UNP-SJB rift, a matter of ego

Many political alignments are being planned in the North as well as South these days in view of the forthcoming local government and provincial council elections. However, the only proposed plan that might have a significant bearing on the political map of the country would be the one to unite the Main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the United National Party (UNP).

No end to killings in Palestine despite ‘Peace Agreement’

Yesterday, negotiations led by the US, officially brought the carnage unleashed by Israel on Palestine to an end. The Agreement sees an immediate stop to Israeli aggression in Gaza and the biggest release of Israeli captives since the last temporary truce in the early months of the war.

Ceasefire deal: Blessed are the Palestinians

We may die in our thousands; you may destroy our dwellings, hospitals, and infrastructure; and you may deny us access to food, water, and electricity, but never shall we let injustice triumph.

China’s inspirational tales of socialism have pulling power! - EDITORIAL

China’s President Xi Jinping might not be captured smiling on camera, but President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) has been grinning quite often during the latter’s ongoing official visit to China.

How to make Legal Education work for the 21st Century?

The legal education system in Sri Lanka, while rooted in tradition, faces significant challenges in preparing students for the rapidly changing demands of the modern legal profession.

Should we fear the unknown associated with this NPP regime?

After Ranil Wickremesinghe handed the baton over smoothly to the winner at the 2024 Presidential Elections, Sri Lankans still had ‘concerns’ if ‘worries’ wasn’t the best word to use at that period of time.

Could ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ eliminate the junk food menace? - EDITORIAL

The NPP government’s ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ campaign has already received mixed reactions from the public.

Rescued from hell! A Sri Lankan recalls the darkest days inside a Myanmar cyber slave camp

“All these transactions are done using cryptocurrency. We help customers to transfer money from eBay to their wallets in various cryptocurrencies. From that we help them to transfer the money into their bank accounts and they send us screenshots. From that we get to know their bank balance as well. Our target is to earn 15,000 USDT every month. But that’s an impossible target. One month I achieved 38,000 US$ perhaps because it was Ramadan

Democratic discipline How Sri Lanka’s political transformation strengthens ties with China

Sri Lanka has witnessed a remarkable political transformation. Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) has been elected as the country’s President. His party, the People’s Liberation Front (JVP), leads the National People’s Power coalition. Just four years ago, the JVP held only three parliamentary seats with 3% of the popular vote. Today, it controls the presidency and commands a two-thirds parliamentary majority.

RESPIRE 2025 to empower healthcare professionals, public to improve respiratory health outcomes

Dr. Neranjan Dissanayake, President of the Sri Lanka College of Pulmonologists said that Sri Lanka, despite being a unique country with good health indices, faces concerning issues regarding the respiratory health of the individuals suffering from Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Tuberculosis (TB) and Viral infections such as influenza and added that the consequential results could be disability and death, mainly among the el

“Clean Sri Lanka”, Executive Presidency and Media Freedom

The new government’s “Clean Sri Lanka” [CSL] initiative is a bold and transformative step toward national renewal, deserving the unwavering support of all.

President’s China visit: Reboot the Dragon

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s state visit to Beijing, his second overseas visit since assuming office, is a case of continuity of the Sri Lankan foreign policy. However, more than any of his predecessors, he is in a position to strike the right equilibrium in Sri Lanka’s relations with its two most important foreign relations- China and India- and harness them to turbocharge the local economy.

Lanka: Where many are let down by so few

Speaking on the role of the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II, controversial British war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill praised the efforts of Britain’s air wing, saying ‘never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few’. He was referring to the RAF’s role in saving Britain from Nazi Germany. That we quote Churchill however, does not mean that we hold this man in high esteem.

Wide ranging fallout of Trudeau’s exit from Canadian Premiership

Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister for nine years, announced on January 6, that he would be stepping down in March, unable to resolve the contradictions within his Liberal Party.

Why do successive governments fail in taming the rice mafia? - EDITORIAL

The consumers in the country are clueless on the rice crisis currently prevailing in the country since October last year.

English: What our politicians failed to understand

While everyone is obsessed with the country’s economic crash, the consequences of the linguistic crash we suffered from 1956 onwards is just as serious.

Local elections, rising poverty and the Aswesuma grant - EDITORIAL

Local government elections have not been held in Sri Lanka since 2018. Elections were scheduled to be held in 2022.

How Tiger “Col” Kittu Disappointed Vijaya Kumaratunga and Deceived Lalith Athulathmudali

In the first part of this article on Sathasivampillai Krishnakumar alias “Col” Kittu published last week in the “Daily Mirror”, I had written about my interviewing the LTTE Jaffna district commander for the Indian news magazine, “Frontline” in November 1986. It was at that time the first conversation with Kittu published in an English journal.

Residents of Mullivaikkal provide support and show solidarity to Rohingya asylum seekers

Mullivaikkal is a remote coastal village in the Northern district of Mullaitivu in Sri Lanka and its ethnic composition is predominantly Tamil. It has become significant as it’s where Sri Lanka’s three-decade long civil war came to a bloody end in 2009,

AKD of a hundred days

It is now over three months since the National People’s Power (NPP) -a ‘left-leaning’ political party- was elected into power. The party led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) was voted into power by people who were sick and tired of past leaders who promised much, but whose terms were blighted with corruption and broken promises.

A serious soul-searching is a must for the Opposition

Despite the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) and the three main Opposition parties – Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) currently facing dilemmas, they are not same in nature and scale. The issue faced by the NPP is not anything concerning its survival, but the Opposition parties’ dilemma is.

Transboundary air pollution : For how long should Sri Lankans suffer due to poor air quality levels?

On certain days, Colombo’s skyline is almost invisible. While some may find it similar to the mist, it is in fact called ‘particulate matter pollution’ and by definition it is a mixture of solid and liquid particles that are suspended in air.

Surge in Islamophobia: A fitting Israeli welcome for Trump

The New Orleans terror attack on New Year’s Day, the Tesla truck bomb outside a hotel owned by President-elect Donald Trump the same day,

Business community in search of level playing field - EDITORIAL

When we see the sunny beaches in Sri Lanka, lush green tea bushes and the tourism hotspots oozing with potential, there is hope on the horizon for Sri Lankans.

Lasantha Wickrematunge A national hero’s enduring legacy

January 8 marked a dark and somber day in Sri Lanka’s history, as our thoughts went back to Lasantha Wickrematunge, the fearless journalist and an indefatigable champion of human rights, who fell victim to a brutal assassination.

“It’s essential to have honest, capable individuals with integrity in political positions”- Lacille De Silva

With the recent fiasco that took place with the Speaker and people getting confused as to whether an individual is a medical doctor or possesses a Doctorate, the question is raised as to whether Sri Lankan politicians are being vetted enough before being given a high calibre portfolios like the Speaker of Parliament or even being appointed as a member of parliament (MP).

Reopening of Notre Dame de Paris

On 19 April 2019, the World’s most highlighted news was that Notre-Dame de Paris (NDP), the Cathedral was on fire.

The messenger shouldn’t be shot even in the darkest of times.. - EDITORIAL

Yesterday (January 8) marked 16 years since the assassination of The Sunday Leader Editor-in-Chief Lasantha Wickrematunge.

Petroleum Corporation’s bonus payments stir controversy

A letter dated December 23, 2024 and signed by Secretary to the Treasury, K. M. Mahinda Siriwardena, was sent to the chairmen of commercial corporations, statutory boards and government owned companies regarding the payment of bonuses for the year 2024. The letter, issued under reference number PE/COP/POLI/Circulars, provides details on the bonus payments for these institutions.

Should Cleaning Sri Lanka be more than Click- bait Sri Lanka?

For a political party that had thrived in chaos and actively sowed it, the new government’s initiative to ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ is a step in the right direction. Never mind the satire on social media and the chatter on the roadside of the three-wheeler bros who ‘gave the country to Anura’ now having to fret about being forced to remove unauthorized add-ons to their vehicles. And bus drivers defend their divine right to drive a full on ‘Devalaya’ with