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Home » ColumnsAn officer and a gentleman to the damsel in distress
My dear Sarath, I had to write to you this week because you are making headlines in these difficult days of ‘lockdown’ or ‘travel restrictions’ as those in high places like to call it these days. This is in your role as the minister in charge of the Police – though some will say that [...]
Exports threatened by resurgence of COVID
Merchandise exports are likely to decline this year despite a revival of global demand. The resurgence of COVID, travel restrictions and the island-wide lockdown from May have restricted the capacity of industries to meet export orders. Consequently, merchandise exports that were expected to increase this year, are likely to fall. It is indeed unfortunate that [...]
More ‘classic’ tweets courtesy Foreign Ministry
The Foreign Ministry’s Media mandarins have added two more to their repertoire through recent tweets. One said, “Addressing the officers of French Navy ships Tonnerre and Surcous which called at the Port of Colombo today (June 7) Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage emphasised the context of Indo-Pacific strategy from Sri Lanka’s and India’s perspective.” [...]
Hard questions that the government must answer to an anarchic populace
Fast on its way to illustrating South Asia’s frightening object lesson on how to reduce one of the region’s oldest democracies to a dystopian nightmare of rampant disease, poverty and pathetically dependant people made to grovel for handouts, Sri Lanka’s unfortunate citizenry watch with surreal fascination this week as Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa blandly asks [...]
Crisis on all fronts: Govt. on the back foot
Facing controversies on multiple fronts, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP)-led Government would surely have been glad that this week’s Parliament sittings were limited to just Tuesday (8) owing to COVID-19 concerns. Nevertheless, for much of the day, the Government was forced to defend itself against attacks by the Opposition over its handling of key [...]
Inland oil leak nearly made capital run dry
With a container ship leaking dangerous chemicals on fire at sea for over 12 nerve-racking days despite the best efforts of the fire-fighting crew to extinguish its wind swept flames, a major disaster on land broke out last Friday night when oil stored in the tanks at the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery started to flow into [...]
Playing pandu with our diplomacy
So what are we — fish, flesh or fowl? Judging by what appears in the print and electronic media on happening in Sri Lanka we are foul, and fouled up badly. For years we thought we were the only Pearl in the Indian Ocean. Now another pearl — an X-Press one at that — has [...]
SJB frontliners claim “fictional” reasons prompted ‘confidence’ vote on Sajith’s leadership
Crisis within the largest opposition grouping continues as Premadasa seeks unwavering support EU Parliament adopts Sri Lanka resolution which portends the withdrawal of GSP plus tariffs Foreign Ministry misses another opportunity to present Sri Lanka’s viewpoint just like the UNHRC in Geneva COVID-19 pandemic takes a catastrophic turn with more deaths and afflictions as Government [...]
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