News

The Ministry of Agriculture has initiated a survey of all paddy stocks stored across Sri Lanka.

Ministry Secretary M.P.N.M. Wickramasinghe announced that the survey will take place today and tomorrow, with a team including officers from the Consumer Affairs Authority assigned to oversee the process.

Special inspections will focus on paddy warehouses in the Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, and Ampara districts, known for their substantial paddy storage.

Both small and medium-scale, as well as large-scale paddy mill owners' warehouses, will also be inspected.

M.P.N.M. Wickramasinghe said that the study of the survey will be reported to the President the following day.

He added that the Ministry has decided to maintain safety stocks by purchasing the paddy harvest from the high season through small and medium-scale paddy millers.

The Paddy Marketing Board is also planning to acquire a safety stock of 400,000 metric tons of paddy.

During recent discussions between the President and large-scale paddy mill owners, an agreement was reached to release rice in the market below the control price.

However, the Secretary noted that market surveys indicate this has not yet occurred.

While rice mill owners claim a shortage of Nadu rice, M.P.N.M. Wickramasinghe pointed out that 78 percent of the last season's paddy cultivation has been done with Nadu.

The Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Qi Zhenhong, met with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake this afternoon (22) at the Presidential Secretariat. During their meeting, Ambassador Qi made a donation of LKR 30 million (USD 100,000) as emergency flood relief to assist those affected by the recent flooding in the country.

In addition to immediate relief measures, the discussion also extended to a dialogue about long-term flood prevention and management strategies. They discussed sustainable approaches to enhance the resilience of communities against future flooding.

Recent reports indicate that heavy rains have led to significant flooding in several provinces, displacing thousands of families and causing extensive damage to infrastructure and agriculture.

The Supreme Court has ordered for the Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed seeking an order preventing the release of the 2024 Grade 05 Scholarship Examination results and the cut-off marks, to be taken up for consideration on November 18.

The petitioners have requested the Supreme Court through their FR petition that an order be issued invalidating question paper 01 of the 2024 Grade 05 Scholarship Examination of which certain questions are alleged to have been leaked, and that the exam be held again.

The petition was taken up before Supreme Court Justice Arjuna Obeysekera today (24).

The court ordered the respondents to submit any objections to the petition before November 5, and any further objections related to those were ordered to be submitted before November 12.

Accordingly, the next hearing of the petition has been fixed for November 18 to confirm the facts of the petition.

The petitions were filed by the parents of several students who sat for the 2024 Grade 05 Scholarship Examination which was held on September 15, 2024.

The International Monetary Fund says that the global battle against inflation has largely been won, even if price pressures persist in some countries.

Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Economic Counselor and Director of the Research Department of the IMF presenting the World Economic Outlook on Tuesday (22) said the prediction is that headline inflation will fall to 3.5 percent by the end of next year, slightly below the average during the two decades before the pandemic.

This project comes after headline inflation peaked at 9.4 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2022.

Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas says that global economy remained unusually resilient throughout the disinflationary process.

Growth is projected to hold steady at 3.2 percent in 2024 and 2025, but some low-income and developing economies have seen sizable downside growth revisions, often tied to intensifying conflicts.

In advanced economies, growth in the United States is strong, at 2.8 percent this year, but will revert toward its potential in 2025.

For advanced European economies, a modest growth rebound is expected next year, with output approaching potential.

The growth outlook is very stable in emerging markets and developing economies, around 4.2 percent this year and next, with continued robust performance from emerging Asia.

"The decline in inflation without a global recession is a major achievement,"said Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Economic Counselor and Director of the Research Department of the IMF.

Despite the good news on inflation, downside risks are increasing and now dominate the outlook, he warned noting that an escalation in regional conflicts, especially in the Middle East, could pose serious risks for commodity markets. He noted that shifts toward undesirable trade and industrial policies can significantly lower output relative to the baseline forecast. Monetary policy could remain to tight for too long, and global financial conditions could tighten abruptly.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says the country is not facing a rice shortage, despite reports of limited availability in certain markets.

He clarified that while some outlets may experience stock issues, there is no nationwide shortage.

Speaking at a political rally in Polonnaruwa, President Dissanayake said that the government is open to cooperating with rice mill owners but warned that legal measures would be taken if they fail to cooperate.

He confirmed that rice imports would not be pursued, except to meet specific needs in the tourism sector.

The President urged farmers to utilize all available land for cultivation, with the government planning to purchase the harvested rice to support local production.

Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando, Director of Communications for the Archdiocese of Colombo, says that they reject the report of the Committee of Inquiry, chaired by retired High Court Judge A.N.J. De Alwis.

He made this statement in response to comments made by Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader and former MP Udaya Gammanpila during a press conference held in Colombo yesterday (21) where he disclosed the contents of a previously unreleased report regarding the Easter Sunday terror attacks.

Speaking at a press conference held today at the Archbishop’s House in Borella, Rev. Fr. Gamini stated: “It is clear that a conflict of interest will immediately arise by appointing A.N.J. De Alwis, the sister of Prasanna De Alwis, who is accused of concealing and destroying evidence in a murder investigation, as the head of this committee.”

He further stated that a report produced under these circumstances cannot be regarded as impartial or independent.

“Therefore, we completely reject this report,” Rev. Fr. Gamini said.

Sri Lanka’s security forces were reportedly fully aware of the information warning of a possible attack targeting popular tourist locations in the Arugam Bay area, as mentioned in the U.S. Embassy’s security alert for American citizens in Sri Lanka today (23).

Is it stated that consequently, steps were taken several days ago to bolster security in the region.

Around 500 police officers and Special Task Force (STF) personnel had already been deployed to enhance security in the Arugam Bay tourist zone.

Police Media Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa also confirmed that intelligence agencies and other security forces are focused on strengthening security measures in the area.

He further emphasized that no intelligence reports have been received regarding such threats in Colombo or any other areas of the country thus far, and therefore urged the public not to have any undue fears.

Additionally, special attention is being given to ensure the safety of tourists visiting Arugam Bay and other provinces.

He indicated that recent information had indicated a potential threat to Israelis in the area. In response, the Senior DIG in charge of the province has initiated necessary preliminary measures, which involve securing the area by deploying roadblocks and periodically conducting checks on vehicles and individuals.

“Special security units, including the Police, STF, Navy, Army, and intelligence officers, have been deployed to ensure safety in the area. If any further information is received, immediate action will be taken,” Thalduwa reassured.

He emphasized that police stations have been instructed to coordinate and provide security for tourists, regardless of nationality.

“If we receive any information, we will take immediate action. Even now, necessary measures have been taken for that area. To other areas...that is why we are giving these instructions to the police stations because it is our responsibility to provide security to the tourists regardless of the country they belong to, so we are doing the necessary coordination and giving the necessary instructions to those police stations,” he said.

Sri Lanka Tourism assures safety of all visitors

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau has issued a statement today extending a warm invitation to travelers from around the world to visit Sri Lanka during the upcoming tourist season and assuring that all tourists can enjoy a safe and secure experience while exploring the beauty of the island.

“The highest levels of safety and security will be maintained for all visitors throughout their stay in Sri Lanka,” the statement by Sri Lanka Tourism said.

The Ministry of Defense has also assured Sri Lanka Tourism that necessary measures have been taken to guarantee the safety of tourists across all areas of the country, ensuring peace of mind for those currently staying in Sri Lanka and for those planning their visits.

“We look forward to offering every traveler a memorable and enjoyable stay in Sri Lanka,” Sri Lanka Tourism said.

Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader, former MP Udaya Gammanpila has called for the immediate removal of Ravi Seneviratne from the post as the Public Security Ministry Secretary, as he has been named as a main accused in the Easter Sunday bomb attacks investigations by a Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) report.

Convening a special media conference today (21), Gammanpila said, “A PCoI report which probed the 2019 Easter Sunday bomb attacks has revealed that the State Intelligence Service (SIS) had informed former senior DIG of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) about the imminent attacks on Easter Sunday in 2019.”

“According to page 43 of the report, the SIS Director had informed the CID Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police on April 9, 2019, that the National Thowheed Jamaath terrorists, including Mohammad Saharan, were planning to carry out suicide attacks on several locations, including prominent Catholic churches. Who is this Senior Inspector General of Police? It is the current Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, Ravi Senaviratne,” he stated.

“I had given the President until 10 a.m. today to release the PCoI report. Since the deadline has passed, I am disclosing one of the reports today and the second one next Monday,” he added.

Ex-MP Johnston Fernando was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Wednesday (23) afternoon.

This arrest is in connection with an investigation into the discovery of an assembled luxury vehicle.

Fernando was taken into custody when he arrived at the CID to provide a statement regarding the incident.

Trains between Colombo – Fort and Maradana have been delayed, Sri Lanka Railways announced today.

According to the department, the delay is caused due to a technical issue on the railroad switch at the Fort Railway Station.

The department further said that as a result, all trains travelling towards Maradana have been halted, causing delays.

President’s Counsel Prasantha Lal de Alwis has been appointed as the new Principal of Sri Lanka Law College, effective October 22.

His appointment was made by ex-Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, following the retirement of the college’s former principal, Dr Atula Pathinayake.

PC de Alwis holds both his LLB and LLM from the University of Colombo.

He began his legal career in 1983 as a State Counsel at the Attorney General’s Department, where he served until 1990.

In addition to his legal practice, he has contributed significantly to legal education as a lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the Open University of Sri Lanka, the University of Colombo, and Sri Lanka Law College.

Currently, he serves as a Director at Assetline Finance.

(sundaytimes.lk)

The Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake, has announced that no new nominations will be called for the upcoming local government elections.

He clarified that the election will proceed based on the nominations that were previously submitted.

Speaking at a news conference held in Kandy, Ratnayake further noted that any party who feels this decision has caused them injustice has the option of seeking legal recourse through the courts.