Category: Local News

A group of people staged a protest at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) this morning against the Paddy Marketing Board’s decision to use airport warehouses as a paddy storage space.

India and Sri Lanka are working to fix the dates for Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to make New Delhi his first foreign port of call this month itself.

It has been decided to name the Opposition Leader and the Chief Organizer of the Eighth Parliament tomorrow.

President Sirisena addressing the 8th Parliament of Sri Lanka a little while ago said the main aim of the National Government is to promote reconciliation and economic growth.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn-in as a parliamentarian of the new parliament today. He was seated in the second seat of the front row next to UPFA stalwart Nimal Siripala de Silva.

UNP MP and former Public Administration Minister Karu Jayasuriya was appointed uncontested as the Speaker of new parliament a short while ago.

The Presidential Commission on Missing Persons has almost completed its task, according to Justice Maxwell Parakrama Paranagama, chairman of the panel.

Senior State Counsel Priyantha Nawana informed President of the Court of Appeal Wijith Malalgoda yesterday (31) that nothing had come to light with regard to Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam alias Kumaran Pathmanathan, a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam leader’s involvement in terrorist activities.

The inaugural sitting of the eighth parliament will commence at 9.30 a.m. today and Members of Parliament have been asked to be present by 9.00 am.

National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader Wimal Weerawansa today said President Maithripala Sirisena has allowed Opposition MPs to appoint the Opposition Leader.

Leaders representing three constituents of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have rejected the stand of the U.S., which favoured a domestic investigation mechanism on alleged crimes during the final stages of the Eelam War.

Opposing the gifting away of an Indian Coast Guard ship to Sri Lanka, Indian MDMK chief Vaiko today said it was a “betrayal” of Eelam Tamils and Tamil Nadu fishermen the Press Trust of India reported.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered the Urban Development Authority (UDA) to stop demolishing old buildings in Colombo City.

Deputy General Secretary of the United National Party (UNP), and MP elect for the Kurunegala District Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said that there is no rush to form a national government as long as the outcome is positive. However, he added that failing to reach a consensus with the SLFP, the UNP has the capacity to form a government on its own.

“Aim for the moon and hit the stars” was the Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s rule when it negotiated for ministerial portfolios with the UNP to form a national unity government.

DMK chief Karunanidhi today condemned the US government’s reported proposal for support to a domestic probe by Sri Lanka into alleged war crimes rather than going in for an international investigation.