North Korea illegally exported coal, iron and other commodities worth at least   

They said North Korea was also reportedly continuing banned nuclear activities with weapons-grade fissile material production at the Yongbyon nuclear complex, construction and maintenance at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, and at a uranium mine in Pyongsan. The eight-member panel of experts said it was also investigating the widespread presence of North Koreans in Africa and the Middle East, particularly in Syria, "including their involvement in prohibited activities". The experts said one inquiry is into "reported prohibited chemical, ballistic missile and conventional arms co-operation" between Syria and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the country's official name.

They said this included activities on Syrian Scud missile programmes and "maintenance and repair of Syrian surface-to-air missiles (SAM) air defence systems". The panel noted that two unnamed countries reported intercepting shipments destined for Syria. It did not identify the contents and said Syria had yet to respond to its inquiries. The 111-page report was written before North Korea's sixth and most powerful nuclear test last Sunday and its latest launch of a powerful new intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan. It was made public two days before the United States has called for a vote on a new sanctions resolution.

The original US draft would impose the toughest-yet sanctions on North Korea including banning all oil and natural gas exports to the country and freezing all foreign financial assets of the government and Kim. The experts said implementation of existing sanctions "lags far behind what is necessary to achieve the core goal of denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula. They blamed "lax enforcement" of sanctions coupled North Korea's "evolving evasion techniques" for undermining the achievement of this goal which would see the North abandon all weapons of mass destruction. On the export of commodities - a key source of foreign exchange for the DPRK - the experts said that following China's suspension of coal imports from the North in February, the DPRK has been rerouting coal to other countries including Malaysia and Vietnam.

"The panel's investigations reveal that the DPRK is deliberately using indirect channels to export prohibited commodities, evading sanctions," the report said. The panel said imports of DPRK coal, iron and iron ore violate UN sanctions unless the countries have received an exemption. Between December 2016 and May 2017, for example, the DPRK exported more than

Ahead of the presidential election scheduled for October this year, the foreign powers have ramped up their efforts in the assessment of ground political developments as was in the case of vital elections in the past.

Refuting reports that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa avoided meeting visiting Iranian President Dr. Ebrahim Raisi, SJB MP Nalin Bandara said today that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa did not get an appointment from the Iranian Embassy to meet the Iranian President.

A soldier was killed and nine others injured when a lorry collided with an army cab at Vasanthanagar in Mankulam early this morning. Police said the lorry travelling from Mankulam to Kilinochchi, crashed onto the cab ahead of it. The injured soldiers were rushed to Kilinochchi Hospital, where one of them succumbed to injuries upon admission.

While condemning the media reports, the Milk Powder Importers’ Association said today that they had not taken any decision to reduce the retail prices of the milk powder packets in the local market. The association media spokesman, Asoka Bandara, said the statement circulated on media platforms is incorrect.

Management of Sri Lanka’s southern Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport has been awarded to a Russia and India joint venture, cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said.

Public Security Minister Tiran Alles told the police today that eliminating criminals from the country is not a sin and not to be afraid to use weapons. He made these remarks while participating in the passing out parade at Katukurunda STF Training camp.

The Election Commission (EC) stated that several recognised political parties have had to be set aside from the relevant list due to internal crises within the said parties. According to the official website of the EC, there are 84 recognised political parties in Sri Lanka.

In a scathing rebuttal of allegations by Malcom Cardinal Ranjith regarding the Easter Sunday attacks, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said Cardinal Ranjith either glosses over the responsibility of, or expressly absolves the two parties actually involved in the terrorist strikes.

In its first move for the formation of a broad political alliance, President Ranil Wickremesinghe had a meeting with Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) stalwart Basil Rajapaksa and representatives of other parties and groups, and decided to accelerate political work in view of the presidential election after May Day.

The rice distributed among schools said to be unsuitable for children's co consumption was provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) and not by the government, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha assured today.

Opposition Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara has raised concerns about a growing trend where Sri Lankan retired military personnel are allegedly being exploited in a scheme to send them to serve in the Russian and Ukrainian Armies.

The main Parliamentary Opposition Party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), queried about the actions taken against certain officers in the State Intelligence Service (SIS), who, in certain instances, allegedly blocked the investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) into the Easter Sunday attacks that took place in 2019.

Sri Lanka took minimal steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses, the 2023 report issued by the US State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour on Sri Lanka's Human Rights Practices has alleged.

A top delegation of the Chinese Communist Party headed by Vice Minister of the International Department, Sun Haiyan met National People's Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the JVP head office today. The delegation included head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party Liu Jianchao and Political Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka Chen Xiang Yuan.

The head of one of Canada’s largest police forces met with a Sri Lankan inspector general of police who two weeks earlier had been found by the South Asian country’s highest court to have “participated in the torture” of an arrested man.

The Colombo District Court issued an interim injunction preventing former President Maithripala Sirisena from functioning as the chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Ebrahim Raisi and President Ranil Wickremesinghe jointly inaugurated the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project (UOMDP) a short while ago. This project is one of the largest irrigation projects in Sri Lanka following the Mahaweli Development Project

The three-day adournment debate on the Easter Sunday attacks commenced in Parliament today. The adournment debate was moved by SJB MP Niroshan Perera and seconded by SJB MP Kavinda Jayawardane. The debate will be held for three days.

The Sri Lanka Army has decided to appoint a special investigation committee consisting of 07 senior officers chaired by a Major General to probe the accident that occurred during the Diyatalawa Fox Hill Supercross.

Vice Minister of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, Sun Haiyan, is set to arrive in Sri Lanka today for a two-day official visit, as reported by The Thinakaran Newspaper.