Apr 23 (Island) Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sumangala Dias, yesterday, said that Sri Lankan students stranded at various cities abroad would be brought back in batches. Initially, Lankan students in various locations in the South Asian region would be brought home, he said, adding that arrangements were also being made to contact others in West Asian and faraway countries to bring them home owing to prevailing coronavirus crisis situation in those countries. more..

Apr 23 (Island) Leader of SLMC, Rauff Hakeem, and Secretary of the Party, Nizam Kariapper, PC, arrived at the Election Commission�s office, yesterday, and expressed their deep concern over the date announced for the next general election. They alleged that fixing of the date for the forthcoming elections, on June 20, without any consultation with political parties, and announcing elections, amidst more..

Apr 23 (TM) 12 villages in the Lankapura DS area in Poḷonnaruwa have been declared isolated areas. The measure has been taken after a COVID-19 case was reported from the Poḷonnaruwa Hospital today. Entry to and exit from these villages have been completely prohibited. The Army and Police have been deployed to ensure villagers adhere to rules imposed by the govt. Earlier in the day, 11 persons from Beruwala tested positive for COVID-19, while one case was reported from Oluvil more..

Apr 23 (FT) Over 200 enterprises in the Free Trade Zones, employing over 30,000 workers, are currently in operation and contributing to economic development, despite partial shutdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country, Govt revealed. Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said 217 BOI enterprises are functioning after the Govt allowed resumption of economic activities in the FTZs, subject to companies following strict health and safety guidelines. more..

Apr 23 (Island) JHU General Secretary and former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, on Tuesday, faulted the Election Commission (EC) for fixing the 2020 general election for June 22. The EC consists of Mahinda Deshapriya (Chairman), Nalin Abeysekera, PC and Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole. He alleged that undue haste could cause quite a catastrophe. The former minister asked whether govt would take responsibility more..

Apr 23 (TM) Prez Rajapaksa has appointed a Task Force for economic revival and poverty alleviation. Basil Rajapaksa has been appointed as the Chairman of the task force. Additional Secretary to the PM�s Office Anton Perera and D.S. Jayaweera have been appointed as Co-Secretaries of the task force. Members of the task force include; CBSL Deputy Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe; Chief of Defence Staff Lt Gen Shavendra Silva; Acting IGP C.D. Wickramaratne, CAA Chairman more..

Apr 23 (FT) Election Commission will meet in weeks to review the COVID-19 situation in the country and based on the situation, discuss revising the date for the holding of the General Election which has been fixed for 20 June. The EC will also meet with representatives of political parties contesting the election the same day. EC Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya has told party leaders he met on Tuesday that the final decision on fixing another date for the poll will be made after an assessment more..

Apr 23 (AD) Seven more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 330, according to the Ministry of Health said. A total of 20 new coronavirus cases had been reported within the day. As of 11.30 p.m. today (22), a total of 105 patients have recovered and have been discharged while 218 patients (active cases) are currently under medical care. more..

Apr 23 (AD) A wildlife officer has been gunned down and killed by poachers during a raid at the Gal Oya National Park on Wednesday night (22). He has been identified as a 25-year-old attached to the Wildlife Office in Inginiyagala. The remains of the deceased have been placed under police security and the magistrate�s inquest is scheduled for today (23). Police have arrested four suspects in connection with the murder. A 12-Bore firearm has been seized along with the arrestees. more..

Apr 23 (DN) An Ex Councillor of Panadura Urban Council was remanded by the Panadura Magistrate Amila Ariyasena till May 4 over the alleged obstruction of duties of a Grama Seva Niladhari and a Samurdhi officer who were distributing the Govt grant of Rs.5,000 among the families affected by the Covid 19 outbreak in Panadura area. The magistrate issued the order following a B report submitted to Court by Panadura South Police Crime Branch yesterday over the incident that occurred at more..

Apr 23 (EN) Sri Lanka CERT|CC for cyber security issues has issued high threat warnings for Free Internet Data Scams and asks the public to be cautious when responding to these scam messages. SL CERT|CC says that these messages can be sent via SMS, WhatsApp and Viber claiming to offer free data for the customer. �There are messages that claim to offer free data and these offers will pretend to come from well-known organizations or brands to gain the users trust� SL CERT|CC said. more..

Apr 23 (Island) PAFFREL said that in certain parts of the country, the application given to poor families to obtain government aid came with a SLPP symbol. Executive Director of PAFFREL, Rohana Hettiarachchi said that some candidates in the coming general election and some regional politicians were using govt initiatives to gain political mileage. He said that the involvement of candidates standing for the coming general election and regional politicians would lead to confusion more..

Apr 23 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has approved a guaranteed price for 14 main crops of Yala Season with the intention of strengthening the income of local farmers by uplifting the country�s agriculture sector. Minister Bandula Gunawardana stated this addressing the media briefing to announce Cabinet decisions today (23). Accordingly, the Cabinet has also given its approval to procure crops from farmers if they are unable to sell the crops for more..

Apr 23 (EN) SL Navy is conducting tracing within the navy for the contacts of the Navy Sailor who was tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday at Polonnaruwa District Hospital. A Navy Sailor attached to the Welisara Navy Camp was tested positive for COVID-19 after admitting himself to the District Hospital in Polonnaruwa due to developing a Fever. The Sailor, a resident of Polonnaruwa District had returned home on the 18th and is reported to be the first patient identified from the region. more..

Apr 23 (EN) Cabinet had approved a US$ 400 million swap line with the Reserve Bank of India, Minister Bandula Gunewardene said. Central Bank will borrow the money from the RBI to boost its gross reserves. SL�s soft-currency peg with the US has come under pressure due to liquidity injections made by the central bank amid the Coronavirus crises. Analysts had pointed out that risks of monetary stability went up during the tenure of ex-Governor Indrajit Coomarasway after more..

Apr 23 (EN) Constitutional experts are saying that because the Prez is accountable to Parliament it is vital that the House be reconvened to deal with the COVID 19 crisis. The executive arm of the govt has deployed the armed forces, enforced police curfews and taken action to distribute essentials, all justified in order to combat the COVID 19 epidemic but these actions need to have legal cover from Parliament they point out. more..

Apr 23 (SLN) SL Navy assisted to disembark corpse of the chef who fell on a sudden death due to a heart attack whilst serving aboard MV Grace, a merchant ship registered in SL, and to hand it over to the local agent of the shipping company, today (22). The dead person is a Sri Lankan named DJC Kumarasinghe who served as the chef of MV Grace. Since this person died suddenly causing to a heart stroke, local agent of the ship Marine Int'l (pvt) Ltd. had requested assistance for disembarking of more..

Apr 23 (AD) The four suspects arrested over the murder of a wildlife officer at the Gal Oya National Park is to be produced before the courts tomorrow (24). A 25 year old wildlife officer attached to the Wildlife Office in Inginiyagala was gunned down and killed by poachers during a raid at the Gal Oya National Park on Wednesday night (22). The remains of the deceased have been placed under police security and the magistrate�s inquest was carried out today (23). more..

Apr 23 (AD) Police says that 36,008 individuals have been arrested in total for violating the curfew during the period of over a month since the curfew was imposed. Over 9,000 vehicles have been taken into police custody for curfew violations during this period. Curfew in Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Puttalam districts, which have been identified as Covid-19 high risk zones, is to continue until Monday while more..

Apr 23 (DM) Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya today rejected the reports that said he would reconvene the Parliament unilaterally. "While fighting Covid-19, SL does not want another constitutional crisis. Therefore, rumours that I would reconvene the Parliament unilaterally are false. All efforts must be taken by the Executive to avert a crisis. In a dispute, I am bound to uphold judiciary�s decision," he tweeted today. Yesterday, Mr. Jayasuriya said as the election date has been fixed now, more..

Apr 23 (AD) Several employees of the SL Transport Board (SLTB) Depot in Anuradhapura have been directed for quarantine, said SLTB Chairman Kingsley Ranawaka. Reportedly, the patient from Polonnaruwa Hospital who was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 yesterday (22) had closely associated a driver of the SLTB depot in Anuradhapura. Further, investigations have been launched to identify persons who associated with the aforementioned infected patient from more..

Apr 23 (NR) Ministry of Health has decided to expand PCR testing capacities with the increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the country. The Ministry has accordingly reached a decision to obtain the assistance of private hospitals in conducting the PCR test. 800 PCR tests are conducted daily on COVID19 patients, persons at quarantine centres and other individuals. Therefore, health officials are of the opinion that more..

Apr 23 (EN) Sri Lanka�s domestic industries hit by import control that came in the wake of currency pressure should appeal to the Finance Ministry for relief, Minister Bandula Gunewardene said. �Many industrialists and importers who import inputs have said that they cannot produce without some imports,� Minister said. �There are items like packaging for example. We will not remove the import controls, but they can make an appeal with their problem to the Finance Ministry.� more..

Apr 23 (AD) Govt of Canada has provided over CAD $56,000 (7.5 million LKR) to support Sri Lanka�s response to the COVID-19 pandemic through targeted relief to some of those most affected in vulnerable communities. The funds are being granted to the National Peace Council (NPC) of SL through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), the High Commission of Canada to SL said in a release. The NPC of SL is part of the Civil Society Committee of Prez COVID-19 Task Force. more..

Apr 23 (AD) A group of Sri Lankan students stranded in India due to the COVID-19 outbreak has been repatriated, says SriLankan Airlines. A special flight (UL 1146) carrying 101 Sri Lankan students touched down at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) at around 2.26 pm today. The flight, chartered by SriLankan Airlines, took off from Katunayake Airport with 8 crew members aboard at around 6.15 am today and more..

Apr 23 (DN) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa briefed UNESCO's Cultural Ministers the cultural crisis brought upon by the coronavirus pandemic and the steps taken by SL. The meeting, held on Zoom, involved more than 200 participants from 140 countries and was live-streamed on the Unesco website. PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, spoke of the country's tourism and cultural industry and the fact that it was self-sustainable before COVID-19. Sri Lanka depends heavily on the cultural and more..

Apr 23 (AD) SL Navy apprehended two persons along with a haul of 93kg of cannabis which they had attempted to transport to land by a dinghy, at the Kadeikadu South beach area in Vettalaikerni, Jaffna. Navy has been continuing patrols to curb drug smuggling activities through sea routes and during such swiftly executed operation by a team of naval personnel attached to the Northern Naval Command on duty in a Costal Observation Point at the Kadeikadu South beach in coordination with more..

Apr 23 (NR) Muslims in SL will commence their Ramadan fasting at dawn on Saturday (25) after the crescent for the month of Ramadan was not sighted in the country, last evening. The Colombo Grand Mosque made the announcement along with the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama. The month of Ramadan, which begins tomorrow, is considered the holiest of months in the Islamic calendar and normally sees Muslims fast more..

Apr 23 (SLN) In its continuous efforts to control the spread of new coronavirus within the country, the Navy conducted several disinfection programmes at SLBC premises, Election Secretariat, National Hospital-Colombo and Bank premises in Colombo area on 21st and 22nd April 2020. Under the directives of Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva, these disinfection programmes at above locations were carried out by the Navy�s chemical, biological, radiological & nuclear more..

Apr 23 (AD) Director General of Health Services has empowered the Acting IGP to order the arrest of those who are violating quarantine regulations during non-curfew hours, DIG Ajith Rohana said. Such arrests can be made under the provision of the Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Ordinance No.03 of 1897, and are punishable by 6-month prison sentence and a fine. He also said that 262 police checkpoints have been established at district boarders in order to prevent more..

Apr 23 (CT) Govt's objective is not to hold elections over people's dead bodies, but to build the country while protecting people's lives, former State Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said, adding that if what the Govt does is wrong, people will answer it at the election. Speaking at a Media briefing, in Matara, to respond to allegations levelled by the Opposition, he further said, "If the curfew was relaxed with the aim of holding elections more..

Apr 23 (AD) The remittance flow to Sri Lanka is projected to decline by 19% due to the economic crisis induced by Covid-19 pandemic and shutdown, according to a World Bank report published yesterday. As per the WB report, remittance could come down to US $ 5.4 billion, from US $ 6.7 billion recorded in 2019. In the report titled COVID-19 crisis through a migration lens, WB also warned that not only Sri Lanka, but all the countries around the world will be hit by the deceleration in remittances. more..

Apr 23 (NR) 2 more persons have recovered from the coronavirus and were discharged today. The total recoveries accordingly today increased to 107. 5 persons tested positive for the coronavirus today. Ministry of Health said the number of cases in the country accordingly increases to 335. Of the 5 cases 4 were identified as residents of Bandaranayake Mawatha, Colombo 12. Ministry of Health confirmed that 221 COVID-19 patients are currently receiving treatment at several hospitals. more..

Apr 23 (AD) Two more persons have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus a short while ago, said the Ministry of Health. Seven persons have been confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus from Sri Lanka as of 5 pm today. Director-General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe said that 4 out of the 7 identified have been from the group sent for quarantine from Bandaranayake Mawatha in Colombo 12. more..

Apr 24 (CT) The management of the Corona crisis in SL has no shortage of critics. Some are purely cynical. Others opt to take a critical posture because it helps with their political, financial and careerist agendas. Certain news websites run by SL journalists in exile, for example, have been consistently critical of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa govt�s management of the Covid-19 crisis. Just as the majority of these critics would do themselves a favour by adopting a more nuanced and more..

Apr 24 (CT) These days we are reading about dreadful endemics, global political hypocrisies, prophetic apprehensions, and such likes. People have time to read. The local scenario too is full of dramatic media performances where question prompted expert opinions are galore. Fitfully at nights people watch with gazing eyes highly alarmed, the debates about things accessible in black and white but colored green and blue during the course. I thought better listen to some more..

Apr 24 (CT) Constitution Law expert President's Counsel Manohara R de Silva says the Election Commission made an error by not declaring a poll date when they postponed the 25 April General Election. Q: PM and the Secretary to the President emphasised, in their letters to the Election Commission, that setting a date for the postponed election was the duty of the Election Commission itself. They highlighted that avoiding doing it more..

Apr 24 (CT) Sunday Times former defence correspondent and current political Editor Iqbal Athas has exposed himself badly by circulating an anonymous poison pen note aimed at damaging the reputation of Krishantha Prasad Cooray, who served as chairman of Lake House and Hilton Hotel during the Yahapalanaya regime. The note titled Fixer was widely circulated anonymously to selected individuals in Colombo in a Microsoft Word Document format. more..

Apr 24 (DM) It�s just a year after the Easter Sunday attacks that shocked the nation and took the lives of some 300 Sri Lankans. It was a rude awakening for a nation that truly believed that terrorism was a thing of the past. It reminded everyone that the demise of one kind of terrorism does not mean the end of all terrorism. So we got to know about the National Thowheeth Jama�ath (NTJ) which literally means National Monotheism Organization. The name itself indicates intent and more..