Trump is not a straight and true leader

Donald Trump is the antithesis of leadership. Walking into the cauldron of the Middle East and denouncing Iran when it had just -- almost at the same moment -- re-elected as president a man who presided over the deal that de-fanged his country’s nuclear programme and whose support is badly needed in fashioning an end to the Syrian war,

Floods: Don’t blame the rain, it’s our fault

In our editorial yesterday, the Daily Mirror highlighted the need to conserve water with the onset of the South West Monsoon and we also stressed that rain should not be considered as bad weather. But even a blessing could turn out to be a major disaster mainly because of the tens of thousands of water conservation Wewas being abandoned, the lack of proper drainage systems and the unauthorized constructions near canals and waterways among other p

All you need to know about GSP Plus

GSP Plus offers incentives in the form of duty reductions on exports as a reward to developing countries for their commitment to upholding the 27 crore international conventions on human and labour rights, sustainable development and good governance.

Riyadh summit: The Trump card was a joker

The Arabic word Riyadh means meadow. A slight variation of the word, or if one adds the letter Ta Marbuta at the.....

Conserve fresh water; rain is not bad weather - EDITORIAL

Whether patterns now are largely unpredictable mainly due to the pollution of the ocean and the rising of the sea....

Reshuffling: Only short term survival

“As Finance Minister I reduced waste and corruption and earned more money for the Treasury,” said outgoing Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake to BBC Sinhala service “Sandeshaya” the day after the much announced and much delayed, Monday’s Cabinet reshuffle. 

Insights from traditional medicine

Dr. Channa Jayasumana, Head of the Department of Pharmacology at Rajarata Medical Faculty who has conducted extensive research into Chronic Renal Failure in Sri Lanka, recently participated at the World Congress of Nephrology (WCN) in Mexico and submitted his research. He says valuable insights can be derived from traditional medicine to reverse the disease. 

Sandaruwan seeks support to start a new life

When Sanjaya Sandaruwan woke up on the morning of October 18, 2010, he had a life full of promise ahead of him. At 27 years of age, he was in the prime of his life, had a job working as a coach in the sports club of a tourist hotel, and was in love. But all his youthful hopes and dreams were shattered within a few seconds when he was viciously attacked with acid by those opposing his love affair, and his world was thrust into darkness.

Religious tension, A shot in the arm of communal politics

What could have been the reason behind recent spate of attacks against mosques and business establishments owned by Muslims and the resurgence of anti-Muslim verbal attacks by the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS)? It is a very difficult question to answer this time.

Separate admin. unit

Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) stalwart Provincial Minister Senthil Thondaman, in an interview, shares insights on the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the upcountry. Mr. Thondaman, a nephew of MP Arumugam Thondaman, says it is a positive move. The excerpts of the interview:

Plantation Tamils need Administrative power first; political power next - Thilakaraj

Nuwara-Eliya District Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) MP Mylvaganam Tilakaraj in an interview with the Dailymirror highlights issues confronting plantation-based Tamil minority and their aspirations. He shared the following:-   

Cabinet re-shuffle: Cards that keep floating to the top

President Maithripala Sirisena was hopeful. He said the Cabinet reshuffle would provide a new impetus to Sri Lanka’s development.

GMOA strike: Find compromise

Once again on Monday, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) launched another 24-hour countrywide strike in public hospitals, causing agony to tens of thousands of poor patients. 

THE NEW CONSTITUTION & THE MODI-WICKREMESINGHE PLAN

Why is the PM anxious to move the new Constitution in three months? Why does he intend to push for a new constitution instead of an amendment which addresses the ethnic problem? Why does he want to do either without concentrating on economic growth and effective governance?

The re-emergence of the BBS

Who is a Buddhist? That’s a simple question but one that can yield innumerable answers.  The innumerability of course can be explained and explained innumerably through reference to the Buddhist canon. The point is, labelling and self-labelling are both easy exercises. For the record, if you replace ‘Buddhist’ with the follower of any other faith, again there can be many responses whose 

No one pretends the situation is perfect

The European Commission, the legislative body of the European Union, granted GSP Plus status to Sri Lanka, providing enhanced market access to the EU under the special scheme which came into effect last week. While the government hailed the opportunity for economic development, political and civil society groups have pressured the European Parliament to debate the restoration of the GSP Plus tariff preferences to Sri Lanka, scheduled to take plac

Postponing Elections will motivate opposition Lessons from history, proves its negative effects

The official SLFP faction of the incumbent regime thinks it will face an inimitable loss in the hands of the faction led by former strong man Rajapaksa. The opposition’s strategy of exploiting over rising prices, escalation of corrupt activities, and the widespread public discontent will add to the fear psychosis of facing polls. It is unfortunate that the yahapalana regime does not realize the fact that by postponement of the local gover

Lack of intellectual depth in our leaders and its sad consequences

In all political theatres, when the lights are dim and the drum-roll begins, the actors and actresses, veterans and rookies alike, take their respective cues and enter the main stage. The storylines are, if the purpose is to shatter box-office records, consistently shallow and distastefully bizarre; music loud and insufferably out of tune; dialogues lofty and cascading like rainwater from a spout; costumes

Strike launched by the GMOA Is it justifiable?

Legality of strikes has been derived from the Constitution of Sri Lanka, ILO Conventions No. 87 and 98 and Trade Union Ordinance No. 14 of 1935 and subsequent amendments thereto.   Chapter III under Fundamental Rights Article No. 14(1)-(c) and (d) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka states every person is entitled to the Freedom of Association and the Freedom to form and join a trade union.  

Are doctors wasting public money spent on their education?

I was compelled to write this article after listening to some comments made by certain people on TV, and reading some articles published in newspapers,  regarding money spent to educate doctors; a hot topic these days (especially during trade union actions) used by many to condemn doctors.   “Doctors are educated with the taxpayers’ money. They should contribute to the free medical system of this country, serving the peop

UDA to take action against unscrupulous contractors and owners

Reports of unauthorized buildings found in Colombo City will be forwarded to the Urban Development Authority (UDA) for legal action, Colombo Municipality Commissioner V. K. A Anura said.   

Elections Commission will stand against any procrastination of PC polls – Mahinda Deshapriya

Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya, in an interview with Daily Mirror , speaks about the reason....

Why is this anti-India demagoguery?

During the second half of the 19th century, Prussian historian Leopold Von Ranke popularized a school of thought known as....

Will Cabinet reshuffle answer people’s woes - EDITORIAL

A Cabinet reshuffle had been one of the main topics discussed in the media during the past few weeks and the politically.....

GMOA: Service oriented or sympathy harnessed?

We have always been good at political slogans. “Api Wenuwen Api”, created to advertise the previous regime’s all-out war, was hugely....

From Riyadh to Tehran: A new Middle Eastern order

Middle Eastern politics and political leaders made news over the last week from the Iranian presidential elections, Turkish President’s...

Climate Change, Natural Disasters and Societal Resilience

Faced with a whole range of day to day issues, many people today do not pay much attention to bigger issues like.....

The monsoon is back, will the floods follow? - EDITORIAL

On 18 May, the long drought the country had been facing came to an end. The rains came and came, and came in an abundance. In fact....

Kautilyan machinations and Medamulana Machiavelli

Vesak festivity in Sri Lanka acquired an international dimension this year with the Island nation hosting the United Nations International Vesak day.

The hypocrisy of owning nuclear weapons

During the French election no candidate talked about France’s nuclear weapons. In Britain, the subject has been raised at its election in an attempt to undermine the Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn.