Non-fiction comes to light

This inspirational saying by an American Journalist unveils the goal of education. In the world, children have a right to receive an education. Although the right is enjoyed by many, there is a segment of this society which is deprived of this right.

The man who saved a Spanish island from over-development

Roadside billboards and high-rise hotels are banned on Spain’s holiday island of Lanzarote - a legacy of visionary artist Caesar Manrique, whose birth a century ago is being celebrated this year.

National Youth Symposium 2019 igniting passion for peace building

27-year-old Robinson, from Jaffna believes he has found his artistic voice, after just five days spent with like-minded youth from across the country. For the past week Robinson toiled to not only sharpen his creative skill, but also help organise the National Youth Symposium,

Jeewana Yathra 2019

Jeewana Yathra an annual Mega Multi Service project was initiated in the year 2012, and is conducted as a combined effort of Leo Clubs from Leo District 306 A2 which exceeds a budget of 1 million reaching a 5000+ beneficiaries every year.

Extraordinary spectacle: Military in colonial era

The Sinhala military in pre-colonial society was never as primitive or out of touch with technology as some might think. Until the 15th century, pistols, muskets, rockets and cannon power were virtually unknown and unheard of, but once soldiers learnt how to operate them, they were able to manoeuvre them nimbly. Accounts by foreign writers including de Couto, Ribeiro,

National reconciliation - Biggest challenge facing President

National reconciliation was one of the upfront promises of the incumbent government when it came to power in 2015. Four years down the line, bridging the North and South has become an outdated topic of discussion. Whatever happened to solving the biggest problem Sri Lanka so deeply suffered from colonials since independence? With the country being literally bombarded

Shankar’s International Children’s Competition-2020 Organized by High Commission of India

Themed under the title ‘Earth is the only home we have, treasure it’, the prestigious Shankar’s International Competition was hosted recently by the High Commission of India (Colombo), with more than 500 young participants taking part in the event. Issuing a statement, the High Commission of India (Colombo) stated that the competition provided young minds the opportunity to

World Toilet Day raises awareness on the impact of outdoor defecation

Unfortunately, World Toilet Day doesn’t receive as much attention as other universally recognised “days” such as World Environment Day or World Health Day. But the day November 19, was a chance to focus on an issue that millions of people worldwide suffer from - the lack of a safe and private place to go to the toilet.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women Violence-free Sri Lanka for women

Gender-based violence occurs in all parts of the world including Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, in many cultures, violence towards women is accepted as a social norm. Women are affected by diverse forms of sexual violence, most commonly sexual exploitation, rape, forced and child marriage. This is because of deeply entrenched poverty, low levels of education and societal

Post elections Social media hate speech spikes up!

Any Sri Lankan social media user would have noted the rise in post election hate speech since the results of the Presidential Election was announced. The post election hate speech mainly revolved on two groups of voters; the voters of the Negombo electorate and the voters in the electorates of the North and the East. In these electorates, the majority voted in favour of the New Democratic Front (NDF) candidate, Sajith Premadasa.

Move to obliterate India’s Muslim past threatens historical icon

The on-going move by the Hindutwa regimes at the Centre and States in India to obliterate the legacies of the Muslim era in Indian history, is now threatening Tippu Sultan (1750-1799), the iconic 18th Century Muslim ruler of Mysore in South India. Tippu has for long been celebrated by India’s secular freedom fighters for the distinction of having been the only Indian monarch to have died fighting the British in a military engagement. He was ki

SL’S POLITICAL FUTURE CALLS FOR COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION

The National Peace Council in a statement has urged the newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa the need to call for an end to the ongoing spate of hate speech against the ethnic and religious minorities and in reuniting the divided polity. “In his inaugural speech the newly elected Presi

83rd Birth Anniversary Commemoration of Late Lalith Athulathmudali Right man for right job; was Lalith’s winning feature

Yet another Presidential Election is over. The voter turnout as well as the massive quantum of votes secured by the winner have baffled both the winning and the losing parties. But this is no surprise. Sri

Post-modernist love: In the absence of love and hate, what do we get?

The context is important because one can’t say that love is unpredictable or perverse in general. Depending on the context, it may well turn out to be sublime, romantic, thrilling, fulfilling or heartbreaking and tragic.

A.M.A. Azeez: An Intellectual Leader of the Muslim Community

A.M.A. Azeez, a reputed Sri Lankan Muslim intellectual was born in Vannarponnai, Jaffna on October 4, 1911. He received his primary and secondary education at two leading Hindu schools in Jaffna....

Neil Weerasinghe – Legend of athletics

Neil Weerasinghe, the unsung hero in athletics of the late ’30s and early ’40s, passed away in 2009 at the age of 90. Born on May 5, 1919, he resided in 4th Lane, Ratmalana with his family. His wife Lorna passed away in 2013. They had a family of six children who excelled in sports following the footsteps of their father. Neil was a colleague of mine having worked together in the Excise Department.

Old Anandian Maithri Panagoda to deliver ‘Olcott Oration’ today

Ananda College celebrates its 133rd anniversary this year. One of the most important events in connection with the ‘Founders Day’ celebrations is the annual Olcott Memorial Oration.

SL sees bleak future as Health Ministry grabs rabies programme

Former Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne has, by a Cabinet paper dated January 18 this year, obtained approval to hand over the process of serialization and vaccination to the Health Department from the Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH) thus creating uneasiness among concerned parties in making Sri Lanka rabies-free.

M.S.M.T. Samaratunga (Sam) Unjustifiable enrichment he did abhor

Sam the pre-eminent Tax Consultant is no more,

‘A fistful of Stars’ Poems that pull at your heartstrings

Literary enthusiast Menaca Calyaneratne takes us through a journey of storm, rain and sunshine with her collection of poems which has been published under the title ‘A fistful of Stars’.

Art exhibition by Kamilka and Dananjaya

Crimson Spaces, and the recent launch of its Art Gallery, is unique in its theme of blending art and interior in its host of services. Located in Horton Place, Colombo 07, the premises house both an art gallery....

In conversation with Prof. John Langdon: The face behind Dan Brown’s protagonist

One can only be amazed at how Dan Brown weaves fiction and reality together. From Digital Fortress to Origin, Brown has always kept the reader turning pages to see what the protagonist in his books, Robert Langdon would face next.

Katuwapitiya 7 months since Easter attacks

Sri Lanka entered the 21st century amid a devastating civil war which took thirty years to end. But just a decade later, Sri Lankans were exposed to another terror attack on April 21 which shattered the country’s emerging peace. Post-war, Sri Lanka showed resilience and harmony. But how would Sri Lanka cope after the Easter attacks? To find out, Daily Mirror visited

Universal Children’s Day 2019 Convention of the Rights of the Child and Sri Lanka’s Commitment

The Universal Children’s Day, celebrated on the 20th of November every year, is dedicated to recognizing the joys of childhood and protecting the lives of children. It calls for International co-operation to strengthen and acknowledge the rights of every child. and celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the establishment of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) by the United

S. Korea stakes a claim for biggest Bible Study programme

Just a few days ago Shincheonji Church of Jesus (SCJ) in the republic of South Korea held its one of the biggest theological graduation ceremonies in the world, in the South Korean province of Gyeonggi-do. Around 100,000 students graduated. 50,000 of these students were in the audience and the rest from Korea and other countries which participated in the graduate

Chinese Robot on ‘duty’ at BIA

On November 1, the curiosity of people was aroused on seeing the ‘Dog’ robots deployed at the terminals at the Bandaranayake International Airport in Katunayake (BIA). The smart robot is attractive and will help detect Narcotics; hence featuring prominently in the task of nabbing drug dealers. The robot priced at rupees 160 million, was donated to the Police Narcotic Bureau

New hope on accident and emergency medical care

Although Sri Lanka has shown progress in terms of primary care, maternal health and other indices, several areas still need to be improved. One of them is accident and emergency medical care. It is in fact identified as a demanding and complex area of practice, presenting diverse challenges with regard to patient-centred care. The basic emergency and trauma care in Sri Lanka

Trump administration’s stance on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank

The Embassy of the State of Palestine strongly condemns in unequivocal terms the announcement issued by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, that the Trump administration no longer considered Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank “inconsistent” with international law, stating that “After carefully studying an sides of the legal debate, the establishment of Israeli

Promoting a dining culture sans plastic

It is a well-known fact that nature is adversely impacted due to pollution caused by irresponsible acts of human beings. With the rapid industrialization, today the world is experiencing environmental pollution at an alarming rate. The fast growing consumerism has given rise to production in excess. With ever increasing products, there is no doubt that there are products

Scarier than fiction

Imagine a world where storms inundate coastal mega cities, entire species become extinct in the blink of an eye, and conflicts are fought over dwindling natural resources.