By Norman Palihawadane The CID is investigating a human trafficking network enabling Lankan ex servicemen to fight as mercenaries in both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war, Police headquarters sources said on Friday. According to information confirmed by the investigators, at least five such mercenaries have been killed in the fighting. There were two confirmed deaths […]

The executive board of the International Monetary Fund confirmed a deal with Egypt to increase its bailout loan from $3 billion to $8 billion, in a move that is meant to shore up the Arab country s economy which is hit by a staggering shortage of foreign currency and soaring inflation.

Expolanka Holdings PLC announced that resolutions were duly approved by the shareholders of the company at an Extraordinary General Meeting held on March 27, 2024. The company’s shareholders approved the delisting of the ordinary shares of Expolanka Holdings PLC from the official list of the Colombo Stock Exchange. This decision is subject to the approval […]

The conflict between the USA and the USSR, during the era of the Cold War, had far-reaching consequences that extended beyond their borders, with Syria being one of the nations caught in the crossfire. Over the past decade, Syrians have endured the complexities of political manoeuvring amidst a backdrop of socio-political and humanitarian challenges. Additionally, […]

The bodies of two people have been recovered from a red pickup truck, which was under water where the Baltimore bridge collapsed. Eight construction workers were on the bridge when a ship struck it, plunging them into the waters below. Two of the workers were rescued on the day, but the search continues for the […]

Sri Lankan businesses must look beyond the surface to design Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategies that consider broader complexities, if they are to achieve tangible and transformative business results and greater social harmony, says a new landmark report that provides recommendations for businesses to harness the potential of DEI. The new report “Unlocking the […]

Speaker: ‘What is there to investigate?’ By Shamindra Ferdinando Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga yesterday (26) said that against the backdrop of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s recent disclosure of a powerful foreign role in the violent public protest campaign that overthrew President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, re-examination of May 09/10 and July 09/14 events was necessary...

Complains that funding cuts have reduced schools to mere shells By Rathindra Kuruwita The systematic and sustained reduction of funds allocated for education has degraded education provided by schools, and even ‘popular’ schools, to mere husks of what they once were, convenor of the Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) Madushan Chandrajith said. “There is a question...

Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday (26) said that it would be the responsibility of the government to look into Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s statement. The Chairman of the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) said he couldn’t comment on the issue as he was a private citizen. The former Speaker said so when The Island […]

7Prof. Nalin de Silva, in his latest article, shared on social media, underscored the need to thoroughly examine what he called grave disclosure made by Speaker Abeywardena, pertaining to Western and Indian role in ousting President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to Myanmar, during Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Presidency, explained how those who manipulated the crisis […]

There has been a delay in finalising the unit cost for the proposed 500 Mw wind power project initiated by India’s Adani Group. This is surprising and disturbing as there was a news item that the Cabinet had approved the payment of US dollar cents 14.6 per unit, nearly Rs. 50 in our local currency, […]

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation to invite expressions of interest and proposals from qualified domestic and foreign institutions to promote the registration of ships under the Sri Lankan flag and to select the most suitable institutions on the recommendation of the Procurement Committee, consequent […]

India considers Arunachal Pradesh to be an essential part of the country and insists that using different names for the area does not change the fact that it belongs to India, writes Dr. Maheep In a clear statement on Wednesday, the U.S. State Department confirmed that the U.S. government considers Arunachal Pradesh to be an […]

The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal forwarded by the Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment to increase the national minimum salary by Rs. 5,000/- from Rs. 12,500/- to Rs. 17,500/- and to revise the employees’ national minimum wages act No. 3 of 2016 so that national minimum daily salary can be increased […]

Tuesday 26th March, 2024 Former President Maithripala Sirisena, who declared last Friday that he was aware of the identity of the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks, made a statement to the CID yesterday. His political opponents are baying for his blood; among them are those who were in the Yahapalana government at the […]

Fergus Cumming, Deputy Chief Economist of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), concluded a three-day visit to Colombo from 18 to 20 March, British High Commission said in a statement. Fergus engaged in constructive discussions with key stakeholders, including the State Minister of Finance, Central Bank Governor, IMF Representatives, Diplomatic counterparts, opposition parties, ...