The Court of Appeal yesterday fixed for July 20 the writ petition filed by former Deputy Secretary General of Parliament, Chaminda Kularatne, challenging the decision to suspend him from service.

The petition, which seeks a declaration that the suspension was unlawful, was taken up before a bench comprising President of the Court of Appeal Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya and Justice Priyantha Fernando.

President’s Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardena, appearing for the petitioner, informed the court that he was ready to support the application.

President’s Counsel K. Kanag-Iswaran, appearing for the Speaker, who has been named as a respondent, stated that he intended to raise preliminary objections regarding the maintainability of the petition.

President’s Counsel Nigel Hatch, appearing for Ministers Bimal Rathnayake and Anil Jayantha Fernando, who have also been cited as respondents, and Attorney-at-Law Chamara Nanayakkrawasam, appearing for another respondent, likewise indicated their intention to raise preliminary objections.

After considering the submissions, the Court ordered that the matter be called on July 20 for support.

In his petition, Kularatne alleges that the Speaker’s decision to suspend him without conducting a fair inquiry was unlawful. He has sought a writ quashing the decision.

Police have launched an investigation after the body of an unidentified man was found washed ashore near the Kelani Bridge at Sedawatta on Wednesday morning.

According to police, the deceased is believed to be between 35 and 40 years old and was approximately 5 feet 5 inches in height. He had hair about one inch long and was found bare-chested, wearing blue coloured trousers.

The identity of the deceased has not yet been established, police said.

Following an examination by the magistrate, the body was transferred to the mortuary of the Colombo National Hospital for further inquiries and identification.

Grandpass Police are conducting further investigations into the incident.

By Norman Palihawadane

Disaster management officials from the United States and Sri Lanka came together, in Galle, from June 16–18, for a three-day workshop focused on strengthening preparedness for natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies. Organized by the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka, in partnership with U.S. Pacific Command’s Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM), the Montana National Guard, the Montana Disaster and Emergency Services (DES), and Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre, the workshop builds on the 2025 Memorandum of Understanding between Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence and the Montana National Guard. The expert-led workshop culminated in a tabletop exercise designed to test coordination during a realistic emergency scenario.

The exercise challenged participants to respond to evolving disaster conditions, coordinate resources, manage public communications, and make critical decisions under pressure. Drawing on lessons learned from recent disasters, including Cyclone Ditwah, the workshop provided an opportunity for Sri Lankan agencies to exchange practical approaches to the development of coordinated crisis response plans, interagency coordination, and disaster preparedness.

The Montana National Guard with members of the Montana Disaster and Emergency Services (DES) bring extensive real-world experience from their roles as emergency response organisations across the U.S. state of Montana. Montana Guard personnel and DES emergency management specialists play a leading role in disaster response, mobilising to help their communities affected by wildfires, floods, severe winter storms, and other disasters, providing planning, logistics, communications, aviation support, and emergency coordination. Through its partnership with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence, the Montana National Guard and MT DES share these lessons and best practices to help strengthen preparedness and response capabilities before disasters strike.

Participants included representatives from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Coast Guard, Sri Lanka Police, Department of Civil Security, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands & Irrigation, Ministry of Power and Energy, Ministry of Environment,and the Ministry of Local Government. Through hands-on planning and scenario-based exercises, participants strengthened coordination, sharpened response procedures, and improved preparedness for future emergencies.

The workshop underscored the importance of cooperation across the Indo-Pacific region, where effective disaster response helps protect communities, safeguard critical infrastructure and transportation networks, and reduce disruptions to economic activity.

Based at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, in Hawaii, the Centre for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM) is a U.S. Department of War organisation and a direct reporting unit to U.S. Pacific Command. The Centre works with government agencies, militaries, humanitarian organisations, and academic institutions to strengthen disaster preparedness, humanitarian assistance, and civil-military coordination across the Indo-Pacific region.

Headquartered in Helena, Montana, the Montana National Guard is composed of highly trained Soldiers and Airmen who serve both their state and the nation. When natural disasters impact Montana, the Guard is prepared to assist local civil authorities in efforts to protect affected communities. This critical support is carried out alongside the Guard’s commitment to maintaining readiness for its federal missions. Through the State Partnership Programme, the Montana National Guard has partnered with Sri Lanka since 2021 to strengthen disaster preparedness. In 2025, the Montana National Guard and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalise and expand cooperation in disaster response, maritime domain awareness, and professional military education.