By Rathindra Kuruwita Election monitoring body People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Friday said that the government was misusing state property at a time when a crucial election is only a few months away. PAFFREL executive director, Rohana Hettiarachchi said that the government has launched a number of initiatives aimed at the coming […]

by Rajan Philips May Day this week lived up to expectations as pregame to the presidential election that is expected before the end of October. Political parties strutted their wares and prospective candidates made their pitches. Little was said that was not already known but what was said by each contender does give clues to […]

May Day falling last week, as is very well known, has long lost its Labour Day intent and flavour certainly in this country, degenerating into the political carnival all Lankans are familiar with. With a presidential election due later this year, predictably the various contending parties made the occasion one of trying to demonstrate their […]

Japan Foreign Minister, Ms. Yōko Kamikawa, called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe this afternoon (4) at the Presidential Secretariat. Foreign Minister Kamikawa praised the President’s efforts to overcome the economic crisis, as well as pursuing an ambitious economic reforms agenda. During the discussions with President Wickremesinghe, Minister Yōko Kamikawa, stated her Government’s intention to ...

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry conveyed Sri Lanka s deep appreciation for the solidarity and assistance Japan has extended in the past years when the country was going through the unprecedented economic crisis.

Police in Canada have made arrests in the fatal 2023 shooting of prominent Sikh-Canadian activist Hardeep singh Nijar, months after authorities accused Indian government agents of being involved in the killing. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Canada’s westernmost province of British Columbia said on Friday afternoon that three people were arrested as part […]

By Rathindra Kuruwita The government is misusing state property at a time a crucial election is only a few months away, People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) has said. PAFFREL Executive Director, Rohana Hettiarachchi told The Island that the government had launched a number of initiatives, aimed at the anticipated presidential election. These […]

Sri Lanka s rupee, which suffered severe depreciation because of the island nation s unprecedented economic crisis since 2022, has started to make gains in comparison to other currencies, State Minister for Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said on Friday.

Friday 3rd May, 2024 Much is being spoken these days in Sri Lanka about voting intention surveys. Their findings are flaunted by some presidential aspirants in a bid to bolster their claims and counterclaims. But even those with a nodding acquaintance with psephology will see that it is too early to gauge popular support for […]

By Shamindra Ferdinando Former Environment Minister Zainul Abdeen Nazeer Ahamed who lost his Batticaloa district seat six months ago as a result of a landmark Supreme Court decision was yesterday (2) appointed as Governor of the North Western Province. One-time SLMC stalwart received the latest appointment courtesy the Wickremesinghe-Rajapakasa government. Ahamed received his letter of […]

TV news, much of newspapers, conversations at gatherings; even at invited dinner or lunch tables, very soon lead and land in the quagmire of Sri Lankan politics. This in spite of a likely change in the bigger picture being so many months hence – October 2024 the earliest -when an election will be held, most […]

by Dr B.J.C.Perera Specialist Consultant Paediatrician and Honorary Senior Fellow, Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. John Fitzgerald Kennedy or JFK was the 35th President of the United States of America. He served as President from 20th January 1961, until his assassination on 22nd November 1963. Though his presidency lasted only a […]

By Chaminda Silva President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday (May Day) urged the JVP-led NPP, the SJB and other political parties not to undermine ongoing economic recovery efforts. UNP leader Wickremesinghe said they were duty-bound to ensure the continuation of the measures taken since July 2022 to restore normalcy in the country. Addressing the UNP May Day […]

By Saman Indrajith JVP/NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday said that victory was assured for his party in any forthcoming election as they had won support, trust and confidence of more than 51 percent of the electors throughout the country. Dissanayake addressed two May Day rallies of the JVP/NPP in Matara and Colombo. He said: […]

Thursday 2nd May, 2024 The police have embarked on a campaign, parallel to their war on drugs, to clear busy intersections of beggars who solicit alms near traffic lights, causing much inconvenience to motorists. Scores of beggars have already been arrested and hauled up before courts for doing so, we are told. Sri Lankans drive […]