News
‘As long as people want the military to help, we will be there’
National recognition was conferred on a group of internationally certified search and rescue operators at the Disaster Management Center in Colombo on August 12.
Participants from the search and rescue programs conducted by A-PAD with instructors from the International Rescue Instructors Association received national recognition in Swift Water search and rescue.
The Search and Rescue Team included personnel from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force, Police, Civil Defence Force, Sri Lanka Life Saving, and the private sector.
The A-PAD International Symposium 2021 on Civil-Military Dialogue organized by the Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management was held in Colombo strictly adhering to COVID-19 guidelines with limited physical participation and virtual global attendance.
The symposium was attended by the Director-General of the Disaster Management Center Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe who said it is a responsibility of all to create a safer Sri Lanka and ensure that all citizens in the country are safe, protected, and looked after well.
Speaking on Sri Lanka’s current situation, the Director-General noted that the ‘human responsibility is entrusted to the military because that is the biggest human resource capacity that belongs to the government of Sri Lanka.
“As long as the people want us, the military, to help them, we will be there. It is our responsibility,” he stressed.
The first Secretary of the Embassy of Japan Hoshiai Chiharu was the guest of honor along with Dr. Hemantha Herath, the Deputy Director-General of Public Health Services.
The Search and Rescue Group that underwent special training is ready to be deployed to any area that experiences massive floods in the country.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Fair weather will prevail except for a few showers in the Uva, Eastern, Western and Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Rathnapura districts
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