Apr 15 (TM) Despite the Govt passing a number of regulations and imposing restrictions on the financial sector, complaints have been received that the banks were not complying with some of these regulations, such as providing working capital loans in a timely manner. CB Governor Prof. W.D. Lakshman said that regulations are being followed to a large extent. “They (banks) are following the regulations to a large extent more..

Apr 15 (CNBC) World Health Organization officials said Monday not all people who recover from the coronavirus have the antibodies to fight a second infection, raising concern that patients may not develop immunity after surviving Covid-19. “With regards to recovery and then reinfection, I believe we do not have the answers to that. That is an unknown,” Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO’s emergencies program, said at a press conference at organization’s Geneva hq. more..

Apr 15 (ST) Jacklin Mariyan Victor went to Australia to visit her sister. On March 19, the 31-year-old from Trincomalee was transiting in Kuala Lumpur on her return to Sri Lanka when that airport shut down. “I have been sleeping in the terminal on chairs with blankets,” she told the Sunday Times via telephone this week. “I have been buying my own food from the shops here. It is very expensive.” A few travellers from other countries are similarly in limbo. Jacklin is the only Sri Lankan. more..

Apr 15 (CT) The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief has urged President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to follow WHO guidelines on the disposal of deceased persons. Writing to the President, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion said: We would like to encourage your Excellency’s Govt to reconsider the provisions in the MoH Guideline by taking into account of the key considerations provided more..

Apr 15 (Forbes) SL coach Mickey Arthur admits hunkering down at The Taj hotel in Colombo is getting claustrophobic. With Sri Lanka in lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, Arthur calculates he has had more than 40 room service meals alone - as his wife and children live in Perth, Western Australia. His only social exposure has been occasionally seeing other hotel guests – only about 10 remain - at breakfast or the gym. Nights are spent watching Netflix and he also devoured more..

Apr 15 (AOL) Villagers and wildlife officers in Sri Lanka worked together to help an elephant that had become trapped in a canal for more than 10 hours. The elephant was rescued from Maduru Oya's Z.D main canal near Medagama on Monday, after wandering out from the nearby Aluthwewa forest reserve. The animal fell into the main canal from the Verarana area in Aralaganwila, but was washed around 10km downstream before being hauled out. The elephant, estimated to be around 40 yrs more..

Apr 15 (AD) Fourteen new cases of COVID-19 infections have been confirmed. Accordingly, 15 new cases have been reported as of 10.30 pm today (14). With the addition of the new cases jump the total figure of coronavirus infections in the country to 233. All 15 cases have been reported from quarantine centers across the country. Eight of the confirmed patients have been identified at the Palaly quarantine center, while more..

Apr 15 (DM) While there are hardly any humans to be seen in Ampara with the islandwide curfew strictly enforced, animals have come out in their numbers to enjoy the sun and rain. Over the past few days, a large number of crocodiles have been seen in the river near the South Eastern University. Area residents said that crocodiles, some 9, 5 and 4 feet long, have been seen coming out of the river when there is heavy rain. With the streets deserted, area residents claimed that they have spotted more..

Apr 15 (EN) SL’s rupee gained to 190.50/191.50 levels to the US dollar in the spot market after opening weaker in the one month market, while sentiment was boosted by expectations of dollar inflow from Lanka Orix Leasing Company, dealers said, while bonds were flat. The rupee traded had traded as weak as 195.50 levels to the US dollar in the one month market and a state bank that usually acts for the monetary authority started selling dollars to customers at around 193.80 levels, more..

Apr 15 (PMD) Prez Rajapaksa chaired a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat today to explore the possibility of immediate resumption of day-to-day economic activities at provincial levels in order to safeguard the national economy. Several representatives of the health sector including all the Provincial Directors of Health briefed the Prez on current situation in the country. Prez instructed the Provincial Directors of Health to make more..

Apr 15 (DM) Suspension of scheduled flights of SriLankan Airlines due to Coronavirus outbreak has been extended till April 30. "As the travel restrictions imposed by the countries in our global network continue to be in place due to the COVID 19 pandemic, SriLankan Airlines is compelled to extend the temporary suspension of its scheduled passenger flights till April 30, 2020. The Airlines’ cargo services will continue to operate from its worldwide network and special flights as and more..

Apr 15 (SLN) The Navy, on 15th April 2020, rendered assistance to transport essential supplies to the Panama area, for distribution among community. As a measure to curb the spread of novel coronavirus in the country, the government introduced a new mechanism to deliver essential supplies to the doorstep of community. Going by this initiative, the Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society in Pottuvil conducted a programme to distribute essential commodities among the people in more..

Apr 15 (EN) Prez Rajapaksa has a tough task ahead as he has to choose between holding elections on time at the end of May risking a fresh outbreak of COVID 19 infections or face a full-blown Constitutional crisis. With the Parliament dissolved a newly elected House needs to sit by June 2nd and to do so elections have to be held within the next few weeks. All this is simple, if you are to listen to Minister Wimal Weerawansha. more..

Apr 15 (PMD) Curfew currently in force in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Puttalam, Kandy and Jaffna which have been identified as High Risk Zones will continue until further notice. In all other districts, curfew will be lifted at 6 am tomorrow, Thursday, 16th April and will be re-imposed at 4 pm on the same day. Curfew in these areas will be effective until 6 am on Monday, 20th April. Imposing curfew in these districts after 6am on April 20th will be notified later. more..

Apr 15 (AD) Two more persons have tested positive for the novel coronavirus – COVID-19 – as of 5.30 pm today (15) says the Ministry of Health. The total count of coronavirus cases in Sri Lanka now stands at 235. According to the Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry, 165 active cases are under medical care at IDH, Welikanda Base Hospital, Colombo East Base Hospital and Iranawila Hospital. In the meantime, Sri Lanka’s tally of recoveries from the virus climbed to 63 today. more..

Apr 15 (AD) Investigations have revealed that Riyadh Bathiudeen –brother of former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen– has had direct links with an Easter Sunday suicide bomber. On a day close to April 21, Riyadh Bathiudeen had met with one of the suicide bombers at a reputed hotel, said the Police Spokesman SP Jaliya Senaratne. The suspects arrested yesterday (14) had borne titles at various welfare societies & organizations more..

Apr 15 (SN) Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) patrol boat Le Vigilant on Monday this week intercepted a Sri Lankan registered fishing boat that was spotted by Seychelles Air Force (SAF) Dornier aircraft East of Denis Island. The vessel, Sampath (IMU-A-0911KLP), with six fishermen, suspected to be engaged in illegal fishing, has been escorted to Port Victoria where she is now anchored and quarantined as per existing health procedures in place, while necessary legal procedures are undertaken. more..

Apr 15 (DM) At least 100 people from Gunasinghapura, Grandpass and Wella Street in Colombo, who were suspected to have contacts with a COVID-19 patient, have been sent for Sampur quarantine centre by the Navy. Navy Spokesman Isuru Sooriyabandara said the naval personnel carried out an operation to identify those individuals for having contacts with a COVID-19 patient from Suduwella in Ja-Ela. Meanwhile, Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi stated that as at 4.30 pm no more..

Apr 15 (AD) The patients who tested positive for the novel coronavirus during the past few days appear to have a low viral load in them, says the Director General of Health Services. The spread of COVID-19 in the community is also at a minimum level as of now, Dr. Anil Jasinghe said. He explained that out of the 15 COVID-19 cases confirmed yesterday, 8 were found from Palali quarantine centre while 4 of them were more..

Apr 16 (CT) The issue of burying or cremating Muslims died of Covid-19 has created terrible consternation and feeling of bitterness within the Muslim community both inside and outside SL. This is understandable, because rules of Islam prohibit cremation except under extreme circumstances such as when dead bodies threaten to spread a deadly infection through the buried. So far there is absolutely no evidence for such occurrence in the case of death through Covid-19. more..

Apr 16 (CT) No one can foretell what accidents and disasters will happen and when. But mankind has always paid heed to possibilities. Some disasters arrive with little forewarning. And when a disaster strikes, it takes away the time to prepare against. Hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, wild fires, floods and the likes, all take us unawares most of the time overtaking the human conquest of technology and beating the highly advanced and sophisticated forecasts. more..

Apr 16 (Roar) Online messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Viber, Signal, and Telegram have become pivotal sources of information in the digital age. While these platforms facilitate positive communication and create a sense of community, it is also a breeding ground for misinformation and disinformation that can cause confusion, at best, and physical harm or death, at worst. This is particularly evident during national or global crises when more..

Apr 16 (Roar) On 9th April, hundreds of people in Doluwa, in the Kandy district, came to the road demanding food and relief in the context of the three-week-long indefinite curfew. Media coverage showed one woman saying she had only had boiled jackfruit for four meals, another man asking what he could give to his four children to eat and several complaining that they were helpless as they could not engage in daily work that was their livelihood. One woman said there were many poor more..

Apr 16 (DM) Long before the 2019 Presidential Election, stalwarts of United National Party (UNP) and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and their closet lackeys painted Gotabaya Rajapaksa as a monster. Gotabaya was a Rajapaksa, after all, and Rajapaksas are the villains of the peace, as far as these worthies are concerned. From their point of view, then, it was a valid fear. Except for a few uncomfortable truths which they feign ignorance of, let’s nutshell them. more..

Apr 16 (TM) With the Covid-19 pandemic virtually shutting down all economic activity in Sri Lanka and pushing the rupee further down to record lows, the Govt has resorted to restrictions on imports to save foreign exchange. At a time like this, it is imperative that the local industries are given the necessary concessions so that they could start manufacturing most products that are currently being imported from other countries. more..

Apr 16 (CT) It's close to a month since Sri Lanka declared a nationwide curfew as the corona virus spread around the globe. Outside mainland China, Italy was the first to succumb to the pandemic, with a soaring number of cases and mounting deaths, followed by Spain and the United States. The world witnessed mighty industrial nations struggle as the virus took its toll, while smaller nations such as Sri Lanka fared better during this health crisis. As humanity battles COVID-19, more..

Apr 16 (ST) Cabinet decides to suspend or limit imports of all items except pharmaceuticals and fuel.” It was a news item that popped up through media last week. I was not surprised with that and, I even anticipated more. Import controls had already begun two weeks ago with controls over motor vehicle and non-essential imports. I thought to myself that, if necessary, we can limit even pharmaceuticals and fuel imports. For the former, we need to divert our people into indigenous more..

Apr 16 (GV) Easter Sunday attacks were brutal and unprecedented. It surfaced communal prejudices and certain phobias that SL society lives with. There is a paradoxical narrative that may help us understand some of these phobias and prejudices. This narrative is paradoxical because it is driven by suspicion towards conservative Islamic practices that are in some contexts mirrored by conservative Sinhala Buddhist attitudes. Though there seems to be admiration among some of more..

Apr 16 (Island) Some self-appointed social media practitioners are behaving like a troop of mad monkeys, wielding straight razors. They are having a field day, in these troubled times, disseminating, as they do, misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic and the attendant issues. These elements have caused immense suffering to pets by claiming that the latter transmit coronavirus. Some people have taken their claim seriously, panicked and abandoned their pets, on roads, we are told. more..

Apr 16 (DM) After spending a wintry fortnight in the UK, we landed in Sri Lanka on the evening of March 16. I was on my way to Heathrow Airport when the news reached me that travellers from the UK would be sent to quarantine centres. This was confirmed to me by the airline staff at the airport. After an almost 12-hour flight, and three-hour transit, we were instructed to remain in the plane while the others disembarked. more..

Apr 16 (DM) Whosoever would have ever thought or even dreamt, when we wished each other a happy New Year on January 1 this year, that the Easter celebrations by Christians on April 12 and the National New Year celebrations by Sinhala Buddhists and Tamil Hindus on April 13 and 14 would be eclipsed or overshadowed by the hitherto little known virus, now come to be known as the new coronavirus or COVID-19, which had stealthily made its inroads into nearly every country in world. more..

Apr 16 (Island) How can Sri Lanka restart its economy? European governments are starting to ponder how to re-open factories, offices and schools, while taking action to minimize the chances of further outbreaks. Austria will be the first country in Europe to reopen shops after Easter. Pressure will build up on all govts to explain their plans, because of the mounting economic costs of measures designed to contain coronavirus. It will be compounded by fears that food supplies and more..

Apr 16 (TM) At a day and age where we are so used to buying almost everything off the shelf, attracted to all the imported products and looking for what looks good online, the current crisis situation has been difficult for most of us. While we are restricted with what we can buy, most supermarkets are still figuring out the process on how to cater to the online purchasing demand, and most of us are limited to buying produce more..

Apr 16 (Island) The British Council, SL organised the Sri Lanka English Language Teacher Educator Conference (SLELTEC) 2020 in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, to showcase the achievements of English teacher educators in the country and reflect on current issues and possible future challenges locally and regionally. Held during the first week of March at the MAS Athena in Thulhiriya, participants included English teacher educators in the state sector, lecturers at more..

Apr 16 (FT) The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) yesterday wrote to the Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya to facilitate a meeting of all political party leaders and general secretaries, to discuss what it called an attempt by the Government to force the EC to hold an early election. SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said that an election cannot be held to suit only one party’s agenda and requested the EC to call for an urgent meeting to discuss matter. more..

Apr 16 (ST) A new survey assessing the behaviour of Sri Lankans during COVID-19 has revealed that nearly 2/3rds of the respondents felt that the crisis affected their families only partially while 30% felt that they were impacted severely. “Many felt that the impact was disruptive from many angles as expected but some did appreciate the opportunities that came with it also. Disruption of social life and education of children were the key concerns,” more..

Apr 16 (CT) As we all know, these are uncertain times affecting lives in unimaginable ways. We need to work together if we are to move forward as a nation. We need to support one another. We must come forward to help each other. It is then that we can hope to come through this global pandemic. Every day we hear how badly the farmers are affected by the current situation. With a plentiful harvest they were preparing to celebrate a great New Year. more..

Apr 16 (MWL) Sri Lanka is among the top South Asian nations in various demographic and economic indicators. It maintains a high literacy rate of more than 90%, and an impressive GDP per capita: $4,102 in 2018. The country’s telecom industry is also on a good footing with the presence of various established groups like Axiata, Bharti Airtel and CK Hutchison contributing to mobile subscriber penetration of almost 150%, and 4G coverage of 95% of the population. more..