Mar 11 (GV) While returning from Vavuniya to Colombo, I stopped to purchase fruit from a roadside vendor near Anuradhapura and got into a conversation with her about the country’s most pressing issue – the economic crisis. She told me that she had voted for this govt because she thought it could save the country. She won’t vote for them again, she said. The conversation made me reflect on the extreme frustration felt by ordinary people as a result of the current crisis; dissatisfaction more..

Mar 11 (SO) Sri Lanka is currently confronting one of the worst economic crises in its recent history, with a number of critical issues surfacing day after day. Despite the deep economic emergency, state-owned enterprises control a large area of the national gross domestic product (GDP). The continuous losses from the vast majority of SOEs keep adding to the economy, creating a huge fiscal deficit. It is no secret that Sri Lanka’s loss-making SOEs create a grave burden on public finances. more..

Mar 11 (Island) Govt leaders have reportedly swallowed their pride and agreed to hold an all-party conference to explore ways and means of saving the national economy. They mustered a two-thirds majority in Parliament, and fully restored the executive powers of the Prez through the 20th Amendment, promising to solve all problems and usher in prosperity. But, today, they are seeking the help of others to keep the economy afloat! The present-day leaders could have prevented more..

Mar 11 (Island) There is broad agreement today, at least in the Opposition, that the Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution that did away with most of the provisions introduced by the 19th Amendment (19A) must be abolished. The writer is of the view that going back to 19A is not sufficient and that certain contradictions in 19A must be resolved in favour of Parliament. Of the main parties in the Opposition, TNA and JVP/NPP are for the complete abolition of Executive Presidency. more..

Mar 11 (CI) Did you watch Suranga Lakmal bowl? No, really. Did you watch him closely? It's ok. It's human. Be honest. If anyone wouldn't really mind, it's Lakmal. Our man captained five Tests for SL. In the third of these, he did not bowl at all in the first innings. In the 2nd innings, he sent down just two overs. Why? Because he is who he is, and felt largely surplus to requirement. In this 2018 series, South Africa had surrendered more..

Mar 11 (TM) Changing the pillow as a cure for a headache is not at all a new practice for SL politicians. They are famous for taking decisions to deal with situations, not issues, and when those decisions lead to detrimental results, politicians try to deal with those who point out those results, rather than dealing with what they pointed out. The latest such decision was taken by Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, who has instructed the heads of local govt (LG) bodies to turn off all streetlights more..

Mar 11 (FT) COVID-19 vaccinations were administered to 29,232 persons on Wednesday and 77.27% of the population has received at least one vaccine dose to date. Second dose coverage in the country is 64.88% and third dose coverage is 33.61%. 16,937,437 persons have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 14,230,593 persons have received the second dose as well. The third vaccine dose has been administered to 7,385,755 persons. more..

Mar 11 (FT) The private sector is drawing fresh battle lines against the new Tourism Act alleging that the current administration is bulldozing its way in a rush after the authorities had failed to incorporate key amendments recommended by the industry. Hotels Association of SL (THASL) President M. Shanthikumar, SL Inbound Tour Operators Association (SLAITO) President Tilak Weerasinghe, Association of Small and more..

Mar 11 (FT) Dialog Axiata PLC, said yesterday it had become the first in South Asia to successfully trial the most advanced 5G Standalone (5G SA) network. The latest breakthrough achievement follows Dialog in 2018 becoming the first telecommunications service provider in the South Asian region to demonstrate 5G capabilities. Dialog said with this successful 5G SA trial, SL’s premier connectivity provider had further advanced the nation’s 5G journey and would enable more advanced more..

Mar 11 (DM) National carrier SriLankan Airlines said it would continue its routes to and from Russia while Western sanctions and geopolitics have made the Russian airspace turbulent. SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ashok Pathirage this week said the carrier would not stop flying to Moscow, given the rising demand for flights. “We are continuing to fly to Moscow. We have also increased airfares. I suppose the Russians have no place to go now with not many aircrafts flying in,” Pathirage said more..

Mar 11 (FT) Daily COVID-19 detections dropped to 580 yesterday and the country’s COVID-19 case count currently stands at 654,916. The patients detected were from the New Year cluster. COVID-19 detections the previous day consist of 675 persons from the New Year cluster. 4,954 PCR tests and 3,098 rapid antigen tests were conducted on Wednesday. SL’s total COVID-19 detections include 549,860 persons from the New Year cluster, 82,785 persons from the Peliaygoda cluster, more..

Mar 11 (CT) Despite not having a main sponsor for the entire first round of the inter club league, Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) finally tied the knot with the new sponsor Nippon Paint for the balance of the 2022 season. The partnership with SLRs main sponsor for the last decade didn’t work out this time due to an unexpected dispute that cropped up between the parties regarding sponsorship rights. Nippon Paint will be the new title sponsor for the 2022 season, which covers three tournaments more..

Mar 11 (Island) School athletes Tharushi Karunaratne, Jayeshi Uththara and Sithum Jayasundara reached World Junior Championship qualifying standards in the 400 metres and turned tables on seniors while Olympian Sumeda Ranasinghe proved beyond doubt that he has regained lost form with a formidable throw on day one of the Asian Games trials held at the newly laid synthetic track at Diyagama on Thursday. more..

Mar 11 (DN) Creating a historic landmark in the electrical segment of SL, Sinhagiri Ltd teamed up with EWIZ computers to assemble SL’s first digital television. It would be sold and marked under a new brand name SGL with the tag Made in Sri Lanka. "We will be initially assembling the popular 43 inch TV series and then move up to the other high demand sizes like 40 inch and 50 inch,” said CEO Sinhagiri Ltd, Maheshi Anandasiri. The SGL 43 inch TV would be inbuilt with several features more..

Mar 11 (Island) SL’s net session at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore yesterday was taking place behind closed doors. The session was limited for the press and the local cricket authorities. Among the handful of locals, the talking point was the brilliance of Kusal Mendis. His wristy stroke play against pace and stepping out to spinners and lofting the ball to the stands was a frequent sight. Not a single time did he mishit, not a single time was he beaten for pace, not a single time the spinners more..

Mar 11 (AD) President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Masatsugu Asakawa says the projects that have been implemented in the island with the assistance of the ADB have made significant strides and he pledged to support Sri Lanka’s development efforts continuously. Mr. Asakawa made these remarks when he met with Prez Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat, today (10). more..

Mar 11 (CI) The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru has been thrown open to 100% crowd capacity for the second India-Sri Lanka Test, which will be played under lights, starting Saturday. This is a change from the earlier approved 50% capacity. The decision comes following approval from the state govt to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). ESPNcricinfo understands an increased demand for tickets led to the association seeking govt's approval. more..

Mar 11 (FT) Energy Secretary K.D.R. Olga claimed that the fuel crisis would come to an end next week with supplies and operations being normalised by Monday. “The issues related to the supply of fuel in the country will be resolved by this Saturday and will be restored from next Monday,” Olga told a briefing organised by the Presidential Media Centre under the theme Energy to strengthen the country. President’s Media Spokesman Kingsly Rathnayaka moderated the media briefing more..

Mar 11 (DM) Responding to several media reports that state that some young people who are infected with COVID-19, are susceptible to sexual dysfunction and subfertility, Health Ministry said there is no any truth behind such claims. Dr. Anwar Hamdani said anything of that sort had not been yet scientifically proven and added people should not panic about it. Moreover, Dr Hamdani reiterated that there was also no truth in any reports that state that booster dose causes infertility. more..

Mar 11 (HRW) SL has among the most restrictive abortion laws in the world, so Justice Minister Ali Sabry’s recent call for parliament to consider legalizing abortion in cases of rape is a significant development. The govt should move promptly to reform the law and go further to uphold women’s equal rights by allowing all woman access to abortion. Under a SL law that dates from 1883, anyone deliberately causing a miscarriage, except for the purpose of saving a woman’s life, more..

Mar 11 (TM) According to reports, the black market exchange rate has readjusted to Rs. 290 following the over 28% devaluation of the Sri Lanka rupee during this week subsequent to the decision by the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) to float the exchange rate. Yesterday (10), the SL rupee had once again depreciated by 13%, according to the Indicative US Dollar SPOT Exchange Rate published by the CBSL, more..

Mar 11 (MFA) The newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to SL Julie Chung called on Foreign Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris today (9) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Colombo. Minister Peiris extended a warm welcome to Ambassador Chung and stated that he looks forward to working closely with her during her tenure in SL. Whilst noting that SL considers the U.S. as an important partner, Minister reiterated that the GoSL is willing to work closely with the Biden Administration to elevate more..

Mar 11 (Island) SLPP national list MP Jayantha Ketagoda yesterday said that newspapers had damaged the reputation of the MPs by claiming that they had found fault with the parliament canteen staff for a shortage of milk- based food items. He requested the Speaker to summon the editors concerned and reprimand them. Raising a privilege issue, MP Ketagoda said that publishing such news was part of a conspiracy to tarnish the reputation of MPs and denigrate Parliament. more..

Mar 11 (AD) Lanka IOC announced that it will increase the price of diesel and petrol with effect from midnight today (10), due to the significant depreciation of the rupee. LIOC said that the retail selling price of diesel will be increased by Rs. 75 per litre and petrol by Rs. 50 per litre. Issuing a statement, it said that the CB had announced flexibility in foreign exchange rate and SL Rupee has depreciated twice in last 7 days more..

Mar 11 (DM) Nottinghamshire pathway coach Anton Roux has departed Trent Bridge to join the SL national team as fielding coach. Roux joined the Green and Golds from Otago in March 2020, having also previously been assistant coach of NZ A and head coach of the Netherlands. The former spin bowling all-rounder oversaw the development of players within Nottinghamshire’s county age group structure, as well as taking the lead on fielding throughout the club and spending time within more..

Mar 11 (AD) Urban development plans for several major cities were presented to Prez Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat today (10). The UDA in collaboration with line agencies has planned the development targets of the country in line with the govt’s initiatives and the development of major cities in a manner that will attract local and foreign tourists. Under the first phase, Special Economic Zones (SEZs) will be developed in Galle, Bandarawela, Ratnapura city centre and Thimbirigasyaya, more..

Mar 11 (EN) SL’s actions including a float of the currency and taxes on imported items will help the economy stabilize amid global turmoil, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said, as the rupee fell in an free float exercise. The rupee closed at 255/265 to the US dollar on March 10, after opening at 240/260 as the currency headed towards a free float. The kerb market rate and the interbank spot market have unified. more..

Mar 11 (FT) The prime issue contained in the petition filed by Nagananda Kodituwakku making the Bribery and Corruption Commission, its chairperson and its members, and the Election Commission, its former chairmen and members as respondents, can be described as an important topic that reflects the extent of decline and deterioration suffered by the SL State and its system of institutions. Petition contains three issues; one is about a grave injustice the petitioner himself had suffered more..

Mar 11 (FT) How should marketers think about upskilling in achieving marketing excellence in the context of winning in SL? This is an existential question that has drawn marketing teams back to the drawing board in SL and globally. In the context of our market where the opportunity size for most categories could be limited, winning, and retaining marketspace is the fundamental requirement to continuous growth. In addition, it is important to consider growth in the adjacencies to more..

Mar 11 (SLN) Four ships belong to the French, Bangladesh and Indian navies arrived in Colombo and Hambantota on official visits on 8th and 9th March. SL Navy welcomed the visiting ships in precision with naval tradition. Support and Assistance Ship Loire of the French Navy arrived at the port of Colombo on 8th March and BNS Prottasha, a Corvette of the Bangladesh Navy reached Colombo on 9th March. Besides, INS Talwar and Brahmaputra, a duo of Frigates more..

Mar 11 (EN) Sri Lanka outbound travellers will need to pay 25- 27% more when booking airline tickets as the rupee continues to depreciate against dollar, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said. With the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) deciding to let the rupee float, it depreciated further against the dollar as was quoted at 265/275 on Friday. The devaluation of the rupee has affected multiple industries, and most fast moving consumer goods have increased prices overnight due to the increased cost. more..

Mar 11 (EN) Sri Lanka may go for an International Monetary Program sources said as efforts are under way to float the exchange rate to end forex shortages amid high budget deficits and rising oil prices, which are creating additional deficits in state energy companies. SL’s forex reserves have been depleted to US$ 2.3 billion by Feb 2022. An IMF programs involves both a monetary program and a complementary fiscal program. more..

Mar 11 (DM) Whilst the SJB alleged that the economic crisis which SL is facing today is an international conspiracy, the Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardene said it is the duty of the opposition to support the govt to resolve the crisis. SJB MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha alleged that he suspects that it is this conspiracy which makes Minister Basil Rajapaksa to avoid Parliament. “We suspect whether the Finance Minister is trying to betray the nation to another country,” more..

Mar 11 (TM) The youth of the country are depressed, helpless and are stuck in a position where they are unable to cope up with the current economic crisis, says SJB Youth Vice Chairman Rehaan Jayawickreme. In conversation, Jayawickreme spoke about what is going on in the minds of the youth of the country given the current situation. “As the vice chairman of the SJB youth wing, I get to meet and talk to many youngsters. I have noticed, they are all depressed. more..

Mar 11 (CI) Rajasthan Royals have roped in Lasith Malinga as their fast-bowling coach ahead of IPL 2022, and Paddy Upton as Team Catalyst. Malinga, who retired as a player in 2021, is the highest wicket-taker in the IPL with 170 scalps across nine seasons for Mumbai Indians. In 2018, he was Mumbai's bowling mentor as well, and earlier this year, he was appointed SL's bowling strategy coach for the T20I series in Australia. more..

Mar 11 (CI) Pathum Nissanka has been ruled out of the second Test against India, starting Saturday in Bengaluru, because of a back injury. Dushmantha Chameera, who sat out the first Test in Mohali, is also not available for selection as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury. Dimuth Karunaratne, the SL captain, said on the eve of the pink-ball Test that Chameera's workload was being managed till the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled for October this year, and that the quick would be more..