Pope Francis denounces resistance to Vatican reform in Christmas speech to Curia
ROME – Pope Francis on Thursday lashed out against high-level Catholic prelates who have been opposing his efforts to reform the Vatican’s central bureaucracy, using an annual pre-Christmas meeting to say that while some cardinals and archbishops offer questions in a spirit of goodwill others practise a “malevolent resistance.” Such sinister opposition, the pontiff said, [...]
How Donald Trump’s foreign policy power will be far from unchecked
In the wake of Donald Trump’s surprise election, Australians have engaged in public soul-searching about their alliance with the United States. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has offered reassurance that strong bilateral ties will endure, while his predecessor Paul Keating urged his country to “cut the tag” with America and pursue an independent foreign policy. And [...]
Sex, lies and leadership
LONDON – News events can often serve as important catalysts for introspection, not least for members of company boards. Recent revelations of the Russian government’s involvement in hacking into the Democratic National Committee’s computer system – just two years after North Korea’s hack of Sony Pictures – has spurred a push in boardrooms around the [...]
Jiangsu media delegation visits Sunday Times
A delegation comprising journalists from the Xinhua Daily Media Group in Jiangsu, an eastern province in China, and the Jiangsu Foreign Affairs Office visited the Sunday Times office on Thursday with a view to establish journalistic cooperation between Jiangsu and Sri Lanka. The visit was coordinated by Sri Lanka-China Society.
“Dhurastha Dhaknaya”: Lukman Harees’ poetry on social injustice
Civic rights activist and trade unionist, Lukman Harees who has a degree in law and a post graduate degree in business management, is a strong advocate for social justice. Migrating to Britain in 2004, he writes of injustice from a bystander’s perspective. Born and raised in Sri Lanka, Harees speaks of his homeland with deep [...]
Homeware collection with a local touch for the season
‘Pendi’, the design-based consultancy that offers a curated collection of interior products by a group of young designers, recently showcased their Christmas Homeware Collection at Café Kumbuk. The exclusive preview was well-attended by well-wishers and local designers. The exclusive Christmas Collection is inspired by the marriage between nature and modernism, with the collaboration of up-and-coming [...]
Help your four-legged friends this season
Christmas is the season of giving and the Animal Welfare and Protection Association that runs two shelters for over 450 animals in Colombo is appealing for donations towards feeding costs, Rs.8,000 per day. Those interested in donating a meal, please contact Suranganie de Silva, 26/4 Gower Street. Colombo 5. Tel: 011 2587116 Donations could also [...]
Dhamma talk on New Year resolutions
‘Resolutions for the New Year’, a Dhamma talk will be delivered by Anoja Wijesyesekera at the Maithriya Hall, Mettarama temple at Lauries Road, Bambalapitiya (Colombo 4) on Saturday December 31. A discussion will follow. The event is being organised by The Servants of the Buddha, a society which has been arranging Dhamma talks and discussions [...]
Take Heart Mercy Mission here for 10th consecutive year
A team of doctors from Evelina Children’s Hospital, a branch of the famous Guy’s Hospital in London was in Sri Lanka on their annual “Take Heart Mercy Mission” from October 13- 23 performing heart surgery on young children in the ages of 6 months to 15 years at the Karapitiya Hospital, Galle. This is the [...]
What’s cooking? Kimchi
Eaten with almost every meal in Korea,“Kimchi” is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made of vegetables (e.g., cabbage, Chili powder, garlic and scallions) and various seasonings. There are more than 300 different kinds of kimchi, depending on the main vegetable ingredient used, and the region or season in which they’re made. The Korea Programme [...]
Merry Christmas – and an accident-free Christmas
It is the general belief that with the advent of December there is a feeling of cool breezes and pleasant mornings, heralding the birth of the child Jesus Christ, which is celebrated worldwide as Christmas day. Christmas is celebrated universally in every country irrespective of the religious beliefs of the citizens of that country. Belief [...]
Christmas: A tale of two kings, then and now
The first Christmas was a tale of two kings. While one king, Jesus by name, was just out of Mary’s sacred womb, breathing in his first draughts of air from the world which he came to fill with peace, the other king Herod by name and described by one biblical scholar as a pathologically paranoid [...]
Listerine may hold promise in fight against gonorrhea
Antiseptic mouthwashes may someday be a tool in the fight against the sexually transmitted infection known as gonorrhea, but more research is needed, according to a new study from Australia. Researchers found that the brand of mouthwash known Listerine inhibited the growth of the bacteria known as N. gonorrhea in the lab and in the [...]
Operation Evacuation Sri Lankans : Lebanon 1982
As I star twriting this article thirty four long years have passed and terms like ‘evacuation, migration, refugees, homelessness, and human rights’ have entered the United Nations lexicon to an unimaginable extent. On the eighteenth of December 1990, the United Nations adopted The International Convention on The Protection of Migrant Workers, due to the urging [...]