She-roes, arise and fight for equal rights - EDITORIAL

Maya Angelou, an American poet, memoirist, actress and an important figure in the American Civil Rights Movement has said it is important for the....

Open Sesame Understanding the importance of opening up and the ETCA

The Prime Minister outlined his economic plan in Parliament a few months ago, which one would expect to be the blueprint for the development effort for the next....

Political Slips, slithers and skids

Ordinary people making enormous, medium sized, small and not- worth-worrying-about mistakes all the time is no surprise; they are just being....

Sivarathri: The night when the Force awakens

As is common in Hinduism, Maha Sivarathri has many different explanations about the observation. However, first and foremost Maha Sivarathri is NOT a festival but.....

Cracks appear in Yahapalanaya

By all accounts, the Yahapalana government is going through a rough patch. Some folks quip, tongue-in- cheek that the Joint Opposition’s coconut dashing has.....

Outcome of A Letter - EDITORIAL

Higher Education and Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella, who is in the centre of a controversy over issuing of a letter to a Head of the.....

Chaos in Kurunegala over child’s admission to a school

The need of education for every child is mentioned in the UNHCR mandate, and also the UNICEF policy on children’s education   is quoted as thus , “We are committed to ensuring that all children – regardless

How the agro-chemical racket started - EDITORIAL

In our editorial yesterday, the Daily Mirror focused on what may be an important turning point in Sri Lanka’s history-- the mission to make Sri Lanka a ‘Wasa visa nathi’ country by gradually switching from agro-chemicals to organic fertilizer for agriculture. The National Farmers’ Association leader and JVP member Namal Karunaratne, in a TV interview on Friday acknowledged that farmers were aware that the imported agro che

Timely wake up call to save the country

Every Sri Lankan, keen on the welfare of at least our future generations, should appreciate Dr. Ranga Kalanasooriya’s thought-provoking article in the Daily Mirror on February 19, 2016 on the need for Buddhist and Muslim harmony. 

SEX is a dirty word Yes or No ?

Victor Ivan is right to pointing out to  different sexual norms which existed in Sri Lanka at the time of Robert Knox. But such comparisons could be misleading. For example, while it is true that low-caste women 

The devil’s brigade won’t allow disarmament

During the Peloponnesian wars (404 BC), sex was tried as a desperate means to achieve...

EDITORIAL - The poisoning of Sri Lanka must stop

The mission for a ‘Wasa Visa Nethi Ratak’-- a mission to make Sri Lanka free of poisonous...

Muslim council and Merger of provinces no longer valid

One who is cognizant of the history of the Muslim provincial council concept might have definitely...

To claim or not claim the legacy of reforms

Let me begin by assuming something that defies all logic.  Let’s assume that Prime Minister Ranil...

An unforgettable philanthropist

The late Charles Henry de Soysa’s birth anniversary is a very special day for his descendants and to the thousands who have benefited in myriad ways, through his life, work and deeds;  as a visionary who was far ahead of his time.

World Wildlife Day 2016 and Sri Lanka.

World Wildlife Day 2016 is celebrated around the world on March 3rd under the theme “The future of wildlife is in our hands.” African and Asian elephants will be the main focus of the Day under the theme

SRI LANKA’S ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH INDIA: MYTH AND REALITY

In the current debate about the proposed Economic and Technological Co-operation Agreement with India, and its impact on Sri Lanka’s vital economic interests, there are some central issues which must be seen in sharp relief.

The voice from the wilderness - EDITORIAL

With the conservation of the environment including biodiversity getting the highest priority in the world because of a possible ecological catastrophe, Sri Lanka joins the international community in marking World Wildlife Day today on the theme 

NATIONAL PARKS, MARINE PARKS ARE MAJOR CONCERNS:

Wildlife has become a major concern for many animal rights activists and biodiversity experts when considering the issues that have come to the limelight during the recent past. From the human-elephant 

THE LAST DECADE AND THE NEXT SIX MONTHS

With every major step it takes in every important direction, the Wickremesinghe- administration seems to run into difficulty, losing popularity and social legitimacy. The further it goes on any front, the narrower its social support becomes. To put it more simply, with every step it takes, fewer people seem to go along with the Government while more people seem to dissent. Overall there is a palpable sense of discontent and dismay. What is the re

Top billionaires on mission to save Planet Earth - EDITORIAL

With Planet Earth facing its worst ever ecological catastrophe, some of the world’s super-billionaires led by Microsoft founder Bill Gates have come forward to invest hundreds of billions of dollars to fight climate change and discover or develop renewable sources of clean energy. 

Tamils, the North and the State

“Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.”

Singamale’s swiftlets are on their way out

Singimale is a beautiful area situated along the Nuwara Eliya- Colombo road. It captures the attention of passersby who are held in awe of its magical surroundings. Singimale is known not only  for its beautiful scenery, but  also for its seemingly unstoppable birds’ nest poaching that is a threat to one of Sri Lanka’s endangered species of birds.

Alcopops and Alcohol Policy Sri Lanka is ready: Bring ‘em on!

Listen to this story, partly true partly hypothetical. A father of two young sons got really alarmed when he visited USA with them on one of his trips and they asked for Sparks. Well, he was not really alarmed when they said they wanted to buy Sparks, the latest RTD (ready to drink in attractive cans). He read the small print on the can while waiting for the cashier and was astounded. This drink had alcohol in it; 7%! His sons were teenagers. Her

Germany intends to strengthen assistance to Sri Lanka

President Maithripala Sirisena paid a three-day State visit to Germany from 15th. to 18th. and from 19th. to 20th. February to Austria which is considered as a high....

Super nothing

The supermarket is an amazing place. Whenever I am in one of those joints I wonder how much work must go into stocking those shelves with nothing, encouraging buyers into...

Diverse views on the ETCA

The ETCA is a bi-lateral trade agreement with India. That is about all that is certain. Although only a few know what the official agreement will entail, fears are already running.....

The lotus symbolising the Buddha has no place in politics

Speculation is rife that the symbol of the proposed   party would be the ‘lotus’.  But, the lotus is a sacred flower for Buddhists and Hindus. It  is associated with the Buddha....

A Case for extirpating Wahabism

The main purpose of this article is to point out that there might be a case for action by Muslims, as well as non-Muslims constituting the....

Child denied school admission over AIDS rumour - EDITORIAL

It is not clear as to what extent the heart rending incident, where a boy is being harassed by the education authorities with regard to his admission to a school over a.....