May 20 (FT) The COVID-19 immunisation program on Tuesday vaccinated 38,263 persons, with the Epidemiology Unit stating that over 300,000 persons have been fully vaccinated in the country. On Tuesday, 5,229 persons received the second dose of AstraZeneca, bringing the total number of persons to receive both doses of the vaccine to 297,686. A total of 925,242 persons have received the first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The first dose of Sputnik V was administered to 17 more..

May 20 (FT) Both COVID-19 detections and deaths hit record highs yesterday as cases exceeded 3,000 for the first time and 36 fatalities were reported. The total death toll in the country now stands at 1051, though health officials have warned that the situation could worsen in the coming weeks if all necessary measures are not taken to prevent the spread of the virus. With daily detections remaining below 1,000 for over more..

May 20 (FT) These are ruminations in quarantine. There is nothing like this pandemic to get you to ruminate on the fragility of life. Human beings are animals predisposed to survive in adversity. Cultural anthropologists have raised two simple questions about human nature. First, why do we have such a great need to feel good about ourselves? Second, why do we have so much difficulty in getting along with those who, we feel, are different from us? These are worrying questions for which more..

May 20 (FT) The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a good thing and in Sri Lanka’s economic interest. The Port City, not so much. That is because the Port City is by no means a rational developmental priority and inflicts a heavy cost on Sri Lanka by painting a target on its back. The Port City project is radically different from any previous project funded/assisted by Sri Lanka’s foreign friends, including China itself. One reason is the behaviour of the Sri Lankan Govt of the day. more..

May 20 (EN) SriLankan Airlines said it had inked a deal with aircraft maker Boeing which would lead to maintenance work on aircraft made by the American company. “The new agreement would enable both parties to explore airframe maintenance, component maintenance, training, and other commercial opportunities,” SriLankan Airlines said. SriLankan Airlines has a fleet of Airbus aircraft. SriLankan Engineering is certified to perform third party checks & maintenance of Airbus aircraft. more..

May 20 (DM) Due to the heavy spike in COVID-19 cases in the country, 90% of the hospital beds have been occupied by COVID patients and only 10% beds are to treat other patients, the GMOA said. GMOA General Committee Member Dr. Prasad Colombage said after a huge effort, the hospital management had managed to control the situation at ICUs, but more than 50% of the ICU beds have already been occupied. "The vaccination programme is underway in line with the hospital treatment more..

May 20 (AD) There may be three times more cases of COVID-19 infections in the society than the ones that are being reported, says State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle. She points out that there is a risk of these unreported infections spreading around the virus even further. She said, “Over 3,500 cases were reported as the daily count yesterday. But there may be more patients in the community. more..

May 20 (DN) The SJB does not oppose the Colombo Port City Project as we know that Sri Lanka would get an opportunity to take a leap in the direction of development through this massive project, SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday. He pointed out that Sri Lanka is trapped in middle income snare at the moment. He added the solution lies in going forward securing high salaries and giving opportunities to the people in the country to use complex commodities and complex services. more..

May 20 (Island) Former Army Commander Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka told Parliament that he was thankful to PM Rajapaksa and Prez Rajapaksa for their blessings to win the war against the LTTE in 2009 in their then capacities as the Prez and Defence Secretary respectively. “I must thank the then Prez, the current Prime Minister, and then Defence Secretary, the current President, for their blessings at the time. I must also pay tribute to the SL Police, the SL Navy, the SL Air Force, more..

May 20 (AD) The committee stage reading of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission draft bill has been passed with amendments in parliament, with majority of 91 votes. The third reading of the bill was passed with 149 parliamentarians voting in favour and 58 voting against the bill. After presenting the amendments, Justice Minister Ali Sabry moved the Port City Bill for the Third Reading and JVP MP Vijitha Herath more..

May 20 (DM) The SL Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (SLCPI) whilst thanking the Govt for its efforts in obtaining vaccines to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic said they will continue to collaborate closely with the Govt and Health Authorities to ensure that the imports are strictly from legitimate distributors, registered with their Principals who are the global manufacturers. The apex body of the pharmaceutical importers, whose membership represents all the large players more..

May 20 (AD) Riyaj Bathiudeen, brother of MP Rishad Bathiudeen, has filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition with the Supreme Court challenging the CID’s move to arrest and detain him over alleged links to the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. The petitioner, claiming that the CID arrested and detained him without any reasonable grounds, seeks the SC to rule that the arrest is unlawful and to order the CID to release him from detention. The petition, filed through his legal counsel, has named more..

May 20 (EN) Critics of a bill to set up a China-backed Port City Commission were vindicated by a SC decision which showed the constitution had been violated 26 times, and problems still remain, opposition legislator Eran Wickremeratne said. He suggested that changes be made to the bill to include ex-officio members. The bill presented to parliament had undermined the sovereignty of the country and constitution more..

May 20 (CT) GMOA said they had received confidential information to the effect that the public had been forced to purchase the second dose of the OxfordAstraZeneca Covishield vaccine at a cost of Rs 5,000. GMOA Secretary, Dr. Senal Fernando, charged several complaints to this effect had been received by them, whereby a certain firm had demanded the said amount ahead of administering the vaccine. He emphasised that allowing an outside party to fleece the public in this manner more..

May 20 (Island) State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal yesterday said travel restrictions from May 14 to 17 had cost the country as much as Rs. 60 billion. This amount is higher than the Ruwanpura Expressway’s 24.3 km Phase-1 segment from Kahathuduwa to Ingiriya being constructed by Maga Engineering. The cost of this phase is Rs. 54.7 billion, according to the PM’s Office. Minister said the daily loss to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) due to the travel restrictions was over Rs. 15 billion. more..

May 20 (CI) Shammi Silva has been elected Sri Lanka Cricket president again, after he and the majority of the previous set of office bearers were voted in uncontested. They will hold these positions for two years. Silva's faction, which includes vice-presidents Ravin Wickramaratne and Jayantha Dharmadasa, and secretary Mohan de Silva, did not face any challenges in this election, after an opposing faction withdrew on Tue. more..

May 20 (CT) Claiming that Govt’s hasty attempt to pass the Colombo Port City Bill is raising some suspicions, Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera and Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith have called on the Govt to postpone it. They pointed out there is no need for the Bill to be passed so quickly, especially amid the current spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ven. Thera said there is some suspicion that such an attempt is being made to pass the Bill when even two people cannot more..

May 20 (AD) SJB MP Mujibur Rahman has tested positive for COVID-19 infection. The MP is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo. Meanwhile, Rahman’s family currently remains under quarantine. Posting a message on his Facebook page, Mujibur Rahman said that he had shown symptoms of fever and cough since last Sunday (May 16). However, when he had obtained an antigen test for COVID-19, it had come out negative. Subsequently, a PCR test had more..

May 20 (CB) Isuru Udana, the SL pacer, feels that his team's new-look ODI squad can express themselves freely against Bangladesh, in the upcoming three-match ODI series, as they don't carry the burden of expectation. SL have come into the series without several of their experienced players in order to give opportunities to a few new faces. On the other hand, Bangladesh have veteran all-rounder Shakib al Hasan, who returned to more..

May 20 (TM) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today stated that the relationships and understanding should be strengthened between all countries in Asia as well as all around to world to combat the challenges faced with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic situation. He stated that all nations should unite and work with confidence to battle the common pandemic that has claimed the lives of many worldwide. He was addressing the key note speech at the Future of Asia Int'l Conference. more..

May 20 (DM) The Govt’s aim is to bring the Colombo Port City to the list of ten such economic zones in the world, Minister Namal Rajapaksa said today. He told Parliament that there were 5,000 such economic zones in the world where only 100 of them have been successful. “Our aim is to bring Colombo Port City to the list of ten economic zones of this nature,” he said. Speaking during the debate on the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill, he said the Port City economic zone would be operated more..

May 20 (Island) Catholic Church was in a deepening quandary over the outgoing Attorney General Dappula de Livera’s shocking declaration that he couldn’t move court in respect of suspects due to the failure on the part of the CID to complete investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, Rev. Cyril Gamini Fernando said. President’s Counsel de Livera owed an explanation without further delay as the people were more..

May 20 (EN) Attorney General Dappula de Livera has issued fresh guidelines for posting bail in respect of several offences in order to immediately reduce prison remand population and overcrowding in the face of rising COVID-19 cases, the AG’s Coordinating Officer State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne said. The AG has issued these guidelines to IGP C D Wickramaratne at the request of Secretary to the Ministry of Justice M M P K Mayadunne and Commissioner General of more..

May 20 (DM) Drug Test for heavy vehicle drivers to obtain their driving licences has been made compulsory from today at the National Transport Medical Institute (NTMI) for the first time in the transport history, Transport State Minister Dilum Amunugama said. While inaugurating the ceremony at the NTMI, Nugegoda, the State Minister said that the Medical test would be made compulsory for the drivers who are expecting to obtain their new driving licences and during renewals. more..

May 20 (DM) It was around 11 a.m. when Wishma started struggling to breathe. In her solitary confinement, she groaned in pain for hours before falling silent near 1.30 p.m. She received no emergency treatment whatsoever for more than two hours, despite the cell being under 24/7 CCTV surveillance, Japanese govt records detailing circumstances leading to the death reveal. After 2 p.m., when officers visited the cell, more..

May 20 (FT) Labour Department requested private sector employers to provide a work from home option to pregnant employees with immediate effect, after taking into consideration the current spike in the number COVID-19 positive pregnant women being reported daily. The request was made officially to the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC) and the Board of Investment (BOI), to notify their respective members and companies to adhere to these guidelines, as there has been in a rise more..

May 20 (AD) Parliamentary Council has approved the appointment of Acting Solicitor General Sanjay Rajaratnam as the new Attorney General of SL. The Parliamentary Council decided to concur with the proposal of the Prez Rajapaksa to appoint Sanjay Rajaratnam, PC, Solicitor General (Acting) as the Attorney General upon the retirement of the incumbent Attorney General. The official term of current Attorney General Dappula de Livera, who was sworn in to the position on May10, 2019 more..

May 20 (EN) The Ceylon College of Physicians (CCP) has proposed amendments to Sri Lanka’s health ministry-issued vaccination guidelines, requesting authorities to make the jabs available for more people with underlying conditions. Last week, health authorities recommended that people who suffer from certain underlying conditions get a medical specialist’s opinion before receiving any of Covid-19 more..

May 20 (USE) Sri Lanka@100, with support from the United States, hosted a public webinar featuring Paul D. Roberts, an expert in methods for companies and entrepreneurs to leverage evolving technologies such as artificial intelligence to drive accelerated business growth. Attended by 300 participants, the session focused on how businesses can shape SL’s economic future in a complex and rapidly changing environment. “This concept of exponential growth is critical in helping SL more..

May 20 (EN) Ministry of Health has issued a circular barring doctors from speaking to the media about the country’s COVID-19 situation, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa told parliament today. “No one in the medical profession is allowed to open their mouth about COVID-19,” he said. A purported image of the circular went viral on social media today. EconomyNext could not independently verify its authenticity, but the ministry of health nor a govt spokesman has refuted Premadasa’s claims. more..

May 21 (ST) It was the unmistakable shrill tune of the choon-paan karaya in his modified tuk-tuk on Thursday morning that alerted the neighbourhood that their much-looked-forward-to mobile breakfast had arrived. “Oya kohomada ave? Rata wahala ne thiyenne (How did you come? The country is closed noh?)” asked Kussi Amma Sera, as she went through the offerings, looking for maalu paan. “Mata prashnayak thibbe ne (I didn’t have a problem),” said Aldoris, the choon-paan karaya, adding: more..

May 21 (ST) This week I came across an interesting, but controversial, write-up by Joseph Stiglitz and another author, Lori Wallach titled Will Corporate Greed Prolong the Pandemic? The first author, Joseph Stiglitz is a familiar name; a former chief economist of the World Bank (1997-2000), a Nobel laureate in economics and also a Professor at Columbia Uni. According to the two authors, the profit greediness of the pharmaceutical companies doesn’t allow the COVID-19 pandemic to more..

May 21 (DM) At the beginning of the second wave of the pandemic in SL, there were only 38 ICU beds for COVID-19 patients despite other parties maintaining that there were more such facilities. Only six were available for the Kandy district and there were no separate ICU beds for COVID-19 patients at the Peradeniya Hospital. However with the rise of the COVID-19 spread, three wards at the Peradeniya Hospital more..

May 21 (DM) No sooner had Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane read out the Supreme Court determination on the constitutionality of the Port City Economic Commission Bill than the govt announced it would amend the bill accordingly to make it consistent with the Constitution. An immediate Cabinet meeting was called for in the evening and a decision was taken to incorporate all the suggestions made by the highest court. The court determined that certain clauses of the bill more..

May 21 (CT) Sri Lanka is a country with a rich heritage, a diverse community that is multi-racial, multicultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious. This multifariousness is what makes the county alluring. Due to these nuances, a country always become vulnerable to violence, as there are conflicting ideologies. One single fact that holds these unique strings together is being a Sri Lankan. It is important to foster togetherness as a nation irrespective of differences to reign sovereignty more..

May 21 (DM) The farming community in Dimbulagala is complaining of grievances because the Dept of Wildlife & Conservation (DWC) has acquired their legally owned fields which were cultivated on for hundreds of years. While they are treated indifferently there are separate laws for those who herd cows in the flood plain in Kalukele area in Dimbulagala. The DWC does not allow farmers to enter their fields, but more..

May 21 (GV) Over three decades of civil war has touched the lives of Sri Lankans of all ages, all races and all social classes. Fathers, sons, daughters and wives were killed in action while others they were wounded and thousands who returned were forced to live the rest of their lives with the physical and mental scars of war. Yet for many of us, war is a phenomenon seen through the lens of a television camera or a journalist’s account of fighting in distant parts of the world. more..

May 21 (ST) “Disability need not be an obstacle to success,” Stephen Hawking, one of the most influential scientists of modern times said. Devapriya Vass took this to heart. Marians Devapriya Vass is a father of three residing in Mohoththuwarama in Kalpitiya He makes a living going to sea on a raft. He has a rare disorder which makes it impossible for him to move his legs. Despite this, he fishes off the island of Kalpitiya. Vaas said he had to face this unfortunate fate when he was 14 years old. more..