India elections: A fiercely contested landscape
If celebrations have broken out in Congress offices across the country, few will grudge it, considering that its success in the Hindi heartland comes after four years of defeats, self-doubt and a feeling of being under siege by a perennially turbo-charged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Yet the Congress’s victory is not without caveats. It swept [...]
The story of a simple village headman
Once upon a time, a long time ago in a country far away, there lived a simple village headman. He was not the cleverest man in the village. All he had to do was keep the peace and collect revenue, allowing the prominent families in that village to wield influence and power. Now the particular [...]
US sanctions and new dimensions of human rights violations
Almost every day when we browse the media, we see reports that the US government has imposed sanctions on one country or another. They are imposed so frequently that it seems imposing sanctions has become the favourite pastime of the United States. The sanctions or the so-called punitive measures are imposed on any state that [...]
Towards a sustainable foreign policy
In any domestic political crisis, blame “the foreign hand” to rally local support? Nevertheless how surprising to read former Sri Lankan UN staff members who enjoyed UN salaries and even UN pensions now castigating the same organisation for political gain! In the surreal world of Sri Lankan politics, u-turns, crossovers and doublespeak, the Foreign Ministry [...]
Carol service of St. Theresa’s Church, Thimbirigasyaya
St. Theresa’s Church, Thimbirigasyaya will hold their “Little Flower in Bethlehem” carol service on Thursday, December 20. This year’s event is centred around the deep spirituality and immense love that St. Therese had for the Child Jesus thus giving rise to her popular name “Little Flower of Jesus”. The “Little Flower in Bethlehem” carol service [...]
Please help 4-year-old Tasheena to undergo bone marrow transplant
Tasheena Dewmadi Badiwattage, four years, had been diagnosed with transfusion dependent thalassaemia and is currently following supportive treatments at Asiri Central Hospital, Colombo. To save her life, she needs to undergo a bone marrow transplant as recommended by Consultant Haematologist Dr. Lallindra Gooneratne. The cost of the procedure including provisions of donor cells from overseas [...]
Cancer patient needs financial assistance
Mother of two school-going children, C. Jayaweera of Polwatte, Dehipitiya is suffering from bladder cancer. She has to undergo surgery and is currently in Ward No. 13 of the Maharagama Cancer Hospital. Mrs. Jayaweera whose husband is also ill and has no permanent job is in dire financial straits and is seeking help from generous [...]
Pakistan Govt. awards Medicine scholarships to Sri Lankan students
Pakistan through its High Commission in Sri Lanka has awarded higher education scholarships to nine Sri Lankan students to follow medicine in top Pakistani institutions under Pakistan Technical Assistance Programme (PTAP) for Sri Lanka. Pakistan High Commissioner Dr. Shahid Ahmad Hashmat met the students at the High Commission premises and congratulated them on their selection [...]
Top entrepreneur award for Atukorale
The National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA)together with the Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce held an award ceremony recently at the Matara Grandnavro Hotel. Atukorale Tea Factory Chairman Anura Tilak Atukorale was adjudged the most successful entrepreneur of the year. He is seen here receiving the award from NEDA Chairman Dakshitha Bogallagama, as Hambantota Chamber of [...]
Pro-democracy demo at Borella
Borella electorate United National Party chief organiser Jayantha de Silva is seen here leading party supporters during a pro-democracy demonstration held this week in Borella.
The political roots of falling wage growth
NEW DELHI – It’s now official: Workers around the world are falling behind. The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) latest Global Wage Report finds that, excluding China, real (inflation-adjusted) wages grew at an annual rate of just 1.1% in 2017, down from 1.8% in 2016. That is the slowest pace since 2008. In the advanced G20 [...]