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

Ecocide in the guise of development

It is quite ironic to see the incumbent government showing interests to build an international cricket stadium despite the worrying performances by our own national team. Following pressure from environmental groups, the Government halted the construction of the proposed international cricket stadium in Mandaitivu, Jaffna. Mandaitivu Island is an ecologically critical, biodiversity-rich area in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, boasting significant mangrove for

Who pays for SOE dysfunction?

It appears that the latest procurement by Lanka Coal caused a direct loss of LKR 7,668.1 million to CEB. This is a floor, not a ceiling. The direct loss calculation excludes the additional costs that must be incurred to make up for the shortfall in generation caused by sub-standard coal and the remedial measures that may have to be taken to manage increased fly ash volumes.

The paradox of the two-thirds: Power without space

In the history of Sri Lankan democracy, few leaders have ascended with a mandate as mathematically absolute as President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. With a two-thirds “super-majority” in Parliament, the Executive and Legislative branches are, for the first time in decades, a singular engine of potential change. Yet, in early 2026, the administration finds itself in a paradoxical chokehold: it possesses the power to pass any law, but lacks the polit

Memories of a British colony

When we celebrated 78 years of gaining independence from England this February 4, it gave us an opportunity to reflect on some of the cultures that the British taught.

Road bumps: A key point in road safety

I read a news item on the death of a woman pillion rider with a helmet by falling from motor bike at a road bump in Bandarawela. It is a serious situation, and brings up a crucial point on road safety.

Attorney-at-Law Weerarathna presented with literary award

All Sri Lanka Revival foundation for the Preservation of Global Hela Traditional Medicine has implemented a new literary award for the country in memory of late Prof. A.D.T.E. Perera, a veteran Buddhist scholar. The first award of it was presented to the book titled “100 years Das Buddhistische Haus” by attorney-at-Law Senaka Weerarathna, Secretary of German Dharmaduta Society, published in 2024. Ven. Olande Ananda presented the certificate and

Akuregoda double murder: A shift from ‘normal’ execution

A very disturbing aspect of the recent Akuregoda double murder – of a lawyer and his wife – is that the wife wasn’t spared by the killers.

Hypocrisy of the Tamil Diaspora

Every time a Sri Lankan leader lands in a western capital, a predictable yet hypocritical drama unfolds. A small but vocal segment of the Tamil diaspora gathers outside, waving the flag of the LTTE and chanting slogans about justice and human rights. But what they refuse to confront is their own silence and their own selective outrage, thereby only proving that they are nothing but hypocrites in their so called call for justice.

Regulation more sustainable than prohibition

Sri Lanka’s increasingly strict stance on passenger cigarette imports risks becoming counter-productive. Compared with regional norms, the policy is exceptionally rigid. Srilanka has banned totally any cigarette imports by tourists whereas India, Maldives and Thailand allow up to 200 sticks duty free and Singapore allow imports but taxed.

Disaster mitigation; No time to lose

Almost three months have elapsed since the disastrous Cyclone Ditwah swept the country claiming around a thousand lives, including those who are claimed to be missing. Those who sacrificed their lives in this calamity taught hundreds of lessons both to the people and to the authorities and some of them had been taught during the similar past disasters and repeated this time as well.

Ahead of Trump’s State of the Union address: Poll finds 60% Americans don’t support him

US President Donald Trump is to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress today (Tuesday), February 24.

Why no cashback system in supermarkets

You may not be aware of this cashback system as it has not been introduced to all our local supermarkets. ‘Cashback System’in UK supermarkets applies to a broad term that covers a couple of different ways shoppers can get money back. It’s a few methods designed to help people save on their groceries by way of discounts. Here’s a breakdown of main method how it works in UK supermarkets:

G.L. Peiris delves into ‘Protection of Occupants Bill’ during university lecture

The following is a lecture delivered by Former Minister G.L. Peiris at the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo on February 16, 2026 regarding the ‘Protection of Occupants Bill (2026), introduced by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Justice.

Is JVP Gen-Sec Tilvin the power behind President Dissanayake’s throne?

“Power behind the throne” is a phrase that is generally used to refer to someone who doesn’t hold an official leadership position, but is actually the one who effectively wields control.

Billions of Party Funds & Legislators’ Perks, Privileges

Sri Lanka’s Parliament has embarked on an ambitious reform of long-standing political privileges, sparking intense debate over fiscal responsibility, fairness, and the future of the public service. In recent months, lawmakers have moved to abolish both parliamentary pensions and state-funded entitlements for former presidents, measures aimed at curbing perceived excesses and reshaping political culture.