The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the second review under the 48-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement, allowing the authorities to draw SDR 254 million (about US$336 million). This brings the total IMF financial support disbursed so far to SDR 762 million (about US$1 billion). The Executive Board also concluded the […]

Twenty newly recruited officers to the Sri Lanka Foreign Service were welcomed to the Ministry by Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane on Tuesday (11). The Foreign Secretary highlighted the important role of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service (SLFS) and the special responsibilities of all officers as public servants. She referred to the skills required in the […]

A joint search operation conducted by the Navy and the STF in the Podiweekumbura area of Ragama last Tuesday 11) led to the arrest of a person with about 4,600 foreign cigarettes. The Navy identified the suspect as a resident of the area, aged 28. The suspect along with the contraband was handed over to […]

Ambassador comments on 2024 prez poll Russian Ambassador Levan Dzhagaryan said that regardless of the outcome of the presidential election later this year in Sri Lanka, the Russian Federation expected the new government to continue with what he called independent neutral foreign policy and preserve the continuity in friendly relations with Russia. Declaring that Russia […]

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved Sri Lanka s second review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme, paving the way for the country to receive the third tranche of around USD 330 million, Sri Lanka s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said.

Muslim pilgrims have been streaming into Saudi Arabia s holy city of Mecca ahead of the start of the Hajj later this week, as the annual pilgrimage returns to its monumental scale.

Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, addressing a press briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre today (12) under the theme “Collective Path to a Stable Country” announced plans to enact approximately 15 crucial laws in the upcoming weeks. Highlighting progress, he noted that over the past 18 months, around […]

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry, delivering his statement at the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting, stated that Global South should collectively address global challenges of climate change, debt burden and food security, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Moscow said in a statement.

Sri Lanka s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry, who is currently in Russia to take part in the BRICS ministerial meeting has met with the Foreign Ministers of Thailand, China, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Iran and Russia and discussed bilateral relations.

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 […]

Director-General of the International Labour Organisation Gilbert F. Houngbo has lauded the Sri Lankan government’s recent move to grant a 70 percent salary increment to plantation sector workers. Houngbo commended the government for increasing the estate workers’ salaries when Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara met him on the sidelines of the Annual International Lab...

Issue of Lankan mercenaries fighting for Kyiv ignored – Russian envoy in Colombo War in Ukraine: By Norman Palihawadane The Sri Lankan Embassy in Moscow said yesterday that Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, who is currently in Russia to participate in the BRICS 2024 Foreign Ministerial Session with developing countries, had a bilateral meeting with Russian […]

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 […]

By Prasanna Brahmana Arrangements are being made to hold a fellowship night of the Buddhist Overseas Tour organizers’ Association next Saturday at the Ramada Hotel in Gorakana, Moratuwa. The annual meeting of the Association could not be held for the past few years owing to many reasons, the organizing committee said, adding that a large […]

Twenty newly-recruited officers to the Sri Lanka Foreign Service were welcomed to the Ministry by Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane today (11).

The wreck of a plane carrying Malawi’s vice-president has been found with no survivors, President Lazarus Chakwera has said. Saulos Chilima and nine others were flying within the country on Monday morning when their aircraft disappeared from airport radars.  The plane, a military aircraft, was flying in bad weather. Soldiers had been searching Chikangawa Forest […]