News

Colombo Air Symposium 2025: Shaping the future of air and space power

Published

1 year ago

2025/02/7

The Colombo Air Symposium (CAS) 2025, the annual international academic forum organised by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), will take place for the seventh consecutive year on 10th and 11th February 2025 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo. Under the leadership of Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe, Commander of the Air Force, this year’s theme, *”Transforming Air and Space Power for a Resilient Tomorrow: Prospects for Air Forces of the Indian Ocean Rim”*, will gather diplomats, military leaders, policymakers, academics, and technological experts to explore the evolving role of air and space power in the modern global security landscape.

Major General KP Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), Deputy Minister of Defence, will be the Chief Guest, while Dr Brian W. Cole PhD, from the Eisenhower School at the National Defence University, Washington, DC, will deliver the keynote address. Delegates from the air forces of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) member states and dialogue partners will participate, alongside foreign research authors and senior officials from Sri Lanka’s tri-forces.

This year’s symposium will serve as a strategic platform to address how air forces in the region can adapt to rapid technological advancements, tackle emerging security challenges, and enhance aerial diplomacy to boost operational resilience. Discussions will cover a broad spectrum of issues, including strategic regional security dynamics, technological modernisation, and partnerships for collective strength.

One of the critical areas of focus will be the role of air and space power in shaping regional stability amid volatile and complex security environments. The symposium will also examine innovations in air and space technology, including the development of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and the expansion of space-based capabilities. Additionally, it will explore the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Mixed Reality in training and operations, along with advancements in cyber defence and information warfare to maintain strategic dominance.

The discussions will extend to the Blue Economy, highlighting how air and space power can support sustainable maritime initiatives through enhanced reconnaissance and surveillance. Strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation among air forces in the Indian Ocean Region will also be a key subject, with emphasis on improving humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and efforts to counter illicit maritime activities.

The Colombo Air Symposium 2025 is expected to be a crucial event for fostering regional collaboration, developing strategic partnerships, and sharing key insights on the transformation of air and space power. By addressing core areas such as policy development, technological innovation, and military strategy, CAS 2025 aims to shape a resilient, forward-looking air power framework for the Indian Ocean Region and beyond.

Individuals who wish to participate in the CAS 2025 are invited to register through the link or QR code provided below.

https://colomboairsymposium.lk/symposium_qa/Quiz_1/register.php

All News Advertisement

Latest News

Rare identical quadruplets born in Australia

Published

6 hours ago

2026/07/20

Priyan

(Pic BBC)

An Australian woman has given birth to rare, naturally-conceived identical quadruplets after a pregnancy described as “extremely high risk” by the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

The four girls, who were delivered via caesarean section at 28 weeks and four days on 14 July, were monozygotic quadruplets – where a single fertilised egg splits into four embryos.

The hospital said the girls’ mother, 34-year-old Jenitar Na’amoana, and her husband Jortham, already had four children and were taken by “immense surprise” when told to expect quadruplets.

Dr Alexa Bendall, who cared for the mother from the start of her pregnancy, estimated identical quadruplets occur “at one in every 15 million pregnancies” and said “but to share the same placenta – this is unheard of”.

Bendall, who is a maternal foetal medicine specialist and obstetrician, said such a pregnancy was very high-risk, with the hospital admitting Na’amoana as an inpatient at 25 weeks so she could be monitored.

“We always said that if we could get her to 28 weeks, we would be doing well,” Bendall said.

“So the fact that we’ve got four beautiful, healthy babies born at 28 weeks and four days is incredible and we’re very happy to be a part of it,” she added.

“Jenitar has taken everything in her stride from day one… she has somehow dodged every complication and risk for both herself and her babies,” Bendall said.

The newborn girls have been named Emily, Harriet, Catherine, and also Alexa, after Alexa Bendall, who described it as “a beautiful tribute”.

Metro North Health The side of a baby incubator with a laminated sign attached to it that reads 'Quad Two 'Alexa'' — One of the girls has been named after Dr Alexa Bendall, who cared for Na’amoana from the start of her pregnancy

The babies will stay in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit until they grow to full term and are “currently doing extremely well”, Bendall added.

The parents’ other children are between one and 10 years old and the mother has recently launched an online fundraising campaign to help buy a van with at least 10 seats.

In a message alongside the fundraiser, which has already received over A$37,000 (£19,261) in donations, Na’amoana wrote: “Our four precious miracles have arrived safely, and while our hearts are overflowing with gratitude, the reality of caring for four newborns at once has brought challenges we never could have imagined.”

Naturally conceived quadruplets are extremely rare, with doctors estimating the odds at about one in 700,000 births.

(BBC)

News

Merchant Shipping Secretariat probes bribery scandal

Published

22 hours ago

2026/07/20

Thilina Walpola

Cement carrier Sensho

… bribe giver departs Colombo port

The Merchant Shipping Secretariat (MSS) is investigating a complaint received from the Captain of an Indonesian flagged vessel Sensho that he had to pay an official USD 5,000 bribe to facilitate what our sources called port state control inspection.

Sources said that the cement carrier arrived at the Colombo Port, on Friday, and departed after having passed the rigorous inspection. Responding to queries, sources said that after paying the bribe, the vessel’s Captain has lodged complaints with MSS and the Commission to Investigate Allegation of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

In spite of the government’s high profile anti-corruption drive there seemed to be fresh cases, sources said, adding that MSS had received a comprehensive complaint. The vessel had departed Colombo for Jeddah, sources said.

“The issue at hand is whether there have been unreported cases of MSS personnel receiving bribes,” sources said, acknowledging that the Captain, instead of immediately bringing the demand for USD 5,000 bribe to the MSS, had paid it and departed Colombo. (SF)

News

Theft of USD 2.5 mn: Dinana Dakuna claims COPF trying to protect mastermind

Published

22 hours ago

2026/07/20

Thilina Walpola

An opposition political group, styled as Dinana Dakuna, has accused the Committee of Public Finance (COPF) of protecting the masterminds behind the USD 2.5 mn theft from the Treasury.

Commenting on the recent COPF report on the theft, the group has alleged that the all-party parliamentary grouping made an attempt to shift the blame to the Central Bank as part of a cover-up. It has described the COPF report as a deliberate attempt to suppress the truth.

The group said that the COPF conveniently asserted that the theft took place due to the inexperience of officers concerned, thereby diverting the attention from those who perpetrated it.

An alleged attempt to portray the collapse of the administrative set-up that led to the USD 2.5 mn theft as a human resource problem, has also been questioned by Dinana Dakuna.