President Rajapaksa, talks with TNA and release of Tamil Prisoners

There was considerable political excitement some days ago, when a meeting was scheduled between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

An acceleration of coastal overtopping around the world

The combination of sea level rise, tides, storm surge and waves has increased the overtopping of natural and artificial coastal protection by nearly 50% in the last two decades. This revelation comes from an international study by IRD (France), IHE Delft and Deltares in collaboration with several other international partners. The study was published today in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Communications.

Lose yourself in serving others, then you will find yourself

Public service is not merely for those who work for the government, but we all need to be public servants or be at the service of those in need.

Let’s dedicate a thought for our dads - EDITORIAL

Dads are the least celebrated and hardly receive gifts. Most often what they do is taken for granted; especially the extra hours .....

World oil prices, Middle East peace and Iran’s new president

However flawed the Iranian democracy is, it has been electing through universal adult franchise presidents and legislative assembly.....

Poson, another opportunity to meditate on the Buddha’s teachings

Sri Lankan Buddhists celebrate the festival of Poson today. In the Buddhist calendar it is the next most important festival after Vesak.

Covid-19 and the ‘science’ of the wizards

Dr. Diyanath Samarasinghe, speaking on ‘How the [medical] profession can help us balance work and life issues,’ at an event organised by the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), made a very interesting observation on science and the scientific approach.

Backsliding on democracy and human rights could be a serious issue for SL – a U.S. academic

Ronald K. McMullen, a U.S. career diplomat- turned academic, in an interview with Daily Mirror shares his views on the policy of the Biden administration on Sri Lanka.

Organic fertilisers can also be polluting, Soil Scientists say

Colombo, June 20: The Sri Lankan government is determined to make farmers immediately switch over to organic farming citing health and environmental reasons as well as the severe foreign exchange shortage which impairs the import of chemical fertilisers.

World Refugee Day - concern or hypocrisy? - EDITORIAL

Three days ago, on June 20, the world commemorated World Refugee Day. -that is people who have to leave their homes due to war....

Sandun Malinga FR Judgment; A silver lining in a very dark cloud

In a country where tens of thousands of youth have been killed on the streets after being abducted and tortured, where political leaders....

Officials act salty as ‘Lanka Salt’ is exposed

The media exposed an incident involving the breaking the seal on a lorry loaded with 20 tons of salt dispatched from the Hambantota....

Instill confidence in people’s minds

It was only a slight difference that we witnessed on the roads last Friday; the last working day during the just concluded travel restrictions and yesterday, the first day after those restrictions ended. As yesterday, during the “travel restrictions” it had been difficult even to cross the road not only in the Colombo city, but also in suburban areas.

Sri Lanka’s farmers: A fate worse than Pandemic!

Farmers across this paradise isle are raging against a man-made disaster courtesy of a presidential directive. Holding placards in their starving paddy lands and hollowed out cash crops, they protest against a crippling shortage of fertilizer, the reason for that being a dimwitted presidential order to ban chemical fertilizer. Worst still, the ban was announced out of the blue, taking them by surprise in the height of the corona virus pandemic. T

Case of decomposing government’s “Organic Country” Project

Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi was quoted telling parliament, Sri Lanka reports 230,000 new kidney and cancer patients annually.....

‘Rejected’ Ranil to Rejuvenate a Dormant Opposition?

Though he makes a crafty backdoor entry to Parliament, Ranil Wickremesinghe has an assigned job, not to lead a political party.....

Expanded-graphite: The throw - away rock that can be used for cleaning oil spills

Oil spills from cargo ships transporting crude oil continue to pollute our oceans, severely endangering marine life and harming.....

Let’s not forget the lessons of history - EDITORIAL

With the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009, the country heaved a collective sigh.....

Dudley: One of Sri Lanka’s greatest sons

History does not provide us with answers to all todays or tomorrows questions; but it definitely provides us with options to answers to these questions if looked at carefully.

On the anniversary of his birth

The birth anniversary of the late Dudley Senanayake is on the 19th June . He is still famed as the Knight in Shining Armour of Srilankan politics, a gentleman to his fingertips, who was Prime Minister of this nation four times.

An assessment of ‘Juneteenth’, which marks the end of slavery in the US 

Colombo, June 18: The United States marks June 19 every year as the day on which Abraham Lincoln ended slavery.

Sri Lanka Railways demands attention!

Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) is experiencing a crisis with the institute making it known that 8000 vacancies need to be filled to provide an optimum service, according to a leading Sinhala daily newspaper.

SLPP eats humble pie over fuel price hike statement

The statement put out by SLPP (Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna) General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam, critical of Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila...

GSP+: Isn’t there a way out?

The European Parliament’s resolution on Sri Lanka on June 10 was the second international stricture against the country imposed....

Climate change: If we don’t act now we will kill our planet, there is no planet B - EDITORIAL

The United Nations(UN) yesterday marked the world day to combat desertification and drought with this year’s theme being “Restoration.

Biden-Putin summit: For the US, it’s Russia without love

Behind the diplomatic niceties, handshakes and photo-ops, the unseen backdrop was one of backstabbing when the United States President Joe Biden....

Canada slips and slides on genocide

In an ideal world, or a flat world if you will (where liberty, equality and fraternity are affirmed in word and deed at every turn), it would be lovely for the people of one country to care about those of another.

Heaping More Burdens on an Overburdened People

If what Covid-19 has brought upon Sri Lankans countrywide with an increasing number of infected patients and related deaths being reported on a daily basis is not enough;

Israel-Palestine conflict and regime change in Israel - EDITORIAL

On May 14, 1948, the United Nations recognized Israel as an independent state. However it was only on December 15, 1988, the State of Palestine’s.....

X-Press Pearl disaster and contrived confabulations

The saga of the MV X-Press Pearl, how it got to Sri Lankan waters, why the disaster could not be averted is a story.....