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Home » ColumnsTermination deal: SriLankan pays more than the bond issue loss
The country’s national carrier SriLankan Airlines, now in a deep financial crisis, will make its last instalment payment — the penalty for cancelling an order for three Airbus A 350–900 aircraft — this month. There is an irony over this total payment of US$ 146.5 million (more than a staggering Rs 22.4 billion), technically termed [...]
Special features in updated draft of new Constitution
UNP, SLFP wait for each other’s response on whether executive presidency should be retained Three options for election of PM – direct elections, pre-nomination or Westminster model Compromise policy proposed on land and police powers, but JHU opposes it ‘JO’ wants unitary state provision maintained, but minority parties seek ‘United Sri Lanka’ provision By Our [...]
For better or worse
My dear Theresa May, I thought of writing to you because I thought I should congratulate you on your party emerging as the largest party at your general election – although you didn’t win even a simple majority and in fact lost more than a dozen seats. You kept your own job – at least [...]
Economic consequences of drought and floods: Prevention better than disaster management
The human tragedies of this year’s floods, landslides and other natural disasters are immeasurable. This year’s floods that destroyed more than 200 lives and thousands of dwellings and last year’s prolonged drought had economic costs and severe economic repercussions. These natural disasters had adverse consequences on the economy much beyond their direct impact on agricultural [...]
Sri Lanka’s squeaking mouse of disaster management
The profound disgust felt by citizens of this country towards elected representatives on both sides of the political divide is without a doubt. This week’s adjournment debate in Parliament on the deaths and misery caused by recent catastrophic floods in the country reinforces that disgust. Reducing Sri Lankans to beggars What surfaced predominantly were cheap [...]
Trump crushes Paris bloom as he leads world to Armageddon
The earth is on the boil but US President puts America First American President Donald Trump came to power against all odds. For a man who never held government office, who didn’t have the vital support of his own Republican hierarchy, who had the media barking at every turn against his every word and exposing [...]
Mayhem as May’s polls gamble backfires
There is an old saying that those who dare win. Some attribute the saying to Winston Churchill. Whether it was Britain’s wartime Conservative prime minister who originally said this or not, it matters not. Britain’s Theresa May put it to the test when she called a snap election and dared the nation to give her [...]