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SL wants to cooperate with China in space science, PM tells China’s top rocket scientist

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China and Sri Lanka can cooperate in space science as Southern Sri Lanka has been identified as an area with the lowest gravity in the world and the Southern Ocean is most suitable for the landing of spacecraft, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardane said during a meeting with a Chinese high-level delegation at Temple Trees yesterday (22).

The delegation led by the Chongqing CPC Municipal Committee Secretary Dr. Yuan Jiajun, who is also a member of the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) Central Committee Politbureau called on the Prime Minister at Temple Trees today.

The Prime Minister thanked China for the support in agriculture, industry, education and other fields.

Noting that Dr. Yuan Jiajung is a top rocket scientist, the Prime Minister said the two countries could cooperate in space science as Southern Sri Lanka has been identified as an area with the lowest gravity in the world and the Southern Ocean is most suitable for the landing of spacecraft.

The Prime Minister said Sri Lanka looks forward to China’s support in restructuring its debt at the moment and further strengthening its economy in the near future.

The Prime Minister requested the delegation to share Chongqing’s experience of successfully alleviating poverty and ensuring food security by using hybrid rice and other food crops to increase production by several folds.

Dr. Yuan Jiajun assured that China would extend its fullest cooperation by encouraging large scale investments in the industrial and agricultural spheres. He also agreed to provide experts on hybrid rice varieties and other food crops to Sri Lanka.

“You have vast flat lands all over the country which is suitable for rice and other crops and we will extend assistance to increase the harvests by several folds,” Jiajun said.

Source – dailymirror.lk

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Essential to enhance facilities in education system – President

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President Anura Kumara Disanayake emphasized that in order to successfully implement the proposed educational reforms, it is essential to enhance the facilities throughout the entire education system while also strengthening the institutional framework.  

The President made these remarks during a discussion held today (July 08) at the Presidential Secretariat with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and senior officials of the Ministry of Education regarding the proposed new education reform process.

During the meeting, officials from the Ministry provided the President with an overview of the suggested reforms.

The President stated that the government is ready to study the reform proposals and allocate the necessary resources based on identified needs.

President Disanayake further pointed out that in order to achieve the intended outcomes of these reforms, a comprehensive transformation of the entire system is required. He stressed that attention must be paid not only to developing physical and infrastructural resources but also to enhancing human resources. The President instructed that a full study be conducted before presenting plans and budget estimates, and assured that necessary provisions would be allocated through the upcoming national budget.

He also emphasized the importance of paying attention to teachers and students of teacher training colleges throughout this reform process and called for broad consultations with all stakeholders to gather their views and suggestions.

As a first step, the President advised Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya to organize two workshops to brief all Members of Parliament on the proposed education reform programme and to gather their input and recommendations.

The discussion was also attended by Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education Madhura Seneviratne, Deputy Minister of Vocational Education Nalin Hewage, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa and a group of senior officials from the Ministry.

(President’s Media Division)

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CID reopens Lalith-Kugan disappearance case after 14 yrs.

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The Sri Lankan government has officially handed over the long-stalled investigation into the disappearance of human rights activists Lalith Kumar Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala made the announcement in Parliament today (7).

The two activists went missing on December 9, 2011, in Jaffna, under circumstances that have remained unresolved for over a decade.

Initial reports were submitted to the judiciary on December 12, 2011, and the case was heard multiple times before being set aside by court order on October 10, 2014 due to lack of investigative progress.

Minister Wijepala revealed that, due to the prolonged stagnation of the case, the Acting Inspector General of Police issued formal instructions on June 3, 2025, directing the CID to take over the investigation.

A letter was subsequently sent to the Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police for the Northern Province, requesting all relevant case files and forensic reports from the Achchuveli Police Station, the Jaffna Division Crime Investigation Unit, and the regional forensic laboratory.

These documents were officially transferred to the CID on June 11, 2025. The Homicide and Organized Crime Division of the CID has now begun active investigations into the case.

The Minister also disclosed that the CID is currently investigating four other disappearance cases in the Northern and Eastern provinces, while the Colombo Crime Division is handling six additional cases. None of these investigations have yet been concluded.

(News1st)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by News1st has not been edited by SLM staff)

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This week’s Cabinet decisions

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A number of decisions have been taken at the Cabinet meeting held yesterday (July 07).

The decisions taken by the Cabinet of Ministers are as follows :

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