Mar 17 (FT) In the previous part in this series, we cautioned Sri Lanka’s voters that during the present election season, there has been an ominous upsurge in religious and cultural fundamentalist ideas in the country. Fundamentalists close their minds to opposite views, on one side, and seek to establish their own views on religion and culture as the most supreme, on the other. This is driven partly by fear and partly by desire to dominate others. This need not be the case in a country where more..

Mar 17 (AD) An extraordinary gazette notification has been issued, prohibiting export or re-export of disposable surgical face masks and N-95 type face masks without the prior written approval of National Medicines Regulatory Authority. The gazette, signed by Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi, was published yesterday. In the meantime, a Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of Rs 50 has been declared for disposable surgical face masks and an MRP of Rs 325 for N-95 type face masks. more..

Mar 17 (EN) Prez Rajapaksa vented his frustrations today at irresponsible behaviour by Sri Lankans in the face of the COVID19 threat, videos released by Prez Secretariat showed. Addressing the Presidential Task Force assembled to deal with the coronavirus threat the Prez appeared visibly angry at several events. “I asked them not to play the Royal-Thomian Big match,” Prez said. “But they said the Royal-Thomian must be played and more..

Mar 17 (EN) Election Commission has extended the March 17 postal voting application deadline for a few more days due to the special holidays declared over the coronavirus pandemic, an official statement said. The Govt Information Department said the Election Commission Chairman had declared the deadline for postal voting applications for the general elections to be held on April 25 will be announced later. The deadline was set at midnight on March 17, however due to the holidays, more..

Mar 17 (AD) Commander of SL Army, Lt General Shavendra Silva has been tasked to spearhead the National Operation Center for Prevention of COVID- 19 Outbreak. This National Operation Centre was set up on the directive of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Sri Jayewardenepura, Rajagiriya. It will coordinate preventive and management measures to ensure that healthcare and other services are well geared to serve the general public. All officials depending on the exigency of services more..

Mar 17 (AD) The number of COVID-19 positive cases in Sri Lanka has climbed to 34, says Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi. She mentioned this at a special media briefing by the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO). One of the 6 new patients is the wife of a tour guide who tested positive previously. Among the patients who been infected with the virus, 2 persons had returned to SL more..

Mar 17 (DM) Several railway services along the main, coastal, Kelani Valley, Northern and Chilaw lines had been suspended today following instructions by the Railways General manager, Control Room said. 34 trains operating on the mainline, 14 trains on the Chilaw line, 22 trains on the Coastal line, 12 on the Kelani Valley railway line, two trains on the Talaimannar line and four trains on the Northern line had been suspended. Several railbuse services were also suspended, more..

Mar 17 (DM) The Sri Lanka Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (SLCPI) urging calm yesterday assured the public that despite the global impact of coronavirus, there is no shortage in availability of essential drugs in Sri Lanka. In a statement to media, SLCPI said that all major pharmaceutical importers have inventory and stock for at least three months and sometimes even more, hence panic buying of medicines as a reaction to the coronavirus is unnecessary. more..

Mar 17 (AD) Sri Lanka is not at a point where the entire country should be quarantined, says Prez Rajapaksa. Addressing the meeting of National Operations Centre for the Prevention of Covid-19, Prez noted that arrival of passengers in to the country should be halted. He emphasized that every citizen must act responsibly with regard to the prevention of the virus in Sri Lanka and the quarantine process, more..

Mar 17 (BDC) The England and Wales Cricket Board may enter into a legal battle with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to determine the way World Test Championship points to be allocated after the postponement of the two Test series amidst coronavirus scare world wide. A potential reshuffle of the fixture which might be on January next year is considered but that schedule would also be tight for England who would tour India in the 2nd half of that month for a series comprised of 5 Tests. more..

Mar 17 (Unian) A total of 105 Ukrainian citizens are stranded in the city of Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka after Boryspil Int'l Airport near Kyiv, as they claim, has refused to accept their plane, and therefore, the air carrier did not allow them to board a flight with a leg in Dubai. Passengers say their tour operator earlier confirmed that the flight would go as scheduled, according to newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda. However, later Ukrainians were denied check-in on their FlyDubai flight. more..

Mar 17 (AD) Accepting cash for tickets over the counter at Railway Stations has been stopped until further notice, stated the SL Railway Station Master’s Union. Further, accepting parcels for transport has also been stopped. Considering the spread of COVID-19, the Union stated that this decision will be in effect from 12 noon today. If a Station Master of a Railway Station becomes infected with the virus, relevant Railway Station will have to be quarantined, Union pointed out. more..

Mar 17 (DM) 35 out of 277 residents in the Matara District who had returned to Sri Lanka from several countries have gone missing, Matara District Health Services Director Dr. Upali Karunaratne said yesterday at a special meeting held at the Matara District Secretariat. The meeting had been organised on the instructions of Minister Dulles Alahapperuma with the participation of heads of all departments in the Matara District. “The public need not panic as not a single person suspected of more..

Mar 17 (EN) Sajith Premadasa is calling for the whole country to be quarantined to prevent the further spread of the COVID19 virus. Former Leader of Opposition said the govt is not following int'l trends where elections are being postponed, major events whether they are sporting events or traditional celebrations are being cancelled. “Like Nero fiddled as Rome burned, the govt is dreaming of electoral victory as more..

Mar 17 (Island) SL-China Friendship Association (SLCFA) urged Sri Lankans to follow the advice given by health authorities and requested the govt to listen to experts on epidemics and take the necessary tough decisions. SLCFA has said in a statement: "On Monday Director General of Health Services, Dr. Anil Jasinghe told media that certain affluent individuals had done COVID-19 tests at private hospitals, tested positive and opted for self-quarantine at their homes. more..

Mar 17 (DM) Talks are ongoing to get all factions of the UNP to contest the general election together before nominations close on Thursday, UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam told a press conference held yesterday. “We are making every effort to get all factions of the party under one roof. However, we will be compelled to contest independently if other groups do not agree,” he said. When asked if Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) & UNP would confront each other at election, more..

Mar 17 (DM) Health Ministry is in the process of tracking down all those who came in close contact with the Sri Lankan Airlines First Officer at the big match held between Royal College and St. Thomas' College last weekend and is informing them to go into self quarantine immediately after the officer tested positive for the coronavirus. Sources said that several individuals who attended the big match, and were in the same tent as the pilot more..

Mar 17 (DM) Dismissing social media reports that Minister Dinesh Gunawardana has contracted COVID-19 through a ministry official, the ministry said he had not come into contact with the said officer who returned to Colombo on March 8. “The officer concerned attended the ministry only on one working day of last week prior to the return of a family member to Colombo who had been infected with the virus. On learning this, the ministry took precautionary measures to avoid and more..

Mar 17 (USE) U.S. Ambassador to SL Alaina B. Teplitz presented a donation of Dupont Tyvek coveralls, nitrile gloves, heavy duty work gloves, boot covers, and cleaning supplies to Major General (Rtd) GA Chandrasiri, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka, at Bandaranaike International Airport on behalf of the American people. The equipment will help protect airport personnel and prevent the spread of COVID-19. The donation is part of U.S. efforts to assist Sri Lanka. more..

Mar 18 (CT) For three months Sri Lankans watched the burgeoning coronavirus crisis in other parts of the world with a measure of equanimity as something that was faraway and int'l rather than national. There was a belief that the country’s warm climate would better protect it against inroads by COVID-19. More than the discovery of the first 28 victims of the virus as of Monday it has been the decisiveness of the govt’s delayed response that has caused a measure of alarm. more..

Mar 18 (CT) A new corona virus is rampaging across the length and breadth of the globe killing thousands. As of 16th Mar 2020, Covid-19 has infected over 174,000 people in over 100 countries and killed over 6700 patients. This was declared a pandemic on the 11th March 2020 by the WHO by virtue of its wideness and speed of spread. Corona is a respiratory virus. It spreads by inhalation of droplets containing the virus either directly from air or by transmitting through one’s own hands more..

Mar 18 (CT) With the number of COVID-19 cases outside China increasing 13-fold and the number of affected countries tripling within the past two weeks, WHO declared the virus a pandemic. The total number of COVID-19 cases is closing on 150,000 with 149,181 confirmed by last evening, and 5,602 deaths around the world. With the number of confirmed COVID-19 patients rising to eight by last afternoon, more..

Mar 18 (ST) In a recent video clip, Singapore’s Minister of Health Gan Kim Yong was seen giving a comprehensive overview in Parliament on the country’s health status vis-à-vis the new coronavirus. “We should regularly wash our hands with soap and avoid touching our faces. At a meeting of the Ministerial Task Force, while I was speaking I was touching my face until another minister nudged me not to do it,” he said smiling, amidst laughter from the others. In another incident, more..

Mar 18 (ST) Recently, there was an interesting video clip circulating around. It showed how people have changed their greeting tradition from hand-shaking to leg-shaking. Touching each other’s hands is a common way of transmitting coronavirus. It is at this time that, perhaps, the world would begin to value some of the traditional Asian ways of greeting, including that of Sri Lanka of palms joined together. But getting closer to each other should be avoided too. more..

Mar 18 (CT) Cosmetics such as makeups, creams and perfumes have been in use for thousands of years. Egyptian history shows evidence for using eye-liners and eye shadows while ancient Sumerians were possibly the first to invent and wear lipstick, about 5,000 years ago. Today, the cosmetic market plays a major role in building up the self confidence in many of us. Some studies show that an average woman uses 12 personal care more..

Mar 18 (FT) At the dawn of 2020, experts thought that the world economy had finally bottomed out from the 2008 global financial crisis. In January 2020, the IMF projected that global growth would rise from 2.9% in 2019 to 3.3% in 2020. However, the scenario has changed with the fast spread of COVID-19 in February 2020. Global growth in 2020 will be less than the IMF projection. But whether it will trigger a global recession and what it means for Sri Lanka are the key policy questions today. more..

Mar 18 (FT) Positive news on anything is the most sought information these days. Whenever top businessmen and higher corporate officials call or meet, they request me to say something positive about the economy. Analysts and stock brokers are not exceptional. Under the former Govt, SL citizens mainly got news that dented investor sentiment. Higher cost of living, fuel price formula, trade union protests, and the then govt’s bias towards IMF-prescribed policies were some of them. more..

Mar 18 (Island) This is in response to two recent articles published in The Island that relate to the aftermath of the debate about the suitability of the booklet titled Hathe Ape Potha as supplementary reading material for introducing sexuality and reproductive health education for Grade 7 students in Sri Lankan schools, viz. Attempts to introduce reproductive health education in schools - Need to face the realities by Dr. Janaka Ratnasiri Feb 11, 2020 and more..

Mar 18 (Island) COVID-19 is spreading across the globe at an alarming rate. More than 179,000 infections and over 7,100 deaths have been reported from 140 countries. There are still no signs of the pandemic running its course in the foreseeable future. Some experts say it might continue to trouble the world for another year or so. This is a worrisome proposition. Prognostications about the possible death toll from COVID-19 send chills down one’s spine. more..

Mar 18 (CM) Before the ball has crossed the boundary, two stumps are already plucked from the ground. Arjuna Ranatunga is looting souvenirs, no giant grin, just a smirk, then regular business. Muttiah Muralitharan is beaming as he rushes onto the field. Asanka Gurusinha is closing in like a one-man buffalo stampede. Ranatunga shoves his bat under his armpit and goes first to Mark Taylor, extending a gloved hand and more..

Mar 18 (AD) All Divisional Secretariats including the Department of Motor Traffic have been instructed not to issue vehicle revenue licences or related services with effect from yesterday (17) until March 31, says the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs and Provincial Councils and Local Government. However, as the online services have expanded the revenue licensing service, it has the potential to issue revenue licences, according to the Secretary to the Ministry. more..

Mar 18 (FT) The beleaguered Colombo stock market will be closed today as well, marking the second consecutive day of non-activity. The Colombo Stock Exchange was closed yesterday in view of the Govt, at close to midnight on Monday, declaring the next three days special holidays. CSE said yesterday’s closure was to minimise public interactions in curbing the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure the safety of all market participants. Similar thinking had gone into yesterday’s decision by the CSE more..

Mar 18 (EN) SL’s regional plantation companies (RPCs) have agreed to pay its labourers a 1,000 rupee daily wage, in return for higher productivity, Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA) said. PA, lobby group for the RPCs, said it met with govt and trade union leaders on 17 occasions to reach a deal, and is now calling for workers to produce two additional kilo of tea a day or one additional kilo of rubber in return for the wage hike. more..

Mar 18 (Island) Ruchira Wijesundara excelled with a brilliant knock of 91 which earned him the Man of the Match award as the 16th Battle of the Golds Uva encounter between Bandarawela Central and St. Joseph’s College, Bandarawela ended in a draw at Mahinda Rajapaksa Int'l Stadium in Hambantota. The brilliant knock by the Bandarawela Central College batsman, Wijesundara also earned him the Best Batsman Award. Bandarawela Central won the toss & put their traditional rivals into bat first. more..

Mar 18 (CT) All rounder Dhananjaya de Silva showcased his brilliance with bat and ball to lead Tamil Union to a stunning 7 wicket win over Baduraliya Sports Club at Dambulla Int'l Stadium yesterday. Winning the toss Baduraliya SC skipper Asanka Silva elected to bat and posted a healthy 286 to their first innings. Lahiru Milantha scored an unbeaten 155 off 237 deliveries inclusive of 12 boundaries and 5 sixes. Apart from his brilliant innings, the only other batsman who more..

Mar 18 (FT) Sri Lanka Tourism said it had decided to revise the 2020 arrivals and earnings forecast following the impact of the new coronavirus outbreak and the partial shutdown of the BIA from tomorrow. “The tourism sector is currently one of the hardest hit by the outbreak of COVID-19. Considering the evolving nature of the situation, it is too early to estimate the full impact of COVID-19 on earnings and arrivals, but clearly there’s more..

Mar 18 (Island) The govt's fiscal stimulus measures are affecting its revenue collection efforts badly amid a slowing down of all economic activities in the country in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, Prof. of Economics, University of Colombo Sirimal Abeyratne said. "Fiscal stimulus measures such as cutting down taxes, providing subsidies and increasing govt spending by providing employment could amount to a major budget deficit in the future. With the outbreak of the Covid 19 epidemic more..