News
US, Sri Lankas and Maldivian militaries work on strengthening disaster response capabilities
The Montana National Guard and U.S. Pacific Air Forces, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Air Force and members of the Maldives National Defence Force, are conducting ‘Atlas Angel,’ a joint military exercise aimed at enhancing preparation and response to natural and man-made disasters, the US Embassy said in a press release.
Given below is the press release : “From August 5- 9, more than 70 U.S. personnel and two C-130 Hercules aircraft will participate alongside their Sri Lankan and Maldivian counterparts, underscoring the importance of international cooperation in disaster response and U.S. commitment to fostering a resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
“Atlas Angel will feature six exercises, including urban and medical search and rescue, as well as airfield repair, culminating in a crisis management exercise on August 9. These exercises are designed to test and improve response capabilities across various scenarios, ensuring participants are prepared for real-world disasters. Following the main exercise, U.S. Air Force surgeons will engage in a knowledge exchange session at the Kotelawala Defence University in Colombo, sharing best practices with Sri Lankan military and civilian medical counterparts.
“U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung applauded the disaster response cooperation: “Disasters know no borders and are increasing in frequency and intensity worldwide. The United States is committed to enhancing disaster preparedness, recognizing the importance of international collaboration to minimize damage, protect lives and livelihoods, and foster resilience and prosperity in the region. By sharing our expertise through practical exercises like Atlas Angel, we strengthen communities’ abilities to respond swiftly and effectively when disaster strikes.”
“Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa stated, “Exercise Atlas Angel is one of the main combined exercises operationalized under the Montana State Partnership Programme and it provides space for greater engagement between Sri Lanka Air Force and Montana National Guard through subject matter expert exchanges, developing strategic foresight on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief as well as Search and Rescue missions and promoting interoperability for collective security in the region.”
“Montana National Guard Adjutant General Pete Hronek emphasized the critical role of training in disaster management: “Effective disaster management hinges on robust training that equips first responders, local authorities, and community members with the skills and knowledge they need to act decisively in times of crisis. Throughout this week, I look forward to working with regional counterparts and learning from their expertise as we go through realistic simulations, ensuring we are all ready to act in the event of an emergency.”
Three newly appointed foreign Ambassadors to Sri Lanka presented credentials to President Anura Kumara Disanayake today (24) at the Presidential Secretariat.
The newly appointed Ambassadors represent France, State of Palestine and Nepal. Accordingly:
- His Excellency Remi Lambert has been appointed as the Ambassador of France
- His Excellency Ihab I.M. Khalil as the Ambassador of State of Palestine
- His Excellency Dr. Purna Bahadur Nepali as the Ambassador of Nepal
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, along with Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, were also present at the occasion.
State coffers suffered huge losses
A probe conducted by the Auditor General’s Department and the Parliamentary watchdog committee, COPA (Committee on Public Accounts) has revealed that a large number of luxury cars and SUVs have been imported with the help of forged documents that declared them as tractors.
During a recent COPA investigation into the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT), it was disclosed that the files related to the registration of those vehicles had gone missing.
COPA Chairman Aravinda Senaratne pointed out that BMWs and Mercedes-Benz cars had been declared as tractors. A total of 158 such cases had been specifically identified, the COPA said.
At the last COPA meeting, the DMT was instructed to provide details regarding those instances, but the Department has not yet done so. Some officials had already been identified and charged with the fraudulent registration of vehicles, Senaratne said.
“Wrong information about these vehicles has been entered deliberately. Their years of manufacture have been altered. According to our records, whenever an issue is raised, officials claim that the relevant files are missing,” Senaratne stated.
Current Commissioner General of the DMT, Nishantha Weerasinghe, said that those incidents had occurred before he assumed office.
Former DMT Commissioner General Sumith Alahakoon revealed that he had lodged two complaints with the CID. “When I took office, there were about 12 container loads of files flagged for errors. Out of those, 118 files were recovered by internal auditors and submitted to the CID. Thereafter, I was removed from my post,” he said.
The COPA Chairman accused the current DMT Commissioner General and his officials of failing to follow up on the complaints lodged with the CID by his predecessor.
When asked about action taken against the prime suspect in the fraud involving the luxury cars imported as tractors, the current Commissioner General said the suspect had been released due to insufficient evidence. A system analyst had been interdicted as investigators found that the database contained wrong information about vehicle imports.
COPA member MP Chandana Sooriyarachchi remarked that COPA investigations would be meaningless if officials sought to absolve themselves of responsibility simply by claiming that files had gone missing.
Sooriyarachchi said such fraudulent actions had cost the state coffers billions of rupees.The COPA Chairman said all aspects of the case would be thoroughly investigated.
by Saman Indrajith
SLMC General Secretary Nizam Kariapper, MP, yesterday (23) said that the National People’s Power (NPP) government owed an explanation as to why it continued to ignore indiscriminate Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Parliamentarian Kariapper pointed out that a statement, dated March 21, issued by Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Ministry, while expressing deep concern over the deteriorating conditions in Gaza, requested all sides to avoid any action that would lead to further escalation of the situation.
The government statement conveniently failed to mention that Israel killed over 400 civilians and launched a fresh ground offensive in Gaza regardless of the ceasefire in place, lawmaker Kariapper said. The top SLMC official accused the NPP government of remaining silent on US approved slaughter of civilians taking place.
“The majority of victims in the Gaza war were women and children,” MP Kariapper said. If the NPP government lacked the strength to issue a statement that properly dealt with the ground situation, Sri Lanka should have refrained from commenting on the latest developments.
The SJB National List MP said that the Jewish State also launched operations in Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon as it sought to exploit the situation to its advantage.
MP Kariapper urged the government to take a principled stand on Israeli military action that so far claimed the lives of over 60,000 people since late 2023.
Israel launched large-scale offensive action after Hamas terrorists killed over 1,200 Israeli civilians in raids carried out in early Oct 2023. Hamas abducted a large number of Israelis and a section of them have been released so far.
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