July 21, World (LNW): Cybersecurity experts and agencies worldwide are alerting the public about a surge in opportunistic hacking attempts linked to a recent IT outage.

While there is no evidence that the outage at CrowdStrike was caused by malicious activity, some cybercriminals are attempting to exploit the situation.

Cyber agencies in the UK and Australia have issued warnings to be wary of fake emails, calls, and websites posing as official entities.

George Kurtz, head of CrowdStrike, advised users to ensure they are interacting with verified company representatives before downloading any fixes.

“We know that adversaries will try to exploit events like this,” Kurtz wrote in a blog post. “Our blog and technical support will remain the official channels for updates.”

Cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt, who operates the Have I Been Pwned security website, echoed Kurtz’s sentiments, stating that incidents like this are a boon for scammers.

Responding to a warning from the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), Hunt noted that hackers are sending out bogus software fixes purporting to be from CrowdStrike.

“Alert! We are aware of several malicious websites and unofficial code claiming to assist with recovery,” read the ASD notice, urging IT responders to rely solely on CrowdStrike’s official website for information and assistance.

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) also urged vigilance against suspicious emails or calls pretending to be from CrowdStrike or Microsoft, noting an increase in phishing attempts referencing the outage.

Whenever there is a significant news event, particularly in the tech sector, hackers often adapt their methods to exploit public fear and uncertainty. This was evident during the Covid-19 pandemic when phishing emails offered virus information or antidotes to trick individuals and organisations.

Due to the widespread coverage of the IT outage, hackers are taking advantage. Researchers at Secureworks have observed a notable rise in CrowdStrike-themed domain registrations, indicating that cybercriminals are setting up fraudulent websites to deceive IT managers and the public into downloading malicious software or divulging private information.

The primary advice is directed at IT managers working to restore their organisations online, but individuals are also advised to be cautious and only rely on information from official CrowdStrike channels.

July 21, Colombo (LNW): The Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries has launched an initiative to cultivate green gram in Ipanella immediately following the 2024 Yala season harvest.

Under this scheme, farmers will receive 25 kilograms of green gram seeds per hectare at no cost.

The Ministry will allocate Rs. 25,000 per farmer for this purpose.

The plan includes cultivating 63,750 acres of green gram during this intermediate season.

This breaks down into 40,000 acres of irrigated land, 16,250 acres under the Mahaweli scheme, and 7,500 acres across inter-provincial areas.

Currently, the annual demand for green gram in Sri Lanka stands at 20,000 metric tons.

Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera expressed confidence that this initiative will help the country achieve self-sufficiency in green gram this year.

At present, domestic production meets approximately 15,000 metric tons of the annual requirement, with an additional 5,000 metric tons imported.

Amaraweera also directed the Ministry Secretary, Janaka Dharmakeerthi, to secure necessary funding through the Farmers’ Trust Fund to support the expansion of green gram cultivation in Ipanella during this intermediate season.

The Department of Agriculture has identified Hambantota, Monaragala, and Ampara districts as having the highest potential for green gram cultivation.

Although green gram can be grown in other districts, these areas are particularly well-suited for Ipanella cultivation.

July 21, Colombo (LNW): The Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) has apprehended 16 individuals, including a woman, for their alleged involvement in organised criminal activities.

Police reports indicate that the CCD initially detained a 24-year-old woman in Colombo 15 on suspicions of underworld connections.

Following this, 15 additional suspects were arrested for allegedly aiding her in these criminal endeavours.

These arrests are part of the ‘Yukthiya’ operation, launched on 19th March 2024, to combat the increasing incidents of organised crime in the Western and Southern Provinces.

Since the operation began, a total of 2,398 individuals have been detained as of 20th July.

This includes both those directly engaged in organised crime and those suspected of supporting such activities.

Further investigations into the detained suspects are being conducted by the CCD, Matara Division Crimes Division, and Western Province (North) Crimes Division, according to police sources.

July 21, Colombo (LNW): A rare astronomical event, the Lunar Occultation of Saturn, will be visible in Sri Lanka just after midnight on 24th July 2024.

The Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies has announced that the event will commence at approximately 00:50 a.m. on 25th July 2024, and can be seen with the naked eye by observing the Moon from around 00:40 a.m.

For a clearer view of Saturn’s disappearance and reappearance, the Institute recommends using a telescope or binoculars.

In an occultation, one celestial body passes in front of another, blocking it from view. This event occurs when the Moon moves in front of Saturn, obscuring it from view on Earth.

The Moon will hide Saturn for about one hour and twenty minutes, and this phenomenon will only be visible from specific regions on Earth. In Sri Lanka, the visibility time and duration will slightly vary by location.

The next Lunar Occultation of Saturn visible from Sri Lanka will occur on 24th April 2037.

July 21, Colombo (LNW): The government is effectively managing the budget deficit independently, following the implementation of a new Central Bank Act, Finance State Minister Shehan Semasinghe said.

In a post on ‘X’, Semasinghe revealed that during the first six months of 2024, the government repaid Rs 129 billion more than it borrowed through treasury bonds and bills.

Specifically, the government borrowed Rs 4,852 billion through these instruments but repaid Rs 4,981 billion by rolling them over.

He emphasised the importance of highlighting net borrowing rather than gross borrowing.

Semasinghe also pointed out that prior to overcoming the economic crisis, the government heavily depended on central bank financing, resulting in an inflation rate that soared to 70 per cent.

However, with the new Central Bank Act in place, the government has now taken full control of managing the budget deficit.

July 21, Colombo (LNW): The upcoming Presidential Election in Sri Lanka is expected to cost Rs. 10 billion, R.M.A.L. Ratnayake, Chairman of the Election Commission disclosed.

A significant portion of this expense, approximately Rs. 8 billion, is allocated for printing, including ballot papers.

Ratnayake noted that the cost of printing has quadrupled since 2019, attributing the increase to the rising prices of goods and services.

For the first time, the Presidential Election will be conducted under the Election Expenditure Regulation Act No. 3 of 2023, which was enacted to ensure the true will of the people is reflected without bribery, coercion, or voter intimidation.

This law, which has been in effect since 24 January 2023, sets a cap on the maximum amount that political parties and candidates can spend on their campaigns.

Following the receipt of nominations, political party secretaries will be consulted to determine the allowable campaign expenditure for each candidate.

All candidates are required to submit detailed expenditure reports to the Election Commission within 21 days after the election concludes.

Ratnayake also mentioned that the public can report any violations of the expenditure limits, and the police have been authorised to investigate such complaints and take legal action through the Attorney General’s office.

Additionally, measures will be taken to monitor and regulate candidates’ self-promotion on social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube during this year’s Presidential Election.

July 21, Colombo (LNW): President Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared the necessity of replacing the temporarily suspended Parate law with a new bill addressing bankrupt enterprises.

In his announcement, President Wickremesinghe proposed a bill that includes provisions for restructuring loans taken by Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Additionally, a new institution called “Enterprise Sri Lanka” will be established to support and assist MSME entrepreneurs.

The President emphasised the government’s dedication to encouraging and empowering these business owners in Sri Lanka.

President Wickremesinghe made these remarks at the “Critical Initiative to Revitalise Sri Lanka’s Micro, Small, and Medium-Scale Economy” event, organised by the Ceylon Federation of MSME, at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo.

A copy of the newly drafted bill can be provided to the Ceylon Federation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. The President invited MSMEs to submit their views and suggestions on the bill.

Furthermore, he mentioned the possibility of arranging a discussion with the International Monetary Fund delegation visiting Sri Lanka at the end of this month to address the issues faced by MSMEs.

During the event, the President of the Sri Lanka Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Federation, Mrs Sashika De Silva, presented a special commemorative gift to President Wickremesinghe.

President Wickremesinghe elaborated on the economic challenges the country faced, the steps taken to stabilise the economy, and the measures to support small and medium enterprises.

He outlined the removal of subsidies and the increase in VAT as part of the strategy to manage the country’s economy with its own resources.

He highlighted the introduction of the ‘Aswesuma’ programme, which provides benefits to 2.4 million low-income earners, and the ‘Urumaya’ programme, aimed at granting land rights to 2 million people.

The President also announced the establishment of a National Bank for Development and emphasised the importance of boosting exports.

He encouraged MSMEs to review the new bill and discuss their needs and concerns with the government and the IMF representatives.

The event was attended by former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, President’s Senior Advisor Neranjan Dev Adhitya, Secretary of the Ministry of Industries Shantha Weerasinghe, Industrial Development Board Chairman Dr Saranga Alahapperuma, President Counsel Ronald C. Perera, as well as chairmen and representatives of public and private banks, and officials from the Ceylon Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Federation.

July 21, Colombo (LNW): Asanka Abeygunasekara, the former Director General of the Institute of National Strategic Studies of Sri Lanka (INSSSL), has been taken into custody by the police.

Abeygunasekara, who had an outstanding open warrant issued by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), was apprehended at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake this morning (21), according to police reports.

July 21, Colombo (LNW): A few showers may occur in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle and Matara districts, but mainly fair weather will prevail elsewhere of the island, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather forecast today (21).

Strong winds of about (50-55) kmph can be expected at times over Western slopes of the central hills and in Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Trincomalee, Monaragala and Hambantota districts.

Fairly strong winds about (30-40) kmph can be expected at times elsewhere of the island.

Marine Weather: