Sri Lanka seeks one lakh tonnes of rice from India

The recent rains not only smashed Indian farm land but also in Sri Lanka, where the unexpected rains have ransacked the entire food grain fields.

Sri Lankan government has sought one lakh tonnes of rice from India to meet the requirements and controlling the inflation.

Recently, Indian government has imposed restrictions on exports of non basmati rice, thus may become a hurdle in exporting of foodgrain that Sri Lanka demands.

India, confronted with one of the highest rates of inflation, wants to ensure adequate supplies of essential commodities including non-basmati rice and has raised its minimum export price of non-basmati rice to 1000 dollars a tonne from 650 dollars a tonne.

Meanwhile Lankan importers urged the country's President Mahinda Rajapaksa to ask New Delhi to ease the restrictions for importing rice from India.

Read more,
http://www.commodityonline.com/news/

Lankan boat intercepted

Indian Navy on Monday intercepted a Sri Lankan boat and arrested two persons off Uchipuli coast. The boat was seized after being alerted by a naval patrol helicopter, police said.

Two persons identified as Anran (40) and Valentine (29) were taken into custody.

The boatmen were arrested when they were returning after dropping off a woman from Trincomallee and her three children at Arichalmunai. The woman, Nakuleswari, had paid Rs 50000 to the boatmen for ferrying them.

Police said Nakuleswari had come in search of her husband Srikandan, who had left the family in Sri Lanka and fled to India earlier.

Extracted from,
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200803311441.htm

SLAF raids LTTE 'runway' in Mullaittivu

SLAF fighter jets made two air sorties today (March 31) at 9.45a.m., and 10.30a.m, respectively at an LTTE 'runway' located 10km West of Mullaittivu town.

According to Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander Andrew Wijesooriya, pilots confirmed to have taken the target successfully.

Extracted from,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080331_02

A clear message on rights, says Colombo

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has said the Constitution and the Supreme Court rulings give “adequate recognition to the provisions contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

In a ruling made on the basis of the opinion sought by President Rajapaksa, the apex court held that the citizens could derive the “benefit guaranteed by the Covenant.”

It is immediately not clear what prompted the President to seek the court’s opinion. A few months ago, the apex court in another case observed that the United Nations and other international conventions were not binding on the country unless ratified by Parliament.

Read more,
http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/31/stories/2008033155771600.htm

Chandrika and Ranil try to stop aid says President

In an obvious reference to former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and United National Party leader Ranil Wickramasinghe President Mahinda Rajapaksa said they are conspiring to stop foreign aid to Sri Lanka in a way injurious to the common masses of the country to spite him.

Addressing the 18th Annual Convention of the ruling Sri lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) President Mahinda Rajapaksa accused not only the United National Party leadership but some past leaders of his own party of conspiring to stop foreign aid to the country to spite him in an obvious reference to former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

He said certain leaders have tried to stop the GSP plus concessions granted by the European Union on purported charges of violation of human rights in the country by secretly conspiring against the people.

Before the President leveled these accusations Prof. G.L. Peiris, Minister of Export Development and International Trade has admitted that the government was in the know that former President Chandrika Kumaratunga has had talks with some European Union leaders.

Read more,
http://www.sinhalaya.com/news/english/wmview.php?ArtID=15052