Mahinda Rajapaksa becomes Sri Lanka's new PM

News Network
November 21, 2019

Colombo, Nov 21: Sri Lanka's former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday took oath as the new prime minister of the island nation after incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe formally stepped down from his post.

Rajapaksa, the elder brother of the newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, will function as the prime minister of the caretaker cabinet until the general election in August 2020.

The 74-year-old leader, who described himself as "a rebel with a cause", earlier served as the country's president from 2005-2015, becoming South Asia's longest-serving leader. He was also prime minister for a brief period in 2018.

Gotabaya on Wednesday named Rajapaksa as the new prime minister after incumbent Wickremesinghe announced his resignation from the post following the presidential election debacle.

Gotaaya defeated Wickremesinghe's deputy Sajith Premadasa in the presidential election held on November 16.

Rajapaksa was appointed the prime minister on October 26, 2018, by the then President Maithripala Sirisena, who sacked Wickremesinghe in a controversial move that plunged the country into an unprecedented constitutional crisis.

He resigned on December 15 as two crucial Supreme Court decisions made the former strongman's efforts to cling to premiership untenable.

The apex court later unanimously declared that the dissolution of Parliament by President Sirisena was "illegal".

Rajapaksa became the country's youngest-ever parliamentarian in 1970 at the age of 24.

The two brothers -- Rajapaksa and Gotabaya -- led a decisive campaign that helped end the island nation's three-decade-long civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

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News Network
January 20,2026

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KCF, a global socio-cultural organisation of Karnataka expatriates, is actively involved in education, humanitarian initiatives and community well-being across several countries. The awardees were selected following a structured evaluation of nominations by the Annual Council Program Committee, based on the depth, consistency and long-term impact of their social service.

One of the award recipients, Abdul Razak Haji, a prominent UAE-based entrepreneur from the Qamcon Group of Companies, was honoured for his significant contributions to society. Through both his professional journey and personal initiatives, he has supported numerous employees and families, while also extending assistance in education, housing for the underprivileged and various charitable causes, largely carried out quietly over the years. His award was presented earlier during the Annual Council Program held at the KCF Abu Dhabi office.

The second award was conferred on Latheef Kakkinje, a young social worker based in Abu Dhabi, in recognition of his active involvement in community engagement programmes, sports initiatives, talent festivals and family-oriented social activities. His consistent volunteering efforts and commitment to humanitarian causes were highly appreciated by the selection committee.

The award presentation ceremony for Latheef Kakkinje was held at the Zayed Cricket Stadium (Astro Turf Ground) in the presence of Kedumbady Ibrahim Saqafi, President of KCF UAE; Ibrahim, General Secretary; Kabeer Bayambady, President of KCF Abu Dhabi; Ummer Ishwaramangila, General Secretary; along with other members of the KCF Abu Dhabi cabinet.

Congratulating both awardees, KCF leaders reiterated the organisation’s commitment to recognising individuals who selflessly work for social upliftment and community service.

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News Network
January 31,2026

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The US Department of Justice has released millions of new documents linked to the case of convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, before removing some pages that contained complaints mentioning President Donald Trump.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Friday that approximately 3.5 million files were published to comply with the Epstein Transparency Act, following criticism that the administration had missed a December 19 deadline set by Congress.

The documents include FBI communications and complaints submitted as tips, some of which list comments mentioning Trump and others who had social or professional ties to Epstein.

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in relation to his past association with Epstein.

Pages removed from DOJ website

After their publication, pages containing complaints that mentioned Trump were removed from the DOJ website and now return a “page not found” message. Copies of the documents, however, have circulated widely on social media. CNN anchor Jake Tapper was among those who publicly noted that the pages had been taken down.

One complaint, filed by a friend of a victim, says Trump forced a girl aged 13–14 to perform “oral sex” approximately 35 years ago in New Jersey. The document states that an investigator was sent to Washington to conduct an interview.

Another complaint says Trump regularly paid an individual to perform sexual acts and adds that he was present when her newborn child was murdered by a relative. The paperwork notes that there was “no contact made” with the complainant.

A separate complaint, which provided no contact information, said “calendar girls” parties at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago involved children and sexual abuse. The document also names several public figures as present at such events.

In another account, a complainant said they witnessed a “sex trafficking ring” at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, in the mid-1990s. The person noted “threats” from Trump’s head of security if she spoke publicly about what she had seen.

Other figures mentioned in the files

The latest release also includes a draft email Epstein wrote to himself in 2013, referring to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. In the message, Epstein said Gates asked him to delete emails and referenced “personal matters.”

The DOJ has not provided a detailed explanation for why certain pages were removed after publication. The department said the document release was ongoing.

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