The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry recently confirmed allowing a German research vessel, the Sonne, to dock at Colombo Port. This raised eyebrows among some observers, considering that just a few months ago, the Sri Lankan government announced a one-year moratorium on foreign research vessels docking at its ports. At the time of the ban, Sri … Read more
In a bid to tackle escalating concerns over crime and drug-related activities, the Sri Lankan government launched a special operation that goes by the name “Yukthiya” (justice) on December 17, 2023. The government has declared the operation to be a success, with over 58,000 raids resulting in 58,234 arrests and substantial drug seizures (worth about … Read more
In Sri Lanka, political parties are getting ready for presidential elections scheduled for some time next year. Many of them have named their candidates; others are preparing to do so. The country is constitutionally mandated to hold presidential polls in 2024, and the president himself has hinted that he will go ahead with them. But … Read more
Advertisement Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was in Beijing to participate in the third Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) International Forum, has raised eyebrows in Sri Lankan political and diplomatic circles. During the visit, an agreement “formalizing Huawei’s support for the digitization of Sri Lankan schools” was signed. On October 17, the Sri Lankan … Read more
Advertisement A documentary on the 2019 Easter bombings, released this week by the United Kingdom’s Channel 4 but expected for a long time, has opened a political can of worms in Sri Lanka. In a nutshell, the documentary centers on the alleged complicity of the country’s former ruling family, the Rajapaksas, in the terrorist attack, … Read more
Advertisement In late July, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe made his first visit to India since taking office. His remarks at an Indian CEOs’ Forum in Colombo ahead of his trip gave a clue to the scope of the agreements to be disclosed in New Delhi. Once the country’s debt restructuring process was completed, he … Read more
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hand with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe after making press statement respectively, in New Delhi, India, Friday, July 21, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Manish Swarup Advertisement It was only a year ago that Sri Lanka dominated international headlines, as its worst economic crisis in more than 70 years contributed to … Read more
Advertisement Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe made an official visit to India last month. It was his first trip to India since taking over as president of the Indian Ocean island state. Wickremesinghe came to power amid social and political upheaval as Sri Lanka went through its worst economic crisis last year. During the visit, … Read more
Advertisement On July 26, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe convened the much-hyped All-Party Conference (APC) on reconciliation. Two days earlier, he had met representatives of Tamil political parties. Following that meeting, Tamil politicians hyped up expectations of the APC claiming that Wickremesinghe would discuss devolving police powers to provinces as per the 13th amendment to … Read more
Sri Lankans shout slogans during a protest against the government increasing income tax to manage day to day expenses amid an unprecedented economic crisis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena Advertisement The Sri Lankan economy has not been doing well for the last few decades. Consistent balance of payment issues due … Read more