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Home » ColumnsLanka’s Penny NY’s ambassador to the world
When New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio wanted a new Commissioner for International Affairs, he turned to Sri Lankan-born Penny Abeywardena who will serve as the primary liaison between the city and the diplomatic community. Her interaction will also include foreign governments, the United Nations and the US State Department. A former Director of [...]
As crucial election nears, main candidates gear up for final lap
Fonseka rejects offers from UPFA, works out new deal with NDF leaders Rajapaksa presents manifesto as postal voting takes place; works out constitutional changes Sirisena claims Rs. 2. 5b from Attanayake; SLMC to announce decision today The man who led troops to victory against Tiger guerrillas, former General Sarath Fonseka, caused some alarm on Thursday [...]
Politically, he is precious Muthu
My dear Muthu, I thought I must write to you because the entire country is talking about you these days even though you are only a mere deputy minister in a government that has nearly seventy ministers and most people hadn’t even heard of you until a few days ago. I also hope this letter reaches [...]
October’s large trade deficit dispels prospect of better trade performance in 2014
Sri Lanka’s trade performance in October is disappointing and disturbing. Exports decreased by 13.7 per cent, import expenditure increased by 25.6 per cent and the trade deficit widened by 141 per cent compared to that of October last year. If this deterioration continues in the last two months of the year, the trade deficit is [...]
Open public defiance has beaten the ‘white van’ culture
Oscar Wilde’s bitingly satirical remark that ‘high hopes were once formed of democracy’ but this has come to mean simply ‘the bludgeoning of the people, by the people, for the people,’ could not be better suited for Sri Lanka’s election processes. Nature of the electoral push Nevertheless and despite being bludgeoned by bloody conflicts, grave [...]
Is Maithri being used?
The presidential election campaign has moved into high gear with both the Government and opposition engaged in a hectic schedule of public rallies across the country. A high degree of public interest is evident, going by the crowds that pack the venues of both camps, come rain or shine. All of this points to a [...]
Saturn’s rings of fear strike terror into astro besotted lankan hearts
On the second of November, after thirty years of voyaging the twelve constellations, the most-feared planet in the astrological sphere, Saturn, moved into the house of Scorpio, home of the zodiac’s war lord Mars. Lying more than 1,200,000,000 kilometres away from Earth, the transit of Saturn from the constellation Libra into Scorpio may only amount [...]
Frauds, fraudsters and global crime busters
As the presidential election campaign heads inexorably (one hopes) towards a peaceful (more hopes here) denouement in less than two weeks from now, with a crossover here and a double-cross there, it is punctuated now and then by an element of farce that adds some light relief to the growing acrimony. The scene at times [...]