Flight operations from the Palali airport to India will commence from October this year. Direct flights would be initially operated to Indian destinations such as Bangalore, Cochin, Mumbai and Hyderabad. The Palali airport is now being upgraded at a cost of Rs. 20 billion to make it Sri Lanka’s third international airport after Colombo and Mattala,a Transport and Civil Aviation Ministry Spokesman said.

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) at the Central Committee meeting held today (26) has taken a decision to remove party's Treasurer MP S .B. Dissanayake from the post and appoint MP Lasantha Alagiyawanna as the new Treasurer. A special Central Committee meeting of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party was held tonight under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena at the President's official residence.

Two more activists of the banned Jamathei Millathu Ibraheem (JMI) Organisation have been arrested by the Ampara Police today, police said. Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera said the arrest was made following a tip-off by the State Intelligence Service (SIS). He said the suspects had undergone weapons training with National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) leader Zahran Hashim at NTJ camps at Nuwara Eliya and Hambanthota.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had talks today with regards to the Palali Airport with the Tamil National Alliance. Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana and Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Arjuna Ranatunga also attended the talks. The Prime Minister’s Office said that TNA Parliamentarians Mavai Senathirajah and M.A. Sumanthiran were represented by the TNA. The airport is expected to be competed by mid-October.

Canadian High Commissioner David McKinnon met Northern Province Governor Suren Ragavan at the Governor’s Secretariat today. They discussed the situation of the people in the post-war Northern Province and the situation prevailing after the Easter Sunday attacks and the impact caused by the calamity. The Project Planning Officers of the Canadian Integrated Conflict Analysis Process- Sharmala Naidoo and Vikramveer Suagh participated in the meeting held with the Canadian High Commissioner.

Air transportation between India and Palali Airport in Jaffna will start before the end of the year, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday. Speaking during the inauguration of the work on the Muttur - Batticaloa Road on Saturday, the Prime Minister said flights from India will start operating towards Palali before the end of the year. "We will use Palali and the Batticaloa airports to bring in tourists," the Prime Minister said.

Another round of discussion between Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is scheduled to take place tomorrow at the office of the opposition leader.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya does not expect another constitutional crisis like that what occurred on 26 October 2018. There have been reports circulating that the Speaker is prepared to resign if another constitutional crisis occurs. However, the Speaker’s office said that Jayasuriya had not made any comment to that effect. The Speaker’s office also said that Jayasuriya will ensure Parliament defeats any attempt to go against Parliament democracy.

Army Commander Major General Shavendra Silva yesterday (Aug 25) said that he would be willing to sacrifice his life to protect the country. He made these remarks after visiting the Sri Dalada Maligawa Temple in Kandy following his promotion as Army Chief. During his visit, Major General Silva obtained blessings from the chief prelates of the Asgiri and Malwathu chapters.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is to send a delegation to visit India in order to discuss with New Delhi the current plight of the Sri Lankan Tamil community. Leader of the TNA R. Sampanthan, speaking to The Sunday Morning, said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his recent visit to Sri Lanka, had invited the TNA to New Delhi.

Presidential hopefuls have had separate meetings with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in an attempt to win their support for the upcoming presidential election. Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Leader and National People’s Power (NPP) presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and United National Party (UNP), self-proclaimed presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa have had unofficial talks with TNA members, The Sunday Morning learnt.

Attorneys for SLPP presidential hopeful Gotabaya Rajapaksa have sought, in a fresh filing in the California Central District Court, to dismiss a lawsuit brought against him alleging his culpability in the January 2009 torture and extrajudicial killing of Lasantha Wickrematunge.

None of the Above (NOTA) option on the ballot paper is unlikely to be included in the upcoming Presidential election according to a senior official from the National Election Commission. According to him, it would not be possible to include the NOTA option where voters can cast a vote of discontent on all contesting candidates in the upcoming election as it involves major amendments to the Election Act in the country.

Reports say that Sri Lanka Army is at the risk of losing its international peacekeeping missions. According to embassy sources appointing Shavendra Silva, a general who led the humanitarian operation in the North, as the Army Commander is the reason for this. Currently there are around 415 Sri Lanka Army troops deployed in peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, Mali and South Sudan.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa today assured that he will address the issues faced by the Tamils in the North. Speaking at the Sri Lanka People’s Youth Front National Convention at the Nelum Pokuna theater today, Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that the main issue faced by the Tamils in the North and East is employment. He said that a Government under him will ensure the youth and others in the North and East live a good life. Rajapaksa urged the Tamils not to be misled by some politicians in the North and East.

President Maithripala Sirisena, who discontinued the state of emergency, has issued a separate regulation under the same law to summon the armed forces for active service if and when necessary in all the administrative districts of the country. The state of emergency was declared for the first time after the terrorist attack on April 21 that killed more than 250 people and was extended every month by issuing proclamations under the law and approved by Parliament.

The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) has called for impactful actions and not just diplomatic rhetoric on Sri Lanka. The London based influential Tamil diaspora group said that the appointment of Shavendra Silva (Silva) as the new Commander of the Sri Lankan army is a deeply troubling development.

United National Party (UNP) Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa today reiterated that he will contest the next Presidential elections. Speaking at a mass rally in Matara organised by UNP Parliamentarian and Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Premadasa said that he will look to unite the country, if elected President. He said that the country must move forward with new thinking and new policies.

The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) which is mandated to search for and trace the fate and whereabouts of missing and disappeared persons in Sri Lanka, opened its third regional office in Jaffna on Saturday, August 24. OMP, Chairman, Saliya Pieris inaugurated the third regional office opened this year at No 124, Adiyapatham Road in Jaffna this morning. Presently the OMP has regional offices in Matara and Mannar.

UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa will be officially named as party’s presidential candidate with the blessings of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a week’s time, Minister Mangala Samaraweera said yesterday. Speaking during a public rally in Matara Mr. Samaraweera said Mr Premadasa will be introduced to the people at a massive rally in Galle Face green soon.

The government's decision to end the state of emergency will not affect the ban on extremist groups and the investigations into the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said today (Aug 24).

Sri Lanka has ended a four-month state of emergency declared after Easter suicide bombings by Islamist extremists that killed 258 people, officials said Friday, according to the AFP news service. President Maithripala Sirisena has been extending the emergency on the 22nd of each month since the April 21 attacks on three hotels and three churches.

Former Northern Province Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran today launched an awareness campaign for a major rally to be staged in Jaffna next month. The rally will see the participation of politicians supporting Wigneswaran’s political alliance, the Tamil People’s Council. Wigneswaran launched the awareness campaign today from the Nallur Hindu Temple in Jaffna.

Army Intelligence Staff Sergeant Chamika Sumith Kumara was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today over the Keith Noyahr abduction case. The Attorney General’s coordinating secretary said the CID made the arrest following the instructions of the AG.

The term of Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne has been extended till December 31, 2019, by President Maithripala Sirisena with effect from today. The Admiral who was appointed as the CDS on August 22, 2017, was due to retire on August 22, 2019, on completion of his first two-year tenure. He was the Commander of the Navy from July 11, 2015, to August 22, 2017, prior to being appointed as CDS.

Major General Sathyapriya Liyanage has been appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army with effect from today, the Army said.

State Ministers Mohamed Cassim Mohamed Faizal and Ali Zahir Moulana Seyed, who resigned from their posts in June, were sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena a short while ago. Accordingly, Mohamed Cassim was sworn in as the State Minister Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine, while Ali Zahir Moulana was sworn in as the Primary Industries and Social Empowerment State Minister.

Reports based on investigations conducted on five high profile cases have been handed over to the Attorney General. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said that the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) handed over the reports based on investigations conducted so far into five cases, including into the murder of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge.