Unusual demand for fuel in March 2022, says Sri Lanka’s Energy Ministry

The government has today issued new rules on how long people with Covid need to isolate for.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka says that those arrested for protesting in Nugegoda CANNOT be charged under the PTA.54 persons who were engaged in the protest on Thursday (31) night at Mirihana, Nugegoda have been arrested by Sri Lanka Police. Police stated that a woman was among them.Two Police & army buses, a jeep, a three-wheeler, and two motorcycles were damaged, during the protest. Police said that five officers were injured in the protest.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Criminal Investigations Department has taken over the investigations on the Mirihana Protests, that took place on Thursday (31) night.Injuries :37 people were injured during the protest that took place in Pengiriwatte Road, Mirihana on Thursday (31) night.They are currently being treated at the Colombo National Hospital.Among the injured are 24 members of the Sri Lanka Police Special Task Force, 3 members from Sri Lanka Police, 3 Journalists, and 7 civilians.Arrests :53 persons who were engaged in the protest on Thursday (31) night at Mirihana, Nugegoda have been arrested by Sri Lanka Police. Police stated that a woman was among them.Two Police & army buses, a jeep, a three-wheeler, and two motorcycles were damaged, during the protest.

Doctors have noticed a reduction in the number of people contacting them with Covid-related queries, according to the Covid Lead with the Irish College of General Practicioners.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka says that those arrested for protesting in Nugegoda CANNOT be charged under the PTA.54 persons who were engaged in the protest on Thursday (31) night at Mirihana, Nugegoda have been arrested by Sri Lanka Police. Police stated that a woman was among them.Two Police & army buses, a jeep, a three-wheeler, and two motorcycles were damaged, during the protest. Police said that five officers were injured in the protest.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka has expressed interest in an IMF-supported financial program, announced, IMFs Spokesperson Gerry Rice.“We will initiate program discussions with the authorities, including during the Finance Minister’s visit to Washington, DC in April,” he added. Sri Lanka has expressed interest in an IMF-supported financial program. We will initiate program discussions with the authorities, including during the Finance Minister’s visit to Washington, DC in April.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The President’s Media Division announced on Friday (1) that an organized group of extremists were among those who were protesting at Jubilee Post, Nugegoda.The statement noted that the group acted in an unruly manner, and noted that this group armed with iron clubs, machetes, and sticks, had provoked the protesters and marched towards the President’s residence in Pengiriwatte, Mirihana.The President’s Media Division in a statement noted that most of those who acted in a violent manner were arrested, and it was identified that a majority of them were an organized group of extremists.They have spearheaded the campaign calling for an Arab Spring in Sri Lanka.The President’s Media Division also said that those who were arrested revealed that this unruly situation was created with the intention of enraging the public via planned anonymous social media gatherings.

COLOMBO (News 1st); 45 people who engaged in the protest on Thursday (31) night in Mirihana, Nugegoda have been arrested by Sri Lanka Police.Police stated that a woman was among them.Two Police & army buses, a jeep, a three-wheeler, and two motorcycles were damaged, during the protest.Police said that five officers were injured in the protest.Meanwhile, the Nugegoda-Maharagama 119 road has been closed.The Police further stated only the residents can travel on the relevant road until further notice.

Voluntary product recall covers these Skippy peanut butters with certain "best if used by" dates (Photo courtesy Skippy) Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread 40 ounces: Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread - Club 2/40 ounces: Skippy Reduced Fat Chunky Peanut Butter Spread 16.3 ounces: Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter with Plant Protein 14 ounces:No other Skippy peanut butter brands or jar sizes are included in the recall, the company said.RELATED: Milk of Magnesia products being recalled over possible contamination, FDA saysAdvertisementConsumers can return the products to a store to exchange or call Skippy Foods Consumer Engagement at 1-866-475-4779.

RELATED: Study: Wildfires from Washington, other states produced up to half of pollution in western U.S."As cardiologists, we are used to thinking about many traditional risk factors such as smoking, hypertension or diabetes," Moreyra said in a news release. "This study and others suggest maybe we should start thinking about air pollution and noise pollution as additional risk factors for cardiovascular disease."The study is one of the first to look at the link between noise and heart disease in America, but researchers said it aligns with other studies done in Europe. Moreyra said other dense urban areas would likely see a similar pattern.The study didn’t examine the biology behind the link, but noise can cause chronic stress, sleep loss, anxiety and depression, all of which can impact heart health, Moreyra said.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka has imposed a police curfew on multiple police sectors in the Capital City of Colombo until further notice.These areas are:COLOMBO CENTRAL DIVISIONPettah / Keselwatta / Dam Street / Wolfendhal Street / Fort / Slave Island / Maradana / MaligawattaCOLOMBO NORTH DIVISIONColombo Harbour / Fore shore / Modara / Kotahena / Mattakkuliya / Bloemendhal / Grandpass / Dematagoda / Mihijaya sewanaCOLOMBO SOUTH DIVISIONColpetty / Bambalapitiya / Kirulapone / Wellawatta / Narahenpita / BMICH / Borella / Cinnamon GardenNUGEGODA DIVISIONMirihana / Maharagama / Boralesgamuwa / Wellampitiya / Thalangama / Welikada / Nawagamuwa / Mulleriyawa / Homagama / Kottawa / Athurugiriya / Padukka / Hanwella / Gothatuwa / Meepe / Kaduwela / MalabeMOUNT LAVINIA DIVISIONMount Lavinia / Piliyandala / Angulana / Dehiwala / Kohuwala / Moratuwa / Kahathuduwa / Moratumulla / Egoda Uyana / KesbewaKELANIYA DIVISIONKelaniya / Kandana / Wattala/ Mahabage / Sapugaskanda / Biyagama / Meegahawatta / Ja – Ela / Ragama / Kiribathgoda / Kadawatha / EnderamullaAuthorities were compelled to impose a curfew after ugly scenes were witnessed on Thursday (31) night during protests against a mismanaged economy and rising cost of living.Scuffles broke out between protestors and security forces on Thursday (31) night when a peaceful protest proceeded towards the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence on the outskirts of the city, in Mirihana.Heavy police presence was witnessed in the area at first, and thereafter the Riot Police, Police Special Task Force, Sri Lanka Army, and Sri Lanka Navy personnel were called in to control the situation and prevent the protestors from proceeding towards the President’s house.It is still unclear if

Airbus news release. The plane had one of four engines that used 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which consists of a combination of cooking oils and fatty acids. The flight took off from the Blagnac Airport in Toulouse, France, at 8:43 a.m. and returned safely, the company said. The SAF used to fuel the plane was produced in Normandy, France by TotalEnergies, a company that creates sustainable sources of energy for a global market, according to the company website. The fuel was created from Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), which is free of aromatics and sulfur, according to Airbus. This is the third flight an Airbus aircraft has executed using 100% SAF over the past year, the company said.

Ontario’s health minister said the provincial government is “staying the course” on it’s decision to life the mandatory masking mandate, despite experts saying the province is now experiencing the sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.Christine Elliott made the remarks during a funding announcement at North York General Hospital on Thursday.The minister was asked whether there have been talks about potentially reinstating the mandatory mask mandate which was lifted earlier this month.“We’re staying the course, we don’t anticipate that we’ll need to move back to mandatory masking,” she said. “Except in certain locations where it is mandatory, most of it is discretionary.”Elliott said people should be “patient” and “kind” with one another, noting that some may feel more comfortable to continue wearing a mask in public settings.

National Advisory Committee on Immunization to release guidance today on fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccine.Christine Elliott told legislators that the advice will centre on what age groups should receive a fourth shot.NACI previously recommended that people who are “moderately to severely immunocompromised” receive a fourth dose of the vaccine six months after getting their third shot.The committee says that data on the fourth dose is currently limited, but those who are immunocompromised are at a higher risk both of severe outcomes of COVID-19 and of decreasing protection over time. 4th COVID-19 vaccine dose: What’s the science behind another booster? It comes as public health indicators tick upwards across Canada, with Quebec warning that a sixth wave of the pandemic has begun.Earlier this week, U.S.

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COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka will impose 12-hour power cuts on Friday (01), announced the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka.Groups ABCDEF:2 hours from 4 AM to 6 AM4 hours from 8 AM to 12 PM6 hours from 4 PM to 10 PMGroups GHIJKL:2 hours from 6 AM to 8 AM4 hours from 12 PM to 4 PM6 hours from 6 PM to 12 AMGroups PQRS: 2 hours from 4 AM to 6 AM4 hours from 8 AM to 12 PM6 hours from 4 PM to 10 PMGroups TUVW: 2 hours from 6 AM to 8 AM4 hours from 12 PM to 4 PM6 hours from 6 PM to 12 AMGroups MNOXYZ:3 hours and 30 minutes from 5.30 AM to 9 AM2 hours from 4 PM to 6 PM

COLOMBO (News 1st) ; People have gathered to stage a protest near the President’s residence in Pengiriwatte road in Mirihana today (31).Police were seen on premises attempting to curb the situation, and the people have initiated the protest against the rising cost of living, gas shortage and the fuel shortage, in addition to the electricity crisis.Many were seen holding boards and participating in the protest.Heavy traffic in the area has been reported due to the protest, while Police have set up obstacles.People were seen jeering at the scene demanding for immediate solutions for the issues. 

FILE IMAGE - Maxar satellite imagery closeup of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine on March 10, 2022. Satellite image (c) 2022 Maxar Technologies.

COVID-19.Peter Bethlenfalvy says he took a rapid test today after experiencing minor symptoms.Bethlenfalvy says he will be following all public health guidelines and will be working from home.The minister joined Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark and Government and Consumer Services Minister Ross Romano at a press conference at the legislature Wednesday.

Chloe Ferry has revealed she has undergone state of the art DNA testing in a bid to boost her thinning hair.The former Geordie Shore star claims that her luscious locks are thinning due to ongoing stress in her life, as well as years of extensions.Now, Chloe has undergone a genetic test used to discover the underlying factors of the development of alopecia and hair loss - at the award-winning hair transplant clinic Juvida.The test also focuses on providing fully-customised treatments for alopecia - a condition that hit the headlines after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at The Oscars for joking about Jada Pinkett Smith's buzzcut for her alopecia areata.While Chloe doesn't suffer from alopecia areata, she believes her stress levels "being very up and down" are the reason behind her hair thinning out.

COLOMBO (News 1st); When God gives rainfall and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation gives fuel, electricity will be supplied, says the Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), M.M.C. Ferdinando.Speaking at a press conference today (31), the CEB Chairman stated that when the country receives a diesel ship, the power plants can be soon activated, which will reduce the duration of power cuts. A heated situation also arose when a journalist proceeded to question the Minister of Power, Pavithra Wannaarachchi with regard to the plan of the Government in the near future regarding the power crisis, to which the Minister responded saying she does not know when it will rain.However, the journalist responded, saying that if he wanted to know of the next time when it will rain, he would inquire the Meteorology Department, and not the Minister, she still proceeded to say that she has no knowledge of the next time when it will rain, and alleged that just because there is no power, the media should not attempt to strike fear into the general public with regard to the matter.What really is the status of the power sector in Sri Lanka?The CEB Chairman M.M.C.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Member of Parliament Premalal Jayasekara alias ‘Choka Malli’ and two others who were convicted and sentenced to death, were acquitted and released by the Court of Appeal on Thursday (31).The order was made by Court of Appeal Justices Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and R. Gurusinghe.Appeals were filed by Premalal Jayasekera, Ex-Provincial Council Member Nilantha Jayasinghe and Ex-Kahawatte Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Vajira Darshan requesting that the death sentences imposed on them by the Ratnapura High Court be made null, and they be released and acquitted from all the indictments.On the 31st of July 2020, the trio was sentenced to death by the Ratnapura High Court on the indictments of shooting dead one person and injuring two others during the run-up to the 2015 Presidential Election in Kahawatte, Ratnapura.They were convicted of causing damage to an election propaganda campaign and shooting dead a person identified as Shantha Dodangoda.They file appeals challenging the death sentence noting that the verdict by the Ratnapura High Court was flawed.Premalal Jayasekera and the other two convicted men had filed petitions with the Court of Appeal citing that the manner in which the death sentence was imposed was in violation of the law, and they be acquitted and released.

Rules surrounding free universal testing will be changing from Friday, April 1 and will see a lot of people being forced to pay for lateral flow tests. It comes as Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced that Covid will be treated like any other respiratory infection such as the common cold or influenza.

VAN HORN, Texas - Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is set to launch its fourth human flight for the New Shepard program on Thursday, sending six passengers to the edge of space."Saturday Night Live" star Pete Davidson had initially been among the passengers slated to take flight. But the comedian abruptly dropped out of the mission after it was rescheduled and Davidson was replaced by Gary Lai, one of the first 20 Blue Origin employees.The five other passengers, who are paying customers, were identified as Party America CEO Marty Allen, philanthropist and Tricor International CEO Marc Hagle and his wife, Sharon Hagle, who founded the nonprofit SpaceKids Global, teacher and entrepreneur Jim Kitchen and Commercial Space Technologies President Dr.

The chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, Dame Henny Harries, has warned Covid-19 infections are at "a very high level" but are not translation into hospital admission and deaths. She appeared on BBC Radio 4' Today program to warn of the increasing levels of infections of the virus all across the UK.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board M.M.C. Ferdinando has said that Sri Lanka is forced to suspend the supply of electricity as the CEB cannot meet the demand.“We cannot generate over 300 MW of power from hydropower plants, and we need 800 MW of power from 6:30 PM to 10 PM daily from hydropower plants, and we cannot generate that requirement.

new coronavirus infections reported in a day, India's infection tally rose to 4,30,24,440, while the active cases dipped to 14,307, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated today.

interest rates coupled with new provincial taxes on non-resident buyers could send home prices down more than 10 per cent, according to an analyst with the Bank of Montreal.BMO senior economist Robert Kavcic wrote in a note to clients Wednesday morning that “there is now a full-scale attack on Canadian home prices across various levels of policy.”He cited marked expectations of surging interest rates in the months ahead and new or higher taxes on real estate speculators and non-resident buyers in some provinces as the biggest factors that could see home prices take a hit in the year ahead.Reuters reported this week that money markets are betting the Bank of Canada could raise its overnight rate target by up to 225 basis points before the end of 2022. Such a hike could see the key rate rapidly rise from its current 0.5 per cent level to 2.75 per cent over the next nine months.To do so, the central bank might take the rare step of raising interest rates by half a percentage point at its next meeting on April 13.

Shining a spotlight on two New Brunswick women assisting those displaced in Ukraine. Plus, continuing the conversation around alopecia awareness in the wake of the Oscars.

FILE - Scientists with NASA’s New Horizons mission have assembled this highest-resolution color view of one of two potential cryovolcanoes spotted on the surface of Pluto by the New Horizons spacecraft in July 2015. Slushies anyone? After years of research, scientists now hypothesize that giant dome-like formations that were first photographed by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft in 2015 were recently active icy volcanoes, also known as cryovolcanoes. Scientists guessed these cryovolcanoes expelled "slushy" ice water as opposed to molten lava. These formations could indicate that the interior of the giant space rock was warmer than previously thought, according to a study published in the journal Nature Communications on March 29. Researchers believe there may be an insulating layer under Pluto’s surface, kind of like the insulation in a coffee mug that keeps the liquid hot - the same principle applies to Pluto. This built-up heat within Pluto could be how these icy volcanoes produced viscous material and spewed out icy water or slush, Kelsi Singer, senior research scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado and lead author of the study, told FOX TV Stations. This recent theory allows scientists to view Pluto as a far more reactive space body than previously believed. "This area is by far the most numerous and the largest icy volcanoes found so far in the solar system," Singer said. "Besides just being a fun fact, this means that Pluto had to have more heat in its interior than we expected.

Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were 68% less likely to be hospitalized during the Omicron wave in the United States than unvaccinated children, according to a study published on Wednesday.

The Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield will today host a media briefing to provide updates on the response to the Omicron outbreak.

CAMDEN, N.J. - Emergency teams responded to the Early Childhood Development Center in Camden on Wednesday after sanitizer was discovered in milk cartons, according to the school district. The facility, which is for preschool and kindergarten students, is located at 1602 Pine Street. According to tweets released by Camden Schools, it was determined that some of the cartons contained a "non-toxic consumable sanitizer that runs through the vendor machines prior to milk." "Unfortunately, many cartons were filled with the sanitizer, sealed and then shipped out with the milk," officials announced on Twitter.

Among 91 COVID-19 pneumonia survivors in Austria, 54% had lung abnormalities on computed tomography (CT) imaging 1 year after symptom onset, suggests an observational study yesterday in Radiology.A team led by University of Innsbruck researchers evaluated the

Bruce Willis is “stepping away” from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia.

World Health Organization on Wednesday released an updated plan for COVID-19, laying out three possible scenarios for how the pandemic will evolve this year.“Based on what we know now, the most likely scenario is that the COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, but the severity of disease it causes reduces over time as immunity increases due to vaccination and infection,” Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a briefing.However, the WHO head cautioned that periodic spikes in cases and deaths may occur as immunity wanes, which may require periodic boosting for vulnerable populations.Talking about the other two potential scenarios, Tedros said either less severe variants will emerge and boosters or new formulations of vaccines will not be necessary, or a more virulent variant will emerge and protection from prior vaccination or infection will wane rapidly.

A further 9,610 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Scotland – with the nation's virus death toll increasing by 34.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka will impose 13-hour power cuts on Thursday (31), announced the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka.Groups ABCDEF: 3 hours from 3 AM to 6 AM 4 hours from 12 PM to 4 PM 6 hours from 6 PM to 12 AMGroups GHIJKL: 3 hours from 12 AM to 3 AM4 hours from 8 AM to 12 PM6 hours from 4 PM to 10 PMGroups PQRS: 3 hours from 3 AM to 6 AM4 hours from 12 PM to 4 PM6 hours from 6 PM to 12 AMGroups TUVW: 3 hours from 12 AM to 3 AM4 hours from 8 AM to 12 PM6 hours from 4 PM to 10 PMGroups MNOXYZ: 3 hours and 30 minutes from 5.30 AM to 9 AM 2 hours from 4 PM to 6 PM

GENEVA - The number of people killed by the coronavirus surged by more than 40% last week, likely due to changes in how COVID-19 deaths were reported across the Americas and by newly adjusted figures from India, according to a World Health Organization report released Wednesday.In its latest weekly report on the pandemic, the U.N. health agency said the number of new coronavirus cases fell everywhere, including in WHO's Western Pacific region, where they had been rising since December.About 10 million new COVID-19 infections and more than 45,000 deaths were reported worldwide over the past week, following a 23% drop in fatalities the week before.The jump in reported deaths, up from 33,000 last week, was due mainly to an accounting change; WHO noted that countries including Chile and the United States altered how they define COVID-19 deaths.In addition, more than 4,000 deaths from Maharashtra state in India that initially weren't included among the COVID-19 death toll were added last week, according to WHO.WHO has said repeatedly that COVID-19 case counts are likely a vast underestimate of the coronavirus’ prevalence.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan Ministers & MPs were mum when questions were posed to them on the present crises, following events on Tuesday (29).Labour Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva’s response to the crisis was “what country does not have a crisis?”.State Minister Sisira Jayakody noted that he was aware of the situation at filling stations, but did not prefer to comment any further.Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena admitted the fact that the people were struggling to survive, but only noted that the government is doing whatever it can.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court dismissed petitions filed challenging the gazette that declared it mandatory to be fully vaccinated to enter public places. These applications were turned down as per a majority decision of the five-judge bench of the Supreme Court.The Extraordinary Gazette:Sri Lanka’s Health Minister has issued an Extraordinary Gazette preventing unvaccinated people from entering or being in public places on 25th January 2022.People must have proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to enter public places starting 30 April.The Gazette noted that “A person shall not enter any public place without having the proof of being fully vaccinated against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID – 19) unless exempted by the Proper Authority in respect of the whole of Sri Lanka.”“For the purposes of this regulation “fully vaccinated ” means that the relevant person has obtained the required doses of the relevant vaccination as specified by the Director – General of Health Services”, it added.

WHO highlighted that during the week of 21 through 27 March 2022, the number of new cases declined again with a 14% decrease as compared to the previous week. On the other hand, during the same period, the number of new weekly deaths has increased by 43%, driven by changes in the definition of COVID-19 deaths in countries in the Region of the Americas (Chile and the United States of America) and retrospective adjustments reported from India in the South-East Asia Region.

The effects of the long St Patrick's weekend are yet to be seen on Ireland's Covid figures, according to a Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Connolly Hospital in Dublin.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka will impose 10 hours of power cuts on Wednesday (30) due to the unavailability of fuel for 750MW of thermal capacity,Groups ABCDEF: 10 hours from 2 PM to 12 AM Groups GHIJKL: 6 hours from 8 AM to 2 PM & 4 hours from 6 PM to 10 PM Groups PQRS: 10 hours from 2 PM to 12 AMGroups TUVW: 6 hours from 8 AM to 2 PM & 4 hours from 6 PM to 10 PMGroups MNOXYZ: 10 hours from 8 AM to 6 PMLocations for the respective groups :Group_ABCDEFGHIJKL_R7Group_PQRSTUVW_R5Group_MNOXYZ_R0

COLOMBO (News 1st); The National Water Supply and Drainage Board has warned that it would not able to supply water to many areas if it does not receive Diesel for the generators that are used to generate electricity at Treatment Plants, during power outages.Deputy General Manager for the Western (Central) Region A. K.

coronavirus tests will only be available to certain people from this week.Universal testing is set to come to an end on Friday (1 April).This means people will have to pay if they want to get a lateral flow test.The measure comes as part of the UK government's 'Living with Covid' plan, with the virus being treated like other respiratory infections.However, according to the new plans, which were revealed on Tuesday (29 March), free symptomatic testing will be provided for certain people, such as patient-facing NHS workers. Under these proposals, asymptomatic lateral flow tests will also continue next month for certain settings where the possibility of coronavirus spreading quickly is at a high level.

PEORIA, Ariz. - The Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) says an investigation into a group trafficking large amounts of meth and illegal weapons to Mexico has ended in the arrest of four suspects.In February of this year, Bart Graves, a DPS spokesperson, says detectives with the DPS's Border Strike Force Bureau and the Pinal County Investigations Unit began an investigation into the coordination between the suspects, saying drugs and high-powered rifles were believed to be headed from Arizona to Mexico.By mid-March, detectives and SWAT conducted an operation that led to the arrest of the four suspects, one of them being a 17-year-old boy. Graves says five guns and 127 pounds of meth were seized."As the suspects were being arrested, detectives discovered one of the suspects had his one and a half year-old infant with him, with firearms in the vehicle next to the child.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said the loss of tourism and remittances from expatriate workers, alongside the cost of healthcare programs, and provisions of welfare for those whose lives were affected by the pandemic have combined with rising global inflation, and our historic debt servicing obligation created a challenging situation for Sri Lanka today.President Rajapaksa speaking at the fifth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit in Colombo noted “However, I am confident, together with the remarkable strength and resilience of the people, tried and tested over time, and the cooperation of regional and international partners, Sri Lanka will prevail over these difficulties and engineer rapid economic recovery.”He appreciated the support of several BIMSTEC states in the aforementioned endeavor.“Enhanced cooperation between member states will be necessary not only for economic recovery but also for greater economic prosperity, better public health, and improved regional resilience in the long-term,” said the President noting he is confident of achieving these aspirations.“The signing of the BIMCTEC charter will be a significant step towards increasing the organization’s role, not just within the region, but also as a driving force in global affairs,” he noted.He said that the Bay of Bengal Region is increasingly important for global connectivity and trade, adding that the international shipping lines that navigate through these waters help keep the engines of the global economy running.President Rajapaksa said it is essential for nations to work together to ensure that the threats to these waters and regional states are curtailed.“Such