News
President wants everyone over 30 in WP vaccinated by 30 July
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday instructed the Special Committee on Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak to allocate 200,000 out of the two million Sinopharm vaccine doses to be received tomorrow (11) for the Colombo District, 500,000 for Gampaha and 300,000 for Kalutara to vaccinate all persons over the age of 30 in the Western Province before 30 July.
About 100,000 vaccines, each, have been allocated for Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, Badulla and Matale Districts and 200,000 vaccines have been allocated for the Kurunegala District.
Moreover, 1.47 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine would arrive in Sri Lanka within the next two weeks, the President said. Out of them, 600,000 doses would be allocated to the Colombo District for the people who have received the first dose. The balance should be given as the first and second doses for the people in the Kegalle District.
Plans have been made to administer the Pfizer vaccine to the people in Mannar and Vavuniya Districts while the Moderna vaccine which is to be received will be used in the Kandy District.
President Rajapaksa also instructed that steps be taken to encourage the resumption of economic activities as a significant number of people have been vaccinated. The President added that there was a need to brief the foreign diplomatic missions in Sri Lanka on the local vaccination drive and the current situation in the country.
Ministers Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Bandula Gunawardana, Keheliya Rambukwella, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Prasanna Ranatunga, Namal Rajapaksa, State Ministers Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Channa Jayasumana, Sisira Jayakody, MP Madhura Withanage, Senior Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to Health Ministry Major General (rtd.) Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Commanders of the three Armed Forces, the Inspector-General of Police and the Heads of health sector were also present at the meeting.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Fair weather will prevail except for a few showers in the Uva, Eastern, Western and Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Rathnapura districts
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Govt. bows to pressure, shelves Grade 6 reforms
AKD: Govt. agenda on track despite Ditwah disaster
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