Sri Lanka has decided to lift from next year a ban on the visit of foreign research ships imposed after strong security concerns raised by India and the US following frequent docking requests from hi-tech Chinese surveillance vessels, the Japanese media reported. The change in position was conveyed by visiting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali … Read more
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad had arrested the four men last month. Colombo: Foreign Minister Ali Sabry on Friday said there is no evidence to back claims that the four Sri Lankans arrested in India last month are linked to ISIS. The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad had claimed that they arrested four Sri Lankans with links to … Read more
Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced a development on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), sharing that the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) has approved the launch of Starlink’s satellite internet services in the country, contingent on a two-week public consultation period.In his post, President Wickremesinghe emphasized the transformative potential of this move … Read more
Calls for Indian travelers to boycott the Maldives is “absolutely” helping Sri Lanka’s travel industry, the country’s Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said Thursday. “The Maldives issue is … helping us,” Fernando told CNBC, referencing a social media row in January that resulted in a sharp drop in Indian visitors to the Maldives this year. India … Read more
The cost to obtain a short-term visa to visit Sri Lanka rose from $50 to $100 in April. But the reason for it is disputed. The price hike followed Sri Lanka’s transition from using internal Electronic Travel Authorizations, or ETAs, to an e-visa system operated by the visa processing company VFS Global. Sri Lanka’s Tourism … Read more
Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa ended a long silence over his ouster Thursday by releasing a book claiming “geopolitical rivalry” between China and other countries was responsible for his downfall. Rajapaksa was forced into temporary exile after protesters stormed his official residence in 2022, following months of street protests over the island nation’s worst-ever … Read more
Sonja Prokopec took her son on their first “solo” trip together when he was six years old. They went to Rome, and it was so memorable that Prokopec said she’s now planning their second trip this summer. “I really enjoy one-on-one time which we have when travelling alone,” she said. “There are no distractions, no … Read more
Curtis S. Chin, a former U.S. ambassador to the Asian Development Bank, is managing director of advisory firm RiverPeak Group. Jose B. Collazo is an analyst focusing on the Indo-Pacific region. Follow them on X at @CurtisSChin and @JoseBCollazo. As 2023 comes to a close, we take a look at the year that was in … Read more
