India’s PM Narendra Modi is due to inaugurate a grand temple to popular Hindu god Ram in the city of Ayodhya. It replaces a 16th-Century mosque, razed by Hindu mobs in 1992. The demolition had sparked nationwide riots in which nearly 2,000 people died. The temple fulfills a decades-long Hindu nationalist pledge to build a […]

By Prof. Amarasiri de Silva Sri Lanka, renowned for its rich cultural heritage and diverse landscapes, is grappling with an unprecedented macroeconomic crisis. This crisis has given rise to acute shortages and sharp increases in the prices of essential products, creating a complex web of challenges. At the heart of this multifaceted crisis lies a […]

Sri Lanka is showing first signs of recovery as it finds itself in an election year, and therefore, what happens before the elections as well as after them will be crucial for the economic recovery in Sri Lanka, IMF’s Senior Mission Chief, Peter Breuer said on Friday. He said so at a press briefing held […]

2024 presidential contest: by Shamindra Ferdinando Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella, MP, yesterday (21) said that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) was having discussions with two dozen SLPP MPs who had indicated their willingness to close ranks with the main opposition party ahead of the forthcoming presidential election. The Kandy District lawmaker said that the SLPP parliamentary […...

China’s consumer price index (CPI) fell by 0.3 per cent year on year in December, marking a third consecutive monthly decline amid fears of deflationary risks Concerns have risen that China is facing similar issues to Japan’s so-called lost decades of stagnation China’s falling consumer prices in the fourth quarter have plunged full-year inflation to […]

Pakistan is currently suffering from political instability and uncertainty which has increased the political environment and polarization. Unfortunately, this has resulted in attacks on media protection and press freedom in the country. Political polarization and uncertainty affect media protection in Pakistan. State-level media bans continue unabated. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Auth...

The State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe says that the Micro-Finance and Loan Regulation Act was submitted to Parliament in order to establish a proper, strong regulatory procedure as a government.

by Rex Clementine  On occasions, Zimbabwe (or Rhodesia as earlier known) have turned the cricketing world upside down. In the 1983 World Cup, they beat a star-studded Australian side. Yes, an Australian side that had Lillee, Thomson, Yallop, Hookes, Wessels, Border and Marsh ! Zimbabwe themselves had some quality players on that occasion. They were […]

Text and Pic By Sujeeva Nivunhella reporting from London Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in London, Rohitha Bogollagama, last week met British parliamentarian Ranil Jayawardene, who is of Lankan descent in the House of Commons, Jayawardane, a former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for International Trade (May 2020 to September 2022) and Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and […]

The Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute (LKI) hosted a panel discussion ‘Sri Lanka as a Destination: From Antiquity to Modernity’ as part of its outreach activities to promote ‘Cultural Diplomacy’ in Koggala on Saturday (13 January 2024). Held with the Indian Ocean as the backdrop at the Long Beach Hotel, Koggala, this interactive discussion was organized as […]

…. asks whether IMF is blind By Shamindra Ferdinando Dissident SLPP MP Gevindu Cumaratunga faults Parliament for continuing to allow a special category of EPF (Employees’ Provident Fund) recipients, created since 2022, regardless of the matter being brought to the attention of Parliament. Addressing the media at Sri Sambudhathva Jayantha Mandiraya, Cumaratunga said that in […]

The economic reform programme, implemented by the Sri Lankan authorities is yielding the first signs of recovery with positive real GDP growth in the third quarter of 2023, low inflation, increased revenue collection, and a build-up of external reserves, the IMF has said. Staying the course on the reform agenda is necessary for this stabilization […]

Pakistan’s hopes of breaking their duck in the fourth match of the five-game series was quashed with 139-run stand between Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips in chase after New Zealand bowlers kept the visitors down to 158/5. Mitchell whacked 72 off 44 while Phillips made 70 off 52. Skipper, Shaheen Afridi  took out the dangerous […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Kampala, Uganda said that Non-aligned nations, once perceived as weak states, have evolved beyond that characterization. He also expressed gratitude to President Museveni and Uganda for hosting the summit. Following is the full speech delivered by President Ranil Wickremesinghe; “Let me begin by congratulating ...

Health sector unions would resume their strike on 01 February, President of the Joint Council for Professions of Supplementary Medicine, Ravi Kumudesh, told The Island yesterday (18). Kumudesh said the decision had been taken by representatives of 72 unions that met on Thursday. They launched a strike recently against the government’s decision to only increase […]

by Dr Amali Wedagedara In Sri Lanka, public policy lost in the neoliberal haze treats the market as a cure for all ills. Not only is the market omnipresent, but it is also omniscient and omnipotent. The charm of the ‘market’ that research and advocacy lobbyists are creating is so alluring that only a few […]