In the sun-kissed paradise of the Maldives, where azure waters meet golden shores, a cloud of uncertainty looms over the political landscape. President Mohamed Muizzu, once hailed as a beacon of hope for the nation’s future, now finds himself navigating treacherous waters, buffeted by the winds of discontent and economic strain. The recent opening session […]

The Mannar Wind Energy Controversy Ifham Nizam of The Island interviews Conservationist Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda  The government must have an open and transparent bidding process, says foremost Biodiversity Expert cum Electrical Engineer Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda.Speaking to The Island about the proposed wind power project in Mannar by Adani Wind Energy (Sri Lanka) Limited, he stressed: […]

By Rathindra Kuruwita Sri Lankan environmental groups are intensifying their campaign against the proposed Adani wind farm in Mannar. They have accused the Sri Lankan political parties of having ignored the the disastrous environmental, social and economic implications of the Adani wind farm to be established in Mannar. Prominent among the senior environmentalists and scientists […]

Peter Breuer, Chief of IMF Mission to Sri Lanka has claimed that the Sri Lankan economy is showing signs of progress. The monetary and fiscal measures like tax increases and particularly the debt moratorium may have resulted in giving some breathing space for the country to recover from the period of extreme hardship caused by […]

By Neville Ladduwahetty During President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s India visit in July 2023, five Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) were signed by India and Sri Lanka to establish physical connections between the two countries. This was followed more recently by the launch of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) – a mechanism that claims to reduce the cost […]

Romanian Ambassador Doamna Arhire has informed Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena that Romania would sign an agreement with Sri Lanka to avoid double taxation to boost the bilateral trade between the two countries. Ambassador Arhire called on Prime Minister Gunawardena at Temple Trees on Monday (26). PM Gunawardena and the Romanian envoy discussed the long-standing bilateral […]

India’s interim budget focus on poor, youth, farmers and women will not only uplift more than 60 percent of the population in India but also have a spillover effect in South Asia. It sets an example for the developing countries to uplift the downtrodden, facilitate the youth, farmers and empower the women. Overall, it will […]

Monday 26th February, 2024 Sri Lanka is a nation in the hara-kiri mode. It needs no enemies; it has become its worst enemy. It continues to maintain a bunch of failed, corrupt politicians and their bureaucratic lackeys responsible for ruining the economy and hell-bent on degrading vital national assets which they are planning to dispose […]

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya spoke to WION’s diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal on the sidelines of Raisina Dialogue 2024 in New Delhi.Balasuriya weighed in on several issues ranging from the India-Lanka relationship, Colombo’s ties with China, tourism, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), and more. While speaking on China, Balasuriya said that “both countries [&...

By Rathindra Kuruwita Until Sri Lanka has access to international money markets, which will allow it to ensure there are no short-term dollar shortages, relaxing the restrictions on vehicle imports is out of the question, Professor in Economics at the Department of Economics at Colombo University, Dr. Priyanga Dunusinghe, said. Even then, relaxing vehicle imports […]

Following Iranian FM’s visit The Foreign Ministry said yesterday that Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, during high level meetings in Colombo this week, expressed hope that with this trip, the bilateral ties in all fields, including political, economic, commercial, and tourism, would be expanded. Amirabdollahian was here at the official invitation of the Sri Lankan […]

Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has reaffirmed Iran s dedication to fostering tourism to Sri Lanka and strengthening cultural ties between the two nations.

Manusha accuses Wimal of having taken parts of Fernando’s speech out of context By Saman Indrajith Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara told NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa in Parliament to refrain from taking chunks of others’ speeches out of context and misinterpreting them for political mileage. The Minister said so following concerns raised by […]

The Maldives is a strategically important nation in the Indian Ocean, now facing a high risk of debt distress due to its increasing proximity to China. The IMF has warned the Maldives that it needs to make urgent policy changes to avoid falling into debt. The Maldivian economy, which is heavily reliant on tourism, suffered […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the Tangalle and Galle areas today (17) to assess the tourism industry.  The President’s itinerary included visits to tourist hotspots such as Seenimodara, Dikwella, Nilwella, Hiriketiya, Weligama, and Habaraduwa, as well as the Weligama Surf School along the south coast, where he assessed their activities firsthand. At the Unawatuna Tourism Zone, […]

By Shamindra Ferdinando National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa says the proposed Economic and Technology Co-operation Agreement (ETCA) with India should be examined in the context of India’s geopolitical strategy in respect of Sri Lanka. Referring to a recent declaration by SLPP MP Rear Admiral (retd.) Sarath Weerasekera that the government parliamentary group hadn’t […]

Indian media has reported that Sri Lanka’s minister for tourism,  sports, and youth affairs, Harin Fernando, who is attending the OTM travel show in Mumbai,  said that the Adani Group is negotiating with Sri Lankan authorities to manage three airports in the island nation, including its premier international gateway, Bandarnaike International Airport in Colombo. Other […]