French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne resigned Monday following recent political turmoil over immigration, paving the way for President Emmanuel Macron to seek fresh momentum by appointing a new government in the coming days.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday filed a Fundamental Rights petition before the Supreme Court requesting an order that the current power tariffs be reduced. A group, including the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the Minister of Power and Energy, the Secretary of the Ministry of Power and Energy […]

Uncollected taxes, penalties and interests amount to Rs 1,000 bn By Shamindra Ferdinando The Urban Development and Housing Ministry yesterday (08) announced plans to raise Rs 21 bn by leasing state lands, over a period of three years, commencing 2024. A statement issued by the Ministry quoted Urban Development and Housing Minister Prasanna Ranatunga as having […]

A group of civil society groups has asked the government to consult all stakeholders, both in and outside Parliament, before the enactment of the ONUR (Office for National Unity and Reconciliation) law. The following is the text of a statement issued by the grouping: “This week the government will be taking up the ONUR (Office for National Unity and […]

By C. A. Chandraprema Whenever we hear the term Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), what comes to mind is the body by that name established in South Africa in 1995, headed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The South African TRC may not have been the first of its kind, but it was undoubtedly the one that […]

Chinese authorities say they have detained an individual alleged to be spying for Britain’s foreign intelligence service, MI6. China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) said the individual was a foreigner and was trying to collect information inside the country. It is the latest arrest in a campaign by Chinese security to clamp down on foreign […]

On behalf of the Government and the people of Sri Lanka, President Ranil Wickremesinghe extended warmest congratulations and sincere best wishes to Bangladesh Prime Minister Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina on the victory of the Awami League under her visionary leadership in the recently concluded Parliamentary Elections and her re-election to the office of Prime Minister. […]

Economists expect Sri Lanka s central bank to pause now but resume its rate cut cycle in the second quarter of this year to bolster the island nation s recovery after an unprecedented crisis.

FSP questions feasibility of bankrupt country joining US military project By Shamindra Ferdinando The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) yesterday (07) urged political parties in Parliament to oppose the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government’s decision to join a US-led multinational coalition to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea against continuing attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group. Senior FSP sp...

By Sanath Nanayakkare When a country is in an economic crisis, it creates an environment conducive to implementing economic reforms which would be difficult to do in good times, however, it still depends on how far the reformist leaders can shape the opinion of the people and the people’s willingness to take those reforms on […]

Monday 8th January, 2024 The dawn of 2024 has marked the beginning of the season of defections. Politicians, including those who are so horizontally-gifted that they can hardly stand erect, are amply demonstrating their acrobatic skills. They remind us of Tom Stoppard’s play, Jumpers, which is a satirical exploration of complexities of human thought and […]

By DEVENDRA SAKSENA Currently, the words ‘debt trap’ have a distinctly Chinese connotation. According to the Western press, the Chinese, as part of their geostrategy, have inveigled poor nations into borrowing huge amounts from them for fanciful infrastructural projects; almost all borrower countries are in dire economic straits, because most such projects are lying incomplete, […]

by Rex Clementine   Following Sri Lanka’s embarrassing exit in the ICC Cricket World Cup, where they finished ninth and suffered first ever losses to Afghanistan and Bangladesh and missed out on the Champions Trophy, you expected many changes to be made. However, barring the selectors nobody has been held accountable for the horrible show. […]

Benjamin Franklin, a founding father of the United States of America and a drafter and signer of its Declaration of Independence wrote centuries ago that “our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Though the […]

I write about the The Crown which depicted in six seasons and 60 episodes the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The historical television series was written by Peter Morgan and produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television for Netflix. Morgan developed the Crown series from his film The Queen (2006) and stage play […]

United Nations Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Director for Asia and the Pacific, Kanni Wignaraja expressed appreciation over the reforms undertaken for socio-political development in Sri Lanka and assured continuous assistance under the UNDP.