Apr 26 (TM) For most of us, life in Sri Lanka is gradually becoming a game of survival. Instead of building a better future, the people are coming to terms with the uncomfortable fact that surviving today is the best practical solution, if not the only solution. People are trying to find ways to earn more money, buy more assets, and reduce living expenses, which in some cases has even resulted in activities such as hoarding essentials and more..

Apr 26 (DN) Former Isipathana and present Kandy Sports Club utility player Srinath Sooriyabandara is tipped to lead a probable 20 member SL national Sevens rugby squad for the upcoming Commonwealth and Asian Games Sevens Rugby tournament, which will take place in Birmingham, England (from July 28) and China (from Sept 25). The good news for the Tuskers is the welcome return of Kandy captain along with their centre and former national sevens player Nigel Ratwatte more..

Apr 26 (ST) Now where have we heard such soothing words before? Never mind. Just turn over the pages of our history and they will recur with such regularity that they have lost all sense and sensibility. It did not take long after police shooting at Rambukkana that killed one protester and injured several others and some policemen, for the ruling Rajapaksa govt and officials serving it, to utter those words that the people have heard so often they are now cliches and of little consequence. more..

Apr 26 (FT) US Ambassador Julie Chung yesterday undertook her first visit to Jaffna to find out firsthand progress in socio-economic spheres in the Northern province. “Today I visited Jaffna’s historic Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil - an important reminder of the religious diversity that makes SL so special,” Chung said in a tweet. “The US is committed to religious freedom and an inclusive and prosperous SL,” her tweet added. She also met Northern province Governor Jeevan Thiyagaraja and more..

Apr 26 (AD) SL’s Yupun Abeykoon has set a new Asian record in the 150 meters men’s event at an athletic meet held in Italy. The sprinter clocked a time of 15.16 seconds to finish first place in the race and in the process surpassed the existing Asian record in the event. The previous record of 15.35 seconds had been set by Japan’s Yoshihide Kiryu in 2017. Abeykoon set the new record during yesterday’s race in the Perseo Trophy, which was held at Stadio Raul Guidobaldi in Rieti, Italy. more..

Apr 26 (CT) Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) has forwarded names of 8 athletes for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games and 21 for the Asian Games for approval to the National Selection Committee, following the conclusion of the 100th National Athletics Championship recently, which was the final trials for the two Games. SLA had announced earlier they are mainly targeting the Asian Games, and therefore not selecting any relay team for more..

Apr 26 (Island) Steeplechaser Nilani Ratnayake has improved on her Road to Oregon 2022 rankings following her record breaking feat at the centenary National Athletics C'ships which concluded last week. Ratnayaka has climbed up to the 29th quota place position in the World Athletics Road to Oregon 2022 rankings which determines the participants for the track and field’s prestigious world event which is second only to the Olympics. The athlete trained by Sajith Jayalal clocked 9:40.24 seconds more..

Apr 26 (DM) The poverty rate in SL will witness further increase in 2022, as the country’s economic crisis worsens. World Bank (WB) in its Spring Update said that the poverty rate in SL would increase to 11.7% in 2022, compared to 10% in 2019. The increase in poverty rates is expected amid import compression and investor uncertainty, due to high debt levels. Due to the Covid-19, the economy contracted by 3.6% in 2020, raising the US $ 3.20 poverty rate to an estimated 11.7%. more..

Apr 26 (ST) International airlines, including Emirates, have drastically pruned flights to Colombo while cargo carriers this week turned down point blank a proposal by the SL Logistics and Freight Forwarders’ Association to consider taking rupee payments as the dollar crisis worsens. Emirates has reduced its daily flights from four to two and Air Arabia has cut its flights from 7 a week to 4. Turkish Airlines and Fly Dubai no longer offer a booking inventory, more..

Apr 26 (Hindu) With no signs of the SL economic crisis coming to an end, daily-wage earners have started leaving the island nation for India through illegal means. Early on Monday morning, another batch of 15 persons from five families from Jaffna district reached Neduntheevu. A few others were dropped by boat near Kothandaramar temple on Rettai Thazhai shore, from where they trekked to Arichalmunai. In the last one month, about 60 people, including women and children, more..

Apr 26 (DM) The Railway Trade Union Alliance (RTUA) today decided to indulge in a 24-hour trade union action on Wednesday, February 27, midnight in solidarity to the people's struggle. Accordingly, the trade union action will start on April 27 midnight and end on April 28 midnight. They said the decision to engage in the trade union action was made by the Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC) considering the current issues that have emerged due to the economic woes. more..

Apr 26 (Island) Lankan authorities are looking at promoting in SL, South Indian investments in sectors, such as, trade, tourism, education and South Indian culture. But currently SL is only famous for casinos and other forms of entertainment among Indian tourists, SL’s Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai Dr. D. Venkateshwaran said. ”We are now looking at promoting and attracting South Indian industrialists to Sri Lanka in different investment areas, including automobile accessories, more..

Apr 26 (DN) All stakeholders in the electricity industry should be equal and it is the duty of the Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL) to make sure that equality is well practiced, energy expert Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya said. “Keeping the CEB as a loss making organization continuously for 12 years will not contribute to the degree of confidence that we want to inculcate to get the private sector to invest on renewable energy sources”, Dr. Siyambalapitiya told a panel discussion on more..

Apr 26 (AFP) Pope Francis urged SL authorities on Monday to reveal who was behind the country's 2019 Easter bombings in an attack the island's Catholics suspect was a plot to propel Prez Rajapaksa to power. While meeting with a delegation of over 60 victims of the Easter Sunday attacks on three churches and three hotels that killed 279 people, Francis asked Rajapaksa's administration to reveal the truth. more..

Apr 26 (EN) Standard and Poor’s, a rating agency said it had cut Sri Lanka’s sovereign rating to selective default a bond coupon payment was missed on US$ 1.25 billon of sovereign bonds. Individual securities were downgraded to default of D, the rating agency said. Sri Lanka has 30 days to make payment on the coupon which fell due on April 18. “We do not expect the govt to make the coupon payments within 30 calendar days after their due dates,” Standard and Poor’s said. more..

Apr 26 (FT) Former Minister Udaya Gammanpila said yesterday that the 39-member independent group of MPs would back the no-confidence motion that the main Opposition SJB has initiated against the Govt, and claimed there are 120 MPs who would support it. Gammanpila said that the NCM could be handed over to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena next week if the Govt led by PM Rajapaksa does not step down this week. “We are giving PM & Govt one week to step down or more..

Apr 26 (TM) Prez Rajapaksa has informed the Mahanayakes of 3 main Buddhist Sects in the country that he is willing to move forward with an interim govt. “On a number of previous occasions, the Chief Prelates of the three Sects wrote to the Prez and the Govt about the crisis in the country and our proposals on how to move forward with it. In his response to us, the Prez has informed us that he is willing to consider an interim rule,” more..

Apr 26 (Island) Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila yesterday (25) claimed that the ruling SLPP government parliamentary group no longer had a simple majority in Parliament. Gammanpila said that 120 lawmakers, representing both the govt and the Opposition, had taken a stand, contrary to that of the SLPP. Former Energy Minister Gammanpila said that at the onset of the crisis, the main Opposition SJB had sought to move a no-faith motion against the govt. more..

Apr 26 (Reuters) SL must tighten monetary policy, raise tax and adopt flexible exchange rates to address its debt crisis, a senior IMF official said on Tuesday. The country of 22 million people has requested loans from the IMF as it struggles to pay for imports amid crushing debt and a sharp drop in foreign exchange reserves that has fueled soaring inflation. "We've had very good, fruitful, technical discussions on preparations for the negotiations with authorities over the past weekend and more..

Apr 26 (EN) SL’s main opposition and breakaway groups claimed a majority in parliament and threatened to bring a no confidence motion against PM Rajapaksa unless he resigned in favour of an interim all party govt. SJB which was earlier not keen on an interim administration. “I am happy to say that about 120 members from the opposition, indpt. groups as well as some inside govt have agreed to support no-confidence motion” more..

Apr 26 (FT) My friend Daniel Alphonsus (previously at the Finance Ministry) listed the seven main themes of IMF intervention in Sri Lanka. He said the themes of this final program need not be very different from the past six extended programs. But their sequencing needs to reverse. Daniel listed the broad things that the IMF does, and I treat it as a useful summary, not official. Daniel’s article has his own argument and you should read it, but I’ll only address these seven points here: more..

Apr 26 (FT) In our attempt to introduce a system change, one of the vital aspects to be ensured is that ministers of whatever rank, discharge their constitutional obligations with a serious sense of responsibility, granting primacy to national interest above all else. Based on my long years in the Public Service as well as the experience of other Public Officers who have struggled to uphold their commitment to render a service with integrity, it’s clear that there are sacred principles of more..

Apr 26 (DM) The delay in bringing the no-confidence motion against the govt could be a deal between the SJB and the govt, Former Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara alleged today. He told a news conference that several weeks have elapsed since the SJB was preparing to hand over the no-confidence motion and they lacked the enthusiasm to do it now. "We doubt if the SJB has struck a deal with Basil Rajapaksa. I sense some secrecy behind the delay in moving the no-confidence more..

Apr 26 (AD) Election Commission says a specific, interim plan of action should be implemented by a Cabinet of Ministers representing all political parties in the parliament or a similar structure in order to resolve the current economic situation the country is facing. In a media release issued today, the election body noted that the time has come to work concertedly to rebuild the country. Presenting an 8-point proposal to be implemented in a timely manner to overcome the present crisis situation, more..

Apr 26 (EN) Value of SL’s top listed companies have fallen sharply as the stock market plunged this week after the market opened following a two week break amid concerns over a 7% rate hike, the country suspending repayment of foreign debts, and sovereign credit rating downgrade weighed on investor sentiment. The trading ending a few minutes in the both days. The sharp fall saw the erosion of 599 billion market cap in 2 days, more..

Apr 26 (Island) Chandrika Soysa (SLFP), Kanthi Kodikara (SLPP), Renuka Senarathne (UNP), Shiromi Cooray (SJB) and Savithri Gunasekera (MEP) were appointed coordinators of the Colombo District Women Councilors’ Caucus formed on Sunday. All 132 female Councilors elected to the 12 Municipal, Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas in the Colombo District had been invited. Those present were given the opportunity to discuss among themselves and nominate more..

Apr 26 (EN) Cabinet has agreed to amend the Petroleum Products Act making provisions to issue licenses to properly identified parties to import fuel, a cabinet spokesman said on Tuesday, to tackle the ongoing crisis due to forex shortage in the country. SL’s state-owned CPC is the sole importer of fuel and distributor to all other sectors at the moment. However, the CPC failed to import adequate fuel in the face of a severe dollar shortage despite a 500 million dollar fuel credit from India. more..

Apr 26 (FT) Prices of essential commodities such as cement, laundry and body soap has increased sharply, with the cost of living has soared to unbearable levels at present. The price of a 50 kg bag of cement has increased by Rs. 400 from today, whilst the price laundry and body soap has gone up by Rs. 75 and over Rs.100. As per the cement manufacturers and importers the new price of a 50 kg cement bag is Rs. 2,750. more..

Apr 26 (EN) Sri Lanka’s commercial banks quoted the rupee at 331/348 for telegraphic transfers on April 28, rising from the previous day, while the secondary market remained mostly inactive, market participants said. The central bank’s indicative spot was quoted at 340.46 rupees against the US dollar on Tuesday. Central bank’s telegraphic transfer rates for Tuesday was 333.88/346.5 against the US dollar up from 330.00/342.5 against the US dollar on the previous say. more..

Apr 26 (Island) Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) could have added 300MW of cheap hydro power by 2022 if it had not blocked the hydro projects development in 2016, a renewable energy expert said on condition of anonymity yesterday. He said that the CEB was now talking about daily losses of Rs. 500 million and pushing for a tariff hike. “Hydo power is cheap and if those projects had been implemented, they would have lessened our dependence on costly thermal power generation.” more..

Apr 26 (TM) U.S. Ambassador to SL Julie Chung has held discussions with the leaders of Tamil political parties in the Northern Province. Ambassador Chung, who is currently on a tour of the Jaffna District, had met with the leaders of several Tamil parties for talks yesterday (25) in the city of Jaffna. The leader of ITAK, Mavai Senathirajah, TPNA leader C.V. Wigneswaran, the leader of the PLOTE Dharmalingam Siddharthan and TELO leader Selvam Adaikalanathan had more..

Apr 26 (TM) Don’t worry about the current crisis, it will resolve in the coming days ahead and I will not be stepping down from my position, says PM Rajapaksa. He made this statement during a provincial council meeting that also consisted of several Ministers today. “We are facing a crisis in the country but I have faith that this will be resolved in the coming days ahead. Just you all placed your trust in me and have requested me to remain as the PM, rest assured I will remain as the PM and more..

Apr 26 (AFP) Cash-strapped Sri Lanka announced Tuesday it would sell long-term visas to attract desperately needed foreign currency after the island nation ran out of dollars to pay for food and fuel. Foreigners who deposit a minimum of $100,000 locally will be granted permission to live and work in SL for 10 years under the Golden Paradise Visa Program, the govt said. The money should be locked in a local bank account more..

Apr 26 (DM) Italian Republic is to grant an in-kind emergency contribution to Sri Lanka of around LKR 125 Mn (€ 341,115) to purchase medicine and medical equipment. Italy said the grant to be made in the wake of difficulties experienced by SL. The contribution will be channelled through the Italian Bilateral Emergency, fund at the WHO and will channel payment to suppliers abroad directly as per planned procurement by MoH in line with supply-chain management process. more..

Apr 26 (AD) Chairman of Litro Gas, Mr Vijitha Herath says that the company is unable to continue to supply LP gas to consumers without increasing prices. He said that presently the company owes around Rs. 10,000 million to banks while the total expenditures come to around Rs. 24,000 million. “Therefore at this time we cannot buy gas unless we sell gas for the right price,” he said. Litro chairman said that currently there are around 1.5 million families who don’t have gas and more..

Apr 26 (DM) Serenity Group - Uganda issuing a statement to the media yesterday clarified on the allegations made on social media regarding its founders, operations and business profile. After several posts linking the business venture to the Rajapaksa family, Serenity Group - Uganda has sought legal advice in clearing its name from what it said is a misconception among the public of SL. Serenity Group - Uganda reiterated that more..