Focus, News

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Asia arrives in Sri Lanka

22 Nov, 2021

Feature Image

The United Nations (UN) Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific from the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs – Department of Peace Operations Khaled Khiari is in Sri Lanka on on official visit.

Khiari will meet with senior Government officials, as well as representatives of political parties, civil society, religious leaders, and the diplomatic community.

The visit by ASG Khiari, follows UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres?s meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in September this year, where the Secretary-General expressed solidarity with Sri Lanka for ongoing challenges related to COVID-19 and discussed other matters of mutual concern.

In May 2019, the Secretary-General appointed of Khaled Khiari of Tunisia as Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations.

Prior to his appointment, Khiari was the Director General for the Americas, Asia and Oceania in the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has over 35 years of experience in diplomacy and foreign affairs alternating between his Foreign Ministry headquarters and various overseas postings. (Colombo Gazette)

Recommended For You

Feature Image

Man gets genetically-modified pig heart in world-first transplant

A US man has become the first person in the world to get a heart transplant from a genetically-modified pig. David Bennett, 57, is doing well three days after the experimental seven-hour procedure in Baltimore, doctors say. The transplant was considered the last hope of saving Mr Bennett’s life, though it is not yet clear what his long-term chances of survival are. “It was either die or do this transplant,” Mr Bennett explained a day before the surgery. “I know it’s a shot in the dark, but i

11 Jan, 2022

Feature Image

Ranil to send letter of demand to Roshan Mahanama

Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is to send a letter of demand to former cricketer Roshan Mahanama. Wickremesinghe is to send the letter of demand to Mahanama over some extracts from Mahanama’s recently released book. In his autobiography titles ?My Innings? Mahanama claimed that Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister in 2002 stopped then cricket chief Hemaka Amarasuriya from attending an ICC Meeting and instead nominated Thilanga Sumathipala. ?We were appointed to mange Sri Lanka Cricket

08 Jan, 2022

Feature Image

Sri Lanka’s King of Baila Desmond De Silva has died

Sri Lanka’s King of Baila, Desmond De Silva, has died at the age of 77 in Australia. According to reports, Desmond De Silva died after suffering from a sudden heart attack. He was married to Deanna de Zilwa and the couple has two sons. Elder son Steve de Silva was a dancer and a vocalist, who died of cancer. De Silva has had a string of baila hits including ‘Polkatu Hande,’ ‘ Yaman Bando (Wally Bastiansz),’ ‘Chuda Manike,’ ‘Mamma No,’ ‘Miss Sri Lanka,’ ‘Hai Hui baby Achchi (Wally Bastiansz),’

09 Jan, 2022