An Opposition lost direction and consistency

Nandana Gunathilake, who shouldered the rebuilding of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) after a bloody crackdown of it by the United National Party (UNP) Government in the late eighties passed away on January 18.

Trump’s Greenland takeover: Red herring or diversion from Gaza

Since being elected for his second term as US President, Donald Trump has been upending the so-called ‘rules-based’ international order promoted by the West.

Too soft on cyber crime against women

It was reported on page 2 of yesterday’s Daily Mirror newspaper that the Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanaga S. Bodaragama, sentenced an individual, who shared his former girlfriend’s nude photographs with friends via WhatsApp, to a six-month suspended sentence of simple imprisonment (SI), compensation of Rs. 75,000, and a fine of Rs. 2,500.

Interference with AG: a dangerous fault line for Govt

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka has strongly emphasised that it is the duty of the government and law enforcement agencies to ensure that there is no unwarranted interference with the exercise of the powers of the Attorney General, as reported in the Daily Mirror.

Trump’s Greenland dream: European allies deserve the backstab

United States President Donald Trump fits the description of the kind of world leader the Madman Theory warns about.

School Reopenings, City Gridlock: Time for Coordinated School Timings

The full reopening of schools following the conclusion of the G.C.E. (Advanced Level) Examination has once again exposed a serious and recurring urban challenge—severe traffic congestion. At around 2.00 p.m. yesterday, Maradana Road came to a complete standstill when I was on my way to collect my grandson from Jayasekararamaya Temple, Kuppiyawatta, where he was attending rehearsals for an upcoming concert of Asoka College. The traffic was so he

The govt. should lead by example

During his recent visit to Jaffna, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake highlighted actions of Sinhala-Buddhist extremists. He said that some would pass by the Sri Maha Bodhi and observe sil in the North, but these actions are done with an intention of spreading hate. He said that people were left without houses, their loved ones, much loved belongings and property in the aftermath of the war. Therefore, Sri Lanka doesn’t need another war or blood

Singapore strips Opposition Leader of his title for lying Should Sri Lanka do the same?

The following anecdote should interest Sri Lankans who want to mimic Singapore but are unwilling to accept the trade-offs that come with it.

A people-friendly regulation for parking

I would like to extend my congratulations on your appointment as the Mayor of Colombo and wish you every success in serving our city.

A strategic roadmap to Sri Lanka’s economic independence

In January 2026, Sri Lanka stand at historical crossroads. The past year was characterised by a complex interplay of political transition under the JVP-led administration and the devastating physical and economic shock of Cyclone Ditwah (November 2025), which caused an estimated US $4.1 billion (4% of GDP) in direct damage.

Donald Trump, ICE,  and the globalisation of violence

As I grew up in semi-rural towns before my parents finally settled down in Colombo in the 1970s, I acquired a lot of Americana – pop music, Westerns, and literature. This was on my own.

Beyond the Label: Why the ’’NGO’’ Tag is Used to Silence Reform

In contemporary Sri Lankan political discourse, a specific and recurring pattern has emerged. Whenever a citizen advocates for individual rights, a transparent market, or rational governance, they are met with a familiar accusation: they are labeled an ’’NGO.’’

US tariffs: Unravelling the ‘rules-based’ international order

Over the years the US and the West has been in the habit of imposing tariffs, sanctions and other economic pressures on particular countries whose policies they claimed were not in keeping with a “rules-based international order.” The US has taken the lead in this sphere. It has unilaterally imposed tariffs on different states ranging from Russia to China to smaller non-NATO nations for refusal to comply with US demands.

Trump’s BOP for Gaza, may be a pie in the sky

US President Donald Trump’s ‘Board of Peace (BOP)’ for the rehabilitation of post-war Gaza could turn out to be a pie in the sky, with opposition to it coming from both hardliners and liberals.

Police lacks training in law enforcement

The Police must enforce road discipline to counter accidents. The best is a very strenuous training in prevention, detection and proper prosecution. These are the three main ingredients the Police should concentrate on if the Police is to achieve desired success.

Trials-at-Bar in Sri Lanka: Use and abuse

It is reported that a Trial-at-Bar is being contemplated in respect of allegations against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding misuse of state resources for a visit to a British university on his return from attending sessions of the United Nations in New York and an official visit to Cuba.

Departure of British rulers from Ceylon left Tamils high and dry

Within a short time span since the British rulers left Ceylon, the Tamils have been subjected to a quagmire situation wherein there is no dearth of discrimination, racism, religious fanaticism, chauvinism, xenophobia, misanthropy, violence, racial riots, militarisation, state terrorism, and other wrongful acts that were exercised by successive governments in the country against the politically powerless minority Tamil community.

In retrospect and looking forward

The New Year 2026 has already eroded several days but is still in its infancy, opening up vistas of hope, fulfillment, hopeful anticipation and optimism, for “hope springs eternal in the human breast” and always at the dawn of a New Year; with the country spurring on with determination to restore normalcy in the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah and the ensuing deluge.

Iqbal Athas- a journalist much loved and much hated

If not for an exclusive revelation by a journalist in 2003 when the ceasefire agreement between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was in force, Sri Lanka’s history between then and now would have been totally different.

Harassing Harini while we are in Ditwah ditch

Our country is like no other. A past president once described this land as the ‘Wonder of Asia’. How right he was. We as a people were able to successfully end a near three-decade-long insurgency aimed at dividing the country.

Waste management in Colombo

It’s high time that the new government takes adequate measures to resolve the waste crisis in Colombo. In some areas, the waste collection trucks arrived today for the first time after the New Year.

Hurry up! End policy uncertainty over investments

Daily Mirror, in its Wednesday edition, reported that China-based Amber Adventures (Private) Limited—the country’s first cable car venture—had officially pulled out of the Ambuluwawa Cable Car Project, citing what it called “regulatory obstruction and arbitrary state action”. It informed the Board of Investment (BOI) in writing on January 13 that it had decided to withdraw from the project due to what it termed arbitrary and unlawful actions by s

Iran’s troubles: The price of defying hegemons

Arguably one of the oldest, if not the oldest, continuous nation-states, Iran is facing yet another existential threat of tectonic-shift proportions, similar to the many challenges it has endured and overcome in its more than 3,500-year political existence.

Medical Waste -- a Greater Threat Than Polythene and Plastic?

Public attention has rightly focused on the dangers of polythene and plastic pollution, and some progress has been made through bans, awareness campaigns, and regulatory action. However, an equally serious — and rapidly growing — threat is being largely ignored: the improper disposal of medical waste.

Paddy farmers too, deserve to dream big

Even though rice is the staple diet for most Sri Lankans, purchasing a few measures of rice has become a luxury today. Enjoying a meal of premium rice varieties such as keeri samba or basmati has now become next to impossible. With rice becoming the staple food of the country, the paddy business became politicised over the years. Today, it is a known fact that several large scale rice mill owners are directly or indirectly involved in manipulatin

Why Domestic Tax Failure Distorts Trade Policy

Sri Lanka’s import tariff regime is dysfunctional by design. Tariffs are among the highest in the region and highly complex, with importers required to pay multiple para-tariffs in addition to Customs Duty, such as CESS and the Ports and Airports Levy (PAL). The result is higher prices and reduced consumer choice, inflated and unpredictable input costs for domestic firms, and investment diverted into inefficient, protected sectors, entrenching a

Education Reforms Must Begin with Equity

Education reforms in Sri Lanka are both necessary and long overdue. Few would dispute the need to modernise curricula, teaching methods and assessment systems. However, the manner in which reforms are conceived and implemented is as important as the reforms themselves. Regrettably, current proposals appear to overlook the educational realities faced by the poor, the underprivileged and the rural population.

English module fiasco exposes Govt’s limitations despite house majority

The government’s retreat on education reforms proves that even a record-breaking parliamentary majority cannot override Sri Lanka’s deeply rooted religious and cultural ethos.

Can a song created by an AI app have copyright?

AI apps that allow music generation has taken the world by storm. It creates music which sounds similar to an original creator. While the users may be happy using AI to make the song they want, a pertinent question has been raised as to what would happen to the performer (that is the singer), the composer and the lyricist and for that matter the Record Labels and the Music recording industry itself.

The death throes of Ayatullah: The theocratic regime of Iran is killing for its survival

As of early this week, the Islamic Republic of Iran had slaughtered over six hundred protesters, terrorising with brute force into submission another cycle of widespread protests against the repressive theocratic regime. The regime sources put the death toll as high as 2000.