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Home » ColumnsSecond class treatment for Lankans at hotels, and now airports also
That a few tourist hotels treat Sri Lankans as second-class citizens has been a long talked of malaise in the country’s tourism industry. They are not allowed entry on one pretext or the other, while complaints to the authorities have often fallen on deaf ears. It is only when the hotels are empty that [...]
Our cricket legends remain untarnished
Dear Sanga and Mahela, I thought I must write to you because we saw both of you being asked to provide statements to the Police like some suspects in a criminal matter. That is after that chap Mahindananda made some foul accusations that the World Cup final in India nine years ago which you played [...]
Increasing balance of payments deficit eroding external reserves
The increasing balance of payments deficit will weaken the external reserves and increase the country’s external financial vulnerability. External reserves that were US$ 7.5 billion at the end of 2019 are falling likely to dip to below US$ 6 billion at the end of this year. A huge balance of payments deficit is likely this [...]
That match fixing mockery and the riddle of the Sphinx
What does the summoning of Sri Lanka’s celebrated cricketers to appear before a special investigation committee of the Ministry of Sports tasked to inquire into a wild allegation by a former Sports Minister that the 2011 ICC Word Cup cricket final was ‘fixed’ have in common with the ad hoc appointments of Task Forces and [...]
Tales from the past: When cricket was corruption-free
Wherever colonial Britain stamped its military footprint, it left several legacies in the territories it occupied. One might say that Ceylon was one of those that escaped relatively unscathed unlike India and some African colonies whose populations did suffer death and deprivation. Like the early trappings of representative government, there were other British legacies that [...]
Political circus over US$480m gift with love from Uncle Sam
If anyone thinks that America — or China or India for that matter — gives millions of dollars in foreign aid to Lanka out of an abundance of love and concern and without any strings attached that promote their countries own interest, one hasn’t the foggiest what is meant by ‘aint no such thing as [...]
Month to go for polls, campaigning still on low key due to pandemic
Health and Election Commission restrictions severely affect parties, drive them mainly to hi-tech mode President launches SLPP campaign at Anuradhapura, but directs that no candidate should carry his picture Major new crackdown on drug mafia and underworld gangs; but drug barons buy over police narcotics sleuths A highly unusual feature ahead of the August [...]
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