The newly appointed Inspector General of Police, Mr. T. M. W. Deshabandu Tennakoon met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (29).

Sri Lanka has been lauded with the prestigious World Restoration Flagship Award by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for its remarkable efforts in rejuvenating mangrove ecosystems.

In his address at the Pathfinder Indian Ocean Security Conference phase III held at Cinnamon Grand Colombo today (28), President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized Sri Lanka’s dedication to maintaining a strategic position aimed at ensuring the absence of major power rivalries and upholding freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean. The President highlighted that Sri Lanka’s commitment to freedom of navigation has prompted the country to engage in operations as guardians of prosperity in the Red Sea. He underscored the significance of the Suez Canal, particularly evident during the Six-Day War when its closure for ten years negatively impacted the Colombo port, emphasizing the necessity of ensuring unrestricted navigation.

Finance State Minister Shehan Semasinghe, announced that the verification and certification process for applicants in the second phase of the “Aswasuma” program has been finalized. All necessary arrangements have been made to extend benefits to 2.4 million family units starting from June 2024.