Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, yesterday, urged the leaders of the UNF constituents to finalise the draft of the constitution of the proposed Democratic National Front (DNF).

The passenger boat service operating on the Beira Lake from Union Place to Colombo Fort has been launched under the patronage of PM Ranil Wickremesinghe a short while ago.

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) will begin a 24-hour token strike island-wide over several demands from 8 this morning.

United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe yesterday (21) told Parliament that the USA has no power to order Sri Lanka as to who the Commander of the Tri-Forces should be or should not be.

SriLankan had become a drain on the economy, and the situation had been exacerbated by compensation paid for terminating an airbus deal, Parliament was told, yesterday.

The joint proposal tabled by Minister of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Abdul Haleem and Minister of Justice and Prison Reforms Thalatha Atukorale to amend the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act has received the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Arjuna Ranathunga speaking with journalists after the conclusion of a media briefing held at Temple Trees said that it was his view that the UNP lacked discipline.

Sri Lanka’s government on Tuesday hit out at foreign criticism of its appointment of a general accused of war abuses as the new army commander.

Sri Lanka’s per capital income had increased by between 50% and 100% due to the right economic policies of the government, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said, at meetig in Mawathagama.

The appointment of Sri Lankan Lieutenant-General Shavendra Silva as Commander of the country’s army is deeply troubling, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said in a statement released on Monday, adding that the military leader had been given the role despite “serious allegations of gross violations of international human rights and humanitarian law against him and his troops during the war”.

An Army Special Forces soldier who had been on parachute training at the Uhana Air Force Base in Ampara has died of a sudden fall, the Army said.

State Minister Ranjan Ramanayake says the United National Party will name its candidate after a Presidential Election is called.

Non – cabinet Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva says that the Prime Minister said that he would discuss tomorrow with party seniors regarding the request 55 UNP MPs had made.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) yesterday expressed its disapproval of the appointment of Lt. General Shavendra Silva as the new Army Commander.

Power, Energy and Business Development Ministry has requested Rs. 50 billion from the Treasury to settle a part of Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) debt, a top official said.