When big powers clash, the UN’s most powerful body disappears
UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – At the height of the Cold War back in the 1960s, a Peruvian diplomat, Dr. Victor Andres Belaunde, characterised the United Nations as a politically wobbly institution that survives only at the will—and pleasure—of the five big powers. Simplifying his argument in more realistic terms, he said: “When two small powers [...]
Prof. Lakshman blows away clouds of doom and gloom: Happy days are here again ?
Sri Lanka is in a crisis. A triple crisis in politics, economics and a pandemic, say many. The word ‘Crisis’ has lost much of its meaning: Fear of an impending disaster that manifests itself or not but goes away. But our ‘Crisis’ has gone on from day to day since that day called Black July [...]
HelpAge assists underprivileged Senior Citizens in Weligama
Home garden tool kits and seed packets were distributed among more than 300 less-privileged elderly citizens who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Weligalma under a programme initiated by HelpAge Sri Lanka (HASL) in collaboration with HelpAge International, UK. The tool packs and seed packets worth over Rs. 1 million were distributed through Weligama [...]
Sovereignty of the people: Is the Govt. acting lawfully?
The Constitution is the supreme law of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Sovereignty of the People is guaranteed by the Constitution. If Sovereignty of the People is denied, then governance becomes unlawful. The Constitution also lays down separation of powers in the organs of the Government to wit: The Legislature, the Executive and [...]
Will the world community condemn the murder of Iran’s nuclear scientist?
Israel used all four years of Trump’s presidency to entrench its systems of occupation and apartheid. Now that Joe Biden has won the U.S. election, the assassination of Iran’s top nuclear scientist, likely by Israel with the go-ahead from the US administration, is a desperate attempt to use Trump’s last days in office to sabotage [...]
Alone and unpaid, Lebanon’s migrant maids in grip of mental health crisis
BEIRUT, Dec 3 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Exhausted by economic collapse, COVID-19 and an explosion that devastated parts of the capital, Lebanon’s woes are taking a heavy toll on the nation’s mental health – especially among its most vulnerable people. Increasing numbers of migrant maids are seeking help for conditions such as panic attacks and [...]
Designing vaccines for people, not profits
LONDON – Recent announcements of demonstrated efficacy in COVID-19 vaccine trials have brought hope that a return to normality is in sight. The preliminary data for Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna’s novel mRNA vaccines are highly encouraging, suggesting that their approval for emergency use is forthcoming. And more recent news of effectiveness (albeit at a slightly lower [...]