The Tamil People's Council (TPC) formed its first subcommittee to draft proposals to the proposed new Constitution. The TPC's second meeting since its inception on 19 December was held at the Jaffna Public Library Auditorium yesterday. Northern Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran chaired yesterday's meeting accompanied by cochair members Dr. P. Lakshman and T.Vasantharaja of Batticaloa Civil Society. People's Liberation Organization Tamil Eelam leader and the TNA Parliamentarian D. Sidarthan also participated at the TPC meeting along with the EPRLF Leader and former TNA Parliamentarian Suresh K. Premachandran.

Soon after the meeting Chief Minister Wigneswaran and his two other cochair members held the TPC's first press briefing at the Library Auditorium where Wigneswaran reiterated that the TPC was not a political party and it was an organization formed to voice for the political aspirations and to address the humanitarian issues of the people in the North and East. Forming of the first subcommittee at the yesterday's meeting Wigneswaran said that the committee would comprise fifteen members.

"The subcommittee will commence making its preliminary draft proposals to the proposed new Constitution on 2 January 2016 and it is expected to complete the final draft by end of March 2016. The second Committee is expected to be formed shortly which would look into the issues related to alleged war crimes," Wigneswaran said. Meanwhile the Opposition and the TNA Leader R. Sampanthan and Chief Minister held a special meeting with regard to the formation of the TPC at the residence of Kanaga Eswaran PC last week.

Both leaders agreed that they were able to discuss on the misunderstandings between them and the meeting was cordial. The efforts are also mooted to narrow the differences between the TNA and the TPC by several prominent civil society figures in the North and East.

While refuting claims by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe that his government had allocated funds required to increase public sector salaries, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that no such funds had been allocated.

A Fundamental Rights petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking an order preventing Ranjan Ramanayake from contesting the parliamentary election scheduled for November 14.

Claiming that Sri Lanka has come a long way in terms of undertaking reforms which have led to some hard won gains, the International Monetary Fund (IMF)said they could move fast towards the third review which will come up soon.

The Election Commission has decided to mark the voters' index fingers for this year's general elections, Commissioner General Saman Ratnayake announced. He said the elections are scheduled for November 14, 2024.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is set to hold a series of meetings with the High Commissioners of South Africa and New Zealand, along with the Ambassadors of Iran and Myanmar, as well as a delegation from the European Union today (25) at the Presidential Secretariat.

Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the security threats to Israeli nationals in the Arugam Bay area, Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath said.

Sri Lanka should get its foreign policy right in the wake of the escalating Middle East crisis, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Mujibur Rahman said today.

The Canadian government has issued a travel advisory urging travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Sri Lanka due to demonstrations, the threat of terrorist attacks and crime, particularly in the Arugam Bay area.

Sri Lankan security forces have been alerted to a potential attack on Israelis in the Arugam Bay area by Indian intelligence agencies. According to intelligence information, the threat is believed to be targeted at foreign nationals.

Former Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara asked why the government did not take action to beef up security for foreign tourists in advance if it had received information on a possible threat on October 7, according to the statement made by Acting Chief of Police.