Apr 17 (AD) The IMF says it is reviewing a request from the SL govt regarding a Rapid Credit Facility and is discussing whether Sri Lanka wants to switch to the new RCF program. �We received a letter from SL govt about our Rapid Credit Facility, you know, the program, RCF program,� said Mr. Changyong Rhee, the Director of the IMF�s Asia and Pacific Department. �We are now starting to review it. And we are now discussing with more..

Apr 17 (EN) Yesterday a total of 508 PCR tests were carried out and no-one was detected as having COVID 19, but today three women patients have been found in the Punani Quarantine centre, Director-General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe said. He said the woman patient confirmed as having COVID 19 had returned to the country on March 12 from India. She has told health officials that the passenger seated next to her on the aircraft had been coughing heavily and more..

Apr 17 (Island) For senior hotelier Suresh Fernando, it was a rude shock when he was told that he would be sent for quarantine to Batticaloa upon when he arrived at the BIA from Frankfurt after visiting his clients in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. But Fernando�s nightmare was short lived. After spending a couple days at the quarantine centre housed at the proposed Sharya University in Punani his mind changed. He said there had been a great deal of misinformation about more..

Apr 17 (NBC) San Francisco newlyweds John and Michelle Senyard are in the midst of an unforgettable honeymoon, just not the one they had been dreaming about. Limited flight options amid the coronavirus pandemic have left them stranded in Sri Lanka, unaware of when they might be able to return home. Their planned adventure to Thailand and Sri Lanka, complete with world-class surf beaches and a safari, has now become an unusual and prolonged endurance test for the newly married couple. more..

Apr 17 (ABC) A two-year-old girl born in Australia to Tamil asylum-seeker parents was not afforded procedural fairness in her asylum bid, and the formerly Biloela-based family cannot be immediately deported, the Federal Court has decided. Justice Mark Moshinsky delivered the judgement in Melbourne this morning, with lawyers for the family receiving the decision over the phone. Priya, Nades and their daughters four-year-old Kopika and Tharunicaa, two, had been living in Biloela more..

Apr 17 (AD) Seven more COVID-19 patients who returned to health have brought the total number of recoveries in SL to 77. In the meantime, the country�s coronavirus cases tally has risen to 242 as the Ministry of Health confirmed a new case of COVID-19 a short while ago. Accordingly, four COVID-19 cases have been identified within the past 24 hours. Currently, 158 active cases are under medical care at more..

Apr 18 (CT) A few days ago, I watched the TV news in which it showed that the military assisted by District Secretary of Anuradhapura were purchasing farm produce. That news made me both happy and sad. I felt happy seeing the smiles on farmers� faces having been able to sell their produce for a better price. I felt sad by observing the dysfunction of domestic supply chain having practiced almost free market principles since 1977. This intimates the need of establishing more disaster resilient more..

Apr 18 (CT) Like the proverbial dog returning to his vomit, Rajapaksas appear to go back to racism to win elections. Racism has been a running motif of them. Many analysts believe that their strategic racism is a shrewd play. The electoral potency of racism has been tested in Post-war elections and these days, racism is seen to be energizing the predominantly Sinhala Buddhist SL electorate, as never before. Anti-Muslim hatred based racism thus became a litmus-test issue in more..

Apr 18 (MoD) Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne said the prompt interventions made by the military and Police with the support of the intelligence agencies, the impact of coronavirus, compared to other countries, has reduced to a greater extent in SL with a significantly low death toll. He said SL military�s contribution to combat new coronavirus would set a good example to other nations on how effectively country�s more..

Apr 18 (FT) We have a virtual Minister of Defence and a virtual state of emergency and the Govt is trying to have a virtual election while the healthcare workers, Armed Forces and the Police are doing a great job in an operation against COVID-19 virus, once again with the direction of the Govt. President dissolved the Parliament on 2 March and the General Election was scheduled on 25 April amidst spread of COVID-19 virus internationally. New P'ment was scheduled to meet on 14 May. more..

Apr 18 (FT) Though SL encountered its first Chinese COVID-19 patient and discharged her after a few weeks of successful treatment, it appeared that SL had not yet augured what was in the offing and had had no nationwide guidelines with regard to disposal of the bodies of COVID-19 deaths. Once Batticaloa Campus was temporarily commandeered by the military for the quarantine purposes by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS), Judicial Medical Officer attached to more..

Apr 18 (DM) With the COVID-19 pandemic plunging the world into chaos, sections of the int'l media have criticized the Chinese govt for allegedly covering-up the truth about the dangers of the deadly virus that has already killed over 148,000 people and afflicted over 2.2 million worldwide. Amid the global battle to save lives, a war of words has ensued on traditional as well as social media platforms like Twitter, Whatsapp & Facebook, more..

Apr 18 (CT) The IMF on Tuesday slashed the country's growth prospects by a massive 4.2 percentage points to a negative (-) 0.5% this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, when only two months ago, in February it predicted that the economy will expand by a positive (+) 3.7%. Only on one occasion has SL, since it began calibrating the country's growth statistical data, 69 years ago in 1951, suffered a negative growth, which was 19 years ago, in 2001, more..

Apr 18 (Island) The FUTA has taken exception to a UGC decision to reopen universities, in May. Opposition has flayed the govt for what it calls a plan to hold the postponed general election before the coronavirus crisis is over. Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, has indicated that the process of reopening the country will commence shortly. The recent South Korean election, where the ruling party scored a landslide win, while battling the coronavirus, could not have come at a better more..

Apr 18 (CT) "It is not the first time that a virus attack affected mankind and it's not going to be the last time either. The medical peculiarity of the virus is that it has no cure and that makes it a story of the survival of the fittest. Even the common flu, we all know, is caused by a virus and it would take its own natural cycle and the victim who contracts it would normally go through with it. Very rarely would we hear that the victim died of it. There could have been cases where a person might have died more..

Apr 18 (Island) James Pink was a senior English gentleman from the old school. Soft spoken, tall and balding, used to wear his trousers high around his waist, quite unlike the young Sri Lankans of my vintage. He was considered a fatherly figure and had been a captain with British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), for many years. He had then joined Singapore Airlines (SIA) as a Captain, to fly Boeing 707 aircraft. He was a flight instructor par excellence. more..

Apr 18 (Island) The call for a general election is the rising shout of the govt. Whether it is due to the influence of current American politics of the Donald Trump style is not certain, with so much US impact in our key political leaders today. The voices calling for a quick poll sound very much like Trump and his catchers, who have made the White House Rose Garden a showcase of Trump politics in the run to a presidential poll. more..

Apr 18 (DM) The indefinite curfew paved the way for a chaotic panic buying episode by Sri Lankans. Communication channels were jammed, websites didn�t work and people were in frenzy. In no time, online vendors mushroomed, selling everything from essentials to non-essential items, promising to satisfy lock-down cravings. While a majority of vendors deliver what they promise, a few are learning to handle the burden of overwhelming number of orders. more..

Apr 18 (DM) The COVID-19 pandemic is still unfortunately under progression. There are limited data with regard to the clinical characteristics of the patients as well as to their prognostic factors. Smoking, to date, has been assumed to be possibly associated with adverse disease prognosis, as extensive evidence has highlighted the negative impact of tobacco use on lung health and its causal association with a plethora of respiratory diseases. Smoking is also detrimental to the immune more..

Apr 18 (CT) Most Sri Lankan mainstream media outlets buzzed with the news that Sri Lanka had been ranked 9th in the Global Response to Infectious Diseases, as the Gotabaya Rajapaksa Adminstration rushes to gear up for operation normalcy in order to facilitate a parliamentary election during the COVID-19 pandemic. Articles appeared in The Morning and Daily Mirror, claiming that SL Ranked 9th. more..

Apr 18 (Island) Police have secured the support of Sri Lanka�s cricketers to carry out relief operations. Before restrictions to travel from district to district were enforced, former skipper Sanath Jayasuriya was issued with a curfew pass valid to travel to all corners of the country and Jayasuriya was seen travelling around distributing food items among the needy. All-rounder Farveez Maharoof, too, is heavily involved in relief work and he has gone a step further by requesting more..

Apr 18 (FT) Secretary to the President Dr. P.B. Jayasundera has donated his full salary and allowances for the month of May to the Govt�s W and OP Social Security Contribution. �Secretary to the Prez had informed the President that he is making this contribution voluntarily because the President as the Head of State of this nation needs a stress-free budget,� PMD said. Dr. P.B. Jayasundera said that the monthly wage bill of the Govt was about Rs. 80 billion and more..

Apr 18 (DN) The Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) will function from Monday, ICTA Chairman, Jayantha De Silva said. He said that ICTA would be functional with approximately 20% of their staff. �Reopening was justified by the multi-billion rupees projects that are being held back.� On a Presidential directive, ID card, Driving Card, Passport project, and Grama Niladhari projects are to be fast-tracked. more..

Apr 18 (ST) Dankotuwa Porcelain PLC has introduced a new customised steam inhaler which is ideal for individuals affected by respiratory tract infections including COVID-19. Designed and advised by Dr. Charith Nanayakkara, at Teaching Hospital, Kotalawela Defense Uni, this modified steam inhaling device will be made available at hospitals and quarantine centres currently providing medical care for patients affected by COVID-19, the company said in a media release. more..

Apr 18 (DM) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed the relevant officials to facilitate the high quality production of the bracelet which can monitor the people who are in quarantine. The monitoring device which has been manufactured by Amila Sameera Ratnayaka to monitor the people who are in quarantine, was presented to PM Rajapaksa today. Mr. Ratnayaka who is a resident from Pannipitiya, said the device can be used as a bracelet to monitor the people who are being quarantined. more..

Apr 18 (CT) The failure of the Govt to take necessary steps to ensure safe return of SL citizens who are currently overseas, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, is an infringement of their human rights, claimed National Organiser of the JVP, Bimal Rathnayake. He said that although the Govt informed those overseas to remain in the countries that they are in, this decision has imposed a risk on the lives of such individuals. more..

Apr 18 (AD) Veteran actor Daya Thennakoon passed away today (17) at the age of 78. He was receiving treatment at Apeksha Hospital in Maharagama at the time of his demise. Thennakoon debuted with Hanthane Kathawa movie in 1969 and rose to fame following his role in Thattu Gewal teledrama. He is a well-known artist in theatre, cinema and teledrama. Thennakoon was schooled at Dharmaraja College in Kandy and he is an alumnus of the University of Peradeniya. more..

Apr 18 (ST) Alibaba Group, the parent company of Daraz SL, has been one of the groups at the forefront in the worldwide fight against COVID-19 through continuous supplies of medical support to Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. Following the donation of 100,000 masks two weeks ago, the Alibaba and Jack Ma Foundations donated 20,064 COVID-19 test kits to the Ministry of Health yesterday. The donation was handed over by the Managing Director of Daraz, Rakhil Fernando more..

Apr 18 (FT) A Habeas Corpus application was filed yesterday before the Court of Appeal on behalf of senior lawyer Hejaz Hisbullah, who has been arrested by the CID over his alleged links to the Easter Sunday bombers. Petition was filed by his father, Naina Hizbullah, through Attorney-at-Law Gowry Thavarasha, seeking the Court to direct the Respondents to release and discharge lawyer Hejaz Hisbullah from custody/detention. more..

Apr 18 (DN) Life insurance leader Ceylinco Life donated two high-end non-invasive ventilators to the government to support efforts to treat people infected by COVID-19. The two Resmed Stellar 100 ventilators from Australia were presented to Army Commander Lt Gen Shavendra Silva, who heads the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak, at Army Headquarters on April 16. In a letter accompanying the donation, Ceylinco Life Chairman R. Renganathan said more..

Apr 18 (Island) The JVP yesterday said the government must not use the election in South Korea as an excuse for holding the parliamentary polls, before the COVID-19 crisis was over. Addressing the media, online, the former JVP MP and National Organizer, Bimal Ratanayake, demanded to know whether this country had the same wherewithal to match the precautions and safety measures put in place by the South Korean govt that held its national election on April 15. more..

Apr 18 (MB) Gemunu is one of about 350 elephants in Yala National Park, the most visited in SL. It�s thanks to these visitors that he�s developed a taste for food from humans. This habit was innocent initially, but the bull elephant became more aggressive over time, blocking dirt tracks and halting safari jeeps to sniff out food inside. That�s gone now, along with the visitors, following Sri Lanka�s decision to declare more..

Apr 18 (EN) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has suggested several strategies for an economic recovery to Prez. Suggestions for economy recovery come as the health and military officials are making major progress in containing the disease through aggressive contact tracing. Before the Coronavirus crisis island�s external sector and state finances were already weakened by fiscal stimulus. Massive liquidity injections had already been made despite having a pegged exchange rate since then. more..

Apr 18 (Xinhua) A fresh batch of medical aid donated by China arrived at the BIA on Friday evening, as the govt of China and its people stood firmly with Sri Lanka in the country's battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese Embassy said in a statement that the donation included 20,000 test kits, 10,000 N-95 masks, 100,000 surgical masks, 10,000 protective clothing, 1,000 goggles and 50,000 surgical gloves which arrived onboard a Chinese Eastern Airline flight. more..

Apr 18 (Island) Former non-cabinet minister Dr. Harsha de Silva said that the wisest thing to do was to pave the way for parliament to meet again by rescinding gazette, bearing no. 2165/8, dated March 02, that dissolved the House. Dr. de Silva, who is in the fray from the Colombo electoral district, at the 2020 parliamentary election, on the SJB ticket warned of dire consequences in case the SLPP sought to exploit what he called more..

Apr 18 (NR) The All Island Private Bus Owners Association charges that despite the govt�s decision to include public transportation to facilitate persons reporting for essential services on the 20th of April, the decision only includes buses owned by the Sri Lanka Transport Board and not private buses. Chairman Gemunu Wijeratne said the opportunity should be granted to private bus owners as well. Wijeratne said transport officials have not held talks with private bus owners as yet. more..

Apr 18 (PMD) In the Global Response to Infectious Diseases index, Sri Lanka and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been ranked ninth position. This is an index designed to rank the efficiency and effectiveness of the leadership of the country and the preparedness of its health system to combat COVID 19. While it is clear that Sri Lanka has been successfully containing and controlling the COVID 19 threat, it is also clear that the crisis is far from over. more..

Apr 18 (AD) A total of 30,631 persons have been arrested since March 20 for violating the curfew while 7,892 vehicles were taken into custody. Police has placed 343 individuals under arrest over curfew violations between 6 am today to 12 noon. In addition, 122 vehicles have been taken into custody during this time period. Police has warned of strict legal action against people caught violating the countrywide curfew. more..