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US bolsters Lanka’s maritime defences with advanced aircraft

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U.S. Navy Admiral Steve Koehler and Sri Lanka Air Force Commander Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa sign the ceremonial handover document. U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung and U.S. Embassy Defence Attaché Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Nelson are also present

US Navy Admiral Steve Koehler, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, officially handed over a Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) at a ceremony on Thursday at SLAF Base Katunayake.The aircraft, a gift from the United States, symbolizes the ongoing U.S.-Sri Lanka partnership and represents a critical advancement in strengthening Sri Lanka’s maritime security and sovereignty.

The event saw attendance from U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), and Air Force Commander Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa. The aircraft, equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance technology, is designed to bolster Sri Lanka’s capacity to patrol its territorial waters, counter maritime threats, and secure vital trade routes in the Indian Ocean.

Ambassador Julie Chung highlighted the aircraft’s importance, emphasizing its role in reinforcing the U.S.-Sri Lanka partnership and Sri Lanka’s efforts in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. “As partners, the United States shares Sri Lanka’s vision that security is a collective responsibility, as our seas connect us. Maritime domain awareness is crucial to safeguarding Sri Lanka’s maritime trade routes, which are the lifeblood of its economy,” she stated. “While the oceans are rich in economic opportunities, they are also vulnerable to significant threats—from illegal fishing to smuggling, human trafficking, and other illegal, coercive, and deceitful activities. It is my hope that this Beechcraft King Air will serve as a constant guardian of your nation’s peace and prosperity, always vigilant in defending what is rightfully yours.”

Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, Commander of the SLAF, welcomed the addition of the Beechcraft King Air 360ER, calling it a milestone in the longstanding U.S.-Sri Lanka defense partnership. “The induction of the Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft is one of the instrumental steps in augmenting the Air Force’s airpower for maritime domain awareness,” he remarked. “This substantiates our enhanced focus on ensuring maritime security and broadening HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region as a responsible and key stakeholder nation. Further, this advanced ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) platform will be the latest addition to the ongoing efforts of fostering collective security and interoperability to face the threats in the air and maritime domains and curb transnational crime in our region. We look forward to playing a greater role in the regional maritime domain awareness, particularly in maritime surveillance, monitoring, and patrolling whilst fulfilling our obligations to regional peace and security.”

Admiral Koehler reiterated the U.S. commitment to the region, stating, “Today’s ceremony is about much more than one aircraft; it’s about our two nations’ commitment to protecting sovereignty and addressing complex maritime challenges together in the Indian Ocean. I look forward to strengthening our partnership and advancing a shared vision for peace and stability by upholding the rules-based international order.”

The King Air aircraft, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Building Partner Capacity program, was manufactured by Beechcraft Textron Aviation and completed in 2022, with maritime surveillance upgrades added in 2024. SLAF personnel received specialized training in Kansas and Florida to operate the aircraft, and additional training is set to take place with U.S. personnel over the next three months. The King Air 360ER will undergo final preparations at Ratmalana Air Force Base before joining Maritime Patrol Squadron 3 in China Bay, Trincomalee.



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One dead in US after being struck by taking off Frontier Airlines plane

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A Frontier Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado [Aljazeera]

A person has died after jumping an airport perimeter fence in the US state of Colorado and being struck by a Frontier Airlines plane, according to authorities.

Denver International Airport said the unusual incident occurred late Friday, after the unidentified individual gained access to the tarmac.

It said the “pedestrian jumped the perimeter fence and was hit just two minutes later while crossing the runway”.

A brief engine fire followed the collision, which was put out by emergency responders, according to the airport.

It said that 12 of the 231 people on board suffered minor injuries, with five hospitalised.

The airport said investigators had examined the fence line where the individual entered and “found it to be intact”.

It added that the struck individual “is not believed to be an employee of the airport”.

“We are extremely saddened by this incident and express our sympathies to those involved,” the airport said.

Both local authorities and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were investigating the incident.

Airport safety in the US came under renewed scrutiny earlier this year amid a prolonged shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which temporarily left both Transportation Security Agents (TSA) and air traffic controllers working without pay.

While instances of people being killed on airport tarmacs are rare, Friday’s incident came a day after a Delta employee was killed after an airport vehicle struck an airbridge at Orlando International Airport.

In March, two pilots were  killed after an Air Canada Express plane crashed into a fire-rescue vehicle at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

About 225,000 people travel through Denver International Airport a day.

[Aljazeera]

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Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the  Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Southern, Uva, North-western and Northern provinces and in Anuradhapura district.

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WEATHER FORECAST FOR 10 MAY 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 10 May 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

The low-level atmospheric disturbance in the vicinity of Sri Lanka is likely to develop into a low-pressure area around 11th of May. Therefore, the prevailing showery conditions over the island are expected to continue during the next few days.

Showers or thundershowers will occur at most places over the island, and cloudy skies are expected over the island. Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the  Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Southern, Uva, North-western and Northern provinces and in Anuradhapura district.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

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Lanka Port City officials to meet investors in Dubai

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ECONOMYNEXT –Colombo Port City (CPC) officials will head to Dubai to meet with investors on June 11, as Sri Lanka’s most ambitious economic zone looks for further foreign investments.

“We are meeting people in Dubai and the Middle East in order to demonstrate that Colombo Port City can be a supplementary zone of investment,” Harsha Amarasekara, Chairman, Colombo Port City Economic Commission (CPCEC), told Economynext.

The meeting will be organised by CPCEC, China Harbour Engineering Company, Consulate General of Sri Lanka – Dubai, and the Embassy of Sri Lanka – Abu Dhabi.

Foreign investor meetings have been a consistent factor in marketing CPC, and identifying potential markets has been a priority for CHEC and CPCEC.

“We have shortlisted and identified primary markets and we have combed the globe in that to say have a rationale behind why you would want to do certain things, a road show in a particular country,” Thulci Aluwihare, Deputy Managing Director, CHEC Port City Colombo, told Echelon Media.

“Once we kind of shortlist on that, then we aggressively go and market Port City, first Sri Lanka I should say, then Port City.”

“Sri Lanka is known in the world as a tourist destination, not essentially for a doing business capital. That is the narrative that we are trying to change,” he added.

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