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.

Kerry has proposed a $31 million financial assistance to this island nation for the fiscal 2016-2017, beginning October 1 this year. In fiscal 2017, US assistance will be used to strengthen governance, democratic reform, and the rule of law by promoting and protecting human rights, strengthening justice sector institutions, and supporting civil society organisations, the State Department said. The resources will also be used to encourage reconciliation efforts and support anti-corruption activities - a key focus as the government undertakes major reforms during this political transition, the State Department said.

"To help increase economic stability, US assistance will also work to improve economic governance and growth, while supporting livelihoods and promoting trade," it said. President Maithripala Sirisena, 64, came to power last January with the backing of Sri Lanka's minority Tamils and Muslims in addition to the majority Sinhalese on the back of promises to ensure ethnic reconciliation and end the corruption and nepotism of his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa. Sirisena has won praise for starting to hand back land after the end of one of South Asia's longest and bloodiest ethnic wars, pitting the government against Tamil separatists. But he is also under international pressure to do more to ensure reconciliation in the ethnically divided nation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has awarded Sri Lanka a $17 million grant for its proposal, “One Vision, One Shield,” aimed at strengthening pandemic preparedness and response.

In response to Daily Mirror story headlined ‘AKD, Harini clashes over UGC Chairman appointment?’ in yesterday’s edition, the Prime Minister’s Office sent the following clarification.

The latest financial disclosures from the Election Commission reveal that Sajith Premadasa and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), lead in campaign spending for the 2024 Presidential Election, with a total expenditure of Rs. 1.13 billion.

Chanu Nimesha, the Secretary of Women's Affairs of the Sri Lanka Socialist party, has created history by becoming the first transgender individual to contest an election in Sri Lanka. Nimesha will contest from the Kegalle District.

The Department of Immigration and Emigration will visit the southern coastal belt in early November to look for any overstaying tourists from countries like Russia and Israel, where an influx of tourists are expected in the emerging South season for Christmas, the Daily Mirror learns.

The elite Special Task Force (STF) have heightened security in Colombo, Weligama and Ella as well, a day after the US Embassy in Colombo gave a warning of a possible terror threat in Arugam Bay, a senior defence source told Daily Mirror last evening.

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.