President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his address at the 7th Indian Ocean Conference in Perth, focusing on the theme “Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean, ” emphasized the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, noting the Indian Ocean’s vulnerability to warming and rising sea levels

By Ifham Nizam Plant extinctions signify a loss of biodiversity with profound ecological consequences. Deforestation, urbanization, and changes in land use significantly contribute to habitat loss, while altered climatic conditions impact plant species adapted to specific environments, says a top Scientist. Speaking to The Island, Research Professor S. Wijesundara of the National Institute of Fund...

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said in Parliamenty yesterday he was aware that Value Added Tax (VAT) was a burden on the public. He said it would be possible to reduce VAT with the passage of time. Delivering the government policy statement at the commencement of the new session of Parliament, the President said: “The prior scarcity […]

Urges unity over deep political divisions for effective crisis management Says ‘intricate’ foreign debt restructuring will take up to six months Invites Opposition to confer with institutions that foster international financial stability by Sanath Nanayakkare As government revenue increases

Inaugurating the 5th session of the 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe called upon all lawmakers to collaborate in nation building  even though they would be contesting elections separately. “From ancient times to the present day, our world has encountered a myriad of crises, spanning nations and personal lives alike. While some crises […]

‘With the arrival of three KOICA volunteers recently, the total strength of its contingent in the country has gone up to 17, KOICA spokesperson said, adding that they were serving in fields focused on Korean language, computer design, beauty and salon, western music and machine engineering. The newly arrived group will be positioned at the […]

By Jehan Perera The day before Independence Day, a book launch took place at the Mangaiyar Mandapam Hindu Women’s Society in Wellawatte.  The two books launched were biographies of a father and son who contributed to public life in Sri Lanka over the past century.  The father was Sir Waitialingam Duraiswamy a former speaker of […]

Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS), Kandy Branch, recently inaugurated the first computer lab and Information Technology (IT) training centre with the generous support from UK-based Dr. Suresh Lopez, an IT professional, and in partnership with the Skill Development and Training International Institute (STDI). The inauguration session was held at the Kandy District Branch office […]

Secretary to the Treasury and Finance Ministry Mahinda Siriwardana has said that even if Sri Lanka achieves the goal of zero corruption, tax revenue will still have to be increased to bridge the budget deficit and lessen the country’s debt burden. Referring to the Supreme Court ruling pertaining to economic management delivered on Nov 14, […]

Over 300 oil and gas cargo vessels have visited the Hambantota international Port (HIP) in 2023, recording a 132 percent increase in vessel calls compared to 2022, Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) said in a press release on Wednesday (31). A key reason for this is the port’s bunkering partner Sinopec actively operating in the […]

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Partnership for Accelerating Results in Trade, National Expenditure, and Revenue (PARTNER) activity, with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC), have completed an on-the-job coaching programme for 50 Development Officers (DOs) attached to the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (SLEDB), said a release from the CCC. At an […]

by Lasanda Kurukulasuriya Sri Lanka’s remarks at the meetings of the 19th Summit of the Non Aligned Movement in Uganda, must surely have had observers of international relations, especially relating to West Asia, scratching their heads. President Ranil Wickemesinghe in Kampala on Friday (19 Jan.) said he welcomed the fact that the 19th Summit gave […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe extended an invitation to all political party leaders in the Parliament to engage in discussions with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the implementation of the agreement with the IMF. Emphasizing the importance of unity in leading the country to success, he reiterated that withdrawing from the agreement […]