News
Tourism Minister orders Airport and Aviation Services to assess damage caused to MIA
Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga yesterday instructed the officials of the Mattala International Airport and Airport and Aviation Services to assess the damage caused by storing paddy at the former by the previous administration and provide a report within a week.
Ranatunga instructed officials at a meeting at the ministry where the future of the Mattala International Airport was discussed.
Earlier unions had informed the Minister that the Airport and Aviation Services officials had not conducted a proper assessment of the damage caused by storing paddy in 2015. Airport and Aviation Services too had admitted that a proper assessment had to be carried out, the Minister said.
Last year, the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating corruption in the yahapalana administration found that storing of paddy inside the buildings had caused damage estimated to be around Rs. 5 million. It was also found that the Paddy Marketing Board had paid Airport and Aviation Services Ltd Rs. 835,132 a month for storing the paddy. The paddy was stored for six months.
Ranatunga said that the previous government wanted to destroy the Mattala Airport and that since November 2019; the current administration has been trying to revitalize the institution.
However, an earlier PCoI on irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka, was informed that SriLankan lost USD 14.04 million between 2013 and 2015 as it was compelled to fly to and handle flights at the Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport. Head of Revenue Management and Planning at SriLankan, Sumudu Upatissa added that the airline had incurred a loss of USD 10.1 million during that period as it had to fly through Mattala. The airline lost another USD 3.94 million for providing various services at the airport.
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
Trump cancels US-Iran meetings, urges protesters to take over institutions
Govt. bows to pressure, shelves Grade 6 reforms
AKD: Govt. agenda on track despite Ditwah disaster
SL to receive 10 helicopters from US
Foreign couple held over alleged biopiracy at Horton Plains
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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