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US provides advanced nuclear detection equipment to strengthen SL’s maritime security

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The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka has provided state-of-the-art radiation and chemical detection equipment valued at $1 million (299 million LKR) to the Sri Lanka Navy, significantly boosting the country’s capacity to detect and respond to nuclear, radiological, and chemical threats in its maritime domain. 

This advanced equipment, supplied through the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) and its Office of Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence (NSDD), was officially handed over during a ceremony at Sri Lanka Navy Headquarters on May 15, attended by U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung and Sri Lanka Navy Commander Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda. 

The equipment enhances the Sri Lanka Navy’s capability to conduct visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) operations in the Indian Ocean while strengthening its ability to detect and intercept hazardous chemical, radiological, and nuclear materials, safeguarding the nation’s ports and maritime routes.

“This advanced equipment is a vital tool for protecting Sri Lanka’s maritime borders and ensuring the safety of the entire region,” said U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung. “By enhancing the Navy’s ability to detect and respond to nuclear and radiological threats, we are not just strengthening Sri Lanka’s security—we are also safeguarding international shipping routes, protecting communities, and making sure harmful materials don’t reach America’s and other countries’ shores. This partnership is about keeping people safe, maintaining secure trade, and reinforcing our shared commitment to regional security.”

This equipment transfer is the first major initiative following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in February 2024 between the Sri Lanka Navy and DOE/NNSA. The MOU aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation in detecting and preventing the illegal transport of nuclear and radioactive materials. In addition to this transfer, in March, the U.S. Embassy, through DOE/NNSA, donated $500,000 worth of new radiation detection equipment at Colombo Port’s West Container Terminal, further enhancing Sri Lanka Customs’ ability to detect radioactive materials and secure global supply chains. This equipment is crucial because it helps prevent dangerous radioactive materials from entering everyday products, protects communities from potential hazards, strengthens the safety of international shipping routes, and stops nuclear and radiological threats before they can reach U.S. shores. 

NSDD will continue to support the Sri Lanka Navy in the future through specialized training in the use of radiation detection equipment, and further enhancement of the Navy’s VBSS capabilities. The United States remains committed to supporting Sri Lanka’s efforts to enhance maritime security, detect and deter nuclear threats, and ensure a safer, more secure Indian Ocean region and U.S. homeland.

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Canada invites Modi to G7 summit

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Canadian prime minister Mark Carney invited his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to the upcoming Group of Seven summit in a phone call on Friday (6), as the two sides look to mend ties after relations soured in the past two years.

The leaders agreed to remain in contact and looked forward to meeting at the G7 summit later this month, a readout from Carney’s office said.

India is not a G7 member but can be invited as a guest to its annual gathering, which will be held this year in Kananaskis in the Canadian province of Alberta, from June 15 to 17.

“Glad to receive a call from Prime Minister (Carney) … thanked him for the invitation to the G7 Summit,” Modi said in a post on X.

Modi also stated in his post on Friday that India and Canada would work together “with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests.”

Bilateral ties deteriorated after Canada accused India of involvement in a Sikh separatist leader’s murder, and of attempting to interfere in two recent elections. Canada expelled several top Indian diplomats and consular officials in October 2024 after linking them to the murder and alleged a broader effort to target Indian dissidents in Canada.

New Delhi has denied the allegations, and expelled the same number of Canadian diplomats in response.

India is Canada’s 10th largest trading partner and Canada is the biggest exporter of pulses, including lentils, to India.

Carney, who is trying to diversify trade away from the United States, said it made sense for the G7 to invite India, since it had the fifth-largest economy in the world and was at the heart of a number of supply chains.

“In addition, bilaterally, we have now agreed, importantly, to continued law enforcement dialogue, so there’s been some progress on that, that recognizes issues of accountability. I extended the invitation to prime minister Modi in that context,” he told reporters in Ottawa.

Four Indian nationals have been charged in the killing of the Sikh separatist leader.

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PMD issues statement on alleged presidential pardon of prisoner

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The President’s Media Division (PMD) has issued an official statement highlighting a serious procedural irregularity involving the release of a prisoner from Anuradhapura Prison, who was not approved under the presidential pardon granted for the 2025 Vesak festival.

According to the PMD, W.H. Athula Thilakaratne, an inmate serving a sentence for financial fraud, was released despite not being included in the list of prisoners approved by the President for a general pardon.

The PMD clarified that under Article 34(1) of the Constitution, the President has the authority to grant pardons to convicted prisoners.

Accordingly, a list of prisoners selected by the Prison Superintendents is forwarded to the Ministry of Justice.

The list is examined by the Ministry of Justice and then sent to the Presidential Secretariat. With the approval of the President, those prisoners are granted a general pardon, the PMD stated.

In this instance, the official list—submitted by the Commissioner General of Prisons on May 6, 2025—included 388 names.

However, the name of the individual imprisoned at Anuradhapura Prison in connection with financial fraud was not included in that list.

“This individual was not included in the list of 388 prisoners granted a presidential pardon,” the PMD stated.

In light of this development, the Presidential Secretariat lodged a formal complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday (June 6), under the title “Release of a Prisoner without Presidential Approval under the Presidential Pardon.”

The PMD further confirmed that a formal investigation has been launched, and disciplinary measures will be taken against any officials found responsible for the irregular release.(adaderana.lk)
(This story, originally published by adaderana.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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Presidential pardon was routine, not personal – Prisons Commissioner

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The Department of Prisons has issued a statement defending the release of W. M. Athula Tilakaratne, a former finance company manager convicted of misappropriating Rs. 4 million, clarifying that it was part of a general presidential pardon granted on Vesak Poya Day.

Prisons Media Spokesman and Commissioner Gamini B. Dissanayake stated that Tilakaratne was among a group of inmates released under the annual Vesak pardon, which is granted to prisoners who meet certain conditions. He noted that the individual was not specifically singled out for release, but was eligible under the general criteria due to his sentence and the remission of the fine imposed by court.

According to the statement, Tilakaratne had been convicted under Section 386 of the Penal Code and sentenced to a suspended prison term with a fine of Rs. 20 lakhs as compensation. The High Court had also ruled that failure to pay the fine would result in six months of rigorous imprisonment. His release was granted as the fine was waived under the Vesak pardon provisions.

The Department emphasized that Tilakaratne was released in accordance with existing procedures and that the pardon was not targeted or exceptional.

Yesterday, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Ajith P. Perera raised questions in Parliament regarding the pardon, highlighting that the release occurred just weeks after Tilakaratne’s conviction. He called on the government to explain the process and transparency behind granting such pardons, especially as the individual is reportedly facing other cases as well.

The government did not respond to the MP’s query during the session. 

(newswire.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by newswire.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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