Apr 16 (SLN) After having identified another 100 persons who were potentially exposed to the individuals previously taken into naval custody in Suduwella area, the Navy sent them to the Naval Quarantine Center located at SL Navy Marine�s HQ in Sampoor, Trincomalee today (15). The new batch of people were found from Gunasinghapura, Wellaweediya, Grandpass and Nagalangama areas. Navy on 09th April conducted an intelligence operation to locate 28 persons who were more..

Apr 16 (SLN) SL Navy deployed its Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) SLNS Samudura to seize a vessel loaded with a large consignment of drugs in high seas about 985km off SL shores. The drug carrying vessel along with the suspects in connection to this drug racket was brought to the Dikkowita fisheries harbour this morning (15). This is a result of a successful operation carried out by SL Navy based on information received from persons aboard vessels seized in high seas on 28th March. more..

Apr 16 (PMD) The Management Committee of the COVID � 19 Healthcare and Social Security Fund met at the Presidential Secretariat today (15). Governor of the Central Bank of SL Prof. W. D. Lakshman is the head of the committee. Chief Financial Officer of Prez Secretariat Ravindra Wimalaweera is the Secretary of the committee with 16 other members including Secretaries to the Ministries and other heads of organizations. more..

Apr 16 (DM) Sri Lanka Muslim Civil Society (SLMCS), an Organisation committed to Unity as One Nation distributed 2000 gift packs to front-line staff at the IDH and Mulleriyawa hospitals on 10th April. This was in recognition of their place as heroes in our Nation�s fight against Covid-19. The SLMCS felt that their invaluable and dedicated service to the Nation of Sri Lanka and its� peoples while putting their lives; as well as their families, at risk, should be lauded and appreciated. more..

Apr 16 (TM) Sri Lanka, and its PreZ Rajapaksa have been ranked 9th in the Global Response to Infectious Diseases (GRID) index. The GRID index is designed to rank how efficiently and effectively the leadership of the country and the preparedness of its health system were in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. The results are published in a paper titled GRIDTM Index: Tracking the Global Leadership Response in the COVID-19 Crisis by the Institute of Certified Management Accountants (ICMA). more..

Apr 16 (Island) SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris assured that the govt wouldn�t do anything to endanger the lives of the people or undermine the ongoing battle to bring covid-19 epidemic under control. Prof. Peiris, who heads the SLPP National List, said so responding to Opposition accusations that the govt planned to conduct the parliamentary election before the crisis caused by the pandemic was brought under control. more..

Apr 16 (FT) Former Minister Mangala Samaraweera warned the Govt against rushing into an election saying there would be a setback to the COVID-19 control program while the sacrifices made by the people of the country by staying in their homes for a month will be wasted if an election is held at this juncture. �On the day the people of this country can feel 100% secure in leaving their homes and the Election Commission, health authorities, other responsible officials and the Govt can give more..

Apr 16 (Island) Senior Administrator and diplomat Thosapala Hewage passed away in New Zealand on April 12. Hewage was a retired Secretary to the Ministry of Ports and Aviation and a former Ambassador to Nepal. Born and raised in Kalawana, Hewage was a graduate of the University of Peradeniya. He obtained a postgraduate diploma in development studies from the University of Cambridge, UK, and his Master of Philosophy degree was from the University of Wales, more..

Apr 16 (AD) Foreign Employment Bureau says, with the spread of COVID-19 virus, it has taken immediate steps to intervene the activities related to migrant workers. Accordingly, Chairman of Bureau Kamal Ratwatte has instructed the relevant officials to take necessary actions directly involving with the labour welfare divisions of diplomatic missions with respect to 16 countries. Using the provisions allocated by more..

Apr 16 (DN) Officers attached to the Elpitiya branch of the Excise Department busted two illegal breweries in the Uragaha area recently and seized illicit liquor, spirits and brewing equipment worth over one million ruppees. They had also taken into custody two suspects. According to the Excise sources these illegal breweries were located in Polathupalatha and Polathukanda in the Uragaha area. During the raid officers had taken into custody over 20000 milliliters of moonshine, more..

Apr 16 (AD) Nagalagam Street, Sekkuwatta in Grandpass has been declared an isolated area, says the Commander of Army Lt Gen Shavendra Silva. A group of 131 persons from this area were sent for compulsory quarantine on Friday (15) as they had been potentially exposed to an individual who had contracted the COVID-19. The Navy on April 9, conducted an intelligence operation to locate 28 persons who were avoiding quarantine orders remaining in the village of Suduwella, Ja-Ela. more..

Apr 16 (Island) The CEB requested consumers, especially those who could afford to pay the electricity bills, to do so at the earliest, a top official said. CEB Chairman Vijitha Herath said that though the govt had passed the Rs. 50 billion, accrued from favourable crude oil prices to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to settle more than half of the Rs. 90 billion debt owed by the Board, the latter still had another Rs. 150 billion in debts to settle. more..

Apr 16 (DM) The Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) in a letter addressed to the Elections Commission not to support the idea of holding elections amidst threats posted by COVID-19 pandemic. �We request the Independent Election Commission to be mindful of the stand of the recognised political and civil society, including our party, demanding you not to extend support to the alleged attempts of the present caretaker govt to conduct elections amidst the threats posed by coronavirus pandemic,� more..

Apr 16 (DM) Attorney At Law Hejaaz Hizbullah and three others have been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over the Easter Sunday attacks which claimed over 260 lives last tear. Hizbullah is a prominent lawyer in Colombo. The police are yet to explain the circumstances which led to his arrest. Meanwhile, former Minister and ACMC Leader Rishad Bathiudeen's brother Riyad Bathiudeen was arrested by the Police yesterday over the same investigation. more..

Apr 16 (AD) The GMOA has proposed several actions to minimize the uncertainty created by COVID-19 pandemic and the adverse effects it has on a confident action plan. In a letter to Prez Rajapaksa, GMOA says that the majority of COVID-19 patients have mild symptoms, with 20% showing no symptoms of the disease and according to experts, the sensitivity of the tests to detect COVID-19 is less than 70%. more..

Apr 16 (SLAF) With the global situation due to the outbreak of COVID-19 there is an imminent threat of illegal migrants attempting to enter Sri Lanka by sea. To this effect the SLAF is currently conducting daily Aerial Surveillance Operations in support of the SL Navy�s efforts of blocking illegal entry in to the island. On the instructions of the Commander of the Air Force and under the supervision of the Director Air Operation, the SLAF is utilizing Y-12 aircraft for this purpose. more..

Apr 16 (EN) Colombo Port is swamped in over 40,000 containers after a Coroanvirus crisis disrupted economic activities and concessions given to importers are ending this week, a logistics official said. Colombo Port�s three container terminals have been operating throughout the crisis at full capacity, but vessel calls are starting to fall. �Though the port has been functioning there has been a big issue about transport,� Romesh David, CEO of South Asia Gateway Terminals said more..

Apr 16 (EN) In a comprehensive exit strategy formulated for SL from the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, College of Community Physicians SL (CCPSL) has recommended that normalcy is restored in a staggered manner, taking into consideration the evolving dynamics of the epidemic. �In the context of COVID-19, an exit strategy should be considered as a contingency plan that needs to be executed by whole-of-govt more..

Apr 16 (EN) Federation of University Teachers� Associations (FUTA) urged the UGC yesterday to reconsider a decision to reopen state universities in May. FUTA questioned the rationale behind the UGC decision in a situation where the govt has yet to rule out the possibility of a surge in COVID-19 caes even as the situation appears to be under control. �Though the COVID-19 situation in the country appears to be under control compared to other countries, the daily patient count is still more..

Apr 16 (TM) The Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith today appealed to all citizens to observe two minutes silence on the 21st of April at 8.45 to mourn the lives lost to the Easter attacks. Cardinal Ranjith during a press briefing today said all events that were scheduled to be held to mark the first year anniversary of the tragic Easter Sunday Attacks on April 21st have been cancelled due to the prevailing Coronavirus situation in the country. more..

Apr 16 (Island) Seven election watchdogs have urged govt authorities to resolve issues regarding fixing a new election date for Parliamentary elections with the mutual understanding and not creating a constitutional crisis against the backdrop of COVID-19, PAFFREL said. It said that the election observers, in a joint statement, had stated that all election observing organizations, in the country, are eyeful on more..

Apr 16 (AD) One of the oldest known annual meteor showers, known as Lyrids, will be visible in Sri Lanka on April 16 and will run through until April 25, says Director, Astronomy and Space Science Unit, Uni of Colombo Prof. Chandana Jayaratne. He added that the meteor shower will peak on the night of April 22. The meteor shower is best seen during early morning hours before the sunrise together with Jupiter, Saturn and Mars close to the overhead and Mercury above the eastern horizon. more..

Apr 16 (AD) Currently, 68 patients have recovered from the coronavirus infection and discharged from the hospitals. Thereby, 5 patients have completely recovered and discharged within the day. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has reported no new COVID-19 positive cases as of 5 pm this evening (16), says Director-General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe. Accordingly, there is no change to the total number of coronavirus patients found in Sri Lanka, which is 238. more..

Apr 16 (AD) Approximately 635 houses have been damaged due to the strong winds that gusted across Puttalam District on Friday night (15). Accordingly, houses in Karuwalagaswewa, Nawagattegama, Puttalam, Wanathawilluwa and Mahakumbukkadawala divisional secretariats have been wrecked. The roofs of 37 of these houses were blown off by the blustering winds. Necessary measures have been taken to provide more..

Apr 16 (NR) Former MP Manusha Nanayakkara claims the govt is counting days for the General Election, disregarding the present situation owing to the coronavirus and risking the threat to the lives of the people. He said the govt is afraid of imminent harm to their reputation during the present crisis and cited that as the reason to proceed with an election. Despite the govt�s claims of holding an election in 14 days, he questioned if it was worth more than the lives of the people more..

Apr 16 (DN) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa takes decisions in connection with imposing and lifting the curfew after obtaining a report from the Epidemiology Unit and consulting all the other experts in all relevant sectors. Sri Lanka is in this very satisfactory position because of his scientific approach to handle COVID-19, Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said. According to Minister Wanniarachchi, Sri Lanka very seriously considered the 15% possibility of contracting COVID-19 more..

Apr 16 (DM) Former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen arrived at the CID today to record a statement over a case involving a land in Mannar, Police Spokesman said. The CID had recorded a statement from him on April 14 over the same incident. Earlier, former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen�s brother Rifkan Bathiudeen was arrested and remanded over allegedly selling a land in Mannar to a private company under a false deed. more..

Apr 16 (EN) SL will allow inputs for export industries despite an import ban, top official said, after import controls were slapped as the rupee came under pressure from liquidity injections amid a Coronavirus crisis and politicians asked the public to grow kollu (horse gram) and vegetables. The import ban will hit exporters who need imports to produce goods for exports. �Export Development Board has been given authority to authorize any imports that is required for any export for Sri Lanka,� more..

Apr 16 (SLN) SL Navy, on 15th April, rendered assistance to safely bring a sick Indian national aboard the Int'l Merchant Vessel Menkar to the port of Colombo. Merchant Vessel Menkar is a ship registered in Djibouti. After the seaman onboard falling ill while at sea, the local agent of the ship made a request from the Ministry of Defence to get him disembarked in SL for treatment. Accordingly, under the direct supervision of Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva, more..

Apr 16 (Island) The Attorney General Department would work on the implementation of the Animal Welfare Bill, on the instructions of the Premier, and draft proposals would be submitted by July. PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed the relevant ministries, especially Wildlife and Natural Resources, to consult the Animal Welfare Organisations and finalise the draft and present it to next Parliament within the next 3 months. more..

Apr 16 (AD) The heat index is expected to increase up to the �Extreme Caution� level (32�C - 41�C) in some places in North-western and North-central provinces and Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Monaragala, Gampaha and Colombo districts, says the Department of Meteorology. The advisory, issued this afternoon, is effective until tomorrow (17). It has cautioned of heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke due to continued activity. more..

Apr 16 (AD) The govt of China has donated yet another batch of medical supplies to Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the batch of medical supplies is to be air-freighted from Shanghai to Colombo by China Eastern Airlines tomorrow (17). The latest batch of governmental aid includes:- 20,016 test Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Nucleic Acid Diagnostic Kits(PCR-Fluorescence Probing) - 10,000pc Medical Protective Face Mask (Filtration rate��95%); - 100,000pc Surgical Face Mask (3-layers); more..

Apr 16 (EN) SL�s leading Roman Catholic Prelate says pogroms against Muslims three weeks after the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide attacks on Churches by Islamic extremists were carried out �by political elements who had nothing to do with the Christian community.� Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said the attacks on Muslim-owned homes and businesses weeks after the suicide assaults were �by organized groups inspired by political more..

Apr 17 (Island) Considerable differences exist in the strategies adopted by countries to handle the global coronavirus pandemic. Two most significant factors that contribute to this difference are the measures adopted to sustain their economies and the methods employed to protect citizens from the ill-effects of the virus even at the expense of the economy. In this regard, some countries lay less emphasis on the precautions to protect their citizens and more on how to minimise its impact on the economy. more..

Apr 17 (CT) Govt is continuing to take actions to keep the country in lockdown mode with which the general population has been cooperating with even though it is creating economic hardships to wide swathes among them. These include the imposition of a 24 hour curfew that is now into its fourth week in some areas. Despite the hardships there is widespread support for what the govt is doing as the fear of COVID infection is also widespread. In the more rural areas most of the houses have more..

Apr 17 (CT) Fearing the electoral fallout of a projected devastating economic meltdown within a few months, Prez Rajapaksa has made the decision to hold a national election amidst the coronavirus pandemic highly placed govt sources told Colombo Telegraph. The election will endanger the lives of millions of Sri Lankans with some 15 million people registered to vote in the parliamentary elections. Worse still SL votes by manual ballot which more..

Apr 17 (CT) The hard political fact that many major countries have stocked their laboratories with huge collections of the COVID-19 virus is a sociopolitical reality we must all face. COVID-19 might have not had the political connections attributed to this globally destructive world pandemic today, but in the immediate future the fact is that more than one major country has by now ensured that it's laboratories have ample stocks of COVID-19 and are busy studying their procreation and more..

Apr 17 (Island) The Trump administration has halted US funding to WHO, which, it claims, has not got tough with China in trying to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Time was when we had Bush in a china shop. President Donald Trump is behaving in a similar manner; he never misses an opportunity to take on China, apparently as part of his strategy to make America great again. He is emulating Bush Jr. in dealing with all nations and institutions that refuse to join the US in bashing China. more..

Apr 17 (DM) This year�s Easter celebrations were put on hold largely because of the on-going Coronavirus and the state declared curfew. Last year too the Christians in the island nation went through much pain due to the Easter Sunday bombings that ravaged three churches and took the lives of over 250 people. If the first incident that happened last year exposed the past regime�s inability to strengthen security in the country more..

Apr 17 (DM) Govt of SL (GoSL) has given enough indication that it might relax curfew procedures and reopen universities in early May. Given that we are just past the half-way mark in April and COVID-19 cases still being reported almost daily it seems a little too ambitious for the regime wanting to recommence academic activities and exploring the possibilities of resuming day-to-day economic activities. In a way the govt�s thinking is to look at the possibility of relaxing curfew in keeping with more..