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Home » ColumnsPresidential cameraman snapped stealing camera at Dubai airport
It is the high respect in which President Mahinda Rajapaksa is held in Dubai that saved the day. A photographer of his media team, returning in the official entourage from visits to South Africa and Kenya, was caught red handed allegedly stealing a CCTV (video) camera worth more than Rs 300,000 (or around US$ 2325) from [...]
Speaker’s year-end blues over green-light for live telecasts
Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa made history of sorts during the month-long Budget debate, first by allowing live telecasts of parliamnetary proceedings via a cable network and secondly allowing people free access to the public galleries. But by Friday when the business of the House wound up for this year, he was having second thoughts about at [...]
Presidential poll likely in 2014 despite multitude of crises
President seriously concerned about budget defeats in local councils; law to be amended TNA-Northern Governor heading for showdown over budget; Rajapaksa, Sampanthan seek reconciliation EPDP going all out to colour wash Kamalendran scandal but causes more embarrassment to Govt President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday held out the prospect of a Presidential or Parliamentary election in [...]
The three sisters of the South
Dear Geetha, Anarkali and Nadeesha, I thought I must write to you when I heard that all three of you were planning to contest the Southern provincial council elections that are to be held soon. I was told that two of you would be running for the Blues while the other would be contesting from [...]
Who is to blame for shaming Sri Lanka?
A chance conversation this week reminded me forcefully as to why and how Sri Lanka’s problems of reconciliation between communities and indeed, of post-war understanding between social classes remain so hopelessly tangled. Excruciating angst of the middle class This was when a matron domiciled overseas took umbrage at demonstrators holding placards against the government at [...]
The Marx of a People’s Pope
In his Christmas message Pope Francis, who heads the Roman Catholic Church and its 1.2 billion followers, remembered “the poor, the hungry, people who are alone, the homeless, the marginalised, the war weary, and especially children.” The Argentine pontiff elected in March, the first to hail from Latin America, has in a short time made [...]
Improve trade balance to strengthen external finances
The recent improvement in export earnings provides an opportunity to strengthen external finances and reduce debt obligations. However, careful management of the trade and services account of the balance of payments is needed to not fritter away the gains of the improving export performance. These gains could be used to improve the long-term stability in [...]
Wanted: Code of Conduct for MPs
If the nagging questions over his marital strife which he said was shared by 95 per cent of this country’s people were not enough for him to handle for one week then questions as to his financial affairs raised in the same week concerning his purchases of many valuable properties were enough to make the [...]