Sri Lanka’s new e-passport to secure gateway to the world

This article is based on an interview done with Immigration and Emigration Department Controller General Harsha Ilukpitiya on the new e-passport system and new visa services that would be introduced to place Sri Lanka on the world map.

USS Eisenhower vs. Houthis – mouse against an elephant?

The Houthi missile attack on the US Navy aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower is already history, as far as the public is concerned. But it isn’t forgotten by either the attacker....

“Perunthalaiver” Rajavarothayam Sampanthan’s Political Journey

Veteran Tamil political leader and senior Trincomalee district MP, Rajavarothayam Sampanthan passed away peacefully in Colombo on 30 June 2024. The nonagenarian Sampanthan who had been ailing for some time was listening after dinner to an audio tape of “Kanthasashti Kavasam” verses sung by the Soolaman Sisters Rajalakshmi and Jeyalakshmi when he collapsed with a groan. Sampanthan was immediately taken to Lanka Hospital where he breathed his l

Plans afoot to sell Pelwehera’s School of Agriculture

Sri Lanka School of Agriculture, located in Pelwehera, Dambulla, started around 1980. This school of agriculture has made significant contributions to the advancement of the agricultural sector in the country. Established under the Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka, the school had its first intake of students (numbering 50) for a residential course in the year1980. There are concerns that this academic institute will be sold to a private compan

Prabhakaran’s family warns of diaspora fraudsters raising funds in the name of slain LTTE leader

Fifteen years after the death of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the end of Sri Lanka’s war, the family of LTTE leader warns about a major fraud carried out by sections of the Tamil diaspora defrauding millions of dollars from Tamil around the world. Speaking on behalf of the family, Karthic Manoharan, son of Prabhakaran’s elder brother, Velupillai Manoharan reaffirmed that the entire family o

Do we need propaganda and advertising campaigns to help us make up our minds about whom to vote for? Believing in untruths in a volatile political ‘world’

Sri Lankans as a whole refuse to accept the official version of analysis and what is explained as the truth. At present the biggest truth that everyone in this sun kissed island must be aware of is that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has negotiated with representatives of the Bilateral Lenders Official Creditors Committee (BLOCC) and China to restructure debts amounting to US$ 10 billion. However, the government is concerned regarding false i

Would saner counsel prevail? Proposed illegal bus route via Wilpattu National Park

For any nature lover, a path off the beaten track is an adventure on its own. An occasional call of a Malabar hornbill, a leopard’s footprint and elephant excreta add more depth to the lush terrain along this scenic route via the Wilpattu National Park. Hence, environmental groups have been fighting to protect this route, known as the Puttalam-Marichchikadai route or B379 from being vulnerable to further destruction and chaos. But the Daily Mirro

Prabhakaran’s nephew demands respect for slain uncle and his family

Fifteen years after the death of the entire family of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the elder brother of Prabakaran and the family relations of the deceased rebel leader have urged the Tamil people in the world not to be deceived by fraudsters belonging to sections of the Tamil diaspora who are said to be minting money by selling the ‘brand name’ Velupillai Prabhakaran and the names of his fam

Running, panting and showing perseverance: ‘Flower Boys’ promote Sri Lankan hospitality in the hills

The windy roads that meander through Sri Lanka’s hill country are home to the ‘flower boys’ who gained popularity....

Action speaks louder than words: Will the Economic “Good News” Help Ranil in 2024 Poll?

Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed Prime Minister on 12 May, 2022 by the then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka was...

Can president’s term be extended up to six years?

he Sri Lankan experience of constitutional governance, in particular after 1972, is a mockery. The Constitution has been perceived....

Questions raised over building Lower Malwatu Oya Reservoir- Built using Rs 35,000 million taxpayers’ monies

​Currently, the world is not just discussing about development, but they are talking about sustainable development. Sustainable development should focus on conserving a country’s resources for the future. This approach is widely accepted at present. However, beyond this approach, many development projects continue to be implemented in this country. One such project is the construction initiative taking place across the Lower Malwatu Oya. Critics

President speaking on debt restructuring says “International confidence in our country is reaffirmed”

President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed the nation on Wednesday (26 June) via television regarding the current economic situation in the country and the much spoken about and severely debated topic of restructuring of foreign debt. The full speech: “Today marks a significant milestone in the recent history of our country; a special juncture reflecting the hard work and dedication of our efforts. Our country is now reaping the positive results

Sri Lanka’s Presidential Elections - 2024 Who will Champion the Race?

“POLITICS IS TOO SERIOUS A MATTER TO BE LEFT TO THE POLITICIANS “(Charles de Gaulle) “That government is best which governs least.” “The people cannot delegate to government the power to do anything which would be unlawful for them to do themselves.”

How healthy wetland ecosystems could reduce risk of dengue

When Nirmala Priyanthi’s daughter (L. D Randima Gimhani, 13) succumbed to dengue in 2015, she said that life....

Exactly 50 years ago… Today, India Crashed for 42 on 24th June 1974

The Indian cricket team, led by Ajit Wadekar, returned home after a disastrous tour of England in 1974. This tour included the infamous “Summer of 42” second....

The Tamil Doctor who Gave Medical Aid to Injured Tigers

Captain Blood: His Odyssey was an adventure novel written by well-known writer, Rafael Sabatini, in 1922. Sabatini had a flair for creating fictional characters set against the backdrop of true, historical events. This blend of fiction and fact was received well by readers.

Come on, hit me: Hezbollah challenges Israel

When Hezbollah tells the Middle East’s most powerful nation, Israel, “Come on, hit me,” it demonstrates its readiness for a fight and its confidence that it could teach the enemy an unforgettable lesson. It is an aggressive challenge. The pro-Iranian Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Palestine, the Houthis in Yemen, and several armed groups in Iraq form the axis of resistance against Israeli expansionism and Western imperialism. Hezbollah’s challeng

Political literacy and just recurring rhetoric

Election time is around the corner. A galore of promises, political grandstanding and conspiracy theories are only natural in the times ahead. The trend is already visible. The political literacy of the people who are supposed to decide, ultimately, matters more than ever during this time, to sift truth out of the mess for informed decisions to be made when casting ballots. Another broken promise? Once again, promises for constitutional amendment

Suwaseriya Foundation recalls ambulance: Police instructed to apprehend all culprits

Concerns have been raised regarding the safety of medical officers attached to the Suwaseriya ambulance service following a recent incident of assault that had transpired in Thabbowa. On June 14, officers attached to the Suwaseriya ambulance service, stationed at the Karuwalagaswewa police station had received a call regarding an incident. This call was received at around 12.56am. By 1.00am the ambulance had reached the location. However there h

Flooding the Court of Appeal with Tax Appeals A Recipe for Disaster?

It was reliably made to understand that the Government is about to bring some radical changes to the existing tax appeal procedures on the pretext of expediting the appeal process and reducing the undue overtime consumed for its finalisation at pr

‘Fortress Europa’ against incoming flood of immigrants

“We do not want to become fortress Europa,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech....

THE SPIRIT OF HAJJ

Today, Muslims all around the world celebrate the Hajj Festival at a time when the world is torn into various power blocs and has been....

TheVersatile and multi-faceted Nissanka Wijeyeratne

Nissanka Parakrama hailing from a prominent Sabaragamuwa province family was born in Colombo on June 14,1924. He was the second son of Sir Edwin (EAP) and Lady Leela Wijeyeratne of Buddhenipola Walauwa, Kegalle. Sir Edwin Wijeyeratne served as Home Minister in the first post-independence Cabinet of Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake and was later Colombo’s envoy to London and New Delhi. Nissanka’s elder brother Tissa was a barrister and diplomat who

Easter Attack could have easily been avoided if SIS and DMI hadn’t misled CID - Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne

Five years after the Easter attack, former Senior DIG, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Ravi Seneviratne in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mirror, said that he and his most senior officers could have avoided the attack if the State Intelligence Services and Directorate of Military Intelligence provided accurate information to the CID without misleading them. Seneviratne further said that his team could have concluded the investigat

Share your thoughts: Sri Lanka’s disastrous T20 World Cup campaign

Share your thoughts: Sri Lanka’s disastrous T20 World Cup campaign

Spotlight on Kalpitiya Illegal bottom trawling ban a victory for small-scale fishermen

For Kingsley Croos, a fisherman from Palgahathurai, one of 14 islands that shapes the Kalpitiya peninsula, illegal bottom trawling has been a curse that wreaked havoc in his life. As populations of shrimp, sea crab and other fish species found along the sensitive Puttalam estuary declined, Croos and fellow fishermen knew that their livelihoods would be threatened forever. It was after January 2021, that these fishermen breathed a sigh of relief w

Child labour: It’s time to CLEAR supply chains

When 16-year-old Jude Kumar Ishalini from Dayagama succumbed to severe burn injuries while being employed at a former Minister’s residence, it exposed the harrowing consequences of child labour. Subsequent arrests and two

Matara hospital rocks parents’ world misplacing stillborn

Kavindya Madushani and her husband Sajith Chathura from Kotawila, Weligama were anticipating the birth of their firstborn with much hopes and dreams. But their world came to a standstill after May 22, when the hospital staff at the New District General Hospital, Matara, popularly known as ‘Labeema’ failed to show them the body of their stillborn child. Contradictions and communication gaps in mentioning what happened to the infant’s body complica

“Operation Sajaba”; Blueprint for Re-unification of the Green Party

Sri Lanka’s United National Party (UNP) suffered a humiliating electoral defeat in the 2020 Parliamentary elections. Electoral debacles were nothing new to the UNP which is referred to by some....