Southern Expressway service area leased for Rs. 10,000 for 99-years: Bimal

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In a startling revelation made in Parliament, Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Minister Bimal Rathnayake yesterday alleged that the service area of the Southern Expressway was leased for a mere Rs. 10,000 for a 99-year period during the tenure of the Rajapaksa administration.

Addressing the House, he asserted that because the Southern Expressway was the first of its kind in the country, initial designs and feasibility studies were vulnerable to alterations, many of which he claimed were made by officials aligned with Rajapaksa for personal or political gain.

Minister’s revelations came in response to questions raised by Opposition MPs Rohitha Abeygunawardena and Ajith P. Perera.

Rathnayake claimed that key associated linked to the Rajapaksa not only benefitted from the undervalued leader agreements, but also actively obstructed the development of other officially approved service areas along the expressway.

“There were several discrepancies during the contraction of the Sothern Expressway with many decisions going against the original feasibility studies. Billions of rupees have been wasted through this project,” he charged, citing what he describes as politically motivated interference is one of the country’s largest infrastructure projects.

Among the irregularities, he pointed to the construction of two expressway interchanges, Kapuduwa and Bedigama which he said were not part of the original expressway design to facilitate east access to politicians.

“Kapuduwa interchange, located just 5 kilometres from Godagama in Matara facilitates travel only to and from Colombo, while Bedigama interchange is 6 kilometres away from Beliatta. Both of these were included due to political influence of the regime at the time,” he added.

According to the Minister, each interchange cost the State over Rs. 1 billion or a normal one at least Rs. 600 million.

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New domestic airline given greenlight for Colombo–Jaffna passenger operations

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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.

Government refuses to act on mass grave allegations based on hearsay

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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.

Govt rejects UN request to allow research vessel visit to SL

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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.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk to Visit Sri Lanka on Official Three-Day Visit

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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.

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Sri Lanka opposition seeks parliamentary debate on Iran-Israel war’s economic impact

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Sri Lanka’s Opposition Leader has asked parliament speaker for a debate on the escalating war between Israel and Iran.

“This is of national importance,” Sajith Premadasa said, asking for a whole-day debate on Thursday.

Between 10,000-20,000 Sri Lankans work in Israel, he said. “There is a huge concern about the safety of their lives.”

Iran is also one of the biggest buyers of Ceylon tea. “It is imperative that we discuss this.”

“We need to examine the impacts on the economy of our country. What is the government’s stance on this situation?”

Opposition legislators remained standing while Premadasa made the request.

Speaker Jagath Wickramanayake allocated time from 3.00 pm to 5.30 pm on Wednesday after Chief Government Whip Bimal Ratnayake, who is also the co-chairman of the Sri Lanka Committee for Solidarity with Palestine, refused to entertain Premadasa’s request.

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Sri Lanka-France sign debt restructuring agreement

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The official signing ceremony took place yesterday (16) in Colombo, the Finance Ministry confirmed.

The bilateral agreement was signed by Mahinda Siriwardana, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, on behalf of the government and William Roos, Assistant Secretary, Multilateral Affairs, Trade and Development Policies Department, Directorate-general of the Treasury, on behalf of the government of France.

The Finance Ministry said the signing of the agreement is a testament to the commitment of the government to conclude the debt restructuring process as soon as possible to restore debt sustainability and thereby revamp Sri Lanka’s economy.

The statement by the Finance Ministry added that the government of France played a pivotal role in spearheading Sri Lanka’s external debt restructuring process, co-chairing the Official Creditor Committee alongside Japan and India.

The leadership, commitment, and constructive engagement of the French government have been instrumental in helping Sri Lanka navigate the challenges of economic recovery adding the spirit of cooperation enabled Sri Lanka to make meaningful progress toward restoring debt sustainability, according to the Finance Ministry.

The statement went on to say that the conclusion of the exchange of notes and signing of the agreement will pave the way to developing further the deep and long standing bilateral relationships between France and Sri Lanka.

IMF’s Gita Gopinath to Sri Lanka: ‘Stay the Course or Risk Repeating 2022′

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Two years ago, Sri Lanka was in the grip of one of the worst economic crises in its history. Fuel lines stretched for miles, medicine was scarce, inflation had skyrocketed to 70%, and the country’s foreign reserves were nearly wiped out. Today, the picture looks very different—and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is taking notice.

Dr. Gita Gopinath, the IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director, is in Colombo this week and didn’t hold back in her praise. “It’s quite remarkable,” she told News 1st’s Zulfick Farzan in an exclusive interview on Monday (16). “You’ve gone from deep crisis to 5% growth. Inflation has dropped from 70% to negative 0.7%. Reserves are being rebuilt. The fiscal situation is much stronger.”

But while the numbers are encouraging, Gopinath was clear: this is no time for complacency.

“The crisis of 2022 has certainly subsided, and there’s much more stability now,” she said. “But it’s not the end of the road. Reforms must continue—across the board.”

At the Sri Lankan Recovery Conference earlier in the day, Gopinath addressed a key question: will this be the last IMF programme for Sri Lanka?

That depends, she said, on how the country handles the next few years. “We’ve had 16 IMF programmes with Sri Lanka. Half were never completed. The President wants this to be the last one—and that’s possible—but only if there’s a real commitment to reform.”

She pointed to several areas that need urgent attention:

Tax reform: Revenues have improved, but the tax base must be widened.

Spending: It needs to be better targeted to support those who need it most.

Governance and corruption: These remain critical challenges.

“These are difficult adjustments,” Gopinath acknowledged. “But they’re necessary to ensure Sri Lanka doesn’t fall back into old patterns.”

The message from the IMF is clear: Sri Lanka has made impressive progress, but the path ahead still requires discipline, transparency, and political will.

Vraîe Cally Balthazaar Elected Colombo Mayor

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Municipal councilors of Sri Lanka’s financial capital Colombo have selected Vraîe Cally Balthazaar as the city’s mayor through a secret ballot.

After initial protests about whether the ballot should be secret or open, the unanimous decision was made for a secret vote.

Balthazaar received 61 votes, while the opposition candidate Mohammed Riza Zarook received 54 votes. Of the total 117 votes, 2 were rejected.

The council met on Monday (Jun16) for the first time, after months of behind the scenes wrangling for a majority, as the May 6 local government elections gave no clear majority to any one party.

The ruling National People’s Power got the most number of seats, 48, out of 117 seats in the election, but opposition members outweighed this number, preventing the NPP from being independently able to appoint a mayor.

Non-party independent councilors tipped the balance.

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Maithri leaves SLFP in CBK’s hands

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Former President Maithripala Sirisena is reported to have requested Ms. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga to take charge of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and rebuild it.

An informed source said that Mr. Sirisena requested Ms. Kumaratunga, who also served as the President of the country between 1994 and 2005, to withdraw the legal cases challenging his position as the head of the SLFP, founded by S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike.

The SLFP is currently embroiled in legal disputes, with Mr. Sirisena’s party chairmanship being challenged. Ms. Kumaratunga is reported to have taken action to withdraw the cases filed against Mr. Sirisena since he is no longer prepared to cling to the chairmanship of the party.

However, in the documents lying with the Election Commission, Mr. Sirisena is mentioned as the chairman.