David Peiris Aviation (Pvt) Ltd, a newly established domestic airline and a subsidiary of the David Peiris Group, has officially received its Aircraft Operator Certificate (AOC) and operations specifications (Ops-Specs) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) to operate scheduled domestic passenger flights after obtaining the Airline License.

As part of the certification process, the airline recently conducted a proving flight to demonstrate its operational readiness and capability for launching commercial services on the Colombo–Jaffna route. This flight marked the fourth phase of the AOC certification process as a critical step in assessing an operator’s capability prior to final authorization.

Following a successful evaluation, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) authorized that the David Peiris Aviation to commence regular schedule flights, Charter Flights, Private Flights and Aerial Works subjected to full compliance with all applicable aviation safety and security regulations.

The application and inspection process were thoroughly reviewed by CAASL’s Civil Aviation Inspectors, under the guidance of Air Vice Marshal Sagara Kotakadeniya (Retd.), DGCA & CEO, and the leadership of Capt. Daminda Rambukwella, Deputy Director General (Flight Safety Regulations) and Actg. Director (Air Operations). The comprehensive inspection covered flight safety standards, airworthiness of aircraft, organizational structure, qualified personnel as post holders, operational readiness ground handling and security arrangements, and compliance with documentation requirements.

The AOC was officially handed over to AVM O. D. N. L. Perera (Retd.), Accountable Manager of David Peiris Aviation (Pvt) Ltd by AVM Sagara Kotakadeniya (Retd.), DGCA & CEO. Capt. Daminda Rambukwella, Deputy Director General (Flight Safety Regulations) and Actg. Director (Air Operations), Mahilal Dushantha Rathnayake, Director (Aircraft Registration & Airworthiness), and other senior officials from David Peiris Aviation also attend to this event.

All aviation service providers including AOC holders are reminded to uphold the highest standards of air safety and security and operate strictly within the approved regulatory framework to develop a sustainable development in Civil Aviation.

The Government says it will not act on mass grave allegations in the North based on hearsay, but is willing to investigate the claims.

Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said that investigations are ongoing over some mass graves in the North.

However, he said there are no complaints regarding some graves and no basis for an investigation to be carried out.

The Minister was responding to concerns raised by Illangai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) MP S. Sritharan over the mass graves in the North.

Nanayakkara said that investigations have been launched regarding some graves based on a court order.

Sri Lanka has rejected a UN request to allow a research vessel into its waters from July 15 to August 20, which will assess the long-term food security in Sri Lankan seas, citing delays in finalizing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for foreign research vessels as the reason for the refusal, a UN document revealed.

“The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) received a letter dated 19 May 2025 from the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources cancelling the F. Nansen’s visit pending the development of standard operating procedures for foreign research vessels,” the document stated adding that stated it “could result in over $1 million in losses, undermine Green Climate Fund programmes relying on the vessel’s data, and delay any future visit until after 2030.”

“The cancellation of the visit by the research vessel F. Nansen, prompted by the lack of approved Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to accommodate foreign research vessels, could not only result in direct financial losses but also undermine the effectiveness of upcoming climate adaptation projects financed by the Green Climate Fund, which rely heavily on the data expected from the survey, a UN document has stated.

According to the UN document sent to the government stated that it would also deprive the government of vital data for decision-making in a key economic sector. The UN has urged the Ministry to reconsider and allow the mission to proceed under the UN flag.

“The Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator would therefore request the esteemed Ministry’s consideration to allow the visit to proceed under the United Nations flag, on the basis of the formal request from the Government. The Resident Coordinator remains available for a meeting at the earliest convenience to discuss the way forward and provide any additional information required.”

It also said that “the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka the assurances of its highest consideration”.

It also stated that the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Colombo that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has coordinated the deployment of the ‘Dr Fridtj of Nansen’ (F. Nansen), a state-of-the-art vessel to Sri Lanka from 15 July to 20 August 2025, following the request by the Government of Sri Lanka to the United Nations dated 24 November 2023.

Highlighting the urgency of the mission, the UN noted that “against the backdrop of declining fishing yields, the vessel’s visit will play a vital role in helping Sri Lanka’s marine institutions gain critical insights into the health of the marine ecosystem and ensure long-term food security from the sea.”

“Sri Lankan fisheries experts and scientists from the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency as well as officers from the Sri Lankan Navy will be closely working with the F. Nansen technical team in implementing activities in full adherence with all pertinent national legislation. All data collected will be published only with the Government’s prior clearance. This is the fifth visit of such a vessel, the last one visiting Sri Lanka in 2018,” it stated.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, will arrive in Sri Lanka on a three-day official visit starting on the 23rd of this month.

This marks the first visit by a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to Sri Lanka since 2015.

According to a spokesperson from the Foreign Ministry, the visit follows an invitation extended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath during a meeting with the High Commissioner in Geneva last year.

During his visit, Türk is scheduled to meet with several high-level government officials, including President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Minister of Justice.

The Ministry also stated that the High Commissioner plans to tour several key regions across the island, including Kandy, Jaffna, and Trincomalee, to observe local conditions and engage with community representatives.

Additionally, Volker Türk is expected to participate in a series of special sessions focused on human rights issues during his stay.