The Sri Lankan government is set to unveil a new standard operating procedure (SOP) for visits by foreign ships or aircraft, including military assets, as part of efforts to address India s concerns over port calls by Chinese vessels, people familiar with the matter said.

Fitch Ratings upgraded Sri Lanka’s Long-Term Local-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘CCC-‘ from ‘RD’ (Restricted Default), in its latest report.Fitch typically does not assign Outlooks to sovereigns with a rating of ‘CCC+’ or below. The Long-Term Foreign-Currency IDR has been affirmed at ‘RD’ and the Country Ceiling at ‘B-‘. ...

By Rathindra Kuruwita The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) central committee, on Wednesday (27), decided to take legal action against any unlawful attempts by the government to harass doctors who are leaving the country, Secretary of the GMOA, Dr. Haritha Aluthge said. Dr. Aluthge told The Island that the GMOA had been asking the government, […]

The International Monetary Fund did not reach a staff-level agreement with Sri Lanka in its first review under a $2.9bn bailout package, due to a potential shortfall in government revenue generation, Al Jazeera has reported, quoting the lender. Speaking after a two-week visit to the country, IMF delegation head Peter Breuer on Wednesday said a […]

There was a pall of silence over who accompanied our President to the Big Apple for the Big Meeting of the United Nations. Hence our curiosity was roused, minds scratched around for news. Cassandra WhatsApped a good friend of hers now living in California and asked her whether she knew who accompanied our Prez. We […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe delivering the opening speech at the ‘Berlin Global’ Dialogue in Berlin, Germany, today (28), expressed the need for a comprehensive dialogue between Western nations and China, the United States of America and China and the European Union and China, as a critical component of a robust international plan capable of addressing the […]

Fitch Ratings has upgraded Sri Lanka s Long-Term Local-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to CCC- from RD (Restricted Default). Fitch typically does not assign Outlooks to sovereigns with a rating of CCC+ or below. The Long-Term Foreign-Currency IDR has been affirmed at RD and the Country Ceiling at B- .

By Shamindra Ferdinando Chairman of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on National Security, Rear Admiral (retd.) Sarath Weerasekera has told Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena that the US should not deny a visa to an MP nominated by the Sri Lankan Parliament to join an official delegation unless he/she posed a threat to US interests. In a […]

The expanded Board of Management of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKI) met recently, presided over by Foreign Minister M. U. M. Ali Sabry, in his capacity as the ex officio chairman of LKI. The meeting took place in the wake of Foreign Minister naming four new members to the […]

Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) announced yesterday that daily tourist arrivals averaged 3,700. It said the millionth tourist for the year had arrived in the country on Tuesday (26). Sri Lanka has recorded 88,883 foreign tourist arrivals for the month by 26 September and earned Rs 416 billion from tourism during the first eight […]

Minister of State for Tourism Diana Gamage announced plans to launch promotional campaigns aimed at attracting 1.5 million foreign tourists to Sri Lanka by the year s end.

Minister of State for Tourism Mrs. Diana Gamage at a press conference themed ‘Collective path to a stable country’ at the Presidential Media Centre today (27) announced plans to launch promotional campaigns aimed at attracting 1.5 million foreign tourists to Sri Lanka by the year’s end. She emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety […]

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry on Monday (25) said that terrorists had found safe haven in Canada and the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had come out with the outrageous allegations against India without any proof. Sabry was reacting to the ongoing diplomatic row between India and Canada. Speaking exclusively to ANI, Sabry said he was […]

India consulted, concerns raised by US Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, has denied that the government granted permission for Chinese research vessel Shi Yan 6 to visit the Colombo port late next month. Sabry told the media in New York on Monday (26) that Colombo had not given permission for the Chinese vessel to dock. […]

About 40 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) contracts suspended due to the economic crisis would be re-contracted as foreign investors had expressed their willingness to do so, Investment Promotion State Minister Dilum Amunugama said on Monday (25) in Kandy. Amunugama said the government expected to attract about 2 billion US dollars this year as FDIs. The […]