Sri Lanka’s apparel export growth was propelled by a 23.1% increase in exports to the European Union (excluding the UK), amounting to $142.92m, and a 20.4% rise in exports to the UK, totaling $67.33m. Despite these increases, there was a noted decline in exports to the US by 5.7%, totaling $164.39m amid ongoing uncertainty around US president Trump’s tariffs. There …
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A discussion with the heads of the National Steering Committee appointed to monitor the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan 2025-2029 and the relevant state and private sector institutions responsible for this initiative was held yesterday (30) at the Presidential Secretariat, under the patronage of Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake. The National Anti-Corruption Action Plan, launched …
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In light of the ongoing excavation at the Chemmani-Siththupaththi mass grave site in Jaffna, situated in the North of Sri Lanka, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) publishes the following statement. As of 27 July 2025, 101 skeletal remains, including those of children and infants, had been recovered at Chemmani-Siththupaththi. The ICJ considers that the excavation process is a …
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Four years after a stricken cargo ship caused the largest plastic spill ever recorded, volunteers on Sri Lanka’s beaches are still sifting kilograms of tiny, toxic plastic pellets from the sand. Billions of plastic nurdles, as they are called, are thought to have washed up after the X-Press Pearl disaster in 2021, along with tonnes of engine fuel, acid, caustic soda, …
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The ruling relates to the catastrophic maritime disaster in May 2021, when the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel caught fire and later sank off the Western coast of Sri Lanka, unleashing what experts have described as the worst marine pollution event in the island’s history In a landmark judgment that could redefine environmental accountability in South Asia, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has …
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Already living from hand to mouth, millions of garment workers across Asia fear for their jobs as a deadline to strike a trade deal with the US – or face punishing tariffs – looms closer. On 9 July, following a 90-day pause on tariffs for countries to negotiate deals, the US president notified several countries in the region of new …
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Sri Lanka has moved forward with a major initiative to boost tourist arrivals by expanding its free tourist visa program to 40 countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Thailand, and India. This development is part of an effort to attract more tourists from key international markets, make the country more appealing on the global stage, and boost the economy …
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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake attended the inaugural session of the Annual General Meeting of the Global Federation of Sri Lankan Business Councils (GFSLBC), held this morning (25) at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo. The GFSLBC serves as a platform bringing together the global Sri Lankan business community. Entrepreneurs from 15 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, …
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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the proposed education reform is not merely limited to curriculum revision but will simultaneously elevate both the social and economic spheres of the country. The President requested support for this initiative, emphasising that it is a social objective, not a political one. He further stressed that no child should leave school without completing 13 …
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New Delhi: Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Sunday slammed the Western media reports on the Air India plane crash in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad that claimed over 250 lives, and said that making comments before the final report is published is “not a good exercise”. The minister made the remarks while speaking to reporters in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad …
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