President Ranil Wickremesinghe confirms the scheduling of the presidential election before the parliamentary election, in line with the Elections Commission's timeline and amid pressure from the ruling SLPP party ..read more

The ruling Sri Lanka People's Front of the Rajapaksas, commonly known by its Sinhalese name Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), will hold a public rally later in the day in the north central rural town of Thalawa, party member and former minister SM Chandrasena told reporters ..read more

Sri Lanka will hold presidential election between September 17 and October 16, the country's top electoral body announced on Thursday. In a notice signed by its chairman R M A L Ratnayake, the Election Commission said it will call for nominations to hold the Presidential election within the specified timeframe in terms of the provisions of the Constitution, according to local media reports ..read more

Maldives warned by IMF of 'debt distress' due to heavy borrowing from China. Urgent need to increase revenue, reduce spending, and limit external borrowing to avoid economic crisis amid high risks and dependence on Chinese funding ..read more

The Indian government has authorized the export of 99,150 metric tons of onions to Bangladesh, UAE, Bhutan, Bahrain, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka. This decision stems from lower estimated Kharif and Rabi crops in 2023-24 compared to the previous year, along with heightened international demand. The National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) will oversee onion exports, sourcing them from domestic producers through competitive e-platforms ..read more

​​During a visit last week,Santosh Jha, India's High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, highlighted the multi-sectoral grant assistance package consisting of 33 different projects throughout the province in diverse areas as well as ongoing discussions between the two governments to collaborate for the comprehensive development of Trincomalee, an official statement said ..read more

Sri Lanka plans to transfer management of its Chinese-built Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport to Indian and Russian companies to mitigate losses. The airport, funded by China EXIM Bank, has faced operational challenges since 2013. Sri Lanka is also seeking to restructure its loan with China EXIM Bank amid financial crisis ..read more

Sri Lanka has leased its underutilized Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, built with Chinese loans, to a joint venture between India's Shaurya Aeronautics and Russia's Airports of Regions Management Company for 30 years. The airport, plagued by problems since its 2013 opening, has struggled with financial losses. The lease marks part of Sri Lanka's efforts to privatize state-owned enterprises after an IMF bailout. The airport's location on a bird migratory route and poor passenger traffic have contributed to its challenges ..read more

Addressing the Second India-Sri Lanka Defence Seminar here, India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, said that like in other areas, India and Sri Lanka were cooperating closely on security and defence matters. "Because of our geography, our security is interlinked and intertwined. And when we speak of security, we must remember that it has acquired a wider meaning than we have traditionally associated with it," Jha said and added, after the Covid19 pandemic and impact of Russia-Ukraine conflict, it has come to include energy, health, food and even economic security ..read more

McDonald's stores in Sri Lanka have closed due to a legal battle with the local franchise holder over hygiene allegations. The Commercial High Court of Colombo ordered the closures until April 4, following the parent company's accusation of failing to meet international hygiene standards. The hearing is scheduled for early April ..read more