the judiciary.

Iran-Israel war a looming storm for Sri Lanka’s economy and national security

The recent, dramatic escalation of hostilities between Iran and Israel - with reports of 200 Israeli fighter jets striking Iranian military and nuclear facilities on June 13 and Iran responding with 100 drone attacks and vows of harsher retaliation - signals a perilous new phase in Middle Eastern geopolitics.

The Attack on Iran and the Unravelling Global Order

The Israeli attack on Iran is the most significant military development so far with the unravelling global order. This act of war by Israel on Iran is an escalation of the military conflagration in the Middle East.

Israel’s dangerous attack, Lanka’s economy and a nuclear fallout

In the early hours of 13 June 2025, Israel without any warning launched a large-scale strike targetting Iranian nuclear facilities. The aim of the sneak attack according to the Israeli premier was to protect Israel by preventing Iran from manufacturing nuclear weapons.

Has the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ Drive Lost Steam?

The initial enthusiasm surrounding the Government’s much-publicised ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ initiative appears to be fading. In the early days, we saw ministers, MPs, and party supporters actively participating in beach cleanups and workplace sanitation drives.

Sumanthiran Goes to Court Over Gazetting of 5941 Acres Northern Lands Issue

A controversial issue of grave concern to the Tamil people of the northern and eastern provinces in recent times has been the seizure of privately owned lands by the Sri Lankan State and some of its organs.

Container controversy, what’s it all about?

Ramanathan Archchuna, the Jaffna District Independent MP who seems to be fond of stirring controversies, apparently in a bid for attention seeking had on June 5,

Double standards, hypocrisy and distorted narratives of our history

The world’s richest man–Elon Musk–was last week fighting a pitched battle with his one-time best pal–US President Trump.

Prisons, hypocrites and the missing hangman

A good question to ask these days is: ‘What is the value of human life in Sri Lanka’? We have enough temples, kovils, churches and mosques, but do we know, even through the application of religion, how to value human life? When we see the killing of humans in recent times and gruesome visuals of some of those shootings shown on television during the news broadcast,

Israel, US roll out plan for attack on Iran

The developments in the past few days indicate an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities is imminent. The United States is not any more putting diplomatic pressure on Israel to restrain itself. The US stance seems to give a green light for the attack. If war breaks out, before long it will become a joint US-Israeli campaign against Iran. On Wednesday, the US ordered the non-essential staff to leave its embassy in Iraq on security concerns. I

What is the government’s plan on dengue, chikungunya and COVID?

One of the main news items in yesterday’s papers was regarding the deaths of two individuals due to suspected infection from a new COVID strain. This is amidst the healthcare sector dealing with a surge of dengue and chikungunya cases. While the numbers are being recorded by the health units, the public is placing their trust in the healthcare sector to ensure that deaths could be prevented in this case. Sri Lanka witnessed a severe outbreak of

The struggle to save Mannar Island isn’t over yet..

While the incumbent government took exemplary initiatives to declare three distinct forest complexes as forest reserves apart from conserving the home range of the unique and rare Bandula Barb in Galapitamada, another pristine landscape is currently under threat despite various interventions. Mannar Island, home to millions of migratory birds was recently saved from the throes of a disaster.

Selective Scrutiny or State Complicity?

The recent arrest of five Jewish Rabbis—three of them Israeli—for violating visa conditions while conducting Kosher certification at a poultry plant in Mirigama has raised serious questions about the enforcement of Sri Lankan immigration law.

Localising DEI: Sri Lanka’s Path to Inclusive Growth

In an era when global rhetoric around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has hardened into polarising debate, there is a certain intellectual liberation in attempting to localise the concept within a country like Sri Lanka. Removed from the culture wars of American universities or the performative backlash of corporate boardrooms, Sri Lanka presents a more elemental case study. Here, DEI is not a Western import to be reflexively mimicked or r

Rage in America Donald Trump has thrown gasoline on the fire to appease MAGA base

Scenes in Los Angeles, CA are reminiscent of a civil war: Protestors setting cars on fire, police firing rubber bullets, armed National Guard troops taking positions, while an increasingly authoritarian president threatens to arrest a state governor.

It’s time to change the discourse – who’s the savage?

Often, and even to this day, leaders of Asia, Africa, Latin America and countries of the Middle East are accused of corruption by the leadership and at times even the ordinary people of the so-called ‘developed’ countries of the West.

An urgent plea to protect Sri Lankan waters

On June 9, an explosion was reported on board the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503 off the coast of Kerala.

Trump’s rationale for banning people from some countries

On June 4, US President Donal Trump issued a proclamation addressing issues of national security arising from the entry of foreigners into the US. The proclamation banned entry to the US of citizens of 12 countries.

Parliamentary privileges and people’s rights

Media has questioned several recent incidents in Parliament where members of Parliament have wasted valuable time of the House by raising inappropriate and irrelevant issues.

NWSDB’s Billing Failures Continue: Repeated Errors Demand Immediate Action

For the third time in a row, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has issued erroneous monthly bills, raising serious concerns over its billing accuracy and accountability.

Liberalism: Neither Left nor Right

In today’s polarized world, politics is often seen through a simplistic binary: left or right. But this dichotomy fails to grasp a deeper and more timeless truth — that the real battle is not between ideologies of the left or right, but between power and liberty, between collectivism and individual dignity. Liberalism, in its truest form, transcends these camps. It stands not in the middle of left and right — it stands above them.

Science for National Prosperity: Turning Sri Lanka’s waste into scientific wealth

In the 21st century, the progress of a nation is inextricably tied to its strength in science and technology. Sri Lanka, with its rich natural resources and educated population, has tremendous potential to harness scientific research for national development.