Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) yesterday said that foreign remittances, during January and February this year, had been 32% higher than the corresponding period in the previous year.

According to a press release issued by the SLBFE, Sri Lanka received Rs 1,480.1 mn during January and February this year, whereas in 2025 the country received Rs1,121 mn during the corresponding period. During the first two months of this year, 47,819 Sri Lankans had left the country for employment abroad.

However, Prof. Priyanga Dunusinghe has warned that Sri Lanka could face a catastrophic situation due to a rapid and sharp drop in revenue caused by the escalating Gulf war. Fighting erupted on February 28 following a joint US-Israel attacks on Iran.

Appearing on Derana ‘Big Focus’ on Monday, the Professor in Economics in the Department of Economics, and Head – Department of Information Technology, University of Colombo, Dunusinghe said that that the drop in remittances from the Middle East, as well as exports, should be examined against the backdrop of runaway oil prices.

The Netherlands Embassy in Colombo has accused the Russian Embassy of trying to limit freedom of expression and right to know in Sri Lanka. The Embassy yesterday issued the following statement: “The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ attention has been drawn to the attempts by the Russian Embassy in Colombo to deny the people of Sri Lanka’s right to information and freedom of expression by demanding photos related to “Russia’s war of aggression” on Ukraine be removed from the World Press Photo exhibition, currently on display in Sri Lanka.

The 2025 edition of the World Press Photo Exhibition was officially opened by Dr Kaushalya Ariyaratne, Deputy Minister of Mass Media, and Wiebe de Boer, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on February 27, 2026, at One Galle Face. The same exhibition will be held in Kandy from 13 to 17 March 2026 at Sahas Uyana.

The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Sri Lanka visited the exhibition during the weekend of March 7 and 8 and demanded the photographs, related to “Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine,” be removed from the exhibition, and threatened to stage a protest if the organisers failed to do so.

The exhibition is jointly organised by the Netherlands Embassy, along with the Sri Lanka Press Institute, and the World Press Photo Foundation in the Netherlands.

Continuing the same demand, the Russian Embassy has now approached the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs to remove the said photos from the exhibition in Kandy. The same exhibition is currently underway in the USA and Germany and is showing all around the world in dozens of countries with freedom of expression.

The photos, including the photos that the Russian Embassy in Colombo wanted to hide from the Sri Lankan citizens, are also available online on the World Press Photo website for free for anyone to access them.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands deplores the attempts by any party to compromise people’s right to know and right to freedom of expression. It also amounts to a violation of the host country’s sovereignty if an Embassy attempts to decide what and which content its citizens should see and not. While we, as the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, assure the Sri Lankan public that as our commitment to protect press freedom and respect for editorial integrity, we will continue the exhibition in Kandy with its full content without censoring any photos of the exhibition.

The exhibition is open to the public, free of charge, from 10.30am on Friday, March 13, till March 17, at Sahas Uyana in Kandy.”

Swiss Ambassador in Colombo Dr Siri Walt has appreciated the position taken by the government regarding the situation in the Middle East. Dr. Walt said so when she met the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabath Chandrakeerthi, yesterday morning (10). During the meeting, discussions focused on the current economic situation in Sri Lanka, as well as the prevailing circumstances arising from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The Chief of Staff to the President, Prabath Chandrakeerthi, recalled that during the 70 years since Switzerland established its diplomatic presence in Sri Lanka, Switzerland has contributed significantly to strengthening social and cultural sectors in the country, including enhancing vocational training opportunities for the youth and improving the living standards of communities in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. He further expressed his deep appreciation for the continued support extended by Switzerland to Sri Lanka.

The Ambassador of Switzerland to Sri Lanka, Dr Siri Walt, stated that Switzerland appreciates Sri Lanka’s position regarding the prevailing conflict situation in the Middle East. She further noted that Switzerland stands ready to continue its support for enhancing vocational training opportunities for Sri Lankan youth and improving the living standards of the people.

Ms Justine Boillat, First Secretary (Political) at the Embassy of Switzerland, also participated in the meeting.