Sri Lanka's Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe has left for a two-day official tour to India.

Wickremasinghe has left the country for Chennai reportedly for a meeting with politicians in Tamil Nadu.

The Opposition Leader's Indian visit comes soon after Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao concluded her visit to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) affiliated National Trade Union Center (NTUC) has commenced discussions with other trade unions and union representatives to jointly fight for winning salary increments for the working masses.

The NTUC has already launched a campaign to demand a Rs. 8,000 salary increment for the public sector employees and similar increments for the private and estate sector.

Speaking to a leading daily, NTUC Head and JVP politburo member K.D. Lalkantha said the NTUC held discussions with five trade unions Thursday.

‘Trade union leaders Mahinda Dewage, Sarath Kahagalle and Saranapala Palihena participated in the discussion,’ he said.

The union leaders have agreed to form a joint coalition with the NTUC to demand salary increments for the working population in the country.

According to Lalkantha, the NTUC is to continue with its dialogue with other trade unions during this month in order to form a broad alliance to launch a massive trade union action to win the demands.

The second court martial probing charges against Sri Lanka's former Army Commander and current DNA parliamentarian General (Retired) Sarath Fonseka will resume its sittings today.

Military Spokesperson Major General Ubaya Medawala has told the state-run radio SLBC that four witnesses are scheduled to give evidence on behalf of Sarath Fonseka when the tribunal convenes today.

Hearings of the 2nd court martial had to be postponed twice as Fonseka's medical officer has informed the Court that the accused was not fit to be present for the proceedings.

The prosecution, probing the allegations of Fonseka's non compliance with military procurement procedures when purchasing certain items for the Army, has completed recording of evidence from state witnesses.

The first court martial that heard the charges against the former Army Commander found him guilty of involving in politics while in active service.

Britain has appointed John James Rankin, a career foreign officer of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), as the new High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Non-Resident British High Commissioner to the Maldives.

He will be replacing Dr. Peter Hayes who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment, the FCO announced Wednesday.
Rankin is to take up his new appointment in February 2011.

‘I am delighted and honoured to be appointed as High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. The United Kingdom and Sri Lanka have close and long-standing links, and I look forward to furthering the partnership between our countries,’ Rankin has said.

He is currently the Director, Americas in the FCO since 2008, responsible for a network of over 30 British Embassies, High Commissions and other posts in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.