IPU Secretary-General tells Sri Lanka to strengthen the participation of women in politics

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Under Secretary for Political Affairs of the U.S.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Wickremesinghe joined the 23rd Colombo National Book Fair at the BMICH this morning (22).He noted that a special book exhibition including books and documents of rare and historical value that have been taken from Sri Lanka to foreign countries is expected to be organized in conjunction with the 75th Independence Commemoration.The President also said that he expected to obtain the support of the Sri Lanka Book Publishers Association for the Independence Commemorative Book Exhibition.The President, who arrived at the book exhibition this morning, was received by the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Book Publishers Association, Samantha Indivara, and the group.Sri Lanka Foundation Chairman Saman Athaudahetti, members of the Book Publishers Association,  Vijitha Yapa, H.D.

COLOMBO (News 1st) –  Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that the decision to lower the retirement age of Public Sector employees to 60 years will have to be reconsidered, and the matter will be moved to the Cabinet of Ministers for discussion.It was proposed in the Interim Budget 2022 to amend the retirement age of state sector employees to 60 years, from the 65 years age requirement implemented in 2021.Accordingly, all Government employees aged 60 years or above must retire by December 31st, 2022.Many factions have raised concerns citing that lowering the retirement age in such a manner would threaten to the existence of many sectors.The Ministry of Public Administration issued the circular on the new retirement age of state employees, a week ago.Sri Lanka Railways said that as per the new circular over 250 Railway Workers will have to go on retirement.Sri Lanka Railways warned that is a solution is not provided soon, operations will be hampered from January 2023.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Today’s exchange rates from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka:USD Buy 359.1876 Sell 369.9235GBP Buy 401.5695 Sell 417.3688EUR Buy 350.3877 Sell 365.1473JPY Buy 2.4695 Sell 2.5700AUD Buy 234.9426 Sell 245.9917

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Investigations were conducted today (22) regarding a complaint made to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) regarding the arrest of Veranga Pushpika de Silva.The complaint was filed by the Union of Young Journalists and the Union of Trade Unions and Mass Unions.A group of Sri Lanka Police officers had also called the HRCSL today (22).

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has made its determination on the The Petroleum Products (special provisions) amendment bill.The Supreme Court determination was announced to the house on Thursday (21) by the Speaker.The determination is as follows: A: Clause 3 (2) of the bill is inconsistent with the article 12 (1) of the constitution, and it may only be passed by a special majority required under the provisions of paragraph 2 of article 84.The inconsistency will cease if the composition of the committee is changed, to include the following:– Secretary to the Ministry in charge of the subject of Economic Policy Development  – Secretary to the Ministry in charge of the subject of Investment PromotionB: Clause 7 of the bill is inconsistent with articles 3 & 4 of the constitution, and may be passed only by a Special Majority required under the provisions of paragraph 2 of article 84, and approved by the people at a referendum by virtue of the provisions of article 83 of the constitution.The bill as a whole is inconsistent with Article 12 (1) of the constitution.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Cabinet of Ministers are yet to be briefed on the IMF Staff-Level Agreeement that was reached with official recently, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed the Speaker.The Speaker said the President has noted that though an agreement was reached between the IMF Staff and Sri Lankan Officials, it has to be approved by the Executive Board of the IMF."Before that discussions need to happen with the other creditor countries, and their reports also need to be added and until such time it will not be decided by anybody," the Speaker informed the house."So, before that there will a cabinet briefing once the President receives all the details. The opposition, the Speaker, interested parties will be invited for that briefing.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Americares, one of the world’s leading nonprofit providers of donated medicine and medical supplies, has generously donated more than $773,000 USD worth (an estimated 279,476,100.28 LKR) of urgently needed medical supplies for the people of Sri Lanka. The donation was made consequent to the request made by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington D.C., and under the purview of Ambassador Mahinda Samarasinghe.This donation consists of essential medicines, including prenatal and lactation vitamins, chronic disease medications, intravascular catheters, syringes, and gloves that are urgently required from the Ministry of Health. As a result of facilitating this kind deed, an MOU was signed between the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka and Americares enabling future donations to take place. A formal certificate handover ceremony took place at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington, D.C.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Litro gas says that new domestic gas cylinders will not be distributed to the local market until DecemberThis is due to the ongoing project introduced by Litro Gas for Sri Lankan expatriates to place orders for gas cylinders, on behalf of their relatives in the country. This project has been implemented due to the shortage of dollars.Meanwhile, the Chairman of litro says that the demand for cooking gas has decreased, as people have opted to use gas sparingly.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) approved power cuts of 1 hour and 20 minutes for today (22) as follows;Groups ABCDEFGHIJKLPQRSTUVW:1 hour and 20-minutes from 6.00 PM – 10.00 PM

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's crime rate is increasing by the day, while the economic crisis takes its toll on all Sri Lankan citizens.Rasika Vinod, a 29-year-old mid-level employee at a State Bank in Sri Lanka was brtually killed with he tried to prevent a mugging attempt.On Tuesday (20) night, Vinod tragically died when he attempted to foil a snatching attempt at his doorstep, in Pahalagama in the Gampaha District.According to reports, this is how the tragedy had taken place. His wife and her friend were returning home from work on Tuesday (20) night.When his wife was close to their home, a couple in a motorbike approached them and attempted to snatch a handbag.According to Sri Lanka Police Rasika was waiting at the doorstep for his wife to return home, along with his father.The duo immediately attacked the motorcycle thieves, and also topple the two-wheeler onto the ground.During the tussle, the motorcycle rider attacked Rasika with a sharp weapon.The victim of the mugging attempt detailed her ordeal to News 1st's Naveksha Gunasekera who visited the scene of the crime on Wednesday (21)."A motorcycle crossed my path and one person attempted to snatch my bag.

Donald Trump (Official White House photo) NEW YORK - New York's attorney general is suing former President Donald Trump and his company, accusing business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C. The lawsuit, which follows a three-year civil investigation by Attorney General Letitia James, also names Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump — the former president's eldest children — as well as two longtime executives for the Trump Organization, former CFO Allen Weisselberg and Jeffrey McConney."Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to unjustly enrich himself, and cheat the system, thereby cheating all of us," James said at the news conference.Her office has investigated what she said were the company's fraudulent or misleading valuations for its properties on annual financial statements that were given to potential business partners, banks or tax officials. The goal of the fraud was to burnish Trump's billionaire image and the value of his properties when doing so gave him an advantage, while playing down the value of assets at other times for tax purposes, the attorney general's office has said.Alina Habba, an attorney for Trump, said the lawsuit is "neither focused on the facts nor the law" but is about "advancing the Attorney General's political agenda.""It is abundantly clear that the Attorney General's Office has exceeded its statutory authority by prying into transactions where absolutely no wrongdoing has taken place," Habba said.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The World Broadcasting Unions – WBU, which is the co-ordinating body of broadcasting unions around the world, has condemned the vicious attack on journalists of MTV Channel (Pvt) Ltd by Sri Lanka Police and security personnel on the 9th of July. The World Broadcasting Unions has among its membership the largest and most influential unions of broadcast journalists around the world. They include the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, the Arab States Broadcasting Union, the African Union of Broadcasting, the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, the European Broadcasting Union, and International Association of Broadcasting, and the North American Broadcasters Association.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The first consignment of rice from an Australian donation totaling AUD22 million (approximately USD15 million) arrived in Sri Lanka and will soon be distributed to those most affected by the ongoing economic crisisThe consignment, consisting of 600 metric tonnes of rice, forms part of a larger consignment of rice, pulses and cooking oil, due to arrive in the country soon.“Australia and Sri Lanka share many decades of friendship, and this latest contribution is an extension of our goodwill during this unprecedented crisis,” said Paul Stephens, Australia’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. “We are supporting WFP to provide life-saving food to people who are struggling with price increases, job losses and reduced incomes”. “Australia was the first to contribute to WFP’s emergency response, enabling us to kick-off much needed assistance to those hard-hit by the ongoing crisis,” said Abdur Rahim Siddiqui, WFP Sri Lanka’s Representative and Country Director.

COLOMBO (News 1st): Sri Lanka Police made public the images of four suspects wanted for unlawfully entering the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation on the 9th of July 2022, and causing damage to its property.The suspect are wanted for the investigations carried out by the Cinnamon Gardens Police.Police is seeking public support to arrest the four men pictured below, and information can be provided directly or via Whatsapp on  0718 591 588. 

COLOMBO (News 1st); The World Food Program said that more than one-third of the population which is 37 percent is now facing acute food insecurity.Around eight in ten households are regularly turning to food-based coping strategies such as sacrificing meals, borrowing food, and reducing the number of meals eaten. July saw a particularly steep spike in reliance on coping strategies (19 percentage points), which persisted into August.The crisis is causing disproportionate impacts across different segments of society. This was seen across a range of divides – female-headed households are faring worse than male-headed households, while those in estate and urban areas are also faring worse than those in rural areas.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe met Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Rt. Patricia Scotland QC yesterday (20), during his visit to the United Kingdom (UK) to attend the State Funeral Service of the Late HM Queen Elizabeth II.They discussed Sri Lanka’s engagement with the Commonwealth Secretariat and matters of mutual interest.President Wickremesinghe also attended a reception hosted by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs the Rt.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva gave instructions to the relevant officials in Parliament, to expand the operations of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and other institutions under the ministry to increase efficiency. The Minister said that like in many countries of the world, in Sri Lanka too, women are already working as crane operators in the port and steps will be taken to recruit more in the future.The Minister stated the above at the first meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Ports, Shipping and Aviation held on Tuesday (20).The committee also agreed to the regulation under Civil Aviation to be submitted to Parliament for approval on the 22nd. The purpose of this is to correct a printing error in the Civil Aviation Services (Issue of Licenses to Personnel and Training Institutions) orders published by Extraordinary Gazette.

Vaccination and long COVID There could be other reasons for the positive trend that we’ve witnessed, but the timing suggests that vaccination is the most likely explanation. The decrease in referrals begins in August 2021, around five months after the British population started receiving second doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Sri Lanka Freedom Party leadership has decided to remove SLFP MPs, who accepted positions in the government, from all party positions and the Central Working Committee membership.The decision was taken by the Former President and Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Maithripala Sirisena, and the decision has been communicated to the 14 SLFP MPs who are represented in Parliament.MPs Mahinda Amaraweera, Nimal Siripala De Silva, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Shantha Bandara, Dr.

(THE HINDU) – China has offered Pakistan’s visiting Army Chief technical help as the country deals with record floods but did not announce any substantial financial assistance that its “all-weather” ally has been seeking.Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka, facing financial stress, have been engaged in long-running talks with Beijing for assistance, but with negotiations in both cases having made little headway, both countries have turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Their new IMF commitments are now likely to impact their owed payments to China, which has lent the two countries more than $26 billion in the past five years.Following talks in Xi’an between Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and China’s Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe, the Chinese side expressed willingness to provide technical assistance for flood relief work, Pakistan’s official Inter-Services Public Relations said.Chinese State media quoted Gen.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Around three hundred Public Sector employees have traveled overseas for employment after the government of Sri Lanka issued a circular granting five-year no-pay leave for public officers to be spent in or out of the country, without affecting their seniority and pension.The Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, and Provincial Councils said that among those who left the country are employees attached to Ministries, Departments, as well as Statutory Bodies.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Private Maheesh Theekshana who was part of Sri Lanka Cricket Teram that won the 2022 Asia Cup in Dubai was elevated to the rank of Sergeant by Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Army.The Army-groomed sportsmen and sportswomen who shone distinctively in the field of international sports were invited this morning (20) to the Commander’s office at the Army HQ to receive appreciative compliments and cash incentives.Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Army after meeting those sport stars who brought fame to the country and the Army alike commended their achievements and talked to each one of them in the presence of the Director Sports of the Army.Those international achievers included Sergeant M.M Theekshana, a member of the Sri Lankan Cricket team who won the Asia Cup Championship – 2022, Corporal T.T Algama, Corporal K.B.Y De Silva and Corporal M.A.I.J Perera, all of them in the Sri Lankan National Netball team who won the Asian Netball Championship – 2022 and the Bodybuilder, Corporal R.A.D.P Rajapaksha who won the Bronze Medal in the Asian Bodybuilding Championship – 2022.At the same time, the Army Chief in recognition of their achievements instructed respective authorities to promote the above achievers in rank in an attempt to stimulate them further.Accordingly, Private M.M Theekshana was elevated to the rank of Sergeant, Private T.T Algama, to the rank of Corporal, Private K.B.Y De Silva to the rank of Corporal and Private M.A.I.J Perera to the rank of Corporal during the same occasion.The Commander of the Army, appreciative of their international achievements afterwards awarded financial incentives to Sergeant M.M Theekshana, Netball Team Members and Bodybuilder

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Health Ministry noted that it has made arrangements to conduct tests to determine the existence of heavy metals in imported food items including rice.The Director of the Environmental & Occupational Health and Food Safety Unit Dr.Thilak Siriwardana says that previously, selected food items had to undergo the testing process.He further says that fifteen containers of rice were recently shipped back as they were unfit for human consumption.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 26: Former Philadelphia Eagles player Herb Lusk speaks during the Festival of Families on September 26, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pope Francis wraps up his trip to the United States with two days in Philadelphia PHILADELPHIA - Former Philadelphia Eagles running back Herbert Lusk II died at the age of 69 on Monday, according to the city council's president."North Philadelphia and our city lost a true friend yesterday; Rev.

PETER Andre has revealed that he plans to move his family to Australia amid his mum Thea's health struggle. The Mysterious Girl singer, 49, said he will relocate "for as long as possible" after he finishes his work commitments.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa questioned the Government the reason for imposing low levies on tobacco and alcohol at a time when food inflation in the country is rapidly rising. Speaking at the Parliament, the Opposition Leader said that the country's food inflation rate is over 90%, however the inflation rate of tobacco and alcohol products is merely over 36%, and questioned as the why the Government is not taking steps to increase the price of such goods. He alleged that the ties between alcohol companies, politicians and treasury officials have resulted in the prices being maintained at a low without being subject to increases.In response, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya stated that excise duty on tobacco products is levied on a unit basis depending on the length of the product, while excise duty is levied on alcohol products based on its strength. He further stated that in addition to these excise duties, a 15% value-added tax VAT on sales will be levied with effect from October 1st, along with a 2.5% social security contribution tax on turnover."In addition, these cigarettes and alcohol have been subject to a higher income tax rate of 40%.

UNITED NATIONS - In an alarming assessment, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told world leaders Tuesday that nations are "gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction" and aren’t ready or willing to tackle the major challenges that threaten the future of humanity and the fate of the planet.Speaking at the opening of the General Assembly’s annual top-level meeting, the U.N.

Reuters – India said on Tuesday it had started bilateral discussions with Sri Lanka on restructuring the crisis-hit neighbour's debt.The first round was held on Sept.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands with the concurrence of the Government of Sri Lanka has appointed Bonnie Horbach as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Sri Lanka based in Colombo. She presented credentials to president Ranil Wickremesinghe, at the Presidential Secretariat recently.COLOMBO (News 1st); The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the concurrence of the Government of Sri Lanka appointed Khalid Hamoud Nasser Aldasam Alkahtani as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Sri Lanka based in Colombo. He has presented credentials to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, recently at the Presidential Secretariat.Sri Lanka’s relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia go back several centuries. People-to-People contact between the two countries has flourished since ancient times.Readers from Arabia visited and transited  Sri Lanka as Sri Lanka was the center of the maritime route between the east and the west.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – It’s not a secret that we are all broke as a country, and we have to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, said Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing a meeting with the Sri Lankan Diaspora.President Ranil Wickremesinghe who visited the United Kingdom to attend the funeral ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II had met with the Sri Lankan Diaspora in Britain on Monday (19) afternoon." We have already started discussions with the IMF and staff level agreement is there. We have to talk to India, China and Japan and to the private creditors.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Minister of Education Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe engaged in cordial conversation with King Charles III on Sunday (19).World leaders who were in London to attended the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on the 18th of September.President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who participated in the event, having a friendly conversation with King Charles III, said the President's Media Division.Senior Professor Mrs.

(ANI / New Delhi); Sri Lanka High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda on Monday (19) referred to remarks of Mahinda Rajapaksa about the island nation's relations with India and said that the former President of the country used to say that "China is a close friend but India is our brother and sister".Moragoda described the relationship between the two countries as "special" and said India's security interests are "our own security interests"."Rajapaksa used to always say China is a very, very close friend but India is our brother and sister…. Within a family you can have quarrels but finally, it is your family," he said during an interaction at the Indian Women's Press Corps."From Ramayan to Buddhism today, Sri Lanka and India have a long historical relationship.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Today’s exchange rates from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka:USD Buy 359.1381 Sell 369.9003GBP Buy 408.2941 Sell 424.4361EUR Buy 357.8970 Sell 372.8429JPY Buy 2.4933 Sell 2.5970AUD Buy 239.7194 Sell 250.9472

GREAT FALLS, Mont – The 36th Contingency Response Squadron assigned to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, organized a Mobile Training Team event between the Sri Lanka Air Force and the 120th Airlift Wing, Montana Air National Guard, Sept. 8-12.Airmen from the 120th Logistics Readiness Squadron and 120th Maintenance Squadron showed 15 members of the Sri Lanka Air Force how to use aircraft loading and refueling equipment they will receive next year from the Department of Defense under the Building Partner Capacity Program.The program builds partnerships with foreign nations by providing military and equipment training to enhance their capabilities.During the four-day Mobile Training Team event, the 120th AW Airmen worked with the Sri Lanka Air Force members on pallet buildup, refuel/defuel procedures, forklift operations, weight and balance calculation, loading and unloading aircraft.“We brought a mix of pilots, loadmasters, crew chiefs, fuel specialist, maintenance officers and logistics officers on this Mobile Training Team,” said Danushka Premadasa, Sri Lanka Air Force wing commander.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Navy conducted a special operation to chase away Indian poaching trawlers from Sri Lanka’s waters on the night of yesterday (19). The operation led to the seizure of an Indian trawler with 08 Indian nationals poaching in the island’s waters off Kovilan Lighthouse, Kankasanthurai.Sri Lanka Navy continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lanka’s waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing trawlers.In a similar operation conducted in the dark hours of 19th September, the Northern Naval Command deployed a Fast Attack Craft of the 04th Fast Attack Flotilla to chase away a cluster of Indian poaching trawlers, after having spotted them engaged in illegal fishing in Sri Lanka’s waters off Kovilan Lighthouse, through the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). Thus, the Navy held an Indian poaching trawler and continued to remain in the island’s waters, with 08 Indian fishers and fishing gear.The seized trawler together with 08 Indian fishermen was brought to the Kankesanthurai Harbour and they will be handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for onward legal proceedings.Meanwhile, the Navy has seized 25 Indian poaching trawlers and nabbed 189 Indian fishermen in Sri Lanka’s waters, during operations conducted thus far in 2022 and produced them to authorities for legal proceedings.Taking into account the consequences of illegal fishing practices by foreign fishermen in Sri Lanka’s waters on the livelihood of local fishermen and ocean resources of the country, Sri Lanka Navy continues to remain vigilant and conduct its operations to prevent such practices. 

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) informed that it has decided to extend power cuts for 20 Minutes.Accordingly, PUCSL approved power cuts of 1 hour and 20 minutes for 20th & 21st September as follows;Groups ABCDEFGHIJKLPQRSTUVW:1-hour and 20-minutes from 6.00 PM – 10.00 PM

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka’s leadership is essential to supporting a free & open Indo-Pacific region, said US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie J.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Resolution to constitute the Parliament Committee designated “National Council” is scheduled to be debated on Tuesday (20) from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm, following which, the approval of the Parliament is to be obtained.Parliament is scheduled to meet from the 20th to the 23rd and Questions for Oral Answers have been scheduled to be taken up from 9.30 am to 10.30 am except Friday the 23rd. The adjournment debate brought by the government on the “Necessity of increasing the Government Revenues” will be held from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm on the 21st.On September 22nd, from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm, the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (Amendment) Bill (Second Reading) and a Regulations under the Civil Aviation Act are to be passed fowling debate. Thereafter from 1.00 pm to 4.30 pm, the amendments to the Standing Orders of the Parliament are scheduled to be debated.Thereafter, it was also decided to take up Questions at the Adjournment Time from 4.30 p.m. – 4.50 p.m.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The production of food has recorded a sharp dive, says the National Organization of Intellectuals in Colombo.Speaking during the briefing, member of the organization Specialist Dr.

Long Covid. The study has revealed that a person going through phases of anxiety, depression, and loneliness before being infected by coronavirus has a much stronger chance of developing Long Covid.  The finding of the study conducted by researchers at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health was published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The production of food has recorded a sharp dive, says the National Organization of Intellectuals in Colombo.Speaking during the briefing, member of the organization Specialist Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Hanaa Singer, the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Sri Lanka, has made more requests for aid in support of Sri Lanka in the face of the country's economic crisis.The appeal states that according to UNICEF, 70% of households have reduced their food consumption, primarily due to the rising cost of food, and 73% of households have had their incomes either curtailed or reduced.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A report on food security by the World Bank has revealed that Sri Lanka is in the third place according to the real food inflation figures between September 2021 and August 2022, and at the fourth place in consideration of nominal food inflation.Sri Lanka ranks fourth in the world in terms of nominal food inflation, at 91% on an y-o-y basis.According to the World Bank report, Zimbabwe, Lebanon and Venezuela are ranked first, second and third among the countries with high nominal inflation.The report indicates that 205.1 million people worldwide will face a food crisis or a acute food crisis due to this situation.The report also warns of the threat of famine for the Somali Gulf region between October and December this year.Projecting a decrease in production of rice in 2022, the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) assessed that reduced harvest prospects for India and a few other countries, including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, outweighed slight upward revisions for Brazil and a few  West African countries, although average international rice prices changed little month to month, with mixed movements in the major exporters.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – On 17th September, the Ukrainian President Voldomyr Zelenskyy in his briefing noted that seven Sri Lankan students were found in 'torture chambers' where civilians were abused by Russian soldiers in areas of the Kharkiv region in Ukraine. The Russian InvasionOn 24th of February, Russian forces initiated what they dubbed as a 'special operation', which was later declared by Russia as an operation for the “liberation of Donbas” – broadly referring to Ukraine’s regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.More than a third of this area was already seized by Russian proxy forces in a war that began in 2014.The liberation of IziumIzium was subject to intense Russian artillery attacks in April.

WASHINGTON : President Biden said the Covid-19 pandemic was over, while reiterating comments that U.S.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The National Flag of Sri Lanka and the flag of the United Kingdom were flown at half-mast as a mark of respect to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, at the President's Office on Monday (19).Monday was also declared as a National day of mourning, in addition to the Ministry of Public Administration announcing today as a special holiday for all government agencies.The grand state funeral of late Queen Elizabeth II was held today, with the participation of over 500 heads of state and foreign leaders. Following the State Funeral, the Coffin will travel in Procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch. From Wellington Arch, the Coffin will travel to Windsor, and once there, the State Hearse will travel in Procession to St.