Apr 12 (ST) The govt yesterday declared the paddy sector as an essential service and will deploy the armed forces to ensure the equitable distribution of rice at fair prices. The move follows reports reaching the special Presidential Task Force that traders have begun hoarding rice stocks. Many instances of rice being sold at exorbitant prices have also come to light. The matter figured at a meeting of the 40-member Task Force headed by more..

Apr 12 (SO) The extra one-off payment of Rs. 5,000 to low income families last week and the same amount to Samurdhi beneficiaries, pensioners and the differently-abled, has been already disbursed, said Treasury Secretary S.R. Attygalle responding to allegations that the deserving sectors have still not received them. �We have taken steps through the government mechanism to disburse the funds which will be in the hands of the needy sectors soon,� he said. more..

Apr 12 (TM) It is inevitable that when a government focuses all its attention and resources on a critical issue, other areas that need attention tend to get neglected. This seems to be the case with regard to the farmers who are lamenting their predicament in not being able to sell their harvest on the one hand and consumers in the rest of the country lamenting the shortage of their daily staples on the other, the combination of which has led to bitterness and frustration all round. more..

Apr 12 (TM) Last year, even before the heat of Sinhala and Tamil New Year was gone, Sri Lankans were taken by a completely ugly surprise as a group of Islamist terrorists carried out suicide bomb attacks mainly targeting the Christians attending Easter Sunday Mass. Today, as it dawns on another Easter Sunday, Sri Lankans are once again fighting an invisible terror- a deadly virus- and not only Christians but even non Christians more..

Apr 12 (CT) Another week has passed with no news of when the football calendar will resume, meaning players across the globe still have to keep fit and entertain themselves at home. The Covid 19 pandemic has also forced SL National footballers to stick to their homes for an indefinite period, which they aren't used to. Footballers are stocking up on gym equipment in an attempt to maintain their fitness during the current crisis. With most training grounds closed and public gyms unavailable, more..

Apr 12 (SO) While the entire world is on one platform for the first time battling a common enemy called the coronovirus, some experts have also taken the syndrome as a means to bury their lapses in what they see as a new beginning ahead. One of the experts is SL's South African cricket coach Mickey Arthur who has told his employer that he was using the period to put his future plans and ideas into some kind of a quarantine as he will need a healthy standard of his team which more..

Apr 12 (ST) Women�s boxing in SL has been viewed with cynicism not least by some of their male counterparts and even officials although it has been around for nearly two decades. The hours and commitment they put in during training is no less and the personal sacrifices they make is incomparable with some delaying marriage because of their love for boxing. As the women�s sport evolved, it served as a stepping stone more..

Apr 12 (DM) Mayor of the Balangoda Urban Council (UNP) Chamika Wewagedara has destroyed a stock of vegetables set for sale, by pouring kerosene over them, vendors said. One vendor said that they had transported a stock of vegetables from Bandarawela adding that they were unaware of the fact that the Ratnapura area was still under curfew. "As we had no way to go back to Bandarawela along with the vegetables, we prepared them for sale for people at very reasonable prices. more..

Apr 12 (EN) Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa remembered 2018 attacks which left over 200 persons dead in his message on Easter Sunday while the country was engulfed in a curfew to combat Coronavirus. �The Christian community in SL, together with their brethren all over the world celebrates East, the commemoration day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ with utmost devotion,� Prez said. �The devotees are shocked and saddened by the Corona pandemic faced by world community today. more..

Apr 12 (SO) Former SL captain Sanath Jayasuriya says that it is important for cricketers to maintain their training schedules while being at home due to the coronavirus pandemic while at the same time called on school cricket guardians to take stock of where the youth game is today. �It is an unfortunate situation and we have to face this calamity with courage and determination. At the same time, cricketers cannot afford to skip or more..

Apr 12 (TM) With the Vote on Account (VOA) that was passed during the latter part of 2019 expiring at the end of this month, it appears the Prez is constitutionally empowered to continue drawing from the Consolidated Fund due to the extreme circumstances of Covid-19 until the parliamentary election is held. A VOA presented by the former UNP-led Govt, worth Rs. 1,474 billion for both capital and recurrent expenditure for the first four months of 2020, was passed by Parliament more..

Apr 12 (CT) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa urged Sri Lankans to spend the New Year days as per the strict health directives which have been formulated to safeguard the health of the people and the nation. He requested the people to celebrate the festival with immediate family members only. In his New Year message PM said that even in these difficult and trying circumstances, all Sri Lankans can celebrate the true meaning of the New Year. "At this moment, we get a chance to display our more..

Apr 12 (EN) The Opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) is calling on all political parties, civil society activists and the general public to strongly oppose the attempt by the govt to create an autocratic, anti-democratic state in SL. In a statement, the SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said that in the guise of battling the spread of COVID 19 the govt is disregarding the role of the courts & country�s Constitution. more..

Apr 12 (ST) The govt directive to stop imports of non-essential items in the face of COVID-19 spread, and the curfews, have hit the consumer durables� market hard with virtually zero sales during end March to mid-April which is the Avurudu season. With demand for such goods already waning amidst the low growth trajectory in the economy during the past year, importers who expected better sales this season with the change in govt are in for a hard jolt this year and maybe the next. more..

Apr 12 (CT) Due to the effect of COVID-19 on the tourism industry, the annual renewal of the guide license fee for the year 2021 will be waived for all tour guides, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said in a media release. As a relief measure, the annual fee for guide licenses of all four categories - National, Chauffeur, Area and Site Guides will be waived for the year 2021. This is only valid for guides who have renewed their license until at least the year 2019. more..

Apr 12 (ST) SL�s apparel factories have stopped their machines with no orders and with no hand-outs from the govt, they are facing stiff competition from their counterparts. �None of the companies that has asked for loans from banks have been successful in obtaining a loan,� SLAEA Prez Rehan Lakhany said. The industry has requested the govt to allow them to suspend payment of EPF/ETF for a period more..

Apr 12 (CT) Highlighting that the SL rupee would continue to weaken against the US Dollar due to the effects of the COVID-19, a securities firm says that significant intervention would be required to support key sectors of the economy. "SL Rupee deprecated slightly above 5% year-to-date in 2020 and might continue to fall during the rest of the year," CT CASL Securities said. It is expected that the rupee as of end 2020 would depreciate around 16% to settle around 210.7 against the US Dollar, more..

Apr 12 (DM) A new bank account termed Special Deposit Account (SDA) has now been introduced for all Sri Lankans living in and outside the country to remit their foreign currency earnings, savings and investments to any bank of their choice in Sri Lanka. It is in the form of Term Deposits either in any designated foreign currency or in SL Rupees. Any SL individual resident in or outside SL as well as dual citizens, citizens of other States with SL origin, non-nationals residents in or outside SL, more..

Apr 12 (EN) A Coronavirus curfew break for less-risky areas has been delayed till 0600h Apr 16 morning from an earlier announced April 14, as the country went on a last ditch effort to bottle the Covid-19 bug. Coronavirus count went up by one to 199 on Saturday while recovered persons were 54. Both persons were found in quarantine camps. SL has slapped indefinite curfew in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Puttalam, Kandy, Jaffna more..

Apr 12 (ST) Tourist guides and chauffeur guides are facing a crisis as the only means of income is gone since tourists have stopped coming. Sri Lanka Institute of national Tourist Guide Lecturers President Dr. T.G.M. Priyadharshana said that they were severely impacted under the current crisis as 1,526 of their members are without work and no income at all. In addition they were subject to criticism and hindrance from society for the job that they were engaged in as a result of which more..

Apr 12 (ST) The disbursement of the final tranche of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)�s US$ 1.5 billion bailout to help Sri Lanka avert a balance of payments crisis will be delayed by at least three or four months due to COVID-19. Responding to an email request for comments on the ongoing IMF�s Extended Fund Facility (EFF), Masahiro Nozaki, IMF�s acting mission chief for Sri Lanka expressed the IMF�s willingness to provide a realistic option for the country�s economic recovery. more..

Apr 12 (ST) Reversing the tax bonanza announced in January, the Govt has reintroduced tax amendments for top earning individuals and companies, in another measure to overcome the economic challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic. The about-turn on the tax cuts include a revised tax structure for corporates, Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Tax and Withholding tax (WHT) under different taxes called Advance Personal Income Tax more..

Apr 12 (CT) Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa requested all citizens to maintain social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year festive season. In his New Year message, the President said, "This time we are not able to celebrate festivals collectively as health specialists have emphasised the importance of maintaining social distance. I appeal to all of you who voluntarily rallied around to conquer any challenge faced by our country and nation, more..

Apr 12 (DM) The Got has decided to reopen schools for the second term on May 11. However, the second term was scheduled to commence on April 20. The decision was taken considering the safety of the children due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Govt had arranged remote communication methods for school children to continue their studies during extended school holiday. It also informed Education Ministry to start academic activities of the universities following the recommendations from UGC. more..

Apr 12 (ST) The shock for Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) leaders came through a telephone call just hours before a meeting they were to hold with Prez Rajapaksa last Monday. An aide to prez secretary P.B. Jayasundera told SJP leader Sajith Premandasa�s office assistant that three members of his delegation would not be welcome for the meeting. Two were former cabinet ministers � Champika Ranawaka & Rishad more..

Apr 12 (NR) The JVP says it will fully support the re-summoning of Parliament in order to make provisions for laws and finances to help combat the coronavirus. Party leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake speaking said a report must be tabled in Parliament on how finances provisions by donor countries are being utilised. He noted that large sums have been donated to the govt by institutions such as the World Bank and the Chinese govt, to help fight the threat of the coronavirus. more..

Apr 12 (AFP) SL's Roman Catholic Church said Sunday it had forgiven the suicide bombers behind the attacks that killed at least 279 people last Easter. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith told an Easter mass - broadcast from a TV studio because of the coronavirus pandemic - that "we offered love to the enemies who tried to destroy us". "We forgave them," he said, adding that instead of retaliating, the nation's Catholic minority had contemplated Jesus' message of hope, and reduced tensions. more..

Apr 12 (EN) SL�s Coronavirus count reached 203 on April 12, five new persons being confirmed as officials ramped up testing of contacts in quarantine in a bid to stop community transmission of Covid-19. By April 12, 58 infected persons had recovered. On Saturday 208 samples were taken from the Punani quarantine centre, head of health service Anil Jasinghe said on Sunday, which was the highest from a single location. more..

Apr 12 (EN) SL�s pharmacies which are allowed to be open during a nation-wide curfew imposed to combat the spread of Coronavirus should not sell drugs without a prescription, the head of the island�s heath service has said. �Pharmacy owners should never prescribe or sell medications for symptoms explained by the customer,� Anil Jasinghe, Director General of Health Services said. �I appreciate the contribution of Pharmacies to the process of issuing medicines to the public during this period. more..

Apr 12 (DM) At least 52 people who had close contacts with the group from Suduwella in Ja-Ela who were avoiding quarantine orders, have been identified and sent to Oluvil Quarantine Centre by the Navy. Navy on Friday conducted an intelligence operation to apprehend 28 persons who were avoiding quarantine orders while remaining in the village of Suduwella, Ja-Ela. Subsequently, this group of persons were sent to quarantine centre at Oluvil for proper quarantine process. more..

Apr 12 (TM) With the Board of Investment (BOI) geared to reopen a number of factories in the coming days, trade unions have demanded that all safety, hygiene, and other facilities be provided to workers who would be working during the Covid-19 outbreak. Chairman of the Inter Company Employees Union, JVP member Wasantha Samarasinghe said that it was the responsibility of the Govt and more..

Apr 12 (NR) Number of persons who tested positive for COVID-19 thus far and recovered after medical treatment has increased to 56. Another individual recovered from the coronavirus this evening, increasing the number of recoveries from COVID-19. Meanwhile the total number of coronavirus cases has increased to 203, after 5 individuals tested positive today. Four of the cases identified today are reportedly persons who were directed to the Punani quarantine centre and residents of Beruwala. more..

Apr 12 (AD) A decline in the coronavirus infections in the country is expected in the coming days, said Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe. The patients identified are all linked to one patient; therefore, there is no difficulty in identifying the spread of the infection, he said. Obtaining samples from high-risk sites for infection have been increased in order to curtail the spread of the virus, he added. Results of the tests carried out yesterday could be expected today. more..

Apr 12 (CT) The Public Utility Commission of SL (PUCSL) said the special service to provide solutions for electrical systems and plumbing issues of households, during the curfew period, in the Western Province is now being extended to other districts as well. The commission said that this service is jointly implemented by the SL Police, National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWS&DB), Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), more..

Apr 12 (SLN) The Navy with the assistance of residents of Gintota carefully captured a crocodile and handed over it to the Department of Wildlife Conservation today. This freshwater giant, strangled in a net, had arrived in to Gintota area. The crocodile, which is nearly 10 feet in length, has been spotted in the area for several days. Meanwhile, the residents had informed the naval personnel at the Gintota roadblock about this stranger. Subsequently, with the assistance of people in the area more..

Apr 12 (SLN) A remote-controlled smart appliance called Medi Mate developed by Navy to treat COVID-19 patients was handed over to the Kalubowila (Colombo South) Teaching Hospital today. Taking in to account a basic concept mooted by an inventor, Thushara Wadasinghe, the Navy�s Research & Development Unit, developed this remote-controlled smart appliance called Medi Mate in a bid to treat and test COVID-19 patients, allowing healthcare workers to remain at more..

Apr 13 (CT) My heart aches to realize that history will record racism in Sri Lanka as the first (and hopefully the last) for failing to treat even the dead with dignity due to a pandemic because of absolute racism of a few. The three Muslims cremated in Sri Lanka up to date have been denied their right to their religious last rite as prescribed by their religion. The World Health Organization (WHO) and 182 countries around the world have accepted and approved burial or cremation as the means to more..

Apr 13 (CT) It appears the chaotic disorder caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is now possibly taking Sri Lanka towards an interesting Constitutional deadlock unless the normalcy is restored, allowing the Election Commission to conclude the General Election on or before the 2nd of June 2020. According to Articles 33(2)( c), and 70 (1) (5) (a) of the Constitution, the President dissolved the 15th Parliament of Sri Lanka by a proclamation dated the 2nd of March 2020. more..

Apr 13 (SO) No other annual event brings the country together like the Sinhala and Hindu New Year, which is celebrated every April. Although primarily celebrated by Sinhala Buddhists and Hindus, it has now become a national event that transcends all man-made boundaries. Indeed, those belonging to other communities and religions participate in Avurudu events with great enthusiasm. This year, we will be celebrating Avurudu more..