Podcast appearances and mentions of Sri Lankan

Talking in-depth with author, publisher, and academic Udith Dematagoda, on his intellectual journey from post-punk bands to postwar literary writers, from international development contracts to pursing a PhD on Nabokov, from Scottish council estates to the specter of Marxist ghosts. A romantic, Udith shares his biography, the crossroads of class, diasporic experience, being driven not by ideology, but by aesthetic integrity. The son of a Sri Lankan political exile in Scotland, code-switching between posh-accented academia and the swear-punctuated slang of the personal, discovering reading as a lifeline from juvenile delinquency. On Agonist, his novel of post-internet disintegration, the imagination flooded by the digital hose. On the aesthetics of fascism, the dialectic between technology and masculinity, and the enduring value of Conrad. On the flattening tendencies of ideology and longing for transcendence. From literary engineering to integrity, on Neruda to Nabokov's politics. On cosmopolitism, hybridization, from Vienna to Tokyo and back to novel publishin. On transgression and techno-pessimism, the diabolic nature of AI….ExcerptsOn Artistic IntegrityI'm an extremely romantic and impractical person, right? Artistic integrity is probably the most important thing to me, I think, because, my, as I said, my ambitions are just very like, artistic, right?On Techo-Pessimism They just come from the depths of hell. The true face of this horrid, diabolical kind of thing….I'm a complete technological pessimist.I would describe myself as a sort of Luddite in the original sense, in the sense of I insist like the, just because one is you're able to do something. There's no sense. I think a lot of people. techno optimists are really motivated by hatred and raison du monde of human nature of creativity, of, everything that's human, right? And then this is a secret kind of motivation, but one that's really apparent to me…I think it's because the people that are driving these things really have a sort of fundamental  raison du monde towards something which they feel alienated by for whatever reason…On Agonist I was very frustrated about being on the internet and taking away from what I had to do.Artistically, intellectually, et cetera, wasting time on the internet…  And then I just decided I'm gonna write everything I see that's annoys me into this notebook. And I just filled that notebook up over a year. [Agnoist] is a fever dream of the internet, which tries to confront how people try to communicate and just are not able to, and what underlies this thing, this kind of collective text that we're all offering, whether we like it or not. And how diabolical it is.On Masculinity, Fascism, and Technology So this is the book I've been working on for six years now on masculinity, fascism, and technology. The general thesis of the book is that fascism is equally an aesthetic philosophy as it is in ideology. It's why it describes an ideological aesthetic.On International Development And this isn't a controversial position to say that, international development is just rear guard colonialism, that's all it is. It's just soft power for rear, for the type of colonialism, which no longer requires colonial administrators with boots on the ground.It just requires technical assistance and expertise and con consultants, et cetera. USAID in particular, when I worked within that world was absolutely known to be not even thinly disguised kind of front for the securities state, the projects that they funded, et cetera. That's not that was common knowledge. USAID was just front basically for the American State Department and also the CIA and NSA, et cetera.On Readership I'm happy that there's people that read my work and they enjoy it, and that's fine. I don't really need to have the validation of what, whatever it is. I don't know, like the sort of journalistic class or like the academic class or what, whatever it is, I don't really care.I'm not really that bothered by that. Honestly I would like that people read my work and that's fine, I think but attaining ambitions for me is setting it to accomplish something that I think is interesting artistically in getting as close to that as possible…AgonistHyperidean PressUdith Dematagoda Get full access to Leafbox at leafbox.substack.com/subscribe

Asking Forgiveness from Triple Gem. Pouring Rinsing Water on Buddha statue and Monks hands as a sign of respect, gratitude and affection on New Year's Day in Sri Lankan, Thai, Myanmar, Cambodian & Lao traditin (13 April). Ajahn Dhammasiha guides community through ceremony, and provides explanations of the deeper meaning of our ritual. ⁠⁠Dhammagiri Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Our Spotify Playlists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dhammagiri Youtube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pics⁠⁠⁠⁠#songkran #newyear #water #purity #clean #cleanliness

A conversation with M R Narayan Swamy, veteran South Asian journalist and biographer of slain Tamil Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran. Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 40 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. As Sri Lanka approaches the 16th anniversary of the end of its civil war, Ravi speaks with M R Narayan Swamy in this episode. Swamy is the author of several books on Sri Lanka’s now-vanquished militant group, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, and he talks about his most recent book – The Rout of Prabhakaran. Swamy’s book details the last days of Tamil Tigers supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran who was killed, along with hundreds of fighters and Tamil civilians, by the Sri Lankan army in May, 2009. In this podcast, he discusses why Prabhakaran, who once controlled a third of Sri Lanka’s landmass, and two-thirds of its coastline, met his bloody end; the mistakes he made along the way, and the magical hold he seemed to hold on his cadres. Highlights (click/tap above): 2:30 A post-mortem on Prabhakaran, and Tigers 5:40 ‘Political harakiri’ – the big lessons from the defeat 13:10 Tigers compared with Hamas 16:25 “Unforgivable Western complicity” 19:35 Tamil insurgency effectively ending 23:10 Can Sri Lanka now be another Singapore Host: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg) Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani Executive producer: Ernest Luis Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 ST Podcasts website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa --- Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- #STAsianInsiderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Namaste. Salaam. Shalom. Sat Sri Akal. Greetings to all of you from Pakistan.合十礼、平安、问候，向大家致以来自巴基斯坦的问候。And what follows is a stream of images, a series of images captured by some of Pakistan's most dynamic and young photographers, that aims to give you an alternative glimpse, a look inside the hearts and minds of some ordinary Pakistani citizens. Here are some of the stories they wanted us to share with you.接下来是一系列影像，这些照片由巴基斯坦一些最具活力的年轻摄影师拍摄，旨在为你提供另一种视角，让你走进一些普通巴基斯坦人的内心世界。他们希望我们向你们分享他们的故事。My name is Abdul Khan. I come from Peshawar. I hope that you will be able to see not just my Taliban-like beard, but also the richness and color of my perceptions, aspirations and dreams, as rich and colorful as the satchels that I sell.我叫阿卜杜勒·汗，来自白沙瓦。我希望你们不仅仅看到我那与塔利班相似的胡须，还能看到我的思想、愿望和梦想，它们就像我出售的包袋一样丰富多彩。My name is Meher and this is my friend Irim. I hope to become a vet when I grow up so that I can take care of stray cats and dogs who wander around the streets of the village that I live near Gilgit, northern Pakistan.我叫梅赫尔，这是我的朋友伊琳。我希望长大后成为一名兽医，这样我就能照顾那些在巴基斯坦北部吉尔吉特附近村庄街头流浪的猫狗。My name is Kailash. And I like to enrich lives through technicolored glass. Madame, would you like some of those orange bangles with the pink polka dots?我叫凯拉什，我喜欢用五彩斑斓的玻璃丰富人们的生活。女士，您想要一些橙色的手镯，上面带有粉色圆点吗？My name is Zamin. And I'm an IDP, an internally displaced person, from Swat. Do you see me on the other side of this fence? Do I matter, or really exist for you?我叫扎明，是来自斯瓦特的国内流离失所者。你能看到我站在这道栅栏的另一边吗？在你们眼中，我重要吗？我真的存在吗？My name is Iman. I am a fashion model, an up-and-coming model from Lahore. Do you see me simply smothered in cloth? Or can you move beyond my veil and see me for who I truly am inside?我叫伊曼，是一名来自拉合尔的新晋时尚模特。你看到的只是被布料包裹的我，还是能够透过面纱，看到我真实的内心世界？My name is Ahmed. I am an Afghan refugee from the Khyber agency. I have come from a place of intense darkness. And that is why I want to illuminate the world.我叫艾哈迈德，是来自开伯尔地区的阿富汗难民。我来自一个充满黑暗的地方，因此我渴望点亮世界。My name is Papusay. My heart and drum beat as one. If religion is the opium of the masses, then for me, music is my one and only ganja.我叫帕普赛，我的心跳和我的鼓声融为一体。如果说宗教是大众的鸦片，那么对我来说，音乐就是我唯一的“甘蔗”（比喻精神寄托）。A rising tide lifts all boats. And the rising tide of India's spectacular economic growth has lifted over 400 million Indians into a buoyant middle class. But there are still over 650 million Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, Nepalese, who remain washed up on the shores of poverty.潮起时，所有的船都会升高。印度令人瞩目的经济增长已经将超过四亿印度人带入了欣欣向荣的中产阶级。但与此同时，仍有超过六亿五千万的印度人、巴基斯坦人、斯里兰卡人、孟加拉人和尼泊尔人，被贫困的浪潮冲到了岸上。Therefore as India and Pakistan, as you and I, it behooves us to transcend our differences, to celebrate our diversity, to leverage our common humanity.因此，作为印度人和巴基斯坦人，作为你和我，我们应当超越分歧，庆祝多样性，并借助我们共同的人性。Our collective vision at Naya Jeevan, which for many of you, as you all recognize, means "new life" in Urdu and Hindi, is to rejuvenate the lives of millions of low-income families by providing them with affordable access to catastrophic health care. Indeed it is the emerging world's first HMO for the urban working poor.我们在 Naya Jeevan（乌尔都语和印地语中意为“新生命”）的共同愿景，是通过提供可负担的灾难性医疗保障，让数百万低收入家庭的生活焕然一新。这是发展中世界第一个面向城市贫困劳动者的健康维护组织（HMO）。Why should we do this as Indians and Pakistanis? We are but two threads cut from the same cloth.作为印度人和巴基斯坦人，我们为什么要做这些？因为我们本就是同一块布料上剪下的两根丝线。And if our fates are intertwined, then we believe that it is good karma, it is good fortune. And for many of us, our fortunes do indeed lie at the bottom of the pyramid. Thank you.如果我们的命运交织在一起，那么我们相信这是善因，是福报。而对于我们许多人来说，我们的财富确实深藏在金字塔的底部。谢谢。Fantastic. Just stay up here. That was fantastic. I found that really moving.太棒了，请留在台上。这真的太棒了，我深受感动。You know, we fought hard to get at least a small Pakistani contingent to come. It felt like it was really important.你知道，我们费尽周折才让一小批巴基斯坦代表来到这里。这真的很重要。They went through a lot to get here. Would the Pakistanis please just stand up please? I just really wanted to acknowledge you.他们经历了许多才来到这里。请在场的巴基斯坦朋友站起来好吗？我真的想向你们表达敬意。

With Thai, Sri Lankan & Myanmar New Year coming up, including the ceremony of pouring water on Buddha statues and on the monks' hands, Ajahn Dhammasiha talks about the symbolism of this ritual: Just as we use water to clean our bodies, so the Buddha has given us the Dhamma as a purifying agent for our mind.Dhammagiri Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Our Spotify Playlists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dhammagiri Youtube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pics⁠⁠⁠#water #cleaning #cleansing #purification #songkran #buddhistritual

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Vidheesha Kuntamalla who discusses the findings by the IIT Delhi committee that was formed to examine the institutional environment for students.Next, The Indian Express' Amitabh Sinha talks about what IMD has predicted for this summer, and the extent to which India is prepared for it. (11:23)Lastly, we discuss the release of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan government amid PM Modi's recent visit to the island nation. (27:09)Hosted by Ichha SharmaProduced and written by Shashank Bhargava, Niharika Nanda and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

***This episode contains references to Postnatal depression. If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide: befrienders.org***This weeks Stumped with Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell and Charu Sharma features an interview with former Australia pace bowler Peter Siddle.Siddle talks about Sachin Tendulkar being his first Test wicket, why changing Australian conditions could impact the kind of bowling attack England choose in the Ashes and how well Jasprit Bumrah bowled during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The team also speak to Sri Lankan, Nilma Dole-Williams who has had a remarkable life through cricket, playing and coaching in Peru and England and is now training the next generation of Cambodian female cricketers. If you are struggling with your mental health after having a baby, help and information can be found at Befrienders Worldwide: befrienders.org Plus, we reflect on the news that the iconic Gabba stadium is to be demolished.Photo: Peter Siddle of Australia appeals for and gets his hat-trick wicket that of Stuart Broad of England during day one of the First Ashes Test match between Australia and England at The Gabba on November 25, 2010 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)

Tune in to the "weekly Sri Lankan political review" by SBS Sinhala, featuring journalist Manoj Udatiawala from Sri Lanka. - SBS සිංහල සේවය විසින් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ප්‍රවෘත්ති වාර්තාකරු, මාධ්‍යවේදී මාධ්‍යවේදී මනෝජ් උදටියාවල සමඟින් ගෙන එන 'සතියේ ශ්‍රී ලාංකීය දේශපාලන පුවත්' සමාලෝචනයට සවන්දෙන්න

We hear from a Sri Lankan woman who was trafficked and forced to conduct illegal online activity, including cyber fraud against vulnerable victims. Aneka Boram is one of thousands of people who've recently escaped from so-called scam centres. She talks about her captivity and describes the harsh punishments and conditions she was forced to work in. The scam centres are offices inside Myanmar or Cambodia, where people have been forced to work scamming internet users from around the world.If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Ed Butler(Image: Aneka Boram)

Listen to the SBS Sinhala discussion on maintaining a healthy heart for Sri Lankans living in Australia - ඕස්ට්‍රේලියාවේ සිදුවන මරණ අතරින් 20%ක් පමණ වන මරණ සඳහා හදවත් රෝග හේතුවන බව 2022 වසරේ ඕස්ට්‍රේලියානු සංඛ්‍යාලේඛන කාර්යාංශයේ දත්ත හරහා පෙනී යනවා. හදවත් රෝග පිළිබඳව සලකා බැලීමේදී ශ්‍රී ලාංකිකයින් ඇතුළු දකුණු ආසියාතික ප්‍රජාව දැඩි අවදානම් සහිත කණ්ඩායම් ලෙස සැලකෙන බවට වාර්තා වනවා. මේ අනුව ඕස්ට්‍රේලියාවේ ජීවත්වන ශ්‍රී ලාංකිකයින් ලෙස හදවත් රෝග ඇතිවීමට බලපාන කරුණු, ශ්‍රී ලාංකිකයින් ලෙස අප සැලකිලිමත් විය යුතු හැසිරීම් රටා මෙන්ම හදවත් රෝග කල්තියා හඳුනා ගැනීම සඳහා ඕස්ට්‍රේලියාවේ ඇති පහසුකම් ගැන අවධානය යොමු කිරීම වැදගත් වනවා. මේ පිලිබඳ වැඩිදුර තොරතුරු මෙම වැඩසටහනෙන් ගෙන එන්න අපි බලාපොරොත්තු වනවා

Toby Mildon (he/him), Workplace Inclusion Architect and I recap the latest 5 Things (good vibes in DEI) in just 15 minutes. This week, we talked about a history-making MSNBC lineup, a Sri Lankan resort run entirely by women, a Muslim athlete changing the game, and more!Here are this week's good vibes:Hijab, Hoops, and HustleMSNBC's Weekend Gets a Historic MakeoverSri Lanka's All-Women Resort Redefines HospitalityChina Cracks Down on Hiring DiscriminationPittsburgh Airport's On-Site Child Care Takes OffGood Vibes to Go: Bernadette's GVTG: In the spirit of intersectionality, learn about LGBTQ+  who shaped history through this compelling video series from Anna DeShawn (E3 Radio) and Amanda W. Timpson (Yesterqueers). They bring history to life with powerful stories of queer resilience, activism, and artistry.Toby's GVTG: The British Sign Language vocabulary hasn't been broad to encompass terms related to STEM and the environment, previously leaving deaf people struggling to enter scientific conversations, either as students or educators. With the help of sign language experts, the Scottish Sensory Centre has been creating and codifying numerous new signs, focused on STEM subjects. Get the ARC Method Cheat SheetRead the Stories.Connect with Toby MildonSubscribe to the 5 Things newsletter.Watch the show on YouTube. Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes in DEI every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

Actor Nina Sosanya and prize winning poet and writer Joelle Taylor talk favourite books with Harriett.Nina chooses Sally Jones and the False Rose by Jakob Wegelius, a children's novel with a mute gorilla engineer as its protagonist. The book appeals to Nina's love of engineering, and the city of Glasgow!Joelle nominates Booker Prize winning The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Sri Lankan writer Shehan Karunatilaka, about a man killed in the Sri Lankan civil war, seeking answers in the afterlife.Harriett's choice is Tasting Sunlight by Ewald Arenz, a novel set in the German countryside at the tail end of summer, featuring two women with mysterious back stories.Two of the choices are novels in translation, which prompts a chat about whether translated books are becoming more commonProduced for BBC Audio Bristol by Sally Heaven Follow us on instagram: agoodreadbbc

Tune in to the "Weekly Sri Lankan Political Review" by SBS Sinhala, featuring journalist Manoj Udatiawala from Sri Lanka. Due to time constraints during the live program, some content couldn't be aired. All additional topics are included in this podcast. - SBS සිංහල සේවය විසින් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ප්‍රවෘත්ති වාර්තාකරු, මාධ්‍යවේදී මාධ්‍යවේදී මනෝජ් උදටියාවල සමඟින් ගෙන එන 'සතියේ ශ්‍රී ලාංකීය දේශපාලන පුවත්' සමාලෝචනයට සවන්දෙන්න. සජීව වැඩසටහනේ ප්‍රචාරය නොවූ අමතර කරුණු වෙබ් අඩවියට එක්කොට ඇති මෙම පොඩ්කාස්ට් එකට එක්කොට ඇති බව කරුණාවෙන් සලකන්න.

8th grader Ajay is navigating being the only Sri Lankan in his new community. He has numerous family rules to uphold, and now he's stolen a candy bar that makes him a millionaire. He has to tell one lie after another in attempts to not disappoint his parents, deal with a bully, make friends, and possibly claim the life-changing prize money. Transcript here

Support us on Patreon from as little as £1 per month: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Today's guest is Edoardo Albert. Edoardo is a British writer of Italian and Sri Lankan descent. He writes about Britain in the early medieval period (between the Romans leaving and the Normans arriving), the 40th millennium in the Warhammer universe, and lots of other things besides. He has written several novels and also his fair share of non-fiction, so there is a lot for us to talk about.Welcome to RPS, Edoardo!https://edoardoalbert.com/Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast and X https://twitter.com/rock_swords

This week, Justin catches up with Tom Taylor, Barca Jim and Tour Manager Sam at Harrogate Town, and Danny Mcloughlin, Callum Oakley and Trevor after a game of poker. We hear from the crowd in Farsley, Alfie Joey tells us how it's all about ‘Walk on Music', and we go back in time to a Sri Lankan massage.   Get in touch here: X – @3045podcast Facebook - @3045podcast Instagram - @3045podcast Email – podcast@justinmoorhouse.com   EPISODE LINKS:   The Seagull: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2025/event/the-seagull   Punch: https://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/punch   THIS WEEK'S GIGS:   See Justin on Friday here: https://bwdvenues.com/whats-on/justin-moorhouse-2025/   See Justin on Saturday here: https://www.selbytownhall.co.uk/events/justin-moorhouse-the-greatest-performance-of-my-life/   OTHER STUFF:   Watch my YouTube Special: https://www.youtube.com/@justinmoorhousecomedian   The Greatest Performance of My Life: https://www.justinmoorhouse.com/   Join the Mailing List: https://justinmoorhouse.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4c600f8287b9c2e121f43c3a1&id=bbd0010665   Music by Liam Frost. Produced by Rachel Fitzgerald and Justin Moorhouse

EP144: Vasavi's Journey: Finding strength, balance and purpose through health In this episode, I'm joined by Vasavi, a determined and inspiring guest who has transformed her approach to health, fitness, and mindset. Her journey is a powerful mix of self-discovery, breaking limiting beliefs, and embracing both physical and mental well-being. Vasavi lives in Surrey UK but has a strong cultural connection to Sri Lanka where she and her family are from. I hear how her Tamil heritage has played a significant role in life and shares the highs and lows of her relationship with food, body image, and cultural expectations around weight. We discuss her early struggles with self-confidence, her experience with 75 Hard, and how she ultimately found a sustainable, empowering way to transform her body and mind. She also dives into the impact of fasting, how it connects to her fitness goals, and her dream of becoming a spin instructor who blends high-energy workouts with the music and culture of South India. Key Highlights: • Cultural influences on body image – How Vasavi navigated family and societal expectations about weight. • Discovering fasting and hormone-focused nutrition – Learning to work with her body instead of against it. • The power of movement – How pole fitness, running, and structured workouts helped her regain confidence. • The mental shifts that made the biggest difference – Overcoming self-doubt and embracing long-term change. • Her future in fitness – Training to become a spin instructor and how she plans to incorporate Sri Lankan and South Indian music into the industry. If you would like to learn more about this weeks Weight Loss Warrior, or even want to ask a question, you can find Vasavi on Instagram: >>>> @vasavi13 If Vasavi's journey inspired you, help us reach more people by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Your support helps us continue sharing real, inspiring stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tune in to the "weekly Sri Lankan political review" by SBS Sinhala, featuring journalist Manoj Udatiawala from Sri Lanka. Please note that the two segments broadcasted during the live program have been combined and are now available on the website as a single program - SBS සිංහල සේවය විසින් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ප්‍රවෘත්ති වාර්තාකරු, මාධ්‍යවේදී මාධ්‍යවේදී මනෝජ් උදටියාවල සමඟින් ගෙන එන 'සතියේ ශ්‍රී ලාංකීය දේශපාලන පුවත්' සමාලෝචනයට සවන්දෙන්න. සජීව වැඩසටහනේ කෙටස් දෙකක් ලෙසින් ප්‍රචාරය වුනු විශේෂාංග එකතු කොට එක වැඩසටහනක් ලෙසට වෙබ් අඩවියට එක්කොට ඇති බව කරුණාවෙන් සලකන්න.

Mrs. Prabathi Milton, a registered marriage registrar in Victoria performs traditional wedding rituals, according to the Sri Lankan culture. Listen to this interview about her exclusive journey in Australia as a marriage celebrant, parallel to International Women's Day. - ලංකාවේ පිරිමි පාර්ශවය අතින් සිදුවන විවාහ මංගල පෝරුව චාරිත්‍ර සිදුකරන ඕස්ට්‍රේලියාවේ ලංකික කාන්තාවක් පිළිබදව ජාත්‍යන්තර කාන්තා දිනයට සමගාමිව, SBS සිංහල සේවය විසින් සිදුකල සාකච්චාවට සවන් දෙන්න. වික්ටෝරියා ප්‍රාන්තයේ ලියාපදිංචි විවාහ රෙජිස්ටර්වරියක් ලෙස කටයුතු කරන ප්‍රබාති මිල්ටන් මහත්මිය සමග SBS සිංහල සේවය සිදුකල සාකච්ඡාව

She's been described as the politician of contradictions.Alice Weidel is the leader of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party but is married to a Sri-Lankan born woman.A gay woman, she has two children with her partner, but is part of a political party which defines family as a father and mother raising children.She's a German nationalist who spends most of her time living in a small town in central Switzerland.She has been described as the “respectable” and more moderate face of party that has been linked to neo-Nazis and plots to overthrow the German state.While the AfD didn't win Germany's federal election last weekend, the party is now the second largest in the country, having doubled its vote share in just four years.How did Weidel break the AfD into Germany's mainstream political area and rally the support needed to secure more than 20 per cent of the vote in last weekend's election?And what is it about this Swiss-based ex-banker that appeals to the German people?New York Times reporter Christopher Schuetze, who covers politics from Berlin, joins the podcast.Presented by Sorcha Pollak, produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to ideas from the members of Sri Lankan community in Australia talking about the banning foreign purchases of established dwellings. - ඕස්ට්‍රේලියාවේ රජය මගින් අප්‍රේල් මස 1 වැනිදා සිට විදේශීය ආයෝජකයින්ට ඕස්ට්‍රේලියාවේ ස්ථාපිත නිවාස මිලදීගැනීම වසර 2කට තහනම් කිරීමට ගත් තීරණය ගැන ඕස්ට්‍රේලියාවේ වෙසෙන අපේ පිරිසගේ අදහස් වලට සවන් දෙන්න මෙම ජනවාරි මාසයේ SBS සිංහල ගුවන් විදුලියේ 'විනිවිද' ජනතා මත විමසුම තුළින්

Amit had a minor heart attack recently. As he was put back together, he reflected on how the miraculous technology that was reviving & renewing him was a result of rebels questioning conventional thinking. Indeed, all progress depends upon that.Welcome to Episode 86 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.In this episode, Amit and Ajay discuss some rousing stories of heretics who reshaped the foundational thinking of their fields -- from the pioneers of angiography & angioplasty to underdog Sri Lankan cricketers to an audacious upstart that first disrupted the behemoth of their sector, and then disrupted themselves.TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: A Life Update13:43 Chapter 1: Rethink the Fundamentals16:18 Chapter 2: Matters of the Heart29:15 Chapter 3: More Matters of the Heart42:37 Chapter 4: Matters of Sport54:20 Chapter 5: Watching Movies1:03:30 Chapter 6: A Personal Story1:10:15 Chapter 7: Closing ThoughtsFor magnificent, detailed, juicy show notes, click here.

Le donne in Sri Lanka costituiscono il 56% degli elettori registrati, e sono state cruciali per le vittorie elettorali alla fine dello scorso anno da parte del National People's Power, una piccola formazione di sinistra che si è ritrovata catapultata alla guida del paese. Il presidente Dissanayake, leader del partito, ha sorpreso un po' tutti quando ha nominato una donna, Amarasuriya, al ruolo di premier. Ma in realtà per il Paese non è una novità: proprio in Sri Lanka era diventata premier una donna, per la prima volta al mondo. Gli inserti audio della puntata sono tratti da: Dr. Harini Amarasuriya | Parliament Speech, canale YouTube Npp Sri Lanka, 23 agosto 2024; Sri Lankan protesters storm President Rajapaksa's residence, canale YouTube TrtWorld, 9 luglio 2022; වර්ෂ 1976 ඔබ නුදුටු ලංකාව ෴, canale YouTube Sampath Samarasingha Official, 16 marzo 2018; The Assassination of SWRD Bandaranaike, canale YouTube ministeriumofhistory, 31 agosto 2024; රජයේ වැඩිපිළිවළට අවනත නැතිනම් හමුදා භාරයට මෝල ගන්නවා., canale YouTube Newfirst Sri Lanka, 22 gennaio 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode, Kalid and Joe are joined by editor, movie-buff and friend of the podcast, Erik Kollasch, to chat about James Gunn's 2006 directorial debut, Slither!​​*Thank you to Jim Hall for the music! Check out more of his music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and if you like what you hear, please consider donating to support his work⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!*Thank you to Jim Tandberg for the Frankenstein's Podcast artwork!*Shoutout to our Patreon Producer(s), Luke Johnson, Andy Groth, Jake Kohl & Joe Mischo!⁠⁠⁠Support us on Patreon!⁠Featured Guest:Erik Kollasch⁠ is an editor and cinephile based out of Los Angeles, CA. He is currently working on editing the feature-length documentary about the Sri Lankan born musician/artist, Jay Princce, called “Where I'm From,” You can follow Erik on Instagram ⁠@ekollasch⁠.References:'Slither': Meet the CG Parasites - AWNPractical-ly Perfect: Celebrating Todd Masters' Ambitious Special Effects in SLITHER (2006) - Daily DeadInk & Pixel: Slither - JoBloBad Bunny (álbum) -  DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToSLove Lies BleedingCompanionCommon Side EffectsKate McCarthy - The Hicks Happy Hour

Listen to SBS Sinhala interview with VIC Roads project engineer Sisira Dissanayake, who introduced a new system to the Australian road system to prevent cyclist accidents on Australian roads. - ඕස්ට්‍රේලියාවේ මහා මාර්ග වල සිදුවන පා පැදි අනතුරු වැලක්වීමට ඕස්ට්‍රේලියානු මාර්ග පද්දතියට නව ක්‍රමයක් හඳුන්වා දුන් VIC Roads හි ව්‍යාපෘති ඉංජිනේරු සිසිර දිසානායක මහතා සමඟ SBS සිංහල සිදුකල සාකච්චාවට සවන්දෙන්න

Israel's “Iron Wall” campaign in the West Bank is underway, displacing some 40,000 people, as correspondents Dina Kraft and Taylor Luck report today. Our stories also include why Musk's DOGE is triggering alarm bells in the intel world, the origins of Black History Month, and young Sri Lankans working on tea estates finding a path out of poverty. Join the Monitor's Amelia Newcomb for today's news.

Kanya D'Almeida joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about how her life changed when a manuscript by Russell "Maroon" Shoatz, a former member of the Black Panther Party and soldier in the Black Liberation Army showed up in an envelope on her doorstep in 2011, the decades he spent in the Pennsylvania prison system, how their experiences with political violence and civil war intersected, becoming his biographer and building comradeship across the bars, Sri Lanka's history of conflict, channeling complicated feelings into dedication for writing a book, violence as the only language America knows how to speak, and her new book I Am Maroon: The True Story of an American Political Prisoner.    Ronit's upcoming memoir course: https://www.pce.uw.edu/courses/memoir-writing-finding-your-story    Also in this episode: -being a diasporic writer  -being a multi-genre author -the role of self-criticism   Books mentioned in this episode: On a Move by Mike Africa Jr. Assata: An Autobiography by Assata Shakur    Russell "Maroon" Shoatz was a dedicated community activist, founding member of the Black Unity Council, former member of the Black Panther Party, and soldier in the Black Liberation Army. Kanya D'Almeida won the 2021 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, becoming the first Sri Lankan and only the second Asian writer to hold the honor. She was awarded the Society of Authors' annual short story award in 2022. Her journalism has appeared in Al Jazeera, TruthOut, and The Margins, and her fiction has appeared in Granta. She holds an MFA from Columbia University, where she studied under Victor LaValle.   Connect with Kanya: https://twitter.com/kanyadalmeida https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/russell-shoatz/i-am-maroon/9781645030492/?lens=bold-type-books   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book.   More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank   Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Season 17, Ep 23: The Australian international summer is winding down, even with a major ICC tournament around the corner next week. A debrief on the Sri Lankan tour is our first order of business, noting that we did reach Murali's 800 in Galle after all. From there, the BazBall Death Cult has a certain ring to it, as does the idea of José Mourinho becoming cricket's Ted Lasso in the new privatised world of The Hundred. On a bumper ep, there's also time to sink our teeth into a brilliant Shield round and celebrate Ireland's Test success in Bulawayo. Support the show with a Nerd Pledge at patreon.com/thefinalword Maurice Blackburn Lawyers - fighting for the rights of workers since 1919: mauriceblackburn.com.au Sort your super with CBUS on their 40th birthday: cbussuper.com.au Get 10% off Glenn Maxwell's sunnies: t20vision.com/FINALWORD Find previous episodes at finalwordcricket.com Title track by Urthboy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Monday, February 10th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus 35-year-old Muslim abducted & married 12-year-old Catholic girl A married 35-year-old Muslim man abducted the 12-year-old daughter of his Catholic neighbor and took her to another province, where he forcibly converted her to Islam and married her, reports The Christian Post. Saba Shafique was abducted by Muhammad Ali from outside her home in the Lahore Cantonment in the Punjab Province on January 5, according to her father, Shafique Masih. Ali took her to the city of Shaheed Benazirabad in the Sindh Province. Masih, a Catholic who works as a painter after retiring from the Pakistan Army, said Ali produced a fake marriage certificate on January 8 that states Saba's age as 18, though her birth certificate states she was born on May 16, 2012, making her 12 years old. He lamented that more than a month has passed since his daughter's abduction, yet police were making no effort to rescue her. Isaiah 59:15 says, “Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice.” Pakistan, where 97% of the people are Muslim, is the 9th most dangerous country worldwide for Christians. Man arrested for desecrating altar at Peter's Basilica in the Vatican A Romanian man in his 40s was arrested by Vatican police last Friday after he jumped onto the High Altar in Peter's Basilica and kicked off the historic candelabra along with the altar cloths, reports LifeSiteNews.com. Vatican security guards seized the man and took him into their custody. The altar is situated directly above the tomb of Peter, a disciple of Christ, which is situated in the Vatican crypt. The candles he kicked to the ground date to the mid-1800's. Trump wants to shut down Department of Education President Donald Trump is eager to shut down the Department of Education and return control back to the states, reports Fox News. TRUMP: “We spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, and we're ranked at the bottom of the list. We're ranked very badly. What I want to do is let the states run schools. I believe strongly in school choice. But, in addition to that, I want the states to run schools, and I want Linda [McMahon, Secretary of Education] to put herself out of a job.” Appearing on Fox Business with Stuart Varney, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Trump will keep his promise to shut down the Department of Education. LEAVITT: “When you look at the literacy rates, the math and the reading rates of young children and students in America, they are not good. Our nation's report card was released last week, and it showed that only 40% of fourth graders are reading at a proficient level. So clearly, the tens of millions of dollars that the Department of Education is spending every single year is not working. “President Trump wants to empower parents to have a greater say in their child's education system. As for the Department of Education, [To Be Determined] on an announcement there.” VARNEY: “So, you can't confirm that he is going to try to abolish the Department of Education? You can't confirm that for us?” LEAVITT: “I will say that President Trump campaigned on that promise, and I think the American people can expect him to deliver.” More outrageous evidence of USAID taxpayer abuse More evidence to document the waste and abuse of the American taxpayers' money at the United States Agency for International Development or USAID, reports The Blaze.com. Founded in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, the annual budget of the USAID today is $50 billion. Listen to some examples of your tax dollars being abused. “$7.9 million to teach Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid binary gendered language.” “$4.5 million to combat disinformation in Kazakhstan.” “$2 million for sex changes and homosexual and transgender activism in Guatemala.” “$2.1 million to help the British Broadcasting Corporation value the diversity of Libyan society.” “$10 million worth of USAID-funded meals went to an al-Qaeda linked terrorist group.” “$6 million for tourism in Egypt.” "$5 million to EcoHealth Alliance, one of the key Non-Governmental Organizations funding bat virus research in the Wuhan [China] lab.” “$1.1 million to an Armenian homosexual transgender group.” “$1.5 million to promote homosexual transgender advocacy in Jamaica.” “$2 million to promote homosexual transgender equity through entrepreneurship in Latin America.” “$2.3 million for small-scale gold mining in the Amazon.” “$5.5 million for homosexual transgender activism in Uganda.” Conservative talk show host Glenn Beck and his co-host, Pat Gray, were incredulous. BECK: “Give that list to your friends.” GRAY: “Yeah. Yeah.” BECK: “Hey, what part of this are you for?” GRAY: “Are we just immune to numbers like that now?” BECK: “Yeah, I think we are.” GRAY: “Do we hear trillions now so often, so hundreds of billions and trillions now that maybe, when we hear $20 million for Egypt tourism, maybe we it just doesn't affect us anymore. We're like, ‘Ah, that's not very much.'” BECK: “It's more than most people will pay in income tax their entire life.” GRAY: “Ever, ever in their life.” BECK: “Wasted.” GRAY: “Yeah.” BECK: “And your kids are on the hook for a loan to pay for things like that, because, you know, we're $3 trillion over budget. The biggest enemy we fight is complacency. It's got to stop right now!” Trump calls USAID funding “a big scam” In a Sunday interview with Brett Baier on Fox News Channel, President Trump expressed his outrage over the abuse of tax dollars at USAID as well. TRUMP: “You take a look at the USAID, the kind of fraud in there. Well, we're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars of money that's going to places where it shouldn't be going, where, if I read a list, you'd say this is ridiculous.  It's a big scam.” John MacArthur released from hospital And finally, Pastor John MacArthur, host of Grace to You, has been released from the hospital following complications during his recovery from heart and lung surgeries. He is now recovering at home, reports The Christian Post. After enduring a challenging period of recovery from heart surgery, MacArthur has been discharged from the hospital, according to a tweet by Phil Johnson, an elder at MacArthur's Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California. The 85-year-old pastor, known for his extensive Evangelical work and theological teachings, faced multiple health setbacks in recent months that necessitated a prolonged hospitalization. MacArthur has undergone multiple heart operations in the past year and needed additional lung surgery within just a few months. Pray Numbers 6:24-26 for Pastor MacArthur: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” Plus, it's not too late to send Pastor John MacArthur a get well card.  The address is Grace Community Church, 13248 Roscoe Blvd., Sun Valley, CA 91352. Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, February 10th in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Imperial College London's Professor David Shrier on key discussion topics at France's first global AI conference. Professor Shrier was ​among experts advising on ​the ​European's Union's ​AI ​act.Also in this episode:OpenAi's $14m Super Bowl ad celebrating human inventionRare ‘Einstein ring' captured in a galaxy far away.Sri Lankan government blames monkey for national power cutBryan Adams Australia gig axed over sewer fatberg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spotlight India returns with a look at Shoojit Sircar's explosive political action thriller, Madras Cafe!By popular demand, Ian and Shashwat review the 2013 film, starring John Abraham as Vikram, an Indian secret agent who gets drawn into the Sri Lankan civil war. While pursuing the head of the insurgency, Vikram discovers greater forces at play, which include crooked members of his own agency and a global conspiracy to disrupt and control the entire region.In this spoilerific review, the guys talk about movies that draw inspiration from real-world strife; the pros and cons of Sircar's exceedingly technical approach to dramatizing geopolitical mechanics; and how one truly great scene can elevate an entire film!Subscribe, like, and comment on Kicking the Seat here on YouTube, and check us out at:kickseat.comXLetterboxdBlueSkyInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Madras Cafe (2013) trailer.Check out (and subscribe to) the IndieRise YouTube channel!Watch Shashwat's documentary, Breaking Barriers, on the IIT Madras BS Film Society YouTube channel!Watch Shashwat's short films on YouTube (and be sure to subscribe!).Follow IIT Madras BS Film Society on Instagram.And catch up with previous "Spotlight India" episodes.

Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.Join us as we talk to Sanjiva Weerawarana, the founder of WSO2 about their story.Sanjiva earned his bachelor's and master's in Mathematics/CS from Kent State University, Ohio, and later completed a Ph.D. in Computer Science at Purdue University.He worked as a Research Staff Member at IBM and held visiting professorships at Purdue University, the Polytechnic Institute of New York University, and the University of Moratuwa.Beyond academia, he served on various committees, including the Arthur C. Clarke Institute, the University of Colombo, the University Grants Commission, The Apache Software Foundation, and several Sri Lankan institutions in technology, finance, and science.He founded multiple organizations, including WSO2 (2005), Thinkcube Systems, Sahana Software Foundation, Lanka Software Foundation, Lanka Data Foundation, and Avinya Foundation.Interestingly, he also served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Sri Lanka Army.

Elon Musk's DOGE helps lead an effort to pull out the rug from under Sri Lankan pronoun education, Vietnamese inclusivity programs, Bolivian transgender operas, and more—with the U.S. Agency for International Development caught in the first sweep. An outrage! Or so say leftists. In retaliation for that and more, the liberal media unearths the qualifications of Musk's young staff, who turn out to be…educated, accomplished, and competent. Whoops. The guys sit down to talk wasteful spending and managerial efficiency, along with Christianity's role in government.

Menners is joined by Sri Lankan cricket journalist Estelle Vasudevan to preview the 2nd test. Get the inserted AD's FREE VERSION of the show on our Patreon Page Subscribe to our YouTube page for live streams: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk7koDKpKxe0e3yC7NXQx6Q Linktree for listening on podcast apps and finding us on social media: https://linktr.ee/cricketunfiltered Show twitter: https://twitter.com/auscricketpod Menners on twitter:  https://twitter.com/amenners TIKTOK: @cricketunfiltered Sponsorship enquiries for host read ads: andrew@piccolopodcasts.com.au Email the show your cricket takes: cricketunfilteredpodcast@gmail.com Piccolo Podcasts: https://piccolopodcasts.com.au/ Founder Andrew Menczel. The first episode aired August 2013.  It is a multi award-winning podcast team, the show has featured 15 Australian captains and some of the greatest legends of cricket and an episode is archived in the Australian National Film and Sound Archive. Menners is an accredited cricket journalist and commentator and his interview with Alex Blackwell won a Cricket NSW Media Award. The show was the first ever regular weekly Australian cricket podcast.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cesar Cardona is a public speaker taught by Sri Lankan and Tibetan Buddhist monks. Originally an Atheist, after surviving death-like trauma three times after childhood, he decided to investigate other disciplines and fell into Buddhism. He now offers a unique perspective on resilience and mindfulness, inspiring audiences to embrace growth and strength through life's challenges. Click here to learn more from his site.Please rate us on Apple and/or Spotify and subscribe for free at mikeyopp.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mikeyopp.substack.com/subscribe

2024 was widely hailed as the year of elections with 73 countries holding elections in and more than 1.5 billion voters exercising their franchise. On Grand Tamasha, we've discussed the 2024 Indian general election as well as the recent U.S. presidential election at some length. But there was another important election in South Asia which has important ramifications both for India and the wider Indo-Pacific. In September 2024, for the first time in Sri Lanka's history, a third-party candidate was elected president.According to Neil DeVotta, our guest on the show this week, the election was nothing short of a peaceful revolution that represents a dramatic political realignment in the island nation.Neil DeVotta is a professor of politics and international affairs at Wake Forest University, where he works on South Asian security and politics, ethnicity and nationalism, conflict resolution, and democratic transitions. And he's also the author of a recent essay in the January 2025 issue of the Journal of Democracy, called “Sri Lanka's Peaceful Revolution.”To kick off the thirteenth season of the podcast, Milan sits down with Neil to discuss the tumultuous political history of Sri Lanka, its charismatic new president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and the state of the Sri Lankan economy. Plus, the two discuss how Dissanayake will delicately balance relations with both India and China.Episode notes:1. Neil DeVotta, “Sri Lanka's Peaceful Revolution,” Journal of Democracy 36.1 (January 2025): 79-92.2. Neil DeVotta, “Colombo's Controversial New President,” East Asia Forum, 24 July 2022.3. Neil DeVotta, “A Win for Democracy in Sri Lanka,” Journal of Democracy 27.1 (January 2016): 152–66.4. “South Asia's Economic Turmoil (with Ben Parkin),” Grand Tamasha, September 21, 2022.5. “Inside Sri Lanka's Economic Meltdown (with Ahilan Kadirgamar),” Grand Tamasha, May 18, 2022.

Richard Hermer was one of the surprise announcements from Keir Starmer's first Cabinet, and one of the most contravercial since. Starmer's old pal came with some notable baggage: his former clients include Sri Lankan refugees to the Chagos Islands and ex-Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, as well as British-Bangladeshi Isis bride Shamima Begum. In government, Hermer has played a key role in several contentious decisions, such as the government's withdrawal of the UK's objections to the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, and his involvement in the Chagos Islands deal. And today he admitted that he has had to recuse himself ‘from certain matters' due to potential conflicts of interest. Is the government hamstrung by Hermer? James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Rajiv Shah, former special adviser to the Attorney General and legal adviser to Number 10. Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.Today is the 28th of January and here are the headlines.Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India will no longer rely on exporting raw materials to be processed abroad and sold back as finished goods. Speaking at Odisha's Utkarsh Odisha conclave, Modi emphasized that India's economic growth must focus on innovation and quality manufacturing. He also highlighted recent Coldplay concerts in Mumbai and Ahmedabad as proof of the potential for live events to boost the economy, underscoring the shift towards a self-sufficient, value-added production ecosystem.Ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal urged PM Modi to introduce a nationwide law banning loan waivers for billionaires. He criticized the government for waiving loans of the wealthy while ordinary citizens bear high taxes. Kejriwal suggested that ending these waivers could lower income tax, GST rates, and remove taxes on essential goods. He called the practice a scandal and demanded an end to what he called "unfair financial relief for the rich."Five Indian fishermen were injured when the Sri Lankan Navy opened fire near Delft Island on Tuesday. Two of the fishermen sustained serious injuries and were hospitalized in Jaffna, while three others suffered minor injuries. India lodged a strong protest with the Sri Lankan Acting High Commissioner in New Delhi, and the Indian High Commission in Colombo also raised the issue with the Sri Lankan government. The remaining fishermen were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy.Maharashtra's long-awaited civic elections will be delayed further as the Supreme Court scheduled the next hearing on petitions regarding OBC reservations for February 25. The delay has disappointed political parties and aspirants preparing for the polls. The Pune Municipal Corporation has been under an administrator since the previous body's term ended in 2022. Parties are now facing additional uncertainty as the civic polls remain stalled due to ongoing legal challenges over reservations.US President Donald Trump confirmed that PM Narendra Modi is likely to visit the White House in February following a phone conversation between the two leaders. Trump described the relationship between the US and India as “very good” and said they discussed various issues, including illegal immigration. While India has not officially confirmed the visit, Trump said Modi would “do what's right” regarding immigration matters, signaling potential discussions during the upcoming visit.This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by the Indian Express.

For the past two decades, Sri Lankan politics has been dominated by the Rajapaksa family, with two brothers more or less alternating between serving as president and prime minister from 2005 to 2022. Their regime was marked by corruption and sustained through appeals to ethnic nationalism among the majority Sinhalese Buddhist population, including by deliberately inciting sentiment against minority Muslim and Tamil communities. This kind of appeal to nationalism was the dominant force in Sri Lankan politics for most of the last 20 years — until, that is, the elections this fall. In presidential and then parliamentary elections, a new coalition called National People's Power, led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake, better known as AKD, campaigned on a platform of ethnic pluralism and good governance. They won overwhelmingly, securing 159 out of 225 seats in Parliament — a supermajority — leaving the Rajapaksa party with just three seats. Joining me to explain how this so-called "Peaceful Political Revolution" was achieved is Neil DeVotta, Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Wake Forest University. He is the author of a new article on this stunning turn of events, which appears in the most recent edition of the Journal of Democracy. We begin by discussing just how remarkable this political transition has been and what drove Sri Lankans to abandon the fractious ethnic politics of the past two decades. We then delve into how AKD and his National People's Power coalition can reverse Sri Lanka's democratic backsliding.

Here's a three-part puzzle for global agriculture: How do you increase calories for a growing population, while zeroing out emissions and minimizing land usage? The stakes are enormous. According to the UN, the world has to feed an estimated 9.8 billion people by 2050. But agriculture currently accounts for about a third of global carbon emissions and is driving the conversion of important ecosystems – like rainforest and grasslands – into farmland. Converting land is especially problematic because it releases additional carbon into the atmosphere. So what do we do about it? In this episode, Shayle talks to journalist Mike Grunwald, who recently penned a defense of industrial agriculture in The New York Times. He's also the author of the upcoming book “We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate.” Shayle and Mike cover topics like: The drawbacks of industrial agriculture, like the overapplication of fertilizer and the mistreatment of animals and employees Why calories per acre need to grow substantially to feed a growing global population Why minimizing land usage through industrial agriculture may cut more emissions than alternative methods of farming like regenerative agriculture Why feed additives are not as important as the land efficiency of beef production Potential solutions, like biofertilizers, cultivated meat, and addressing food waste Why vertical farming requires too much electricity to be viable Recommended resources Simon & Schuster: We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate The New York Times: Sorry, but This Is the Future of Food Canary Media: Why vertical farming just doesn't work Reuters: Fertiliser ban decimates Sri Lankan crops as government popularity ebbs Catalyst: Mitigating enteric methane: tech solutions for solving the cow burp problem Catalyst: From biowaste to ‘biogold' Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. EnergyHub helps utilities build next-generation virtual power plants that unlock reliable flexibility at every level of the grid. See how EnergyHub helps unlock the power of flexibility at scale, and deliver more value through cross-DER dispatch with their leading Edge DERMS platform, by visiting energyhub.com. Catalyst is brought to you by Antenna Group, the public relations and strategic marketing agency of choice for climate and energy leaders. If you're a startup, investor, or global corporation that's looking to tell your climate story, demonstrate your impact, or accelerate your growth, Antenna Group's team of industry insiders is ready to help. Learn more at antennagroup.com.

In this episode of the 8750 Podcast, the hosts engage in a light-hearted conversation filled with personal anecdotes, humorous stories about parenting, and unexpected car troubles. They also discuss a surprising teaching opportunity in China, showcasing their unique perspectives and camaraderie. In this conversation, the hosts discuss various topics including Elon Musk's recent controversies, the implications of social media policies on free speech, and the dynamics of online gaming. They also touch on personal experiences with parenting and relationships, culminating in a dramatic reading of a Vulture article. In this segment, the conversation delves into the allegations against Neil Gaiman, exploring the disturbing narratives surrounding the accusations and the implications of the bath incident. The hosts discuss the nature of the allegations, questioning the motivations and circumstances of the accuser while also sharing personal anecdotes and reflections on social dynamics in the context of the incident. In this engaging conversation, the hosts explore a variety of topics ranging from personal health and fitness journeys to the dynamics of online friendships and social media interactions. They share their experiences with yoga, cycle-based exercising, and the challenges of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The discussion also touches on the evolution of their podcast, audience engagement, and the impact of pop culture on their lives, including a humorous take on the upcoming Daredevil series. In this lively conversation, the hosts navigate through various topics, including their online interactions, technical difficulties during a live stream, personal updates about their lives, and humorous takes on cultural references. They also delve into culinary delights, particularly sopapillas, and discuss the evolving perspectives of public figures like Mark Zuckerberg. The chat is filled with banter, laughter, and engaging discussions that reflect their personalities and experiences. In this conversation, the hosts delve into various topics ranging from the challenges of multitasking during live streaming to the political implications of Mark Zuckerberg's podcast appearance. They discuss the role of social media in censorship and political discourse, the influence of testosterone on behavior and political views, and the humorous aspects of everyday life. The conversation also touches on promoting exclusive content on Patreon and features a dramatic reading from Sonic High School, showcasing the blend of humor and serious discussion throughout the episode. In this episode, the hosts engage in a humorous and chaotic conversation that spans various topics, including a fictional bathroom encounter, special attacks in a story, the revelation of a robot, reflections on high school drama, and personal insecurities. They also discuss the quirks of cats, the fame of Sri Lankans, and welcome new patrons to their community, all while maintaining a light-hearted and comedic tone throughout.

This interview with Dr. Jenn Noble is FIRE! She is Sri Lankan and African American and she talks about parents helping their mixed-race kids know who they are so that they can claim a seat at MULTIPLE tables. Mixed kids can be secure in who they are, no matter how others perceive them. (This discussion is also hugely informative for transracial adoptive parents.)

Abhay is joined by singer Dhee, as they both shared a conversation about making music and loving the process.Dhee is a Sri Lankan born, Australian raised, Tamil-rooted artist whose music is available everywhere.(0:00 - 2:21) Introduction(2:21) Part 1 - loving the process, completing a song (11:05) Part 2 - singing in various languages, exploration vs. comfort, versatility in her music(27:43) Part 3 - collaborations and learning, "connecting the dots", legacy on listeners(38:00) ConclusionLike many, my heart and soul go out to those who are struggling as a result of the Los Angeles wildfires.Please help contribute to the American Red Cross, Mutual Aid LA Network, various Go FundMe efforts, Save the Children, and Baby2Baby. Hoping for a safe, peaceful, and supportive recovery for everyone.

In November 2024, Anura Kumara Dissanayake's National People's Power (NPP) coalition won a two-thirds majority in Sri Lanka's general elections, marking a historic win for the Sri Lankan left. NPP's victory came at a time of prolonged economic crisis exacerbated by the crushing terms of Sri Lanka's IMF agreement. Political economist Dr. Devaka Gunawardena traces the factors leading to Sri Lanka's economic woes and how international sovereign bonds (ISBs) held by private equity firms such as BlackRock constitute a large segment of Sri Lanka's debt. Given the government's recent private creditor debt restructuring agreement, can the NPP still deliver on its campaign promises of wealth redistribution and reversing austerity? 

Rewriting Buddhism: Pali Literature and Monastic Reform in Sri Lanka, 1157–1270 (UCL Press, 2020) is the first intellectual history of premodern Sri Lanka's most culturally productive period. This era of reform (1157–1270) shaped the nature of Theravada Buddhism both in Sri Lanka and also Southeast Asia and even today continues to define monastic intellectual life in the region. Alastair Gornall argues that the long century's literary productivity was not born of political stability, as is often thought, but rather of the social, economic and political chaos brought about by invasions and civil wars. Faced with unprecedented uncertainty, the monastic community sought greater political autonomy, styled itself as royal court, and undertook a series of reforms, most notably, a purification and unification in 1165 during the reign of Parakramabahu I. He describes how central to the process of reform was the production of new forms of Pali literature, which helped create a new conceptual and social coherence within the reformed community; one that served to preserve and protect their religious tradition while also expanding its reach among the more fragmented and localized elites of the period. Rewriting Buddhism is available for free open-access download at uclpress.com/buddhism. Bruno M. Shirley is a PhD candidate at Cornell University, working on Buddhism, kingship and gender in medieval Sri Lankan texts and landscapes. He is on Twitter at @brunomshirley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Rewriting Buddhism: Pali Literature and Monastic Reform in Sri Lanka, 1157–1270 (UCL Press, 2020) is the first intellectual history of premodern Sri Lanka's most culturally productive period. This era of reform (1157–1270) shaped the nature of Theravada Buddhism both in Sri Lanka and also Southeast Asia and even today continues to define monastic intellectual life in the region. Alastair Gornall argues that the long century's literary productivity was not born of political stability, as is often thought, but rather of the social, economic and political chaos brought about by invasions and civil wars. Faced with unprecedented uncertainty, the monastic community sought greater political autonomy, styled itself as royal court, and undertook a series of reforms, most notably, a purification and unification in 1165 during the reign of Parakramabahu I. He describes how central to the process of reform was the production of new forms of Pali literature, which helped create a new conceptual and social coherence within the reformed community; one that served to preserve and protect their religious tradition while also expanding its reach among the more fragmented and localized elites of the period. Rewriting Buddhism is available for free open-access download at uclpress.com/buddhism. Bruno M. Shirley is a PhD candidate at Cornell University, working on Buddhism, kingship and gender in medieval Sri Lankan texts and landscapes. He is on Twitter at @brunomshirley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

In 2004 the Sri Lankan handball team made headlines around the world, but it wasn't for their on field prowess, instead they were wrapped up in an international mystery!This is a comedy/history podcast, the report begins at approximately 03:58 (though as always, we go off on tangents throughout the report).For all our important links: https://linktr.ee/dogoonpod Check out our other podcasts:Book Cheat: https://play.acast.com/s/book-cheatPrime Mates: https://play.acast.com/s/prime-mates/Listen Now: https://play.acast.com/s/listen-now/Who Knew It with Matt Stewart: https://play.acast.com/s/who-knew-it-with-matt-stewart/Our awesome theme song by Evan Munro-Smith and logo by Peader ThomasDo Go On acknowledges the traditional owners of the land we record on, the Wurundjeri people, in the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to elders, past and present. Resources/Further Reading:https://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-09-17/sri-lankas-handball-team-vanishes/553214https://www.ranker.com/list/sri-lankan-handball-team-vanishing/tracey-grahamhttps://journalnews.com.ph/the-entire-sri-lankan-handball-team-vanished-in-germany-but-did-the-team-even-exist/#gsc.tab=0https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/how-an-entire-23-member-sri-lankan-handball-team-vanished-without-a-trace-in-germany-6220499http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3658966.stmhttps://www.dw.com/en/sri-lankans-pull-off-disappearing-act-in-bavaria/a-1332926https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/handle/10453/31714https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/sri-lanka-handball-teamhttps://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.230213797121857&type=3https://www.sundaytimes.lk/100404/Sports/spt10.htmlhttps://www.sundaytimes.lk/070325/TV/023tv.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conversations is bringing you a summer treat — a collection of Richard's most memorable guests through out the years.Shaun Christie David grew up eating the Sri-Lankan recipes his mother brought with her from Sri Lanka. After a life-change trip to his parent's homeland, Shaun left a successful career in finance to open a social enterprise restaurant, Colombo Social, giving jons to refugees and serving food from his mother's cookbook. Shaun Christie-David's family migrated to Australia during the Sri Lankan civil war.The family's three sons grew up in a house full of home-cooked food and love, with dishes like 48-hour Mudcrab on the menu at Christmas.In 2019, Shaun set up Colombo Social, a restaurant giving jobs to refugees and people seeking asylum, serving food straight from his mum's cookbook.Starting the restaurant was a sharp turn in his own life.Shaun had left Sydney's Western suburbs at 18 determined to make a lot of money in the finance world. But at 28, at the pinnacle of his career in banking, a trip to Sri Lanka changed everything.This episode of Conversations contains discussions about immigration, migrants, Sri Lanka, multiculturalism, childhood memories, cooking, family, mothers, fathers, sons, siblings, brothers, high school, racism, finance, success, money, careers, mudcrabs, Christmas, chicken biryani, spices, recipes, traditions, culture, Sri Lankans, restaurants, social enterprise, charity, refugees, asylum seekers, support, disabilities, homelessness, unemployment, support, Plate It Forward, Colombo Social, Kabul Social, Sydney, NSW, Afganistan, Ukraine, purpose, giving. 

What happens when your identity is deeply tied to your business? How do you plan an exit that protects your company and your sense of self? Jerome Myers and Matt Halloran explore the “Founder's Exit Paradox” and the challenges of stepping away from a business while asking: What's next when the company no longer defines you? Jerome shares stories from his workshop with Sri Lankan business leaders, tackling identity, legacy, and the importance of planning a purposeful exit. Whether you're years away from exiting or nearing the decision, this episode offers the strategies and insights to guide you toward a future filled with meaning. [00:00 - 04:51] Small Shifts, Big Impact Tiny decisions, significant changes: Small shifts lead to significant outcomes Sri Lanka insights: Lessons from family businesses Legacy views: U.S. vs. Sri Lankan perspectives [04:52 - 10:07] Legacy Resistance and The Founder's Exit Paradox Legacy pushback: Some resist the concept of legacy Identity struggle: Entrepreneurs find it hard to separate from their business Exit challenge: Unraveling identity is necessary but difficult [10:08 - 15:28] Shedding Business Identity The descent: Shedding business identity like layers New passions: Sri Lankan entrepreneur pursues racing Exploring purpose: Finding passions outside of work [15:29 - 22:00] Passion Projects and Creating Value Passions to legacies: Passion projects leave a lasting mark Rewarding work: Passion-driven efforts can be more fulfilling Purpose focus: Solve bigger problems after exiting [22:01 - 28:15] The Importance of Exit Planning Exit strategy: Critical like estate planning Three exit options: Sell, close, or pass down Avoid chaos: Poor planning leads to messy transitions [28:16 - 33:16] Final Thoughts and Next Steps Think ahead: Plan long-term for your exit Reverse success: Work backward from your goal Assessment insights: Jerome's tool helps business owners prepare Key Quotes:  “Small shifts over time can make humongous changes, not just in that person's life, but also in the world.” - Matt Halloran  “Founders often wrap their identity up in the business, and unraveling that is one of the hardest parts of the exit.” - Jerome Myers Connect with Jerome! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeromemyers/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachjeromemyers/ Post Exit Personality Assessment Link: https://theexitparadox.com/assessment LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to expand their business growth by sharing this episode or listening to our previous episodes. Dreamcatchers is a welcoming group focused on personal growth rather than fitting into a specific demographic. It attracts a diverse crowd from various backgrounds and ages, united by the desire to achieve more. Learn more at https://exittoexcellence.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ralph welcomes Vani Hari, also known as “The Food Babe,” to tell us about her campaign against Kellogg's to stop using artificial dyes in their cereals that have been linked to various health problems and have been banned in Europe. Plus, noted labor organizer, Chris Townsend gives us his take on the AFL-CIOs obeisant relationship to the Democratic Party.Vani Hari is an author and food activist. A former corporate consultant, she started the Food Babe blog in 2011, and she is the co-founder of the nutritional supplement startup Truvani.It is a game of whack-a-mole because we get these corporations to change, or they announce that they're going to change, and then they go back on their commitment. And that is what's happened with Kellogg's.Vani HariChris Townsend is a 45-year union member and leader. He was most recently the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) International Union Organizing Director. Previously he was an International Representative and Political Action Director for the United Electrical Workers Union (UE), and he has held local positions in both the SEIU and UFCW.These workers who have been betrayed, lied to, wrecked, destroyed, poisoned, all of these things—this becomes the breeding ground for Trumpist ideology. And the Democrats won't face this.Chris TownsendOur media largely ignores the labor movement. Our small labor press—left press—generally subscribes to the “good news only” school of journalism. So these endemic problems and even immediate crises are never dealt with. Now, some of that is because the existing labor leadership generally is not fond of criticism or is not fond of anyone pointing out shortcomings (or) mistakes.Chris TownsendWe're a cash cow—and a vote cow— to be milked routinely and extensively by this Democratic machinery… The leadership today in the bulk of the unions is an administrative layer, business union through and through to the core. The historic trade union spirit that always animated the unions in various levels is not extinguished, but in my 45 years, I would say it is at a low ebb. In the sense that we just have been sterilized because of this unconditional and unholy alliance or domination by the Democratic Party. And there's no room for spark. There's no room for dissent. There's no room for anyone to even raise the obvious.Chris Townsend[Leaders of the AFL-CIO are] basically bureaucrats in that building on 16th Street, collecting their pay and their nice pensions. Completely out of touch with millions of blue collar workers that have veered into the Republican Party channels—the so-called Reagan Democrats, which have spelled the difference in election after election for the Senate, for the House, for the Presidency.Ralph NaderIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 11/20/241. In his new book Hope Never Disappoints, Pope Francis writes “what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of genocide,” and called for the situation to be “studied carefully…by jurists and international organisations,” per the Middle East Eye. These comments come on the heels of a United Nations committee report which found that Israel's actions are “consistent with characteristics of genocide,” and alleged that Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war. The Catholic pontiff has long decried violence in all forms and has previously criticized Israel's “disproportionate and immoral” actions in Gaza and Lebanon, per AP.2. On November 14th, the AP's Farnoush Amiri reported that more than 80 Congressional Democrats sent a letter to President Biden on October 29th, urging the administration to sanction Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Only made public after the election, this letter called for sanctions on these individuals “Given their critical roles in driving policies that promote settler violence, weaken the Palestinian Authority, facilitate de facto and de jure annexation, and destabilize the West Bank.” This letter was principally authored by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and in addition to dozens of House Democratic signatories, was signed by no less than 17 Senators.3. Another remarkable post-election Israel story concerns outgoing Congressman Jamaal Bowman, who was ousted from his seat by a flood of AIPAC money. In an interview with Rania Khalek, Bowman relates a remarkable anecdote about the presidential campaign. Bowman says he specifically requested to campaign for Kamala Harris in Michigan – where he was so popular his AIPAC-backed primary challenger disparagingly said “[Bowman's] constituency is Dearborn, Michigan” – but the campaign ignored him and instead deployed surrogates that seemed almost designed to alienate Arab-Americans: Liz Cheney, Ritchie Torres, and Bill Clinton who went out of his way to scold these voters. These voters were likely decisive in Kamala Harris' loss in that state.4. On November 13th, Senator Bernie Sanders announced that he intends to bring Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to the Senate floor. As Sanders writes in a press release, the “The JRD is the only mechanism available to Congress to prevent an arms sale from advancing.” Unlike previous efforts however, Sanders no longer stands alone. According to Reuters, “Two of the resolutions, co-sponsored with…Senators Jeff Merkley and Peter Welch, would block the sale of 120 mm mortar rounds and joint direct attack munitions (JDAMS). A third, sponsored by Democratic Senator Brian Schatz, would block the sale of tank rounds.” Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Van Hollen have announced their intention to support the JRD. Certain heavy-hitting Democratic-aligned institutions have also bucked precedent to back this effort, including the massive Service Employees International Union and leading Liberal-Zionist group J Street.5. In the House, Republicans and many Democrats are pushing H.R. 9495, a bill which would grant the executive branch the power to unilaterally strip non-profit organizations of their tax-exempt status based on accusations of supporting terrorism. As the Intercept notes, “The law would not require officials to explain the reason for designating a group, nor…provide evidence.” The ACLU and over 150 other “civil liberties, religious, reproductive health, immigrant rights, human rights, racial justice, LGBTQ+, environmental, and educational organizations,” sent a letter opposing this bill in September, and celebrated when the bill was blocked on November 12th – but it is back from the grave, with Nonprofit Quarterly reporting the bill has cleared a new procedural hurdle and will now advance to the floor. Yet even if this bill is successfully blocked, little stands in the way of Republicans reviving it in the next Congress, where they will hold the House, Senate, and the Presidency.6. Back in October, we covered Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib's letter to Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen expressing grave concern over the company's decision to roll out facial recognition-based price gouging technology. According to Tlaib, Kroger has stonewalled Congress, so she is leading a group of House Democrats in a new letter demanding answers to the critical questions that remain, such as whether Kroger will use facial recognition to display targeted ads, whether consumers can opt out, and whether the company plans to sell data collected in stores. This letter is co-signed by progressives like AOC, Barbara Lee, and Eleanor Holmes Norton, among others.7. In new labor news, the NLRB has issued a rule banning anti-union “captive audience meetings,” per the Washington Post. This report notes that these meetings, in which employers warn workers of the risks in unionizing, are considered highly effective and are commonly used by companies like Amazon, Starbucks, Apple and Trader Joe's. According to the Post, Amazon alone spent more than $17 million on consults to do exactly this between 2022 and 2023. On the other hand, Bloomberg Law reports a federal judge in Texas has blocked a Labor Department rule that would have expanded overtime eligibility to four million mostly lower-level white collar workers. This was seen as among the Biden Administration's key achievements on labor rights and foreshadows the rollback of worker protections we are likely to see in a Trump presidency redux.8. Donald Trump has signaled that he will nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy will likely face a difficult confirmation process; his past environmental activism is anathema to Republican Senators, while his more recent vaccine-skepticism is unpopular among Democrats. Yet just as Donald Trump emerged as an improbable RFK ally, a surprising opponent has emerged as well: former Vice-President Mike Pence. In a “rare” statement Pence writes “For the majority of his career, RFK Jr. has defended abortion on demand during all nine months of pregnancy, supports overturning the Dobbs decision and has called for legislation to codify Roe v Wade. If confirmed, RFK, Jr. would be the most pro-abortion Republican appointed secretary of HHS in modern history…I…urge Senate Republicans to reject this nomination.” As with other unpopular Trump nominees, many expect RFK to be appointed on an acting basis and then possibly installed via the recess appointment process.9. In some positive news, Drop Site reports that in Sri Lanka, the Leftist president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who wrested the office from the corrupt clique that has ruled the nation since independence has won a resounding victory in the recent parliamentary elections. Reuters reports that Dissanayake's coalition won a “sweeping mandate,” with enough seats to pass his anti-corruption and poverty-alleviation agenda. More shocking is the fact that Dissanayake's coalition ran up the score in the Tamil-dominated north and east of the country. As Drop Site notes, only 15 years ago the Sri Lankan government crushed the Tamil Tigers and carried out large-scale massacres of the Tamil minority. Dissanayake has vowed to end the occupation and release Tamil political prisoners, as well as take on the International Monetary Fund which is seeking to impose economic control on the country in exchange for a fiscal bailout. Neither goal will be easily achieved, but the size of Dissanayake's victory at least provides the opportunity for him to try.10. Finally, AP reports that three of Malcolm X's daughters have filed a $100 million lawsuit against the CIA, FBI, and NYPD. This lawsuit alleges that these agencies were “aware of and…involved in the assassination plot,” and that law enforcement was engaged in a “corrupt, unlawful, and unconstitutional [relationship with]…ruthless killers that…was actively concealed, condoned, protected, and facilitated by government agents.” Two of Malcolm X's alleged assassins were exonerated in 2021 after an extensive re-investigation found that authorities withheld crucial evidence, per AP, and new evidence reported earlier this year by Democracy Now! supports the theory of an assassination plot involving collusion between the FBI and NYPD, if not others.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe