The US government has proposed a $31 million financial aid to Sri Lanka to encourage reconciliation efforts and support anti-corruption activities as the Island nation is undertaking major reforms after the historic political transition. "Following the historic political transition after Presidential and Parliamentary elections in 2015, US assistance to Sri Lanka has entered a new era," said the budgetary proposals sent by US Secretary of State John Kerry to the Congress in which he proposed $31 million for Sri Lanka as part of New Silk Road and Indo-Pacific Economic Corridor initiatives.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said some unidentified group had threatened him with death if the joint opposition was not recognised as a separate group in Parliament. He told Parliament that he was not scared of dying.

Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera was further remanded till February 16 when he was produced in the Homagama magistrate

Two Sri Lankans deported from Australia were arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) by the Crime Investigation Division (CID) this morning, Police said. The suspects, residents of Jaffna, were illegal migrants to Australia and were arrested on a tip off. The suspects are to be produced before the Negombo Magistrate today. The Katunayake CID will conduct the investigation.

Extreme nationalistic tendencies lay at the heart of Sri Lanka

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), Prince Zeid, has denied that he told the media in Jaffna that he will not ask the Sri Lankan government to release Tamil detainees.Zeid explained to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) here on Tuesday, that he had only said that the UN cannot ask a

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, who is on a four-day official visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of the government, called on the Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena today.The High Commissioner also called on the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at Temple Trees this morning. During the meeting, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and High Commissioner Zeid focused attention on current challenges and opportunities for strengthening the rule of law and protection of human rights in Sri Lanka.

The General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) the venerable Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera was granted bail by the Homagama Magistrate today over contempt of court charges. However he was remanded till tomorrow for allegedly threatening Sandhya Eknaligoda, the wife of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda. The monk was remanded last month after he surrendered to the police after the Homagama Magistrate issued an arrest warrant on him. The arrest warrant was issued after the monk had allegedly disrespected court during proceedings into the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda.

Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs D.M. Swaminathan has instructed the Commissioner General of Prisons to hold an immediate inquiry into the incident of finding a mobile phone in the cell of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa

Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka took oath as a Member of the Parliament before the speaker Karu Jayasuriya a short while ago. The United National Party's working committee on Monday decided to appoint Field Marshal Fonseka as a UNP national list MP, a seat which was left vacant by the recent demise of Minister M. K. A. D. S Gunawardene.

The UNP Working Committee has today endorsed the appointment of Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka to Parliament through the United National Front (UNF) National List to fill the post of MP which fell vacant with the death of former minister M.K.A.D.S. Gunawardane, UNP Acting General Secretary and Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said.

Malwatte Chapter Mahanayake Thera the Most Ven. Tibbatuwave Siddhartha Sri Sumangala Thera has told visiting UN Human Rights High Commissioner Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein that the present government was striving hard to bring about reconciliation in the country. The UNHR Chief visited the Kandy Dalada Maligawa today and after paying homage to the sacred tooth relic he paid a courtesy call on the Mahanayake Thera. The prelate welcomed the UNHR Chief and asked whether there existed any concerns of human rights violations because the present government was striving hard to establish peace and reconciliation among all communities.

The joint opposition says singing the National anthem in Tamil will not help the reconciliation process. Joint opposition Parliamentarian Udaya Gammanpila said that the opposition is being accused of being communal minded for opposing the singing of the National anthem in Tamil.However he says singing the National anthem in one language will help unity as opposed to two languages which will promote division.

The visiting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra

Former Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa today insisted that war crimes were never committed by the military during the conflict. Speaking to reporters after signing a petition against an international war crimes investigation on Sri Lanka, the former Defense Secretary said that the soldiers are going to be subjected to a war crimes investigation to satisfy the pro-LTTE Tamil diaspora. He also questioned the visit of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra

India

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra

Bodu Bala Sena general secretary Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera has written a letter from Welikada prison to the Mahanayake Thera, president, prime minister and the cabinet ministers. He says no responsible person has taken notice of his warnings, sometimes gentle and sometimes harsh, of danger to the country, nation and religion from enemies and atheists for the past 20 years. The Thera says he has begun the struggle in a nonviolent way and that he hopes it to continue in the future. Seeking an opportunity to discuss the matters with politicians, he asks the Maha Nayake Thera to forgive him had he done anything wrong.

A mobile phone was found in the possession of Yoshitha Rajapaksa at the Welikada Remand Prison. The mobile phone fell from his pocket when he was returning to his cell after he met his father, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the remand prison. However, prison sources said that no action was taken by the officers who accompanied Yoshitha Rajapaksa to his cell when the mobile phone fell out. A senior prison official however told The Sunday Leader he was not aware of such an incident taking place.He said if information over such an incident is reported, then appropriate action will be taken. Intelligence officers at the prison said that two officers are prepared to make statements on the discovery of the telephone if an investigation is launched.

An eleven-member Consultation Task Force will enforce provisions of the US-backed resolution which was jointly sponsored by Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council in Geneva last year.Its work will be carried out with the help of a UN expert who will arrive in Colombo next week. He is Pablo de Greiff, Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence. This will be part of an Action Plan formulated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as stated in a confidential document circulated to Western countries and India as part of the implementation of the UNHRC (UN Human Rights Council) Resolution titled promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka adopted by the UNHRC in October, 2015.

Former minister Basil Rajapaksa and Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa are next in line to be arrested from the Rajapaksa family following the recent arrest of Yoshitha Rajapaksa. Both Basil Rajapaksa and Namal Rajapaksa are expected to be arrested over the alleged misuse of public funds. The internal air travel fare of former minister Basil Rajapaksa and MP Namal Rajapaksa has reportedly cost Rs. 150 million. According to information received, there is a high probability that Basil Rajapaksa and Namal Rajapaksa will be arrested by the police Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID) over misappropriation of public funds.

The Criminal investigation Department(CID) investigating journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra

Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has told President Maithripala Sirisena the Government of India supports Sri Lanka

Northern Province Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran visited the Naga Vihara Temple in Jaffna today to show support to the decision taken by the Government to sing the National anthem in Tamil at the Independence day event at Galle Face yesterday. Speaking to reporters at the Temple, Wigneswaran said that if the Sinhalese people take one step forward and move towards the Tamils then the Tamils will take ten steps forward towards the Sinhalese community.

Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi arrived in Sri Lanka on a short transit visit this morning. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Deputy Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva met with the visiting Chinese dignitary. They held discussions pertaining to the Prime Minister's visit to China later this year, and agreed on several steps to be taken before the visit, Dr. de Silva said on his Facebook Page. The Chinese Foreign Minister is returning to his country after a four-nation tour of Africa.

The tussle for the SLFP leadership between President Maithripala Sirisena and SLFP Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa has now reached a new high and taken on a new dimension after the imprisonment of the second son of the former President Navy Lieutenant Yoshitha Rajapaksa over alleged financial irregularities at the CSN. Political observers contend that in the wake of Yoshitha Rajapaksa being remanded the former SLFP Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa has begun attending all possible SLFP functions where he makes public statements about forming a new political party while condemning the current SLFP leadership.

In a strange and welcome change of the times the National Anthem was sung in Sinhala at Independence Day celebrations staged by rehabilitated LTTE cadres at Kilinochchi, Paranthan. These former LTTE cadres who are currently serving in the Civil Defence Force had sung the National Anthem in Sinhala, while Tamils at the 68th Independence Day celebrations at the Galle Face Green sung the Anthem in Tamil. The ceremony in Kilinochchi, Paranthan had been held under the auspices of Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu Commanding Officer Colonel Rathnapriya Bandu.