News
Sri Lanka President Dissanayake picks Harini Amarasuriya as PM
By Uditha Jayasinghe
COLOMBO (Reuters) -Sri Lanka’s new president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, named Harini Amarasuriya, a college professor and first-time lawmaker, as the new prime minister of the Indian Ocean island nation on Tuesday, making her the third woman to be appointed to the post.
Dissanayake, 55, a Marxist-leaning firebrand politician, who was elected president in the election held on Saturday, was also scheduled to pick the rest of his cabinet.
An academic with a doctorate in social anthropology from the University of Edinburgh, Amarasuriya, 54, became a parliamentarian in 2020 under Dissanayake’s NPP coalition and will also hold the portfolios of foreign affairs, education and media.
Amarasuriya is the third woman prime minister of Sri Lanka, following the world’s first woman prime minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1960, and her daughter Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.
Dissanayake ran as the candidate for the National People’s Power (NPP) alliance, which includes his Janatha Vimukhti Peremuna (JVP) party that traditionally championed Marxist economic policies centred on protectionism and state intervention.
He and his new cabinet now face the task of establishing an interim government, with analysts predicting Dissanayake will dissolve parliament and call a snap general election as his party has just three of 225 seats in the current house.
Dissanayake’s intentions to slash taxes and desire to revisit the terms of a $2.9 billion International Monetary Fund bailout have worried investors, who fear that it could delay a crucial $25 billion debt restructuring.
Just before Dissanayake was took the oath of office on Monday, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardene resigned, effectively dissolving the cabinet.
(Reporting by Uditha Jayasinge, Writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by YP Rajesh; Editing by Alex Richardson)
By Emmanuel Iheaka, OWERRI
The President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has assured Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State that his group will be one of the biggest investors in the state.
Dangote gave the assurance at the opening session of the Imo Economic Summit 2025 in Owerri on Thursday.
The renowned Africa’s industrialist urged Uzodimma to indicate his preferred area of investment and forget the rest.
Dangote described the Imo governor as a personal friend of decades and commended him for providing enabling environment for investment.
“We will be one of your biggest investors in Imo. So, please tell me the area to invest and we will invest”, Dangote declared.
He called on entrepreneurs to always invest at home, adding that foreigners cannot drive the economy of any nation more than the nationals.
“What attracts foreign investors is a domestic investor. Africa has about 30 percent of the world’s minerals. We are blessed,” he submitted.
Dangote reiterated that his refinery was set to launch 1.4 million barrels per day capacity, the highest for any single refinery in the world.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday declined to accept Prince Emmanuel Kanu’s appearance on behalf of his brother, Nnamdi Kanu, ruling that he is not a legal practitioner.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday, swore in General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd) as Minister of Defence at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
General Musa’s appointment follows the resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar on Monday, December 1, 2025. His nomination was announced the following day and transmitted to the Senate, where it received expedited screening and confirmation.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the Nigerian Army in 1991 and had a distinguished military career. He was appointed Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023 and retired in October 2025.
As Chief of Defence Staff, he championed inter-service security collaboration.
With his swearing-in, the new Defence Minister is expected to immediately assume duties as the Tinubu administration seeks to consolidate recent security gains and fast-track reforms aimed at achieving lasting peace and stability nationwide.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Sen. Adeniyi Adegbonmire, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, attended the swearing-in ceremony.
Also in attendance were the spouse of the new Minister, Mrs Lilian Oghogho Musa; Chief of Defense Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah; and Justice Kumai Bayang Akaahs (rtd).
Dangote to Uzodimma: Just show me where to invest
Judge rejects Nnamdi Kanu’s brother court appearance
IMO ON GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT AS GOVERNOR UZODIMMA KICKS OFF 2025 IMO ECONOMIC SUMMIT.
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