In recent days, there is internal strife within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), with each faction accusing the other of being rebellious and seeking to side-line them. Behind this lies a singular motive: how to eliminate their opponents and gain control over the party’s Central Committee. Over the past year, several incidents have occurred that […]

by Jehan Perera Under President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s leadership it looks like Sri Lanka is once again punching above its weight.  The President took centre stage at the 19th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the 3rd South Summit of the Group of 77 & China, currently taking […]

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

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 […]

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.

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 […]

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 […]

By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana In this time of moral bankruptcy, on top of an enormous economic crisis, Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) is facing a huge challenge; it has had to restore the honour of and respect for the medical profession. It is obvious that corruption has affected all professions

Thursday 18th January, 2024 Various remedies are being tried for Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, prominent among them being exponential tax and tariff increases and the divestiture of state ventures. The SLPP-UNP government is making the public undergo untold suffering in the name of economic recovery

Chairman of the United National Party, Member of Parliament Wajira Abeywardena during a media briefing held at the Presidential Media Center (PMC) on Tuesday (16), said that the main purposes for President Ranil Wickremesinghe to get the Regulation of Election Expenditure Act No 3 of 2023 passed in Parliament early last year was to track […]

By Shamindra Ferdinando Pivuthu Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila, MP, yesterday (16) insisted that health sector trade union coalition’s demand for Rs 35,000 allowance shouldn’t be granted under any circumstances. The former Power and Energy Minister said that those trade unions should realise that their demand for Rs 35,000 allowance because the Disturbance, Availability, […]

By M. Rodwan Abouharb Associate Professor in International Relations, UCL and Bernhard Reinsberg Reader in Politics, University of Glasgow Sri Lanka received a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in March amid soaring inflation, debt and a sovereign default. In exchange for US$3 billion (£2.4 billion), the government committed to spending cuts and tax […]