Prime Minister of Sri Lanka – Dinesh Gunawardena arrived in Beijing earlier today (March 25) for a six-day official visit to China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
He was received by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister – Sun Weidong and officials of the Sri Lankan embassy in Beijing including and Acting Ambassador K.K. Yoganandan.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Xi Jinping will meet with PM Gunawardena. The visiting Sri Lankan PM will also hold talks with his Chinese counterpart as well as with Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.
During PM Gunawardena’s visit, the leaders will have an in-depth exchange of views on continuing China-Sri Lanka traditional friendship, deepening political mutual trust, expanding practical cooperation, and on international and regional issues of common interest, Chinese state media reports.
The Prime Minister will be the Chief Guest at China’s premier annual international conference in Boao in Hainan. This year’s Boao forum, which will be held under the theme – ’Asia and the World: Common Challenges, Shared Responsibilities’, will be attended by several heads of state and top-level foreign delegates.
He was accompanied by State Ministers Shehan Semasinghe and Ashoka Priyantha, MP Yadamini Gunawardena, Chinese Ambassador in Sri Lanka – Qi Zhenhong, Secretary to the Prime Minister Anura Dissanayake and senior officials.
According to the Prime Minister’s media, the PM is also scheduled to visit China Harbour Headquarters, Huawei, Zhongguancun Environmental Protection Park, National Satellite Meteorological Centre in Beijing and Academy of Tropical Sciences in Hainan. In Shanghai, he will visit Alipay, CTripp, Dilmah Tea and Universal Energy in addition to meetings with Shanghai officials.
Minister of Justice and National Integration – Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara has stated that the recent local government (LG) election results clearly delivered a public message : the need to swiftly implement real change instead of mere flaunts.
He stated that the government has understood the message of the public.
According to him, of the 267 LG bodies contested by the NPP, they secured a clear majority in 120, while 32 councils are tied where establishing power still remains possible.
Noting that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) previously held power in 126 local bodies, with 28 tied, the minister points out that the NPP has achieved the largest victory in history.
Five military personnel have been confirmed dead in the crash of a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Bell 212 helicopter into the Maduru Oya Reservoir earlier this morning (May 09. According to the SLAF Spokesperson Group Captain Eranda Geeganage, the deceased include three members of the Sri Lanka Army’s Special Forces and two Air Force personnel.
The aircraft was carrying a total of 12 individuals, including six Army Special Forces members, two Air Force Regiment Special Forces personnel, two other Air Force members, and two pilots.
Following a 02-day papal conclave, American Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected as the new Pope yesterday (May 08) evening, Vatican time.
At 69, Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as the 267th Pope, taking the name Pope Leo XIV.
He becomes the first American to ascend to the papacy in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.
Pope Leo XIV now assumes spiritual leadership of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
The election follows the death of His Holiness Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at the age of 88 at his residence in Casa Santa Marta, Vatican City, a day after participating in Easter Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.
