TURC
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Is the Office of the Interim Secretary for Truth and Reconciliation Closing?

End of a Chapter or a New Beginning?

ByEditor

Reports suggest that the Office of the Interim Secretary for Truth and Reconciliation, established under the former president’s administration, has ceased its operations. A circular issued from the Presidential Secretariat indicates that the contracts of all officials employed in this office have been terminated, signalling a possible end to its activities. These officials had been…

pensioners
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Over 717,000 Active Government Pensioners by September 2024

ByEditor

As of September 2024, the total number of active government pensioners in Sri Lanka stands at 717,347, according to the Department of Pensions. These pensioners include 392,966 civil service pensioners, 187,913 widows and orphans fund pensioners, and 136,468 retired military personnel. Over the first nine months of the year, the total expenditure for pensions amounted…

United Nations Human Rights Council Session in Geneva
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Sri Lanka’s New Government Rejects UNHRC Resolution, Reaffirms Domestic Solutions

ByEditor

The newly formed Sri Lankan government, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has decisively rejected UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution 51/1, which aims to extend the mandate of an external evidence-gathering mechanism on alleged human rights violations. On October 8, the Cabinet, under President Dissanayake, resolved that Sri Lanka will address human rights concerns,…

Sri Lanka Reaches Milestone in Debt Restructuring with Bondholders and Bilateral Creditors
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Sri Lanka Reaches Milestone in Debt Restructuring with Bondholders and Bilateral Creditors

ByEditor

Sri Lanka has made significant progress in its debt restructuring efforts, finalizing a key agreement in September 2024 with international sovereign bondholders (ISBs) and bilateral creditors, including China, India, and Japan. This agreement marks a crucial step in the country’s economic recovery following its 2022 sovereign default and the subsequent economic crisis. International Sovereign Bonds…

Colombo book fair attack
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Journalist Kalpa Gunaratne Arrested and Released on Bail

for recording a video of assault at Colombo Book Fair

ByEditor

Journalist Kalpa Gunaratne was arrested and later released on bail following an incident at the Colombo International Book Fair. The incident in question occurred near a sales stall, where a dispute escalated involving a bouncer, hired externally by the organizing entity, and a customer. The bouncer, tasked with preventing book thefts, allegedly verbally abused the…

Vidarshana Kannangara
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Former Jana Aragala Leader Criticizes Controversial Police Appointment Under President Dissanayake

ByEditor

Vidarshana Kannangara, a leader of the *Jana Aragala Vyaparaya* who defected from the movement to support President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the recently held presidential election, has voiced strong dissatisfaction over a recent police appointment. Kannangara, who backed Dissanayake instead of the movement’s candidate Nuwan Bopage in the September 21 presidential election, criticized the appointment…

Sajith Premadasa
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Presidential Candidates Spend High on TV, Radio, and Newspaper Ads

Some candidates likely to exceed the campaign expenditure limits

ByEditor

A recent report by the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Election Studies (IRES) reveals that several leading candidates in the 2024 Sri Lankan Presidential Election, including Sajith Premadasa, Dilith Jayaweera, Ranil Wickremesinghe, and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, have spent vast sums on television, radio, and newspaper advertisements. The data indicates that some candidates may have exceeded…

S.Jaishankar
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Two High-Level Visits to Sri Lanka This Week

India and IMF

ByEditor

Sri Lanka is set to host two significant diplomatic engagements this week, marking the first high-level interactions with newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Indian External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, will visit Colombo for the first high-level engagement between India and Sri Lanka following President Dissanayake’s election. This visit is crucial for reaffirming India’s commitment…

Ahilan Kadirgamar
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Sri Lanka’s new president faces a problem shared by too many developing countries: austerity imposed by the west

Dr. Ahilan Kadirgamar

ByEditor

Sri Lanka is at a historic juncture. Faced with its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and having defaulted on its external debt for the first time, the country recently saw unprecedented protests demanding systemic change. The former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was literally chased away in 2022, as protesters stormed his residence and swam…

Aswesuma Cover
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Aswesuma, Poverty, and Terrorism

Launch of two important reports

ByEditor

Do you remember the time when violence erupted in our country during the peak of the economic crisis in 2022, with houses and vehicles set ablaze and even murders taking place? Many predicted that the worsening economic crisis would lead to an increase in poverty, which in turn could fuel violence, chaos, and even terrorism….