Analysts say an Opposition-less Parliament is not conducive for democracy Eta ektu barabari hoye gesse [this is a bit too much] — this is how Awami League supporters reacted a day after the party swept 97% of seats in the national Parliament in Sunday’s general election. Perhaps the Opposition should …
Read More »Pak. shares list of nuclear facilities
Pakistan on Tuesday shared with India a list of its nuclear installations and facilities as per the provisions of a bilateral agreement.052 “The list was handed over to a representative of the Indian High Commission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today [Tuesday], ” the Foreign Office said. The Ministry …
Read More »Sirisena names 30-member Cabinet
Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena named a 30-member Cabinet on Thursday to end a crippling seven-week power struggle with his Prime Minister, but only after a final tussle over who should control the police. Mr. Sirisena reinstated Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister on Sunday after the Supreme Court threw out …
Read More »China’s Pak. investments take a military turn
When U.S. President Donald Trump started the new year by suspending billions of dollars of security aid to Pakistan, one theory was that it would scare the Pakistani military into cooperating better with its U.S. allies. The reality was that Pakistan already had a replacement sponsor lined up. Just two …
Read More »Rajapaksa’s appointment as Leader of Opposition challenged
Following a crisis marked by two competing claims to the office of the Prime Minister, R. Sampanthan — Leader of Opposition since 2015 — on Wednesday challenged the Speaker on his naming of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa for the position. Referring to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya’s announcement on Tuesday, following a …
Read More »Senate passes criminal justice reform Bill
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform Bill, that would roll back what are seen as excessively punitive criminal justice policies that have been in place since the crackdown on crime in the 1980s. The Bill, which had wide bipartisan support (only …
Read More »Rajapaksa named leader of Opposition
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was on Tuesday named the Leader of Opposition in the Sri Lankan Parliament, but rival lawmakers contested his eligibility to hold the position. The Speaker has said that he would consider the objections and give a ruling on Friday. Number of MPs Days after he stepped …
Read More »Rajapaksa to resign, pave the way for Ranil’s return
Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to vacate the office of Prime Minister — which he controversially held for seven weeks — paving the way for the return of ousted leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. The move signals an end to the political crisis. Mr. Wickremesinghe will be sworn in …
Read More »Japan picks ‘disaster’ as symbol for 2018
It faced a series of natural calamities Japan on Wednesday selected the Chinese character for ‘disaster’ as its ‘defining symbol’ for 2018, a year that saw the country hit by deadly floods, earthquakes and storms. Japanese TV stations broadcast the annual announcement live, with Seihan Mori, master of the ancient …
Read More »Ranil wins vote of confidence in House
14 Opposition TNA members back it A majority of Sri Lankan parliamentarians — including 14 from the opposition Tamil National Alliance (TNA) — on Wednesday voted for ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as their preferred candidate to serve in the post. The motion moved by Sajith Premadasa, deputy leader of …
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