UN exemptions make mockery of sexual abuse in world body
UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – When allegations of sexual harassment were made against a senior UN official — holding the rank of Under-Secretary-General at the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) — the United Nations admitted that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has no jurisdiction over a UN body created by the General Assembly and answerable only to member [...]
The garment Industry’s technology challenge
COLOMBO – For many years, discussion of the global garment industry has been dominated by the following question: Where were your clothes made, and by whom? But today, there is a more relevant question: How were your clothes made, and by what? What you wear is going high-tech, whether you know it or not. After [...]
New Standing Orders for Parliament to make it more vibrant and effective
New Standing Orders numbering 143 were adopted by Parliament on April 15, 2018 significantly changing the existing order. This followed the presentation by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya last November of the report of an eight-member Committee on Standing Orders chaired by him. Standing Orders in Parliament have been enacted since the first Parliament was set up [...]
The Modi-Erdogan parallel – and there are differences, too
NEW DELHI – Comparisons are generally invidious, especially when they involve political leaders from different countries. But, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rose to power 11 years before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there is much about their personal and professional trajectories that make comparison irresistible. Both Erdogan and Modi come from humble, small-town [...]
Critical care in Sri Lanka – the past, present and future
A major milestone in medical history in Sri Lanka will be celebrated on June 15, marking the inauguration of the first Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Colombo General Hospital back in 1968, spearheaded by Consultant Cardio-Thoracic Anaesthesiologist Dr. Thistle Jayawardene. The second ICU was established in 1976 as the recovery unit, once again at [...]
Sri Lanka’s UN mission hosts Iftar in New York
The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York conducted traditional Iftar (Breaking Ramadan Fast) on June 1 with the participation of a large number of Sri Lankan Muslim expatriates living in the Tri-State area. The programme was held at the Mission premises. The event included a welcome address by Dr. A. [...]