Sri Lanka puts off parliamentary polls

Sri Lanka has indefinitely postponed parliamentary elections that were scheduled for next month to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. "Even if the WHO says Sri Lanka is free of this virus tomorrow, we will not be able to conduct the election on April 25," election chief Mahinda Deshapriya said yesterday. "Whether we can have the vote in May, June or July will depend on how quickly the virus can be tackled." Sri Lanka has 53 cases of the virus.