Bash the US then what?

Tamil ultras, it is reported, are planning a march in Geneva next week to burn copies of the US sponsored resolution against alleged human rights violations in Lanka. At the same time some Tamil websites report approvingly of Tamil Nadu students burning the resolution, implicitly encourage others to do so.......

Misdeeds on seeds and weeds - Editorial

With an economic cold war erupting in the aftermath of the Russian Federation’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula in neighbouring Ukraine, Sri Lanka needs to focus more on sophisticated economic neo-colonialism through which the rich countries and their trans-national corporations (TNCs) are continuing to....

SL will soon be another Somalia - Nanda Muruttettuwegama

Attorney-at-Law and legal educationist, Nanda Muruttettuwegama is contesting for the Western Provincial Council Election from the United National Party (UNP). In a discussion with the Daily Mirror he said, what the country had was a criminal economy and Sri Lanka would be another Somalia in the near future.

Towards a rational and educated society - Randima Gamage

Randima Gamage, a second time contestant for the Southern Provincial Council election from the UPFA, spoke to the Daily Mirror on his candidacy for the upcoming elections, his vision and allegations against his party. Gamage is an old boy of Royal College Colombo and a graduate in law, having completed his .............

Responding to Prolonged Drought: Rainwater Harvesting a Response to Dwindling Water Resources

When this article appears in print, rain might have already come and public anxieties about water shortages and water cuts might have already receded into the background. Yet, droughts are not going to disappear for good. If at all, they might come more frequently and even become more severe in the future.

The fluctuating trends in the call for the death penalty - Editorial

The Ministry of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms has extended the time for public viewing of the historic Bogambara Prison because of the high demand from the people who are keen to visit it.

Opposition will not be in the opposition forever - Manju Sri Arangala

United National Party (UNP) Colombo District leader Manju Sri Arangala is contesting for the upcoming Provincial Council Elections. He says that despite the city beautification, we have people in the Colombo District itself who do not have basic facilities.

Colombo is being turned into a Chicago - Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa

Former JVP Western Provincial Councillor and Kalutara district leader, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa spoke to Daily Mirror on the issues of health and education sectors, beautification of Colombo and of the drawback suffered by the JVP due to their dwindling voter base

Geneva resolution and faux pas zeal in Tamil separatism : PLAYING WITH FIRE

The UNHRC resolution to see the light shortly in Geneva has been discussed and dissected by analysts who keep missing the forest. All things considered,  what is being  subtly promoted as the ‘final solution to the (so-called) Tamil problem’ is an autonomous Tamil state in Sri Lanka.

Cricket - one controversy after another - Editorial

Just as the ICC World T20 tournament was to take off in Bangladesh, the Sri Lanka team was once again involved in their annual contract controversy battle with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), their employer.

Tharmapuram shooting

Two pistol shots rang out in the afternoon of Thursday March 13, 2014 at No. 5 of the Indian Housing Scheme at Musalampitty in the Puliyampokkanai area of Tharmapuram region in the Kilinochchi......

The Pulling and Pushing at GENEVA

There are 10 items in agenda of the 25th UNHRC sessions from March 3 to 28.  They are: Organizational and procedural matters; Annual Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights......

Editorial - Are we really living in a connected world?

Sometimes it’s silly to think that we are living in a world where the National Security Agency (NAS) of the United States could listen to the personal mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela........

Crimea The era of new Cold War begins

The Ukrainian crisis has dragged the post-Cold War world order from relative stability to instability and from order to chaos. The crisis exploded at a time when a new balance of power was taking root, recognising Russia and China as key power centres. 

Patriotism alone cannot cure country's crises

The Geneva human rights issue is pushing Sri Lanka into a crisis corner. The Rajapaksas are trying hard to exploit this situation to win votes in the upcoming PC elections claiming that the Geneva-initiative is a 'conspiracy' against the Rajapaksas.

Polls: Lawmakers and lawbreakers - Editorial

The standards of party politics and especially canvassing for preferential votes during the campaign for the Western and Southern Provincial Council elections appear to have reached their worst levels since the new Constitution was adopted in 1978.

“Nation’s wealth is wasted on useless projects” - Ranmali Gunawardena.....

A social worker and a beautician, Ranmali Gunawardena is contesting from the Democratic Party (DP) for the upcoming Western Provincial Council election.  With the motto that politics is about serving people and the country and prior experience is not essential as long as one knows what is needed to be done.....

Rarely do politicians apologise to the Judiciary

It is not often that Sri Lankan politicians apologise to the Judiciary. That however happened last week and the man who did so was Industry and Commerce Minister Rishard Bathiudeen, who apologised to the Court of Appeal and the former Mannar Magistrate.

Dangers of “The stolen harvest” - Editorial

Largely because of changes in diet and lifestyle, the highly-developed super-power the United States has plunged into a deadly crisis where 30% of the natural deaths are instances of children dying before their parents.

Corruption weaves its way into moral fibre

The saying “When in Rome you must do as the Romans do” is the most famous exponent of conformity...

Buddhist world needs dynamic centre

Although Buddhism is a major religion in the world there is no proper centre which can monitor and co-ordinate Buddhist religious activities in different parts of the world. We simply do not have a place similar to Holy Mecca or the Holy Vatican.

MH370 and maritime security Fresh start for cooperation?

Since the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines MH370 on 8 March 2014, several countries have been participating in extensive Search and Rescue (SAR) and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in the South China Sea and beyond.

“will you cry in the event I die?”

The untimely death of the OIC of Borella police Prasad Siriwardene had brought much shock and grief to his closest family members. One of his sisters  Nirosha Siriwardene was in tears when she described to the media the affection and love  her brother had for her. In a pitiful coincidence the.....

Editorial-The right to disagree does not condone lawlessness

Creating a parallel with the agitation against a glove factory in Rathupaswala last year, people in Hanwella had protested against a rubber factory in the area on Sunday. It is unfortunate that the authorities has let the issue aggravate and that the protest on Sunday had claimed the......

What’s in a name? It’s ‘touting’ season

One of the ethical standards expected of all Attorneys-at-Law is that they refrain from “touting” work, which means canvassing people to retain them to render their professional services for fee or reward. This is an integral part of the code of ethics of Attorneys-at-Law.

An environmental time bomb waiting to happen

Sri Lanka is going through a harsh spell of dry weather. Rains are scanty. Rivers, lakes and water bodies are running dry. The ferocity of raging wild fires are devouring large expanses of rich foliage. An aerial view would clearly show large brown patches of cleared areas dotting forest lands caused by illegal & chena.....

we don't expect free and fair elections - Harshana Rajakaruna

Former UNP Provincial Councillor Harshana Rajakaruna spoke to the Daily Mirror on the reasons behind the UNP’s drawback in the Gampaha district, expectations at the upcoming elections and why he believed the UNP would perform better at the upcoming elections, in comparison to previous polls. . .

‘I will remain a Cobbler’ despite son winning Rs. 58 mn in lottery

Lottery luck had brought windfalls to many. The son of a cobbler from Rakwana who was habitually purchasing lottery tickets never believed that fortune was around the corner, when he was tempted to buy a lottery ticket from a sweep seller who showed him the last five unsold tickets he had with him.

When is Ananthi going to say ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’? - Editorial

Ananthi Sasitharan has reasons to grieve. So have her three daughters.  Ananthi’s husband is ‘missing’.  Her daughters have lost their father.  They all want to know what happened to Velayutham Sasitharan.  Ananthi needs to know what happened to her husband.

This regime needs to be overthrown We need a new government to save and serve the people - Srinat

Former Provincial Councillor and senior United National Party (UNP) member Srinath Perera is contesting in the upcoming PC elections from the Western Province. A lawyer by profession, he has been involved in politics for over a decade. In an interview with Daily Mirror he said that under the present regime, PCs have become a defunct unit and expressed his grievances with the government.