The Sri Lanka China Journalists Forum and the All-Pakistan Journalists Association came together to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in a significant development aimed at fostering collaboration and cooperation in the field of journalism.
The signing ceremony took place at the Communication University of China during the Global Journalists Salon organized by the All China Journalists Association.
The MoU signing was attended by journalists from more than 15 countries and witnessed by Mr. Tao, the Director of the International Department of the All China Journalists Association.
The MoU was singed by the Mr Zaheer Alam, President of All-Pakistan Journalists Association and Mr Sudewa Hettiarachchi, who is the treasurer of the Sri Lanka China Journalists Forum.
The key provisions of the MOU include:
Journalist Training Programs: Both parties commit to encouraging the development of and participation in journalist training programs, strengthening the skills and knowledge of journalists from Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Support for Journalism Schools: The MoU seeks to promote cooperation between journalism schools in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, enhancing the educational landscape for aspiring journalists.
News Awards: The two parties will offer support for and participate in activities related to news awards, including the selection of winners, recognizing journalistic excellence.
Collaboration on Delegations: They will prepare letters of invitation for each other’s journalist delegations and assist with procedures such as visa applications, facilitating easier exchange of ideas and
experiences.
Business Activities and Itineraries: The MoU envisions cooperation in planning business activities, suggesting itineraries, and finding translators for delegations, ensuring productive interactions.
Consultation on Themes and Visits: The parties will decide through consultation the theme and itinerary of a given visit, tailoring their interactions to mutual interests.
Expenses: Both parties will hold consultations regarding expenses for food, accommodation, travel, and translating services, ensuring transparency and fair arrangements.
The MoU takes effect upon signing by both parties and is effective for a period of five years. It includes a provision for automatic renewal, unless either party provides a minimum of six months formal notice to terminate the agreement at the end of its current term.
The MoU takes effect upon signing by both parties and is effective for a period of five years. It includes a provision for automatic renewal, unless either party provides a minimum of six months formal notice to terminate the agreement at the end of its current term.
The Excise Commission has announced that all liquor shops and wine stores islandwide will be closed on Nov. 14 and 15 for the upcoming general elections.
Officials have been instructed to enforce regulations strictly and address any illegal operations during this period.
Indian full-service carrier Vistara will operate its last flight on Monday, after nine years in existence.
A joint venture between Singapore Airlines and the Tata Sons, Vistara will merge with Tata-owned Air India to form a single entity with an expanded network and broader fleet.
This means that all Vistara operations will be transferred to and managed by Air India, including helpdesk kiosks and ticketing offices. The process of migrating passengers with existing Vistara bookings and loyalty programmes to Air India has been under way over the past few months.
“As part of the merger process, meals, service ware and other soft elements have been upgraded and incorporates aspects of both Vistara and Air India,” an Air India spokesperson said in an email response.
Amid concerns that the merger could impact service standards, the Tatas have assured that Vistara’s in-flight experience will remain unchanged.
Known for its high ratings in food, service, and cabin quality, Vistara has built a loyal customer base and the decision to retire the Vistara brand has been criticised by fans, branding experts, and aviation analysts.
The consolidation was effectively done to clean up Vistara’s books and wipe out its losses, said Mark Martin, an aviation analyst.
Air India has essentially been “suckered into taking a loss-making airline” in a desperate move, he added.
“Mergers are meant to make airlines powerful. Never to wipe out losses or cover them.”
To be sure, both Air India and Vistara’s annual losses have reduced by more than half over the past year, and other operating metrics have improved too. But the merger process so far has been turbulent.
The exercise has been riddled with problems – from pilot shortages that have led to massive flight cancellations, to Vistara crew going on mass sick leave over plans to align their salary structures with Air India.
There have also been repeated complaints about poor service standards on Air India, including viral videos of broken seats and non-functioning inflight entertainment systems.
Minister Vijitha Herath has made a visit to the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Colombo to look into the complaints received with regards to the delays in SriLankan flights.
During the visit, the minister had visited various sections of the airport while engaging in cordial discussions with the staff.
Minister Herath has emphasized the need to create a special unit representing the airport and SriLankan Airlines at the airport premises to provide passengers with immediate updates on flight delays while operating 24 hours a day and to provide maximum facilities to passengers during the delays.
Also, authorities have been instructed to take measures to minimize these delays.