Luxury living of drug lords from laundered money

Last week’s historical judgement by the Colombo High Court Judge M. K. M. Patabendige with regard to money laundering, monies specially earned from drug peddling, exposed a massive scale drug mafia which had been operating despite many security units claiming to be on alert and fighting day and night combat such illegal activities.

The second coming of Donald Trump and the electability of demagoguery

On Monday, the United States of America swore in as its 47th president, Donald J Trump, a convicted felon who made a remarkable comeback, ditching jail time by virtue of getting elected to the highest office of the most powerful democracy in the world.

Lankan movement hails Trump for opposing LGBTQIA++ Woke values

On Tuesday, the Mothers’ Movement of Sri Lanka (MMSL) will submit to the US embassy here, a petition addressed to President-elect Donald Trump, urging him to keep up his fight against LGBTQIA++ Woke values and help restore traditional social and familial values in America, Sri Lanka, and the world at large.

How Tiger ‘Col’ Kittu lost a leg when a bomb was thrown at him in Jaffna

Former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Jaffna District Commander Sathasivamillai Krishnakumar alias ‘Col’ Kittu was regarded as the uncrowned king of Jaffna in the mid-eighties of the twentieth century.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Frustrated families urge to bring back loved ones trafficked to Russo-Ukrainian War

Families of victims trafficked into Russia and forcibly conscripted into the Russian army, alongside activists, gathered outside the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (6th January), once again urging authorities to intervene and bring their loved ones home.

Self-Sufficiency in the New Year

Sri Lanka over the last three years has been hit by tremendous price hikes and shortages of essential services and goods.

Life and Times of LTTE’s Ex-Jaffna Commander “Col” Kittu

Nowadays the 33 year long war between the armed forces of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is slowly receding into memory. The LTTE,

Is environment unsuitable for UNHRC to help Rohingya people in Sri Lanka?

“There is still no basis to consider them as refugees yet. For now, this is regarded as a case of human trafficking.

Mother of Altair victim to sue CIS for alleged negligence

The untimely death of Jivon Zoro Singh (15), a student of Colombo International School (CIS) who fell to his death from the Altair luxury apartment complex sparked much controversy over the past few months.

Elephant drives ; Is it a feasible solution to mitigate HEC?

Sri Lankan citizens have many hopes and aspirations towards the incumbent government which was elected to power through a large mandate. The incumbent government’s solution to mitigate the human-elephant conflict aims to implement a community-driven approach to mitigate the conflict by assessing elephant migratory patterns and their habitats based on biological interventions and new technological innovations. But it is rather unfortunate that thi

HOW CAN THE NEW GOVERNMENT BEST TAKE CARE OF OUR CHILDREN and YOUTH?

Stop Child Cruelty Trust (SCCT) and Child Protection Alliance (CPA) comprising of thirteen credible organisations committed to protect and promote the rights of children have appealed to President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the newly elected Government to elevate child welfare to the heart of national governance ushering a new dawn, firmly focusing on the true beneficiaries of the future: our children first.

Feeding wild elephants and its repercussions

Feeding of wild elephants that frequent the roadside near national parks and forest reserves, regardless of its dangers, has been going on unchecked for a long time, much to the concern of the wildlife authorities.

The JVP-led NPP Govt.’s Envisaged Constitution and the 13th Amendment

Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has successfully concluded his first state visit to India from December 15 to 17. The optics of the three day visit to New Delhi has been hailed positively. President Dissanayake known popularly as AKD is the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna as well as the JVP-led National People’s Power (NPP).

What can the recent Speaker’s resignation teach us about politics in the digital era?

With the advent of media and social media, people today are flooded with information, misinformation and disinformation, and it entails both upsides and downsides, particularly in a democratic society.

Tsunami Survivors of Hambantota still relate tales of trauma and communal harmony

Twenty years ago on a day like today (December 26), people in Hambantota were getting ready to go to the Sunday fair during the early hours of the morning.

What’s next with India-Sri Lanka ties post President Dissanayake’s Visit?

On September 28, I posted my thoughts briefly on social media under the title ‘Navigating Foreign Policy Towards the Stable Country: The Daunting Challenges for the AKD Government in Sri Lanka’.

Is ‘the Writing on the Wall’ for the 13th Constitutional Amendment?

“The Writing on the Wall” is a figurative expression derived from the story of Daniel in the old testament of the Bible.

Will life end at 40 for comatose SAARC?

Not many Gen Alpha, and even a good segment of Gen Z, can connect themselves with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, or SAARC, as the now dormant and once vibrant and kicking grouping is entering its 40th year, with hardly any celebrations to mark the 40th Charter Day on December 8, except a reception hosted in Kathmandu by the SAARC’s Secretary General.

Indo-Lanka ties intact, tightrope walk ahead for Sino-Lanka ties

In the overall context, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s state visit to India can be viewed as reaffirmation of the already existing blueprint for furtherance of bilateral relations.

AMAN Dialogue 2025 aims to foster collaboration among maritime nations - Adm. Ashraf

As a vital maritime corridor, the Indian Ocean faces increasing geopolitical and environmental challenges. Bordered by 38 littoral states, the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) features a diverse population with varying races, religions and civilizations. As a maritime state, Pakistan has taken a keen interest to ensure regional maritime security through various operations such as the Regional Maritime Security Patrol and the AMAN Naval exercise hosted b

Anawilundawa ANRM Project: Where people, nature thrive hand in hand with mangroves

Located in between Chilaw and Puttalam is a pristine sanctuary that is now home to many flora and fauna.

A plea for national consensus to resolve Sri Lanka’s human-elephant conflict

In Sri Lanka, humans and elephants are finding themselves closer than ever before, sharing land in ways that are often dangerous and costly.