At least 49 people from the Horn of Africa have died after their boat capsized off the coast of Yemen, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM). Among the dead were six children and 31 women. Survivors told rescuers that the vessel, carrying 260 migrants, sank on Monday in strong winds. The search […]

Thaththa(my late father) was an avid radio listener. He called the radio a ‘wireless.’ Early in the morning, he listened to the news and, after dinner, to Sinhala and English songs. He allowed no one to talk aloud while he listened to the radio. Listening to the news and music

Claudia Sheinbaum has been elected as Mexico’s first woman president in an historic landslide win. Mexico’s official electoral authority said preliminary results showed the 61-year-old former mayor of Mexico City winning between 58% and 60% of the vote in Sunday’s election. That gives her a lead of about 30 percentage points over her main rival, […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa is under growing pressure after leading the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to its worst election result in 30 years, forcing it to share power. With votes in from most districts, the ANC is on 40% – down from 58% at the previous election.  This is lower than the party’s […]

The first results have been announced from what is seen as South Africa’s most closely fought elections since the African National Congress (ANC) came to power 30 years ago. With results from around 14% voting districts counted so far, the ANC is leading with 43%, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 26%. The radical […]

By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana Whilst THE USA and its allies continue to hound Sri Lanka for defeating terrorism, finding flimsy excuses for their warped actions, they seem to be turning a blind eye to the atrocities committed by their ally, Israel which continues to massacre the innocent breaking all rules with impunity. Their hypocrisy seems […]

For nearly four weeks, Donald Trump has sat quietly in a New York courtroom while state prosecutors laid out the first-ever criminal case against a former US president. Lawyers from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office have called on a cast of blockbuster witnesses and produced dozens of surreptitiously recorded conversations and documents to help corroborate […]

For the fifth time Vladimir Putin will be taking the long walk through the Grand Kremlin Palace to the St Andrew’s Throne Hall. There he will take the oath of office and be sworn in as Russia’s president for a new six-year term The route may be familiar, but much has changed since Putin’s first […]

President Xi Jinping has hailed “new vistas” in China’s relationship with France on his first trip to Europe in five years – one that feels much like a charm offensive. Mr Xi will be looking to avert the trade war that is looming with Brussels, driven by fears of cheap Chinese electric vehicles entering the […]

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has suspended public duties to “stop and reflect” on whether to remain in the job, after a court opened a preliminary inquiry into his wife. In a statement, the Spanish leader said he urgently needed to decide “whether I should continue to lead the government or renounce this honour”. The […]

As Beijing increases its repression of ethnic minorities in China to establish Han domination, the Chinese Communist Party is also devising numerous ways to ensure that the overseas media cannot expose this ongoing violation of human rights behind the bamboo curtain. The Chinese media is highly censored. To project the false image of China as […]

On 19 April, Indians will begin choosing a new parliament for the next five years, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a third consecutive term. Opinion polls put his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies ahead. They are up against the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (India), which groups more than two dozen opposition […]

Stunning artworks have been uncovered in a new excavation at Pompeii, the ancient Roman city buried in an eruption from Mount Vesuvius in AD79. Archaeologists say the frescoes are among the finest to be found in the ruins of the ancient site. Mythical Greek figures such as Helen of Troy are depicted on the high […]

The bodies of two people have been recovered from a red pickup truck, which was under water where the Baltimore bridge collapsed. Eight construction workers were on the bridge when a ship struck it, plunging them into the waters below. Two of the workers were rescued on the day, but the search continues for the […]

One can hear ‘Ni Hao’ and ‘Xie Xie’ very often in the streets of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. While this may appear to be a passing comment made to be taken at face value, the remark actually demonstrates the profound penetration of Chinese influence in Kenya, even reaching ordinary Kenyan citizens, at the level […]