News

The government aims to convert the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) into an aircraft maintenance hub, Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation Bimal Rathnayake announced in Parliament today (07).

Speaking during the committee stage debate on the budget, the Minister stated that the government intends to collaborate with a suitable foreign partner to make MRIA a profitable venture.

“The airport was constructed at a cost of Rs. 36.5 billion, and over the past five years, it has incurred a total loss of Rs. 38.5 billion. Our goal is to turn this into a profitable institution,” he noted.

The government’s initiative seeks to leverage MRIA’s infrastructure for aircraft repairs and maintenance, potentially attracting global aviation companies.

The Sri Lanka Army has directed all personnel below the rank of Major to hand over their passports to their respective regiments, according to the Army Spokesman.

Army Spokesperson Brigadier Waruna Gamage further revealed that this step has been taken in connection with an administrative matter.

However, he also mentioned that passports can be reacquired for personal purposes by informing the relevant departments.

The crises emerging within the education system are primarily due to the improper implementation of policies and political interference, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said.

The Prime Minister said that immediate actions will also be taken to investigate the collection of funds in schools for various reasons.

She made these remarks in parliament today (07 Mar) in response to questions raised during the first session of the Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education.

PM Amarasuriya further said that the education reforms scheduled to be implemented in 2026 will be based on five key pillars namely introducing a new curriculum, developing human resources, improving infrastructure facilities, raising public awareness of the new educational reforms, and conducting evaluations and assessments.

During the discussion, a consensus was reached on appointing subcommittees to implement the necessary future measures.

The PM went on to note that measures will be taken to minimize disparities between schools, physically inspect schools to identify necessary infrastructure developments in order to implement new reforms, take necessary actions on the construction projects that have been halted, and renovate and improve the unsafe premises in schools.

The discussion further focussed on addressing the existing shortage of teachers, facilitating the transfers to balance teacher distribution, filling out the vacancies for principals and performing duties, and addressing the administrative issues in both provincial and national schools.

Senior journalist Seetha Ranjani, former convenor of the Free Media Movement, has passed away at the age of 70

The Supreme Court has scheduled September 30 to hear a fundamental rights petition filed by former Minister Rajitha Senaratne, seeking a recount of preferential votes obtained by New Democratic Front (NDF) candidates in the Kalutara District during the last General Election.

A three-judge bench, comprising Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Janak de Silva, and Sampath Abeykoon, took up the petition today and set the hearing date.

The petition names the Election Commission, its chairman and members, the Kalutara District Returning Officer, Rohitha Abeygunawardena—who was elected as an MP from the NDF in the said election—and the Attorney General as respondents.

Senaratne claims irregularities in the vote counting process cost him a parliamentary seat. He states that the difference in preferential votes between him and the elected MP is about 119 votes and argues that the final result was affected by these alleged irregularities.

The petitioner seeks a Supreme Court ruling declaring his fundamental rights were violated and an order for a recount and revised results.

Attorney-at-Law Keerthi Tilakaratne and President’s Counsel Faiz Mustapha appeared for Senaratne.

Indian Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met former President Ranil Wickremesinghe on the sidelines of the 8th Indian Ocean Conference in Oman.

Former President Wickremesinghe is attending the conference as a guest speaker.

The 8th Indian Ocean Conference, organized by the India Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman, is being held on February 16–17, 2025, in Muscat. This year’s theme is Voyages to New Horizons of Maritime Partnership.

The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) met with former President Ranil Wickremesinghe at his Colombo office on Wednesday to discuss ongoing challenges faced by medical professionals.

Among the key proposals put forward by the GMOA were maintaining the unique hourly rate of 1/80 paid as an additional duty allowance for doctors, due to the specialized nature of their work.

The association also called for the revision of the basic salary, a practice that has been followed historically, as well as the continuation of the 1/20 allowance for work performed on holidays and Sundays.

Additionally, they advocated for the implementation of a proposed salary increase outlined in the 2025 budget.

The GMOA representatives also expressed the need for a seasoned politician like former President Wickremesinghe to be present in Parliament.

In response, former President Wickremesinghe acknowledged that he was currently taking some time off but expressed his willingness to assist the GMOA with any support they might require moving forward.

The meeting was attended by GMOA President Dr. Sanjeewa Thennakoon, Secretary Dr. Prabath Sugathadasa, and other key members of the association. United National Party (UNP) Chairman Wajira Abeywardena and Senior Advisor to the former President, Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga also attended.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake reviewed the final draft of the 2025 budget today (16) at the Presidential Secretariat.

Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Mahinda Siriwardana, was also present at the occasion.

The inaugural budget of the National People’s Power government is set to be presented to Parliament by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake tomorrow (17) at 10:30 a.m.

Sri Lanka Police state that Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon is missing and is evading arrest.

Speaking at a press conference held today (March 6), Police Media Spokesman SSP Buddhika Manathunga urged the public to report any information regarding his whereabouts to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Furthermore, the Police Spokesman emphasized that any individual assisting the former IGP in evading arrest, despite a pending warrant, will also face legal action under Article 209 of the Penal Code.

SSP Manathunga also assured that Deshabandu Tennakoon would not receive any special treatment due to his former position as IGP and would be treated the same as any other suspect.

(Ada Derana)

The United National Party (UNP) has decided to contest several municipal councils under its iconic “Elephant” symbol in the upcoming Local Government Elections.

This decision was reached during a working committee meeting held on February 14 at the UNP headquarters, Sirikotha, under the leadership of former President and party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.

During the meeting, new appointments were made, and key topics such as the upcoming elections and the current political situation were discussed.

As part of their strategy, it has been proposed to contest four municipal councils under the “Elephant” symbol.

These include the Colombo, Kandy, Galle, and Nuwara Eliya municipal councils. The proposal received majority support from the Working Committee members, who believe these councils offer a strong chance of success for the party.

In addition, the UNP is considering alliances with other political parties to contest in other local government institutions.

Discussions are ongoing about the possibility of contesting under a separate symbol, and a final decision on this matter is expected to be made before February 20.

Meanwhile, the UNP has also been engaged in talks with the ‘Samagi Jana Balawegaya’ (SJB), with several rounds of discussions already held between the two parties.

Former Minister Mervyn Silva has been arrested in connection with a land fraud investigation.

The arrest, carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), took place at his residence in Battaramulla, where he was arrested along with another person.

Another suspect was arrested in connection with the detention of former Minister Mervyn Silva on Thursday (6). This brings the total number of suspects in custody to three.

Sri Lanka Police revealed that the suspects were involved in a fraudulent scheme related to a plot of land in Kiribathgoda.

The land, measuring 6 acres, 3 roods, and 11 perches, was transferred to the Kelaniya Divisional Secretariat for the new town plan.

The Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha was responsible for developing and implementing the town plan, which included allocating 0.2137 hectares for a children's park and a water way.

It has been uncovered that Mervyn Silva, along with three others, forged documents to sell the land for Rs 3 million.

The police have stated that charges will be filed against seven individuals, including Mervyn Silva, in connection with this case.

The suspects are scheduled to be presented before the Mahara Magistrate's Court today.

A decision has been made to re-extend the Kelani Valley railway line up to Ratnapura.

Railways General Manager Dhammika Jayasundara said that accordingly, train journeys that were limited from Colombo to Avissawella will be extended up to Ratnapura.

Land surveying along the section of the railway line from Avissawella to Ratnapura has already commenced.

Simultaneously, there are plans to increase the speed of the trains on this route from 40 km/h to 60 km/h.

As part of the development project, it is also planned to reduce sharp bends and improve the condition of the railway line.

The Kelani Valley railway line, which was built in 1903 from Colombo to Yatiyantota, was extended to Opanayaka in 1919.

This railway line was constructed by the British to facilitate the transportation of harvested crops, mainly from the country's agricultural regions, to Colombo.

However, in 1975, the railway service was limited to Ratnapura, and by 1977, train services on the Kelani Valley railway line were restricted to Avissawella.