May 10 (EN) SL has confirmed 2,672 Coronavirus cases on May 09, sharply up from 1,896 a day earlier in a new high, data showed, as the country scrambled to find hospital spaces for confirmed patients. Domestic cases were 2,659. On May 09 total deaths from Coronavirus reached 801 with 15 new reported in the day. Among the dead was a 46-year old from Ganemulla. On May 8, the highest ever daily total of 22 was reported. more..

May 10 (FT) Ravindra Fernando, Colombo Uni’s Emeritus Professor of Forensic Medicine and now a Don at the Kotelawala Defence Uni’s Medical School, has been in the habit of publishing at least one book a year. Many of his books have been on controversial murder cases in Sri Lanka analysed from the point of a forensic medical expert. Previously, he published on the Sathasivam case, Mathew Peiris case, Wijedasa Liyanarachchi case, Lalith Athulathmudali case, and more..

May 10 (FT) The key Supreme Court decision to go ahead with the Port City Bill will be announced on 18 May, the day Sri Lanka will celebrate the 12th anniversary of the victory in a 26-year war. Once passed, possibly with a simple majority in the Parliament on the same day, many analysts expect the ruling party members to come up with slogans stating they ended another war on all opposition to the biggest foreign direct investment in the country that is expected to turnaround SL’s economy. more..

May 10 (DM) No decision has been taken by the Ministry as yet to close the airports, but appropriate action would be taken in line with the COVID committee's decision, Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said. He said despite the spread of COVID here, the repatriation of Sri Lankan workers will continue as per the instructions by the health sector. "The quarantine procedures being conducted at the airport will continue in the same manner as Government quarantine centres. more..

May 10 (Island) The internationally accepted practice was to classify domestic debt and external debt based on the resident or non-resident status of the holder of such debt, Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara, the Director Economic Research at the Central Bank told The Island yesterday. Dr. Amarasekera said so when he was asked to explain why the Central Bank had decided to reclassify US$ 2.2 billion worth of international sovereign bonds held by local entities as domestic debt. more..

May 10 (AD) Head of National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), Army Commander General Shavendra Silva says that no decision has been taken regarding an islandwide lockdown. He therefore requested the public not to panic or rush to shops, supermarkets etc. and to refrain from forming long queues to stock food or essential items. However, Army Commander stated that more..

May 10 (AD) The Wakfs Board of Sri Lanka has decided not to permit Eid prayers at any Mosque on the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr festival day, the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs said. The decision has been taken in view of the rapid spread of Covid-19 in the country and the restriction on collective activities at places of worship by the health authorities. Accordingly, all trustees and persons in charge of mosques have been instructed to keep all mosques closed on Eid day. more..

May 10 (Island) The global pandemic situation is far worse than it looks. The Uni of Washington estimates reveal that Covid-19 has snuffed out 6.9 million deaths across the globe, and this is more than double the officially reported number. Many countries are struggling to save lives, and shocking scenes of mass cremations in India and other such heartrending instances reported from Brazil, etc., must be weighing on the conscience of the global community heavily, but the response of more..

May 10 (AFP) SL said Monday it had secured a $500 million loan from South Korea, a month after a similar loan from China as the island faced a foreign exchange shortage amid a debt crisis. The govt said South Korea agreed to provide the loan at a concessional interest rate of 0.15 to 0.2%, repayable over 40 years with a 10-year grace period. "The framework arrangement was signed today," finance ministry said in a statement. more..

May 10 (DM) The Special Waterborne Operations Squadron comprising 16 officers of the STF was established yesterday in order to thwart illegal sand mining, deforestation, smuggling and other crimes across the country. 16 officers of the STF were trained by the experts under the sponsorship of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and SL Powerboat Association. The squadron was unveiled yesterday in the Bolgoda Lake with the participation of Minister Sarath Weerasekera. more..

May 10 (EN) Police have arrested 7,316 Sri Lankans as of yesterday for allegedly violating quarantine regulations in the midst of a dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases, DIG Ajith Rohana said. 351 people were arrested in raids conducted yesterday for non-compliance of quarantine regulations including proper masking and maintaining physical distance in public places. Video footage of police officers clad in personal protective equipment (PPE) frog-marching alleged violators into buses more..

May 10 (CI) Former SL batsman Avishka Gunawardene has been cleared of both existing corruption charges against him, and is free to participate in cricket immediately. Gunawardene had never directly been charged by the ICC, but in May 2019 had attracted two charges by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) over the 2017 iteration of the T10 tournament played in the UAE. These charges related, essentially, more..

May 10 (AD) A Sri Lankan female, who had been employed as a housemaid in Kuwait, has been hacked to death by another housemaid of Ethiopian nationality. She had been murdered on April 13 and her body has been repatriated to Sri Lanka last morning (9). The 39-year-old of Mahwa area whose throat had been slit has been brought down on a Qatar Airways flight at around 8.30 am yesterday. DIG Ajith Rohana stated that the BIA Police have launched an investigation into the death. more..

May 10 (DM) Considering the current pandemic situation in the country, the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) has made arrangements to deliver medicines for the patients and the needy to their homes in the designated areas. SPC Chairman Dr. Prasanna Gunasena said the programme will be initiated in Colombo, Gampaha, Kandy, Peradeniya and Kurunegala. Several telephone numbers are given for this purpose for the convenience of the people in the above areas. more..

May 10 (CI) India are set to play three ODIs and three T20Is in SL in July, but it will almost certainly be a second-string side that will appear, with many of India's top-flight players likely to be in the UK on Test duty. According to the proposed itinerary from SLC, three ODIs will be played on July 13, 16 and 19, followed by T20Is on July 22, 24 and 27. Although the Indian Test squad is not in action in July, they are scheduled to play in the World Test Championship final from June 18 to 22, more..

May 10 (Island) A chance detection of a lorry transporting ethanol, on the Southern Expressway, over the weekend, revealed that an illicit distillery, situated in the Dankotuwa police area, was obtaining supplies from the Lanka Sugar Company Private Limited, Sevanagala. The demand for ethanol is extremely high since the govt banned its import in Jan 2020. Ethanol is made by state sugar companies as well as private ones. Alcohol is produced by the fermentation of molasses which is a byproduct of sugar manufacturing process. more..

May 10 (NR) Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication says all District and Provincial Secretaries have been issued a special notice on preparations if an area or district is placed under isolation. The statement was issued after discussions at the Temple Trees yesterday between the Chairman of the Task Force Basil Rajapaksa, Ministers and Secretaries of Ministries. Accordingly, it was discussed that facilities including water, electricity, gas, fuel, private health services, more..

May 10 (DM) Controversy surrounds the Itukama Covid fund after it was revealed that only a small percentage of the funds donated had been spent so far. According to the Itukama fund website around Rs 1.7 billion had been raised so far. However, according to a post shared on social media last week based on information obtained through a Right to Information application, it was revealed that only 6% of the funds had been utilized so far. more..

May 10 (DM) The country must go into a lockdown at this point, Dr. LakKumar Fernando, the Chairman of the Association of Medical Specialists of SL, says. Dr. Fernando said that, health authorities have failed to provide proper information to the political authorities in order to make the necessary decisions. Responding to a question regarding the govt parties’ statement that they had been informed by the health sector that isolating the areas where the virus is rapidly spread is sufficient control, more..

May 10 (DM) The SJB urged the govt to postpone the debate on Port City Economic Commission Bill and to go for a complete lockdown. SJB MP and Leader of TPA Mano Ganesan told a press conference that the govt should stop all development work and divert its funds to arrest the COVID pandemic. “Govt should go for a lockdown and give top priority to arrest the COVID spread. Seeking Parliament’s approval can be done for the Port City Economic Commission Bill later,” more..

May 10 (DM) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has requested China to supply oxygen and ventilators to Sri Lanka's Health Ministry as the country battles a rising number of COVID-19 patients, the Daily Mirror learns. In a request sent to China's Ambassador in Colombo, the PM's Office, under the instructions of Mahinda Rajapaksa, has requested for medical supplies including oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders as well as high flow more..

May 10 (PMD) A decision has been taken to allocate the remaining balance of Rs. 1,360,922,969.24 of the COVID–19 (ITUKAMA) Healthcare and Social Security Fund to the COVID-19 vaccination drive. Total amount credited to the Fund was Rs. 1,752,402,793.24, out of which Rs. 391,479,824.00 had been utilized so far. Spent amount is 23% of the total amount of funds received. The remaining balance of the Fund is a quite small amount compared to the amount the govt is more..

May 10 (EN) SL’s cabinet of ministers must be empowered to manage the COVID-19 crisis that has taken a dramatic turn for the worse in what has become a decisive juncture, former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said. In a video message he requested both Prez Rajapaksa and the cabinet to seek the support and input of opposition parties in parliament in this regard. “If you don’t act now, many lives will be lost. If you have any sympathy for the public, the cabinet must take over. more..

May 10 (EN) The govt must immediately call an all-party conference to discuss the serious situation that has emerged in Sri Lanka with regard to COVID-19, main opposition SJB MP Kabir Hashim said. Speaking to reporters today, the MP said both the president and PM must participate this proposed meeting. The opposition will extend its fullest support to the govt to manage the crisis, he said. more..

May 11 (DM) SL has been identified as a hotspot for landslides. Meeriyabadda and Aranayaka landslides bear testimony to this statement. However, with thundershower warnings issued on a number of districts in the country, it is important to revisit landslide mitigation strategies, particularly in hilly areas. In some cases, latest technology has been used for water retention and increase soil strength. But engineering experts are now looking at possibilities of nature-based solutions to more..

May 11 (DM) On Sunday Mar 9, all over the world families celebrated Mothers’ Day and many mothers say their rooms were like beautiful flower gardens with lilies, Madonna and a variety of other beautiful flowers in different shapes and sizes. There may have also been boxfuls of the best chocolates and other sweet gifts. The mothers express gratitude and happiness for all the love and care they receive despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which is causing deaths, agony and despair to more..

May 11 (DM) SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva shared his views on his party’s approach to the issue confronting SL at the UNHRC in Geneva. Also, he responded to questions related to the Colombo Port City project and the move to ban chemical fertilizer and SJB’s recent meetings with the foreign envoys. Q: Recently, you along with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa & MP Eran Wickramaratne met with the envoys of the foreign countries; more..

May 11 (CT) The third wave of SL’s COVID-19 terror entered its 27th day yesterday (9). And, according to data immediately available from the Epidemiology Unit (EU), in the 26 days that have elapsed up to Saturday, COVID-19’s third wave has killed 166 among 26,207 casualties it has caused, much more casualties than either of SL’s three other terror wars that it suffered since Independence, namely the two JVP and the LTTE terror wars were able to cause in such a short span of time as 26 days. more..

May 11 (GV) The ban on the import of chemical fertilizer makes sense to some and not to others; however it has far reaching implications for food security. In the pre independence era, the population of the country was around five million with over 80% of the land mass under forest coverage and massive tea, rubber and coconut plantations producing sufficient for export and earning foreign exchange with which to purchase food and other consumer items. more..

May 11 (TM) SL has a long history of employing traditional medical practices such as indigenous and Ayurvedic medical practices to treat a multitude of diseases in which the country takes pride, and despite being somewhat subdued by popular Western medicines, traditional medical practices continue to save people’s lives. In many instances, it has been proved that traditional medicines can in fact give better results more..

May 11 (ST) As the country grappled with a dangerous third wave of COVID-19, the Govt was forced to defend itself in Parliament amid Opposition charges that it had botched the response to the pandemic. Underlying the situation’s seriousness, all doors leading to the Parliament Chamber were left open for the first time in its history during a debate on Tuesday as the Opposition moved an adjournment motion on the Prevailing Situation in the Country. more..

May 11 (TM) There is no debate that irrespective of the social, cultural, and economic differences, the foremost duty that all citizens can and should fulfil at this juncture is adhering to Covid-19-related safety guidelines. One person’s negligence has the potential to place the lives of many in harm’s way, and what is at stake is our own lives. A leading private bus association recently claimed that they would launch a bus strike next week if bus conductors, drivers & owners are not more..

May 11 (CT) Well known Indian writer Arundhati Roy in a recent appeal asked the Indian PM Modi to step aside. She beseeches thus: ‘We need a govt. Desperately. And we don’t have one. We are running out of air. We are dying. We don’t have systems in place to know what to do with help even when it’s on hand. ..We cannot wait till 2024. Never would people like myself have imagined the day would come when we would find ourselves appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for anything. more..

May 11 (SO) The int'l Forbes magazine annually declares the names of 30 distinguished people below the age of 30 years around the world whose contribution has an enormous impact on their selected field of work. Mustafa Kassim, a young SL entrepreneur and a media giant was listed under the Media, Marketing and Advertising category for Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Edition, class of 2020. Mustafa is the founder as well as the CEO of Roar Global which is one of the most outstanding more..

May 11 (DM) Even if it is an Ayurvedic product a lot of research has to be done. None of the facilities at Karapitiya Hospital was used in the development of this product Days after the Dhammika Paniya was rejected as a cure against COVID-19, news about another so-called miraculous medical discovery against COVID-19 did its rounds on social media. The product, MeGha Primal Intake that was distributed as a food supplement more..

May 11 (ST) Sri Lanka will be boosted by three overseas stars based in the United Kingdom for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers and Asian Cup Qualifiers round 2. The trio are Marvin Hamilton, Reef Sebastian Peries and Dillon de Silva, who were named in a 23-man squad which began the fifth phase of residential training for the national pool at the National Training Centre in Beddagana on Thursday. Sri Lanka is scheduled to play North Korea on June 3, Lebanon on June 7 and more..

May 11 (FT) Colombo School of Business Management (CSBM) has partnered with the National Institute of Exports (NIOE) to launch a professional qualification in Int'l Trade Management which will commence in June this year. The two institutions signed a memorandum of understanding on 3 May that marked the launch of the programs under new partnership. These programs which were designed and delivered by NIOE previously, will now be conducted by CSBM. more..

May 11 (TM) Regardless of the disruptions caused by the new wave in Sri Lanka, tea exports so far this year are much better than that of the same period last year, according to the Tea Exporters’ Association (TEA). TEA President Sanjaya Herath revealed that tea exports in the country have increased by 20 million kg compared to 2020. “Compared to the performance of Jan-Mar 2020, we have done better. more..