Sri Lanka seeking US$ 4Bn from IMF
ri Lanka’s new Finance Minister, Ali Sabry states that the country plans to start talks with the IMF on April 18 to secure as much as $4 billion in aid for the economy. He also signaled optimism in getting financial support from China and India.
Sri Lankan New Year celebration at Gota Go Gama : Sri Lankan Economic Crisis
Youths who are used to spending time with their parents and children during the holy season are still engaged in a struggle at the Galle Face Green in Colombo for the 6th day demanding the President and his government resign. News 1st Correspondent said that people were protesting despite the heavy rains experienced on Wednesday (13) night. Sri Lankans protesting outside the most powerful building in Colombo – The President’s Office – demanding the resignation of the President and the Government, have rejected Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s offer for talks. “We did not come here for talks. We are here to demand that you and the government resign,” said one youth protestor at the protest site which is now known by them as GotGoGama. Almost all others echoed the same sentiment rejecting the offer for discussions. “I’m willing & prepared to meet with citizens currently engaged in the protests at Galle Face to hear their thoughts & complaints. Understanding that this is a tough time for all of us, I invite them to meet & discuss any possible, plausible courses of action for the sake of Sri Lanka,” the Prime Minister tweeted, while also sending a statement to the media. Hundreds have stayed put there since Saturday (9) despite bouts of heavy rain, saying they will not leave until the president, prime minister, and the government resigns. Dozens of tents filled with donations including water, food, and medicine to sustain protesters, occupy the lawns and streets of Galle Face. Men, women, and children from all walks of life have rallied at Galle Face, waving the country’s golden lion flag, chanting slogans, and holding up placards with hand-written messages The Occupy Galle Face protesters say they have had enough. (newsfirst)
New Village situated in Galleface Green “GotaGoGama”
Sri Lankan protestors who occupied the Galle Face stretch since Saturday (9) against the President and his government have also now set up a camp named ‘Gota-Go-Gama’ (GotaGoGama). The camp was set up on Saturday (9) night with just a few tents, and the number shot up to over two dozen on Sunday (10) night. Gota-Go-Gama is like a small model village, it has all the basic requirements including free food, water, toilets, and even a make ship medical camp for health emergencies.
Sri Lankans are fleeing away from the country #srilankaeconomiccrisis
The Department of Immigration and Emigration states that the process of preparing passports to travel from Sri Lanka to other countries is on the rise due to the current crisis. It is said that the number of such visitors has increased by 40%. Sales of homes and vehicles have also increased across the country in the recent past, as they have been selling property and raising money to go abroad. The international media has also reported that the number of people fleeing to foreign countries through illegal means has increased. India has tightened the border security Indian security forces have reportedly stepped up security along the Indian Ocean border to stop Sri Lankans from entering India through the North Sea. The Indian Navy, the Coast Guard and the Police have taken steps to increase security along the coast. Meanwhile, on the 8th of this month, the Tamil Nadu Navy arrested four members of a family who had entered the Dhanushkodi beach in India from Talaimannar without permission. Four people including two children and a father with their mother had gone to the Dhanuskodi beach with the help of a dinghy. The four had told the Indian security forces that they had come to India as they could not live in Sri Lanka due to poverty. Meanwhile, 16 people, including 12 first and then four others, were detained along the northern coast of India last month (March). Tamil Nadu Chief Minister India ready to help select only Tamils in Sri Lanka MK Stalin, the current Chief Minister of the State of Tamil Nadu in India, has stated that he is ready to provide assistance only to the Tamil people living in the North East, plantation areas and Colombo in Sri Lanka as a solution to the economic crisis and food and medicine shortages. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin on Thursday telephoned Union Home Minister S Jayashankar to stress the Tamil Nadu government’s proposal to help Tamils on a neighboring island. It has been requested that diplomatic permission be granted for this purpose and that these grants be granted not through the Government of Sri Lanka but through the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. It has been said that essential items such as rice and life-saving medicines can be shipped to Sri Lanka for the benefit of the Tamil people. The Chief Minister told Jaishankar that the ship was ready to be shipped to Sri Lanka from the Tuticorin port. He also said that his heart melted for the Tamil people who were starving without food. What is the current situation in Sri Lanka? Continuous protests The protest that started yesterday in front of the Presidential Secretariat is still going on. Despite the rainy weather, some young people remain there. The protesters were not stopped by security forces. Government Employees joined the protest Employees of government institutions in the Hatton area and teachers of schools run by the Hatton Zonal Education Office staged a protest against the rising cost of living, fuel and gas shortages and power cuts in Hatton town centre on the afternoon of the 8th. Despite the adverse weather conditions prevailing in the Hatton area on the afternoon of the 08th, public servants and teachers were engaged in agitation. Teachers and public servants stressed the need for President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to resign. After that, an interim president should be appointed by the parliament and he should rule the country for a short period under a caretaker government and liberate the people of the country from suffering. The teachers and public servants who were involved in the agitation said that they would give their maximum contribution to the caretaker government as public servants.
Economic Crisis in Sri Lanka-The current political situation in Sri Lanka
We are ready to come forward to save this country-Harsha de Silva We are ready to come forward to save this country – But it requires a sincere effort, ”said Harsha de Silva, a Member of Parliament for the United Front. He made these comments while addressing a media briefing. “I have been saying for years that the country is falling here. I’m not happy that what was said went right. I am deeply saddened by the fact that we did not listen to what was said and the fate that has befallen the country today. Like I always said, we will all be devastated by this crisis. It has no party affiliation. We are ready to come forward to save this country. But it takes everyone’s sincere effort. This challenge cannot be overcome without such a sincere effort. This is not the time to inflate people. Superman cannot overcome this challenge. This challenge can only be overcome if we all unite sincerely. A request to remove Mahinda Rajapaksha from the post Eleven allied parties and independent members of the Sri Lanka People’s Front (SLPP) have requested President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to remove Mahinda Rajapaksa from the post of Prime Minister and appoint a new Prime Minister and Cabinet to help the country recover from the current crisis. They have made this request by submitting a proposal to the President to overcome the current political and economic crisis in the country. A new cabinet will be formed – Rohitha Abeygunawardena Former Ports Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena says he hopes to swear in the new cabinet and take over the current government by Monday. He said that although the President had democratically invited any group that could show a majority of 113 in Parliament to continue with the government, no one had accepted the challenge. He also stated that when the government gives them, they do not accept it because they cannot do it. The presidency should be given to the opposition party -Sarath Fonseka. If the government gives to Samagi Jana Balawega, it should be given along with the presidency, says Samagi Jana Balawega MP Sarath Fonseka. Speaking in Parliament, he said that this was his personal opinion. He also said that if the government accepts, a government with a presidency should be accepted. He also said that the country should have a presidency in a situation where the provincial councils are constitutional. I also want to join the protests – SB Dissanayake MP SB Dissanayake says it is not surprising that people in oil and gas queues are calling the government ‘Go Home Gota’. He said it was not surprising that they took to the streets and cursed the government. He also apologized to the people on behalf of the government and the People’s Front for the harassment. He added that when he was at home without electricity for seven or eight hours, he too would try to pick up a board and take it to the streets. He made these comments at a media briefing held at the Sri Lanka People’s Front headquarters. People flooded President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s Facebook page with Likes President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s latest response to a recent social media post has been flooded with likes. This is a note about the appointment of Nandalal Weerasinghe as the new Governor of the Central Bank. The president has been responding to posts on his social media account with insults for some time now. It has recently been decimated by its responsiveness and extreme potential. But you can see how the news of the appointment of the new Governor of the Central Bank has been highly endorsed by social media users. Some opposition members refused to bring an impeachment motion against President According to internal sources, Samagi Jana Balawega MPs Manusha Nanayakkara and Harin Fernando have urged the Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa to bring an impeachment motion against President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. However, the Leader of the Samagi Jana Balawega, Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa has flatly rejected the proposal. It is learned that Sajith Premadasa has rejected the impeachment motion as he does not have a majority in Parliament at present and is unable to obtain the necessary support from the Members of Parliament at the moment. It also means that the president will not be able to go to the polls and will be even stronger. However, it was learned that Manusha and Harin continued to pressure the Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa to agree to this. Sajith Premadasa has repeatedly stated that the opposition members are divided into two groups and are in favour of the impeachment motion and that they do not want to file an impeachment motion against the President as he does not have a majority in Parliament at the moment.
Will Smith has been banned from the Oscars gala and other Academy events for 10 years
Will Smith has been banned from the Oscars gala and other Academy events for 10 years after the US actor slapped comic Chris Rock at the Oscars. In a statement, the Academy said the 94th Oscars had been “overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Smith exhibit on stage”. Smith has apologized for his actions and resigned from the Academy. The actor hit Rock for joking about his wife’s shaved head, a result of the hair-loss condition alopecia. Less than an hour later, he was awarded the best actor award for his role in “King Richard”, where he played the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Science, which organizes the awards ceremony, met virtually on Friday to discuss disciplinary action. In its statement, it said banning Smith was aimed at protecting performers and guests and “restoring trust in the Academy”. The Academy said that at the time of the slap it did not “adequately address the situation in the room” and had been “unprepared for the unprecedented”. I apologized for this. It also thanked Rock for “maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances”. In his resignation statement, Smith said he had “betrayed the trust of the Academy” and was “heartbroken” over his actions. He added he would “fully accept any consequences for my conduct”. His resignation means he will be unable to vote for future Oscars voters. The Academy’s disciplinary review over the incident, originally scheduled for 18 April, was fast-tracked after Smith resigned. Few have ever resigned from the academy. Four members – producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Bill Cosby, director Roman Polanski, and cinematographer Adam Kimmel – have been booted over sexual misconduct allegations, while actor Carmine Caridi was expelled in 2004 for pirating screener videos given to him. But the standards of conduct laid out by the film academy contained various disciplinary options for Smith, such as excluding him from future Oscars ceremonies, revoking his eligibility for awards, or taking back his newly won Oscar. Only one Oscar has ever been taken back; a feature called “Young Americans” won the best documentary honor in 1969 but was found to be ineligible for the award that year. Late last month, actor Whoopi Goldberg – a member of the academy’s board of governors – predicted Smith would face “big consequences” but said, “we’re not going to take that Oscar away from him.” Beyond the Academy’s actions, at least two studios – Sony and Netflix – are pausing their projects with Smith. Rock, who began his latest stand-up comedy tour shortly after the Oscars telecast, has not commented publicly on the slap. He told fans at a show last month that he is “still kind of processing what happened” and will talk about the incident “at some point”.
Sabry says Sri Lanka is seeking $3Bn.
Sri Lanka will need about $3 billion in external assistance within the next six months to help restore supplies of essential items, including fuel and medicines, to manage a severe economic crisis, the Finance Minister Ali Sabry stated in an interview with Reuters. The Finance Minister, stating that it is indeed a ‘Herculean task’, mentioned that Sri Lanka needs $3 billion in bridge financing while readying itself for negotiations with the IMF. Sri Lanka will look to restructure international sovereign bonds and seek a moratorium on payments, and is confident of negotiating with bondholders for an upcoming $1 billion payment in July. “The entire effort is not to go for a hard default, as we understand the consequences of a hard default.” Minister Sabry stated. J.P. Morgan analysts estimated this week that Sri Lanka’s gross debt servicing would amount to $7 billion this year, with the current account deficit coming in around $3 billion. Sri Lanka will seek another $500 million credit line from India for fuel, which would suffice for about five weeks of requirements, Sabry said. The government would also seek support from the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and bilateral partners including China, the United States, Britain and countries in the Middle East. “We know where we are, and the only thing is to fight back,” Sabry said, looking relaxed in a blue T-shirt and jeans, according to Reuters. “We have no choice.” he said. On Friday, a new central bank governor raised interest rates by an unprecedented 700 basis points in a bid to tame rocketing inflation and stabilize the economy. In a effort to fix government finances, Sabry said the country will have to raise tax rates and further increase fuel prices within the next six months. “These are very unpopular measures but these are things we need to do for the country to come out of this,” he said. “But the choice is do you do that, or do you go down the drain permanently?” Reuters further reported.
Gayanthika Aberathna sets a new Sri lanka record
Gayanthika Aberathna sets a new Sri lanka record for the 800M with a time of 2 minutes 01.44 seconds at the 100th National Athletic Championships.
Government payed for the diesel ship
The Ministry of Energy says it has paid $ 52 million for a ship carrying 37,500 metric tons of diesel belonging to Singapore-based Vitol, which had been anchored in international waters for 16 days. Accordingly, the consignment of diesel will be unloaded this afternoon (08). . The ministry said it would have to pay nearly 92 million rupees in late fees. Two other fuel tankers are currently anchored in international waters. Due to the inability to pay for those letters of credit. The Ministry of Energy stated that a ship carrying 30,000 metric tons of fuel for power plants has also arrived. The ministry said a ship carrying 35,000 metric tons of jet fuel was due to arrive on the 15th of this month. The Ministry of Energy stated that the country has sufficient stocks of petrol.
Special transport services will be operational from today to Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
Special transport services will be operational from today (08) for the convenience of people traveling to rural areas for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Deputy General Manager of the Sri Lanka Transport Board, A. H. Mr. Panduka Swarnahansa stated that a special bus service plan has been launched from today. Superintendent of Railways Gamini Seneviratne said that several special trains have been added for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Meanwhile, the Director General of the National Transport Commission Nilan Mirenda stated that a program has been launched to refuel long distance buses from the Makumbura and Bastian Mawatha bus stands in line with the special bus schedule.