Apr 11 (DN) CIPM Sri Lanka � the Nation�s leader in human resource management and the Department of Economics & Management of the Faculty of Business Studies, Vavuniya Campus of the University of Jaffna entered in to a MoU for facilitating academic co-operation, knowledge exchange and capacity building to develop competent human resource professionals to serve the economy of Sri Lanka. The MOU was signed recently at Vavuniya Campus, Uni of Jaffna. more..

Apr 11 (DM) A leading tourist hotel in Mt. Lavinia, which had been occupied by a group of over hundred Chinese nationals who had enjoyed the services of its bar to date disregarding the government�s strict curfew regulations, was raided by the Excise Department officials last evening. Excise Department�s flying squad on information had raided the well-known hotel on De Saram Road to find about 140 Chinese nationals were more..

Apr 11 (DN) As the leader in Ayurveda industry of Sri Lanka, Siddhalepa made a donation of Ayurveda medicines to IDH hospital. Siddhalepa extended this donation of Ayurveda goods with the aim of enhancing the immunity of medical heros who are tirelessly looking after the worst affected Covid19 patients at IDH. �In the fight against Covid 19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, the wisdom of Ayurveda and its remedies to enhance the immunity has been recognized,� an official from Siddhalepa said. more..

Apr 11 (Island) Education Ministry has decided to obtain the services of health officials to disinfect state schools, before their reopening for the second term, owing to the current situation surrounding COVID �19. The first term holidays were advanced to March 13 with the second term set to begin on April 20, following a decision made by the ministry last month. The date of re-opening schools was likely to be extended, as the country continued to tighten measures to combat the coronavirus. more..

Apr 11 (EN) Central Bank has pumped 240 billion rupees in liquidity into the banking system an official said of which 140 billion rupees (the equivalent of about 695 million dollars in pre-liquidity injection exchange rate) had been to fill a spike in real money demand. �We have pumped about 240 billion rupees in the banking system in the,� Dy CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said. �Of that rs.140b had gone to the people. more..

Apr 11 (DM) Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) has manufactured several herbal products that can be used in the fight against coronavirus, Minister Bandula Gunawardane said. �ITI has developed a hand sanitizer using turmeric and veniwel. Another liquid product has been manufactured to be used for throat infections. It is antibacterial and therefore can be used for gargling when infected with the virus,� he said. The minister said he would seek Cabinet approval next week enabling ITI to market more..

Apr 11 (EN) Department of Immigration and Emigration has been transferred to the Ministry of Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Development, from the Ministry of Defence according to a gazette notice published by the govt. Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa has assigned the Mahaweli Ministry to oversee �Matters relating to Immigration and Emigration and Matters relating to SL Citizenship,� notice said. Immigration Department was earlier under Ministry of Defence. more..

Apr 11 (AD) SL�s COVID-19 infections tally has escalated to 197 as seven more persons tested positive for the deadly virus on Friday. The Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry confirmed that 136 coronavirus patients are currently under medical care at IDH in Angoda, Base Hospital in Welikanda and Colombo East Base Hospital (CEBH) in Mulleriyawa. Six of these new infections have been found from Ja-Ela while more..

Apr 11 (DM) SL Navy has taken pertinent measures to tighten the security around the county to prevent persons from other countries from fleeing to Sri Lanka due to the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases in those countries, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva said. The Commander said there was a high possibility of persons to flee to Sri Lanka from South India amid the coronavirus outbreak in India. �Accordingly, the Navy has increased patrols and monitoring along the coastal belt more..

Apr 11 (AD) Attorney General has issued further guidelines to Acting IGP on granting bail to remanded persons in other minor offences in view of the local outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. The Coordinating Officer of the AG announced this today. AG on Friday, formulated guidelines on granting bail to inmates who are remanded over minor drug offences. Accordingly, the AG has instructed the Acting IGP to consider releasing minor drug offenders on bail when the net weight of more..

Apr 11 (SLN) During the first quarter of the year 2020, Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) of SL Navy in high seas, producing successful results, were able to seize foreign vessels carrying large consignments of heroin, crystal methamphetamine (ice) and ketamine and apprehend a number of drug traffickers. Making yet another significant milestone in naval operations, Navy was able to detect a vessel without a flag state in high seas more..

Apr 11 (SLN) 26 more individuals who completed their quarantine period at the quarantine centre established at Boossa Naval Base, left for their homes on 08th, 10th and 11th April. SL inmates released on 03 separate days included groups of 7, 6 and 13 respectively. The Quarantine Certificate that authenticates the successful completion of quarantine process was handed over to them by Commanding Officer of SLNS Nipuna. Further, those who left the quarantine center, from 10 Apr more..

Apr 11 (AD) SL nationals who test positive for COVID-19 in the United Arab Emirates are taken to hospitals and quarantine centres that are well managed and have a high-quality standard, says the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi. Embassy stated this in a media release, dismissing certain video clips that are being circulated in social media, which were found to be factually incorrect upon verification. SL appreciates the role played by the Govt of the UAE to assist SL nationals in the UAE, more..

Apr 11 (AD) The 7th Archbishop of Colombo, Most Reverend Dr. Nicholas Marcus Fernando has been called to eternal rest on Friday (10) at the age of 87. He has passed away at his residence Emmaus House at Tewatte, Ragama. Born on December 6, 1932, in Munnakkara, Negombo, Rev. Fernando was educated at Roman Catholic Mixed School in Munnakkara and St. Mary�s College in Negombo. more..

Apr 11 (AD) As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the globe, people around the world find their daily lives and means for subsistence affected in numerous ways. The impact of this phenomenon on the apparel industry in Sri Lanka is unprecedented and second to none. When compared to the last fiscal year, the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) foresees an immediate contraction of US $1.5 billion in SL apparel exports during the 3-month period ending in June. more..

Apr 11 (NR) An individual and his daughter have died in a fire which broke out at a store located on Rukattana road, at the Galgoda junction in Balangoda. Police stated the fire had broken out around 3.30am today. A father, mother, daughter and son from the same family were residing in a section of the store at the time the blaze erupted. Police said only the mother and son were rescued from the flames, adding the duo are currently receiving treatment at the Balangoda hospital. more..

Apr 11 (FT) Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has written to Prez Rajapaksa expressing his concern that the country could be headed for a public health disaster and economic catastrophe unless it adapts to the new ground realities as it battles the COVID-19 crisis. In the letter titled COVID- 19 Crisis: A Need to Change Direction, the former Speaker said while the restrictions on public movement imposed by more..

Apr 11 (EN) A group of Opposition political activists are urging the Elections Commission to resist pressure from political elements to fix early dates for the Parliamentary General Elections which were postponed by the advent of the Coronavirus pandemic. �The priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of our people. If some party wants to hasten the electoral process in the midst of the COVID19 outbreak in Sri Lanka, it will gravely undermine the dedication of our doctors, more..

Apr 11 (DM) Health Services Director General Dr. Anil Jasinghe instructed the country�s public health staff of the country that locking down of areas should be done in consultation with the Epidemiology Unit after careful risk analysis of the situation. In a letter to regional health authorities, Dr. Jasinghe said that public health staff should do only home quarantining of contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases. "If they feel that further measures like locking down of areas are necessary, more..

Apr 11 (CT) Special Presidential Task Force on Essential Services has given permission to all pharmacies except pharmacies in areas under curfew or total lockdown to remain open from 9 am to 5 pm. Task Force has allowed these pharmacy owners to carry out their work without hindering the currently implemented curfew process, noting that to make sure that pharmacy employees do not risk the health safety of their customers, more..

Apr 11 (EN) SL will allow factories in low-risk areas and export processing zones to operated subject to health regulations during curfews imposed to combat Coronavirus, Minister Bandula Gunewardene said. �Excluding Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Puttalam and other districts which are considered to be high risk, export factory owners in other areas can open up their factories, subject to health regulations,� he said. �They have to inform their district secretaries about the problems more..

Apr 11 (AD) A total of 1,600 individuals have been arrested for violating curfew orders during the last 24 hours ending from 6.00 am today (09). DIG Ajith Rohana said 22,000 persons have been placed under arrest for violating the curfew since March 20. He added that a local govt politician was also taken into custody for congregating general public during curfew hours. In the meantime, 7 persons were arrested for attending a religious event in Uppuveli, Trincomalee on Friday (10). more..

Apr 11 (AD) The curfew imposed on 19 districts will be temporarily lifted on the 16th of April. The curfew will lift at 6 am and be re-imposed at 4 pm the same day. In the meantime, curfew imposed in the High-Risk Zones (Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Puttalam, Kandy and Jaffna districts and Ratnapura and Pelmadulla police areas) will continue until further notice. The govt says that the sole purpose of these measures more..

Apr 11 (NR) 11 Police officers including a senior DIG have been transferred with immediate effect. Police Hq said a DIG, five Superintendents of Police and four Chief Police Inspectors are also among those who have been transferred. Meanwhile, Senior DIG KERL Fernando has been transferred from the Central Province to the Police Headquarters due to service requirement. He has been transferred to provide assistance the Acting IGP on COVID-19 prevention programmes. more..

Apr 11 (AD) IGP has approved a special reward for police personnel who are playing a major role in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Each police personnel from the rank of Chief Inspector (CI) and below will be awarded Rs. 5,000 for their outstanding, selfless service rendered for the prevention of local outbreak of coronavirus since March 11. The IGP has accordingly given instruction to the Deputy Inspector Generals to grant the reward money to relevant police personnel. more..

Apr 11 (AD) Another patient has tested positive for COVID-19 today bringing the country�s infections tally to 198, says the Ministry of Health. According to the Epidemiology Unit, 137 coronavirus patients are currently under medical care. Out of the total number of confirmed cases in SL, 54 patients have recovered completely while 7 persons succumbed to the virus. The deadly virus has so far claimed more than 100,000 lives and more..

Apr 11 (NR) Wearing face masks in public, particularly when travelling on roads, has now been made compulsory. Acting IGP CD Wickramaratne has issued directives to all Senior Police Officers and Police Stations to request all persons traveling without masks in public to return to their homes. Acting IGP issued orders to enforce the directive regardless of whether persons possess a curfew pass or any other travel passes. The Acting IGP issued this order to ensure the safety of more..

Apr 11 (AD) The Lotus Tower is set to be lit up with a special theme at 6.45 pm today. This is to honour the selfless efforts of all medical and other essential service workers who are on the front-line of fight against COVID-19 pandemic. The global death toll from the COVID-19 hit the grim milestone of 100,000 on Friday and over 1.6 million people have contracted the deadly virus. Many landmarks around the world have been lit up to appreciate the tireless endeavours of the essential workers more..

Apr 12 (CT) A great deal of confusion appears to have been created following the proclamation issued by the Prez on 2 March 2020 dissolving Parliament, amid the global coronavirus outbreak, and fixing the date of the general election for 25 April and the first meeting of the new Parliament for 14 May. The confusion appears to have been compounded by the request made to Prez by the Election Commission that, in view of its inability to hold the general election on the date specified by the Prez, more..

Apr 12 (SO) This weekend, Sri Lankans are celebrating two important national and religious events under the cloud of a global pandemic that has restricted their movements. In fact, we are not supposed to step out of our homes except for the brief periods when the curfew is relaxed and that too only in certain areas. Sinhala and Tamil New Year will dawn tomorrow, signifying one of the most important national events in the country. Avurudu or Puthandu (in Tamil) is primarily celebrated more..

Apr 12 (ST) April 1935 was to be a rather grand Avurudu. Ceylon was still a British colony and the silver jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary fell that year and this meant New Year celebrations could quadruple. The Sailor King was beloved for his solid values and mores, and all the pomp of the jubilee year was much anticipated. But the people�s visions of celebration were soon lost in an eddy of trouble which turned into a great tragedy. more..

Apr 12 (CT) It is exactly one year since Muslim jihadists created an opportunity for Gotabaya Rajapaksa to become the Prez of SL. His political star was shining when Covid-19 broke out to test his mettle in managing a global disaster. Up to the time of this composition, a total of 190 cases had been handled by health authorities, of which 134 had been identified active, 49 had recovered and 7 died. However, according to sources, these numbers are low, because of limited number of testing. more..

Apr 12 (Island) Recent television newscast have been full of reports of farmers unable to sell their produce in the context of the ongoing national Emergency. Many of the country's Economic Services Centers located in Dambulla and elsewhere have been closed for good reason. TV clips show large numbers of people crowding and jostling to deliver their produce with all safeguards against spreading the virus literally gone with the wind. Despite a great deal of lip service on more..

Apr 12 (SO) As Sri Lanka grapples with combatting the novel coronavirus, the Army Commander Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva has been tasked with heading the National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO). According to him, the success of the measures taken will be solely in the hands of the country�s people. In the interview, Silva discussed the quarantine process more..

Apr 12 (ST) The bright spring flowers are blooming, and the koha (Asian koel) has arrived to herald the traditional New Year, but the singing bird has to be told that this year�s Avurudu is on a different note. It is not the first time in contemporary history that the country has been under a curfew during this festive season. Back in 1971, the putsch by southern youth beginning April 5 forced a clampdown on all activity. Not once during the three-decade long northern insurgency, however, more..

Apr 12 (CT) Today, SL's Sinhalese and Tamil communities will put a pause to a millennia-old tradition of celebration and coming together for festivities, perhaps for the first time since its inception. The festival - known as Avurudu in Sinhala and Puththandu in Tamil, dates back to the pre-Buddhist era of the country, with its origins deeply rooted in Hindu as well as local mythological literature. It marks a time of joy and celebration, of people coming together to give thanks to more..

Apr 12 (Island) It is now one month after the WHO declared Covid-19 a global pandemic. Some clarity is emerging through the viral cloud about what happened, what went wrong and what might have been done differently. It is legitimate to ask if Wuhan had to be isolated from the rest of China, why could not China have been isolated from the rest of the world. Had that twin isolation been undertaken, China would have got reconnected with the world in 67 days at most, the time it took China to end more..

Apr 12 (ST) My dear Avurudu Kumaraya, I thought I must write to you because you must be wondering what to do these days. If it was any other year, you would have been extremely busy, getting ready for the festive season that will be upon us in a few days. Unfortunately, we are living in extraordinary and unprecedented times. I suppose the koha will still sing � perhaps because he doesn�t need a curfew pass to get around � but everything else will be very different and it is doubtful whether you will be more..