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Former Ambassador Aryasinha appointed Executive Director of RCSS

Published

6 months ago

2025/10/31

Ravinatha

Ambassador (Retd.) Ravinatha Aryasinha, former Foreign Secretary of Sri Lanka, has been appointed Executive Director of the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS). As a career member of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, he previously served as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the United States; Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva; and Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union. He holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Peradeniya; a MA in International Relations from the University of Colombo; was a Hurst Fellow in International Relations at the School of International Service (SIS), American University, Washington DC, USA; and is currently a PhD candidate in International Relations at the University of Colombo.

The RCSS is an independent, non-profit, policy research centre co-founded in 1992 by Prof. Shelton Kodikara – its first Executive Director, to focus on a broad range of conventional and non-conventional sources of conflict and conditions of peace. Headquartered in Colombo, the RCSS Board of Management includes scholars from South Asia, a Research Committee which also draws on international experts, and a wide network of alumni from its residential workshops and its annual awardees. “The RCSS has a proud history of convening serious scholarship with real-world policy relevance,” said Ambassador Aryasinha. “My priority is to strengthen our research programme, deepen regional and international partnerships, and to expand opportunities for emerging scholars”.

Ambassador Aryasinha began his career as a pioneer TV anchor at the Sri Lanka Rupavahini (TV) Corporation and has also served as National Information Officer at the UN Office in Sri Lanka. Following retirement, until recently he was the Executive Director of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKI). He also serves on the Board of Management of the Gamani Corea Foundation, and is on the visiting faculty of the Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU), the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS), the National Defence College (NDC), and is a Distinguished Mentor at the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA).

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Members of Sri Lanka Cricket Transformation Committee Officially Appointed

Published

6 hours ago

2026/05/5

Priyan

The official appointment letters for the members of the newly established “Cricket Transformation Committee” (CTC) were handed over on Monday (04) by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage.

The following members received their letters of appointment at the Ministry premises:

Sidath Wettimuny
Thushira Radella
Prakash Schaffter
Ms. Avanthi Colombage

The Ministry also noted that veteran cricketers Roshan Mahanama and Kumar Sangakkara, who are key members of the committee, are currently overseas. Their official appointments will be formalised immediately upon their arrival in Sri Lanka.

The Cricket Transformation Committee has been mandated to oversee the administration and drive structural reforms within Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in accordance with the powers vested in the Minister under the Sports Act No. 25 of 1973.

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Three prison guards arrested following the death of an inmate

Published

7 hours ago

2026/05/5

Priyan

(File pic)

Three prison guards attached to the Welikada Prison have been arrested by Borella Police following the death of an inmate on Monday (04).

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CJ urged to inquire into AKD’s remarks on May 25 court verdict

Published

11 hours ago

2026/05/5

Sahan Weerasooriya

CJ Surasena

‘Bar Association must reveal its stand’

Civil society group ‘Free Lawyers’ has requested Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena to probe whether political pressure was brought on a Magistrate, or a High Court Judge, in respect of an ongoing high profile case.

Speaking to The Island on behalf of ‘Free Lawyers,’ Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon said that they felt the urgent need to seek the CJ’s intervention, following the May Day declaration by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake that the verdict of a case that was heard on 30 April would be given on 25 May. Tennakoon said that addressing the NPP’s main May Day rally at Maharagama, the President asked the people to be ready to celebrate that verdict. The President couldn’t have said so if he hadn’t been aware of the impending verdict, Tennakoon said, while emphasising the responsibility on the part of the Bar Association to state its position on the issue.

‘Free Lawyers’ recently captured pubic attention following its exposure of the theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury.

Responding to a query, Tennakoon said that on behalf of ‘Free Lawyers,’ Maithri Gunaratne, PC, on Monday, 4 April, wrote to both CJ Surasena and President of the Bar Association Rajeev Amarasuriya.

Alleging that President Dissanayake’s declaration caused immense harm to the independence of the judiciary and raised controversy over the judgement that would be given on 25 May, ‘Free Lawyers’ organisation also asked the CJ to inquire into whether the entire judicial process was under political pressure.

Tennakoon said that they expect the Bar Association to reveal its position on President Dissanayake’s statement. Tennakoon pointed out that during the May Day address, President Dissanayake made reference to 15 cases that were to be taken up during this month, whereas Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister, as well as Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake, mentioned nearly 10 names of politicians, both sitting and former lawmakers, to be summoned beginning, May.

Tennakoon said that the NPP appeared to have used May Day to counter growing accusations over the Colombo port container controversy, coal scam, Rs 13.2 bn NDB fraud and theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury and USD 625,000 from the Sri Lanka Postal Service.

By Shamindra Ferdinando