Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera paid a courtesy call on the Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres during his recent visit to New York.

U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B. Teplitz inaugurated two renovated schools in the Eastern Province at a simple ceremony held recently. The beneficiary schools are An-Noor and Kariapper schools. The U.S-funded renovations that cost more than 170 million Sri Lankan rupees (USD 940,000) will be able to serve approximately 1300 students.

President Maithripala Sirisena who arrived in Thirupathy on a pilgrimage was accorded a welcome at the Tirupathi temple on Tuesday. He was accompanied by his wife Jayanthi Pushpa Kumari and other family members and Lankan officials. They landed at Renigunta airport and reached the hills by road.

United National Party Parliamentarian Dr. Jayampathi Wickremaratne has observed that having analyzed all the provisions of the Constitution, the SC determined that the Article 30 (2), which reduced the term of the President, is retrospective. There is no reason why the advisors to the President are urging him to again ask the same question from the SC.

JVP has urged the masses in the country to resolve in the New Year to move on a new political journey that would achieve genuine victories for the country and the people. Let us resolve and determine to achieve this.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has stated that the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is beneficial to the island since China-assisted projects under the BRI, like the Colombo Port City project and the Hambantota International Port development project, have benefited the economy of Sri Lanka and the life of local people. Sri Lanka is among the first countries joining the initiative.