The world needs Avurudu: A season’s lesson in peace

The month of Bak, falling in April, is one of the most spiritually luminous periods in Sri Lanka’s calendar, a time when religion, tradition, and seasonal renewal converge into something rare and precious: an invitation to pause, to reflect, and to make peace. In a world increasingly defined by noise and division, such a moment is not merely welcome; it is urgently necessary. For peace is not a single event. It is a living thing, and it must be t

Girl embalmer who ensures dignity for women even after death

Some occupations, professions and jobs are decided by gender. But there are some male-dominated jobs even males find too hard to handle. Many men find dealing with the dead to be a somewhat scary and abhorrent task. But 19-year-old Sneha Udyani Nethra Kumari from Giriulla off Kuliyapitiya has taken up embalming as her profession. Going beyond just embalming the dead, young Sneha has made a name as a beautician of corpses. Though there are

Politics ruining the spirit of cricket

Cricket, has long been seen as a great leveller among men/women. It eliminates social, economic, or physical distinctions, rendering everyone equal -- a game where elite players can emerge from any background, overcoming social or economic hurdles and is devoid of external interference.

How a Buddhist monk braved torture to pursue political dream

Following the accusation levelled against the former Member of Parliament, Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, over the alleged abduction and intimidation of General Secretary of the Ape Janabala Pakshaya, questions have been raised why the long arm of law has so far failed to make an arrest.

Deshabandu Tennakoon and the Weligama Hotel shooting incident

The Committee of Inquiry appointed in terms of Section 6 of the Removal of Officers (Procedure) Act No: 5 of 2002 to investigate and inquire into the allegations levelled against Deshabandu Tennakoon (Full name Tennakoon Mudiyanselage Wanshalankara Deshabandu Tennakoon) and to remove him from the office of the Inspector General of Police,

Easter Sunday carnage Will probing Pillayan’s period in prison lead to more clues?

When the prison guards at the Batticaloa Prison, who were on duty on April 21, 2019, panicked after a bomb exploded in close proximity to the prison assuming that terrorism raised its ugly head, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, who was an inmate in prison at that time, had assured them that it was not a terrorist attack, but a suicide attack, Daily Mirror sources reveal. The explosion referred to is the suicide bombing at Zion church

LIOC dealers blow fumes as commission margins are slashed

Petroleum dealers of Lanka Indian Oil Company PLC (LIOC) are up in arms against its management for the failure to ‘raise the dealer commission’ that was pruned, despite gaining profits in billions of rupees annually. Following the new scheme implemented by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to withdraw the 3% dealer margin, paid over the past several years as and when the retail price was determined, LIOC too followed suit although the other

Can the CEB’s attempt to curtail solar power generation be justified?

Startling revelations have come to the fore as to how the present administration of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is attempting to promote thermal and coal power by curtailing renewable power generation.

Dubious appointment of unqualified officer as NLB General Manager raises eyebrows

Speculation is rife why the Additional Secretary Ministry of Finance has ignored Bribery Commission’s directive to conduct an inquiry into an appointment made during the former regime to the National Lotteries Board.

Renovation of MR’s official residence No proof to show Govt. procurement guidelines were followed during purchases through Lanka Building Materials Corporation Limited

Credible information as to how public funds have been misappropriated from the entire Mahinda Rajapaksa official residence renovation project has now reached this newspaper, following the Right to Information Commission’s stern order to the contractor- Lanka Building Materials Corporation Limited- to release the requested details to the Daily Mirror newspaper.

MAULANA ALLEGES PILLAYAN TO BE INVOLVED IN EASTER CARNAGE - Defence source

As the investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks continue, high ranking defence officials probing the case have revealed to the Daily Mirror that travel bans on some former high ranking State Intelligence Service members has been imposed to prevent them from leaving the country.

Renovation of MR’s official residence State authorities in hot water for violating DM’s RTI request

The Right to Information Commission is to initiate legal action against the Information Officer and the Public Authority of the state owned Lanka Building Materials Corporation Limited for non-complying with the order delivered by them to release information to the Daily Mirror Newspaper on the renovation and modernisation of the official residence of Mahinda Rajapaksa- the Prime Minister/ Fifth Executive President at No: 117, Wijerama Mawatha, C

Mismanaging of workers’ trust Lanka Transformers Ltd in the spotlight for transferring funds, shares

Lanka Transformer Limited Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of Ceylon Electricity Board has come under criticism for allegedly committing one of the largest financial frauds in the country by transferring its shares and dividends illegally amongst its top management.

Myanmar’s cyber slave camps : How job seekers are lured into a crime corridor

When *Dilshani’s husband *Priyankara, an executive officer with over eight years of experience in the IT sector, was looking for overseas employment, he was convinced to take up a job opportunity as a data entry operator in Thailand.

Is Kotte MC selling reclaimed land by bending the law?

At the end of 16th Lane on Ananda Balika Mawatha in Pita Kotte, a marshland originally designated for drainage purposes has been gradually reclaimed. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Municipal Council has constructed a 10-foot-wide road through a nearby children’s park leading to this reclaimed land. Despite protests from local residents, the council has proceeded with plans to build the 10-foot-wide road to reach this reclaimed marshland. Additionally,

Art Gallery given last rites by heartless officials

In 1887, Sir Noel Walker, the founder Chairman of Colombo Drawing Club changed the name of this institute to the Ceylon Society of Arts. The Colombo Drawing Club was originally formed in the 1880s by a group of art enthusiasts. Members showcased their artistic skills during the society’s monthly meetings.

CMC ignores UDA order to check on unauthorised construction on sanctioned street line

Although the CMC is responsible for local administration and services that includes city planning within the city limits, the UDA oversees the planning and development in urban areas including Colombo.

Airport and Aviation Services Ltd rocked by alleged irregular tender process

Another alleged fraud is said to have taken place at the Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd by way of awarding a tender to a bidder that the Technical Evaluation Committee rejected, citing further evaluation. This was due to noncompliance of requirements/ specifications of the tender document. Invitation for bids (Bid No: 113/ T/ 2023) to construct a new building to enhance capacity for the benefit of departing passengers and improve t

Plans afoot to sell Pelwehera’s School of Agriculture

Sri Lanka School of Agriculture, located in Pelwehera, Dambulla, started around 1980. This school of agriculture has made significant contributions to the advancement of the agricultural sector in the country. Established under the Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka, the school had its first intake of students (numbering 50) for a residential course in the year1980. There are concerns that this academic institute will be sold to a private compan

Questions raised over building Lower Malwatu Oya Reservoir- Built using Rs 35,000 million taxpayers’ monies

​Currently, the world is not just discussing about development, but they are talking about sustainable development. Sustainable development should focus on conserving a country’s resources for the future. This approach is widely accepted at present. However, beyond this approach, many development projects continue to be implemented in this country. One such project is the construction initiative taking place across the Lower Malwatu Oya. Critics

Vehicle assembling companies deny Govt. Rs. 100 billion in taxes

State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya recently stated that 44,430 vehicles had entered the market during the ban on vehicle imports to Sri Lanka. This information....

O/L Exam mess puts Department of Examinations in soup!

The experience of sitting for an exam is competitive for a child. Having dedicated countless hours to studying, they approach....

Dharmasena’s agarwood project faces yorker from Central Bank!

Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has launched investigations into multiple complaints it has received regarding the collection of cash deposits for plantation investment projects. Recently, the Central Bank disclosed that it has obtained information

Did BASL misappropriate monies sent by JICA for anti-corruption programme?

What can the citizens of this country expect from the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), which plays a crucial role in administering justice and upholding the rule of law when its principal office bearers....

Expressway beam COLLAPSE causes Rs 66 ML loss to Govt.

The construction of the phase from Kottawa to Pinnaduwa- of the project titled ‘Expressway Network of Sri Lanka’- was completed in 2011. During its construction, a medical....

CEB’s solar project awarding procedures raise eyebrows

Startling revelations have surfaced as to how Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has offered a solar project tender to the highest bidder and created a loss of several billions of rupees in the process to the national coffers. Despite CEB’s move to increase the tariff rate of the consumers- claiming they are incurring losses- questions are raised as to why the same institution offered a tender for the solar project, which has a capacity of 100MW, to

Sportstar’s Wallapatta venture hits Sinharaja for six

The Sinharaja Forest reserve, located in the southwest of the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka, spans over 11,250 hectares. Bordering the Galle, Matara, and Ratnapura districts, the Sinharaja Forest has attracted global attention and has been designated as a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Being a portion of the Lowland Rainforest Eco-zone, this hilly virgin rainforest has been naturally shielded from commercialization due to p

Hair dye sachet mafia and its irremovable stains

In 2021, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) planned to issue a gazette prohibiting the production of various types of plastic, including yogurt and ice cream cups. This was....

Indian High Commission responds to Daily Mirror expose

In response to the Daily Mirror expose titled “Plantation community alleges presence of ‘scam’ behind Indian Housing Project” which was published on April 17, 2024, (on pages 4 and 5) the Indian High Commission has sent the following response - I write in response to the ‘Expose’ titled ‘Plantation community alleges presence of scam behind Indian Housing Project’ in Daily Mirror edition on 17 April 2024. At the outset, we would like to mention th

Ministry of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure responds to Daily Mirror expose

Media Secretary of the Ministry of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure, G. Krishanthan has sent the following response to the Daily Mirror expose titled “Plantation community alleges presence of ‘scam’ behind Indian Housing Project” which was published on April 17, 2024 on pages 4 and 5. I want to respond to the report published in the Daily Mirror raising concerns about the fairness and transparency of the Indian Housing Project for the pla