Apr 26 (ST) As COVID-19 may force cricketers to end the age-old practice of using saliva to keep the ball in good condition, Sri Lanka team head coach Mickey Arthur says authorities should devise an alternative to balance the contest between bat and ball. According to cricinfo.com, cricket officials are considering allowing the use of artificial substances to help polish the red ball under umpire supervision in Test cricket more..

Apr 26 (SO) Covid -19 has dealt a devastating blow to the world economy. Even speculating when the recovery will take place is difficult. The impact on Sri Lanka will be severe particularly for export businesses engaged in exporting products and services. World trade is expected to decline by 35% and the growth rate may see a decline of around 8%. Can we make this a blessing in disguise and focus on a longer-term strategy where Sri Lanka will emerge and be recognised as an attractive more..

Apr 26 (FT) The tea industry yesterday concluded yet another eAuction, clearing a further 5.2 million kg. Forbes and Walker Tea Brokers said the sale No. 15, which was originally scheduled for 21 and 22 April was rescheduled for Thursday, on account of the lockdown due to COVID-19, and concluded yesterday. �Overall auction quantities totalled 5.2 m/kgs, comprising 9,500 lots of tea. Consequent to the advancement/refinements made to the e-platform, the auction duration was reduced more..

Apr 26 (ST) A flurry of directives issued by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) between January and April 2020, with regard to income tax �some of which have created utter confusion �, has resulted in tax�paying workers scratching their heads in disbelief. The confusion has arisen after the govt announced suspending the PAYE (Pay-as-you-Earn) tax in January, at the same time raising the taxable limit where taxable employees have to file more..

Apr 26 (ST) It was a yummy breakfast. Kussi Amma Sera had prepared a nice meal of boiled breadfruit (from the local vegetable vendor who comes down the lane), grated coconut and katta sambol. Adding a cup of black tea with jaggery, this was the ideal concoction to start the day. I could hear snatches of their conversation from my office room window. Trio � Kussi Amma Sera, Serapina and Mabel Rasthiyadu � had as usual, gathered outside the gate (keeping a safe one-metre distance more..

Apr 26 (ST) Rugby referees in Sri Lanka have always come under the microscope every season being made convenient scapegoats by officials and fans whenever their team loses. The 2019/2020 Dialog Club Rugby League Championship was no exception with some matches being played under protest against the designated local referee. Some referees have been accused of bias, being incompetent and even lacking knowledge of the rules. more..

Apr 26 (SO) The country has adequate foreign reserves exceeding US$ 7 billion to manage imports for the rest of the year bearing no pressure on the Balance of Payment (BoP), said a top official of the Treasury responding to an indication by a multi-national donor that SL�s worker remittances would decline sharply this year. According to World Bank, global remittances are projected to decline by about 20% more..

Apr 26 (ST) The supply-chain disruption that we�ve been dodging is here now. And it�s here to stay. Spread of the COVID-19 virus has created a record spike in demand for grocery and household products, as consumers prepare for weeks (maybe months) of curfew, public spaces closures, work from home etc. It�s true that any Sri Lankan business � least of all retail � wasn�t ready for this. The business model of all firms has got disrupted because of the novel coronavirus which more..

Apr 26 (SO) Fisherfolk across the country have fallen from the frying pan into the fire due to their inability to sell the catch and keep the home fires burning due to the current environment in the country which has added to the woes of the community. All Ceylon Fisherfolk Trade Union President Aruna Roshantha said a large number of fishermen have confined themselves to their homes as prices have dropped drastically due to the sharp decline in demand. more..

Apr 26 (SO) The first digital Identification Card (ID) incorporating every citizen as potential entities to the larger economy will be out by December, said Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) Chairman Jayantha de Silva. �We have not changed the timelines for any of our projects aimed at digitising the economy despite the current challenging environment in the country,� he said. more..

Apr 26 (ST) The threat of COVID-19 pandemic (C19) has set the country on a war footing with the tri-forces, police and health and allied services deployed to fight this. A curfew is imposed to ensure social distancing of people to prevent the spread of C19 infections. This is a suddenly emergent pandemic threatening the whole of humanity. The collateral damages to the people by this are incalculable. It drains their hard-earned savings and exacerbates poverty. more..

Apr 26 (EN) Electronic clearance of cargo which can speed up exports and can bring Sri Lanka in line with advanced ports in the world is starting in a modest way after three decades of failure, an industry official said. Sri Lanka�s shippers have been trying to push Customs and the port towards e-docs but the process had hit many roadblocks. �We had some developments, we switched to e-commerce, which also very fledgling,� Romesh David CEO of South Asian Gateway Terminals said. more..

Apr 26 (SO) Govts of SL and Kuwait are in discussion to extend the amnesty period granted for over 19,000 Lankan workers who are currently out of status, in that country. PM Mahinda Rajapaksa had a telephone conversation with Kuwaiti PM Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah recently on the matter. Pursuant to the telephone conversation between the two premiers Minister Dinesh Gunawardena had discussed more..

Apr 26 (CGTN) Sri Lanka is considered a vital part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) because of its strategic geographical location. However, due to the increase of commercial financing of BRI projects in Sri Lanka, the term Debt Trap Diplomacy was coined in the last few years as a way to discredit the relationship between China and Sri Lanka. The term Debt Trap is now being disputed by numerous renowned academics since the general public has access to govt's debt portfolio. more..

Apr 26 (ST) Nuwara Eliya District Secretary Rohana Pushpakumara has called for additional security for Grama Niladhari officers involved in paying the Rs 5,000 allowance. He told a meeting that estate sector leaders were among those threatening the Grama Niladharis. They have been demanding that the lists of those entitled for the Rs 5,000 be adjusted according to the names given by them. He said some of the officers had to keep away from their offices due to threats while more..

Apr 26 (Island) Engineers should develop innovative concepts for the greater benefit of the country and electricity consumers at large rather than be a stumbling block when it comes to implementing viable power projects, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. CEB officials who are on the verge of retirement should think in terms of stepping down when the time comes so that they will be able to stamp their names like more..

Apr 26 (SO) Sri Lanka is still in stage � 3A while some areas of the country such as Central Colombo is in stage � 3B of COVID-19 which is a public health emergency, the GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said. According to Dr. Aluthge, Sri Lanka was in stage - 1 with no Covid-19 positive cases reported until January 27, and the country climbed up to stage - 2 on March 11 with the first local Covid-19 infected case reported. In this stage sporadic cases were reported. more..

Apr 26 (Island) SL�s national carrier has lined up more charter flights from Colombo to Mumbai, Coimbatore and New Delhi in India and Dhaka in Bangladesh during April 25-29 to ferry back Lankan students stranded in the South Asian cities following the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus pandemic. �The passengers have to pay for their air tickets�, a SriLankan Airlines official said. However, industry officials asserted that the fare per passenger was calculated on the basis of the total cost of more..

Apr 26 (ST) The Highways Ministry and the Road Development Authority (RDA) are rushing moves to award a multibillion rupee contract for the fourth section of the Central Expressway Project (CEP IV) from Kurunegala to Dambulla. Talks between the Govt and an identified contractor�the British consultancy firm Roughton�have been going on amidst the protracted curfew and growing COVID-19 pandemic, sources said. more..

Apr 26 (Xinhua) China stands ready to work with Sri Lanka to firmly support the World Health Organization (WHO) in the global battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday in a phone conversation with his SL counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena. The Chinese and Sri Lankan people have maintained friendship from generation to generation, and enjoyed a tradition of sincerely helping each other, Wang said. more..

Apr 26 (CT) Former State Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe has severely criticised former Speaker of Parliament, Karu Jayasuriya, when the Constitutional Council (CC) convened under the aegis of the latter on Thursday (23). The CC had convened at Jayasuriya's official residence at 10:30 a.m. and at the outset, Samarasinghe had claimed that there had been many loopholes in the invitation sent to the CC Members. "You have stated in this letter that you are the Speaker and more..

Apr 26 (ST) If not for Ratnajeevan Hoole, a member of the Election Commission (EC), parliamentary elections would have been gazetted for May 28. The draft gazette notification with this date was handed to Hoole for approval at the EC office in Battaramalla last Monday. This was after the other member, Nalin Abeysekera, had already endorsed it. Hoole read through the document and said, �This is not the date we decided upon.� more..

Apr 26 (AD) A Navy officer who had been receiving treatment in the ICU of the Sri Lanka Navy General Hospital has passed away yesterday due to Leptospirosis (Rat Bite Fever). Deceased 35-year-old Lieutenant Commander(VNF) Dodamwala Gedara Sunil Bandara Dodamwala had been serving attached to the Navy Headquarters. He had been admitted to the Navy General Hospital in Colombo on April 18 over an illness and been diagnosed that the patient is suffering from Leptospirosis (Rat Bite Fever). more..

Apr 26 (EN) SriLankan Airlines says the cost of running a special flight is extremely high as the aircraft is running empty in one direction and is coming back half full, also paying high fees to open airports in foreign countries which are closed for passenger traffic. The airline was responding complaints on social media that ticket prices were high on a flight which brought back Sri Lankan citizens who were stranded in India where Coronavirus was spreading. more..

Apr 26 (Island) In what was seen as a defence of his outspoken colleague Professor Ratnajeevan Hoole, Elections Commission Chief Mahinda Deshapriya said that if all of them were expected to be of the same opinion, there would be no need for a polls body. Hoole, came under severe criticism from sections of the govt and its propagandists for having said that it was only the Prez who could avert a constitutional crisis by seeking the Supreme Courts opinion with regard to more..

Apr 26 (EN) SL�s rubber sector has got a bounce from Coronavirus with glove output sold out, the the demand for solid tyres in construction and logistics sectors abroad would drive the rest of the demand, an official said. With production starting from mid-April factories were operating between 10-40% of capacity, Sri Lanka saw a surge in demand once the factories opened. �At this time, we are seeing a pent-up demand because factories have just opened up and are moving goods out,� more..

Apr 26 (EN) Dialog Axiata said it is giving 200 million rupees to expand intensive care capacity in Sri Lanka�s hospitals as the country is aggressively tracing contacts to battle a Coronavirus crisis Sri Lanka has less than 500 ventilator equipped intensive care beds at all hospitals. Late stage Coronavirus patients experience lung damage and pneumonia needing ventilators (mechanical breathing support) and suctioning of fluids as well as stabilizing of heart and kidney functions. more..

Apr 26 (ST) The Central Bank has pumped Rs. 240 billion of new money into the banking system this month, making cash in hand available to the people with a view to reviving the economy which slumped after the COVID-19 crisis. Of this amount, Rs.140 billion, through banks, has already gone into the hands of the people for their use, while increasing the money circulation and meeting the increase in real money demand, officials said. more..

Apr 26 (AD) Leave and short passes granted to tri-forces personnel have been canceled until further notice, Defence Secretary announced. The decision affects all Officers and Others Ranks of the Tri-Services with immediate effect, stated the Ministry of Defence. Accordingly, all tri-forces personnel on leave are to report to their respective camps immediately and should contact respective Officers-in Charge with immediate effect in order to get additional instructions on the same. more..

Apr 26 (Island) More than 300,000 letters and parcels have piled up at the Central Mail Exchange as the indefinite curfew imposed in the Western province held up postal delivery services, Post Master General, Ranjith Ariyaratne said. With Customs Department officials, postal workers had resumed sorting out the mail last Tuesday, he told The Sunday Island. �Regional Mail Exchanges have also resumed work in preparation for delivery when the curfew is lifted�, he said. more..

Apr 26 (EN) Two former MPs have written to the Secretary-General of Parliament questioning why the Armed Forces have been deployed to guard the Parliamentary complex in Kotte. Former State Minister Eran Wickremeratne in a letter to Secretary-General Dhammika Dissanayake says he and his colleague Dr Harsha De Silva �visited Parliament at 3 p.m. today (25) to discuss with you, a matter of concern that had arisen since last night, about the security of the Parliamentary Complex.� more..

Apr 26 (NR) Ceylon Teacher Services Union says schools should not reopen on the 11th of May. General Secretary of the Union Mahinda Jayasinghe said they are yet to receive a response from the Commissioner General of Examinations pertaining to their inquiry on how the 2020 A/L Exams will be conducted. He stressed the coronavirus has spread across the country rapidly with over 460 confirmed cases adding therefore schools must reopen only under the recommendations of health authorities and more..

Apr 26 (AD) Commander of the Army Lt General Shavendra Silva says that 95 Sri Lanka Navy personnel have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus so far. Among the infected, 68 have contracted the disease at the Welisara Navy Base. The other 27 Navymen have been identified while they have been on leave, said the Army Chief. Further, 10 out of the 11 patients who were confirmed to have been infected by the novel coronavirus are reported to be Navy personnel. more..

Apr 26 (Island) Supiripola (www.supiripola.lk) the latest online platform which is catering to the needs of SL�s lockdown community with the essential goods delivery, performed an historic task of using drones to deliver medicines to the quarantined area of Grandpass and Nagalagam Street. Over 150 families live in this area to which Supiripola delivered essential goods in the past two days. The company used its fleet of drones to deliver crucial medicines to the people more..

Apr 26 (TM) Import restrictions put in place to prevent a foreign exchange crisis will make vehicle prices skyrocket over the coming months, according to the Vehicle Importers� Association of Sri Lanka (VIASL), the representative body of automobile importers of the country. Accordingly, vehicles, especially fast-moving vehicles such as Suzuki Wagon R, Toyota Vitz, Toyota Axio, and Honda Vezel, would witness a price hike of Rs. 200,000�300,000 over the next two to three months. more..

Apr 26 (AD) Army Commander Lt Gen Shavendra Silva says that steps are being taken to repatriate the Sri Lankans who are stranded across the world over the COVID-19 outbreak. The repatriation will be done on a phase-by-phase basis. Arrangements have been made to repatriate Sri Lankans in SAARC countries first and then from other countries, he said. However, only a limited number of students that can be managed by Sri Lanka at the moment will be brought back to the country, he clarified. more..

Apr 26 (NR) Six more persons have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Sri Lanka. The Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health said the new discoveries increases the total infections to 477. Accordingly 17 COVID-19 cases have thus far been recorded today. Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe said 10 cases who tested positive for COVID-19 today are Navy personnel while one case was reported from the Kandakadu quarantine facility. more..

Apr 27 (CT) Prez Rajapaksa has met the Maha Sangha on Friday to apprise them of measures taken by the Govt to control the spread of COVID�19. The official communique issued by the Prez Secretariat is reproduced in the box. It calls attention to the following: Country must face the pandemic with courage; Buddhists of the land must observe the religiously hallowed, culturally significant Vesak day by mainly using the electronic media; Prez would be remembered as a leader who saved more..

Apr 27 (ST) Just when the Govt had thought it safe on Sunday to unlock the gated nation and return a semblance of normalcy to the land, since the dreaded coronavirus seemed to have been held at bay and kept at a comfortably safe arm distance as the stagnant body count and tiny trickle of patients showed, the sudden influx of 32 positive cases on Monday afternoon set off the alarm bells and led to the immediate countermanding of the set free order, thus nipping in the bud the hope of more..

Apr 27 (TM) The decision to relax quarantine curfew imposed in 21 districts last week, except for high-risk zones identified in certain districts, seems to have presented new challenges to the Police, tri forces, PHIs and health authorities. Throughout last week, the citizens of these 21 districts had to adjust to the new health guidelines issued to be followed when using public transport and then ease into the new normal amidst more..