(Excerpted from volume ii of the Sarath Amunugama autobiography) During one of my visits to Colombo I got a call to see the President at ‘Breamar’. Gamini Dissanayake had told him of my friendship with Parathasarathy and he wanted me to help him repair the damage done to their friendship due to the abuse heaped […]

In response to a severe debt crisis, the Sri Lankan government is taking prompt action to address the situation. One of the key measures being taken is the expediting of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with China. Alongside this, Sri Lanka has expressed a strong interest in joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which […]

Sri Lanka born international economist Dr. Howard Nicholas of Erasmus University, Netherlands has categorically stated that Sri Lanka must not adopt the IMF recommendations on monetary policy for it has no rational basis and evidence of success anywhere in the world. Coming from a Western based economist that provides a lot of food for thought […]

Some diplomats in China say they are facing heightened scrutiny and interference from Chinese authorities, which is thwarting foreign officials’ efforts to re-engage with the country after three years of COVID-induced isolation. Twenty envoys from 12 Western and Asian delegations told Reuters that in recent months they had noticed larger police presences around some diplomatic […]

The economic and political landscape of Nepal is currently facing a dual assault from its neighbor, China. As the country grapples with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, the once-thriving Tatopani market stands as a somber reminder of the destructive power of nature. However, the decline of this border town is not solely due to […]

Through the eyes of Sena Thoradeniya: Sena Thoradeniya discussed successful US operations here taking into similar interventions in the past and present. The examination of the Egyptian and Iranian scenarios is surely useful. Those genuinely concerned about what went wrong for Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who didn’t really receive the backing of any section of the international […]

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 […]

When the five days long stretch of holidays ended last week and the Colombo bourse reopened for trading on Tuesday, the market surged 6.71 percent (633.69 points up) on the broad All Share Price Index (ASPI) while the Standard and Poor SL 20 index covering the 20 largest and more liquid companies quoted on the […]

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 decades, owes $7.1 billion to bilateral creditors— $3 […]

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 as the rapid developments taking place with […]

by Jehan Perera President Ranil Wickremesinghe notched up another achievement when Parliament ratified the Domestic Debt Restructuring (DDR) programme with a majority of 60 votes, with 122 members voting for and 62 against, with 40 abstentions. Parliamentarians who would need to think about their re-election prospects would have been reluctant to vote for a programme […]

Sri Lankan state can’t allow even a small bank to collapse because that will trigger a bank run with a devastating impact on the economy. Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka CBSL) Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said, on Thursday night, taking part in a televised discussion. Dr. Weerasinghe

The muted, panicked voice came through the phone of a friend who croaked she was very confidentially warning Cassandra and advising her. Yours truly was immediately panic infected. With deep emphasis and concern the friend took her time to advise that Cass withdraws all money from banks. Cass was for once glad she was poor […]

by reforming the economy and also aiming at a ‘highly efficient […]