Category: Local News

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister told visiting American diplomats on Tuesday about steps the island nation is taking to address allegations of human rights violations during its brutal, quarter century-long civil war.

Susil Premajayantha, in a letter to president Maithripala Sirisena, says he will resign from his post as general secretary of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has assured to appear on behalf of Sri Lanka in eliminating misconceptions in the world. He gave this assurance during a meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena.

Sri Lanka’s police Monday arrested four army personnel, including two senior officers, in connection with the disappearance of a dissident cartoonist that triggered international condemnation of the island’s rights record.

President Maithripala Sirisena offered the position of High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom a short while ago. President made the offer speaking at the farewell ceremony held at the end of the second test match for the cricketing legend.

Former ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and D.M. Swaminathan were today sworn in as ministers of the new government by President Maithripala Sirisena.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former Defence Secretary has arrived at the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Large Scale Corruption and Fraud, a short while ago.

There is no legal basis for international investigation within Sri Lanka; it has to be domestic, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe said in an interview to the Hindu.

President Maithripala Sirisena is to receive an advanced copy of the UNHRC war crimes report early this week, informed diplomatic sources said.

Former State Minister for Child Development Rosy Senanayake, who failed in her re-election bid in the August 17 parliamentary poll, is tipped to be appointed Sri Lanka’s new High Commissioner to London.

The proposed consensus government between the United National Front (UNF) for Good Governance and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) will be formalized with over 70 members being sworn in tomorrow (24).

Former Minister T.B. Ekanayake said today he received the letter of expulsion from the UPFA Executive Committee (EC) yesterday.

Three new Ambassador presented their credentials to President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (August 21).

The decision taken by former Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa after the presidential elections to exit from active politics remains unchanged, a close associate of his said yesterday.

The United National Party set a good example by sticking to its original national list and by nominating defeated candidates as national list members, UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim said in a statement yesterday.

The UPFA today finalised the party’s National List had sent it the Elections Commissioner.