As torrential rains wreaked havoc in north India for another day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke with senior ministers and officials to take stock of the situation while Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge sought relief from the PM CARES Fund for the rain-hit states. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting to discuss […]

… warns of move to bring public finance under President’s thumb By Shamindra Ferdinando Dissident SLPP MP Prof. Charitha Herath says that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has interfered with the functioning of parliamentary committees in violation of Standing Order No 111. The former Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) warns of dire consequences of […]

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Udeni Kaluthantri, a 54-year-old port worker, became an overnight sensation last year for reasons that had nothing to do with his job. Days after protesters stormed the presidential palace in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, a video surfaced of Mr Kaluthantri lounging on a bed draped with the presidential flag. Pictures of young men jumping […]

Expressing his gratitude to Âtrustworthy friend India for saving Sri Lanka and preventing a Âbloodbath during its unprecedented economic crisis last year, Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has said that not a single nation has extended that kind of assistance to Colombo

By NESHELLA PERERA ECONOMYNEXT –Sri Lankan citizens aged more than 18 years will have to open tax files because they chose the country’s leaders by voting, which influence country’s policies, State Minister of Higher Education Minister Suren Raghavan said. After the sovereign debt crisis hit island

Chief Government Whip Urban Development and Housing Minister Prasanna Ranatunga told Parliament on Thursday that all 225 MPs in the House should bear the responsibility for the present plight of the country. “All these MPs have more or less contributed towards making this mess. As such it is not right to accuse only a single […]

By SHIHAR ANEEZ ECONOMYNEXT –Sri Lanka will discuss its bilateral debt restructuring process separately with China, but Beijing will be treated equally as the other bilateral lenders, the island nation’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said. Sri Lanka has already started negotiations with its bilateral lenders through Paris Club members and non-Paris Club members. China, however, has […]

India plans to allow Sri Lanka up to 12 years to repay its debt to help ease the financial burden on the country, India’s Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) Ltd’s Chairman-cum-Managing Director M. Senthilnathan said. Sri Lanka, facing its worst economic and political crisis in over seven

The French authorities are losing no time in ordering emergency funding for rectifying the material damage suffered by their country in the recent rioting and the swiftness with which this challenge is being undertaken needs to be lauded by the law-abiding the world over. However, the riots have brought to the fore issues relating to […]

Wednesday 5th July, 2023 The age-old saying, “Health is wealth”, has apparently taken on a whole new meaning in Sri Lanka, where the health sector has become a Golconda of sorts for some corrupt politicians, their bureaucratic lackeys, and the greedy private hospital mudalalis, who thrive on other people’s misery. These characters sans any sympathy […]

‘Forty MPs skipping DDO vote inexcusable’ By Shamindra Ferdinando Former Director, Administration of Parliament Lacille de Silva said that both Parliament and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) should reveal whether they were satisfied with the progress in the ongoing project funded by the latter to improve the parliamentary system. De Silva said that parliamentary […]

CP Chairman DEW G says lawmakers here should be aware of what is going on in the world. The Parliament cannot turn a blind eye to global developments, the former MP said, pointing out that the ongoing Ukrainian crisis underscored the need for greater understanding of international affairs

Parliament disregarded COPE recommendation for PSC By Shamindra Ferdinando Eksath Janaraja Peramuna (EJP) leader and SJB MP Patali Champika Ranawaka, MP, has called for the setting up of a special commission to investigate those who bankrupted the economy.  Ranawaka said that those who had served as Finance Ministers, Governors of the Central Bank and members of the […]

By Shamala Kumar I began thinking about this article when the Kuppi Collective began studying the government’s plans to enact labour reforms. We had initiated discussions with others, including academics, to understand the situation and quickly realised the highly controversial nature of these reforms and their potentially serious repercussions. Yet, hardly any debate regarding these […]

Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong says that many nations in the world, including China and Sri Lanka, are still suffering under the yoke of neo-colonialism and hegemonism. Speaking during a visit to the Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya, AmbassadorQi said China firmly upholds international fair play and justice, advocates the practice of true multilateralism, takes […]