An artisan works on Buddha statues in Dompe yesterday. Buddhists are preparing to celebrate Vesak which commemorates the Buddha’s birth,attaining enlightenment and passing away on May 5. AFP

Labour minister to working class :

‘Unite to defeat enemies of the state’

Labour Relations Minister Gamini Lokuge yesterday called on the working class to unite behind the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to enable him to take forward his development plans for a prosperous Sri Lanka. “This is the time all Sri Lankans should stand together as one nation to help the President to steer the country forward and defeat the conspiracies of the enemies of the state,” he said.

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Sri Lanka - Korea ties reach new heights

Sri Lanka and South Korea considably strengthened inter - parliamentary co-operation as an essence in further promoting close bonds of friendship between the two countries. “Both parties acknowledged the vibrant multifaceted bilateral partnership built over the years since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1977 and agreed to reinforce the institutional framework for co-operation by setting up a mechanism for regular bilateral policy consultations at official level,” the External Affairs Ministry said in a release yesterday following President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s successful state visit to South Korea.

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‘Lanka’s religious harmony, example to other countries’

The adviser to Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Tashkiri, said he is pleased with the existing degree of inter-faith harmony in Sri Lanka. The Irnanian religious leader expressed these views during a meeting with Prime Minister D M Jayaratne, the Prime Minister’s media unit said. During the meeting, Tashkiri said Iran was impressed with religious coexistence and unity in Sri Lanka.

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Change readiness index:

Lanka first in South Asia

The recently released results of the 2012 Change Readiness Index have ranked Sri Lanka at the 22nd place among 60 developing and emerging world economies and first among South Asian countries. The survey conducted by KPMG International in collaboration with researchers from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) has assessed the level of change readiness across 60 countries with a focus on developing and emerging markets.

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