Apr 17 (Island) SL will enter into negotiations with the IMF next week. Led by Ali Sabry, country�s Finance Minister, and Nandalal Weerasinghe, the Governor of the Central Bank, the delegation will leave for Washington tomorrow. Mr Sabry admitted that SL will need USD 3 to 4 billion for the rest of the year. Now that the country has defaulted on sovereign debt worth USD 51 billion, it is in a position to exclude debt servicing from its calculations, at least for the next 8 months. more..

Apr 17 (CT) When we wish to laugh at ourselves, we say Sixty-nine lakhs of us voted for Gota three years ago, now ninety-six lakhs of us are chanting Go Gota Go! The Prez, his goofy Viyathmaga advisors and his cabal of ex-military hangers-on have in three short years scored more own-goals than Muralitharan took wickets in his whole career. Still Gotabaya hangs on by his bleeding fingernails while the country erupts and rots. Another confusing thing is why did the JVP declare its innings closed more..

Apr 17 (SO) Minister Ali Sabry, said that at this juncture, we must see some sense of certainty in governance irrespective of political differences and stay on course with Constitutional governance. He said this is a time when one needs not to do politics. No one is saying not to agitate on those things but political uncertainty and instability push all of us towards a very difficult position in terms of getting investments coming, more..

Apr 17 (SO) The next few weeks will be pivotal for SL as it seeks to emerge from perhaps the greatest socio-economic crisis since Independence in 1948. SL has certainly been in dire straits before, especially during the terrorist battle years and the twin Southern insurgencies in 1971 and 1988-89 and most recently due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While Covid is often cited as the most immediate reason for SL�s economic troubles, given its devastating effect on tourism and more..

Apr 17 (GV) The ongoing protests are being labelled youth protests. Yes, youth have taken the lead in the Occupy Galle Face protest, which is being sustained by their creatively subversive and constructive strategies. Yet to focus only on Galle Face and label the protests youth protests is not only inaccurate but also dangerous. As at April 14, there have been 240 protests of different sizes around the country by different social groups according to Watchdog�s protest tracker. more..

Apr 17 (ST) One of the most notable changes in the Avurudu programme lineup of state television channels this year was the absence of a live telecast from Carlton House in Tangalle, the private residence of PM Rajapaksa. Usually, most of the Rajapaksa family members are present during the traditional Avurudu celebrations with a whole host of hangers-on coming to pay obeisance to the prominent family. This year though, more..

Apr 17 (ST) The traditional Sinhala and Tamil New Year dawned this week with certain uncertainties. Prez Rajapaksa was certain he was not going to desert his post but uncertain about any plan to maintain a stable govt. The multitudes protesting on the streets were certain they would stay put as well until the President went home, but uncertain what would happen thereafter. Such is the paradox the country is up against. The unfolding drama between the two and as to who will blink first more..

Apr 17 (ST) My dear friends at Galle Face, It wouldn�t be right if I didn�t write to you this week. The entire nation is watching what is happening at Galle Face. From what we have seen so far, the vast majority support your cause and admire you for the struggle � the aragalaya as you like to call it � that you are waging against the powers that be. Looking back, Gota maama missed a trick at Mirihana. If he allowed those protestors at Mirihana to have their say without unleashing the Police, more..

Apr 17 (CT) There are three Ps in SL�s political firmament: People, Parliament & Prez. But they are not peas in a pod. There is a massive disconnect between the political protests of the people and the survival games that pro-govt MPs, PM and Prez are playing. Prez is playing hide and seek from the people and getting his handful of Ministers to say that their boss is not going to budge. PM, family�s only communicator comes on TV and cuts a sorry figure as a long-gone has-been. more..

Apr 17 (SO) One of the country�s favourite boyhood passions and crowd-pulling domestic sports, rugby, has acquired a pariah-like status to its own followers after an elected administration was sacked in a highly disputed move by former Minister Namal Rajapaksa with a bureaucracy taking charge. Rugby which scrummaged through the deadly Covid pandemic and bloomed once again for both player and common follower was cut down with one swipe of a double-edged sword that has resulted more..

Apr 17 (TM) Despite a hurried attempt by authorities last week to reassure the public that investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks have yielded positive results prior to this year�s Easter observances today, Catholic Church was quick to call out the Govt on various loopholes in the inquiries conducted so far. Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne last week revealed that more..

Apr 17 (Island) You may have not liked everything about National Super League (NSL), but at least the Cricket Advisory Committee addressed the concerns about the lack of competitiveness in our First-Class cricket. Having promised to make selections for the national team on the performances of the NSL, the national selection panel has made some bold moves. Middle-order batsman Roshen Silva showcased his appetite for big runs by posting an unbeaten 174 for Colombo against Jaffna. more..

Apr 17 (Island) The ongoing protests have now continued for several days with neither side relenting. In a non-violent war between the Regime and the People, the rulers have been yielding ground inch by grudging inch but there has been no concession from either side that can end the stalemate. The demand has now boiled down to the single proposition that the Rajapaksas must go lock, stock and barrel and stolen loot returned. It�s certainly been a fast breaking drama, more..

Apr 17 (ST) Batter Charith Asalanka will not play Test cricket at least till the T20 World Cup in Australia as he has been asked to focus on the limited-over format in the run-up to the global showpiece in October-November. Asalanka was pushed into the longer format following his resounding success with the bat in limited-overs cricket but his short three-match career fetched him as few as 88 runs in six innings. more..

Apr 17 (ST) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is confident of delivering a safe and secure Asia Cup despite the current economic crisis that has led to a public unrest in the island. Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation since the onset of the pandemic. Asia Cup 2022 is scheduled to be hosted in Sri Lanka from Aug 27 but due to the ongoing economic crisis in the country, many questions are being raised. more..

Apr 17 (ST) Our cricket icons joining the massive rallies over an entire week at Galle Face puts on notice all our sports bodies and the masters who run them from day to day. With the Minister of Sports ensconced in a safe abode for now, having relinquished his portfolio, the bureaucrats at Reid Avenue must be in a dilemma as to how to move forward. The empty coffers of the Treasury does not bode well for the international aspirations of our sportsmen and sportswomen with more..

Apr 17 (SO) The most popular contest of the 44th Observer-SLT Mobitel School Cricketers of the Year completes its first month as some of the popular inter-school big matches are about to begin after Sinhala and Tamil New Year vacation. As the 2022 Most Popular Observer-SLT Mobitel School Cricketers contest is about to enter the month of May in two week�s time, the season�s big matches is about to begin with the biggest one of the big �uns � Battle of Blues between Royal & S. Thomas�. more..

Apr 17 (ST) The JVP has planned a three-day anti-govt protest march demanding Prez Rajapaksa�s resignation. The march that starts today at 9 a.m. from Beruwala will end in Colombo on Tuesday, JVP Politburo member K.D. Lal Kantha said. �This protest march will end at the Lipton roundabout in Colombo and we will not march towards the protest site at Galle Face under any circumstance,� he emphasised. He said the JVPs youth wings Socialist Youth Union (SYU) has already joined more..

Apr 17 (EN) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) has slammed a decision by the Securities and Exchange Commission to close the stock market under pressure from a section of stock investors while making a misleading comparison with the exchange rate. �CCC was dismayed to hear of your decision to direct the CSE to temporarily close the stock market for a period of five business days commencing from 18th April,� more..

Apr 17 (FT) Driven by the firm and courageous reaction of the people of Sri Lanka, we have greater likelihood of our nation emerging from crisis. However, we are yet at a crossroads as the country faces critical economic, health and environmental challenges that need urgent attention. The people chose a Sri Lanka without ethnic, religious or political differences and their demand is for responsible leadership free of politics, focused solely on the future of their Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 17 (AD) Bar Association of SL (BASL) says any attempts to disrupt peaceful protests by the people of the country will have grave repercussions for the country. The association called upon the govt to desist from taking any steps whatsoever to disrupt what is a legitimate exercise of the freedom of dissent of the people. The statement came after a number of police trucks parked in the vicinity of Galle Face Green, where the ongoing anti-govt protest is staged, drew public criticism. more..

Apr 17 (ST) Hunched over a parcel of rice and curry, five adults and a child share a meal on Galle Face Green. It�s past 4 p.m. on Avurudu day. All are cultivators: One from Hambantota, another from Kotadeniyawa, a third from Anuradhapura, and the couple and child from Neluwa in Galle. At night, they unfolded a tarp, set up a tent and roughed it out before returning to their homes the next day. more..

Apr 17 (AD) Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) has directed Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) to temporarily close the stock market for a period of five business days commencing from the 18th of April. In a statement, the SEC director, Tushara Jayaratne said Board of Directors of the CSE, by way of a communiqu� dated April 15, had called upon the Commission to temporarily close the stock market citing the present situation in the country. Many other stakeholders of the securities more..

Apr 17 (DM) Five SJB MPs, Harin Fernando, Manusha Nanayakara, Mujibur Rahman, Kavinda Jayawardena and Hector Appuharmy would join the hundreds of protesters at Galle Face, if need arises. "We are willing to forget party politics and join the protesters if the need arises," MP Fernando said. "We will back the protesters, especially if the govt tries to suppress their rights," he added. The five MPs questioned as to why a 5th generation (5G) tower was erected at the Galle Face. more..

Apr 17 (CG) Govt has decided not to appoint veteran actor Bandu Samarasinghe as the Consul General in Milan. Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Bandu Samarasinghe will not be appointed the Consul General in Milan. Samarasinghe was to be appointed to the post following the death of musician Neela Wickremasinghe. However, the move drew strong criticism, especially on social media. Lankadeepa reported that the veteran actor has been appointed to the diplomatic post in Italy. more..

Apr 17 (AD) The pole antenna structure installed at the Galle Face Green by a leading telecom service provider in the country has been removed. Concerns were raised on social media platforms with regard to the Capacity Enhance solution at the Galle Face Green premises where the ongoing public protest against the govt is staged. Taking these concerns into account, company decided to de-install the antenna structure. Company said the sole purpose of the installation was to alleviate congestion more..

Apr 17 (ST) Prez Rajapaksa last evening chaired an emergency high level Govt meeting of former Cabinet ministers at the heavily guarded Prez�s House in the Fort to discuss the prevailing crisis and ways to move forward. Among the issues discussed were the appointment of a full-fledged Cabinet of Ministers. The new Cabinet is to be sworn in today or tomorrow. All SLPP members of the previous Cabinet had been invited to more..

Apr 17 (DM) Former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa who was rumored to have left Sri Lanka via the Ratmalana Airport today morning is still in the country and in hospital, after he was infected with the COVID-19 virus, airport sources have confirmed. When contacted Shehan Sumanasekara, Director of Airport and Aviation Services, he confirmed that Basil had not left the country through any of the three main airports - BIA, Mattala and Ratmalana, and such rumors were false. more..

Apr 17 (Island) The Catholic Church has decided to extend its fullest support to the Galle Face protest demanding the resignation of the President, said Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando. He said that the Catholic Church is also of the view that Prez should resign. Fr Cyril Gamini said that the many members of the Catholic Church were already on the sidelines of the protest. Asked whether there were any preparations for religious activities in the protest, he responded in the negative. more..

Apr 17 (DM) The flight that left Ratmalana today morning - N750GF - for Dubai, belongs to British national and UK millionaire George Davies, the Daily Mirror learns. Rumors were rife that former Minister Basil Rajapaksa had left Colombo for Dubai on this flight, but sources confirmed that this private aircraft was carrying foreign nationals who had arrived last month. According to details, N750GF was carrying two foreign nationals including Davies on board and arrived in SL on March 28. more..

Apr 17 (CNA) The Singapore Government will contribute US$100,000 as seed money to support the Singapore Red Cross' (SRC) public fundraising efforts for Sri Lanka's vulnerable communities. In a statement on Friday (Apr 15), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said that the move would supplement SRC's earlier commitment pledge. On Wednesday, the SRC committed S$100,000 for urgently-needed medical supplies and other basic necessities in aid of vulnerable communities in Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 17 (ST) That he was the cause for a lacklusture National New Year, marred by shortages of food, fuel, cooking gas and medicine, did not deter Prez Rajapaksa from another expedition this week � fishing for parliamentarians to shore up a majority. He hooked ex-President Maithripala Sirisena confidant Shantha Bandara, a relative from his wife�s side. According to Dayasiri Jayasekera, the former arch UNPer who is now more..

Apr 18 (DM) Lanka has had an unblemished record of external debt repayment since independence in 1948. That�s a thing of the past now. Four days ago (12), just prior to the country shutting down to mark the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, govt announced it was suspending repayment of its foreign debt (aprox. US$ 51 b), including bonds and govt-to-govt borrowings, until it worked out a loan restructing programme in collaboration with the IMF. At the same time, country�s foreign reserves more..

Apr 18 (ST) If any compelling reason has to be found to ask the President to resign, the nation�s bankruptcy will do. Tuesday�s shock announcement by the CB Governor that Lanka will renege on her international USD 51 billion and is bankrupt, hammered the last nail home and sealed the fate of the Prez and that of his Rajapaksa top heavy Govt. Though couched in economic jargon that the move was to preempt a hard default, it cannot conceal what in ordinary parlance simply means: more..

Apr 18 (TM) Even though it was the anger and frustration triggered by the economic crisis that resulted in the ongoing protests, experts from various fields have started discussing how these protests � being staged against the Prez, Govt, Parliament, and the prevailing political culture � should focus more on specific, long-term solutions. They are of the opinion that merely getting rid of the incumbent administration will not prevent more..

Apr 18 (DM) All eyes are on Sri Lanka as it endures its worst economic crisis since Independence. Millions of families are struggling to put food on the table. Long lines of people queuing for fuel or gas are a common sight across the country. SL�s doctors are running out of medicines for patients. Schools have run out of paper to conduct examinations. The large majority of the people are protesting with single focus, demanding the Rajapaksa brothers, who are in power, to go home. more..