Category: Local News

A new Cabinet ministers were sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat, a short while ago.

President Maithripala Sirisena is expected to swear in 28 members of the Cabinet today, government sources said yesterday.

The appointment of the Cabinet, scheduled for this morning, is in the balance as the UNF and President Maithripala Sirisena have not reached an agreement on the law and order and media portfolios, according to political sources.

A group of UNP MPs plan to oppose a potential move by its high-ups to appoint Wasantha Senanayake as a Cabinet Minister.

UNF sources stated that the names of prospective members of the cabinet will be sent to the president this afternoon.

Making a special statement in parliament, R. Sampanthan says that there are two opposition leaders as Speaker has not removed him from the position.

The Crimes Investigation Department has uncovered several deleted conversations in Namal Kumara’s phone through Hong Kong analysis.

The President is able to call for a presidential election at any time after the 09th of January 2019, said Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya.

The JVP says even if the UNP were to form a broad political force, the JVP will never join or engage in politics with the UNP or Mahinda Rajapaksa under any circumstance.

General Secretary of the UNP, former Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam yesterday said the UNF under no circumstances, would give the Ministries of Law and Order and the Media and Information to President Maithripala Sirisena.

SriLankan Airlines had incurred a loss of Rs. 539.7 million, in 2017 due to its failure to return a leased A-320 aircraft to the lessor before the deadline, the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka was told, yesterday.

Three lawmakers from Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s party defected to the government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday after a dispute between the two leaders.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has informed the Parliament that UPFA MP Mahinda Rajapaksa had been appointed as the Opposition Leader replacing Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Leader R Sampanthan a while ago.

MPs Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa, Lakshman Seneviratne, Indika Banadaranayke and Piyasena Gamage have crossed over to the Government side.

The parliamentary group of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has decided to nominate former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the position of Opposition Leader.

The United States on Monday praised the restoration of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe — controversially replaced by a former strongman in October — and voiced eagerness to work with him.