Sri Lanka s economy showed significant growth more than anticipated in the first quarter, marking a strong recovery from a severe foreign exchange crisis.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that a pre-feasibility study for a land connection between Sri Lanka and India has been completed, and a full feasibility study will be conducted in the near future, the President’s Media Division said. The President stated so when he met with Most Rev. Dr. Fidelis Lionel Emmanuel Fernando, the Bishop […]

by Amal JAYASINGHE (AFP) When Sri Lanka’s economy crashed in 2022, people sought work abroad wherever they could find it — including ex-soldiers who joined forces fighting in Ukraine after Russia’s invasion. Now the veterans — some of whom swapped their life savings for what they thought would be lucrative, non-combat jobs — are desperate […]

Washington (District of Columbia, United States) The International Monetary Fund released $336 million as part of a bailout loan instalment for Sri Lanka despite delays in the crucial restructuring of its foreign debt, including to China, the Washington-based lender said Wednesday. The South Asian nation was starting to recover, but the economy was “still vulnerable and the path […]

Chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security retired Vice Admiral Sarath Weerasekera has said an external mechanism is in place to prepare the ground for a war crimes probe against the Sri Lankan military and those who provided political leadership for the country’s war on terror. Addressing the last SOC held in the Parliamentary complex, […]

Saturday 15th June, 2024 The Sri Lanka police are known for their efficiency, which is unfortunately selective in most cases. They swing into action and make arrests in double quick time when lawbreakers happen to be ordinary people. They even act on social media videos—and rightly so—in arresting suspects. A few weeks ago, they swooped […]

Friday 14th June, 2024 The US presidential race has taken another dramatic turn with a federal jury finding President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, guilty of having illegally purchased and possessed a gun while being addicted to crack cocaine. A sentencing date has not yet been set. The offence carries a prison term. Hunter is reportedly […]

Nepal, which earlier hesitated to completely pivot towards China because of several economic and geopolitical factors, seems to have tilted heavily towards its big northern neighbor, giving it an opportunity to further increase its footprint in the Himalayan country’s political, economic, and social space. Yet what concerns Nepal watchers the most is the Himalayan nation’s […]

In the wake of the SLPP reiterating its commitment to President Wickremesinghe, two groups of MPs – New Alliance and the SLFP among the ruling party – announced their partnership at a meeting held at Ambalantota on Saturday (08). Among the lawmakers present were Leader of the House Susil Premjayantha, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, Trade […]

Monday 10th June, 2024 Presidential candidates of the SJB and the JVP-led NPP, Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, respectively, have chosen to sprint even before the commencement of the next presidential race, which is a marathon, wherein one has to pace oneself skilfully to prevent fatigue and maintain momentum. The two sides have been […]

The Ceylon tea industry, a vital component of the national economy, is under immense pressure from the proposed 700 Rupee wage increase for tea estate workers. While it is said that the intention behind the wage hike is to improve worker livelihoods, industry experts refer this as a pure political move aimed at gaining the […]

by ACB Pethiyagoda A desire to visit Burma (Myanmar since 1989) having seen the film ‘The Story of Dr. Wossell’ as a school boy was fulfilled recently. The film was about a dedicated British Army Medical Officer who during World War II fell in love with the country and more deeply with a lithesome and […]

Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement By Gomi Senadhira [email protected] “You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the […]