Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe presents budget; says economy not out of crisis yet

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe presents budget; says economy not out of crisis yet

A woman buys vegetables at a market, on the day President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is also the island nation’s Finance Minister, presents the annual budget in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on November 13, 2023. | Photo Credit: Reuters Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on November 13 presented his government’s 2024 budget, emphasising the need for tough … Read more

No international inquiry possible into 2019 Easter bombings: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe

No international inquiry possible into 2019 Easter bombings: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe

Ranil Wickremesinghe. File | Photo Credit: AP Dismissing the possibility of an international probe into the 2019 Easter terror attacks, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has reiterated that such an investigation into the incident was not permissible under the country’s law. Responding to Sunday’s editorial in the Catholic Church’s Messenger newspaper titled “An international investigation … Read more

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe instructs Ministries to slash 5% of funds allocated in Budget

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe instructs Ministries to slash 5% of funds allocated in Budget

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. File | Photo Credit: AFP President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed his Ministries to slash 5% of their estimated expenditure allocated in this year’s Budget as Sri Lanka’s Treasury was facing an acute shortage of funds, exacerbating fears that the cash-strapped country’s economic crisis could be even worse than previously anticipated. … Read more

Bankrupt Sri Lanka to hold first polls since crisis

Bankrupt Sri Lanka to hold first polls since crisis

Crisis-hit Sri Lanka Wednesday announced its first nationwide elections since its president fled and resigned in the face of widespread protests, in what will be a test of popularity for his successor. Local government polls will be held before the end of February, officials said, after they were delayed by a year due to the … Read more

Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe hopeful of resolving problems faced by ethnic Tamils

Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe hopeful of resolving problems faced by ethnic Tamils

Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the government will appoint a committee to seek how best to integrate the Tamils of Hill Country origin further into the Sri Lankan society Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the government will appoint a committee to seek how best to integrate the Tamils of Hill Country origin further into the Sri Lankan … Read more

Mahinda Rajapaksa, Basil won’t leave Sri Lanka until SC hears petition, their lawyers say

Mahinda Rajapaksa, Basil won’t leave Sri Lanka until SC hears petition, their lawyers say

Sri Lanka’s former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and ex-finance minister Basil Rajapaksa on Thursday gave an undertaking to the Supreme Court through their lawyers that they will not leave the crisis-hit country until the Fundamental Rights petition filed against them is heard on Friday, a media report said on Thursday. A five-judge bench of Lankan … Read more

Sri Lanka’s main Opposition decides to offer conditional support to new government

Sri Lanka’s main Opposition decides to offer conditional support to new government

Sri Lanka’s main Opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) on Monday said it would offer conditional support to the interim all-party government headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to help tackle the country’s crippling economic and political crisis. Wickremesinghe, the United National Party (UNP) leader was appointed as Sri Lanka’s 26th prime minister on Thursday … Read more