May 5 (Island) The worst that could happen to any country, burdened with a bunch of irresponsible politicians thirsting for power, is having to go to the polls during a pandemic. SL had to do so last year, and the result was a disastrous surge of Covid-19 infections a few weeks later. That situation came about owing to massive election rallies and other such events where health regulations were blatantly flouted by politicians and their supporters alike. India has also had elections recently in some more..

May 5 (CT) I got tired of watching down and smiling to myself for the last twelve years The antics that go on there continue. Now, now this is no longer a voice from a grave. I am up here. Yes, a chosen one. Unlike my time down there St Peter welcomed me. Seems I earned a double promotion. But I must confess (here there is no need for that) I do miss scribbling. But that’s the price I paid to the guy who sent me here. Non curae sibi est. But pause for a minute. What is going on down there? more..

May 5 (GV) The images are harrowing and all too familiar – an electrocuted baby elephant, a caged dog, a leopard caught in a trap, a butchered dolphin; accounts of animals suffering due to neglect, ignorance and cruelty are regular features on mainstream and social media. SL has a long tradition of kindness and respect for animals from the time when Arahant Mahinda stopped King Devanampiyatissa from killing a deer while he was on a hunting expedition and preached more..

May 5 (Island) The maiden edition, last Friday, featured the current Ambassador for France in SL Eric Lavertu who explored Franco-SL bilateral ties over three centuries from Lieutenant Delanerolle, the French Ambassador to the Court of King Rajasinghe the 2nd, down the years to the French Vice Consul Monsieur Paul Grimblot in 1859, to the present day. In the pipeline are chats with celebrated filmmaker and SL’s former Ambassador to France the francophone Sumitra Peries who goes down more..

May 5 (DN) Creating agricultural history, the Govt will launch a mega drive to use drones to spray fertilizer and a separate unit will be set up in each electoral district for this purpose. State Minister Mohan De Silva said that the first trial was successfully done last year in Panwila, Galle, using drones to spray organic fertilizer on paddy fields. “Post studies from the venue found out that this trial was very successful and more..

May 5 (Island) April is apparently the cruellest month in this country, as we said in a previous comment, with apologies to T.S. Eliot. In April 1971, the country was plunged into a bloodbath. The Easter Sunday carnage happened in April 2019. The current national health crisis took a turn for the worse in April 2021; the pandemic now snuffs out more lives than it did during its first and second waves. It is also during April that the highest number of lives lost in road accidents is reported year every year. more..

May 5 (FT) Ishara Nanayakkara-controlled Browns Investments (BIL) has raced in quick time to become the single largest shareholder at the second-largest private sector bank HNB (Hatton National Bank). Yesterday BIL picked up bulk of the 8.47 million HNB shares (at Rs. 130 each) generating a turnover of Rs. 1.1 billion. The stock closed at Rs. 128.25, down by Rs. 1.50 whilst it hit an intra-day high of Rs. 130.75. Daily FT learns BIL now holds 9.9% voting stake in HNB and ranks as more..

May 5 (TM) The SL apparel exports industry affirmed that the targeted export earning forecast of $ 5.1 billion for 2021 will be maintained regardless of the prevailing disruptions caused by the new wave of Covid-19. SL Apparel Exporters’ Association (SLAEA) Past President Yohan Lawrence stated that the apparel industry is only slightly below in achieving the targeted forecast of $ 5.1 billion for 2021 apparel exports. more..

May 5 (CI) Thisara Perera, who retired from international cricket on Monday, was the kind of allrounder whose bowling often came good when his batting did too, and vice versa. Here are six of his best performances for SL over the years. 24* off 14 and 6 for 44 (ODI vs Pakistan in Pallekele, 2012) The second ODI of the series began with Perera getting a promotion after Mahela Jayawardene was out in the 46th over. He started proceedings by smashing Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal and more..

May 5 (FT) Minister Udaya Gammanpila was elected as the new President of the Sri Lanka-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Association recently at the revival meeting of the association for the ninth Parliament. The meeting was held under the patronage of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, High Commissioner for Australia in Sri Lanka David John Holly, and Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake. Several ministers, State ministers & MPs were present at the meeting. more..

May 5 (Reuters) The Indian Premier League (IPL) was suspended indefinitely on Tuesday due to the COVID-19 crisis in the country, leaving many international players with major concerns over how they will return home. The organising Indian cricket board (BCCI) and the league's governing council members convened an emergency meeting at which they decided to suspend the tournament with immediate effect. The BCCI had forged ahead with the league despite fierce criticism for staging more..

May 5 (FT) SJP MP S.M. Marikkar said that neither Parliament nor the public have been informed of how the money from the COVID-19 Fund has been utilised. “More than Rs. 1,000 million was collected to the COVID-19 fund from what we have seen in the media but neither Parliament nor the public have been informed of how the funds were utilised. Was the money used to buy vaccines or medicines or set up hospitals for COVID-19 patients?” the SJB MP queried during an adjournment debate on more..

May 5 (CI) Thisara Perera announced his retirement from all international cricket yesterday, calling time on his 12-year career. He spoke to ESPNcricinfo about his reasons for announcing his retirement before the T20 World Cup, his most memorable innings, and his plans for franchise tournaments in the near future. Q: You're still only 32. Why have you decided to retire now? A: I've played cricket for SL for 12 years now. more..

May 5 (DM) Pan Asia Banking Corporation delivered its best quarterly performance in the three months ended in March 2021 (1Q21), as the bank opened its lending spigots giving more loans in a resurgent economy characterised by strong consumer spending. The bank expanded its loan book by Rs.3.9 billion in the three months, which came to roughly 3% growth or 12%, if annualised. This enabled Pan Asia Bank to report a net interest income of Rs.2.23 billion, up 17% from more..

May 5 (FT) Cabinet has approved a national regulatory framework for tourism industry-linked passenger and freight vessels operating in SL waters. The move is one that had already been in the works under the former Govt, with the EDB having begun a project to formulate a national regulatory framework for the endeavour. This was done by the EDB in collaboration with the former Development Strategies and Int'l Trade Ministry, Ministry of Defence and with the assistance more..

May 5 (FT) The first-ever formal discussion on the proposed and controversial new Tourism Act will be held tomorrow. Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has summoned a meeting with the leading tourism-related associations to discuss the proposed new legislation as well as the way forward. Ministry hopes to gather insights from all related associations and trade unions in batches given the COVID-19 spike in the country. more..

May 5 (CT) BBS has written to Ayesha Rishad, wife of MP Rishad Bathiudeen, regarding a letter she recently sent to Prez Rajapaksa. The BBS has responded to the remarks made by her about General Secretary of the BBS Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera. The letter states that Ayesha Rishad has mentioned certain matters, in her letter to the President, saying they are in the final report of the PCoI into the Easter Sunday bombings, but they are not actually in the report. more..

May 5 (CT) SL’s foreign direct investment (FDI) to new companies were negligible in 2020, CB stated in its year 2020 annual report. However, FDIs, including foreign loans to BOI companies, were limited to US$ 670 million in 2020, in comparison to US$ 1,189 million in 2019. An FDI target of US$ 2 billion was expected last year. “The moderation in FDIs could be primarily attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic-related uncertainties in global financial markets that led to global FDI flows recording more..

May 5 (AD) The results of the 2020 GCE A/L Exam were released online earlier today (4) and as many as 194,297 candidates (64.39%) who sat for the exam have qualified for university entrance. A total of 301,771 candidates – including 277,625 for the new syllabus and 24,146 for the old syllabus – faced the exam held last year from Oct 12 to Nov 6, amidst the outbreak of second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the country. more..

May 5 (TM) Social media carried posts yesterday (3) mentioning that former SL Captain Angelo Mathews too is going to follow Thisara Perera and retire from limited-over cricket soon. “That news is completely false. I saw some social media posts that are being shared carrying such thing. Some people might be trying to make such a story. But there no truth in it,” Mathews told the Morning Sports yesterday (3) after the completion of the Pallekele Test which he played in and Sri Lanka won by 209 runs. more..

May 5 (Island) The Central Environmental Authority will take steps to remove those who are currently occupying river banks and prevent construction or cultivation on land within 150 metres from rivers. Plans are underway to relocate people living along the river basins. “If not, the entire river system, which is the basic life giver to our country, will be in danger of being destroyed in a few years due to the misuse of river water,” Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. more..

May 5 (CT) Govt is planning to purchase COVID-19 vaccine from a number of countries that have purchased in excess. It is reported that there are about 50 countries where there is currently a surplus of COVID-19 vaccines and representatives of the Govt have already commenced discussions with those countries to try and purchase these excess vaccines, through the WHO, as soon as possible. more..

May 5 (DN) The Cabinet of Ministers approved Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris’ proposal to hold O/L exam in August and the G.C.E. A/L exams in December. The decision was reached with the aim of providing opportunities for students to complete their higher education early and enter the job market. The govt has observed that students are aged 19 or 20 years by the time they complete their school education and they reach 25 or 26 years when they finally conclude their uni education. more..

May 5 (DM) Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa urged the govt to get its priorities correct and halt the order placed for the purchase of new helicopters from Russia. Speaking during the adjournment debate in Parliament, he said that the govt should not waste funds on purchasing new helicopters at a time when a new wave of COVID 19 had hit the nation. “We have also heard that the Cabinet had approved a proposal to spend more than Rs 600 million to set up gymnasiums more..

May 5 (FT) The detection of 1,914 COVID-19 positive persons yesterday pushed the country’s total COVID-19 patient count to 115,590. Among the persons who tested positive for the virus yesterday are 1,860 persons from the New Year cluster. A total of 18,993 COVID-19 patients have been linked to the cluster to date. Divulapitiya, Peliyagoda, Prisons and New Year clusters have expanded to 109,687 patients. more..

May 5 (CT) Former MP Ranjan Ramanayake has signed papers seeking a Presidential Pardon and the documents have been submitted to Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa through Ramanayake’s Attorney. Opposition Leader’s Spokesman confirmed that Premadasa had received the documents. “Opposition Leader has submitted the documents to the SJB’s lawyers and they will be sent to the Prez,” he said. Premadasa on 20 April requested the Prez to pardon Ramanayake who was sentenced more..

May 5 (FT) The SL Air Force (SLAF) denied allegations that the proposed purchase of four Mi-171 helicopters via a line of credit issued to Sri Lanka by the Russian Govt would benefit a corporate third party. The denial comes as the move to purchase the helicopters drew criticism from Opposition politicians and social media activists on why the Govt was purchasing helicopters amidst a pandemic. Air Force Spokesman Group Captain Dushan Wijesinghe stressed that more..

May 5 (EN) Sri Lanka is expanding Coronavirus treatment facilities adding intensive care and high dependency unit (ICU & HDU) and is also ordering more non-invasive mechanical breathing equipment, while training staff, Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said. Whether an ICU patient comes out alive depends on the skill of nurses who have to clear the airways, suck out fluid from lungs of intubated patients on more..

May 5 (FT) Much talk and action with respect to Plant a Tree these days by Govt, Private Sector and so on. From President JRJ time’s we have been planting trees every year. All presidents/prime misters have planted a million trees a year in newspapers since then to-date. If so, we should have had at least 40 million trees planted from 1980 to 2020. Where have all these trees gone? Has the number of trees or forest cover increased? Records do show a reduction of forest cover. more..

May 5 (FT) Now, as a nation, we have reached a really critical stage with the corona pandemic. This is what Hindustan Times reports on 2 May: Sri Lanka’s health authorities have issued new tough guidelines, including banning wedding receptions and gatherings at religious sites, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus as the island nation continued to record a spike in daily infections. The time has come for all citizens of the country to understand the gravity of the disaster. more..

May 5 (SLN) Working in line with the Govt's efforts to expand facilities required to treat COVID 19 contracted individuals, SL Navy established an Intermediate Care Centre for COVID 19 with 162 beds, at the Boossa naval base in Galle on 4th May. Considering the need of the hour, Navy turned a four storied building used for recruit training at the Boossa naval base, to an intermediate care centre for COVID 19. Intermediate Care Centre consists of 12 wards with 150 beds as well as more..

May 5 (CT) The dengue death count increased to four by last month (April) end for the totality of the year, compared to a total of three recorded by the end of the previous month (March 2021), Dengue Eradication Unit Head, Dr. Arjuna Jayasekara said. He warned that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country’s Medical Officers of Health (MOHs) were up to their necks in work and that it was the duty of the citizens to keep their homes and garden clean to avoid a resurgence of dengue. more..

May 5 (FT) Get me out, read the message a wealthy Indian sent the owner of a private jet company as COVID-19 pandemic engulfed India, and thousands of ordinary people begged for oxygen and died from its lack. The man of means was flown to Dubai, a day before the UAE closed its doors to all travellers from India (Forbes – 27 Apr). Since then many countries have imposed travel bans on India. Not SL though. Our doors are wide, more..

May 5 (DM) Minister Namal Rajapaksa today stressed that the govt would not direct funds allocated to fight the COVID-19 to be used for any other projects. He told Parliament that the Finance Minister had allocated all required funds to the COVID-19 prevention tasks. He said this responding to a statement made by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, who said that Rs. 600 million proposed to be allocated by the Cabinet to set up gyms island-wide, should be used for COVID-19 more..

May 5 (HNB) SL's premier private sector bank HNB PLC has partnered with Sun Lanka Auto Traders to offer customers unbelievable discounts and convenient payment options inclusive of attractive benefits for Sany heavy machinery. MoU for the partnership which will offer customers an attractive 0.50% reduction from the prevailing market interest rate was signed at a special ceremony held at HNB Head Office. HNB Head of Personal Financial Services, Kanchana Karunagama and more..

May 5 (AD) Twelve more Grama Niladhari divisions in Colombo, Gampaha, Ratnapura and Vavuniya districts have been placed under isolation orders with immediate effect. The isolated areas are as follows: Colombo District: Pamunuwa GN Division (Maharagama police area) Honnaththara North GN Division (Piliyandala police area) Honnaththara South GN Division (Piliyandala police area) Deltara East GN Division more..

May 5 (AD) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa attended the parliamentary session this morning. Minister Johnston Fernando, State Ministers and MPs have received the President at the Parliament Complex upon his arrival. Prez Rajapaksa has then listened to the speeches delivered by the lawmakers. This is the fifth occasion the President attended parliamentary proceedings after addressing the inaugural session of the new Parliament, President’s Media Division (PMD) noted. more..