May 6 (EN) SL has isolated 103 Grama Niladhari divisions in 44 police areas and six complete police areas in 14 districts as of this morning, data from the NOCPOC showed. Grama Niladhari divisions and police areas isolated are as follows: Colombo district: Moratumulla police area, Willorawatta Grama Niladhari division. Piliyandala police area: Dampe Grama Niladhari division, Batakettara North Grama Niladhari division, Pelanwatta West Grama Niladhari division. Kesbawa South GN more..

May 6 (FT) Tourist arrivals fell by 9% in April to 4,168 in comparison to March, largely influenced by the global and local spike in COVID-19 cases. Arrivals during the first four months also fell by 97.3% to 13,797 from a year earlier, according to data released by the SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). The COVID-19 pandemic raged from March 2020 onwards and latest drop in arrivals reinforce the continuous struggle of the tourism industry. In April, the largest source markets more..

May 6 (EN) Sri Lanka will henceforth use the Russia-made Sputnik V jab as the country�s primary vaccine against COVID-19, ministers said, while talking to governments with excess AstraZeneca to secure more doses for some 600,000 people awaiting their second shot. State Minister Dr Sudarshini Fernandopulle said that authorities are looking at every possible avenue to acquire more vaccines. more..

May 6 (FT) The snail�s pace expansion at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) is irking the aviation and tourism industry, with the delay also costing the Govt dearly. Dubbed the largest construction project of the Govt, the BIA Terminal 2 development phase is being done at an extremely slow pace, with industry insiders alleging that the project, which began in December last year, has only progressed to 10% of the expected target after four months of work. more..

May 6 (FT) Sri Lanka Tourism yesterday notified all Safe and Secure travel agents and Level 1 hotels of the limited excursions for int'l travellers considering the spike in COVID-19 cases in the country. It said they could arrange bio-bubble excursions of international tourists only to Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Temple of Tooth Relic in Kandy and the Peradeniya Gardens. Sri Lanka Tourism also said authorities and institutions had informed that all national parks, Mirissa whale watching, more..

May 7 (CT) Gone are the days of the dreaded cold war. Ever since the cessation of the World War2 (WW2), the global marketplace became a playground for arms dealers financed by the then two super powers, United States of America (USA) and Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the eventual victors of WW2. On May 7, 1945 the German Instrument of Surrender became a binding legal document that effected the extinction of Nazi Germany and ended World War2 in Europe. more..

May 7 (CT) As of now, the number of coronavirus cases in India have shot past 20 mil, with many regional countries being faced with an unprecedented surge in this stage of the pandemic. Nepal urgently needs at least 1.6 million AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine doses to administer second shots as the Himalayan country is recording a surge in new COVID-19 cases. Many developing nations, including SL are in desperate need for vaccines, especially vital 2nd dose. more..

May 7 (TM) A few weeks ago, SJB MP Mujibur Rahman alleged in parliament that a suspect who had been arrested in connection with the Easter Sunday Attacks who had maintained relations with the attacker Zahran Hashim and Naufer Maulavi has been released upon a letter issued by the Attorney General Dappula de Livera requesting the release. In light of this, The Morning spoke to MP Rahman about the identity of the suspect, more..

May 7 (DM) Chinese State Councillor and Defence Minister Wei Fenghe arrived in Sri Lanka for a brief visit recently. He is the second senior official from China to visit Sri Lanka since the outbreak of the pandemic after foreign policy chief Yang Jiechi who arrived last October. The timing of the latest visit is in a context significant both in local and regional perspectives. As for Sri Lanka under the present Govt, it is another step, in its enhanced engagement with China for economic cooperation to more..

May 7 (GV) It is a curious thing to imagine the state of human rights around the world if national leaders were simply left to their own devices. Fortunately, a minimal standard of legal obligations to protect human rights exists in the form of int'l covenants, many of which SL is a signatory to. SL�s commitment to the ICCPR however, displays a stark disparity between textual enactment and meaningful implementation. It is a glaring example of why int'l legal obligations are essential and more..

May 7 (TM) The development and improvement of Covid-19 vaccines has been trying to keep abreast of the rapid spread and evolution of the Covid-19 virus. As a number of vaccines are being developed around the world from the US to China and England to Russia, The Morning spoke to SL viral immunologist based in Singapore Dr. Ruklanthi de Alwis. Currently she is a Senior Research Fellow at the Programme more..

May 7 (ST) There are, what are called, lazy crops in this country including many fruit and vegetable varieties, as many would testify. They are the crops that you can plant and forget, and then go for the harvest after a couple of months or years, depending on the type of the crop. In other words, you don�t need to do anything in between planting and harvesting! The number one among the lazy crops is coconut. If you have an acre of coconut land, even with lowest productivity levels more..

May 7 (TM) The Catholic Church is rightly concerned about the deaths of over 260 persons and injuries to 500 or more persons which took place as a result of the bomb blasts on 21 April 2019. It certainly reflects the wish of all the survivors of these deaths as well as the whole community when it demands full revelation about all that has caused this tragedy. However, there is an even more fundamental issue that the Catholic Church as well as all other religions and all persons concerned with moral values more..

May 7 (FT) The Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka (AHK Sri Lanka) organised in cooperation with the German Asia Pacific Business Association (OAV), a German Sourcing Conference for German importers of food and apparel to match them with SL exporters and related business associations on 6 and 7 May. The conference was opened by German Ambassador Holger Seubert and Chief Delegate of German Industry and Commerce in SL more..

May 7 (TM) A senior international player in the Sri Lanka national women�s cricket squad, reportedly Udeshika Prabodhani, has tested positive for Covid-19. Another member of the national women�s team confirmed that Prabodhani has now sent in for quarantine along with a few other members of the national team. Prabodhani represents SL Navy in the women�s domestic circuit. Source further added that the national team�s practices had not been conducted in recent times due to pandemic more..

May 7 (ST) Pemadasa, a farmer in Gongangara, Buttala, was on his way to stand guard over his plot on Wednesday evening when he was suddenly attacked by a wild elephant on the Waguruwela Temple road. The father of three was rushed to the local hospital and then to the Moneragala District General Hospital but died of his injuries the following morning. Some two weeks earlier, 61-year-old Anura Gunaratne and more..

May 7 (FT) The manufacturers of N-Joy yesterday in a statement reassured customers that food safety is priority. The statement follows the Consumer Affairs Authority last week recalling the product from the market owing to concerns of human safety. The full statement is as follows: N-Joy, a leader in the coconut oil market in Sri Lanka has been available for almost 20 years. The product is a 100% natural creation which does not go through any chemical refining process. more..

May 7 (CT) A controversial decision by the Cabinet to establish 500 container gymnasiums around the country at a whopping cost of Rs 625 million has come in for serious criticism as Sri Lanka grapples with the third wave of the deadly coronavirus. The proposal submitted by the Ministry of Sports was line item number 8 in the list of cabinet decisions published following the ministerial meeting on May 3, 2021. The list of cabinet decisions is a study in the Govt�s priorities as nearly 2000 infections more..

May 7 (FT) Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga yesterday assured the private sector of its important role in development and marketing and sought their input within three months for the proposed new legislation. This assurance was given yesterday when the Minister had his first consultation for a new Tourism Act with the key private sector stakeholders. The discussion primarily evolved around industry concerns and more..

May 7 (FT) ICCSL in partnership with SL-China Business Council, BCG, ACCA and the Daily FT will hold a webinar tomorrow to discuss the potential opportunities and challenges for Port City implementation and how it can become the game changer for SL�s economic growth trajectory and what it needs to do as a country to emulate some of the successful financial centres like Dubai and Singapore. The keynote will be delivered by two experts from Boston Consulting Group, more..

May 7 (CT) Two-time Olympian shuttler Niluka Karunarathne will take on 141st ranked Kari Gunnarsson of Iceland in a first-round match today at the 56th Portuguese International Championship 2021, seeking to secure a Tokyo Olympic berth. The match will commence at 8.30 p.m. SL time. Niluka is currently ranked 41st in the men�s single Olympic qualification list, where the top 40 will qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games. Currently NZ�s Abhinav Manota with 16.347 points is in 40th place, more..

May 7 (FT) The Govt has decided to expedite the use of the Ayurvedic hospital system to manage the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. State Ministers Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle and Sisira Jayakody held a crucial discussion yesterday in this regard. Health Services Director General Dr. Asela Gunawardena and other officials of the Ministry of Health and Ayurvedic physicians took several important decisions more..

May 7 (Island) Most govt politicians are in the news, always for the wrong reasons. Minister Gamini Lokuge has not only endangered the lives of people but also caused what remains of the govt� popularity to plummet further by having Covid-19 travel restrictions in the Piliyandala area arbitrarily lifted recently. We thought 20th Amendment would restore dictatorial powers of only the Executive President, but it looks as if it had led to the emergence of dictators at the provincial level as well. more..

May 7 (DN) SL Test Captain and opening batsman Dimuth Karunaratne has been named in the World Test Team by Wisden Cricketers Almanack. The 33-year-old stylish left-hander played 10 matches in the ICC World Test Championship and accumulated a total of 999 runs with an excellent average of 55.5 inclusive of four hundreds and four half-centuries. He collected 428 runs with one double century, one century and one half-century including a career-best 244 which was also his maiden double more..

May 7 (Island) SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella, on Wednesday, told Parliament that if the incumbent government had not antagonised India by allowing China to consolidate its power here, there would not have been delays in obtaining Indian Covid vaccines. Participating in an adjournment debate on the prevailing pandemic situation in the country, MP Kiriella said that the govt had created problems with neighbouring India more..

May 7 (CT) A team support member of the Sri Lanka Paralympics rowing team which is in Japan to compete in the World Rowing Asia And Oceania Continental Olympic And Paralympic Qualification Regatta, has tested positive for COVID-19, following positive antigen and PCR tests, World Rowing Association (WRA) website states. According to WRA, all other Sri Lankans have tested negative yesterday on both the antigen and follow up PCR Tests. more..

May 7 (TM) With the emergence of the third wave locally and the reduction in movement, retail performance in the country is expected to plummet considerably in the next two weeks to come, according to Sri Lanka Retailers� Association (SLRA). SLRA Founding Chairman and President Hussain Sadique stated that he firmly believes that the Govt would not impose a lockdown, and instead would implement a different strategy to assure the safety of the citizens. more..

May 7 (DN) Arrangements have been made to launch work on the country�s seventh expressway by PM Mahinda Rajapaksa today. The inauguration ceremony of the first phase from Kahatuduwa to Ingiriya of the Ruwanpura Expressway is scheduled to be held with the participation of a limited number of participants as per health regulations in place in view of the pandemic, and PM Mahinda Rajapaksa more..

May 7 (FT) Vaccination of persons in the Gothatuwa MOH area began yesterday with the use of the 15,000 doses of the Sputnik-V vaccine the country received on 4 May. A vaccination centre was set up in the Madinnagoda Purana Rajamaha Viharaya and State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana said the vaccine is recommended for persons below the age of 60 and has to be administered in two doses. The second dose will be administered three weeks after the first jab. more..

May 7 (DM) Director-General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardana issued guidelines for the public to follow after undergoing a PCR test. Accordingly, the public have been advised to self-isolate until they receive the test results, which may take 2-3 days. The public have also been told to wear a face mask even at home when self-isolating after a PCR test if there are others at home. Health Ministry has also advised that they use separate utensils at home until a negative PCR test result is received. more..

May 7 (TM) Although SL recorded the first Covid-19 death of an expectant mother on 5 May, the Family Health Bureau (FHB) said that all pregnant women cannot be vaccinated against the virus under a blanket policy as different mothers have various health conditions. �So far, globally, the only vaccinated mothers are those facing high risks such as pregnant women in the frontlines of Covid-19. Not all pregnant women can be vaccinated more..

May 7 (FT) The Supreme Court�s (SC) determination on the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill has been received by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, his office said. Speaker will announce the Court ruling to Parliament when it meets on 18 May, following which party leaders will decide on a date to debate the Bill. The Port City Economic Commission Bill was to be debated this week but had to be postponed due to the delay in receiving the SC�s determination on the Bill. more..

May 7 (AD) The Director General of Health Services confirmed eleven more Covid-19 related deaths today (6), as Sri Lanka�s death toll due to the virus pandemic rose to 745. 1. The deceased is a 73-year-old female resident in Inamaluwa. She was diagnosed as infected with Covid-19 while undergoing treatments in General Hospital Polonnaruwa and transferred to Special Covid-19 Treatment Center Welikanda where she died on 05.05.2021. more..

May 7 (FT) Sri Lanka�s COVID-19 patient count yesterday rose to 119,424 with the detection of 1,895 COVID-19 positive persons. Among the patients detected yesterday were 1,851 persons linked to the New Year cluster, to which 22,692 COVID-19 patients have been linked to date. The country�s local cases also include 82,785 persons from the Peliyagoda cluster, 4,899 persons from the Prisons cluster, and 3,059 persons from more..

May 7 (DM) Russian made Sputnik-V vaccine would be used as the main vaccine against COVID-19 in SL within this year, State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana said. He said that they had the potential to provide the Sputnik vaccine for 6,500,000 citizens. SL started administering the first dose of Sputnik V vaccine. State Minister said the second dose of the Sputnik-V vaccine would be only after three weeks from the first dose. A consignment of 15,000 Sputnik-V vaccine vials were more..

May 7 (CT) Sri Lanka recorded its first COVID-19 maternal death, when a 45-year-old woman died at Teaching Hospital Ragama of COVID-19 pneumonia. The patient had been transferred to the Teaching Hospital earlier this week from the Minuwangoda Hospital, but had succumbed to the illness a few hours after being admitted. Director of the Family Health Bureau (FHB), Dr. Chitramalee de Silva, said although Bureau had not been informed of the particular maternal death at the time, more..

May 7 (TM) The first woman DIG of Police Bimshani Jasin Arachchi has been removed from her duties as the DIG in charge of the Police Ombudsman Range. This was confirmed by both Jasin Arachchi�s legal representation, and high-ranking Police sources. According to her lawyers, she was removed from her duties with effect from 1 May. One of Jasin Arachchi�s legal representatives, Dushantha Kularathne, said that her staff more..

May 7 (TM) A letter has been sent to the IGP C.D. Wickramaratne by the Jana Bala Pawura organisation, urging him to take necessary legal action regarding the alleged role that Minister Gamini Lokuge played in the lifting of the lockdown restrictions imposed on Piliyandala earlier this week. Furthermore, as Lokuge had allegedly placed the people of Piliyandala in grave danger due to his unauthorised actions, the letter claims that it violates Section 300 of the Penal Code, which deals more..