Jaffna People’s Forum condemns caste-based violence in the North 

Jaffna People’s Forum condemns caste-based violence in the North  The Jaffna People’s Forum for Coexistence strongly condemns the casteist violence unleashed on the oppressed community in Arasady, Vaddukoddai in Jaffna on September 19, 2021 by a group of dominant-caste youth and men. Many members of this community were injured during this violence. One person’s finger was slashed off. Houses, properties, work equipment and workshops belonging to the members of this community were vandalized.  Caste-based violence has a long history in Vaddukoddai and its neighbouring villages such as Ponnalai, Thunaivi, Koddaikaadu…

Read More

Daily Mirror Interview with GTF Suren Surendran – 27th Oct 2021 –

Daily Mirror Interview with GTF Suren Surendran – 27th Oct 2021. UK based group stands for negotiated solution  Progressive signs emerging from government  Global Tamil Forum is not against Sinhalese community   India can do more on the Tamil issue  GTF prepared to have talks with China  Ban on Diaspora groups not justified   A recent speech made by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and a comment made later by Foreign Minister, Professor G.L Peiris has put the Tamil Diaspora back in the spotlight. The President had said that he is prepared to engage with the…

Read More

Extensive investment promotion activities in China for Hambantota Port’s Industrial Park

Extensive investment promotion activities in China for Hambantota Port’s Industrial Park  A comprehensive promotional plan has been put in place by the Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) to position the Port and its industrial zone as a haven of opportunity for setting up light industries. Many potential investors have been reached and discussions are ongoing for direct investment into the zone. HIPG’s expert Port Investment team has been stationed in China for about a year, to inform and educate potential investors about new opportunities in Sri Lanka.  “We have approached…

Read More

Teachers, principals vow to continue TU action

Teachers, principals vow to continue TU action Even though the Teachers’ and Principals’ Trade Union Alliance has temporarily withdrawn from trade union action, trade unions yesterday (25) staged islandwide protests from 2:00 p.m. after school hours. Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin said they will stage protests, awareness campaigns, etc., on 25, 26 and 27 October at 300 different locations islandwide.  Meanwhile, protesters who attempted to get into the North Western Province Governor’s Office and meet Governor Raja Collure were turned away. “We want to show our objections…

Read More

Primary Grades resume classes today

Primary Grades resume classes today Primary sections of Government and Government-approved private schools will commence academic activities today (25). As part of the first phase, primary section of schools with fewer than 200 students began on 21 October. Under the second phase, health recommendations have been obtained to begin primary sections in schools with more than 200 children. As a result, the Ministry of Education is collaborating with Provincial Governors, Provincial Principal Secretaries, Provincial Secretaries of Education, Provincial Directors of Education, Zonal Directors of Education, Principals, and other education authorities…

Read More

Sri Lanka expects US$1 billion FDI in this year

Sri Lanka expects US$1 billion FDI in this year despite pandemic: BoI Chief ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka will receive around 1 billion US dollars of foreign direct investment in 2021 despite the Covid-19 pandemic and other disruptions, Board of Investment (BOI) chairman Sanajaya Mohottala said. Foreign Direct Investment has been on a falling trend since its record high of 1.8 billion US dollars in 2018 thanks to the sale of Hambantota port to a Chinese firm. FDI in 2019 fell to 793 million US dollars and last year it recorded…

Read More

The beginning of the end for Viktor Orbán?

Opposition candidate for prime minister Péter Márki-Zay poses for a selfie with supporters The conservative small-town mayor Péter Márki-Zay has won the primary of Hungary’s united opposition. And he has a good chance of beating Orbán Small-town mayor Péter Márki-Zay won the run-off election of the first ever Hungarian opposition primary that ended on 17 October. MZP – that is his nickname in Hungarian public discourse – obtained 371,560 votes against Member of European Parliament Klára Dobrev’s 283,677 votes. He will be facing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in next spring’s…

Read More

Flight from Sri Lanka to flag-off Kushinagar airport in India

ECONOMYNEXT – A flight from Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo carrying politicians and monks will be the first to land at Kushinagar International Airport in India, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narenda Modi. Kushinagar is the city where Buddhist believe Lord Buddha passed away known as Mahaparinirvana. The majority of citizens of Sri Lanka, which has an Indianized civilization, are Buddhists. “Kushinagar is considered to be a focal point of the Buddhist Circuit in India and the new international airport is likely to strengthen people to people interactions between…

Read More