May 3 (Island) Our regular columnist, Kumar David whose trenchant writing attracts attention, though not necessarily the agreement of non-aficionados, has today floated a straw in the wind suggesting a national govt, or multi-party cabinet group as he has it, of the parties represented in the last parliament to see us through the covid-19 pandemic. Conceding that we have neither a Churchill nor an Atlee among our political leadership, he has suggested that we do the best we can with the bad lot we are more..

May 3 (Island) Some members of the SLPP have expressed the fear that if the Parliament is reconvened as demanded by the opposition, the latter which has the majority in Parliament could present an impeachment motion against the Prez. Going by the behavior of the opposition, such fears may not be unfounded and it could be that the opposition does harbor hopes of being able to present an impeachment motion against the Prez if Parliament is reconvened. more..

May 3 (DM) As regards COVID-19 pandemic, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities have been a prominent part of the Tobacco Industry�s pandemic response. It is likely seen as a good opportunity to clean up the public image and encourage governments to work with the industry, in contravention of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Previous investments in biotech and pharmaceuticals are paying off, adding to the impression that they are part of the solution. more..

May 3 (CT) Having successfully initiated their online/virtual teaching and learning programme across all grades in the school, Gateway has not failed to look into important aspects alongside/ besides/beyond academics that the children would miss due to the closure of schools. The Virtual Avurudu that was successfully concluded and the Virtual Vesak that has just been launched have brought fun and excitement to many children. While Physical Education classes are included more..

May 3 (CT) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa invited all MPs of the dissolved 8th Parliament to Temple Trees at 10 a.m. on 4 May. Although, the reason for the invitation was not immediately available, it was later revealed that it is to apprise them regarding measures that had been taken by the Govt to control the spread of COVID-19 and the present situation in the country. PM has invited all 224 MPs of previous House for discussion. more..

May 3 (ST) Life will never be the same for anyone after the dust settles on the COVID-19 pandemic. It will never be the same too for the trio who had gathered outside the gate for their regular Thursday morning chat. It was all about haircuts, which are not an essential service; so the barber salons are closed. �Mage putha game inna nendagen konde kappa gaththa (My son got his hair cut by his aunt in village),� laughed Kussi Amma Sera, adding; �Eth eya konde kapapu vidiha gena sathutu-ne more..

May 3 (Island) Former SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala says that he is delighted that Galle International Stadium has won an international poll ranking the venue to be the best cricket ground in the world. In a poll conducted in UK, Galle became the overwhelming favourite as world�s best cricket ground. The Home of Cricket � Lord�s finished second. There were 16 grounds from all over the world picked for the poll and Galle and Lord�s were shortlisted for the final poll. more..

May 3 (ST) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) needs an exit strategy to get the national team back into physical training hampered for nearly six weeks by curfews imposed to flatten the COVID-19 curve. And it is now preparing for a residential camp � to take place during or after the country�s restrictions are lifted � as a contingency plan. The curfew could be removed on May 11 but the Govt is still expected to maintain some restrictions more..

May 3 (ST) The Ministry of Sports has decided to extend the deadline of holding Annual General Meetings (AGM) and Elections of sports governing bodies by two months, according to sources. The ministry made this decision due to the lockdown situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused a major setback in the world of sports locally and globally. With the extension of the deadline, sports governing bodies will be given the liberty to hold their respective AGMs or more..

May 3 (ST) A considerable amount of motorcar and motorbike events lined up for 2020, including some high-profile competitions, would face the axe due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to Rizvi Farook, Secretary of the Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS). Among the 21 motorsports events lined for 2020 were eight Supercross, five Road Races, four Motorcross, three Hill Climbs and a Rallycross, which could also determine the national championship. more..

May 3 (SO) Netball coach Thilaka Jinadasa made a shocking move on the netball fraternity by tending her resignation to the SL Netball Federation (SLNF) last Sunday while swearing never to return to the job. This move is seen as highly uncalled for as she was responsible for uplifting the game during her term of three years and her contract was to terminate at the end of the Asian Netball Championship which was scheduled more..

May 3 (SO) The Sri Lankan economy and in particular the enterprises badly hit by the pandemic need a vibrant revival strategy, said Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister and former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal. �I have proposed a Rs. 150 billion (US$ 750 million) Covid Equity Fund which will help revive stressed enterprises to be bankable again, banks and finance companies to improve their liquidity and the economy to regain stability,� he said. more..

May 3 (SO) Shippers and port experts are convinced that a viable way out of the current crisis which is wreaking havoc on global shipping is the optimum use of technology to glide over the unprecedented tides and go on with business. Sri Lanka Shippers� Council Past Chairman Gehan Kuruppu said the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the global shipping industry and place increased financial pressure on a multitude of companies. more..

May 3 (ST) SL�s private sector establishments affected by the COVID-19 crisis have been directed to submit a self assessment on the impact of the ongoing pandemic on the sustenance of institutions and employees. Labour Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has directed the Commissioner General of Labour to submit a report on the present status including financial and market share losses of those private companies. more..

May 3 (SO) Former Sri Lanka batsman and Ananda College consultant coach Sanjeeva Ranatunga has implemented a comprehensive work plan to train their schoolboys during the Covid-19 epidemic. Sanjeeva, a younger brother of SL�s World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga, said he has set a novel plan in motion to train Ananda cricketers in their homes during the preset lockdown period. �I have told all coaches � batting, bowling and fielding, to give the boys their training schedules. more..

May 3 (SO) SL Netball Federation president Victoria Lakshmi said the resignation letter of coach Thilaka Jinadasa has been accepted while noting that her contract was to expire in June. Jinadasa resigned last week in a shock decision to quit. �We never expected this unexpected situation (coronavirus) all over the world. I saw her explanations given in the media but very disappointed about her criticism of the Federation at this moment. �I have to say she is a very talented coach for the country more..

May 3 (AD) Former Speaker of the Parliament Karu Jayasuriya says that his recent tweet with regard to reconvening of the parliament was not a proposal to reconvene the Parliament, but an endorsement of steps to democratically solve a looming issue, made in good faith and in the name of the country. Jayasuriya pointed out that, through a recent Twitter message, he expressed his view that reconvening the parliament more..

May 3 (CT) The socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on Sri Lanka could be quite extensive, with a large segment of society threatened with the loss of income and livelihoods, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) warns. The bank in its report for 2019 points out that with approximately 60% of those employed being engaged in the informal sector and an estimated 1.9 million being daily wage earners, a large number of households are likely to be in a precarious position. more..

May 3 (ST) COVID-19 is a devastating pandemic impacting industries, social and personal lives, but it is also prompting trailblazing of creativity in developing products to combat the virus, tracking and predicting its spread. Top-notch SL healthcare innovator, Jendo Innovations has developed an app called Work Again for post COVID-19 � when people resume working and go into offices. �This is an app which can assess the risk of a person when in contact with others who may have contracted more..

May 3 (CT) SL Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (SLCPI) has warned the Govt that there could be an essential drug shortage in the country owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. CEO of National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) Dr. Kamal Jayasinghe said that a request had been made by SLCPI for an increase in pharmaceutical prices, owing to the drastic devaluation of the Rupee and the fluctuation of US Dollar. more..

May 3 (SO) The Election Commission has postponed the issuance of preferential numbers to candidates in the upcoming parliamentary election until further notice. A spokesman for the Election Commission (EC) said yesterday that it was decided to be postponed in view of the extension of the curfew till May 11. Earlier, preferential numbers were to be issued to candidates on May 4. The EC met the Secretaries of political parties contesting the election, scheduled for June 20, more..

May 3 (CT) Lt Gen Shavendra Silva says that if by any chance the number of COVID-19 infected patients were to increase and the Health Ministry were to request construction of additional hospitals, the SL Army was ready to cater to such demands. He said, presently the hospitals situated in Kandy, Teldeniya and Hambanthota were being upgraded by SL Army. He noted that based on requests from the Ministry of Health, Army was willing to build more hospitals, as and when the need arises. more..

May 3 (ST) Controversy surrounds an alleged deal by the Health Ministry to purchase 300 air-purification systems for state hospital ICUs. These 300 air-purification systems/air sterilizers said to cost in total over Rs. 300 million are part of a list of items due to be bought through World Bank funding and procured by UNICEF for the Health Ministry. Total funding being extended by the World Bank for such purchases including more..

May 3 (ST) The conduct of the next parliamentary elections on a staggered basis is now under discussion, Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said. The Commission�s 3-members should sit together and take a final decision, he said. Should the Commission decide on such a course, he said, the counting of votes would be held in one day. This option is being considered because of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic in which the number of infected cases has registered a spike. more..

May 3 (CT) Environmental crimes such as land grabbing, poaching and illegal mining are on the rise despite Police curfew, Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Hemantha Withanage claimed. Withanage said that whilst there were some positives due to the curfew, such as the reduction of air pollution, other illegal activities have increased. "One of the biggest issues is land grabbing, where in Kataragama, there was a case of more than 100 acres involved, while more..

May 3 (ST) The Highways Ministry and the RDA have received Cabinet approval to borrow more than Rs 31.7bn from foreign or domestic sources to kick start the stalled construction of the first section of Central Expressway (CEP I). Amidst the curfew, there are also negotiations�sanctioned by the Cabinet�with handpicked parties canvassing for the third and fourth sections of the same expressway (CEP III and IV), more..

May 3 (AD) A meeting between the Election Commission and the representatives of political parties that have submitted nominations for the General Election was held at the Elections Secretariat today (02). The Commission had made a request to send one representative from each political party taking into account the prevailing health risks. This is the second time the Election Commission and political party representatives met after it was declared that the General Election more..

May 3 (AD) Three more persons in Sri Lanka have been tested positive with the COVID-19 virus. Thereby, the total number of coronavirus cases reported from Sri Lanka climbs to 705. 12 out of the latest 15 COVID-19 detections are Navy personnel. The remaining 3 patients are those have had close contact with the Navy personnel. Meanwhile, as per the tally of Epidemiology Unit, 526 active cases are currently under medical care at the IDH Hospital, Welikanda Base Hospital, more..

May 3 (ST) The two-storied Elections Secretariat at Sarana Mawatha in Rajagiriya appeared deserted except for a few officials and uniformed policemen with pistols in their holsters pacing around last Wednesday. Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya, wearing a facemask arrived in his official Prado Land cruiser. A police officer entered when the lift doors opened. He escorted him to his spacious more..

May 4 (CT) Covid-19 has forced us to re-think many of our lifestyle choices, socio-economic arrangements, and the very ideologies underpinning these. It has thrown into sharp relief latent social inequalities and the class differentiated impact of even natural disasters they warrant. Those in low-pay, informal working arrangements with no social security benefits are exposed to extreme vulnerability, while the others benefit from varying degrees of cushioning from the economic effects more..

May 4 (CT) Giving a little background to the topic of my article today would be in order. I am neither an Epidemiologist nor a Historian. I am unrepentantly and incurably infected by politics, and my professional work straddles policy development informed by Urban Planning and Civil Engineering. In the course of reading and writing about the coronavirus outbreak and its economic implications, I have been struck by the need for and the ease with which many developed countries moved to repurpose their established more..

May 4 (ST) The facemask he wore covered his pepper and salt beard. Yet, Mahinda Deshapriya who marks his 65th birthday next month, is an embodiment of seriousness, humour, and a stentorian roar � perhaps elements that have made him a successful polls chief. Yet, the scourge of the Covid-19 pandemic, amidst which he has to conduct the impending parliamentary election, is taking a toll on him. As chairman of the Election Commission, he declared elections on April 25, but more..

May 4 (ST) Identification of more than two hundred navymen attached to the Welisara navy camp as superspreaders of the coronavirus after being allowed to go to their villages on leave without first being tested, shows the fragility of that vicious �us vs them� dichotomy in no uncertain terms. Abruptly, the dynamic of social interaction changed overnight. Instead of paens of praise with which the South fetes the tri-services, they began to be treated like untouchables. more..

May 4 (ST) Some 2500 years ago in the far off plains of Northern India, the thrice accursed city of Vaishali is writhing in anguish, its people expending their last dying breaths on its wretched streets, their bodies ridden with the pockmarks of disease. From dilapidated houses come the wails of the sick and the dying, imploring with the last ounce of fast dwindling strength for heaven�s succor or for merciful release from a terrible, agonizing existence where hope never comes that comes to all. more..

May 4 (roar) There are new taps installed in the guard room, with bars of soap on the side. A nurse monitors your temperature and you wipe your feet against a special mat, before you enter the premises. At the doorway is a separate chamber, where you are sprayed with disinfectant from head-to-toe. Promptly after, you punch-in on the fingerprint machine�like everyone else reporting for work�you are asked to sanitise more..

May 4 (CT) The devastation caused by COVID-19 in Europe and America, the quick recovery of China from the pandemic and China's re-emergence as the world's factory supplying COVID-19 detection and protective kits to over 100 affected countries, have combined to pose a formidable threat to US dominance in the Indo-Pacific Region (IPR). "Experts have begun to question whether the current crisis may reshape the global order in China's favour. If the US fails to act more decisively more..

May 4 (CT) "Our Nation waking up from an eternal dream is not an overstatement because we are a nation that was never prepared for such eventualities, not due to any deficiencies or incompetence of those who could be held responsible but because all those were eternally busy in fire fighting and least ventured towards true development needs. It was all due to the political as well as bureaucratic misfits who evolved into a symbiotic creation. more..

May 4 (TM) The recent community clusters infected by Covid-19 shocked the public, showcasing the speed of the virus spreading if necessary precautions are not promptly taken. Health authorities have warned that Sri Lanka is already in the third stage of the virus and the infected are easily traced back to one or more carriers from the starting cluster. However, if the country moves to the 4th stage a much larger number of persons more..

May 4 (SO) �In this world of storm and strife, hatred and violence, the message of the Buddha shines like a radiant sun. His eternal message has thrilled humanity through the ages. Perhaps, in no time in past history, was his message of peace, more needed for a suffering and distracted humanity than it is today. Let us remember that immortal message and fashion our thoughts and actions in the light of that teaching.� A serene and tranquil Vesak atmosphere usually pervades our Island of more..