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Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa dropped his brother as finance minister on Monday after calling for a unity government as protests against an economic crisis persisted and cracks emerged in the ruling coalition, Reuters reported.

The debt-laden country, run by Rajapaksa and his brothers in top positions, is struggling to pay for imports of fuel and other goods due to a scarcity of foreign exchange, leading to hours-long power cuts and a shortage of essentials.

Street protests against the government continued on Monday with crowds gathering in several towns, including in southern Tangalle where people holding posters and the national flag broke through police barricades, local media reported.

"Four ministers were appointed to ensure parliament and other tasks can be conducted in a lawful manner until a full Cabinet can be sworn in," Rajapaksa's media office said in a statement after cabinet ministers resigned in a bid to resolve the crisis.

It said Justice Minister Ali Sabry would be the new finance minister, replacing Gotabaya's brother Basil Rajapaksa, who was due to visit Washington this month for talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a loan programme, according to Reuters.

Previous ministers of foreign affairs, education and highways will keep their positions.

"The president invites all political parties representing in the parliament to come together to accept ministerial portfolios in order to find solutions to this national crisis," the president's media office said, calling for a unity government.

Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said on Twitter he had also offered to quit.

'OLD WINE'

Udaya Gammanpila, the chief of one of the 11 political parties comprising the ruling coalition, rejected Rajapaksa's move, calling the new cabinet "old wine in a new bottle".

"Our demand is for an all-party interim government to restore essential services and to hold a parliamentary election," Gammanpila of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya party wrote on Twitter. "People should decide their next leaders, not anybody else."

Charmara Nakandala, a protester, said the cabinet changes were temporary attempts to placate the public, Reuters reported.

"This cabinet change is to try and fool the people," Nakandala, a marketing executive, said at a protest in Colombo, the main city. "This government is over. Rajapaksas no longer can save this by playing musical chairs."

Locals have no bound of happiness as the Jayanagar-Kurtha Rail service has operated finally. 

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi jointly inaugurated the railway service from New Delhi on Saturday. 

The rail that left at 8.30 am on Sunday had arrived at Janakpur station at around 10.15 am the same day. 

The rail that reached Janakpur from Jayanagar through Kurtha on the first day since its opening was packed with passengers on both ordinary and AC seats, shared Director-General of Nepal Railway Company, Niranjan Jha. 

He further said the railway service is smooth and regular on its scheduled time. The timetable has been set in a way that the rail comes and goes twice a day, he added.

As per the timetable, the rail leaves from Jayanagar at 8.30 am and 3.00 pm while another rail leaves from Kurtha at 10.30 am and 5.15 pm. 

The dwellers of Dhanusha who had long been awaiting railway service now are elated with the smooth operation of rail. 

Sanjaya Jha, a local youth, expressed his confidence that the area in and around Janakpuir would transform within a few years with the smooth operation of railway service. 

He said the area would witness a huge inflow of religious tourists and local production would get market which he believed would change the landscape of the area. RSS

Nepal reported 33 new Covid-19 cases on Monday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 2, 942 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 32 returned positive. Likewise, 2, 117 people underwent antigen tests, of which one was tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 89 infected people recovered from the disease.

As of today, there are 842 active cases in the country.

Nepal beat Papua New Guinea by 50 runs to claim the title of Tri-Nation T20I Series on Monday.

Sent into bat first after losing the toss, Nepal scored 168 runs by losing six wickets in the allotted 20 overs.

Dipendra Singh Airee scored highest 54 runs off 38 balls with five fours while Karan KC contributed 33 runs off 12 balls hitting one six and five boundaries.

Similarly, Asif Sheikh made 29 runs and Kushal Bhurtel scored 25 runs. Adil Ansari scored 15 runs while other players failed to score in double digit.

Likewise, Airee claimed the highest four wickets for Nepal and skipper Sandeep Lamichhane took two wickets. Karan KC claimed three wickets.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 14. 88 points to close at 2,498.53 points on Monday.

Similarly, the sensitive dropped by 2. 46 points to close at 466. 56 points.

A total of 3,429,917 units of the shares of 226 companies were traded for Rs 1. 58 billion.

Meanwhile, Rastra Utthan Laghubitta Sanstha Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 10 percent. Likewise, Citizens Mutual Fund was the top loser with its price dropped by 5.66 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 54 trillion.

Barcelona's teenage sensation Pedri scored a magnificent goal in the second half to secure a 1-0 win over fading Sevilla on Sunday as they climbed above their opponents into second spot in LaLiga after extending their winning streak to six games, Reuters reported.

The 19-year-old Pedri created and scored the winner in a similar style to the trademark goals Lionel Messi scored for Barcelona before leaving to join Paris St Germain last year.

The midfielder was surrounded by defenders just outside the box but with three quick moves he left three opponents on the ground before finally finding a gap and rifling a precise shot past goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and inside the far post.

Barca are level on 57 points with Sevilla, who slipped to fourth, and third-placed Atletico Madrid but with a game in hand having played 29 matches. Real Madrid are top with 69 from 30.

Pedri's goal in the 72nd minute broke the deadlock in a nervy game that could have gone either way as Sevilla made it difficult for Barca, dominating the majority of the first half and creating several opportunities to score at a packed Camp, according to Reuters.

But coach Xavi Hernandez's side took control as the second half wore on, with Bounou making at least four great stops from Barca strikes from close range, before Pedri worked his magic.

"Pedri is a superlative player," Xavi told reporters.

"I always tell him to take his chances from outside the box. It's a player that I don't have a comparison for, he is unique with his talent both as a creator and as a finisher."

Pedri praised his team mates and thanked the fans who ended the match chanting his name.

"It's a crazy sensation listening to these fans, this stadium is amazing," Pedri told reporters, Reuters reported.

"Every time I saw a leg in front of me I just jinked. When I made the last jink and shot, I knew I had it. I knew it was a goal."

The political parties affiliated to the ruling coalition have decided to move ahead by forging electoral alliances in all local levels and district coordination committees of Chitwan.

A joint meeting of the coalition parties held on Monday decided to move ahead by forging electoral alliances in the local level elections scheduled for May 13.

"The parties have decided to move ahead by forging electoral alliance in all the seven local levels and district coordination committees," read a statement issued today.

Nepali Congress President Rajeshwor Khanal, CPN (Maoist Centre) Coordinator Ram Chandra Adhikari, CPN (Unified Socialist) In-Charge Krishna Prasad Khanal, Janata Samajbadi Party Chairman Prem Bhujel and Rastriya Janamorcha Party Chairman Dambar Puri in the district-level meeting.

Three children died following a cooking gas cylinder explosion at Lama Tole in Maneshwora of Bahrabise Municipality-8, Sindhupalchowk on Sunday.

Locals said that the incident took place at the house of Min Bahadur Tamang at around 7 pm yesterday.

The deceased have been identified as Min Bahadur's son Ishak Tamang (10), his brother Kumar Tamang's six-year-old son Sargam Tamang and neighbour Padam Tamang's two-year-old daughter Dibya Tamang.

Ward Chairman Suraj Tamang said that they died in a fire triggered by the cooking gas cylinder explosion.

Min Bahadur, however, sustained injuries in the incident.

He has been taken to a hospital for treatment.