Yoshitha Rajapaksa, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa

UN Chief Ban Ki-moon recalled that the Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka, co-sponsored by the current Government, affirms the importance of a credible justice process and international participation in the judicial mechanism. His spokesman St

In a Talk to Al Jazeera interview, the Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena appears to contradict key findings from a UN investigation into the country's civil war, released in September last year. The report from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) investigated atrocities committed by both the Tamil separatists and the Sri Lankan Army during the 26-year-long conflict. In the final stages of the war, attacks carried out by the Sri Lankan Army were so bloody and aggressive that as many as 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed.

While cross examining the crown witness in the non-summary inquiry into the killing of former TNA Jaffna District MP Nadaraja Raviraj, Defense Counsel who appeared for the second suspect, alleged that the crown witness, Sampath Prithiviraj, and his accomplices from Karuna

Former Army Chief, Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka will be sworn in as a Member of Parliament on 9 February, on the United National Party list, Daily FT learns from authoritative Government sources. Fonseka will take the UNP

Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's Spokesman and CSN Chairman Rohan Weliwita was arrested by the FCID this morning in connection with alleged financial irregularities taken place at the CSN

Opposing the release of a Tamil film based on the life of slain former LTTE television broadcaster Isaipriya, titled

The British war ship HMS Defender is paying a routine visit to Colombo to take on stores and fuel before continuing with her duties in the Indian Ocean. This is the first time in four years that a RN warship has visited Sri Lanka, a country with which the United Kingdom shares a long military history, the British High Commission in Colombo said. The British High Commission said the Ship

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today denied reports that -- at an interview with Channel Four -- he had said the Sri Lankan Government had not ruled out a foreign judicial inquiry on alleged human rights violations in Sri Lanka. Mr. Wickremesinghe said in Parliament he had never told such a thing during the interview he gave to Channel Four. Mr. Wickremesinghe said some media including Daily Mirror and Island are unnecessarily concerned about the probe on alleged human rights."What is the pain Daily Mirror and Island have on an international probe," he asked.

State intelligence services have uncovered information to the effect that money has been deposited in special accounts in the names of government's defence services during the tenure of the previous regime, to finance several extremist organizations to carry out plans to create socio-political destabilization in the country. A senior security services officer told this newspaper that this information had come to light following a discussion between top level State intelligence agencies concerning the current emergence of certain extremist groups in society and their ability to provoke public unrest and violence.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya yesterday ordered the CID to launch a probe into the discovery of skeletal remains in the underground prison named 'Gunside' located within the Ocean Science Faculty premises of the Naval Command in Trincomalee, during the visit there of an overseas monitoring group that was probing disappearances in the East. The CID also told Court that a Dolphin Mitsubishi vehicle bearing number 6021 had also been discovered in the underground prison. Inquiries carried out on the chassis number had revealed that the vehicle had belonged to John Reed of Kotahena from whom it had been stolen.

Senior Superintendent of Prisons Anura Ekanayake, who was in charge of the Welikada Prison, had been transferred to the Prisons Headquarters with immediate effect, Prison officials said today. Sources said Mr. Ekanayake was transferred due to allegation of providing special treatment to the General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena Ven. Galagoda Atthe Gnanasara Thera, who is in remand custody at the Welikada Prison Hospital on charge of contempt of court. The Thera was transferred to the Welikada Prison Hospital from Colombo Remand Prison due to a sudden illness on Wednesday (27) evening.

The United States discussed the issue of missing persons in Sri Lanka during an informal meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC). During a UN Security Council Arria-Formula Meeting on the Global Challenge of Accounting for Missing Persons, the Permanent Representative of the US to the UN, Samantha Power spoke about her visit to Sri Lanka and the missing persons issue.She said that in recent months, she had the opportunity to visit two countries afflicted by huge numbers of missing and disappeared: Sri Lanka and Mexico.

'Speculation' is rife that Lieutenant Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa would be summoned before a military court in connection with the abuse of his position in violation of the Navy Act, authoritative defence sources said. The Navy conducted a full scale investigation into the charges leveled against Rajapaksa and the investigation report has already been referred to the President. Navy sources added that further action would be taken against Rajapaksa based on the President's decision.

Posters were displayed within the Jaffna University premises urging that a Buddhist temple be constructed in front of the university. The poster was displayed by the Jaffna University Buddhist Students' Union. It should be noted that prior to the war period only Tamil students enrolled at the university, however, during the post war period many Sinhala students have been enrolled. Currently a reasonable number of Sinhala students are studying at the Jaffna University and they have formed various organizations. One such organization has urged to build a Buddhist temple in front of the university.

A bail application filed by the General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena Ven. Galagod Atthe Gnanasara Thera has been rejected by the Homagama Magistrate

Based on the 2015 official voter registers there has been an increase of 376,412 voters on the figure in the 2014 official voter registers, the Additional Commissioner of Elections (Law and Order) M.M. Mohammad told Ceylon Today. He said that the 2015 official voter registers had 15,421,202 voters. The 2014 official voter registers had an aggregate of 15,044,790 voters. Mohammad added that the reason for the increase in voters was that those below 18 had come of age to exercise their votes at the 2015 presidential and general elections. He added that the 2015 official voter registers will be applicable for all elections to come this year.

The only practical solution to the Chunnakam water problem is to provide water from Iranamadu tank by raising the tank bund by two meters, City Planning and Water Supply Minister Rauf Hakeem said. The minister said so at a press conference held yesterday at the Information Department. Hakeem stating that nearly US Dollars 17 million have been allocated on the project with the support of the Asian Development Bank explained that Chunnakam water crisis has turned into a never ending dispute and has dragged on for over a year because of the objections raised by farmers over providing water from Iranamadu tank.

Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) urges Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wikramasinghe to clarify his statement that thousands of Tamils who surrendered to the Sri Lankan Security forces are no longer alive. The Sri Lankan Prime Minister made this statement on January 15th in Jaffna, when he spoke at a celebration of Thai Pongal, a Hindu festival.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says foreign involvement in the war crimes probe has not been ruled out.The Prime Minister told Channel 4 television, Sri Lanka will stand by its commitments in Geneva on the UN resolution.

Opposition and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Leader R. Sampanthan left for London on Monday (25) to study the devolution of powers under a federal system, which exists within a regional Parliament in the United Kingdom, TNA sources said. This is Sampanthan's first trip abroad since he was appointed Opposition Leader in the Sri Lankan Parliament last year.A high profile TNA meeting was held in Kilinochchi a few days ago at which TNA Parliamentarians from the North and East, as well as Provincial Councillors were briefed on TNA's stance relating to the drafting of a new Constitution.

Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Secretary General Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara was admitted to the Welikada Prison Hospital due to sudden illness this evening. BBS CEO Dilantha Withanage said that they suspected the Thera was suffering from an illness and could have been admitted after not taking the medicine properly following the detention.

Homagama Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake today ordered the Homagala Police to arrest all the people those who behaved in a violent manner on charges of contempt of court and produce before the court before February 9. A tense situation continued yesterday outside the Homagama Court premises after a large number of Buddhist monks and some youth protested against the Homagama Magistrate

The Navy will take action against Lieutenant Yoshitha Rajapaksa based on the advise of the President's office in the wake of the recommendations made by the tripartite committee, Chief Government Whip Gayantha Karunatilleke told Parliament today.He said this while responding to a question asked by JVP MP Nalinda Jayatissa who said the report of the investigation committee had been forwarded to President Maithripala Sirisena. Mr. Karunatilleke said Lieutenant Rajapaksa had fulfilled his basic qualification of obtaining six credits in GCE O/L exam in the second sitting. He had obtained A/L qualification as well and had obtained Defence Ministry approval for his entry into the Navy.

Two brand new offshore petrol vessels (OPV) would be added to Sri Lanka Navy fleet next year strengthening post -war maritime activities, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne said yesterday. Addressing the media at the Defence Ministry Auditorium, Wijegunaratne said that 80% of the construction of the new vessels had been completed at the Goa Shipyard in India. "We expect to take delivery of one of them in February 2017," Vice Admiral Wijegunaratne said, adding that they would receive the other one at the end of next year.

The US Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Keith Harper, says Sri Lanka must have foreign judges in the accountability process on the war. Harper, who was involved in talks with the Sri Lankan Government when the resolution on Sri Lanka was drafted before it was submitted and eventually adopted by the UN Human Rights Council last October, said that the accountability process can be credible only if foreign judges are involved.

The General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena Ven Galagodaatte Ganasara thera was today remanded until February 9 by the Homagama Magistrate over allegations of contempt of court. The thera surrendered himself to court following an order by the Homagama Magistrate Ranga Dissanayaka after he disrupted the court proceedings in a case related to the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said today he had ordered a full investigation into the incident which occurred at the Homagama Courts where a certain group had held a protest against the remanding of Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera. He said he would submit a report to the most Venerable Mahanayaka Theras. The Prime Minister told Parliament that the law would be enforced on anyone no matter who they were.