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Home » ColumnsHospital room for anti-Govt politicos
The news of the release of Muslim-Tamil Alliance leader Azath Sally was broken by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday. He told Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem, “I have just made the order today to release Sally.” Near the Minister of Justice were Attorney General Palitha Fernando and Police Chief N.K. Illangakoon. The occasion [...]
A country of uncommon wealth and corruption
My Dear Prince Charles, I thought I must write to you when I heard that you would be visiting our country for the Commonwealth summit in November this year instead of your mother, who we were told, does not undertake long journeys away from your country anymore. Firstly, the news must have come as a great [...]
The staggering deals for the showpiece summit
Lanka may buy 50 RR limousines at Rs. 37.8 million each, Rolls Royce faces corruption charges on others fionts India to get clearance for US$ 500 million Trincomalee power project despite objections by Minister Ranawaka and engineers 19th Amendment being drafted, TNA won’t take part in polls if land, police powers are taken away For [...]
US agreement with the Maldives – making ripples in the Indian Ocean?
Michelle Sison, the US ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, recently went on record on ‘Twitter’ to say that the US had no plans for establishing a military base in the Maldives. This was in response to a question from a journalist from the Maldivian news website, ‘Haveeru online,’ relating to the ‘Status of [...]
Trade deficit: Light at the end of the trade tunnel?
The reduction in the trade deficit in February and in the first two months of the year lends a glimmer of hope that there could be a significant reduction in the trade deficit this year. The trade gap decreased by 20 percent in the first two months this year -it was US$ 1.79 billion during [...]
We are perfectly entitled to be antagonistic towards the Government
So is humiliating or being antagonistic towards the Government the latest excuse that will be used to invoke the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA, 1979) against critics? This question is unfortunately self-explanatory as we entered into the theatre of profound absurdity last week with the PTA detention order arresting dissenting Muslim politician Azath Salley inter [...]
‘No Confidence’ motion highlights need to safeguard SL migrant workers’ rights
UNP draws fire and token support as it dutifully loses its head over a debatable exercise in futility The debate on the ‘No Confidence’ motion against Foreign Employment Promotion Minister Dilan Perera, over the execution of housemaid Rizana Nafeek, was another opportunity to reflect on the plight of thousands of Sri Lankans employed in the [...]