Former Army Commander, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, has decided to contest for Presidency at the upcoming Presidential election, the Daily Mirror learns.

Sources close to Fonseka said that the current Chairman of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will make a formal announcement in June. Fonseka is to contest as an independent candidate instead of joining forces with any political party.

Sources claimed that Fonseka has also managed to secure the support of a group of SJB MPs and back-door talks are ongoing with MPs and politicians from other political parties.

The Daily Mirror learns that Fonseka's campaign will look at promoting a corruption free country and also give priority to national security. The former Army Commander took to the streets during the ‘Aragalaya’ protests and will look to ride on the support he got at the time.

He is also expected to work with intellectuals and prominent personalities during his campaign. The former Army Commander will seek to boost his Presidential bid with the launch of a book on the war, the Daily Mirror learns.

The book is expected to reveal information related to the conflict and the role he played as the Army Commander at the time.

Meanwhile, sources also said that a former diplomat has sought a meeting with Fonseka as a representative of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Fonseka has not ruled out meeting Wickremesinghe but has indicated he will not withdraw his decision to contest for Presidency.

The MP has already had discussions with the President in Parliament, sources added without divulging further details on the matters discussed.

Sources also said that Fonseka had informal discussions with a number of diplomats and briefed them on his upcoming announcement. According to the source, Fonseka has indicated his intention to work closely with India, China and the US.

A suspected bird flu patient has been reported from the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), a top source told the Daily Mirror. The diagnosed person is a male foreigner. The patient was tested for influenza, which showed positive following a PCR test. Subsequently he was tested for the subtype of influenza A, which is influenza A/H1N1.

Former Colombo district Parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra was found guilty of her involvement in the abduction of a youth using a Defender and was given a three-year prison sentence by the Colombo High Court today.

Former Colombo district Parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra, who has been jailed for 3 years by the High Court of Colombo for her involvement in the abduction of a youth using a Defender, is expected to seek bail from the Colombo High Court.

The Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Misukoshi Hideki, said that Japan will promptly resume its projects in Sri Lanka that were previously halted, once the related MoUs are signed.

The Election Commission which will get constitutional authority to conduct the presidential election independent of any governmental interference in another three weeks time has sprung up into action by issuing a circular to initiate action for staff, vehicle mobilization and polling centre inspections, an official said.

China’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sun Weidong, called on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Beijing today and reiterated the strong partnership between China and Sri Lanka.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa left for a four day official visit to China today morning and will hold discussions with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his stay, the Daily Mirror learns.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the Chief Prelate of the Malwatu Chapter, Most Ven. Thibbatuwawe Sri Sumangala Maha Nayaka Thera and the Chief Prelate of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Ven. Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Nayaka Thera a short while ago.

The Constitutional Council has again rejected President Ranil Wickremesinghe's proposal to extend Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam's term by six months. In a recent vote, five members opposed the extension while three supported it.

Markham, Canada - Over fifteen years following the end of Sri Lanka’s Genocidal war against Eelam Tamils, families of the forcibly disappeared are still searching for answers about the whereabouts of their loved ones. The recent UN Human Rights Office report released on May 17 highlights the ongoing issue of enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka and urges the Sri Lankan government to take action to strengthen their truth-seeking mechanisms and to ensure accountability for all perpetrators. Furthermore, on June 5, a report launch event titled "15 Years of Official Peace" convened to unveil the findings of this document and discuss the conclusion with panellists.

Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena yesterday described Sri Lanka reaching agreements with the Official Creditors Committee (OCC) and China EXIM Bank as a “critical milestone”, and said the Government is continuing the process to stabilise and promote long-term economic growth.

The United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie J. Chung, has expressed support for the final agreement on debt restructuring between Sri Lanka and its creditor nations. The agreement was reached today on the sidelines of the Paris Forum 2024.

Sri Lanka has reached a final restructuring agreement for $5.8 billion of debt with its bilateral lenders' Official Creditor Committee in Paris. According to the President’s Media Division, the agreement was finalized a short while ago.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry is scheduled to undertake an official visit to Japan from July 1, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said. They said the visit will be made on an invitation extended by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa,

A fatal accident on Tuesday night resulted in the deaths of three persons and left two others injured when a lorry collided with a parked bus on the A9 road in Mankulam, according to police.

Police fired tear gas and used water cannons at the teachers’ and principals’ union members who staged a protest near the Lotus roundabout, Colombo.

A sailor sustained fatal wounds and a Navy Dora damaged due to the aggressive maneuvering of a poaching Indian bottom trawler during a pre-dawn operation by the Sri Lanka Navy to seize the intruding vessel in the seas off Delft Island in Jaffna yesterday, the Navy said.

The Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) has announced that the trade union action launched by teachers and principals will continue tomorrow as well.

Speculation is rife within the political circles of an imminent cabinet reshuffle in the coming weeks, the Daily Mirror learns.

A total of 946 people belonging to 432 families have been affected by the drought, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said. They said the people in the Karachchi divisional secretariat of the Killinochchi district in the Northern Province have been affected.