The Sunday Times Columns - Sunday, December 24, 2006

	Political Column
	Politics of party revolt
	By Our Political Editor
	If the people of Sri Lanka thought that UNESCO, the United Nations agency working for the upliftment of children's education and welfare, as well as the protection of cultural heritages and defence of media freedom worldwide, had spared them of any more of former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, then last week's news that UNESCO had in fact now suspended her proposed consultancy with it must have come as a devastating blow to them.
	5th Column
	Gifts for all good and bad this Christmas from Santa
	By Rypvanwinkle
	My Dear Santa Claus,
	Situation Report
	Not published with this issue
	By Iqbal Athas

	The Economic Analysis
	It’s a blue, blue Christmas without peace
	By the Economist
	Christmas Eve is a day of happy events and of glad tidings of great joy. It is a time to reflect on the Prince of Peace. However on this Christmas Eve it is in fact difficult to summon up tidings of gladness. Peace is remote and the economy is on the verge of a serious crisis.
	Thoughts form London
	Corrupt politicians are found in the West and rich countries too
	By Neville de Silva
	It is one of those myths usually propagated by western governments and western media that rampant corruption among politicians in the developing countries is what makes good governance impossible.
	Issue of the week
	Not published with this issue
	By Ameen Izzadeen

	Focus on Rights
	Is the JSA ignoring the beam in its own eye?
	By Kishali Pinto Jayawardena
	The recent call by the Judicial Services Association (JSA) to resume implementation of the death penalty, apparently in order "to restore public confidence in the judiciary" is in the best traditions of looking at the mote in another's eye while ignoring the beam in one's own.
	Lobby
	Not published with this issue
	By Chandani Kirinde, Our Lobby Correspondent

	Inside the glass house
	Lanka mends fences with Palestine as UN envoy lashes out at Israel
	By Thalif Deen at the united nations
	NEW YORK - After its political faux pas last month in temporarily abandoning its seat in the General Assembly during a crucial vote on Palestine, Sri Lanka is now bending over backwards to show its support and solidarity to a cause that successive governments in Colombo have advocated from time immemorial.