Apr 13 (FT) Former President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday said the SLFP did not want to have any dealings with the Rajapaksas, and recollected that he was the first person to have broken ties with them. “We will not have any dealings with this Govt. We will not send them any more letters or have anything to do with them. All our meetings and discussions with the Govt are over,” Sirisena said while addressing the SLFP’s Colombo District members. more..

Apr 13 (Reuters) India is willing to commit up to another $2 billion in financial assistance to Sri Lanka while also supporting the island nation with food and fuel, five sources said, as New Delhi tries to regain ground lost to China in recent years. Sri Lanka, hit by its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948 and on the brink of its first debt default, has been asking friendly nations including India and China for credit lines, food and energy. more..

Apr 13 (CT) President of Association of Health Professionals (AHP) Ravi Kumudesh said, the system of operations within the health services has to be restructured urgently to suit the needs of patients. He said, an emergency situation should be declared within the health service and that the decision-making process has to be strengthened to suit the needs of the day. Kumudesh says that having declared an emergency situation, the support of all stakeholders should be enlisted to more..

Apr 13 (CT) General Secretary of the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union, Vadivel Suresh, said the 20th Amendment should be repealed immediately and the 19th Amendment should be reintroduced with amendments. He said, the President has been given a great deal of power. Furthermore, he believes that the 21st Amendment should be tabled in Parliament. “I am opposed to the idea of setting up an Interim Govt, because it is like handing over the country to foxes,” Suresh said. more..

Apr 13 (AD) The dawn of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year is celebrated in Sri Lanka tomorrow (14). The New Year which is known as Aluth Avurudha in Sinhala, and Puththandu in Tamil is celebrated by both communities through various rituals and customs. As per the traditional astrological belief, the sun completes its movement across the twelve segments of the Zodiac in the course of a year taking one month to travel each constellation. more..

Apr 13 (NR) The SLFP says the govt is acting with utmost patience at present. MP SB Dissanayake said the Prez, PM and the govt are exercising utmost patience during these times. He said the govt understands the struggles of the youth out on the street and is attempting to provide solutions to all issues and direct the country towards new beginnings. MP Dissanayake said the Governor of the CB and the Minister of Finance will have to make some tough decisions in the days ahead. more..

Apr 13 (DH) Visitors to one of the many homes of the embattled President of SL, Gotabaya Rajapaksa — now facing a wave of street protests over a crippling economic meltdown — almost always stop to admire an unusual aquarium in the living room. Not only is it on the floor, covered with a sheet of glass, the fish in the water body isn’t your usual garden variety goldfish, but a school of man-eating piranhas! Prez’s choice of pet fish — straight from James Bond villain Blofeld’s playbook more..

Apr 15 (CT) Every second you protest on the streets, said PM Rajapaksa in his televised address, our country loses opportunities to receive potential dollars. It was an address which followed soon after a clash between pro and anti-govt demonstrators in Chilaw, a worrying phenomenon that had disrupted an otherwise spontaneous and peaceful mass movement spreading island wide. The Galle Face Green is slowly turning into Colombo’s Tahrir Square, where the demonstrators vowed to more..

Apr 15 (CT) Limini, you must be comfortable and cushy in the destination that you, your son and your parents have allegedly run away to. Karma is a bitch, right? You used to be escorted around SL, with your wannabe President husband, Namal Rajapaksa – walking in to Ministries and presiding on events that you had no business in. Where he had no business in. You used to be escorted by the presidential security touring with your mother-in-law where people twice your age would worship more..

Apr 15 (FT) Parliament should represent the will of the people, says State Minister Vidura Wickramanayaka, commenting on the on-going economic and political crisis in the country. In the backdrop of the current evolving situation in the country, speaking on the attacks on his house, when it was empty and devoid of either barricades or security, he continues to stand by his decision not to resort to (either barricades or security). more..

Apr 15 (GV) Many people in the international community are now waking up to the realization that SL is experiencing an unprecedented phenomenon. And unfortunately, due to the media’s predilection for sensational news, the peaceful protests that began in the country two weeks ago are often being misrepresented in terms of violence both in words and images. Incendiary phrases such as police clash with protestors and images of individuals brandishing flaming torches evoke political more..

Apr 15 (AD) Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in Northern, North-central, Eastern, Central and Uva provinces during the evening or night, Department of Meteorology says. A few showers may occur in Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts. The general public is advised to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers. more..

Apr 15 (AD) SL’s Catholic Church questioned as to how those named as respondents by the Prez Commission, with regard to the failure to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks, are acquitted and released if investigators and Attorney General’s Dept are truly committed to enforcing the law regarding the attacks. These views were expressed today by Reverend Father Cyril Gamini Fernando, in response to the comments more..

Apr 15 (ST) Just as the economic crisis snowballed into a political crisis with a people’s uprising against Prez Rajapaksa and the govt, the trio rushed to the gate hearing the familiar sounds of Aldoris, the choon-paan karaya’s tuk-tuk as he came down the lane. “Monawada wenne, monawada wenne (What’s happening; what’s happening),” they asked in unison, as Aldoris prepared to dish out his breakfast food. “Monawada. Ara virodhatha genada katha-karanne (What? You mean the protests),” more..

Apr 15 (EAF) Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) was modified to allow suspects to challenge their detention in court and to expedite hearings to reduce the length of pre-trial detention periods. Rights groups allege that the law has been used over the past four decades to arbitrarily arrest and detain individuals for years without due process and to extract confessions through torture. SL authorities have denied these claims. First enacted in 1979, successive administrations dominated by more..

Apr 15 (AD) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, a festival that teaches the lesson of fertility, dawns this year trapping citizens even in the dilemma of whether it is possible to cook a clean meal. In his message on the occasion of the New Year, the SJB leader said the whole country has been plunged into a serious economic and political crisis and the normal living standards of people in the country have been extraordinarily challenged. more..

Apr 15 (EN) Fitch Ratings has downgraded a Us$175 million bond of state-run SriLankan Airlines to ‘C’ from ‘CC’ following a sovereign grade of the SL govt after it announced a suspension of foreign debt payments. The 7% bond issued by SriLankan matures in 2024 and carries a govt guarantee. “Fitch has rated SLA’s US dollar bonds at the same level as the sovereign due to the unconditional and irrevocable guarantee provided by the govt,” the rating agency sid. more..

Apr 15 (DM) A health emergency has been declared by several health unions and stakeholders in the health sector due to the shortage of a list of over 200 essential drugs and devices which are either out of stock or are close to being out of stock. However the Health Ministry as well as the State Ministry of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals has been silent over the looming crisis which will affect a majority of more..

Apr 15 (TM) A few days ago, I read in the papers that Sri Lanka opened another airport, the Colombo International Airport Ratmalana (CIAR), on 27 March. There was a photograph too – the arrival of the first plane, a Maldivian Airline Dash-8, twin turboprop 50 seater that flew from the Velana International Airport in Hulhule, North Male Atoll, to Ratmalana. The aeroplane was welcomed with arches of water-cannon salutes created by the fire engines of the airport fire brigade. more..

Apr 15 (Island) Any governmental anticipation that the ongoing mass protests will fizzle out with the onset of the monsoon rains and the forthcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year seems unlikely to be realised. The heavy and continuous rains did not deter the tens of thousands of people protesting against the govt in Colombo near the Prez Secretariat and also elsewhere in the country where smaller protests are continuously taking place. The protestors are standing their ground and more..

Apr 15 (EN) SriLankan Airlines said it has requested proposals to lease-up 21 aircraft aiming to increase its fleet from the current 24 to 35 aircraft by 2025 while replacing equipment with expiring leases. “SriLankan is planning for measured growth in the next 3 years through frequency increases and the addition of new destinations as international travel is in a trajectory of recovery from the pandemic,” airline said. more..

Apr 15 (AD) Prez Rajapaksa says the current economic and global crises have become the biggest challenge faced by Sri Lankans in our recent history. “We should overcome this challenge with unity and better understanding. The difficulties you experienced in the face of the challenge are many,” he said in his New Year message. He said the govt is taking measures to secure the normal life of the people from the current complex situation by properly understanding these challenges. more..

Apr 15 (SLN) A special operation conducted by SL Navy in seas off the Delft Island, Jaffna on the night of 13th April) led to the apprehension of 03 suspects with Kerala cannabis weighing about 150kg (wet weight) and a dinghy used for this smuggling attempt. Northern Naval Command together with North Central Naval Command of SL Navy has been conducting regular operations to prevent smuggling of drugs and other forms of illegal activities in island waters. more..

Apr 15 (TN) Pakistan team recorded victories in the Junior Asia/Oceania Davis Cup 2022 when they defeated SL in the mega event being played in New Delhi, India. Pakistani boys overpowered their SL counterparts 2-1. In the first match, Hamid Israr played well against the Sri Lankan opponent and outclassed him by 6-0, 6-1. Muhammad Huzaifa Khan then lost to Sri Lanka No 1 by 4-6, 5-7. The guy was quite steady but Huzaifa made too many unforced errors. more..

Apr 15 (TM) Our current economic meltdown could have been predicted by a 2nd-year u'graduate in economics. But most laypeople, even the best educated, cannot understand how we got into this mess. As for those who ran our economy over most of the last two decades, they seem to have understood it the least. It is really very simple. If you borrow money, you must make sure that you spend it on doing something that will earn enough for you to pay it back when it becomes due. more..

Apr 15 (CI) SL Women are finally set to play their first big series - apart from qualifier tournaments - since the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia when they tour Pakistan for three T20Is and as many ODIs in May-June this year. The Commonwealth Games Qualifiers earlier this year, which they won, is the only series SL have played since the pandemic began after their tour of Pakistan late last year hit a stumbling block more..

Apr 15 (DM) Veteran actor and comedian Bandu Samarasinghe has been appointed as SL’s Consular General in Milan, Italy, sources said. Samarasinghe will take over the post in Milan following the death of musician Neela Wickremasinghe who passed away earlier this year while serving in the post. Samarasinghe is one of SL's most popular comedians in Sinhala cinema and does not have any previous experience in foreign service. Some of his movies in which he played the role of more..

Apr 15 (TM) The SJB, as previously decided, would be moving a no-confidence against Prez Rajapaksa’s govt if it fails to provide immediate relief to the people who have been adversely impacted by the economic crisis. Speaking to SJB MP Kabir Hashim today (14), it is confirmed that it will not be an impeachment against the Prez, but only a no-confidence motion. “The no-confidence motion will be moved on the 1st sitting when parliament starts next week, as previously decided. more..

Apr 15 (LT) “Let us make the New Year an omen of a transition to a new political culture!” No one can dispute that the New Year, the cultural festival traditionally celebrated by the Sinhala and Tamil people, is approaching this year 2022, not in a socio-economic and political environment that can be celebrated in such a festive manner. Mere wishes for the coming New Year will not be enough as the whole society is in dire straits, and the vast majority of the people are camping out to oust more..

Apr 15 (AD) In his message to mark the dawn of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa said the govt is already putting into action the future plans needed to avoid the hardships people had to face unexpectedly in challenging times. “Despite the difficult times that exist, we must all work together, as one nation, in harmony,” the PM said. PM’s message: “It is with great pleasure that we greet the dawn of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, a proud legacy of Sri Lankans. more..

Apr 15 (AD) SL needs between $3 billion to $4 billion this year to pull itself out of an unprecedented economic crisis and plans to start talks with the IMF for help, Finance Minister Ali Sabry said. The nation is looking at making a decent case before the IMF to help preserve the economy, he said in an interview. Sabry said talks are scheduled to begin in Washington on April 18 and he expects emergency relief funds. more..

Apr 15 (AD) SL is expected to receive 8,500 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum (LP) gas in the near future, with production set to recommence from April 18, Litro Gas said. The gas supplier states steps are currently being taken through the intervention of the govt to secure the US dollars required for the import of gas, which has been funding under the USD 10 million emergency funding from the World Bank. Litro said that SL is expected to receive a stock of 8,500 metric tonnes of LP gas more..

Apr 15 (DM) SLPP Pradeshiya Sabha member Duminda Perera was arrested for allegedly assaulting Kelaniya university students while attempting to demolish a stage set up by a group of students during a protest in Kiribathgoda was today ordered to be remanded till April 22 by Mahara Magistrate's Court. The suspect was arrested by the Kiribathgoda following a complaint that he had stormed a peaceful protest organized by a group of students of the Kelaniya Uni Students’ Union. more..

Apr 15 (DM) The Police officer who got vocal today at the public protest at Galle Face Green, over the ongoing crisis, has been taken in for questioning by the Police Special Investigations Unit. Police officer who is a sergeant attached to the Kuttigala Police Station and was joined at the Galle Face agitation site, now re-named by protestors as Gota Go Gama, went vocal over the ongoing issues in the country and appealed to other police officers and triforce personnel not to defend those at fault. more..

Apr 15 (DM) Uganda’s financial industry risks being blacklisted by int'l systems for failure to put in place measures that can effectively prevent financial crimes like money laundering. This is a requirement by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global inter-governmental organization on the initiative of the G7countries to develop policies to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. Uganda was put on the Grey List, a list that shows the performance of countries more..