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The government has not made any decision or sought the postponement of the local government elections, Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakse said today (22).

Addressing the weekly Cabinet media briefing, he said the government is only attempting to make the necessary amendments or adjustments before the due date and then head in for the election.

“The adjustments are expected to be completed before February 2023 to hold the polls as scheduled,” he assured.

Stating that the number of local government members needs to reduce to at least 5,100 from the current 8,700, Minister Rajapakshe pointed out that the number has more than doubled from the time it was introduced in 1987.

He further said that this reduction is expected to be done before the next local government polls.

“The Prime Minister has appointed a delimitation commission. All those matters can be considered by the proposed select committee which will be represented by all the political parties in the parliament. I think they have to pick the best way possible,” the Justice Minister explained.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government has been urged to hold both the local government and parliament polls in the first quarter of 2023.

The local government elections were postponed by one year in February last year and they should be held by February 20, 2023.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has the discretion to dissolve the parliament anytime after February next year as per powers vested in him.

General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Sagara Kariyawasam says that the party’s leader Mahinda Rajapaksa has advised to take legal action against those slinging mud at the party in social media.

He further said that several individuals have already been identified and have been reported to the party’s lawyers to take further legal actions.

The SLPP General Secretary went on to add that there are organized groups engaged in mud slinging against the leadership of SLPP, with the motive of tarnishing the party’s reputation among the general public, targeting upcoming elections.

The second reading of the Appropriation Bill for the year 2023 was passed with a majority of 37 votes in Parliament today.

A total of 121 MPs voted in favour and 84 MPs voted against, while 01 MP abstained from voting.

MPs Duminda Dissanayake, Jeevan Thondaman, and Priyankara Jayaratne were among the MPs who voted in favour of the Budget 2023.

Members of the opposition, including Opposition Leader MP Sajith Premadasa and MPs Rishad Bathiudeen, Kumara Welgama, Mano Ganesan, and Mathirpla Sirisena voted against it.

Meanwhile, Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootan (TMTK) Leader CV Wigneswaran abstained from voting.

The earthquake that was reported off the coast of Indonesia on Friday (18) poses NO Tsunami threat to Sri Lanka, confirmed the Met Department of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan authorities said that there is no threat to the people living in the coastal areas of Sri Lanka.

A 6.9 Magnitude Earthquake reported 212 km close to Bengkulu, Indonesia, confirmed the United States Geological Survey.

Transfers have been ordered for the OICs who have been serving the same police station for more than three years, said public security minister Tiran Alles.

He also said that out of 1,300 applicants for OIC postings, 1,090 have been selected at interviews.

They will soon be appointed, said Alles, stressing that appointments due to political pressure or otherwise would not be allowed.

Appointments will be made appropriately, but especially not to the area of residence of the appointee or the hometown of the spouse, he also said.

Attorney Nuwan Bopage who was named as a suspect for illegally entering the President's Office appeared in court on Thursday (17), and was released on bail.

Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage ordered to release the suspects on a personal bail of Rs. 500,000/-.

He was named as the 59th suspects in the case filed for illegally entering the President's Office on the 9th of June 2022.

He was named as a suspect in the case several days ago, and appeared in court on Thursday (17) as per instructions from fellow counsel.

The gazette notification pertaining to the lifting of the ban imposed on the import of the herbicide Glyphosate has been sent to the Government Printer, says the Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Gunadasa Samarasinghe.

The Minister of Agriculture had decided to lift the ban on Glyphosate following inquiries made from various sectors including the representatives from farmers, agricultural experts, and agronomists as to whether the ban should be continued further or not, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Further continuation of the Glyphosate ban had become futile as some people had illegally imported substanded Glyphosate via sea routes and were sold across the country at exorbitant prices, the Ministry said.

Accordingly, steps were taken to lift the Glyphosate ban that had been in place for 07 years since 2015, since there was no alternative method for weed control in the agricultural sector, that situation also led to a decrease in harvests, the secretary of the Ministry emphasized.

He said the gazette has been signed by the Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera and sent to the Government Printer to be published.

In September, the Cabinet of Ministers had approved a proposal to import Glyphosate for a period of 06 months for all agricultural activities during the 2022/23 Maha Season.

The government had said the decision to ban/restrict the importation of Glyphosate has affected all types of agricultural activities, leading to a decrease in agricultural production and a surge in prices of essential food items.

Taking into this account, permission is granted to import Glyphosate for a period of six months to allow farmers to carry out their agricultural activities more productively during 2022/23 Maha Season.

The relevant proposal had been tabled by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Former President Maithripala Sirisena, in 2015, banned the importation of Glyphosate as some studies had linked the use of the agrochemical to the chronic kidney disease affecting Sri Lankan farmers. The imports and use of the herbicide was accordingly prohibited under the Import and Export (Control) Act, No. 01 of 1969.

The ban was imposed without introducing any alternative for the purpose of weed control.

However, in 2018, the import ban was temporarily lifted for tea and rubber sectors for a period of 36 months, and the move was subsequently green-lighted by the then-Cabinet of Ministers.

In November 2021, an Extraordinary Gazette was published by then-Registrar of Pesticides Dr. J. A. Sumith, revoking the gazette notification issued in 2014 prohibiting the use and sale of five agrochemicals including Glyphosate. Mr. Sumith was later removed from the post pending a disciplinary inquiry into the rescinding of the said gazette notification and it was announced that the ban on five agrochemicals was still in effect.

The following month, the then-government decided to allow the imports of organic and inorganic compounds, and phosphorous derivatives of fertilizers, however, the ban on importing Glyphosate remained effective.

Sri Lanka has decided to increase the fees levied on passports with effect from Thursday (17).

Accordingly, it will now cost Rs. 20,000/- to obtain a passport under the One-Day Service.

The cost for a passport under the normal services has been increased to Rs. 5,000/- from Rs. 3,500/-.

The Department of Railways has decided to revise train schedules and impose speed limits on trains.

The decision was reached during a discussion with State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna in light of the complaints received regarding train derailment.

As a result, it has been decided to impose speed limits in order to operate trains at a slower speed along dilapidated sections of the railway tracks.

Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe told a forum organized by the Ceylon Institute of Builders that the country's construction sector boomed due to government-funded projects, but the same model will not apply in the future.

"After the end of the war mega-infrastructure development projects took place, largely are government-funded projects, either borrowed-money or taxpayers money," he said, adding that when the Sri Lankan government was finding it difficult to finance a comfort letter was given to the private commercial banks, where funding can be obtained from the banks for the government project and the money will be paid later.

"That was a trap," revealed the Central Bank Governor.

He said that the country's construction sector developed to its present state was mainly due to government-funded projects, and going forward the sector cannot rely on government-sponsored projects.

"If we are going forward with the same model, we will see another round of restructuring, and debt sustainability issues. That can never happen again. If that happens, we will be repeating the same cycle of crises," warned the Governor.

The President assured immediate solutions to land, housing, health, irrigation, and agriculture-related issues in the Northern Province.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that eight (8) committees would be appointed at the provincial level to resolve the land issues.

He also pointed out that all the land-related issues in the North and South of the country would be resolved accordingly. President Wickremesinghe made these observations while participating in the District Development Committee meeting held at the Vavuniya District Secretariat this morning (19).

The development committee meeting was called covering Vavuniya, Mannar, and Mullaitivu districts in the Northern Province.

The issues related to the lands, housing, health, irrigation, and agriculture in the province and solutions for them were discussed at length during the meeting.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe assured that all measures would be taken to improve the living conditions of the people by providing prompt solutions to the problems arising in various fields in the Northern Province and said that he expected the supportive hands of the parliamentarians of the Northern Province in this endeavor.

Pointing out that there are many unsolved problems in the North, the President further assured that he would resolve those issues by way of discussions with all parties.

Parliamentarian Charles Nirmalanathan drew the attention of the President to the fact that the Tamil people who settled in the Settikulam area in 1994 have still not been provided with land.

The President instructed the Vavuniya District Secretary to intervene to resolve the land issue in Settikulam within 03 months and added that he would inquire about the matter from the Ministry of Justice as well as the Ministry of Lands.

At the meeting, attention was also drawn to the problems arising due to the acquisition of certain farmlands in the Mullaitivu district by the Department of Archaeology.

Special attention was focused on the housing problem of the people in the Northern Province and the officials pointed out that the housing projects initiated to address the issue in the three districts have reached different stages of construction and an additional sum of Rs. 3000 million is required for its completion.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe pointed out that many housing projects have commenced across the island and he expected to provide quick solutions to the housing problem of the people in the North.

Parliamentarian Selvam Adekkalanathan highlighted the plight and the needs of the people living in the vicinity of Vavuniya Lake and Thirikkulam Lake and drew the attention of the President at the meeting.

The renovation of the tanks in the districts, solving the fertilizer problem, and streamlining the distribution activities also was the focal point at the meeting.

The President instructed the officials to take measures to provide the necessary solutions to the health sector-related problems and the shortage of doctors in the Northern Province paying special attention to them when the issues were raised during the meeting.

Parliamentarian Rishad Bathuideen explained various irregularities that the fishermen in the Mannar district have to face in the supply of kerosene oil and the President instructed the officials to initiate an urgent inquiry into the matter. Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda, Urban Development, and Housing State Minister Tenuka Vidanagamage, State Minister for Rural Development Kader Mastan, Northern Province Governor Jeevan Thiagarajah, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake and public officials including district secretaries were present on the occasion. (PMD)

• U.S. President Joe Biden said there “need not be a new Cold War” between the U.S. and China, following a three-hour summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Indonesia.

• “I don’t think there’s any imminent attempt by China to invade Taiwan,” said Biden, despite escalating rhetoric and aggressive military moves by the People’s Republic of China in the Taiwan Straits.

• Beijing said the two leaders reached “important common understandings,” and they were prepared now “to take concrete actions to put China-U.S. relations back on the track of steady development.”

  WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden said there “need not be a new Cold War” between the U.S. and China, following a three-hour summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Indonesia on Monday.

  Biden also said, “I don’t think there’s any imminent attempt by China to invade Taiwan,” despite escalating rhetoric and aggressive military moves by the People’s Republic of China in the Taiwan Straits.

  Biden and his counterpart held the much-anticipated meeting at the G-20 summit of economically developed nations in Bali.

  Biden said he and Xi spoke frankly, and they agreed to send diplomats and cabinet members from their administrations to meet with one another in person to resolve pressing issues.

  Although they have spoken five times by videoconference, the meeting was the first one Biden and Xi have held face-to-face since the U.S. president was elected in 2020. The personal dynamic between the two men was friendly, with Biden putting an arm around Xi at the outset and saying, “It’s just great to see you.”

  It remains to be seen, however, whether the summit will produce a genuine shift in relations between Washington and Beijing, its biggest strategic competitor and long-term military adversary.

  Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the conversation was “in-depth, candid and constructive” in a statement afterwards.

  The two leaders reached “important common understandings,” the ministry said, and they were prepared now “to take concrete actions to put China-U.S. relations back on the track of steady development.”

  A tense rivalry

  Tensions between the two nations have been slowly escalating for decades, but they skyrocketed after former President Donald Trump launched a protectionist trade war with China.

  Since taking office in 2021, Biden has done little to reverse Trump’s trade policies. Instead, he has added a new layer to U.S.-China hostilities by framing American foreign policy as a zero-sum contest between the American commitment to human rights and free markets, and the creeping spread of authoritarianism around the world, embodied by China’s Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

  During their meeting, Biden also brought up “concerns about PRC practices in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, and human rights more broadly,” according to an American readout of the summit.

  Xi rejected Biden’s complaints, and he told the U.S. president that “freedom, democracy and human rights” were “the unwavering pursuit” of China’s Communist Party, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ statement.

  Biden also raised Beijing’s noncompetitive economic practices, which include widespread state intervention in private markets and laws requiring foreign companies to partner with Chinese firms in order to operate in the country.

  The Biden administration has responded to these policies with an increasingly aggressive series of regulations that limit, and in some instances totally bar, the participation of Chinese firms in parts of the U.S. economy, especially that are critical to national defense.

  Red lines over Taiwan

  Both leaders reiterated each country’s so-called “red lines” on the issue of Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan, although Biden also sought to calm global fears of an imminent Chinese military incursion onto the island.

  Beijing is still furious over U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei earlier this year, which China responded to at the time by flying jets over the Taiwan Straits in what it claimed were last-minute military exercises. China also later sanctioned Pelosi personally.

  In Bali on Monday, Biden said there had been no change to U.S. policy toward Taiwan. “I made it clear that we want to see cross-strait issues peacefully resolved, and so it never has to come to that. I’m convinced [Xi] understood everything I was saying.”

  A warning on North Korea

  North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and its recent flurry of ballistic missile tests also came up during the talks.

  China continues to exert more influence over the rogue state than any other nation, but Biden said it wasn’t clear how far that influence extends into North Korea’s military testing regimen.

  “It’s difficult to say that I am certain that China can control North Korea,” Biden said. “I’ve made it clear to President Xi Jinping that I thought [China] had an obligation to attempt to make it clear to North Korea that they should not engage in tests.”

  Notably, Biden also said that if China fails to persuade North Korea to halt the barrage of tests, then the United States will have no choice but to “take certain actions that would be more defensive” in order to safeguard allies South Korea and Japan.

  Biden told the reporters in Bali that he sought to reassure Xi that these actions “would not be directed against China, but it would be to send a clear message to North Korea.”

  Still, the subtext was clear: If China cannot rein in North Korea’s aggression, Beijing can expect to see the United States shift more military assets to the Western Pacific and maintain an even greater presence in China’s maritime backyard.

  Russia and Ukraine

  Biden said the two leaders also discussed Russia’s faltering invasion of Ukraine, a sensitive subject given that China has become Russia’s economic lifeline in the wake of sanctions that cut off Moscow’s trade relations with most of the world’s major democracies, including the United States and EU member states.

  Washington has been adamant that Beijing refrain from selling weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, something China has largely avoided doing.

  “We reaffirmed our shared belief that the threat or the use of nuclear weapons is totally unacceptable,” Biden said at a brief press conference after the meeting.

  Putin has repeatedly suggested that Russia’s use of a nuclear weapon in Ukraine would be within its rights, the first time in 70 years that a nuclear power has seriously threatened deploying an atomic weapon to augment conventional warfare.

  The unexpectedly strong performance of Biden’s fellow Democrats in last week’s U.S. midterm elections had strengthened his hand going into the summit, Biden said.

  “I think the election held in the United States ... has sent a very strong message around the world that the United States is ready to play,” said Biden. “The United States is — the Republicans who survived along with the Democrats are — of the view that we’re going to stay fully engaged in the world and that we, in fact, know what we’re about.”

  Following Monday’s summit, Biden will spend the next two days in Bali meeting with G-20 world leaders, where Russia’s war on Ukraine is expected to dominate the conversation.

  (CNBC)