Sri Lanka to improve English education in next ten years – President

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

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

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

Blue's Clues original host Steve Burns recently revealed that his co-star Donovan Patton stepped up and took care of him while he was sick with COVID.The 49-year-old actor told PEOPLE that he and Patton - who took over as host of the children's show when Burns left in 2002 - 'have been friends for a long time now.'Burns continued: 'I know his family. He took care of me when I had COVID.

 

Colombo (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that new laws to ensure food security are expected to be introduced in the future.He made this statement while briefing representatives of the Joint Mechanism Committee on Food Security and Nutrition.Plans are being made to present the related bills to parliament soon, President Wickremesinghe said.He also highlighted the need to obtain accurate data in establishing food security and the nutritional status of the people.Speaking at the meeting, the President stressed that there have been disparities in the data available at the national level and at the regional level which should be rectified immediately, a PMD statement added.

 

Colombo (News 1st) – The 26-year-old driver of the car that crashed in Colpetty on Saturday morning killing one person, who fled overseas within hours of the accident, and arrested on arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport from Dubai this morning (12th) has been remanded until 16 December.Police on Monday said that they would seek Interpol assistance to have him extradited to Sri Lanka. Police said he had been driving the Mercedes-Benz that crashed into a parked three-wheeler on Galle Road around dawn on Saturday killing the 58-year-old driver of the 3-wheeler.

(Reuters) – The executive board of the International Monetary Fund is not expected to formally approve Sri Lanka's $2.9 billion bailout before year-end, a key step required for the embattled country to receive funding, two sources familiar with the matter said.Seeking a way out of its worst economic crisis in decades, Sri Lanka reached an IMF staff-level agreement in June with the deal subject to approval and contingent on Sri Lanka authorities following through with previously agreed measures.Sri Lanka said in September it expected the board to approve the deal by year-end. Progress has been slow in recent months, and Sri Lanka's finance minister acknowledged last month the request might extend into January.Sri Lanka has to secure prior financing assurances from creditors, put its heavy debt burden on a sustainable path and increase public revenue before the global lender will disburse the funds.

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

NEW DELHI : New Delhi Easing covid-19 restrictions in China may lead to an increase in demand and prices of metals, but the uptick maybe limited, said industry experts. As the largest consumer of commodities, a pick-up in demand in China can help lift global metals demand and prices amid recessionary concerns in developed economies such as the US and Europe. Rising demand and prices in China will also be key to prevent cheap imports to India and help improve domestic steel prices.

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

Colombo (News 1st) – Veteran vocalist, lyricist and composer Nihal Nelson passed away on Tuesday (13). He was 76 years old at the time of his demise.Nihal Nelson was one of the most influential singers in Sri Lanka and considered ‘undefeated on the concert stage’.Nelson holds the record for the most albums recorded by a Sri Lankan artist with 113 albums. Nihal Nelson was born on 1946 in Moratuwa, and received his primary education from Innocent Maria Mixed School which is currently known as Rawathawaththa Methodist College.After passing grade 8, he entered Moratu Maha Vidyalaya where he completed A/L in 1960.Nelson married Malini Sriyalatha in 1974. He was among the first Sri Lankan vocalists to release a cassette in 1978 with Gune Ayyage Kamare.

Colombo (News 1st) – The ten students who were arrested on Tuesday (13) over the assault carried out on former Vice Chancellor of Peradeniya University Senior Professor Athula Senaratne and his son have been remanded until 22 December 2022.The suspects were produced before the Kandy Magistrate's Court on Tuesday (13).The arrests were carried out after they surrendered themselves to the Peradeniya Police Station.The suspects, aged between 23 and 25, are residents of Nittambuwa, Sandalangala, Giritale, Matale, Henegamuwa and Galagamwatta.Police said another two suspects have been identified, adding that investigations are underway to apprehend them.A group of students attacked the former Vice Chancellor of Peradeniya University, Senior Professor Athula Senaratne and his son, and caused damage to his house on Saturday (10) night.Chairman of the University Grants Commission Professor Sampath Amaratunga stated that 300 students were involved in the attack, and stern legal action will be taken against them.The 12 students involved in the attack have been expelled from the university.

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

Colombo (News 1st) – Inter University Student's Federation Convernor Wasantha Mudalige has been further remanded until the 17th of January.This was after he was produced before Colombo Additional Magistrate Tharanga Mahawatte today.The Magistrate ordered the Terrorist Investigation Division to complete the investigations expeditiously and report their findings to court.

Colombo (News 1st) – Ten students have been arrested on Tuesday (13) over the assault carried out on former Vice Chancellor of Peradeniya University Senior Professor Athula Senaratne and his son.The arrests were carried out after they surrendered themselves to the Peradeniya Police Station.The suspects, aged between 23 and 25, are residents of Nittambuwa, Sandalangala, Giritale, Matale, Henegamuwa and Galagamwatta.Police said another two suspects have been identified, adding that investigations are underway to apprehend them.A group of students attacked the former Vice Chancellor of Peradeniya University, Senior Professor Athula Senaratne and his son, and caused damage to his house on Saturday (10) night.Chairman of the University Grants Commission Professor Sampath Amaratunga stated that 300 students were involved in the attack, and stern legal action will be taken against them.The 12 students involved in the attack have been expelled from the university.

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

Colombo (News 1st) – The 26-year-old driver of the car that crashed in Colpetty on Saturday morning killing one person, who fled overseas within hours of the accident, was arrested on arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport from Dubai this morning (12th), police said.Police on Monday said that they would seek Interpol assistance to have him extradited to Sri Lanka. Police said he had been driving the Mercedes-Benz that crashed into a parked three-wheeler on Galle Road around dawn on Saturday killing the 58-year-old driver of the 3-wheeler.

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

Thank goodness!

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

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

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

A doctor who shook a ‘difficult' patient, shouted at them and slapped them across the face before saying to colleagues “that felt good,” has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

COLOMBO (News 1st): Convenor of the Inter-University Students Federation Wasantha Mudalige has been further remanded until tomorrow (13).He was remanded until further advice is received by the Attorney General.He was produced before the Colombo Additional Magistrate's Court today by prison officials.He was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and held under detention orders for 89 days before he was produced in Court on the 17th of November.

Flights between the Jaffna International Airport and Chennai, India resumed on Monday (12).A flight arrived reached Palaly from Chennai at 10.50am while a flight departed from Palaly heading to Chennai at 11.50am. The Civil Aviation Authority says, weekly, four flights will operate from Chennai to Palaly.Flights between Palaly and Chennai were temporarily suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

An £18million office complex run by Michelle Mone is linked to the same network of companies at the centre of a Covid PPE scandal. The bra baroness is now being urged to explain if the Neospace site in Aberdeen was funded by public money from UK Government Covid contracts.

Colombo (News 1st) – Rotary International's  President, Jennifer Jones, arrived in Sri Lanka on Sunday (11th) on a 4-day visit. She is the first woman President in the 115-year history of Rotary.Ms.

₹30,000 crore in the next 4-5 years. “Post the pandemic, consumers are more conscious of the need for preventive care and are focusing on health in a much more holistic manner," point out analysts at JM Financial Institutional Securities. Moreover, the target companies cater to the premium part of the H&W category.

—Jimmy Vielkind contributed to this article.  

The minister was speaking at the Health Ministers’ Conclave held on the occasion of Universal Health Coverage Day. New Delhi: “The Community Health Officers (CHOs) are the pivotal link operating at the cutting edge and delivering primary health care services at the grassroots. They are the health army at the field.

Colombo (News 1st) – The Samagi Jana Balawegaya has appointed Sajith Premadasa as the Leader of the party for the year 2023.The decision was reached during the annual party convention held at the Campbell Park in Colombo on Sunday (11).Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka was appointed SJB Chairman, while MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara was named as the General Secretary.MP Tissa Attanayake was appointed National Organizer of the SJB while Dr.

Colombo (News 1st) – Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nihal Ranasinghe says all government and government funded schools, which were closed due to the recent bad weather, will reopen on Monday (12).Schools across the island closed on Friday, the 9th of December, due to the unusual drop in air quality levels.The National Building Research Organization says air quality levels have returned to normal.Accordingly the Education Secretary says schools will operate as usual from tomorrow.

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) of Colombo as of 12:00 noon on Saturday (Dec. 10) is at 167, which is considered unsafe and anyone could experience negative health effects from pollution in the air."It is important to prevent the exposure to such toxic gases, particals and air pollutants.

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) of Colombo as of 11:00 AM on Sunday (Dec. 11) is at 117, which is considered as an unhealthy level for sensitive groups. According to the NBRO, AQI in the range of 101-150, indicates that members of sensitive groups may experience health effects"Poor Air Quality may lead to mild symptoms such as difficulties in breathing, itchy nose, throat irritations, and slights fever, which would subside without any medication," Consultant Respiratory Specialist Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A document presented to the Sri Lankan parliament for the very first time has revealed that there are 1,283 institutions that come under the government.This includes 29 ministries and 99 departments.State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya produced a document listing all the government institutions to the Sri Lanka Parliament on Thursday (17).This is the first time in Sri Lankan history that such a document was disclosed to the house.According to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization, and National Policies, this document was presented as per a promise made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe during his recent budget speech.The government also operates 25 District Secretariats, 9 provincial councils, 341 Divisional Secretariats and 341 local government bodies.According to the document a total of 420 institutions are owned by the government.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – South African President CyrilRamaphosa visited Sri Lanka on Wednesday (16) night for a short stay.He arrived in Sri Lanka during his return to South Africa after attending the G20 Summit in Indonesia.The South African President met his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Katunayake Air Force base for discussions on bilateral issues.Reports said that Sri Lanka hosted a birthday celebration for the South African President.Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa:Cyril Ramaphosa was born in Soweto on 17 November 1952.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday (14) told Parliament that the economic reforms introduced are not limited to those agreed upon with the International Monetary Fund. "These proposed reforms by the International Monetary Fund are limited only to economic stabilization," he said.The President also said that "Our envisaged reforms and reorganizations are what the country has needed for a long time to build a new economy. This is a role that many governments have opted to ignore with popularity in mind.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka is proposing to explore the possibility of exporting marijuana.President Ranil Wickremesinghe delivering the 2023 Budget speech said that a committee of experts will be appointed to explore the possibility of cultivating marijuana in Sri Lanka ONLY for export purposes.In addition, to regularize the Beedi industry and deter people from Beedi consumption, the President  proposed to impose a tax of Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Minister of Finance will present the 2023 budget to Parliament today (14) to create long-term, stable economic growth.The 2023 budget has given special attention to the sectors of the capital market, export market, labour market and digital economy and it is expected to achieve the budget targets through the social market economy.This year’s budget will focus more on providing social welfare benefits to the people who need them most and creating a policy environment to build the private sector as the driving force of the country’s economy.Through the 2023 budget, the process of building a new economy tailored for the new world has been initiated aimed at creating a program to ensure a decent country for the youth

PMD – President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Minister of Finance will present the 2023 budget to Parliament tomorrow (14) aimed at creating long-term, stable economic growth.The 2023 budget has given special attention to the sectors of capital market, export market, labour market and digital economy and it is expected to achieve the budget targets through the social market economy.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A special meeting of the ruling party is scheduled to be held on Monday (14) in connection with the upcoming appropriation bill.The meeting, which is scheduled to be held at 05:00 PM at the Temple Trees, will be presided over by the President and the Prime Minister.The General Secretary of the SLPP, Attorney-at-law Sagara Kariyawasam said that the ruling party MPs will be specially briefed about the upcoming budget proposals.Officials of the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank as well as several economic experts are also scheduled to be involved.Kariyawasam also said that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna will extend its full support to President Ranil Wickremesinghe's decision to restore the country's economy.However, Karivayasam stated that his party will take a decision on extending support for this year's budget after further consideration of the budget proposals presented tomorrow.Meanwhile, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya says that it has called a meeting of its parliamentary group on Monday (14) afternoon to discuss the budget proposals.Its General Secretary, MP Ranjith Madduma  Bandara said that the meeting will be held at the Parliament Complex under the Chairmanship of the Opposition Leader.Moreover, MP Dallas Alahapperuma stated that a meeting of the reformist group of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna representing the Nidahas Janatha Sabhawa will be held at 5:00 PM on Monday (14) to discuss the budget proposals.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has made it clear that his country will not be a part of any big power rivalry, especially in the Indian Ocean region."The total competition in the world has gone from US and Russia to US and China," said the President adding that whatever happens in Russia is a sideshow."Whether the US is in the Indian ocean we have no objections. We have no objections to the Japanese or the Chinese being there, as long as there is no rivalry. We are the literal states, and we have to look after our interests.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Seven newly appointed Ambassadors and a High Commissioner to Sri Lanka presented their credentials to President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday (11).Accordingly, His Excellency Mr. Federico Salas Lotfe, the Mexican Ambassador to Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – World Bank Group President David Malpass has affirmed the World Bank Group’s support to Sri Lanka in rebuilding their economy & creating a foundation for sustainable private sector-led growth, said the President's Media Division.President Ranil Wickremesinghe met World Bank Group President David Malpass at COP27 where discussions focused on the challenging macro-economic and social situation in Sri Lanka.Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe returned to the country on Thursday (10) concluding his visit to Egypt where he attended the COP-27 summit.President Ranil Wickremesinghe held discussions on debt management with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva, Finance Minister of Ghana Ken Ofori-Atta and Speaker of the People’s Majlis of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed on the sidelines of COP27.President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing the COP 27 Climate Change Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt said that unbridled industrialization of the developed countries is the root cause of climate change, leaving the poor to suffer the consequences.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday (7) launched his country’s ‘Climate Prosperity Plan’ at the UN Climate Change Conference in Sharm el Sheikh (COP27), together with Bangladesh, Ghana, and Maldives who are also preparing such plans aimed at emboldening growth despite an increasingly climate insecure world.The Sri Lankan Climate Prosperity Plan (CPP) is a roadmap to attract foreign investment in Sri Lanka’s economy to boost economic growth and employment, while also accelerating climate adaptation and bringing down the country’s greenhouse gas emissions as it transitions towards net negative emissions.President Wickremesinghe spoke alongside Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, and Maldivian Vice President Faisel Naseem.Compared to a Business As Usual scenario, Sri Lanka’s Climate Prosperity Plan is expected to deliver an economic growth rate that is 1% per year higher, resulting in GDP that is 34% higher by 2050.The Sri Lankan plan sets a target of increasing Sri Lanka’s renewable energy generation from 35% to 70% by 2030. The transport, forestry, water and tourism sectors have similarly ambitious aims.