A ceremony was held in Jaffna on Monday (23) to hand over 425 acres of land in High Security Zones in the north to the original owners. President Maithripala Sirisena was welcomed to the event by Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran.

The President appointed 11 new cabinet ministers, 5 State Ministers and 10 Deputy Ministers, on Sunday (22).

Cabinet Ministers

1. A.H.M.Fowzie - Minister of Disaster Management
2. S.B.Nawinna - Minister of Labour
3. Piyasena Gamage - Minister of Skill Development and Vocational Training
4. Dr. Sarath Amunugama - Minister of Higher Education and Research
5. S.B.Dissanayake - Minister of Rural Economic Affairs
6. Janaka Bandara Thennakoon - Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Development
7. Felix Perera - Minister of Special Projects
8. Mahainda Yapa Abewardene - Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
9. Reginald Cooray - Minister of Aviation Services
10. Vijith Wijeyamuni Soysa - Minister of Irrigation
11. Mahinda Amaraweera - Minister of Fisheries

State Ministers

1.Pavitradevi Wanniarachchi - State Minister of Environment
2.Jeewan Kumaratunga - State Minister of Labour
3.Mahinda Samarasinghe - State Minister of Finance
4.C.B.Ratanayake - State Minister of Public Administration and Democratic Rule
5.Dilan Perera - State Minister of Housing and Samurdhi

Deputy Ministers

1. Tissa Karaliyedda - Deputy Minister of Buddha Sasana and Democratic Rule
2. DayashrithaTissera - Deputy Minister of Fisheries
3. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya - Deputy Minister of Home Affairs
4. Lakshman Seneviratne - Deputy Minister of Disaster Management
5. Lakshman Yapa Abewardene - Deputy Minister of Aviation Services
6. Lalith Dissayanake - Deputy Minister of Irrigation
7. Jagath Pushpakumara - Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries
8. Lasantha Alagiyawanna - Deputy Minister of Rural Economic Affairs
9. Sudarshani Fernandopulle - Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Research
10. Shantha Bandara - Deputy Minister of Media

The investiture of Former Chief of Defense Staff Sarath Fonseka, to the rank of Field Marshal began a short while ago.

Pic Twitter @shiharaneez

Former Prime Minister and UPFA Parliamentarian Rathnasiri Wicremanayake completed 55 years of parliamentary politics on March 19. A ceremony was held to felicitate his political life at the parliamentary complex on Thursday (19) afternoon.

Wickremenayake was first elected to the parliament on March 19, 1960, and served as Prime Minister twice (2000-2001, 2005-2010). He was the Member of Horana Electorate until being defeated in the 1977 election. He was a Minister of the PA government from 1994.

(L-R) Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, Former PM Ratnasiri Wickremanayake

(Pic. Ada Derana)

Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa visited UPFA MP Sarana Gunawardena, who is in remand custody at Mahara prison, earlier today.

Pic: Lankadeepa

Kumar Sangakkara walks away after a lonely battle against the South African bowling during the quarter final match at Sydney Cricket Ground. With the fall of his wicket, rain started pouring down on the stadium.

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera hosted Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter for breakfast at his official residence during his historic trip to Sri Lanka. This is the first ever official visit by a Swiss Foreign Minister to Sri Lanka, and follows a number of historic visits since the new government assumed office. Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter was the President of the Swiss Confederation last year.

Burkhalter arrived in Sri Lanka following his visit to Indonesia, where he met the Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

Parliamentarians Namal Rajapaksa, Uditha Lokubandara and several others at Kiriwehera Bodhi Pooja yesterday. Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa also took part. "At the #Kiriwehera bodhipooja with @RajapaksaNamal @slbluebrigade @ShehansaShehan @kanchana_wij @PresRajapaksa" MP Uditha Lokubandara tweeted. (Pic Twitter @udithaloku)

After a trip to Anuradhapura and the Northern Province, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Colombo and met former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. Are they discussing Rajapaksa's political comeback? One can only guess. (Pic Twitter @Meerasrini)

PM Narendra Modi flags off Indian assisted Talaimannar - Madhu Road Rail link (Pic Twitter @MEAIndia)