business Sri Lanka

Dialog Enterprise, the business solutions arm of Dialog Axiata PLC, showcased its readiness to digitalize the financial sector of the country with cutting-edge solutions, further enhancing service offering to take its clientele on a steady growth trajectory. The company announced this preparedness to the finance industry at the annual fellowship organized for the Banking, Finance & Insurance sector under the theme ‘Bridging the Digital Divide’. The event was held recently at The Kingsbury, Colombo with the participation of CIOs, CTOs and IT Leads representing country’s financial sector.

Rejuvenated with its vision set for the new decade, digitally enriching Sri Lankan enterprises and its workforces, Dialog Enterprise is committed to creating a compelling experience to the Finance sector; improving efficiency and speed to market, and better serving their customers. Expanding its wings as a leading Digital Business Partner for businesses, Dialog Enterprise now challenges the ICT market with a product portfolio entailing Converged Communications, Cloud & Data Centres, Security and Surveillance, IoT and SDN (Software-Defined Networking).

While updating its clientele on a new product portfolio, Vice President - Enterprise Business and Large Enterprise Sales of Dialog Axiata Navin Pieris said, “We are privileged to host this fellowship for our banking, finance, and insurance customers as a platform to share technology insights and present how the convergence of cutting-edge solutions can disrupt traditional development models and shape the future of new-age business models, with practical applications. Dialog Enterprise keeps its promise of taking the country’s financial sector to the future by offering new product lines, as focus and innovation are the core values enriched and extended to our valued customers. This has always been the change catalyst in the telecommunication and ICT domain of Sri Lanka and we would like to express our full confidence to partner with our clientele to power the future of the banking ecosystem.”

The event featured the keynote delivered by Sachin Seth, Partner Digital, Fintech, Cloud & Tech. Transformation Leader, EY Advisory (Africa, India & the Middle East). Highlighting the salient role telcos play in the digitalization drive of the financial sector, Sachin stated, "Embracing a strategic, forward-looking business model is critical to survival and growth. Considering the maturity of mobile telecom companies in Sri Lanka, and their wider reach and penetration in comparison to the banking industry, there remains potential for Last Mile payment services gaining even greater traction in the country”. In addition, he also discussed how telecos actively engage in serving financial service companies by bringing together services and providing innovative customer experiences."

The cynosure of the event was the panel discussion which dwelt on the challenges currently confronted by the banking, finance, and insurance sector in the presence of digital transformation, and how to better serve customers through the convergence of enterprise solutions to attain assured speed to market with new product development on par with ever-changing customer needs. The panel comprised of renowned industry professionals including the Group Chief Operating Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC, Dr. Rainer Deutschmann., The Chief Information Officer of Hatton National Bank PLC Ruwan Bakmeedeniya, General Manager of LFSBL Mihindu Rajaratne and The Chief Information Officer of Seylan Bank Harsha Wanigatunga.

Sri Lankans across the country will get a glimpse to the future of technology with the Live 5G Showcase by Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, which commenced its cross-country tour at Kegalle Balika Vidyalaya showcasing the latest in global technology advancements and 5G capabilities.

Dialog demonstrated the power of 5G and its capabilities as the number one network in Sri Lanka, through this 5G Showcase which commenced its tour to educate schools and the public on the next generation industrial and consumer applications delivered over 5G. Demonstrations included 360ᴼ Video Calling, 4K video streaming, ultra-high definition live video streaming through drone, VR gaming, Holographic Video Calling, AI Powered Digital Twins mechanism mimicking human actions in real-time and a Robotic Arm demonstrating the various possibilities of robotics in the field – all of which are only possible to demonstrate in real-time through a 5G wireless network which provides the required High Bandwidth, Ultra Low Latency & Massive Connectivity.

The launch of 5G with speeds of over 1.4Gpbs along with less than 10ms latency and ultra-reliability will spark an unprecedented wave of innovation to enable communication beyond connecting people to bridge a mesh of connected machines all communicating with each other, centred around emerging technologies including Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Mixed/Virtual Reality and Robotics fuelling the 4th Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0). 

Renowned for being consistent with its promise of delivering the future, today, Dialog was the first in South Asia in each of the milestones towards commercial 5G, including conducting a fully functional and standards compliant 5G transmission in 2018, piloting a mobile 5G service, conducting a Live 5G showcase, and demonstrating 5G Mobile Speeds in excess of 1.4 Giga bits per second in 2019.

Updates on the countrywide Live 5G Showcase, including its next stops, can be checked via https://www.dialog.lk/dialog-takes-5g-technology-closer-to-every-sri-lankan

Tokyo, (March 31) – A newly published set of policy proposals details ways to ensure infrastructure growth that drives economic and social development while overcoming limitations in public funding, against the backdrop of increasing demands on government revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Building the Future of Quality Infrastructure provides a timely guide to promoting innovative financing of infrastructure such as transportation networks, water and sanitation facilities, and digital networks vital to realizing more resilient and inclusive economies.

The report presents recommendations based on research conducted by ADBI and other top think tank experts under the Think20 (T20), the G20’s research and policy advice network, during Japan’s 2019 G20 presidency.

The implementation benefits are potentially significant, promoting greater private sector investment, as well as long-term sustainable development in Asia and beyond.

“Budget deficits will be impacted by government spending to address the new coronavirus, making it more difficult to publicly finance infrastructure,” explained ADBI Dean Naoyuki Yoshino, co-editor of the report and former Chair of T20 Japan. “Policies that enable private project investment will become even more important for sustaining the buildup of quality infrastructure that triggers development spillover effects critical to the future of our societies.”

“In the long run, new transport infrastructure will still be needed to connect people and support trade,” Dean Yoshino continued. “Building roads and railway stations will ultimately support new businesses in surrounding areas, including small businesses, which boost jobs, economic opportunities for women, and growth.

Broadening access to clean water, electricity, and digital connectivity will also remain crucial to improving people’s quality of life. Such progress will increase tax revenues that can be utilized to attract further infrastructure investment,” he concluded.

The policy proposals highlighted in the report offer policy makers and experts guidance on enhancing infrastructure financing sustainability, rates of investment returns, and project viability.

They also provide strategies for advancing green and resilient infrastructure.

The trade deficit widened in January 2020 compared to January 2019, as earnings from exports declined while expenditure on imports increased.

 Although the tourism industry rapidly recovered from the Easter Sunday attacks by end 2019, the COVID-19 outbreak reversed the recovering trend in January 2020. Workers’ remittances recorded a year-on-year growth in January 2020. Meanwhile, foreign investment in the government securities market recorded a net inflow in January 2020 while a net outflow was observed from the CSE.

The Sri Lankan rupee remained broadly stable and appreciated against the US dollar in January 2020, but depreciated sharply in March in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic following a similar trend of many emerging market currencies due to strengthening US dollar and yen.  The deficit in the trade account widened in January 2020 to US dollars 730 million, from US dollars 617 million in January 2019, led by a decline in exports and an increase in imports on a year on year basis. The major contributory factors for the increase in the trade deficit are depicted in Figure 1.

Meanwhile, terms of trade, i.e., ratio of the price of exports to the price of imports, deteriorated by 3.7 per cent (year-on-year) in January 2020, as export prices declined at a faster pace than the decline in import prices.

Continuing the year-on-year declining trend observed since July 2019, earnings from merchandise exports declined by 3.2 per cent to US dollars 1,005 million in January 2020, with all major export sectors recording declines in comparison to January 2019.

 Earnings from agricultural exports declined in January 2020 (year-on-year) driven by all of its sub sectors except for minor agricultural products. Earnings from tea exports declined due to the combined effect of lower export volumes and average export prices.

In addition, earnings from spices declined in January 2020, mainly due to lower export volumes of many sub categories, while export prices also declined except for nutmeg and mace. Earnings from seafood exports declined with lower demand from the USA.

Meanwhile, earnings from coconut exports declined, mainly due to lower export earnings from desiccated coconut categorised under kernel products and fibre under non kernel products. In contrast, earnings from export of minor agricultural products increased during the month, mainly led by exports of arecanuts and betel leaves.

Industrial exports decline

Earnings from industrial exports declined in January 2020 in comparison with January 2019, with low earnings from almost all sub sectors, except petroleum products, chemical products and gems, diamond and jewellery.

Earnings from food, beverages and tobacco exports declined, led by manufactured tobacco exports and miscellaneous food preparations. In addition, earnings from rubber products declined mainly driven by lower tyre exports.Earnings from textiles and garments declined marginally, as a result of lower earnings from the USA and nontraditional markets such as India, South Korea and Mexico, despite an increase recorded in exports to the EU. Further, earnings from machinery and mechanical appliances declined with lower exports in all subcategories.

Conversely, export earnings from petroleum products increased substantially, due to higher earnings from bunker and aviation fuel exports resulting from higher bunker quantities and prices as well as higher earnings from naphtha exports.

 Earnings from mineral exports recorded a decline in January 2020, year-on-year, with weaker performance in all subcategories.

 The export volume index in January 2020 improved by 2.9 per cent (year-on-year), while the export unit value index declined by 6.0 per cent, indicating that the decline in exports was driven entirely by lower prices when compared to January 2019.

Performance of Merchandise Imports

 Expenditure on Merchandise imports increased, on a year-on-year basis, in January 2020 for the second consecutive month, by 4.8 per cent to US dollars 1,735 million, driven by higher consumer and investment goods imports.

 Expenditure on consumer goods imports increased in January 2020 with the increase in expenditure on both food and beverages and nonfood consumer goods imports. Accordingly, vegetables (mainly big onions), dairy products (mainly milk powder), sugar and spices (mainly chillies) imports, categorised under food and beverages, increased. Meanwhile, under nonfood consumer goods category, expenditure on personal motor vehicle imports recorded a growth, on a year-on-year basis, for the second consecutive month in January 2020.

Meanwhile, expenditure on investment goods imports increased in January 2020 due to higher imports of machinery and equipment and transport equipment. The increase in expenditure on machinery and equipment imports was mainly driven by turbines, telecommunication devices and electrical machinery and equipment.

Vehicle imports declines

 However, expenditure on personal vehicle imports declined significantly when compared with December 2019. In contrast, expenditure on beverages (mainly alcoholic beverages) and seafood (mainly canned fish) imports declined, in comparison to January 2019.

Meanwhile, expenditure on transport equipment increased with higher expenditure incurred on railway equipment such as locomotive engines and carriages, and Lorries.

 However, expenditure on building material imports decreased mainly due to low expenditure on iron and steel and those articles imports such as iron bars and rods although higher outlays on the importation of the bridges and bridge sections continued to increase in January 2020.

 Expenditure on imports of intermediate goods declined in January 2020, mainly due to lower expenditure on fuel, owing to lower import volumes of all subcategories namely crude oil, refined petroleum and coal, although average import prices of crude oil and refined petroleum increased, when compared with January 2019.

In addition, expenditure on base metals (mainly iron and steel), wheat and mineral products (mainly cement clinker) imports declined in January 2020. However, import expenditure on textiles and textile articles increased, led by higher expenditure on fabric and fibre imports.  The import volume index increased by 7.3 per cent, while the unit value index declined by 2.3 per cent in January 2020, indicating that the increase in imports was driven entirely by higher volumes when compared to January 2019.

Tourism suffer a setback

The tourism sector suffered a setback in January 2020 following the outbreak of COVID-19 reversing the recovering trend of the tourist arrivals since the Easter Sunday attacks. Tourist arrivals in January 2020 declined by 6.5 per cent to 228,434 compared to 244,239 in January 2019.

Tourist arrivals from Russia, Poland and Ukraine increased in January 2020 (year-on-year), while arrivals from key destinations, such as Australia, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, declined.  Earnings from tourism were provisionally estimated at US dollars 431 million in January 2020, in comparison to US dollars 460 million in January 2019.

Meanwhile, workers’ remittances recorded a growth of 6.5 per cent in January 2020, year-on-year, amounting to US dollars 581 million.

Gross official reserves stood at US dollars 7.5 billion at end January 2020, equivalent to 4.5 months of imports.

Meanwhile, total foreign assets consisting of gross official reserves and foreign assets of the banking sector amounted to US dollars 10.3 billion at end January 2020, equivalent to 6.2 months of imports.  

Rupee depreciates sharply 

The Sri Lankan rupee, which remained broadly stable in the month of January as well as until the first week of March, depreciated sharply with the speculative behavior in the market with the spread of COVID-19 outbreak.

Accordingly, the rupee recorded a depreciation of 4.7 per cent against the US dollar by 30 March 2020.

 Reflecting cross-currency movements, the rupee depreciated against the US dollar, the euro and the Japanese yen while appreciating against the pound sterling, the Canadian dollar, the Australian dollar and the Indian rupee during the year up to 30 March 2020.

 External Sector Developments amidst the COVID-19

The initial pressure created by both global and domestic market uncertainties was felt in the domestic foreign exchange market, particularly in the second half of the month of March 2020.

A notable depreciation of the Sri Lanka rupee was observed, primarily due to speculative market behaviour and foreign investment outflows from the government securities market.

 The Central Bank undertook a number of emergency operational and policy measures, including some intervention in the domestic foreign exchange market, suspension of all personal motor vehicle and non-essential consumer goods imports, limiting issuance of foreign currency notes as travel allowance up to a maximum of US dollars 5,000 and suspension of purchase of Sri Lanka International Sovereign Bonds by licensed banks in Sri Lanka.

The government established a fuel price stabilisation fund to maintain stable energy prices domestically, while enabling the utilisation of benefits accruing on account of the sharp decline in international crude oil prices more productively.

The government of Sri Lanka and Uber are joining forces to deliver essential supplies as part of efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Uber Eats will enable people to receive essential food items and support the government’s guidelines by staying at home. Users can now get groceries safely delivered on the same day, in full compliance with hygiene measures and traffic restrictions, and have the option of paying through card or cash.

Following the temporary closure of all restaurants and shopping centres, Uber Eats has partnered with supermarkets and small independent businesses to meet the growing grocery needs of the citizens. By sharing its technology and vast network of delivery partners with the government, Uber is helping to free up precious State resources so that they can be channelled towards life-saving efforts.                     

“I want to thank both Uber and Mobitel for accepting my invitation and stepping up in this time of crisis to partner with leading Supermarket stores to provide a state of the art delivery service. It will be operational from cities in the Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts.” said Namal Rajapaksa, Member of Parliament commenting on the partnership.

“Our partnership with Cargills Food City and other businesses to deliver essential everyday items via Uber Eats will allow people to stay at home and help authorities reduce the spread of COVID 19. It will also help reduce the burden on authorities in providing essential goods for every citizen.

To enhance safety for our community, Uber Eats deliveries can be contactless and users can request orders to be left at their doorstep. In these unprecedented times, we are privileged to be able to support authorities and the people of Sri Lanka meet everyday needs.” said Bhavna Dadlani, Country Lead, Uber Eats Sri Lanka.

Uber Eats allows people to search for and discover local restaurants, order a meal at the touch of a button, and have it delivered reliably and quickly. Since launching the Eats app three and a half years ago, the business has leveraged Uber’s technology and logistics expertise to serve 500+ cities globally.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Rakuten Viber, announce a new partnership to fight misinformation around COVID-19 with an interactive multi-language chatbot available globally. The bot aims to combat fake news and false information that has been rapidly circulating about the virus.

 To assist people who are looking for accurate health information, the chatbot is available in English, Arabic, Russian, and soon to be translated into 20 more languages. It highlights the most commonly asked questions and the latest news related to the pandemic.

 The “Latest News,” section is updated in real-time straight from WHO’s website and into the palm of your hand. Other main sections include “Protect Yourself,” “Mask usage,” “Travel recommendations” and an interactive “Myths” quiz to test the knowledge of the virus. The “Donate Now” button prompts users to support the WHO fight against the pandemic through donating to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

“WHO aims to reach as many people as possible with reliable health information through innovative digital technology. Information is power and can help save lives during this pandemic,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

 “We’re helping people stay connected while also assisting local and global government and healthcare agencies around the world to offer critical updates and to combat misinformation. Rakuten Viber and WHO are working together to help individuals and communities stay informed and healthy during this challenging time. Use the chatbot yourself, support and protect your relatives by sharing it with them. Digital is safe,” commented Djamel Agaoua, CEO of Rakuten Viber.

The chatbot is free and already available for all Viber users globally.

 Viber is also launching a specially designed sticker pack to complement and support the efforts of all health workers on the frontline with the virus as well as to spread motivational and positive vibes throughout the world under lockdown.

All who download the pack from the Viber’s sticker market will get smooth and instant access to the chatbot.

Colombo, March 31, 2020 - Standard Chartered announced this week that it will globally commit USD1 billion of financing for companies that provide goods and services to help the fight against COVID-19, and those planning the switch into making products that are in high demand to fight the global pandemic.

Companies in scope include all those associated with helping to tackle COVID-19, including manufacturers and distributors in the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare providers, as well as non-medical companies that have volunteered to add this capability to their manufacturing output - goods in scope include ventilators, face masks, protective equipment, sanitisers and other consumables.

Commenting on this global initiative, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka’s CEO Bingumal Thewarathanthri commented: “Standard Chartered has been in Sri Lanka for more than 150 years and have worked with the communities during good and bad times. The COVID-19 pandemic will not be an exception. We will work with our colleagues in the Group to get the funding benefits to the Sri Lankan clients. We believe that Sri Lanka is doing what it takes to combat the virus and we are glad to be part of the national agenda.”

Part of being ‘Here for good’ in the markets where the Bank operates involves supporting communities in the wake of crises when appropriate. To this extent, the senior leadership team at Standard Chartered Sri Lanka has personally pledged to provide various medical supplies and other items for a new Isolation Unit that is being built at the Kalubowila Hospital to help in the treatment of infected patients. “We are also looking at a much larger initiative to help support those most vulnerable in the country during this difficult period,” Bingumal added.

The bank will continue to serve all of its clients during what is a challenging period for all companies, from small businesses to large multinationals.

Standard Chartered is a leading international banking group, with a presence in 59 of the world’s most dynamic markets, and serving clients in a further 85.

ICRA Lanka Limited, subsidiary of ICRA Limited, a group company of Moody’s Investors Service, has reaffirmed the issuer rating of MCB Bank’s Sri Lanka branch (MCBSL or the Bank) at [SL]A+ (Pronounced SL A plus).

The outlook on the rating is Stable.

The rating factors in the financial, managerial and operational support provided by MCB Bank Limited, Pakistan (MCBP; rated Caa1/ NP by Moody’s) to its Sri Lankan branch operation.  The rating takes note of the comfortable capitalisation profile with Total Capital ratio including – Capital Conservation Buffer (“CCB”) at 28.23% as in Sep-19 compared to minimum regulatory requirement of 12.50%.

Further, the Bank’s core capital was at LKR 6.2 Bn as in Sep-19, against regulatory minimum requirement of LKR 5.0 Bn by Dec-20. The capital profile was supported by healthy profitability indicators with Return on Assets of 1.35% and Return on Equity of 6.32% in 9MCY2019.

The rating takes note of MCBSL’s weak asset quality profile with gross NPA[1] of 4.13% as in Sep-19 vis a vis 5.73% as in Dec-18 (4.18% as in Dec-17). 

The rating however takes cognizance of MCBSL’s modest size and franchise, geographically concentrated presence, its concentrated exposures and a moderate deposit profile.

MCBSL’s lending and deposit portfolios are quite concentrated with top 10 exposures accounting for about 71% and 45%, respectively as in Sep-19.

The extraordinary measures taken by the Government of Sri Lanka in order to contain the COVID-19 pandemic includes an extension of a country-wide curfew. The Government has also given specific directions with regard to social distancing and the public has been asked to stay indoors, except for any engagements relating to the maintenance of certain essential services which have been specified.

In view of the aforesaid and pursuant to a guidance received from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka in this regard, the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) will remain closed for Trading from April 1, until the curfew is lifted. 

Northshore Campus held its first Board of Governors meeting on the 03rd of March to exchange views and discuss its highly ambitious plans for the future to be a top ranked higher educational institute in the country for graduate employability, academic and research excellence.

It was also discussed and finalized that Northshore Campus, among many other initiatives in the pipeline this year, will be investing LKR 300 million to upgrade and elevate its Health Sciences, Engineering and IT laboratories to include the very latest, state-of-the-art equipment to ensure a stimulating environment to all students.

Northshore Campus provides various programmes such as HNDs, undergraduate and postgraduate in the fields of Engineering, Business Management and IT, with its partnership with the University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol in UK and Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

Streams such as Tourism and Hospitality, Linguistics, Teacher Training and Education, LLB and Health Sciences are set to launch in near future.

The campus is equipped with modern lecture rooms, library, laboratories, spacious cafeteria, various recreational areas and an enormous well-furnished auditorium which is the largest of its kind in the country.

It’s Board of Governors are headed by VC and CEO, Prof. Nalaka Jayakody and includes eminent personalities such as Anuradha Wijekoon, Prof. Ajantha Dharmasiri, Dr. Dan Malika Gunasekera, Dr. Anil Samaranayake, Dr. Kishu Gomes, Dr. Indika Sigera, and Deputy VC Prof. Sisuru Sendanayake.

WASHINGTON — The World Bank is estimating that the cornavirus outbreak will cause economic growth to slow significantly this year in China and other East Asian-Pacific countries, throwing millions into poverty.

Under a worse-case scenario, the region could suffer its sharpest downturn since a devastating currency crisis more than two decades ago, the bank said in an updated forecast released Monday.

The bank’s report projects that growth in the region would slow to 2.1% this year from 5.8% in 2019 under a “baseline” forecast in which economic recovery takes hold this summer.

But under a worse case, in which the adverse effects of the virus spillover into next year, the region’s economy would contract 0.5%, the bank estimates.

That would represent the weakest performance for the region since the 1997-98 Asian currency crisis, which plunged 40% of the globe into recession.

More than 11 million people could fall into poverty in the region under the worse-case scenario, the bank estimates.

That’s in stark contrast to its earlier forecast that growth would be sufficient this year to lift 35 million people out of poverty.

A slowdown of the size being projected by the World Bank for such a critical part of the global economy would have severe effects for the rest of the world.   The World Bank said it has not finished forecasts for other parts of the world but last week, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, said it is clear that the global economy has already entered a recession that could be as bad or worse than the slump after the 2008 financial crisis.

In the World Bank’s base case, China, the world’s second largest economy, would see growth slow from 6.1% last year to 2.3% this year. In the worse case scenario, growth in China would come to a near halt with a tiny 0.1% gain.

In the worse case scenario where the virus keeps disrupting activity for many more months, the negative 0.5% drop for the region would include economic declines of 2.3% in Indonesia, 4.6% for Malaysia and 5% for Thailand.

“In addition to bold national actions, deeper international cooperation is the most effective vaccine against this virulent threat,” said Aaditya Mattoo, chief economist for East Asia and the Pacific at the World Bank. The World Bank has pledged to provide $14 billion in financial support through a fast-track package to strengthen the response of developing countries to the virus and expects to deploy up to $160 billion over the next 15 months to protect the poor and vulnerable.

The IMF has said it will commit if needed its full $1 trillion in lending resources to support nations hit by the virus.  

(Market Watch)

With much of the world in self-isolation due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, technology has become an essential ally, offering a wealth of information, providing entertainment and affording us opportunities to maintain social interaction.

Staying informed in these testing times is important as we look at a series of apps designed to help you keep track of how the virus is progressing and also to keep up to date on the latest health advice.

These apps are all verified in both the Apple App Store and Google Play and are sourced from recognised health agencies and institutions.

 Globally available apps

1) WHO (World Health Organisation)

The official World Health Organisation application offers the latest health information with advice, updates and the latest news on the virus. The daily press conferences can also be streamed live via the app. It’s also reported that the WHO are working on a specific stand-alone Covid-19 application.

2) United Nations

This multi lingual UN application offers comprehensive information from around the globe on a series of issues ranging from sustainability through to climate change. It includes daily global Covid-19 virus information with a series of video and audio field reports on how the pandemic is affecting daily life in all corners of the planet.

 3) Worldometer

An uncomplicated but informative numbers based application offering constant updates, statistics and graphs relating to confirmed coronavirus cases, deaths, recoveries and closed cases on a both global level and country by country basis. (Only available via Google Play)

4) Youper

An emotional health assistant app with Youper using artificial intelligence to help users reduce their anxiety levels, manage their mood and improve their sleep. Through a series of strategies from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), one can use the app to listen to its mindfulness practices, monitor your emotions with the mood tracker and learn more about anxiety and depression.

5) Headspace

An app that offers less stress and the ability to sleep soundly. Through a guide of daily meditations the app offers the user to manage stress and through original sleepcasts, provide the assistance to help users unwind at bedtime.

6) Zoom

In these times of self-isolation and lockdown, staying in touch with close friends and family is essential. Zoom offers the possibility of high quality via 4G, LTE and 3G networks video calls with our nearest and dearest via the multiple user screenshare screen. The app can be used on both mobile devices as well as iPad, Mac and Windows based devices.

7) CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention)

The official application from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the leading national public health institute of the United States offers the latest health information for the US and worldwide.

The app offers advice, information and the latest date, news and updates on Covid-19 with the settings option affording users to opt for information.

8) Covid Sympton Tracker

Users are asked to create an account and asked to monitor any symptom that could be associated with Covid-19 on a daily basis. The list currently includes fever, persistent cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of smell or taste, hoarseness, chest pain, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, drowsiness and confusion, and lack of appetite. (AS)

The coronavirus has driven a massive 72% rise in the use of fintech apps in Europe, according to new research published by deVere Group. At a time when most sectors of the global economy are beginning to feel the effects of what may already be a worldwide recession, the sharp jump in app adoption and usage provides encouraging news for the fintech industry. And it comes as yet another indication that the long-term legacy of the coronavirus will be an increasingly digital and online society.

According to the Swiss-based financial services company, the massive 72% bounce in fintech app usage is part of a fundamental adaption to life in lockdown. "The world has changed in the last few weeks," explains James Green, deVere Group’s Divisional Manager of Europe. "The measures we’re now all taking to help the fight back against coronavirus are affecting the way we interact, live, work, and take care of our finances."

Specifically, deVere Group has measured a 72% rise in the usage of its own fintech apps. But with the coronavirus now having infected over 700,000 people worldwide, similarly sharp upsurges can be found and assumed elsewhere. One gold-purchasing app, Glint Pay, reported a monumental 718% increase in its traffic last week. Meanwhile, banking apps in Asia and the Middle East have also announced strong upticks in usage, with one bank in the Philippines seeing more than the double the usual registrations for its online banking service.

Such rises in the use of fintech apps come amid a general growth in the use of digital technology, as people find ways of working, communicating, and entertaining themselves in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Netflix has already witnessed record viewing numbers since lockdowns began several weeks ago, while deVere's James Green also notes that remote-conferencing company Zoom has enjoyed a significant boost to its share price.

"A new era has already begun, with digitalisation and new technologies driving the shift," he says. "This can be seen by demand soaring for video-calling platforms such as Google Hangouts, Skype, FaceTime and Zoom amongst others, as more people from ever work remotely."

“Indeed, Zoom Video Communications has been a remarkable performer in recent times, with its shares gaining more 32% since the market began its decline in mid-February.”

Of course, the question remains as to whether this shift to the digital will endure after the coronavirus pandemic is over. With regards to fintech and banking apps, at least, the effects will most likely persist. Adoption of such apps had already been growing steadily in the months and years before the coronavirus outbreak. For example, UK Finance reported last year that 72% of UK adults used online banking and 48% used mobile banking in 2018. A long-term shift was already underway, and given that apps arguably provide greater convenience and efficiency than using an old-fashioned branch, it's probable that the forced exposure to fintech and banking apps will create a sizeable number of converts.

And a very similar argument could be made for digital technology in general. Remote working had already risen in the United States by 159% between 2005 and 2017, while Americans were already spending less time outside and more time at home, as they became more reliant on digital tech to fill their days.

As such, the coronavirus lockdown could simply accelerate and strengthen trends that were already in motion, particularly if the lockdown lasts for several months, something which could help to instill habits in people. So in other words, the long term effect of the coronavirus will be to facilitate the spread of another ‘virus,’ known as digital technology. (Forbes)

Apple has released a new screening tool and set of resources to help people stay informed and take the proper steps to protect their health during the spread of COVID-19, based on the latest CDC guidance. The new COVID-19 website, and COVID-19 app available on the App Store, were created in partnership with the CDC,1 the White House Coronavirus Task Force to make it easy to get trusted information and guidance.

The COVID-19 app and website allow users to answer a series of questions around risk factors, recent exposure and symptoms for themselves or a loved one. In turn, they will receive CDC recommendations on next steps, including guidance on social distancing and self-isolating, how to closely monitor symptoms, whether or not a test is recommended at this time, and when to contact a medical provider. This new screening tool is designed to be a resource for individuals and does not replace instructions from healthcare providers or guidance from health authorities.

The app and website also offer access to resources to help people stay informed and get the support they need. Users will receive answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19, including who is most at risk and how to recognize symptoms. In addition, they will learn the most up-to-date information from the CDC like best practices for washing hands, disinfecting surfaces and monitoring symptoms.

Along with the new COVID-19 app and website, customers may also ask Siri, “How do I know if I have coronavirus?” to access guidance and resources from the CDC and a curated collection of telehealth apps available on the App Store. The COVID-19 app and website were built to keep all user data private and secure. The tools do not require a sign-in or association with a user’s Apple ID, and users’ individual responses will not be sent to Apple or any government organization.

Anyone who is 18 years or older can access the screening tool and resources today by downloading the COVID-19 app on the App Store or visiting apple.com/covid19.

One app tells you if you've been in the vicinity of a coronavirus carrier and another aims to assess whether you have COVID-19 based on the sound of your voice.

In Israel, sometimes dubbed the "start-up nation" with nearly 10 percent of workers employed in high-tech, the coronavirus pandemic has seen a flurry of new technologies designed to contain transmission.

Start-Up Nation Central, an NGO, has compiled a directory of some 70 Israeli technology companies developing responses to the new virus, which has infected more than 4,000 people in the country.

One app that has stood out so far is Hamagen, Hebrew for "the shield", launched earlier this month by the health ministry. Using geolocation technology, the app informs users about any points of contact with known COVID-19 cases.

Available in five languages, Hamagen has been downloaded by more than a million users. The fortunate ones receive messages saying "no points of intersection have been found with coronavirus patients".

"We'll let you know if there is anything new," it adds. Hamagen was launched amid a controversy over plans to involve Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency in the fight against the virus. Critics warned that allowing a powerful investigative body access to personal devices without a court order could mark an irrevocable setback in the effort to safeguard data protection. Israel's highest court ruled that any Shin Bet involvement required parliamentary oversight.

Hamagen requires user consent and the health ministry has assured that "GPS data does not leave your mobile phone, and is not sent to any third party".

 'Sound' of corona -

The defence ministry has meanwhile offered support to an Israeli start-up called Vocalis Health, which is developing an app capable of diagnosing COVID-19 based on the sound of someone's voice.

"We are working around the clock," Tal Wenderow, the start-up's co-founder, told AFP.

Voice samples from virus carriers in various stages of illness and samples from non-infected people are currently being collected, with the goal of developing an AI-based algorithm to detect COVID-19's vocal "fingerprint".

Health professionals will then be able to alert users in the early stages of the disease and use the app to monitor its spread across the population. The response from people willing to give voice samples has been "overwhelming", Wenderow said.

In addition to helping curb new infections, the app could also allow patients to be monitored at home, he added.

Israel's largest hospital, the Sheba Medical Center, has already been using nascent technologies to protect staff caring for coronavirus patients. (AFP)

"The guiding principle is to make sure there is as little contact as necessary between medical teams and patients," said Professor Eyal Leshem, director of Sheba's centre for travel medicine and tropical diseases.

To that end, Sheba monitors patients in mild condition through "telemedicine", which allows vital signs to be communicated to staff via sensors connected to a patient's phone "without any need for direct contact", Leshem told AFP.

"We used this in our in-patient treatment -- now when we're shifting from containment to mitigation, we're going to start using the same technologies to monitor patients at home," said Leshem.

Sheba also has an innovation and research centre, which is working to collect "all meta-data from COVID-19 patients".

"As we have more and more data accumulated, we'll be able to identify markers of severe disease, identify prognostic factors for hospitalised patients at all levels, and potentially use this data to identify treatment opportunities," he said. (AFP)

 Location intelligence provides a valuable lens for COVID-19response—exploring the dynamic connections between people, their health and well-being, and changing physical and social environments.

When the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19a pandemic, director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the situation would worsen. Yet, he noted, this is the first world pandemic that can be controlled, in part due to global connectivity and awareness. The controllability of COVID-19can be attributed to tools that quantify data inputs—and aggregate information about who and when in the context of where. Geographic information system (GIS) technology underpins mapping dashboards and provides the means to investigate and understand the spread, guide control measures, and assess strategies for COVID-19response.

Health analysts are using GIS to track the situation. At Seoul National University, a spatiotemporal epidemiologist named Hwang Seung-sik was able to determine that someone known as “Patient 31″became a superspreader in South Korea. This patient infected fellow members of a church, and this gave rise to 60percent of the country’s current cases.

Epidemiologists use GIS and datasets to link the interactions of infected people—mapping such things as credit card transactions and mobile phone location traces to see where an infected person has been and who they may have come in contact with. GIS also aids investigations into social networks to see and assess the spread within groups.

From a more granular perspective, investigators use GIS to map boundaries around areas of known infection to trace who may have been exposed to infection and how transportation routes, for example, could compound the spread. The same location intelligence tools help authorities find and get in touch with people who entered an infected person’s orbit so that they can quarantine themselves to limit further infections.

GIS mapping can understand at-risk populations geographically. For example, census data informs us of the demographic makeup of a community and GIS provides the means to home in on the locations of populations at increased risk, such as senior communities and popular retirement destinations. By seeing concentrations of vulnerable populations, health organizations can pinpoint COVID-19response—taking control measures such as ramping up hygiene and social distancing efforts and screening people on-site prior to entry.

Epidemiologists use GIS modelling to forecast and visualize the changing rates of disease and its spread across space and time.

Most hospitals regularly communicate their capacities to policy makers, and GIS tools help them monitor diminishing capacity and compare it against increasing infection rates, allowing real-time shuffling of resources to boost capacity where COVID-19response is needed most.

GIS also has a role to play in assessing the supply chain to provision these facilities with required supplies.

Officials can use GIS maps to see whether certain actions have changed the virus’s spread among specific populations or locations. Disease distribution maps display a point for each case and show changes to counts and rates across time. By visualizing the intensity of infections, health care professionals and policy makers can confront difficult decisions about ramping up or dialling back control measures.

Monitoring and even simulating interventions based on other approaches may help quell the infection rate. This action proved useful in tracking the spread of the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone to reveal the importance of quarantine efforts.

For policy makers and emergency responders, maps are one of the most efficient ways to communicate, assess, and understand the scope and scale of unfolding events.

 As authorities move from monitoring and assessing the global movements of the virus to COVID-19response, GIS provides many capabilities to make the most of limited resources in order to safeguard community health.

GIS Solutions (Private) Limited was appointed by Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc. (ESRI) as its sole Distributor for Sri Lanka. GIS Solutions is a group company of the Just In Time Group founded in 1996.

 GIS Solutions provides end-to-end Geo Information Systems software solutions based on the ArcGIS platform in Sri Lanka and the only GIS Software provider in Sri Lanka that fully supports its customers through a dedicated support team of technical experts who are contactable around the clock.

Two years ago when 60–year old R. Rasamma, living in the G.T. Division, Shannon Estate, Hatton was hospitalised, her experience was unpleasant. “2years ago, I was admitted to the Dickoya Base Hospital and I had such a bad experience. The toilets were inaccessible by wheelchairs, there was no water and you could smell the toilets from the next ward.”

The four-year long project, ‘Assisting Communities in Creating Environmental and Nutritional Development’ funded by the European Union and jointly implemented by ADRA UK together with ADRA Sri Lanka, and OXFAM in association with Maskeliya MOH (Office of the Medical Officer of Health) and the Department of National Community Water Supply, government institutions and line ministries, focused on the renovation of latrines and water filtration units in the Dickoya Base Hospital in the Nuwaraeliya district, which serves approximately 500patients per day. The renovated toilets included a number of child friendly toilets and disabled accessible toilets in the Hospital’s old wing and other areas including the Physiotherapy Ward, Stroke Unit, Paediatric Ward and Male and Female Wards.

The project’s main objective is to ensure that the vulnerable rural and estate communities have increased access to water, sanitation, hygiene and nutrition facilities, improved personal hygiene and sanitation practices, and community driven services managed in collaboration with strengthened public authorities. The project is engaged in improving health, nutrition, hygiene and sanitation among Sri Lanka’s rural and estate communities in the Uva and Central Provinces – including Nuwaraeliya, Monaragala and Matale Districts. A total of 300,000families are set to benefit from this project that will contribute towards improving their quality of life.

The project also conducted training on Health and Hygiene for the MOH staff in Maskeliya and Bogawanthalawa, in addition to more focused training towards Public Health Midwives and Public Health Inspectors in these areas.

Rasamma is no longer worried about using sanitation facilities when visiting the hospital. She said, “When I fell ill again, I was worried I will experience the same, but I was very pleasantly surprised. For the first time, I could take my wheelchair inside the toilet and use all the facilities with minimum help from my caretaker.

They had even installed a sanitary pad disposal unit, which is wonderful. I am no longer worried to come to this hospital. I find this very comforting.” Another important feature of this project is its unique approach of ‘water as a connector’ to unite and engage the community, estate management, and government officials at the provincial, district and local levels to contribute towards the implementation of the Government’s Rural Water and Sanitation Supply (RWSS) Policy.

Elaborating on ADRA’s contribution and work in relation to the project, Prabhook Bandaratilleke, Programs Director, ADRA Sri Lanka said, “This is our first working experience with the EU. The commitment demonstrated by the EU Delegation in Sri Lanka towards ensuring sustainable development is admirable. They spearhead several initiatives such as national level steering committees and coordination with relevant Ministries that has impacted our work in the field positively. Development work is challenging and can be faced only through real partnerships and we are fortunate to have received the opportunity to work with the EU.”

The project has also been a catalyst and lifeline for many individuals such as A. D. Imanlatha, a widow and her son, Isuru Pathum, a quadriplegic from birth. Her son needs to be carried to and from the bed for his basic needs. Even though well-wishers have supported the family with a provision of a wheelchair, the house nor the temporary toilet were wheelchair accessible. Based on the recommendation of the leaders of the Health and Nutrition Committee which is a Community Based Organisation leading the health and nutrition components of the project.

The project constructed a disable-friendly toilet together with a water supply system that uses the hand pump to manually pump water to an overhead tank so the toilet will have running water.

Another aspect of the project is the strengthening of existing government services by building the capacity of the staff of the MOH. These trainings are focused on attitude, skills and knowledge development. A notable training, titled ‘Health sector disaster management for public health staff’, which was designed by the disaster preparedness and response division of the Ministry of Health was conducted for the MOH staff of Maskeliya and Bogawanthalawa.

E.G.N. Chanika, a Public Health Midwife from the Bogawantalawa MOH who was able to develop her capacity through this project said, “I have worked as a Public Health Midwife for the past 15 years. However, this was the first training I have attended. I greatly appreciate the practical aspect of this training.”

Toulouse, 30 March 2020 – The Spanish Government announced new measures on 29 March in the fight against COVID-19. These measures are taking effect between Monday 30 March and Thursday 9 April inclusive and restrict all non-essential activities across the country.

Some key activities in Commercial Aircraft, Helicopters and Defence and Space remain essential. Minimum activity in these areas for necessary support functions such as Security, IT, Engineering, will remain under the stringent health and safety measures implemented by Airbus to protect its employees against the COVID-19 pandemic.

All other activities in Commercial Aircraft, Defence and Space as well as Helicopters in Spain will be paused until 9 April, the date when it is foreseen that restrictions will be lifted.

Airbus will closely work with its social partners to apply the social measures applicable under the latest restrictions. Airbus employees in Spain whose jobs are not linked to production and assembly activities and can work from home will continue to support Airbus business continuity in these difficult times.

Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2019, it generated revenues of € 70 billion and employed a workforce of around 135,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners.

Singapore, March 30, 2020 -- Moody’s Investors Service says in a new report that low-rated emerging market sovereigns with large near-term international bond repayments and significant reliance on foreign currency, private-sector credit are particularly vulnerable to the impact of deteriorating economic conditions on capital markets.

“The coronavirus outbreak and sharp commodity price declines are triggering significant financialmarket volatility and risk aversion that few emerging market sovereigns are immune to,” says Christian Fang, a Moody’s Assistant Vice President and Analyst.

“Emerging market sovereigns that need to access international bond markets to refinance their foreign-currency debt or that borrow heavily from private sector lenders in foreign currency would currently face prohibitive conditions,” adds Fang.

Moreover, policymakers have limited capacity to mitigate capital flight and/or the sharp increase in credit risk premier in foreign currency.

While some countries have already secured refinancing for maturing international bonds, Sri Lanka (B2 stable), Honduras (B1 stable), Turkey (B1 negative) and Tunisia (B2 stable) are susceptible given the size of upcoming international bond redemptions as a share of foreign-exchange reserves.

Non-investment grade sovereigns with a large amount of foreign currency debt owed to private creditors, such as Bahrain (B2 stable), Oman (Ba2 stable) and Angola (B3 stable) are also particularly vulnerable. Access to financing from development partners or waivers on official debt service may mitigate this risk for some, but pressure will remain on exposure to private sector debt.

Should the risk-off environment persist for some time, leading to capital flight, sharp local currency depreciation and higher domestic interest rates, credit metrics are likely to deteriorate significantly for some sovereigns.

In particular, persistent tightening in financing conditions will increase debt burdens, weaken debt affordability and intensify external vulnerability risk. Under Moody’s stress scenario, Bahrain, Tajikistan (B3 negative), Zambia (Caa2 negative) and Belarus (B3 stable) would face significant external pressure. Sri Lanka, Pakistan (B3 stable) and Egypt (B2 stable) would see a marked weakening in debt metrics because of large gross borrowing needs that raise interest payments when borrowing costs rise, and/or narrow revenue bases that push fiscal deficits wider when interest payments rise.

While the COVID–19 outbreak in the country has forced all citizens to remain indoors and has brought many banking activities to a halt, NDB has taken several steps to assist the Bank’s customers to perform their banking transactions in a secure and safe fashion with minimal contact.

Thus, all NDB customers can have their daily banking needs met securely just as before through the NDB Bank on Wheels- a Mobile Banking unit that will bring the Bank to the customer’s doorstep.

The NDB Bank on Wheels will be travelling around Colombo and suburbs for the Bank’s customers and stakeholders to conduct their banking transactions. NDB Bank customers as well as other Bank customers can withdraw cash upto Rs. 100,000 through any ATM card from the Mobile ATM which will also be available.

Among the several mobile Banking Units that have been dispatched is one vehicle solely dedicated to NDB bank customers to carry out their transactions. The other vehicle will carry the mobile ATM unit that can be used by the Bank’s customers as well as other bank customers to withdraw cash.

NDB Senior Vice President Personal Banking and Branch Network Management Sanjaya Perera said that this was an initiative taken by the Bank purely to make the lives of the Bank’s customers easier during these trying times.

“We understand that it is difficult for customers to travel even a short distance to withdraw cash or perform their banking transactions. We also understand that since there are several essential goods delivered to their doorstep, the need for cash is also a necessity. That is what prompted us to deploy the NDB Bank on Wheels,” he said.

He further added “Initially, this service will be available in the Western Province but we hope to take this to other cities in the future.”

Meanwhile, the Bank’s island wide networks of over 141 ATM/CRM Machines are also all in operation.

NDB Bank, which is the first and to date the only corporate in Sri Lanka to officially be certified with EDGE Certification (Economic Dividend for Gender Equality) is a premier retail Bank with over 113 branches across the island, serving millions of Sri Lankans through a host of financial services.

COLOMBO, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Global communities and financial institutions must unite to put the world economy back in order amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior Sri Lankan economic expert said here Saturday.

Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Senior Economic Advisor to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa told Xinhua that developing countries like Sri Lanka could face unemployment, low economic growth and debt problems due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Sri Lanka is looking at an economic situation created by circumstances beyond our shores. The global community must therefore come together to provide a solution to put the world economy back in shape,” Cabraal said.

Cabraal, who is a former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, said that Sri Lanka would attempt to tide over businesses and keep the economy afloat amid precautions taken against the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

However, he noted that Sri Lanka’s biggest foreign exchange earners include apparel manufacturing and tourism, both of which rely on external demand which has been contracting due to the impact of COVID-19 on developed economies in the West.

“No amount of stimulus packages by Sri Lanka can help resurrect these sectors if the global conditions are not right,” Cabraal said.

Similarly, lower oil prices, while beneficial to Sri Lanka’s import bill, could lead to job losses for Sri Lankan migrant workers in West Asia. The resulting loss in remittances could negate the benefit of low oil prices, Cabraal said.

“The current crisis will need an international response similar to the Bretton Woods system which was set up after World War II to promote reconstruction and recovery of demand,” Cabraal said.  “We have to lobby institutions like the G20, IMF, World Bank and UN to create global policies to address these issues,” he added.

Colombo March 30, 2020: SriLankan Airlines, continuing to answer the call of the Nation, uplifted a consignment of medical aid from Shanghai, China today (March 28, 2020). This was a donation made by the Sri Lankan Community in China through the Consulate Generals of Sri Lanka in Guangzhou and Shanghai, facilitated by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in China.

The consignment contained essential medical items such as masks, protective clothing, goggles, face protection splashguards, nebulizers, pulse oximeters, thermometers and glucometers, which will be handed over to the Sri Lankan health authorities to be distributed among state hospitals for the benefit of medical staff tirelessly serving in the country’s battle against COVID 19 pandemic.

Ever since the global outbreak, SriLankan Airlines has been fulfilling a pivotal humanitarian role through facilitating passage home to many Sri Lankan citizens across the globe, which includes the relief flight operated from Wuhan and ferry flights from India that brought over 800 stranded pilgrims back to the island.

The staff and the management of SriLankan Airlines take immense pride in fulfilling a national mission in this hour of need and the Airline will continue to reach out where assistance is required in the country’s collective endeavor to fight the COVID 19 pandemic.

The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU) says that it expects countries to provide fiscal and monetary stimulus, (due to the negative impact to economies from coronavirus) although the scope of such measures will vary.

India and Bangladesh, given their stronger economic positions, will be able to provide relatively more; meanwhile, measures in Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be more limited.

Countries like Bhutan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka have already experienced a halt in tourist inflows owing to travel restrictions and a collapse in demand. Lower private consumption and exports will lead to a loss of regular business revenue, making firms unable to pay dues on their loans and forcing them to defer investment plans.

Central banks and governments have responded by providing stimulus in the face of the economic costs of the pandemic. However, we believe the measures will not come close to offsetting the loss of economic activity. The Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan central banks have cut their policy rates and announced other measures to ensure liquidity in the financial sector, while the Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi governments have announced fiscal stimulus plans, primarily to support low-income households.

The EIU also anticipates to struggle as the number of cases rises in the coming weeks. Chronic underinvestment in healthcare infrastructure and a low number of doctors and hospital beds in relation to the population mean that health systems will not be able to cope with the further toll, exacerbating the spread of the virus and the death rate.

The coronavirus pandemic will dampen economic growth substantially. Preventive measures taken by governments to curtail the movement of people will lead to a demand-side shock to private consumption—the primary driver of economic growth in many South Asian economies.

The closure of factories and businesses will result in a supply-side shock, and the subsequent lay‑offs will exacerbate the demand shock.

Microsoft has seen a 775 per cent increase in demand for its cloud services, including Xbox Live, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an update on the official Microsoft Azure blog, Microsoft said that “in regions that have enforced social distancing or shelter in place order" – countries and cities that are in lockdown, in other words – the company was seeing increases across all areas of its clouding business as people work, and play, at home.

"In response to health authorities emphasizing the importance of social distancing, we’ve seen usage increases in services that support these scenarios - including Microsoft Teams, Windows Virtual Desktop, and Power BI," the blog post said. "We have seen a 775 per cent increase of our cloud services in regions that have enforced social distancing or shelter in place orders."

In a written Q&A that specifically asked if the strain of Xbox Live was impacting on other Microsoft servers, the blog responded: "We’re actively monitoring performance and usage trends to ensure we’re optimizing services for gamers worldwide. At the same time, we’re taking proactive steps to plan for high-usage periods, which includes taking prudent measures with our publishing partners to deliver higher-bandwidth activities like game updates during off-peak hours."

"Gaming is many things to many people around the world," further elaborated an update post on the Xbox Support page. "It’s entertainment, it’s connecting with friends and loved ones, it’s a much-needed break, especially in times like these.

"Like many of you, we’re adjusting to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The health and safety of our staff is a top priority at this time, but rest assured, we’re also committed to taking care of your Xbox support needs."

Consequently, the firm is experiencing heavy support volume at the moment, so "wait times may be longer than usual".

In related news, Sony recently confirmed that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has yet to have any major effects on the launch of the PS5, which is still planned for this holiday season. The new PS5 can also play 4K UHD Blu Rays. (Games Radar)

This week, more people downloaded the Marco Polo app from the Apple iOS app store than such long-established household names as Google Chrome, WhatsApp, Skype or Twitter, according to market tracker Apptopia. 

This is a big deal for a small app run by a mom and pop who fled Poland and Ukraine to find a better life in the United States. They created the app as a way to better communicate with the folks back home.

The video messaging app was first released in 2014, so it's been around for some time and has always had its fans. But the effect of being homebound during the coronavirus shutdown has had folks looking for novel ways to stay in touch with other people, and word has spread fast about Marco Polo. 

"Chat apps are great if you have lots of free time," says Vlada Bortnik, who co-founded Marco Polo with husband Michal and serves as the CEO. "But if you’re like most of us – moms who are homeschooling, running a business and cooking dinner – it's hard to find the time."

Marco Polo's twist on video communication is as simple as the old swimming pool game with the same name. It's a walkie-talkie video message app. You shoot a "Marco" video message and send it to your friend who then responds with a "Polo" response video.

Thus, you've made contact, but you don't have to both be ready to connect live at the same time. 

Instead, you respond when you have free time.

If you do want to talk live, you do it differently from a live video app like Skype or Zoom. You Marco Polo back and forth, but in real time, like video texting.

Marco Polo has plenty of competition. Zoom, the app favored by companies for meetings, has been discovered by the general public, which is using it for online learning, to stream worship services and even by folks looking to re-create dinner parties and the like online. The app is No. 1 on both the iOS and Google Play Android charts, where other popular video apps include House Party, favored by teens for ground hangout sessions, and Google Duo, which is the company's answer to Apple's FaceTime video chat.

All offer real-time video chat, unlike Marco Polo's back and forth.

The Polo app itself has over 10 million downloads And in the past few weeks of the coronavirus crisis, it has experienced a 1,147% increase in new signups and a 145% increase in activity, according to Bortnik.

"It's all been organic and just word of mouth," she says. Especially during these dark days, we all want to reach out to family and friends, and "see what they look like. You ask how they are, and are they truly fine, or coughing up a storm?"

As she said recently, on Twitter: "Now more than ever, seeing faces is so much more connecting than seeing emojis."

Of course, the Bortniks make it easy to have fun at the same time. Polo video messages get the extra additions of funny voices that can be added in – like those of a "robot," "macho" tone or a super-high "helium" balloon voice. You can also draw on the image, add text and Instagram like color filters.

Bortnik arrived in America by way of Kansas and began her tech career at Microsoft, where she met Michal and worked on products like Office, Hotmail and MSN. She and Michal ended up in the San Francisco area, where they started a consulting firm, which led to Joya Communications, the parent company of Marco Polo.

Now they're based in Palo Alto, California, and have a worldwide team of 37 remote workers (in 15 states and 3 countries) on the app. She says they have not had a hard time keeping up with the increased traffic.

The big question investors and pesky reporters want to know: How does Marco Polo expect to make money one day? The app is currently ad-free and will always stay that way, she says.

They do offer a $10 premium monthly subscription for fans of the app who want to help "support" it, and in return, they get access to a full library of their past Polo videos, which at some point disappear from the free model.

Her hope is that, eventually, people will pay "for something they find valuable," as she explores the economic model and final pricing that works with her vision.

Even with all the funny voices and colorful graphics, Marco Polo's audience isn't just kids, she says, but the average is adults, ages 25 to 54, who are just looking for a way to connect on their time.

"All of us want that," she says. (USA Today)

Apple has quietly launched its most advanced iPad Pro. According to an Apple news release, the A12Z Bionic chip equipped iPad Pro is faster and more powerful than most Windows PC laptops. With iPadOS 13.4, Apple brings trackpad support to iPad, giving customers an all-new way to interact with their iPad. Rather than copying the experience from macOS, trackpad support has been completely reimagined for iPad. As users move their finger across the trackpad, the pointer elegantly transforms to highlight user interface elements. Multi-Touch gestures on the trackpad make it fast and easy to navigate the entire system without users ever lifting their hand.

 “The new iPad Pro introduces advanced technologies never before available in mobile computing,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Combining the most advanced mobile display with powerful performance, pro cameras, pro audio, the breakthrough LiDAR Scanner and new Magic Keyboard with Trackpad, this is another huge leap forward for iPad. There’s no other device in the world like the new iPad Pro.”

Built for the most demanding tasks, like editing 4K video or designing 3D models, iPad Pro gets another performance boost with the new A12Z Bionic chip. The eight-core GPU in the A12Z Bionic, along with an enhanced thermal architecture and tuned performance controllers, gives iPad Pro the highest performance ever in an iPad. Combined with the eight-core CPU and the powerful Neural Engine, which enables next-generation apps, there’s no other chip that can offer the incredible performance found in the thin and light design of iPad Pro. It offers great battery life lasting up to 10 hours, faster Wi-Fi connectivity and gigabit-class LTE that’s 60 percent faster with support for more new LTE bands.

The edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display — in both 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes — is the world’s most advanced mobile display. Featuring P3 wide color support, it lets users see photos, videos, apps and games in great detail. ProMotion technology automatically adjusts the display refresh rate up to 120 Hz for ultra-smooth scrolling and responsiveness. The Pro camera system on iPad Pro features a 12MP Wide camera for capturing photos and 4K video, and now includes a 10MP Ultra Wide camera that zooms out two times to capture a much wider field of view. Adding a second camera doubles the photo and video possibilities.

iPad Pro now features five studio-quality microphones for capturing super clean audio and the quietest details, and delivers an immersive sound experience with four-speaker audio that automatically adjusts to any orientation, no matter how it is held. The combination of pro cameras, pro audio and the large display make iPad Pro a versatile mobile studio for creative pros.

The breakthrough LiDAR Scanner enables capabilities never before possible on any mobile device. The LiDAR Scanner measures the distance to surrounding objects up to 5 meters away, works both indoors and outdoors, and operates at the photon level at nano-second speeds. New depth frameworks in iPadOS combine depth points measured by the LiDAR Scanner, data from both cameras and motion sensors, and is enhanced by computer vision algorithms on the A12Z Bionic for a more detailed understanding of a scene. The tight integration of these elements enables a whole new class of Augmented Reality (AR) experiences on iPad Pro.

iPadOS 13.4 brings trackpad support to iPad for the first time for a more natural typing experience and added precision for tasks such as writing and selecting text, working with spreadsheets and pro workflows. Designed specifically for the touch-first experience on iPad, the cursor appears as a circle that highlights user interface elements, text fields and apps on the Home screen and Dock, giving a clear indication of what users can click on. For the first time ever, the iPad has mouse support too.

Joining the second-generation Apple Pencil4 and an updated Smart Keyboard Folio5 is the new Magic Keyboard. Attaching magnetically to iPad Pro, the Magic Keyboard puts the beautiful Multi-Touch screen on display with its floating design, working equally well on a lap or on a desk. The portable and protective design of the Magic Keyboard delivers a full-size keyboard with backlit keys and a scissor mechanism that delivers 1mm travel, delivering the best typing experience.

Singapore (IATA)  – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has written to the heads of government of 18 States in Asia-Pacific to appeal for emergency support to airlines as they fight for survival due to the dramatic loss of air travel demand due to the COVID-19 crisis. These States include Bangladesh, India, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

“Airlines are fighting for survival in every corner of the world. Travel restrictions and evaporating demand mean that, aside from cargo, there is almost no passenger business. For airlines, it’s apocalypse now. And there is a small and shrinking window for governments to provide a lifeline of financial support to prevent a liquidity crisis from shuttering the industry,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

in a matter of days, the crisis facing airlines worsened dramatically. We are 100% behind governments in supporting measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. But we need them to understand that without urgent relief, many airlines will not be around to lead the recovery stage. Failure to act now will make this crisis longer and more painful. Some 2.7 million airline jobs are at risk. And each of those jobs supports a further 24 in the travel and tourism value chain. Some governments are already responding to our urgent calls, but not enough to make up the $200 billion needed,” said de Juniac.

“A growing number of governments in Asia-Pacific, including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, have announced financial relief packages for the airline industry and we are grateful to them for the assistance rendered during this dark period for the airline industry. But we need more governments to come on board to support the airline industry serving their markets,” said Conrad Clifford, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific.

“There are over 30 million jobs supported by the aviation industry that are at stake. Also at risk is the aviation connectivity that is needed to support supply chains, the flow of essential goods and medical supplies, as well as repatriation flights to bring home citizen stranded overseas,” said Clifford. “And the country will need a viable aviation sector to support the economic recovery of the country, connect manufacturing hubs and support tourism when we get through the COVID-19 crisis.”

IATA estimates that the COVID-19 crisis will reduce passenger demand in Asia-Pacific by 37% this year compared to 2019, with a revenue loss of US$88 billion. This is based on a scenario where severe restrictions on travel are lifted after 3 months, followed by gradual recovery.