no doubt the party will repay for dedication and trust

The sat down with the Leader of the House, Senior Vice President of the SLFP, Irrigation and Water Resources` Management Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva to discuss his 30 years in national politics. Excerpts of the interview follow:

Commonwealth Values and Diplomacy

Now the Tamil National Alliance has also joined force with some other international and local actors who have opposed staging the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka (CHOGM).

Editorial-Who’s teaching whom about nutrition?

The Daily Mirror, in its Editorial on Monday focused attention on the Government’s move to set up foreign university campuses here amid opposition criticism that it may be a back-door plan to deal a potentially fatal stab in the back to the policy of free education for all

‘Economic diplomacy at the helm’

Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L Peiris spoke to the Daily Mirror on the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and the new turn the Foreign Policy of the country is taking. Following are some of the excerpts of the interview.

Today is World White Cane Day We are not objects of charity: SLFVH We need acceptance and independen

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision”  This perpetual truth was once exposed to the world by Helen Keller, the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts Degree. 

Sanjeev Jayaratnam Empowering eyes and minds qq

“Empowering the mind and eyes,” is the motto behind Sanjeev Jayaratnam’s concept of speed-reading.  A charismatic maestro who promises to improve his students’ reading to a “lightning” speed,.....

young people's Voice in the chogm

The countdown has begun. With just over a month to go before the Commonwealth Youth Forum 2013 kicks off in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, the pre-forum discussion has already begun this week. 

Is this development? - Editorial

The revelations by three parliamentarians, one from the government benches during last week’s Parliamentary debate on the report of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) might have puzzled many as to where the country is economically heading to. 

Customer is king NO Customer is KILLED

There are instances when not only it is legal but also profitable and survives as profession, where the killers work from plush offices, use luxury cars and get big bonuses. They dine in style and holiday in exotic locations. No, it is not the mafia or any other international cartel.

National Heritage, Patriotism and Development

There are not many countries around the world that do not have any claim to a proud national heritage. Past achievements, proud historical traditions and persisting cultural resources, be it religion, values, food, art and crafts or architecture are all part of the national heritage of nations and states.

Homage to the Mahanayake Thera

The Most Venerable prelate Agga Maha Panditha Rajakeeya Sri Weligama Gnanaratana Mahanayake Thera was appointed the new Mahanayake of the Dharmarakshita chapter of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya by the Executive Sangha Committee of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya on 12th September 2003

Editorial - Higher Education or Hire Education

One of Sri Lanka’s highest distinctions has been the literacy rate of about 90 percent—which is hailed as the best in South Asia. Most analysts believe the main reason for this is the credit-worthy free education policy introduced by Dr. C. W.W. Kannangara whose 129th birth anniversary was celebrated yesterday. 

Editorial - No stitch in time, but nine more to the patch

With Sri Lanka’s financial status wavering around bankruptcy and millions of families struggling for survival largely because of a soaring cost of living, the Daily Mirror in its Editorials has reiterated that a lasting solution needs to be found mainly in two ways

What’s wrong with our universities?

For a long period of time, the universities in Sri Lanka have been central to the success of the national higher education enterprise, pursuing distinctive missions while responding to changing societal expectations to expand and diversify their functions.

Milk Production beyond the Wet Zone of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is once again turning its attention to milk production. Government policy to decrease the reliance on imported milk powder used interventions such as; crossbreeding of the local cattle population with exotic blood

Time overdue to cut nuclear weapons

At the time of the “Cuban Missile Crisis” in 1962 when the Soviet Union secretly shipped into Cuba...

Editorial : Lack of transparency may render private unis bane than boon

The social stigma surrounding private universities in Sri Lanka is now evidently subsiding, except a...

Libya raid US tells the world, I’m the law

To hell with the others, I must survive. This appears to be the doctrine that shapes the foreign policy of the...

If the government does not care, consumers must get activated - Editorial

In the aftermath of the milkgate crisis or the milkmare, millions of Sri Lankans were left confused as to what milk they should drink, whether milk was safe for human consumption and whether milk was essential for people other than breast-fed babies or elderly citizens who cannot take solid food.

Khurshid visit harks back to India’s assertions

Less than a year into his role as India’s External Affairs Minister, Salman Khurshid arrived in Colombo a few days ago with a contentious agenda at a time when Sri Lanka had just concluded its first ever elections to the Northern Provincial Council and was swearing in its new Chief Minister.

Marking its 64th Anniversary Army keeps flag flying In development sphere

As the Army celebrates its 64th Anniversary today, the Daily Mirror spoke to the 20th Commander of the Army, Lt. Gen. Daya Ratnayake about the evolving role of the Sri Lankan Army.  To mark this important event, religious observances of all faiths, an all-night Pirith ceremony to invoke blessings on the Army, and   some festive activities are underway. 

Is society insensitive to the point of insanity October 10-World mental health day

If sanity and insanity were the two sides of a coin, no one can decide to which side our lives may lead us in the future. But something we must all remember is that no one is ever given a choice when they fall sick nor can their sicknesses be condemned, as each case is unique.

Denis Perera The General of All Generals

I would wake up on the 10th of October with the thought of wishing, “Many Happy Returns of The Day” to the General of all Generals of the Sri Lanka Army. Alas, it was not to be so, when I wished him on the 12th of October, 2012 for the last time.

‘Journalists’ job is to inform people, not influence events’

While continuing on the topic of newspaper column writing, it’d be useful to compare what we do here with how it’s done in another country. I’d like to take the example of Britain.

Editorial - How and why did Bibile draft disappear?

A post-mortem examination by a judicial medical officer may be necessary to find the truth about a growing controversy between Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena and a widely-respected state legal officer who retired in April 2012.

‘Personal stupidities have become national policies’

In a functioning bourgeois democracy, the system could to a certain extent auto-correct itself. In the past, before the Mahinda Rajapaksa government took office, Sri Lanka had that capacity.

Ramifications of 13A governing state land

The recent decision of the Supreme Court, coming in the wake of the first ever election to the Northern Provincial Council, has aroused much concern and mixed reaction that it is in the public interest to make with due respect to the court, a realistic analysis of its content.

PROVINCES AND DISTRICTS OF SRI LANKA PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

The country was first divided into several administrative units during the Anuradhapura era, These were the three provinces;  Rajarata,  Ruhuna  and  Malaya Rata. These were further subdivided into smaller units called rata.

Rhetoric and Reality of Knowledge Economy

Development trajectories have diverged widely across countries over time, depending on a whole array of complex factors. Understanding these factors is important, and the social sciences have played a critical role in unravelling the complexities involved.

This is maturity on the part of the TNA - Editorial

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the main Tamil political party alliance has shown the maturity of the majority of its leaders, by its decision to have its newly-elected Chief Minister of the Northern Province C.V. Wigneswaran sworn in before President Mahinda Rajapaksa.