Dec. 26 declared as Public holiday

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Former Member of Parliament J. Sri Ranga was elected President of the Sri Lanka Football Federation in a close contest on Saturday (14th) at the Ministry of Sports.Two candidates including J. Sri Ranga competed for the position of President, alongside Jagath Rohana.

News 1st wishes all Sri Lankans a Happy Thai Pongal.

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.

The public have been thanked for their ‘heart-warming’ thoughts and sentiment as health and social care services contend with unyielding pressures.

NEW DELHI : Amid an explosion of covid-19 cases in China and a sharp rise in cases in the US, among other countries, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday directed state governments to conduct mock drills in all hospitals to ensure that covid-appropriate infrastructure is in place to ward off any threat of a fourth wave. The recent spike in cases in China is being attributed to the more virulent and contagious Omicron BF.7 variant, which is a sub-lineage of BA.5. China National Health Commission said the R0, or reproduction rate, of the variant was at 16, indicating a high transmissibility rate.

A Scots family have been left fearing for the health of their son and premature baby after a chronic mould problem in their council flat has made their lives a 'nightmare'.

The latest statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that in August 2022 there were 5.6 million people across the UK receiving financial support through Universal Credit, a benefit intended to help those out of work or on a low income with daily living costs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the official launch of a planned 5-year project in Sri Lanka and Maldives to reduce environmental plastics by decreasing industrial use of plastic and improving integrated solid waste management practices in Sri Lanka and Maldives.The project’s consortium, led by Research Triangle International (RTI) works alongside local partners to target system inefficiencies and areas of reliance on virgin plastics. The project’s overall goal is to increase participation in solid waste management and reduction programs, preventing thousands of tons of plastic from leaking into the environment.“USAID is proud to partner with the governments of Sri Lanka and Maldives, the private sector, civil society, and communities to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic products, which threaten the health and environment of the Sri Lankan and Maldivian people” stated Gabe Grau, the USAID/Sri Lanka and Maldives Mission Director.  “Combatting plastic pollution will reduce threats to marine ecosystems and livelihoods, food security, and ultimately, human health.”Ocean plastic pollution threatens the world’s delicate marine ecosystems, the fishing and tourism sectors, food security, and human health.

NEW DELHI : To minimize the risk of new covid variants, the union health ministry has requested slew of covid-19 preventive measures to be followed at all the airports. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written a letter to Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation to coordinate with airport operators and ensure random sampling of passengers‘ post arrival at the airport.

In view of upcoming festivals and new year celebrations, states also need to focus on ensuring effective awareness on adherence to covid appropriate behaviour, Mandaviya said New Delhi: With covid-19 cases surging in China, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday urged all members of Parliament to help spread community awareness about the pandemic and the need to remain alert. Delivering a suo-motu statement in Parliament on the present covid situation and steps taken by the government to check the pandemic, Mandaviya said, “In the last few days, we have seen an increasing trajectory of covid-19 cases across the world.

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health encourages people to celebrate the holidays safely by taking simple steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.“The past few years COVID-19 illness increased during the holidays after people got together to celebrate,” said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, FACEP.

Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway is making sure this Christmas is one to remember as her husband Derek Draper continues his health battle.

MUMBAI : Spooked by concerns of a possible resurgence in covid cases and ahead of the release of the latest Monetary Policy Committee meeting minutes, Indian stock indices tumbled by over a percent each, wiping off ₹4.4 trillion of investor wealth in the bargain. The Nifty fell 186.20 points to close at 18,199.10 while the Sensex tanked 635 points to end at 61,067.24 points after markets gauged the whole import of the Centre’s advisory to step up genome sequencing for identifying fresh covid strains spreading from China. The MPC minutes of its meeting on 5-7 December released after market closing showed the Reserve Bank of India governor voting against a pause in rate hikes on the ground of it being premature.

A Lanarkshire man is fronting a new campaign from a national mental health programme to help more veterans open up about their mental health.

Central health authorities have asked states and union territories to gear up for genome sequencing of positive samples and track variants of the virus through the government’s covid network. NEW DELHI: India reported 131 fresh covid infections in the past 24 hours, pulling down the country’s active caseload to 3,408, according to data from the Union health ministry on Wednesday.

(With inputs from agencies)

KATE Garraway has been spotted posing with her family in front of their Christmas tree in a series of snaps. Her kids Billy, 13, and Darcey, 16, were seen smiling in the living room amid their dad Derek's ongoing health battle. Kate, 55, took to her Instagram on Tuesday afternoon to share the snap of her teenage children relaxing at home.

Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan directed all states/UTs to ensure that as far as possible samples of all positive cases are sent to the designated INSACOG laboratories on a daily basis. New Delhi: A spurt in covid cases in China and a clutch of other countries has prompted central health authorities to direct states and union territories to gear up for whole genome sequencing of positive samples and track variants of the virus through the government’s covid network.

Sundaram Finance Ltd and Care Health Insurance, entered into a Corporate Agency Agreement. The event was attended by Rajiv Lochan, Managing Director, Sundaram Finance Ltd and Anuj Gulati, Managing Director & CEO, Care Health Insurance.

NEW DELHI : The ransomware attack on the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi has brought the government’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) under the scanner, with the country’s premier teaching hospital promoting the use of Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID for out-patients registration of new and follow-up cases. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is conducting assessment and testing of ABDM services and other networks at the medical institute.

FOR Rylan Clark, last Christmas was “an odd one”. The telly presenter’s husband of six years, Dan Neal, had walked out on him six months earlier, when the Strictly It Takes Two host confessed he’d been unfaithful “years ago”. Rylan subsequently struggled with his mental health and said he would go to sleep praying he "wouldn’t wake up" - and ultimately tried to end his life.

Janey Godley has given fans a determined health update after confirming last week that her cancer has returned.

Pressing ahead with plans for a multi-million pound cancer facility in the region should be a priority according to the health board’s top man.

After removing her eye fillers due to inflammation, HGTV star Christina Hall is starting to suspect that many of her health problems are related to a little known condition called breast implant illness (BII).'Been super exhausted lately so on a kick to get back into my body,' the 39-year-old newlywed - who boasts 1.8M Instagram followers - wrote Saturday.'I've had some unexplained health stuff for years and now I'm considering the thought that this could be breast implant related.' After removing her eye fillers due to inflammation, HGTV star Christina Hall is starting to suspect that many of her health problems are related to a little known condition called breast implant illness (pictured in 2021)Christina shares many of the official listed BII symptoms including joint and muscle pain, adrenal fatigue, brain fog, unexplained skin rashes, dry eyes, and gastrointestinal problems.Other BII symptoms include breathing problems, sleep disturbance, dry mouth, anxiety, depression, headaches, and hair loss - according to breastcancer.org.Hall (born Haack) also claims she suffers from autoimmune issues (Hashimoto's disease, PCOS, Raynaud's syndrome), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, acid reflux, hormone imbalances, and swollen lymph nodes.In addition, the Anaheim-born blonde - who's 'working on detoxing' - recently tested positive for antinuclear antibodies despite being gluten free and mostly dairy free. The 39-year-old newlywed wrote Saturday: 'Been super exhausted lately so on a kick to get back into my body.

SHARON Osbourne was reportedly rushed to a hospital in California, but has since been released, according to her son. While filming a paranormal television series in Santa Paula, Osbourne, 70, allegedly suffered a "medical emergency," according to TMZ. Osbourne's son Jack told TMZ she has been released home and was given the all-clear.

North Lanarkshire Council is urging locals to walk away the winter blues with a number of health walks.

Furious Edinburgh residents have held a protest outside the city's council buildings after being left in 'squalor' for the last five years. Natasha and Rory Blake held the demonstration outside the West Pilton base on Friday to demand that bosses start treating the extensive damp and mould in their Muirhouse property.

This enables citizens to create a comprehensive medical history across various healthcare providers thereby improving clinical decision-making New Delhi: The National Health Authority (NHA) on Saturday said that over 4 crore digital health records of individuals have been linked to the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) accounts under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), the backbone of India’s digital health system. With their health records linked to their Ayushman Bharat Digital accounts digitally, citizens will be able to access and manage these records as per convenience. This enables citizens to create a comprehensive medical history across various healthcare providers thereby improving clinical decision-making.

Singer-songwriter Jewel got candid in a new interview with People magazine in which she discussed mental health.The 48-year-old Intuition hitmaker said she almost didn't sign her record deal at age 15 because she wanted to avoid 'a breakdown.'The mom-of-one told the publication, 'In this job, we lose more people to addiction, overdose, suicide, mental breakdowns, and I didn't want to be a statistic.' Opening up: Singer–songwriter Jewel got candid in a new interview with People magazine, in which she discussed mental health; seen in March Elaborating on her mindset, she dished: 'My goal when I moved out [of my house] at 15 was to learn a new emotional language.'As a precocious teen she added that she 'knew that as much as I had a genetic inheritance that might predispose me to diabetes or heart disease, I could tell that I had an emotional inheritance and that might predispose me to cycles of addiction and abuse.' The music artist left home as a teenager and was homeless, living in her car when she was discovered.'When I got discovered — it's funny — I almost didn't sign my record contract because I was so aware that if you take somebody with my emotional background, and God forbid, I get famous…' she explained.

North Lanarkshire residents are being urged to make their views known on the shape of local health and social care services over the next three years.

Pawar informed that the government has implemented the following programmes/schemes for ensuring assured, dignified, respectful and quality healthcare services for every pregnant woman Over 25,000 ‘Delivery Points’ across the country have been strengthened in terms of infrastructure, equipment, and trained manpower for provision of comprehensive Reproductive-Maternal- Neonatal-Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH+N) services, said Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar,Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

James Martin has thanked his fans for their well wishes after undergoing surgery this week.The 50-year-old chef recently told fans he had been suffering with a knee issue for a number of years and was finally getting it sorted. In a new update, the television star tweeted: "Just a message to say many thanks for all you kind messages, operation done now."Can’t sleep but guess that’s a small price to pay for now. Back and fighting fit soon!"Also thanks to all who booked tickets already for the tour."Amazing response and there are already a few venues that are nearly sold out."Jane Fonda shares cancer update as she stops treatmentJames went on to apologise to fans for not being able to sign anymore books while he recovers.He added: "I will try to do more when I’m more mobile.

Bruce Willis is seen smiling and cuddling a puppy in the first family pictures since announcing his retirement from acting due to health reasons earlier this year. The Hollywood actor, 67, was pictured “getting into the holiday spirit” with his children, in a selection of photos shared by his former partner Demi Moore. In March, Willis’ family announced he would be “stepping away” from his successful acting career after having been diagnosed with aphasia, a condition affecting his cognitive abilities.

The Driving, Vehicle and Licencing Agency (DVLA) has added two new health conditions that motorists need to declare before they can continue driving.

GEMMA Collins has revealed her secret family heartbreak as she admits be having a low-key Christmas this year. The reality star, 41, said it's a very "upsetting" time as she opened up about her uncle's health battle.Advertisement Gemma explained that the festive period will be a quiet one this year as she "prays" for her dad Alan's twin brother, who is currently in hospital.

Express.co.uk about the reasons behind his healthy choices and why he wants his fans to "live forever" and follow in his footsteps.Although Gino has opted for a healthier way of living, he made clear that he still eats what he wants in moderation.Speaking about why he decided to change his diet, Gino told Express.co.uk: "Well, I’m not getting any younger and I think it’s important nowadays that I have realised that."And second of all, we adjusted because things are slightly different when you’re nearly 50 like me."I wanted to feel better and I am definitely feeling better. I’m not really doing anything drastic."Gino then touched on one small addition to his breakfast he has made over the last year and how much better he has felt since.He continued: "The most important thing is I still eat the things I want to eat in moderation.

GEORGIA Harrison has revealed she was just 24 hours away from dying after the stress of a sex tape leak led to a health emergency. Almost two years ago to the day, the Love Island star was hospitalised with sepsis after a cyst on her ovary burst and became infected. The illness struck four months after vile Stephen Bear, 32, posted secretly filmed CCTV footage of the pair having sex on OnlyFans without Georgia's consent.

Freddie Flintoff's son says that his dad is "lucky to be alive" after a horror crash as health and safety teams start an investigation.

Twitter followers flocked to the post to comment.Mary-Jo Caira wrote: "So happy for you. Wishing him much health & progress in the next coming months."Lottie Moss gets new 'lover' face tattoo on drunken night"That is so good news.Sending love to you all," Veni Pishtalova typed.Kieran added: "Hopefully home safe and sound my friend."Sophie Grenham commented: "I have everything crossed for you, Victoria.Sending love to you all at this stressful time."The Pogues' frontman was rushed to hospital earlier this month after falling ill with viral encephalitis, a medical condition which causes inflammation in the brain.He also contracted shingles, which spread to his eye.Victoria previously said that doctors were “confident he will be OK” and thanked fans for their well wishes.Shane has dealt with multiple health issues over the years.He has been confined to a wheelchair since shattering his pelvis in 2016. Chloe Madeley's husband James Haskell shares fears about daughter [REVEALED]Wednesday star ‘needs own space’ from famous husband [INTERVIEW]Gemma Atkinson shares family 'heartbreak' over Strictly exit [REACTION]In 2020, he also damaged his knee after a fall at home.Since the incident years six years ago, Victoria has been his full time carer.The pair have been together for over 35 years and tied the knot in Copenhagen in 2018.Earlier this year, Shane said he was grateful to wake up in the morning following his health woes. He told Spectator: "I’m not a morning person, but I am glad to be alive, so I’m grateful to wake up."I have beautiful carers who come and get me out of the bed and into the lime green chair.

New Delhi: Welcoming the new year and saying goodbye to the old one is a celebratory affair indeed. But did India’s business world have a good year? Perhaps not. In the years leading into 2022, companies had used low interest rates and surplus liquidity as an opportunity to bring down their debts and increase current assets.

A West Lothian man is fronting a new campaign from a national mental health programme to help more veterans open up about their mental health.

Perth and Kinross health chiefs are anticipating a "more challenging" winter due to an increase in demand across all health and social care services.

Captain Lee Rosbach announced he was leaving the 197ft yacht St. David due to persistent mobility issues on Monday's episode of Below Deck, calling it 'one of the most humbling experiences of my life.'The 73-year-old great grandfather - whose No. 1 fan is Christina Applegate - was forced to use crutches to get around the vessel due to nerve damage he suffered after undergoing back surgery ahead of season 10.'My injury, it's getting worse.

George Lopez was forced to drop out of a gig announcing the nominations for the 80th annual Golden Globes on Monday morning after testing positive for COVID-19.The 61-year-old television personality was set to appear on NBC Monday morning live from Beverly Hills in order to present the nods for the highly-anticipated award show.Instead his daughter Mayan Lopez and actress Selenis Leyva - who both star with him on sitcom Lopez Vs. Lopez - took over the announcements.

Las Vegas is reacting to Céline Dion‘s recent diagnosis.

KATE Garraway today revealed her husband Derek Draper is facing a very lengthy wait for Long Covid care. The former political lobbyist is suffering from the life-changing impacts of his near-death battle with coronavirus.

Last month, health professionals from around Scotland gathered at O2 Academy in Edinburgh to celebrate the hard work done by those in the industry over the past year.