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UPI ID : enb@axis.com
UPI ID : enb@axis.com
PDMO reshapes Sri Lanka’s financesBy Bandula Sirimanna ST 19-04-2026Sri Lanka’s economic recovery has reached a pivotal institutional milestone with the Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) now fully operational in the Ministry of Finance.Following the decisive implementation of the Public Debt Management Act, No. 33 of 2024, the nation has successfully transitioned its debt operations to the independent management office redefining the country’s credit credibility.“The debt-ridden country stands on a stabilised foundation: As of April 15, 2026, the national debt-to-GDP ratio has been optimised with over 92 per cent of external debt restructuring agreements now fully implemented”, a senior official of the Finance Ministry told the Sunday Times Business.By centralising borrowing strategy and enhancing transparency through the PDMO, it has evolved from a state of default to a regional benchmark for fiscal resilience and institutional reform.This rapid institutional maturity was globally recognised recently when Sri Lanka received the prestigious Regional Debt Management Office Award for Asia-Pacific at the inaugural Commonwealth Public Debt Management Awards.Total finance required for 2026 would be Rs 6,840 billion, including Rs 3,100 billion for outstanding treasury bills.Foreign debt repayment due in 2026 is expected to be US$2,122 million, including $1,191 million as principal and $931 million as interest payments.The Treasury is targeting a primary surplus of 2.3 per cent of GDP to maintain the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) targets.Sri Lanka is currently in the “implementation phase”, signing individual bilateral agreements to operationalise the June 2024 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).A bilateral agreement with Germany was formalised on April 9, 2026, to restructure 188 million in outstanding debt while the implementation of the agreement with Belgium has been finalised for rescheduling approximately 9.6 million.The implementation of the China Exim Bank agreement is already concluded for $4.2 billion of debt.
Israeli strikes kill a journalist and injures another in LebanonLebanese officials say rescue teams came under fire while trying to aid Amal Khalil, a reporter, and Zeinab Faraj, a photojournalistAshley Ahn Thu Apr 23 2026 Irish TimesIsraeli strikes killed one journalist and wounded another in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, rattling a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.The Lebanese ministry of public health said the Israeli military had targeted the journalists in the town of Tayri, where they took shelter in a nearby house after an air strike struck a vehicle in front of the car they were travelling in.About an hour and a half later, a second strike hit the house they were hiding in, according to a statement by a Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which employed the journalist who was killed.The Lebanese Red Cross said its teams came under fire while trying to evacuate the journalists from the house, forcing them to withdraw. The rescue crews were targeted by a warning strike and machine-gun fire, the Lebanese health ministry said.Zeinab Faraj, a photojournalist, was rescued from the house. The other journalist, Amal Khalil, who was a reporter for Al-Akhbar, remained trapped under rubble for hours before emergency medics recovered her body, according to the Lebanese Civil Defense.In addition to Khalil, the two people in the car in front of her were killed in the strikes, Al-Akhbar reported.Amid the 10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon, Israel has continued strikes against what it says are Hizbullah targets in southern Lebanon, citing its right to self-defence. Hizbullah, the Iranian-backed militia group, said it had fired rockets and drones into Israel on Tuesday in response to what it said were violations of the ceasefire.Earlier on Wednesday, the Lebanese News Agency reported that an Israeli drone strike killed one person and wounded two others in another part of the country.The Lebanese health ministry called the strikes in Tayri a “blatant double breach, involving both the obstruction of rescue efforts for a civilian known for her media and humanitarian work, and the direct targeting of an ambulance clearly marked with the Red Cross.”The Israeli military denied in a statement that it had prevented rescuers from reaching the injured journalists and said the incident was under investigation.A spokesperson for the Israeli military said Israeli forces had spotted two vehicles emerging from a military building used by Hizbullah. The military observed the vehicles cross what the spokesperson called the forward defence line, determining the move to be a violation of the truce agreement.The spokesperson confirmed the Israeli military had struck one of the vehicles and the building some of the occupants of the second vehicle had taken shelter in.Khalil had covered southern Lebanon, where Hizbullah exercises strong control, since at least 2006. In a tribute to Khalil, a colleague from Al-Akhbar said she embodied the resilience of the southern Lebanese through her relentless reporting, refusing to leave the front lines of war where thousands of Lebanese had been displaced.Founded in 2006, Al-Akhbar is a popular Lebanese newspaper that champions leftist causes while supporting Hizbullah’s fight against Israel. The paper has close ties to Hizbullah, operating under its protection and securing access to high-ranking officials for interviews.“As with every act of aggression, wearing a press vest did not protect those who wore it from the treachery of the Israeli enemy,” Al-Akhbar said in a statement. “Instead, it has become a danger to journalists’ lives, as part of a systematic Israeli policy aimed at silencing anyone who seeks to expose the crimes and practices of the occupation.”In a forceful statement on social media, Nawaf Salam, the Lebanese prime minister, accused the Israeli military of war crimes for targeting journalists and obstructing access to medical aid. He said the Israeli military has long targeted journalists in southern Lebanon and that Lebanon would pursue legal action in the International Criminal Court.The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was outraged by the attack and that it raised serious concerns of deliberate targeting.“The repeated strikes on the same location, the targeting of an area where journalists were sheltering and the obstruction of medical and humanitarian access constitute a grave breach of international humanitarian law,” said Sara Qudah, CPJ’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.
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