News

Ranil, the ‘Vibheeshana’ of the modern age – Wimal

Published

12 months ago

May 20, 2024

editor

Leader of the National Freedom Front – MP Wimal Weerawansa says that the agenda of making Sri Lanka the 29th Indian state is in the hands of Ranil Wickramasinghe whom he has referred to as the ‘Vibheeshana of the modern age’.

He said this while recently launching his book “Rama Ravana and Vibheeshana Noothana Kathawa”, at the Laxman Kadiragamar Institute in Colombo.

He further said :

“I decided to launch this book with the objective of initiating a genuine social dialogue on the current challenge we are facing as a state and a nation. You know, a few years back there was a movement in Ukraine called the ‘Maidan Uprising’. Ukraine is now in a ‘post-Maidan Uprising’ period. It was this struggle that led to the war between Russia and Ukraine. Likewise, the ‘Galle Face uprising’ in Sri Lanka has now led the country to a similar state, but to a war without live ammunition. According to the ‘Ramayana’ epic, Vibheeshana is Ravana’s brother, who later betrayed him. Although Ranil Wickramasinghe is not Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s brother by blood, he can be symbolically called as such. Due to several factors including the ‘Galle Face uprising’, the reins of power went to Ranil Wickramasinghe’s hands. Today, we are faced with the duty and responsibility of rescuing and reviving the state, which is being taken on a path which will lead to the end of its sovereign existence.”

News

03 Lankans featured in 2025 Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia list

Published

3 hours ago

May 15, 2025

editor

03 young Sri Lankans have been featured in the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia list for 2025.

They are :
Nikin Matharaarachchi, in 2021, founded Sri Lanka-based Synapse AI Labs is the company behind Kommon Poll, an AI-powered social listening tool. Kommon Poll provides businesses marketing insights by analyzing keyword performance across multiple online platforms, including news sites, blogs and social media.

Charith N Silva, known for videos showing him preparing dishes in outdoor settings, launched the YouTube channel ‘Wild Cookbook’ in 2020 during the pandemic. With over 600 videos, ‘Wild Cookbook’ is now Sri Lanka’s largest YouTube channel with over 10 million subscribers, and Silva has over 2.3 million Instagram followers. In November 2024, he opened a restaurant in Colombo called Wildish.

Yanika Amarasekera-Siyaguna, a UC Berkeley and Imperial College London alumna, founded Silver Aisle, Sri Lanka’s first online wedding registry, in 2019. The e-commerce platform has since expanded beyond wedding gifts to include presents for all occasions as well as dining ,vacation packages and lessons in horse riding, golf and pottery, among others. In 2023, Amarasekera-Siyaguna was appointed an independent director of LB Finance, one of Sri Lanka’s largest finance firms.

News

SL & India sign USD 930.8 Mn. debt restructuring deal

Published

3 hours ago

May 15, 2025

editor

Sri Lanka and India have signed a USD 930.8 million debt restructuring deal recently on Sri Lanka’s present External Debt Restructuring Process.

The signing of Bilateral Amendatory Agreements between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Export-Import Bank (EXIM) of India took place on March 25, 2025 and April 03, 2025, respectively.

The deal concerns 07 Line of Credit and 04 Buyer’s Credit Facility agreements with the Government of India.

Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, Mr. K.M. Mahinda Siriwardana, signed the agreements on behalf of the Sri Lankan Government.

General Manager of the EXIM Bank of India, Mr.Nirmit Ved, signed the Line of Credits, and Deputy General Manager of the EXIM Bank of India, Mr. Amith Kumar, signed the Buyer’s Credit Agreements.

Issuing a statement, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development stated that the signing of these bilateral amendatory agreements marks a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s ongoing External Debt Restructuring Process.

News

965 lives lost in road accidents during last 05 months

Published

3 hours ago

May 15, 2025

editor

A total of 965 people have died between January 01 – May 13 due to various road accidents across Sri Lanka.

During this period,1,842 accidents including 902 fatal accidents were recorded, according to police reports.

The main causes cited for these accidents include negligence, reckless driving and improper vehicle maintenance.

To address the rising number of accidents, police have planned a special island-wide program focused on reducing traffic incidents, including driver awareness initiatives.