News
Company probed over contaminated coconut oil imports among them

Hoarded sugar stocks belong to three importers -Minister
By Shamindra Ferdinando
State Minister of Co-operative Services, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection Lasantha Alagiyawanna, yesterday (31) said that a large stock of hoarded sugar, detected with the information provided by Derana journalists, belonged to three importers.
Asked whether he could name the culprits and explain the status of the investigation, SLFPer Alagiyawanna told The Island that the importers would be named at a media briefing on Wednesday (1).
During raids carried out since last Saturday (28), authorities detected approximately 10,255 metric tonnes of sugar, sources said.
Of that amount the biggest culprit Global Trading Company had 4,800 metric tonnes each found at two warehouses at Wattala Mabole and Handela Kerawalapitiya. The same company is under investigation over the import of contaminated coconut oil.
State Minister Alagiyawanne, who assured a no holds barred investigation into the alleged sugar scam said that detected sugar stocks had been imported after the government reduced duty on imported sugar from Rs 50 a kilo to 25 cents late last year.
Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, MP, told The Island that his committee inquired into the issuance of the relevant gazette 2197/12 on Oct 13, 2020. Lawmaker Yapa said that COPF member Susil Premjayanth recently called for a second report from the Finance Ministry in that regard. Responding to another query, MP Yapa explained how the whole process had been manipulated to the advantage of a few at the expense of those struggling to make ends meet.
In addition to MP Yapa, two other SLPP lawmakers, Vidura Wickramanayake and Nalin Fernnado have expressed serious concern over the sugar scam during COPF proceedings, according to statements issued by the Parliament Communications Department.
Foreign News
Thousands flee floods after dam collapse near Nova Kakhovka

BBC reported that thousands of people are being evacuated downstream of a major dam which has been blown up in Russian-held Ukraine.
President Zelensky said 80 towns and villages were at risk of flooding after the destruction of the dam at Nova Kakhovka, which he blamed on Russia. Water is surging down the Dnipro river and is said to pose a catastrophic flooding risk to the city of Kherson.
Russia has denied destroying the dam – which it controls – instead blaming Ukrainian shelling. Neither Ukraine or Russia’s claim has been verified by the BBC.
The Kakhovka dam is crucial in the region. It contains a reservoir, which provides water to farmers and residents, as well as to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. It is also is a vital channel carrying water south to Russian-occupied Crimea.
Video footage shows a torrent of floodwater gushing through a breach in the dam. Several towns are already flooded, while people in areas further downstream were forced to flee by bus and train.
Around 40,000 people need to be evacuated, Deputy Prosecutor-General Viktoriya Lytvynova said on Ukrainian television – 17,000 people in Ukraine-controlled territory west of the Dnipro River and 25,000 on the Russian-controlled east.
Latest News
Sagala Ratnayaka leads Sri Lanka delegation to 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue

Chief of Staff to the President and National Security Advisor (NSA) Sagala Ratnayaka led the Sri Lanka delegation to the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier Security Summit held in Singapore from 2 – 4 June 2023.
The highly anticipated summit commenced on 2 June with a powerful Keynote address delivered by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Throughout the event, a series of plenary sessions delved into various crucial geo-political issues, encompassing the establishment of a stable and balanced Asia Pacific, the resolution of regional tensions, the evolution of maritime security in Asia, US leadership in the Indo-Pacific, and China’s latest security initiatives, among other topics.
During the Special Session focusing on ‘Defence Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region,’ Ratnayaka delivered an impactful statement, participating alongside representatives from India, Oman, France, and the United States. He emphasized the significance of keeping big power rivalries and external conflicts out of the Indian Ocean, highlighting Sri Lanka’s efforts in the United Nations to declare the region as a zone of peace. Furthermore, he underscored the country’s contributions to preserving freedom of navigation and over flight, stressing the crucial need for constructive dialogue among all stakeholders in the Indian Ocean region to pursue shared interests.
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