Pakistan has confirmed that it is charging an $830 fee from undocumented refugees who want to leave the country. The exit fee applies to people who arrived without a visa. In October Pakistan announced that it would deport 1.7 million undocumented foreigners from the country if they did not leave by 1 November. Most are […]

demands that govt. adhere to Fiscal Management (Responsibility) Act By Shamindra Ferdinando Rebel SLPP MP Gevindu Cumaratunga yesterday (23) said that Sri Lanka should be concerned about external interventions in the judiciary.MP Cumaratunga told The Island that without any malicious intent, on behalf of the Nidahasa Janatha Sabhawa he raised the issue at hand in […]

Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment  Manusha Nanayakkara at a press briefing convened today (17), at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC), under the theme ‘One Way to a Stable Country’ said that incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe will contest the next Presidential Election as a common candidate. He reiterated that President Wickremesinghe accepted the challenge to […]

Here’s a quick recap of what has been learned about the hostage release agreement announced by Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari: A pause in fighting will begin at 7am local time on Friday, both north and south of the Gaza Strip 13 hostages will be released at approximately 4pm All those to be released […]

Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment, Manusha Nanayakkara, has revealed that the Ministry has received over 10,000 applications to work on Israeli farms.

The Ministry of Mass Media has decided to bring down the existing charges applicable to obtain a licence for the public exhibition of foreign films.

By Shamindra Ferdinando Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, yesterday said that Parliament like other institutions should bear responsibility for the unprecedented economic crisis caused during President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s administration. Minister Sabry said so when The Island sought his response as regards the responsibility of Parliament for the developing situation against the backdrop of the cou...

The abstention from voting recently by some foremost powers of the vital UN Security Council on a crucial resolution relating to the wellbeing of the people of the Gaza Strip, helped focus on the vexatious issues central to the Israel-Hamas war which are driving the world apart. The abstention from voting by the US, Russia […]

By Rathindra Kuruwita Historically, Sri Lankan governments have failed to reduce the budget deficit, SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne says. Sri Lankan governments have consistently looked at maximising revenue but paid minimal attention to curtailing expenditure, MP Wickramaratne has said. Even the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had not factored in state expenditures when the latest bailout […]

The four-day pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas will begin at 10am on Thursday, Hamas says. Israel has not yet commented on when the pause will begin, but Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said he expected the first hostages to be received on Thursday (23) Under the agreement, 50 Israeli hostages taken by Hamas will […]

Minister of Foreign Affairs President s Counsel Ali Sabry has emphasised the imperative need for a comprehensive, long-term targeted program as the primary solution to address the economic crisis facing the country.

Minister of Foreign Affairs President’s Counsel Ali Sabry at press briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC), today (22) under the theme ‘One Way to a Stable Country’ said that  a comprehensive, long-term targeted program was the only solution to address the economic crisis the country is facing at the moment. He said that […]

By Shamindra Ferdinando Top SJB spokesman Dr. Harsha de Silva on Monday (20) dismissed Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe’s claim that well over USD 56.5 bn had been parked overseas by some exporters. Dr. de Silva also contradicted claims made by rebel SLPP MPs Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Wimal Weerawansa and Gevindu Cumaratunga on the matter. The […]

Budget 2024: Govt. counts on MR to deliver required votes By Shamindra Ferdinando State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya yesterday (21) warned that President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s economic recovery plans would be derailed and the country would again plunge into crisis if the Opposition succeeded in defeating the 2024 Budget. The Kegalle District MP asserted that even […]

By C. A. Chandraprema The judgement delivered by a divided five-member bench of the Supreme Court with regard to two fundamental rights cases numbered 195/2022 and 212/2022 filed by several individuals including Mahim Mendis, Chandra Jayaratne, Julian Bolling and the NGO Transparency International has stirred up a political storm. The majority judgment was delivered by […]

by Ahilan Kadirgamar Sri Lanka is going through its worst economic crisis since the 1930s, and the stabilisation policies of the Government could drastically change the political economic landscape of the country. Amidst these changes underway, education more broadly and the university system in particular, have come under considerable strain. In this column, I analyse […]

Tuesday 21st November, 2023 Has the government begun to realise the futility of defending the indefensible? It has chosen to heed strident calls being made for action against the corrupt who are enriching themselves by endangering the lives of patients and causing enormous losses to the state coffers. After weeks of dilly-dallying, the CID has […]

Budget 2024 is like a fairy tale rather than a pragmatic solution to pressing economic issues, SLPP MP Dr. Nalaka Godahewa has said. Taking part in the current budget debate, former State Minister said: “Two paramount challenges loom large—the persistent economic contraction and the escalating national debt. A practical budget should provide answers to these […]