Is Omicron XBB.1.5 variant dangerous? 5 things you must know as new Covid strain reaches India

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): 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.

Covid-19 update: The death toll stands at 5,30,720 with two deaths reconciled by Kerala. India has recorded 163 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the cumulative coronavirus tally to 4.46 crore (4,46,79,924), according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.  With this, the active caseload has declined to 2,423. The active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections.

(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.

Lanarkshire residents are being warned about a new Covid variant described by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the "most transmissible yet".

NEW DELHI : India will seek to buttress its reputation as the pharmacy of the world to talk about vital health issues, including health emergencies and preparedness, during the G20 Summit this year, union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Thursday. India assumed presidency of the G20 on 1 December last year.

Here’s a list of the new measures different regions are imposing: Hong Kong People traveling from the mainland will need to show a 48-hour negative PCR test result. Traveling via land borders is capped at 50,000 people per day while some land control points, including Lo Wu, will stay shut initially, Chief Executive John Lee said at a briefing Thursday. Thailand Thailand is mandating Covid insurance for foreign visitors from countries that require negative PCR test results before returning home.

Al Roker has been seen for the first time in public since he experienced serious health issues late last year.The Today show weatherman looked healthy as he was strolling in the rain in New York City while in casual clothing that included a blue jacket, gray slacks, navy blue tennis shoes and a lime green cap.In just two days the 68-year-old personality is expected to return to his early morning TV show to resume his job. A spring in his step: Al Roker has been seen for the first time in public since he experienced serious health issues late last yearThis sighting comes just as Savannah Guthrie told Entertainment Tonight on Wednesday that she was excited that Roker is coming back to the set on Friday after an eight week absence.'Back and better than ever,' Guthrie told ET’s Rachel Stern at the New York Stock Exchange.

Terrifying images from China appear to show families burning the bodies of loved ones as Covid infections overwhelm hospitals in the country.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that China's recent Covid-19 outbreak is predominantly led by the Omicron subvariants BA.5.2 and BF.7, which together account for 97.5% of all local infections, while urging Beijing to deliver rapid and regular data on hospitalisation and death.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

The Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Kanni Wignaraja who is currently in Sri Lanka, appreciated the efforts taken by President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Government in resolving the economic crisis in the country. Wignaraja reiterated the U.N’s financial and technical support for Sri Lanka during this recovery period.This was revealed at the meeting held between the President and the Delegation headed by Assistant Secretary-General of the UN at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday (4).The discussions focused on the economic reforms, with the delegation recognizing that these difficult decisions would have to be taken in order to ensure long-term recovery and growth in the country.The President also briefed the visiting delegation on the political reforms in the country, including the establishment of the Constitutional Council in Parliament and the ongoing discussions with the other political parties, regarding a resolution to the ethnic issues in Sri Lanka.

A new Covid strain nicknamed 'the Kraken' is sparking concern around the world.XBB.1.5, a subvariant of Omicron, is already dominant in parts of the US. Now it has started to sweep across the UK and Telangana.XBB.1.5 is a mutated version of Omicron XBB, a strain that was first detected in India in August. Concern about XBB.1.5 is largely based on how it is currently surging in the US.But it has also already been spotted in Britain and other countries around the globe.Experts are concerned XBB.1.5's rapid rise in the US could be caused by mutations that help it to better infect people and dodge protection from vaccination and prior infections.The XBB15 Covid super variant, which is behind the recent wave of Covid infections across the United States and United Kingdom, has made its way to Telangana.The latest genomic sequencing data by Hyderabad-based genetic laboratories attached to Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortium (INSACOG) have reported 3 XBB15 positive cases in Telangana.Between December and January 2, a total of six XBB14 infections have been reported in India out of which three were from Telangana, two from Maharashtra and one XBB15 infection was from Gujarat.– Input from Agencies

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that bus fares on the Southern Expressway will be reduced by 10%, and bus operators are expected to pass this benefit on to the passengers.Speaking to reporters in Colombo on Wednesday (4), the Minister also said that with effect from midnight the Semi-Luxury Bus service from Kataragama to Colombo, that is operating on the Galle Road, will be terminated."There will be no Semi-Luxury Bus anymore. Following the termination of this service, the Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the Embassy of the Holy See (Vatican Apostolic Nunciature) in Colombo on Wednesday (04) to express his condolences on the demise of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who was called to rest on Saturday (31) morning in the Mater Ecclesia Monastery in the Vatican.Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI from Germany, was called to rest at age of 95, after having served for more than eight years as Pope from 2005 to 2013.

Covid-19 update: Active caseload declined by 12 in a day and now comprises 0.01 per cent of the total infections. India has recorded 175 fresh Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the active tally to 2,570, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.  Active caseload declined by 12 in a day and now comprises 0.01 per cent of the total infections, the data showed.  The tally of Covid cases in India is crore while the death toll is 5,30,707, data updated at 8 am stated.

Renee Elise Goldsberry started off a hilarious social media thread after she mis-read a posting from her friend Laura Benanti Monday.Laura, 43, who is co-starring with Jennifer Lawrence in the upcoming, No Hard Feelings, shared the results from a positive Covid test on social media, writing, 'Happy New Year? (I tested the day of the ballet and was negative…I also wore my mask so everyone is safe, don’t worry!)'Renee apparently only saw the 'positive' and 'test' part of the message, and wrote and enthusiastic 'AAAAAAH! Congratulations!' - believing it to be a pregnancy announcement. Funny: Renee Elise Goldsberry started off a hilarious social media thread after she mis-read a posting from her friend Laura Benanti MondaySeveral well wishers were a little confused by the comment and questioned if she had read it correctly.

India on Tuesday reported 134 new coronavirus infections and no deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the health ministry. New Delhi: Protected by herd immunity and early vaccination, Indians appear to have escaped the havoc being wreaked by the BF.7 Omicron sub-variant in China and some other countries. At the moment, the most prevalent variant in India is the XBB, accounting for 63.2% of cases, according to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG).

Trigger warning: suicideThe mental wellbeing of Love Island contestants has increasingly taken center stage in as more and more Islanders have been subjected to trolling and criticism during and after the show has aired.Questions about whether the show bosses were doing enough to prepare and protect their came under fire after former Love Island and Celebs Go Dating contestant Mike Thalassitis took his own life in 2019.Thalassitis is the second former Love Island contestant to die by suicide after appearing on the show. Sophie Gradon died in June 2018 and , who hosted the show, took her own life in 2020.

Myalgia is regarded as ‘top’ symptom for COVID and is now widely reported. With new COVID strains striking at regular intervals and the symptoms related to infection also changing over time, it is now hard to identify the disease.

A West Lothian dad has been honoured with an OBE for helping in the fight against covid.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

New Delhi: A group of high-ranking Sri Lankan Buddhist Monks, who were on a pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya recently, is now seeking His Holiness Dalai Lama's visit to Sri Lanka, which is reeling under a severe economic crisis.They met the Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya on December 27 and were overwhelmed by witnessing a large gathering at the holy city.Most Venerable Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thero, Mahanayake Thero, Sri Sambuddha Sasanodaya Sangha Sabha told ANI in an interview, "His Holiness came to India and people should know why he came to India. Why he settled down in India? India helped His Holiness, and now because of His Holiness, we know thousands of tourists are in Bodh Gaya."He added, "These days, Bodh Gaya is very cold and people usually don't come, but people are there because of His Holiness.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has urged all to work together to ensure that Sri Lanka returns to normalcy by the end of 2023.The Head of State made this remark during an event held at the President's Office in Colombo on Monday (2).President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that no one can shirk their responsibilities for the country in the year 2023, which is a crucial year for the Sri Lankan economy, and invited all public servants to dedicate themselves towards making Sri Lanka a prosperous nation in the New Year.He extended this invitation to the Presidential Secretariat staff during the oath-taking ceremony for the New Year 2023 before commencing their duties on Monday morning (02)."Five and a half months ago, we took over a historic task at this office. During those five and a half months, we took steps to establish normalcy in the country at a time when the government had collapsed and the economy had also collapsed.

COLOMBO (News 1st): President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his new year message stated that Sri Lanka has gone through the "bleakest of times" and thanked the public for their "patience and courage" in the face of measures taken to stabilise the economy. "2023 will be a critical year in which we plan to turn around the economy," stated the President while wishing all Sri Lankans a "happy and peaceful new year."The Head of State admitted that the cries of the youth for a system change "cannot be ignored" adding that "proposed social, economic and political reforms" need to be implemented boldly. President's New Year Greeting "We are looking at the New Year 2023 after having undergone the bleakest of times, immense hardships, as well as the uncertainties and hopelessness of the last year. I understand the great burdens that are placed on all of us and the setbacks that a majority of us have suffered due to the country’s abject economic collapse.

Covid-19: Currently, India's active caseload stands at 2,670. India saw a decline in daily Covid-19 cases as the country reported 173 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, taking the cumulative tally to 4.46 crore (4,46,78,822), according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.  On Sunday, the country logged 265 fresh coronavirus infections.  Currently, India's active caseload stands at 2,670, that comprises 0.01% of the total infections.

A company linked to the husband of Scottish businesswoman Michelle Mone ploughed tens of thousands of pounds into the Conservatives.

THE Pogues singer Shane MacGowan has shared an alarming health update after being taken to hospital. The 65-year-old star went to hospital earlier this month, as revealed by his wife Victoria May Clarke. Victoria, 56, did not say what was wrong with the star at the time, but he’s known to have faced health problems in recent years.

Risk profile!

On Friday, Covid guidelines were revised by the Centre for passengers arriving on international flights. Negative RT-PCR tests will be mandatory from January 1 to enter India from countries that are seeing massive COVID surge currently. These countries include China, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

Jonathan Ross, 62, has given an update on the health of his daughter Betty, 31.The presenter’s daughter suffers from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and POTS syndrome.Jonathan shares three children with his wife Jane Goldman, 52: Betty, Harvey, 29 and Honey, 25.Speaking on Loose Women, the talk show host discussed how his eldest child is showing signs of improvement following her treatment. He spoke about how it had been a “tough couple of years" following Betty's fibromyalgia diagnosis.The NHS describes Fibromyalgia as “a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body”. Jonathan went on to explain how his daughter struggles with depression and how she is now using an electric wheelchair.“She has fibromyalgia and she has chronic fatigue syndrome and POTS syndrome as well, which is where your heart rate shoots up,” he told Loose Women panellists Kaye Adams, Frankie Bridge, Dame Kelly Holmes and Denise Welch.Speaking about the way Betty’s illness had affected the family, he said: “She still can't walk very far. “We got her an electric wheelchair in the summer, so we can at least go out and go for walks with the dogs and that's lifted her spirits a lot. “Because that's the problem, if anyone out there who knows or who's got someone with a long term illness, you know, it's the depression."Being stuck indoors and not being able to join in with things because even stairs are a challenge to her."So if we're going out we have to give her plenty of time to get ready, get downstairs and then have a rest before we go to the next step, you know."“It does have an impact but the good news is she's definitely showing improvement and feeling better in herself.So we're relieved and we're happy with that.”However, Jonathan

TESTS Not all countries are imposing tests. European Union members, in particular, are divided. Over the past days, officials in France, Germany and Portugal have said they saw no need for now for new restrictions, while Austria has stressed the economic benefits of Chinese tourists' return to Europe.

AB-HWCs also encompass wellness sessions on yoga, zumba, cyclathons, walkathons and provide guidelines on diet, physical activity, positive parenting, tobacco, alcohol cessation among other aspects to imbibe a mindset for community well-being New Delhi: In a significant achievement demonstrating strengthening of the country’s health infrastructure, India has surpassed a notable landmark- 150,000 Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) have been operationalised before 31 December, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded the efforts of the nation in accomplishing this feat before the set deadline and said that these centres will help provide citizens easy access to primary healthcare facilities.

The show did go on for Perth Theatre’s production of Jack and the Beanstalk after two days of panto performances were cancelled due to a COVID outbreak among the cast.

The civil aviation ministry has asked the airlines to modify check-in systems ahead of new Covid norms for travellers from China, 5 other countries The civil aviation ministry on Friday asked airlines to modify their check-in systems for international passengers coming into India as part of the revised Covid guidelines, which makes a negative Covid test report a must for travellers coming from China and five other countries from Sunday. The ministry's direction comes a day after the health ministry decided to make RT-PCR negative test reports compulsory for passengers coming on all international flights from six high-risk countries --China, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan.

(With inputs from PTI)

Indonesia has decided to scrap the mask mandate, ending the coronavirus pandemic restrictions Indonesia will do away with indoor mask mandates and remove the requirement to show proof of vaccination when entering buildings, becoming one of the last few countries to completely end Covid-19 restrictions.  The changes will take effect from Friday and decision was taken as almost all of Indonesia’s population had immunity against the virus, said President Joko Widodo, who is popularly known as Jokowi.   “We once failed in containing Covid, but now we are among the few countries that did not experience a pandemic wave in past 10 to 11 consecutive months," he told a media briefing in Jakarta.

BBC – A Myanmar military court has sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi to a further seven years in prison, taking her overall jail time to 33 years.The country's former democratically-elected leader has been under house arrest since a military ousted her government in a coup in February 2021.Since then she's faced 18 months of trials on 19 charges – which rights groups say are a sham.The UN Security Council called for her release last week.On Friday she was sentenced on the final five charges she faced. A court found her guilty of corruption because she had not followed regulations in renting a helicopter for a government minister.She had already been convicted of 14 different crimes including breaching Covid public safety rules, importing walkie-talkies and violating the official secrets act.Her trials this year have been set behind closed-doors where the public and media are barred access and her lawyers are also banned from speaking to journalists.

Covid-19 update: The death toll stands at 5,30,699 with one fatality reported from Maharashtra in the last 24 hours. India has been witnessing an increase in daily Covid-19 cases, with the country recording 243 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.  With this, the country's cumulative tally has gone up to 4.46 crore (4,46,78, 158) and active cases have increased to 3,609, the ministry said.  The death toll stands at 5,30,699 with one fatality reported from Maharashtra in the last 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.11 per cent while the weekly positivity was pegged at 0.16 per cent.

HONG KONG : Beijing called on foreign governments to abide by scientific principles in setting travel protocols, after the U.S.

Moves by several countries to mandate COVID-19 tests for passengers arriving from China reflect global concern that new variants could emerge in its ongoing explosive outbreak — and that the government may not inform the rest of the world quickly enough. There have been no reports of new variants to date, but China has been accused of not being forthcoming about the virus since it first surfaced in the country in late 2019. The worry is that it may not be sharing data now on any signs of evolving strains that could spark fresh outbreaks elsewhere.

Why COVID projections have become harder During the early days of the pandemic, simple models could be used to project the number of COVID cases and the likely effect on the population, including demands for health care. Relatively few variables were needed to produce the first projections. That was because there was one main variant of COVID, the original strain, to which everyone in the world was susceptible.

Government officials have warned that the next 40 days will be crucial in determining the possibility of a resurgence of covid-19 cases in India, urging people to follow safety protocol and complete their vaccination. NEW DELHI: India reported 268 fresh coronavirus infections and two deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union health ministry’s covid bulletin on Thursday. Active cases stood at 3,552, taking the total number of cases reported in the country so far since the pandemic hit in 2020 to 4.46 crore.