Apr 1 (DM) Social media is giving this regime a run, but there are occasions when some posts in this form of media make a joke out of the crisis SL is in. There was one post recently where a facebook user had said that a daughter would be given in marriage to a guy who has a steady job and a cylinder full of LP gas! True, we are in short supply of most essentials at present. And there are news and views carried out by various media outlets which are sure to have attracted the attention of ruling govt. more..

Apr 1 (CT) SL�s immediate US dollar crisis, the mother of all socio-economic evils besetting the country, cannot be solved overnight by increasing exports or by wooing foreign investments. Howbeit the majority of the islands exports, including garments and tea, traditionally among its top four foreign exchange earners; require imported inputs like fabric and chemical fertiliser. But the dollar crisis may also impact such purchases made worse by power cuts, more..

Apr 1 (TM) The experience of the dairy farmers, feeding-related practices including the frequency of water feeding, the frequency of concentrate feeding, the amount of concentrate given and the amount of mineral supplement given, and the type of management system (extensive, intensive, semi intensive) significantly influences average milk production in the Jaffna District of the Northern Province, more..

Apr 1 (TM) At a time when the people are drastically losing faith in the Government and in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the President recently said that he believes in the people�s resilience. Addressing the Bay of BIMSTEC Leaders� Summit on Wednesday (30), President Rajapaksa said that he is confident that with the remarkable resilience of the Sri Lankan people, along with co-operation from international and regional partners, SL will prevail to engineer a rapid economic recovery. more..

Apr 1 (DM) There had been quite a few responses from those who knew Prof. Senaka Bibile well, on this great man�s mysterious death as expressed in Part I of this article. Therefore, we give more specific information on it. Health Minister�s assurance, Govt urgently allocates Rs. 100 Mn to import 14 critical drugs, itself speaks of the grave state of medicinal supplies. Refuting claims by Opposition that we get inferior drugs from India, Minister, while admitting the fact that there was a delay in importing more..

Apr 1 (TM) In SL, about 360,000 women become pregnant every year, and one out of every three of these pregnancies are estimated to be unintended pregnancies. This is in a context where the Demographic and Health Survey of 2016 has estimated the unmet need for family planning to be at 7.3%, a figure the UNFPA said may have been further augmented due to the Covid-19 pandemic. More information about the state of more..

Apr 1 (Island) An anonymous social media post calling upon the people to take to the streets on 03 April in protest against the govt has caused quite a stir. It claims that the agitation to be staged will be devoid of politics, and politicians should stay away, but the state intelligence agencies are reported to have traced the mysterious Whatsapp post to a group of Opposition politicians, who have denied any involvement therein. They insist that they have only spoken in support of it. more..

Apr 1 (CT) Currently, SL is in the midst of a crisis of confidence. Public confidence, as well as international investor confidence in this govt has completely fallen, and as a result markets have frozen. Basic economic theory states that the main factor determining the efficiency of a market is confidence and with this in mind this govt is clearly unable to manage the economy any further. We appeal to the govt to present the IMF letter, as it will regain some lost investor confidence more..

Apr 1 (GV) In a historic landmark decision, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) found that SL�s criminalizing of same-sex sexual relations under section 365A of the Penal Code of 1883 was a human rights violation. The decision was made in response to a case brought by Rosanna Flamer-Caldera, the founder of Equal Ground, to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. more..

Apr 1 (Island) Cassandra has been sleeping badly. Sorry to bother you with an apparently very personal matter, but it is not about herself alone she�s lost sleep. Cass� sleep has been disturbed by nightmare ON ACCOUNT of the people of Sri Lanka: fearing for them. She sees in nightmare children crying for food and dying; old people collapsing for want of out-of-stock medicines; women wilting and fainting in eternal queues and the brawny ones brawling on streets. more..

Apr 1 (FT) Unavailability of sufficient power plants to cater to the growing electricity demand and lower water levels at reservoirs to generate hydro power were underlined as key reasons for the prevailing long hours of load shedding by the CEB, Power Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said yesterday. �The power generation capacity in Sri Lanka is limited under normal conditions,� she told journalists at a special media briefing more..

Apr 1 (FT) COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 6,097 persons on Wednesday and 77.59% of the total population has received at least one vaccine dose in the country. Second dose vaccine coverage among the total population is 65.77% and third dose coverage is 35.87%. Health officials continue to urge the public to get the booster dose as the vaccines will expire in the coming months. �In a few months� time, the vaccines will expire and everyone must get the booster dose within this period. more..

Apr 1 (FT) SL�s COVID-19 case count rose to 661,631 following the detection of 178 COVID-19 patients yesterday. The previous day, 168 persons tested positive for COVID-19. 3,768 PCR tests and 2,388 rapid antigen tests were conducted on Wednesday. 73,881 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 this year. SL�s local cases also include 483,090 patients from the New Year cluster, 82,785 patients from Peliyagoda cluster, 9,154 patients from Prisons cluster, and 3,059 patients from more..

Apr 1 (ST) Heated arguments, fisticuffs, verbal abuse and clashes with police have become common at fuel stations and at gas dealers because of unprecedented shortages that have paralysed homelife, and hobbled economic activity. People who have waited in queues for hours, even days, for gas, are angry. Despite daily assurances from Energy Minister Gamini Lokuge about a petrol or diesel ship arriving, waiting to unload more..

Apr 1 (FT) The country�s premier private sector lobby group, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce yesterday renewed its call for urgent action from the Govt to resolve serious shortage of fuel and electricity. It said the deterioration in the fuel and electricity availability in the country of serious concern as it is hampering daily operations of businesses and activities of the general public. Chamber believes there is a need to maintain a sufficient stock of fuel to balance both more..

Apr 1 (FT) Main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa this week informed the visiting Lord Michael Morris Naseby of Sri Lanka�s plight owing to serious failure on the part of the Govt. �Everything, including the country�s economy, is suffering a serious setback due to improper actions of the Govt,� Premadasa said during the meeting with Lord Naseby, a senior member of the Conservative Party in Britain and former Deputy Speaker of British Parliament. more..

Apr 1 (DM) Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), the apex body of SL�s apparel industry, reiterated its concerns over the industry�s ability to continue operations due to the prevailing fuel and power crisis. �The fuel shortage is having a massive impact on our day-to-day production. We are unable to use our generators during power outages because of the lack of diesel. To add to this, fuel shortages are affecting our ability to transport our goods and provide staff transport for our employees,� more..

Apr 1 (CT) Jaffna took major honours at stumps on day one against Colombo despite Kusal Mendis� unbeaten 83, in the semi-final of the National Super League 4-Day Tournament which commenced at MRICS Hambantota yesterday. After electing to bat on a cloudy day in Hambantota, Colombo posted 224-6. Colombo were off to a positive start with skipper Dimuth Karunarathne (39) along with Krishan Sanjula (39) adding a 75 run partnership before Dhananjaya de Silva got more..

Apr 1 (CI) Bangladesh will play a home Test series in May, for the first time since 2015, when they face Sri Lanka in a two-match series, which is part of the World Test Championship (WTC). May usually ushers in the monsoon season in Bangladesh, but Chattogram and Dhaka will host int'l cricket in the month this season. SL will arrive in Bangladesh on May 8 and will head straight to Chattogram, where they will play a two-day more..

Apr 1 (Island) Aitken Spence Maritime and Freight Logistics sectors (MFL) secured multiple awards at the Inaugural National Logistics Awards Ceremony organised by SL Logistics & Freight Forwarders Association (SLFFA). The prestigious award ceremony was graced by the PM of SL, High Commissioner of India for SL and stalwarts of the industry. The awards catered to all verticals of supply chain and was indeed a great platform to recognise companies� significant more..

Apr 1 (Island) Former Thomian, SL, and present Navy Sports Club player Yoshitha Rajapaksa expects to bring the curtain down on his rugby career after he plays his final match on April 2 at Longden Place. Yoshitha�s decision to quit playing the game was confirmed by Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) sources. Hence he will be seen wearing the Navy jersey for the last time in this game where the Sailors take on CR&FC. He had his education at the school by the sea�S. Thomas� College more..

Apr 1 (FT) March-mayhem is apt for the Colombo stock market as it ended a disastrous month yesterday with Rs. 1.4 trillion in value wiped off as investor sentiment nosedived over the Govt�s failure to resolve multiple crises. The benchmark ASPI and the more active S&P SL20 ended March down 23%. Year to date, both indices are down by 28%. Market capitalisation was down by Rs. 1.6T since end 2021 from Rs 5.48T to Rs 3.82T. more..

Apr 1 (Island) Several SL mobile service providers said that power cuts that lasted for extended periods were affecting the quality of their 3G and 4G internet services. The service providers said that they were not receiving adequate amounts of diesel for the generators at mobile transmission towers. Therefore some of the features necessary for the 3G and 4G internet services were not available. The mobile service providers made the revelation following questions by journalists more..

Apr 1 (AD) A total of 45 people were arrested from the group of protestors at Pengiriwatta Mawatha in Mirihana, which leads to the Prez�s residence last night. According to SSP Nihal Thalduwa, one woman is also among the arrestees. During the protest, multiple vehicles belonging to the police and the army including two buses, a jeep, three-wheeler, two motorcycles were also torched, he added. Meanwhile, an assistant superintendent of police and four other cops have also sustained more..

Apr 1 (CT) Sri Lanka and Australia signed a cooperation agreement to continue to improve inclusive growth outcomes in the tourism and hospitality industries through innovative skills development and system strengthening. The signing of the agreement coincides with the 75th anniversary of official diplomatic relations between SL and Australia. Secretary to State Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research and Innovation, Deepa Liyanage & Australian HC more..

Apr 1 (AD) The Kandy-Colombo main road has been completely blocked by a group of protesters at Dalugama in Kelaniya. Protesters have reportedly set fire to logs on the middle of the road, obstructing traffic movement along the road. Meanwhile, a short while ago, police had used tear gas and water cannons to disperse another group of protesters gathered near Pengiriwatta Mawatha, which leads to the Prez�s residence in Mirihana. Police had resorted to using tear gas and water cannons on more..

Apr 1 (AD) The police curfew imposed by the IGP in several police divisions in Colombo and suburbs will be lifted at 5.00 a.m. today (1). Accordingly, the police curfew which had been imposed until further notice within Colombo North, Colombo South, Colombo Central, Nugegoda and Mount Lavinia police divisions in the Colombo District and Kelaniya police division in the Gampaha District has now been lifted. more..

Apr 1 (CT) Airport and Aviation Services SL Private Limited said, the Maldivian inaugural flight event at Colombo International Airport Ratmalana (CIAR) did not cost Rs 6 million, and refuted the news item published by Ceylon Today on 31 March. According to AASL, �The inaugural event was entirely funded by the private sector for marketing purposes, with no cost to AASL or the Govt of Sri Lanka and the activity was carried out in a transparent manner, contrary to what the newspaper said.� more..

Apr 1 (CT) The All Island Canteen Owners� Association (AICOA) is planning to sue the CEB, if their attempts to obtain compensation from the latter fail. They are seeking compensation over the damage caused to their businesses, due to hours-long daily power cuts. AICOA Chairman Asela Sampath said 50% of the canteens and restaurants Islandwide have been forced to shut down due to lengthy power cuts. �We are planning to request compensation from the CEB to avoid more..

Apr 1 (TM) The CEB is hopeful that it could reduce power outages to approximately four hours per day as it is scheduled to receive a stock of diesel from CCPC tomorrow (2) and was scheduled to receive another 6,000 metric tonnes (MT) stock of diesel from LIOC last night (31). CEB Spokesperson Andrew Nawamani confirmed that it was due to receive 6,000 MT of diesel stocks from LIOC last night, and that LIOC had agreed to provide more..

Apr 1 (CT) Govt of Sri Lanka (GoSL) will have to repay maturing Treasury Bills totalling Rs 71,389 million and to the market by next Friday (8 April). The splits of those maturing T Bills are Rs 71,089 million worth of 91-day maturities, Rs 100 million in 182-day maturities and Rs 200 million 364-day maturities, respectively. Usually, GoSL repays such debt by indulging in further borrowings via the T Bill market. These borrowings are made via weekly T Bill auctions held on Wednesdays. more..

Apr 1 (AD) Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters gathered near the Pengiriwatta Mawatha in Mirihana, which leads to the President�s residence. Riot police had resorted to using tear gas and water cannons on the protesters as the agitation turned violent with stones and other objects being hurled at security personnel and damages to public property. Hundreds of people have reportedly gathered near the entry road to Prez Rajapaksa�s residence in Mirihana. more..

Apr 1 (CT) Several Opposition parties yesterday (31) said, they are not behind organising islandwide street protests against the conduct of the incumbent Govt. Islandwide street protests against the national crises in governance have been organised on Sunday (3), by citizens� movements with no political party affiliation. The protests will be held under the theme Rise against corruption as a nation. The hashtag #EnoughIsEnough is more..

Apr 1 (FT) The Govt still does not seem to have reached a firm decision on the strategic approach to be adopted to control and overcome the crisis facing SL. Yet, the Govt had deployed an informal program to overcome the crisis by alleviating the intensity of it before it decided to approach the IMF. The Govt also had a group of people who worked untiringly on that program believing that it would work successfully. But it proved to be a utopian program that exacerbated the crisis, more..

Apr 1 (FT) Thank you to the academy � er, academics... and professionals and business leaders: you certainly know how to pick a winner. You Chris Rock, you really do. Where there�s a Will, there�s a busy Smith or four... forging their, ugh, our fortunes. Please note, in the words of that moving song: This is getting serious! Tourist arrivals are up, led by Indian statesmen visiting refuelling stations. Sunshine abounds; so our solar supply is safeguarded and power cuts can be staved off starting today � 1 April. more..