Nearly half a billion children in South Asia are exposed to extreme high temperatures as life-threatening heat waves caused by the climate crisis become stronger and more frequent, according to the United Nations children s agency.

By Eng. Thushara Dissanayake Water is often undervalued and insufficient attention is paid to its pollution. The water quality degradation is a blooming environmental issue in Sri Lanka. According to World Bank findings, the invisible crisis of water quality degradation is reducing potential

Monday 7th August, 2023 Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha has said the government will take action to fill the vacancies created by the unprecedented migration of university dons. Circumstances may have left it with no alternative but to do so in a bid to mitigate the ever-worsening crisis

By Rathindra Kuruwita Brain drain is the worst manifestation of the country’s economic crisis, Freedom People’s Congress (FPC) member and MP, Prof. G.L Peiris, said on Thursday.Prof. Peiris said that a large number of academics had left state universities. In recent years, the number of students

By Shamindra Ferdinando The Convenor of ‘Samagi Joint Trade Union Alliance’ Ananda Palitha yesterday (06) alleged that the bankrupt country was being exploited to the hilt by the powers that be and external powers. The one-time director of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) said that the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government increased diesel and petrol prices on 30th […]

Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka  President Wickremesinghe’s diversion is working. There is more chatter in the media and political society about the 13th amendment than there is about the agreements that will alter for the worse the fundamental conditions of our collective existence, namely the land bridge to India. There is much to debate about the 13th amendment but […]

Japan has asked Sri Lanka to secure a debt restructure deal with China before any discussion on reviving the Light Rail Transit (LRT) project scrapped by former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, diplomatic sources said. Foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi made it clear during his brief visit to Colombo last week for talks with President Ranil Wickremesinghe that […]

By Rathindra Kuruwita Decisions in the health sector, since COVID-19, are being taken by politicians and senior bureaucrats that are allied with these politicians, Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, Chairman of the Professional Forum of Physicians on Medical and Civil Rights, said at a forum in Colombo on Thursday (03). Preventing unions and other whistleblowers from revealing […]

Saturday 05th August 2023 The UNP is reported to have said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to make a special statement in Parliament next week on the 13th Amendment (13A) to the Constitution. It has said a divergence of views among the Tamil political parties on devolution has stood in the way of the […]

Joining China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project four years ago was a “hasty and disastrous” decision. This statement is from the Minister of Defense of Italy. An interview with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto was published on Sunday, in which he said China’s involvement in the project was a “disastrous decision.” He also explained […]

The government intends to recultivate 11,000 acres of abandoned paddy lands before the end of this year in a bid to prepare for a potential food crisis, State Minister of Agriculture Mohan Priyadarshana De Silva said.

Sri Lanka s inflation rate, which dropped to single digits for the first time in months in July, may still face headwinds from rising water, food and energy prices, analysts say, in a challenge for a crisis-hit country seeking to foster growth.

Friday 4th August, 2023 Never a dull day in Sri Lanka! Hardly a day passes without some controversy, and issues crop up at such a rate that one cannot keep track of them, the latest being what has come to be termed the ‘distortion’ of the national anthem at a sports event. Popular singer, Umara […]

by Dr K. M. Wasantha Bandara This is a humble effort to build up on the article titled, ‘Medical negligence or error’, published in The Island on 18th July. The author of the article, Professor Susirith Mendis, who is a well reputed medical professional and an academic, has drawn our insight into unfortunate events taking […]

Only time will tell whether the Sri Lankan government’s recent decision to lift a ban on several Islamic organizations which were outlawed following the Easter Sunday carnage was advisable or not. In the interim, it is best to remember that every government claiming to be democratic is obliged to promote religious tolerance and amity and […]

The developing Indo-Lanka relations, particularly the process since early 2022 should be examined taking into consideration the significant role played by Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in New Delhi Milinda Moragoda, who received the Cabinet rank. At the time President Gotabaya Rajapaksa sent the former UNP Minister, one -time close associate of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, […]

Land connectivity is essential for the growth of ties between India and its neighbouring country, Sri Lankan high commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda has said in an interview with The Hindu posted online on July 31, pitching for connectivity projects resembling the “Channel tunnel” from the U.K. to Europe as a possible future initiative if […]

‘Who takes responsibility for denying two million persons welfare assistance in July?’ By Shamindra Ferdinando The rebel SLPP group yesterday (31) issued a dire warning over government plans to repeal or significantly amend 12 Acts which dealt with both public and private sector workers. Addressing the media at the Freedom People’s Congress office at Nawala, […]