A merger of the North-East is looking unlikely, the spokesperson for the Tamil National Alliance, suggested today at a press conference.

Speaking to journalists at his Jaffna office, TNA MP and spokesperson M. A. Sumanthiran, said that while the TNA's demand for a merger had not changed, he personally believed that if a merger were not to happen now, a possibility for it would be more likely to arise in the future.

"If we want the North-East to be merged, the cooperation of Muslims living in the East is important," Mr Sumanthiran said. "For this we are holding discussions with Muslim parties."

Sri Lanka's president Maithripala Sirisena this week promoted the current army commander, General Crisanthe de Silva to Chief of Defence Staff. 

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has had discussions with the unity government's UNP And SLFP regarding clearly the defining the meaning of 'unitary state', which translates into the Sinhala word 'Ekeeya'. 

Quoting a senior government official, Ceylon Today said that the discussions were aimed at including a Tamil equivalent of the word. 

"That means the exact corresponding word in Tamil for the word Ekeeya may probably be used in the Tamil version of the Constitution too," the official was quoted as saying. 

The Sri Lankan army have laid the foundation stone for a new building at a military-run holiday resort in Kayankerni last week.

A new officer’s mess is to be constructed at the “Coral Cove” holiday resort, which is operated by the Sri Lankan security forces.

The Governor of the Eastern Province Austin Fernando, a former defence secretary, is to be appointed as the new Secretary to the President reports Adaderana.lk

The appointment comes following the resignation of PB Abeykoon, who cited personal reasons for vacating the post.

Austin Fernando, a former advisor to the United Nations served as Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary from 2001-2002.

A feasibility study is set to take place looking at an Indian government led project for a 50MW solar power plant in Trincomalee.

The governments of Sri Lanka and India signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in a host of development projects including a solar power plant in April this year.

Speaking to the Hindu Sri Lanka’s Minister of Power and Renewable Energy Sulakshana Jayawardena, said “ We have acquired the land to set up the 50MW solar plant envisaged in the MOU. We have to now work out the process of executing the project, in consultation with India. The next step would be to undertake a feasibility study and do the groundwork.”

Sri Lanka’s reform progress was “slower than expected,” warned the World Bank’s Sri Lanka Development Update (SLDU) report, published Thursday. 

Stressing that “Sri Lanka faces a number of challenges that increasingly put its future economic growth and stability at risk”, the report said "adopting a piece-meal solution to address the challenges is unlikely to be successful."

"A strong political will and support of the bureaucracy could help advancing the reform agenda. Steps are needed to ensure the support of private costs and benefits of the reform agenda.”

Sri Lanka’s Minister for Justice and the Buddha Sasana launched a scathing attack on Non-Governmental Organisations in Sri Lanka during an interview this week.

Agreeing with ongoing discussions on the need to regulate NGOs, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said,

“Most NGOs act with objectives seriously detrimental to the national interests. They have become a hindrance to national reconciliation and religious harmony.”

Mullaitivu locals were angered after an accident involving a military vehicle left two Tamil youths injured, last Saturday.

Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that the Prevention for Terrorism Act would not be repealed due to a changing global environment, adding that only amendments would be made.

Speaking to press Mr Rajapakshe said the situation in the country was different to when the discussions on repealing the PTA started. Stating that the countries that had started calls for repealing the PTA were tightening their own anti-terror legislation, he said,