Monthly archive

By Quintus Perera – Asian Tribune

The worst thing that happens to Sri Lanka Tourism is the adverse publicity circling around the world about the current situation of conflict in the country said Stefan Furkhan, Managing Director, Confifi Group of Hotels when he addressed a press conference held at Holiday Inn to announce the holiday packages for Sri Lankan families in their three resorts – Eden Resort and Spa, Riverina and Club Palm in Beruwela during the Sinhala and Hindu New Year recess.

Kosh Raj Koirala – Asian Tribune Correspondent in Nepal

Appa Sherpa, who holds the world-record for climbing the Mt Everest for 18 times already, left Kathmandu on Monday to scale the highest peak in the world yet another time. The 48-year mountaineering guide is leading Eco Everest Expedition 2009 team that also includes Dawa Steven Sherpa, managing director of Asian Trekking and the main organizer of the expedition. Appa along with his expedition team members will trek to Everest's base camp from Lukla, where a nearest domestic airport is located, and spend a few days to acclimatize and make necessary preparation for their summit bid in May.

By Farzana Shah-Asian Tribune correspondent in Pakistan

Pakistani Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said army is fully prepared to meet the current and emerging internal and external threats. Chairing 63rd Formation Commanders conference here on Monday he highlighted the critical importance of unity of national efforts to overcome these challenges. He said despite limited resources, the army had the capability to defend the geographical boundaries of the country with the support of the people of the country. The Chief of Army Staff dwelt at length on the full spectrum of issues relating to the Army’s operational and training matters

By Ruwan Weerakoon from Colombo

On April 3, as Sri Lanka Army troops were consolidating their hold on the remaining areas of Puthukdyiruppu, 10 LTTE Sea tiger boats were spotted heading towards the Mullaitivu shores. Immediately, Sri Lanka Navy boats from the Naval Base in Trincomalee arrived at the scene. As soon as they were sighted off the shores of the government declared ‘No fire Zone’ (NFZ), the LTTE boats opened fire at them. The Navy boats of the Rapid Deployment Boat Squadron (RDBS) returned fire.

By Shobha Shukla

On this year's World Health Day, let us focus on addressing issues that can improve health status of women. A wide array of socio-economic, cultural and gender-based inequalities continue to aggravate risk for women. The latest effort in this direction was a symposium on ‘nutrition in women’ held in New Delhi . Its main aim was to draw attention to the very pertinent observations of a "Multi Centric Study on Nutrition in Women’" conducted jointly by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of Government of India and the Diabetes Foundation of India (DFI), and ably coordinated by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi . The symposium was followed by a consensus conference on"Indian Diets for Prevention of Obesity and Related Disorders’.

By Dr.T.Jayasinghe - Palestine

The grand old party (UNP) of Sri Lanka appears to be facing the threat of extinction following the footsteps of Labor Party of late A.E.Goonasinghe, LSSP and CP to name a few. As some say bluntly UNP is committing suicide. This situation might please the anti UNP elements but it does not augur well for the practice of democracy in Sri Lanka. Disintegration plague that infected the top rung of the party has now eaten up the whole fabric from top to bottom. In the recent years apart from the members of Parliament a large number of leading local stalwarts from all parts of the island crossed over or gave up UNP politics and this trend is continuing to this day. The joke of the day is that President cannot find the time to meet that crossing over individually. So now he is meeting them in thousands.

A Commentary by L. Jayasooriya

In the aftermath of the tragedy of Peshala to whom the Rubella vaccine has been administered ignoring the warning letter produced by the victim from her mother we have now come to know that the person who administered the vaccine is an Assistant Medical Practitioner known as an AMP who will with almost certainty go scot-free because there seems to be no reaction from the public. On inquiries I have made from the very limited sources available to me I have been told that an AMP is an apothecary or pharmacist or dispenser who after 10 years practice in his job is deemed to have gained sufficient knowledge to practice medicine.