Thailand: Latest News

Under the Covid vaccination drive, more than 220.56 crore vaccine doses have been administered to people across the country so far. In the last 24 hours, around 1,60,769 vaccine doses were administered New Delhi India has reported 128 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours, according to the union health ministry data. The total number of Covid cases reached 4.47 crore, with 530,745 Covid-related deaths since the onset of the Covid pandemic.

BANGKOK, THAILAND - 2022/09/03: A close up view of a marijuana plant at a local Thai market. Thailand is the first nation in Asia to decriminalize marijuana for medical and personal use.

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - RELATED: Winter storm updates • State of the State • Decades-old cold case solvedA discarded cigarette found near the body of a 24-year-old Vermont school teacher in her apartment nearly 52 years ago helped lead investigators to an upstairs neighbor who they say strangled her after having a fight with his wife, police said Tuesday.Burlington Police DNA evidence collected from the cigarette butt and dogged investigative work led authorities to the man they say killed Rita Curran within a 70-minute window on a July night in 1971.The suspect, identified as William DeRoos, who was 31 at the time, had left his apartment that night for "a cool down walk." After he returned he told his wife of two weeks not to say that he had been out.Since the investigation was renewed in 2019, detectives re-interviewed DeRoos' former wife, and she told them he had left their apartment for a brief period within a window of time when Curran's roommates were out of her Burlington apartment."We’re all confident that William DeRoos is responsible for the aggravated murder of Rita Curran, but because he died in a hotel room of a drug overdose he will not be held accountable for his actions, but this case will be closed," Burlington Police Detective Lt.

AUSTRALIA - Team Canada's catamaran wing sail suffered significant damage after "gusty thunderstorms" sent the sail flying through the air at the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix in Sydney Harbour.The dramatic scenes happened as bad weather hit the area.Video captured by Sonya Thai shows workers and spectators running for safety as the equipment was flung around through the air, smashing into tents while being held by a crane.Organizers issued a statement later saying a"weather event" at the conclusion of racing caused significant damage to wing sails and at least one boat and forced the cancellation of the two fleet races scheduled for Sunday. Canada SailGP team prepares to race during day one of SailGP Australia on Sydney Harbour. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images) "After racing today, a major weather event occurred that has resulted in significant damage," organizers said in a statement.

rescued from a cave in Thailand in 2018, has died while attending school in the U.K. He was just 17 years old.Promthep was found unconscious in his dorm room in Leicestershire on Sunday, the BBC reported.

File: Duangpetch Promthep, 13, a forward and captain of the Wild Boars football team, attends a Buddhist ceremony at the entrance of Tham Luang cave on August 3, 2018. (Photo by Thierry Falise/LightRocket via Getty Images) The captain of the boys’ soccer team that was dramatically rescued from a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018 has died in England while attending a sports academy, reports say. Duangpetch "Dom" Promthep of the "Wild Boars" team was one of 12 players who along with their coach became trapped in the Tham Luang cave during an unexpected rainstorm in June that year. Faced with tremendous challenges, a team of the world’s most experienced divers navigated the maze of flooded, narrow cave tunnels.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) compiled by Transparency International (TI) was released yesterday. The CPI scores 180 countries and territories around the world based on perceptions of public sector corruption.

Holidaymakers who plan to go abroad this year will need to keep up to date about the rules and laws for the destination that they will be visiting.

COLOMBO (News 1st) –  Sri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thai Pongal day (15) assured that the 13th Amendment of the Constitution will be fully implemented.President Wickremesinghe said that the Social Justice Commission will be established in order to build a country where everyone can live in harmony, by solving the problems of the people belonging to all sections of the population and that the government expects to fully implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.In addition, the President stated that in order to build a country where all races coexist and achieve economic prosperity, everyone must return to the Sri Lankan identity established by the late D.S Senanayake 75 years ago.The President stated that a statement on the government’s steps toward reconciliation will be made public in February and that a meeting of party leaders will be convened next week to discuss the matter.President Wickremesinghe also stated that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s work will be accelerated in order to provide relief to the families of the disappeared.The full speech of President Ranil Wickremesinghe is as follows:First of all, I wish everyone a very Happy Thai Pongal. Thai Pongal festival in particular is a national festival.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Police fired water cannons to disperse a group of protesters in Nallur, Jaffna earlier today. The protest has now ended.The protest was organized in line with President Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to the Nallur Kovil in Jaffna for Thai Pongal celebrations. Our News 1st Correspondent says that the protest march began from the Jaffna University and proceeded towards the Nallur Kovil. The march was met with police presence at the Arasi Adi road, where water cannons were fired to disperse them.

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

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.

(With inputs from agencies)  

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.

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.

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.

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.

While the Central government has started random sampling and testing of 2% of foreign travellers at Delhi airport, in the last two days, more than 6,000 international travellers have been scanned, out of which 39 passengers have tested covid-19 positive. New Delhi: Government officials warned that the next 40 days would be crucial in determining the possibility of a resurgence of covid-19 cases in India as they urged people to follow safety protocols and complete their vaccination doses.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The United Nations (UN) team in Sri Lanka and non-governmental organisations revised and extended their joint Humanitarian Needs and Priorities (HNP) Plan, which aims to provide life-saving assistance to 3.4 million people amid Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis since independence.Since June, the HNP has been responding to the Government's request for UN-backed multi-sector support for Sri Lanka's debt and food and medicine shortages."Governments and donor agencies have helped the humanitarian community reach over 1 million of the country's most vulnerable people with cash, food, school meals, medicine, protection, and livelihood support," said the UN in a statement.The HNP—aligned with appeals from other UN agencies—has raised US $79 million for Sri Lanka thanks to landmark support from the U.S and USAID, Australia, Japan including JICA, the UN Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), as well as Canada, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, Italy, EU, Switzerland, France, and with additional support from the UK, Germany, Thailand, Sweden, Georgia, Latter Day Saint Charities and private individuals and organizations."We are immensely appreciative of the solidarity the international community has shown with the people of Sri Lanka, including through their generous contributions to the HNP.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Sri Lankan Government’s intention was to resume the negotiations on free trade agreements said Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake.It is the vision of the President that Sri Lanka will integrate with the global value chains and with the largest economies in South Asia and East Asia and then expand to the east region linking to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).Further, the Secretary to the President invited private sector stakeholders to creatively engage in this development initiative as they are the ultimate beneficiaries.He made these observations during an awareness session on the resumption of negotiations of free trade agreements held for Trade Chambers and Industry Advisory Committees at the Finance Ministry on November (16).Secretary to the Treasury, Secretaries of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industries, and the members of the National Trade Negotiation Committee also participated.The contours of Global trade have been significantly changed in recent years by bringing regional and global production networks as driving factors of international trade where Sri Lanka has not yet been engaged to tap the potential.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation had blamed the unruly conduct of a caretaker or mahout for causing serious harm and torture to the Muthu Raja Tusker who was held at the Kande Viharaya in Aluthgama.The tusker Muthu Raja was gifted by Thailand to Sri Lanka in 2001 during the presidency of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, and it was moved to the Kande Viharaya in Aluthgama.The tusker, however, fell ill multiple times while at the Kande Viharaya in Aluthgama.Recently, a delegation from the Thai Embassy in Colombo visited the Kande Viharaya in Aluthgama to inquire into the well-being of the tusker, and following their inspection it was decided to move the tusker out of the temple and place it under the case of the Dehiwala National Zoo.The Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation said the Muthu Raja tusker is now under the protective care of the Dehiwala Nationa Zoo and its staff.However, the Thai Ambassador had decided to send the tusker back to Thailand.A statement from the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation noted that Minister Mahinda Amaraweera had instructed the Secretary to the Ministry to immediately discuss the matter with the Thai Ambassador, as the Department of National Zoological Gardens had agreed to take care of the tusker.

 ICC – Top emerging talent will be heading to Sri Lanka in 2024 for the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, as the ICC Board announced host countries for U19 events between 2024 and 2027.Zimbabwe and Namibia, Malaysia and Thailand, and Bangladesh and Nepal are also set to host ICC U19 events between 2024 and 2027, after the ICC Board approved the plans.The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 will be hosted by Sri Lanka while the 2026 edition will be staged in Zimbabwe and Namibia. The ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 will be held in Malaysia and Thailand, and the 2027 event will be jointly hosted by Bangladesh and Nepal.Cricket World Cup qualification pathwaysThe qualification pathway for the 14-team ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 was also confirmed with 10 teams set to gain automatic qualification. These 10 teams will include South Africa and Zimbabwe as Full Member hosts, and the next eight highest-ranked teams on the ICC MRF Tyres ODI Rankings on a date to be confirmed. The remaining four teams will qualify through the ICC CWC Global Qualifier series.The qualification pathway for the 10-team ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 was also approved. Eight teams will automatically qualify for the event, including the top three teams from each group at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, the host Bangladesh (if not in the top three of Group 1) and the next highest ranked teams on the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Rankings on 27 February 2023.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The ‘Muthu Raja’ tusker at the Kande Viharaya Temple in Aluthgama was handed over to the Thailand Embassy in Sri Lanka to be sent overseas for treatment.‘Muthu Raja’ is one of the two tuskers which were donated to Sri Lanka from Thailand by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge, ‘Muthu Raja’ will be sent to Thailand for treatment.The tusker was at the Kande Viharaya Temple in Aluthgama for the past 25 years and fell ill several times.The tusker's feet and legs were covered with fertilizer bags in recent times after wounds were reported on its feet.On Wednesday (9) Thai Embassy Officials visited the tusker to inquire into its current condition.The tusker will be flown to Thailand after being kept at the Dehiwala Zoological Garden for a few days of treatment.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The United Nations (UN) team in Sri Lanka and non-governmental organisations have today revised and extended their joint Humanitarian Needs and Priorities (HNP) Plan, which aims to provide life-saving assistance to 3.4 million people amid Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis since independence.Since June, the HNP has been responding to the Government's request for UN-backed multi-sector support for Sri Lanka's debt and food and medicine shortages. Governments and donor agencies have helped the humanitarian community reach over 1 million of the country's most vulnerable people with cash, food, school meals, medicine, protection, and livelihood support. The HNP aligned with appeals from other UN agencies has raised US $79 million for Sri Lanka thanks to landmark support from the U.S and USAID, Australia, and Japan including JICA, the UN Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), as well as Canada, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, Italy, EU, Switzerland, France, and with additional support from the UK, Germany, Thailand, Sweden, Georgia, Latter Day Saint Charities and private individuals and organizations including Brandix Apparels Ltd, Hemas Holdings PLC, Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company PLC, Daraz (Alibaba Group), Amana Bank PLC and the Citi Foundation. The HNP's revision extends the plan through 2022 and requires US $70 million in additional funds to reach a total of US $149.7 million."We are immensely appreciative of the solidarity the international community has shown with the people of Sri Lanka, including through their generous contributions to the HNP.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Two  ships of the Royal Australian Navy, namely; HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Anzac which are engaged in Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2022 arrived at the Port of Colombo this morning (25th October 2022). On their arrival, the visiting ships were welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval tradition.Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE) began in 2017 as an activity coordinated by the Australian Defence Force to strengthen Australia’s engagement and partnerships with regional security forces. Thus, this year’s IPE will return to Southeast and South Asia, consolidating partnerships with 14 countries such as Timor-Leste, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives and India.Commodore Mal Wise of Royal Australian Navy is the Commander Joint Task Force for Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2022.The visiting ship HMAS Adelaide which is a 230m-long Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) is commanded by Captain SJ Watters.

Covid-19 cases between 10 -16 October compared to the previous week. XXB was discovered in Singapore in August. It is a hybrid of Omicron's BA.2.75 and BJ.1 sub-variants.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Most Venerable (Dr) Pallegama Siriniwasa Thero, Custodian & Chief Priest of the Maha Bodhi & Atamasthanadhipathi of Anuradhapura passed away on Tuesday (18).President Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed North Central Province Governor Maheepala Herath &  Buddhasasana, Religious & Cultural Affairs Minister Vidura Wickramanayaka to coordinate arrangements for the full state-sponsored funeral of Most Venerable (Dr) Pallegama Siriniwasa Thero, Custodian & Chief Priest of the Maha Bodhi & Atamasthanadhipathi of Anuradhapura.The Most Venerable Thero passed away at the age of 69 while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.The Venerable Thero also served as Chief Sangha Nayake for the North Central Province.Chief Incumbent of Ruwanweli Maha Seya Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Thero announced that the remains of the late Most Venerable (Dr) Pallegama Siriniwasa Thero will be moved to Anuradhapura on Wednesday (19) evening.The remains will be placed at a private funeral parlor until 12 noon on Wednesday (19).The Most Venerable (Dr) Pallegama Siriniwasa Thero was born in Pallegama, Dambulla on the 2nd of January 1953 to Karunasena Mudiyanselage Tikiri Bandara Nilame, and Dukganna Walawwe Anula Kumarihamy.The late thero was ordained at the Ruwanweli Maha Seya in Anuradhapura in 1968.He was educated at the Vidyodaya Pirivena in Maligakanda, Sandalankawa Shasthrodaya Pirivena, Sri Jinarathana Pirivena in Gangarama, and later graduated from the University of Kelaniya.The Late Most Venerable (Dr) Pallegama Siriniwasa Thero was also bestowed with a doctorate by the Government of Thailand commending his services to the Dhamma.In 1975 the late thero obtained the Upasampada, the Buddhist rite of higher

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Association of Health Entomology Officials have identified two new mosquito species in the country.Its National Organizer, Disnaka Dissanayake mentioned that one species of mosquito called Culex sintellus has been reported from Mirigama and Kalutara areas.Previously, the same mosquito species has been reported from countries such as Thailand and India.The other species of mosquito identified from Sri Lanka is called Culex niyainfula.This particular species of mosquito, which is widespread in India, is a carrier of the disease called cerebral malaria.Dissanayake mentioned that investigations are underway as to whether this mosquito species is an active vector in Sri Lanka.He added that samples of 4 other mosquito species found in Sri Lanka have been sent to a Korean university for identification.

Taiwan has welcomed its first batch of international tour groups after the island fully reopened its borders, ending strict quarantine rules in place since the coronavirus pandemic began.

than 20 children were massacred, saying they had filmed inside believing they had obtained permission.Deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn said the journalists had been waved into the building by a volunteer or a health officer, but did not know the person was not authorized to allow them inside.They each agreed to pay fines of 5,000 baht ($133) and leave the country after admitting to working despite entering Thailand on tourist visas, he said.Authorities began looking into the incident after a Thai reporter posted an image on social media of two members of the crew leaving the scene in northeastern Thailand where a fired policeman on Thursday massacred 36 people, 24 of them children. One CNN crew member was seen climbing over the low wall and fence around the compound, over police tape, and the other already outside.CNN tweeted that the crew had entered the premises when the police cordon had been removed from the center, and were told by three public health officials exiting the building that they could film inside.The relatives of a victim gathers at Wat Rat Samakee to pray for and watch after the body of their loved ones on October 09, 2022 in Uthai Sawan subdistrict, Nong Bua Lamphu, Thailand.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Ministry of Trade says that steps have been taken to speedily re-implement around 35 trade agreements signed with various countries, which currently remain inactive.Ministry Secretary S.T. Kodikara stated that the International Trade Office, Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Commerce Department of the Ministry of Trade and Ministry of Foreign Affairs will implement this program in collaboration.The Secretary stated that many discussions regarding some trade agreements have collapsed due to various reasons.The Secretary of the Ministry of Trade stated that these agreements are being implemented with the aim of promoting trade among the countries which have exempted existing tax bases.Under this initiative, it is expected to improve the free trade agreement with Singapore.Apart from the FTA, the trade agreements signed with India, Thailand and China, which are currently inactive, are also due to be implemented again soon.

BANGKOK - At least 24 children and 11 adults were killed Thursday in an attack that began at a childcare center in northeastern Thailand, authorities said. The gunman then fled the scene, shooting from his car as he drove home, where he killed his wife and child before taking his own life, police said.The initial attack came at about 12:30 p.m.

EastEnders star Paul Nicholls is to lead a major show in a dramatic TV comeback.After minor roles in the early 90s, the 43-year-old actor got his big break on the BBC One soap in 1996. Paul was cast as loveable teenage rogue Joe Wicks but departed EastEnders just one year later as his life spiralled out of control.READ MORE:EastEnders Jessie Wallace's love life - co-star's godson, policeman and fling with fanAmid the pressures of fame and his partying, Paul developed a high-dependency addiction to cocaine and upon deciding to get sober in 2008, would relapse several times.Following a throat cancer scare in 2016, Paul's health woes went from bad to worse.After yet another drug relapse in 2017, the actor suffered two broken legs after falling down a waterfall as he ran from a pack of wild dogs in Thailand.Paul spent three days trapped at the bottom of the waterfall before being rescued.The incident also left Paul with 37 different infections, which were only diagnosed after they caused him to suffer a stroke while rehearsing for a theatre role.Following the traumatic health scare, Paul suffered yet another drug relapse.He previously told The Sun: "The rabbit hole I went down led to places that I never thought I'd end up in – flats with people I didn’t know."At certain points I'd be gone for three or four days and not sleep at all.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President's Secretary Saman Ekanayake says that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is to be accorded entitlements provided to a former President.He will receive the benefits mentioned in the President's Entitlement Act.Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka from Thailand on Friday (2) night. The duty manager of Katunayake International Airport said that the former president arrived in the country at around 11.30 PM on Friday (2) aboard a Singapore Airlines flight.On July 13, Gotabaya fled to the Maldives in a Sri Lanka Air Force jet and from there to Singapore from where he announced his resignation.On a request made by Sri Lanka government led by new President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Gotabaya was given a 90-day visa by the Thailand government.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka from Thailand on Friday (2) night. The duty manager of Katunayake International Airport said that the former president arrived in the country at around 11.30 PM oj Friday (2) aboard a Singapore Airlines flight.The former president, who left the presidential palace due to public protests on July 9, left for the Maldives on July 13 in a plane belonging to the Sri Lanka Air Force.Thereafter he flew to Singapore where he stayed for several days, before heading to Thailand.

ISLAMABAD (AP) - Flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across much of Pakistan have killed nearly 1,000 people and injured and displaced thousands more since mid-June, officials said Saturday.The new death toll came a day after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif asked for international help in battling deadly flood damage in the impoverished Islamic nation.The monsoon season, which began earlier than normal this year, has lashed Pakistan with particularly heavy rains and rescuers have struggled to evacuate thousands of marooned people from flood-hit areas. The crisis forced the government to declare a state of emergency.RELATED: Elephant rips handler in half in Thailand after working in extreme heat: reportIn northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, flooding destroyed the gates of a major water control system at the Swat River, leading to flooding in the districts of Charsadda and Nowshera, said Sania Safi, a top administrator in Charsadda.Children use a raft to make their way in a flooded area after heavy monsoon rains on the outskirts of Sukkur, Sindh province, on August 27, 2022.

A Sri Lankan elephant gestures at the Yala National Park in Colombo on August 21, 2022. (Photo by ISHARA S.

outbreak of Covid-19.  Foreign nationals holding a valid Chinese residence permit for study or an APEC business travel card will be allowed to enter China starting Wednesday, the nation’s US embassy said in a statement posted on WeChat late Tuesday. Similar statements were made by China’s embassies in Japan and India.  While the country has been allowing some students to enter on an ad-hoc basis for some time, the move shows Beijing is attempting to normalize aspects of the economy -- while holding fast to its Covid Zero approach.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will return to the country on the 24th of August 2022.Ex-Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga who visited the CID said that the Former President will return next week.The former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled overseas to escape protests against his government, arrived in Thailand last week on a flight from Singapore, where he had been staying since mid-July.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Bandula Gunawardena told reporters on Tuesday (16) that Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is entitled to use public funds.At the weekly Cabinet Media Briefing, journalists questioned who is funding the Former President's overseas travel.Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that any Former President and sitting President are entitled to perks and privileges as per the Presidential Elections Act of Sri Lanka.The former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled overseas to escape protests against his government, arrived in Thailand last week on a flight from Singapore, where he had been staying since mid-July.

Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Marine contingent which left for the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2022, hosted by the US Pacific Fleet, arrived the island on 08th August 2022. The SLN contingent on 03rd August successfully completed its leg in the RIMPAC 2022, held in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California.SLN Marine contingent for RIMPAC 2022 comprised 50 members including both officers and sailors who first left for Australia by a special flight arranged by Royal Australian Air Force on 04th July.

(Bangkok Post); Ousted former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa is staying at a hotel in the heart of Bangkok, where police are advising him not to leave for security reasons, a source said on Friday, reported the Bangkok Post.Rajapaksa arrived with three other people on a chartered flight from Singapore at Don Mueang International Airport around 8pm on Thursday.According to the source, the group had planned to land in Phuket but concerns about a possible information leak resulted in the flight being redirected to Bangkok. On arrival, he was escorted by Thai police and military personnel.At the hotel, the location of which was not disclosed, plainclothes police officers from the Special Branch Bureau have been deployed to ensure safety.

REUTERS; Sri Lanka's former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has arrived in Thailand on Thursday for a temporary stay, according to The Straits Times.Rajapaksa is believed to have arrived in Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport around 8 p.m.

COLOMBO (News 1st). Thailand has received a request for Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to enter the country, from the Government of Sri Lanka. Tanee Sangrat, the Spokesman of Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the consideration was based on long-standing and cordial ties between the two countries.He said that as a holder of a Sri Lankan diplomatic passport, The former President can enter Thailand WITHOUT a visa for 90 days, per 2013 Agreement on Visa exemption between Thailand, and  Sri Lanka. "The stay is temporary with the aim of onward travel.

(Reuters) – Sri Lanka's ousted president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is expected to arrive in Thailand on Thursday, seeking temporary shelter in a second Southeast Asian country after fleeing his island nation last month amid mass protests, two sources said.Rajapaksa fled to Singapore on July 14, via the Maldives, following unprecedented unrest triggered by Sri Lanka's worst economic crisis in seven decades and days after thousands of protesters stormed the president's official residence and office.The retired military officer then resigned from the presidency, becoming the first Sri Lankan president to quit mid-term.The former president is expected to leave Singapore and go to Thailand's capital Bangkok on Thursday, two sources said, asking not to be named.Sri Lanka's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Thai government spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek told Reuters “no comment”.Rajapaksa has not made any public appearances or comments since leaving Sri Lanka, and Singapore's government said this month that the city-state had not accorded him any privileges or immunity. A member of the influential Rajapaksa family, the 73-year-old served in the Sri Lankan military and later as defence secretary.During his time as defence secretary government forces finally defeated Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009 to end the Sri Lankan civil war.

In the first known estimate of the SARS-CoV spillover risk from bats to people, researchers who studied bat populations in South East Asia and interactions with humans estimate that about 66,280 people a year are infected each year. The team, based at EcoHealth Alliance, published their findings today in Nature Communications. The group also included two scientists from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology.To make their prediction model, they examined data on 26 bat species with known SARS-CoV seq

COLOMBO (News 1st); India's Hindustan Times on Saturday (06) reported that Sri Lanka had requested the Chinese Government to defer the visit of the controversial Chinese vessel Yuan Wang 05 at the Hambantota Port.According to the news report, Sri Lanka requested to defer the arrival of the ship until further consultations could be made between the two Governments.The tensions between the United States of America and China have intensified following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, with both global powers asserting their military strength near the Taiwan strait. The situation further escalated as China is continuing military drills near Taiwan, while five Chinese ballistic missiles appear to have fallen close to Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone, further complicating matters.The US has also positioned three warships, in the waters off Thailand and the region has become a hotspot of global tensions.Against the backdrop of tense global geopolitics that have sent shockwaves across the globe, the Yuan Wang 05, a high-tech Chinese vessel involved in space and satellite tracking is currently en route to the Hambantota Port in the Sea of Sri Lanka, after departing China.India considers this Yuan Wang 05 as a "Spy Ship" and its arrival at Hambantota is seen as a threat, since it endangers a number of security installations of strategic importance, including two Nuclear Power Plants in the region.India says the Chinese vessel has the ability to conduct surveillance on their submarines and retrieve sensitive information.Citing a diplomatic source in Colombo, India's Hindustan Times newspaper today reported that on the 12th of July, Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had granted approval verbally, for the Chinese

What is a PHEIC? The conditions which must be met are set out under the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR) -- the legal framework defining countries' rights and obligations in handling public health events that could cross borders. A PHEIC is defined in the regulations as "an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response".