Covid highlights: India logs 163 new cases, 2 deaths in 24 hours

Colombo (News 1st) – Election monitoring organizations say that 7,000 independent observers will be deployed to monitor the Local Government Election.Executive director of election monitoring body People's Action for Free & Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Rohana Hettiarachchi said steps will be taken to increase the number of election observers deployed at district level, from next week.He said a majority of the observers will be deployed on election day.Hettiarachchi added however the observers will also cover the period leading up to the election and the post election period.

Diversification, not decoupling  For now, US government figures through to November show total US-China trade could approach or hit a high in 2022. "Going forward, you're going to see more diversification," as opposed to a complete cut-off of shipments from China, said Sweet. Auto manufacturers, for example, experienced supply chain problems during the pandemic.

DOVER, DE - JUNE 5: Delaware Governor John Carney addresses the media before placing the first bet at Dover Downs Casino on June 5, 2018 in Dover, Delaware. Delaware is the first state to launch legal sports betting since the Supreme Court decision.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The U.S. Department of State released a statement mentioning that the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland will travel to Sri Lanka between the 28th of January and the 3rd of February, 2023.Under Secretary Nuland will travel to Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, and Qatar as well starting today (28).Her visit is said to mark the 75th anniversary of U.S.-Sri Lanka relations, according to the U.S.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Police say that a new traffic plan is to begin today due to the rehearsals of the independence day celebrations.The officer in charge of the Western Traffic Division Senior DIG Roshan Wijesingha says that the new plan will be in place today (28), tomorrow (29), and from the 1st to the 4th of February as well. He says that during the aforementioned days, certain roads in the areas surrounding the celebrations will be closed, and limited road access will be given to some areas as well. Officer in charge of the Western Traffic Division Senior DIG Roshan Wijesingha added that road closures surrounding the areas will take place from 5:00 am to 12 noon during those days. 

World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday notified that in the past week, almost 40,000 deaths were reported, more than half were reported from China alone.  WHO chief notified, in total, over the past 8 weeks, over 170 thousand deaths have been recorded, actual numbers are higher.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed the All Party Leaders' Conference on Reconciliation that the Cabinet was agreeable to fully implementing 13th Amendment, until the Party Leaders decide whether or not to abolish the Amendment.This was reported by the President's Media Division on Friday (27).President Ranil Wickremesinghe had said that he is bound to implement the existing law in accordance with the executive powers of the President.He had said further that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution is being implemented accordingly or the Parliament should abolish the 13th amendment.The President Wickremesinghe also pointed out that any parliamentarian could move a private member’s bill to abolish the 13th Amendment to the constitution and the same amendment would have to be implemented provided that the bill was voted against by the majority of the House.The President stressed that he was not ready to divide the country.President Wickremesinghe made these remarks at the All-Party Conference, which was held at the President's Office on Thursday (26) evening.The statement made by the President is as follows:It is my responsibility as the Executive to carry out the current law. For approximately 37 years, the 13th Amendment has been a part of the constitution.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said that the officials from the Ministry of Power and Energy who attended a recent meeting with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka had disclosed that they were pressurized to sign two documents that they did not agree do.The Minister tweeted on Friday (27) that the officials were pressurized by two members of the Human Rights Commission, and that they were threatened with jail sentences.On Wednesday (25), the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka revealed that all the  necessary stakeholders including Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) agreed to provide uninterrupted power supply during the advanced level examination period until February 17th.However, despite the statement from the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, power outages were experienced on Wednesday (25) and Thursday (26).The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka on Friday (27) said it will elaborate facts to the Supreme Court against officials including the Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board and the Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy for breaching an agreement by suspending the supply of power. Speaking further, an official from the HRCS said it has been observed that the CEB and the Ministry of Power and Energy are operating arbitrarily, going against the laws of the land. Meanwhile, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka directing a letter to the Chairman of the HRCSL said that it will not approve power outages occurring during the period between the 26th of January and 17th of February. The Human Rights Commission emphasized that if the CEB does not act according to the directive, the HRCSL has the ability to act according to Section 21 of the Sri

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The President's Office has reserved a slot with the Government Printer to issue the Proclamation to Prorogue Parliament with effect from midnight on Friday (27).President's Secretary Saman Ekanayake confirmed to News 1st that the respective gazette was sent to the Government Printer as per a decision taken by the President to prorogue parliament with effect from midnight on Friday (27).He said that the new session of Parliament will take place on the 8th of February 2023 at 10 AM.A Senior Official at the Government Printer confirmed to News 1st that the respective gazette was received to go ahead with printing.What is prorogation?To prorogue Parliament means to prolong it,or toput it off for a later day.It is basically a temporary recess of Parliament.Parliament ordinarily functions over a series of sitting days which make up what is called a session; when Parliament is prorogued, a session comes to an end.Effect of Prorogation in Our Parliament:Constitutional ProvisionsDuring the prorogation the Speaker continues to function and the Members retain their membership even though they do not attend meetings of Parliament. The effect of a prorogation is to suspend all current Business before the House and all proceedings pending at the time are quashed except impeachments.  A Bill, motion or question of the same substance cannot be introduced for a second time during the same Session.

New Delhi: Lengthy school closures due to the pandemic have undone years of gradual gains in learning levels among India’s school-age students, with a major education report released on Wednesday reporting elementary reading and maths skills comparable to pre-2012 levels. Nearly 43% of class V students tested by education non-profit Pratham Education Foundation could read a class II level text and 26% could divide numbers. In 2012, the figures were 47% and 25%, respectively.

NEW DELHI : Nestle India on Wednesday announced the launch of ThickenUp Clear, a food and beverage thickener that can be used to help patients with swallowing difficulties especially in oropharyngeal dysphagia. The launch is part of Nestlé India’s Health Sciences division that sells health-focussed and nutrition products.  “Nestlé India has launched ThickenUp Clear, a food and beverage thickener that can be used to help patients with swallowing difficulties especially in oropharyngeal dysphagia.

Pawar emphasized on the need for strengthening and empowering communities to become resilient to future health emergencies New Delhi: Pandemic policy must be a defining part of our health policy as any health crisis today leads to an economic crisis, minister of state for health and family welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar said on Wednesday. Addressing the first Health Working Group meeting under G20 India Presidency at Thiruvananthapuram, Pawar noted that pandemic prevention, preparedness and response require diverse multi-sectoral, multi-agency coordinated efforts. She emphasized on the need for strengthening and empowering communities to become resilient to future health emergencies.

According to a recent media report, in answer to an RTI inquiry, ICMR and CDSCO acknowledged ‘multiple side-effects’ of COVID-19 vaccinations. The Union Health Ministry has reiterated that only a small percentage of patients who receive the COVID-19 vaccine may develop serious adverse events depending on certain predisposing circumstances, refuting the reports of various side effects of the vaccine.

₹3.6 trillion packaged food market. “During lockdown, we saw in-home consumption growing with home becoming the new social hub. Convenient food products that are high on trust and hygiene along with easy accessibility were key factors for consumers that have contributed to the uptick in demand for packaged snacks," Anshul Khanna, senior director and category head, foods, PepsiCo India, said.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A 32-year-old man was injured following a shooting close to the 'Kalu Palama' in Peliyagoda on Tuesday (17) morning.Sri Lanka Police said that two men on a motorcycle had visited the residence of the victim and carried out the shooting.The injured man was rushed to the Colombo National Hospital for treatment.On Monday (16), a 36-year-old man was injured following a shooting in Kumbuka, an area located along the Piliyandala – Horana road.He is currently receiving treatment at the Horana Hospital, and Sri Lanka Police said that he was injured in the neck.Police investigations are underway over the shootings.

The country's cumulative Covid tally has gone up to 4.46 crore (4,46,81,233). India has recorded lowest single-day Covid-19 cases since March 2020, with the country reporting 89 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, according to the Union Home Ministry data updated on Tuesday.  With this, the country's cumulative Covid tally has gone up to 4.46 crore (4,46,81,233). The active cases declined to 2,035 that comprise 0.01 percent of the total infections.

Steven Spielberg shared that his fears over the Covid-19 pandemic inspired him to make his latest film, The Fabelmans, which is based on his life.'I was terrified this was an end-of-days, and epic-level event, I mean an extinction-level event, that was happening to the world,' the legendary movie director, 76 — who picked up a Best Director Golden Globe for the film last week — revealed in a new interview with the Daily Star.He said his fear made him decide which movie he truly needed to make, in case it would his last one: 'If I got the chance to make one more movie, it was going to be this story.'  Important to him: Steven Spielberg shared that his fears over the Covid-19 pandemic inspired him to make his latest film, The Fabelmans, which is based on his life; Pictured 2022The Jaws director said, 'By the time I had serious discussions about writing this, we'd lost 250,000 Americans to Covid.' The filmmaker explained that he told his family that if there was going to be 'one thing I was able to leave behind' it would be that movie. Spielberg added that like the rest of the world he was glued to watching different news outlets and following the trajectory of the pandemic. 'Terrified': 'I was terrified this was an end-of-days, and epic-level event, I mean an extinction-level event, that was happening to the world,' Spielberg, 76, said in an interview with Daily Star 'All the experts that were coming out and the denial from the White House that this wasn't so bad, it was just like a passing flu epidemic,' he remembered.'I really thought were were not heading in a good direction and this was not going to end well for many of us.

Michelle Pfeiffer took to Instagram to explain why she missed the Critics' Choice Awards on Sunday night.The Scarface star, 64, was nominated in the Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television category for her work in The First Lady, however she could not attend after testing positive for COVID-19.The Hollywood legend - who was going to present Jeff Bridges with a Lifetime Achievement Award - shared a photo of her fellow actor explaining how disappointed she was to miss the special moment. MIA: Michelle Pfeiffer took to Instagram to explain that she missed the Critics' Choice Awards on Sunday night after testing positive for Covid 'I'm so sorry to be missing the Critics Choice Awards today.

(With inputs from PTI)

Jeff Bridges is opening up about his recent health battles.

Eamonn Holmes has been plagued with a number of health issues after undergoing surgery on his back, including fracturing his shoulder.The GB News presenter has since returned to work after taking several months off to recover.The broadcaster has been open about his struggles with a dislocated pelvis and a trapped sciatic nerve, amongst his other health concerns.The 63-year-old was visited by his pal Rylan-Clark on Sunday evening who couldn't resist using the presenter's latest at home machinery.Eamonn and Ruth have since purchased a stair lift to help Eamonn move more freely around their home.Rylan, 34, who jokingly referred to Eamonn as "dad" took the opportunity to get on the former This Morning presenter's new toy, while Ruth filmed.Ruth was heard saying: "Wait until it stops beeping, don't bloody break it." To which Rylan replied: "Can I just do it now? It's the noise! Oh, this is great," before mimicking a royal wave as the stair lift started moving down.The Loose Women presenter starts giggling which in turn sets off Rylan with a fit of giggles before she sarcastically asks "Are you Rylan? Can I have your autograph?"Rylan quipped: "Can I just say, I know you've been through it Dad, but you've got an easy life here!"Eamonn retorted: "It's a fun fair, it's the fun palace," to which Rylan replied: "Honestly, you could rent this out."The BBC Radio 2 presenter took to Instagram and shared the clip with his 1.6 million followers, and captioned the post: "Well someone had to go and check out the tech…. @eamonnholmes.

The World Health Organization expressed appreciation for China’s sharing of Covid-19 data after Beijing reported around 60,000 Covid-related deaths over the past month, providing the first major accounting of the death toll since the country lifted pandemic restrictions.

Edited excerpts: There is a lot of talk of a possible fourth wave as China is seeing sudden surge. What is the situation in India? We have observed during the last six weeks, the covid-19 cases have not increased. In fact, as a result of enhanced testing from the middle of December, the number of testing is now between 200,000 to 250,000 per day.

Colombo (News 1st) – The National Dengue Control Unit says that 4178 Dengue patients were reported within the first two weeks of the year. The most number of patients were reported from the Colombo District and the number of patients were 871. The number of patients reported from the Gampaha District was at 846 as well.The number of dengue patients reported from the Kalutara district was at 224 while 190 patients were reported from Kandy as well for this year so far. 533 dengue patients were reported from the Puttalam District as well. The National Dengue Control Unit reported that 255 patients had been identified in the the Jaffna district as well within the first two weeks of this month. 

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Minister of Justice says that the draft of a new National Security Act will be submitted to the Cabinet next week. Minister of Justice, President's Counsel Attorney Wijayadasa Rajapaksa says that the Prevention of Terrorism act would be repealed and the new National Security Act would replace it.  The minister says that the proposal for the new act would be submitted to the Cabinet Secretariat within the next week for this purpose. The Minister of Justice says that the new National Security Bill would be reviewed by a special committee appointed under the co-chairmanship of Additional Solicitor General Nerin Pulle and President's Counsel Nalinda Indatissa. 

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack benefited from a Government-backed £2million Covid loan, the Sunday Mail can reveal.

Covid-19 continues to spread en masse in several coutnries across the globe.

BEIJING : The World Health Organization has appealed to China to keep releasing information about its wave of COVID-19 infections after the government announced nearly 60,000 deaths since early December following weeks of complaints it was failing to tell the world what was happening. The announcement Saturday was the first official death toll since the ruling Communist Party abruptly dropped anti-virus restrictions in December despite a surge in infections that flooded hospitals. That left the WHO and other governments appealing for information, while the United States, South Korea and others imposed controls on visitors from China.

 

Colombo (News 1st) – If we look back at history, Mahiyangana was a crucial area that gave leadership to the great battle of Uva-Wellassa, as Sri Lankans struggled for their freedom.But today, the people living in this area have been neglected and are in dire straits.For generations, the village of Embalawatte suffered due to the lack of a proper bridge, which even led to the deaths of residents as they braved the raging the waters just trying to get to the other side. But starting today the people of this village will not face this problem anymore. Here's why.The people of this village in rural Embalawatte have no choice but to cross the Una-Gahala Oya everyday to get to school, work or even to a hospital. During the rainy seasons, this stream turns into a raging torrent.Villagers had placed several logs across this waterway as a makeshift bridge. However, when it rains this crossing becomes a death trap due to the gushing waters. Gammadda identified the plight of these villagers, and in October 2022 launched a project to construct a bridge for these people.The Airline Pilots Guild of Sri Lanka joined hands with Gammadda to take this project off the ground.Within a short span of two months, Gammadda was able to complete a this fully functional bridge for the village.The Gammadda bridge as the villagers have crissened it will serve these communities from today and saftly convey young and old from one shore to another as they get about their daily work.

to report patients needing more frequent touch-ups, but a found that Botox could be less effective after Covid vaccination. The key word there is could, though: the report states that Botox “might be less effective" post-vaccination, noting that “further research is required" to reach any conclusion—especially because the study was only conducted on 45 people. “More research is needed [on the topic],” , MD, board-certified dermatologist at points out.

Jamie Lee Curtis is in quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19. The actress, 64, announced the news on social media on Friday. 'F**k COVID!' wrote the star, who looked healthy on Tuesday evening at the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills.The icon added that this means she will have to miss Sunday's Critics Choice Awards where she is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work in the film Everything Everywhere All at Once. Quarantine: Jamie Lee Curtis, 64, will be sitting out the  Critics Choice awards and other festivities after testing positive for Covid FridayShe wrote, 'Sadly, this head cheerleader is not going to be at all the weekend festivities cheering on her friends and colleagues.

If we look back at history, Mahiyangana was a crucial area that gave leadership to the great battle of Uva-Wellassa, as Sri Lankans struggled for their freedom.But today, the people living in this area have been neglected and are in dire straits.For generations, the village of Embalawatte suffered due to the lack of a proper bridge, which even led to the deaths of residents as they crossed the water.But after the Gammadda team visited the area and spoke with the villagers, listening to their tale of woe, their longstanding challenge was resolved.Embalawatte is a village located in one of the most scenic environments in Wewatte, Mahiyanganaya in the Badulla District.Unfortunately, the people in this area face a daily challenge caused precisely by their picturesque surroundings.In order to reach the closest town, the villages must cross the Una-Gahala Oya. During the rainy seasons, this stream turns into a raging torrent.Villagers had placed several planks and logs across this waterway as a makeshift bridge.

A team of global scientists have raised fears the devastating bird flu outbreak could eventually transmit to humans and create a new pandemic.

Although we may not be facing lockdowns or tough restrictions any more, Covid still continues to affect people every day.

₹2,400 per tonne from the previous week to align with global prices, while India rebar prices rose by ₹1,800 a tonne. However domestic HRC prices are at modest discounts to Chinese imports, but at a premium to the imports from South Korea and Japan.

A Covid variant has been named as the strain that could become dominant in the UK, experts have warned.

Long Covid subtype impacting cardiac and renal systems was the most common—34% of patients fell into this category Even though infections related to COVID are significantly mild now, what it still worrying is the long-term effects of the disease, i.e long COVID.  Till now, much about the condition has remained unclear, including how long it lasts and researchers have been studying the symptoms to understand more about the disease. Now, a new study has revealed that there are as many as 4 subtypes of long COVID, and many of the symptoms are serious.

died aged 88.The late star’s husband, director John D Hancock, confirmed the sad news that his wife had died in her sleep on January 8.The pair had been married for 48 years, after first tying the knot in 1975.Dorothy died surrounded by her husband and her caretaker, Marcia Brodhacker, her representation has confirmed.The Hollywood actress had tragically been battling Alzheimer's disease for the past 10 years, according to Variety.Dorothy made her film debut in 1970’s X-rated movie End of the Road.From there, she went on to star alongside Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland in the Oscar-nominated film Klute the following year.Some fans might also recognise the actress from 1973’s road movie Scarecrow.She also became a huge local star in the town of Michiana, Michigan after shooting the 1989 Christmas film Prancer on location there.Dorothy also co-wrote and starred in 2015 drama The Looking Glass, which served as her final role.She returned to acting for the part after spending decades away from showbiz, with her husband John directing the movie.The production saw Dorothy star as a woman with dementia symptoms who looked after her troubled teen granddaughter and the film was set in the couple’s Indiana home.John is an established stage and film director, probably best known for his sports drama film Bang the Drum Slowly.Dorothy was born on May 9, 1934, and raised in the Yorkville area of Manhattan.She attended Washington Irving High School and the School of Industrial Arts in New York.The star first started out as a model, travelling to Europe and appearing on covers of Life magazine and Vogue.Before she met husband John, she was married to director Aram A.

Over 15 lakh passengers have been traced & out of them over 200 passengers have been detected as Covid positive. Owing to the sudden COVID surge globally, Centre is tracing all the airports to ensure that no new variant enters the country.

Sore throat: Currently, it is the most common symptom of COVID and also, the earliest sign to identify that you have contracted the virus.  How does it feel? Usually, the symptom starts affecting the first week itself.  The patients complain of feeling discomfort, pain, or scratchiness in their throats. It can also lead to difficulty in swallowing your food.

NEW DELHI : The union health ministry on Monday said that covid-19 positive samples collected from sentinel sites reveals presence of all Omicron variants in the community. The government’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) sentinel sites referred 324 COVID19 positive samples for sequencing to 22 INSACOG labs.

Given the fresh surge in infections some countries, RT-PCR tests have been made mandatory for flyers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand from 1 January NEW DELHI: India reported 170 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry said in an update on Monday. The country’s active caseload has declined to 2,371, with total reported cases since the pandemic hit in 2020 stands at 4,46,80,094 and death toll at 530,721. Active cases comprise 0.01% of the total infections, and the recovery rate has risen to 98.80%, according to the health ministry.

The XBB.1.5 variant of COVID-19, also known as Kraken, has been detected by whole genome sequencing in New Zealand.

Colombo (News 1st): Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Rathnayake states that the Rs.10 billion allocated for the Local Government polls is sufficient. "The previous election cost an estimated Rs. 8 billion due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we managed to spend only Rs.

(With inputs from agencies)  

On Friday, Jeremy appeared to be feeling better as he received a head massage from Kym in a video shared on Instagram.In the clip, the actor showed off his bruised and swollen face while his sister massaged his head in a shower cap.The Hawkeye star slurred his words in the video while explaining that this was his first shower while confirming he was "definitely weak of something".He captioned the video: "ICU SPA MOMENT TO LIFT MY SPIRITS.“Thank you mama Thank you, sister.Thank you all for your love."Jeremy was run over by a seven-tonne snow plough on New Year's Day as he worked to free a trapped family member from the snow covering his Lake Tahoe home.He was left in critical condition and has been reported to have undergone two surgeries to help his recovery.Authorities have said Jeremy tried to use his 14.330-pound snow plough to help free a family member with a personal vehicle that was stuck in the snow.The actor got out of the vehicle to speak with the family member, during which time, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said: "It was observed that the PistenBully [snow plough] was starting to roll."In an effort to stop the rolling PistenBully, Mr Renner attempts to get back into the driver seat of the PistenBully."Based on our investigation, it’s at this point that Mr Renner is run over by the PistenBully."A 911 call made in the aftermath indicates that the right side of the actor's chest collapsed and his upper torso was crushed.The actor, who owns his own fire truck, plough and other heavy machinery took a snowcat to help clear the way for some of the snow early hours of New Year's Day.A publicist for Jeremy said in a statement Monday that he had "returned from surgery and remains in the intensive care unit in

Al Jazeera – Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy has been elected speaker of the House of Representatives, overcoming the opposition of right-wing dissenters who had derailed for several days his bid to lead the chamber.It took 15 rounds of voting for McCarthy to secure the House’s gavel, securing 216 of the 428 votes cast late on Friday. The Democrats’ Hakeem Jeffries got 212 votes.It was the first time in a century that a speaker was not elected in the first round.McCarthy’s speakership bid appeared up in the air before the House meeting on Friday.