Sri Lanka to seek eligibility for IDA loans

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka has been ranked 48 among 100 countries in the Freedom on the Net 2022 Index.While the Government of Sri Lanka announced plans to implement strict control plans on social media, Sri Lanka has been given a very bad rating at  the in the newest Freedom of the Net report for 2022. China has been ranked worst, while Myanmar, Iran, Cuba and Vietnam occupy the top five positions, while Sri Lanka has been ranked at 48. Iceland had the best ranking. Sri Lanka's rank has reduced, according to the report, due to social media platforms being blocked, political, social or religious content being blocked and pro-Government commentators manipulating online discussions.However, other factors which contributed to the ranking also are; new law or directive increasing censorship or punishment being passed, Blogger or ICT user arrested, imprisoned, or in prolonged detention for political or social content, a blogger or an ICT user being physically attacked or killed (including in custody), and technical attacks against news outlets, government critics, or civil society.

pregnancy-related deaths last year, according to a government report released on Wednesday. It says that it is a crisis that has disproportionately claimed Black and Hispanic women as victims. The report lays out trends across the country for expectant mothers and their newborn babies, the news agency AP reported.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne symbolically handed over 400 thalassemia infusion systems to the Deputy Director General (Non-Communicable Diseases) of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Champika Wickramasinghe at the Navy Headquarters on 19th October 2022. The infusion systems were produced by the Research and Development Unit of the Navy, under Naval Social Responsibility (NSR) initiatives.The infusion system is very much essential for thalassemia patients for the removal of excessive iron deposits in blood gathered in vital organs.Since the unit price of an infusion system in the market is generally not affordable, in 2011 the Navy set its mind to manufacture a low-cost thalassemia infusion system. So far, the Sri Lanka Navy has handed over 2774 thalassemia infusion systems to main hospitals and selected children down with the disease, in several phases. The Navy Research and Development Unit received the CDDA – (Cosmetics Devices & Drugs Regulatory Authority) for production of thalassemia infusion pumps in 2011.

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 19th October 2022. The operation led to the seizure of an Indian trawler with 03 Indian nationals poaching in the island's waters off the Kovilan Lighthouse, Kareinagar.Sri Lanka Navy has stepped up its 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 October, 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 the Kovilan Lighthouse, through the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

COLOMBO (News 1st)- Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has determined that the 'Bureau of Rehabilitation' bill as a whole is inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution and as such may be enacted only by the special majority required by Article 84(2) of the Constitution.However, However, this inconsistency shall cease if:(i) All references to “ex-combatants,” “violent extreme groups” and “any other group of persons” are deleted from the Bill;(ii) The Bill is limited to the rehabilitation of drug dependent persons and such other persons as may be identified by law. Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced the Supreme Court's determination on Thursday (20) to parliament.The complete determination is as follows: I wish to announce to Parliament that I have received the Determination of the Supreme Court in respect of the Bill titled “BUREAU OF REHABILITATION” which was challenged in the Supreme Court in terms of Article 121(1)of the Constitution.On an overall consideration of the provisions of the Bill, the Supreme Court has made the following Determination:—A. The Bill as a whole is inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution and as such may be enacted only by the special majority required by Article 84(2) of the Constitution. However, this inconsistency shall cease if:(i) All references to “ex-combatants,” “violent extreme groups” and “any other group of persons” are deleted from the Bill;(ii) The Bill is limited to the rehabilitation of drug dependent persons and such other persons as may be identified by law.B.

Ontario has quietly changed masking rules for long-term care homes, no longer requiring visitors or caregivers to wear them when alone with a resident in their room.Long-term care homes are one of the only places where provincial mask mandates remain, after Ontario lifted most such requirements in June.But the rules were changed as of Friday, though no public announcement was made. Operators were notified and the COVID-19 guidance document for long-term care homes was updated on an Ontario government website, said a spokesperson for Long-Term Care Minister Paul Calandra.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – International slavery continues to be a modern day curse that plagues our world.News 1st has for many years battled against international slavery, with a particular focus on Sri Lankan Domestic Workers who are all too often held captive in the Middle East.In the recent past, News 1st has warned that Sri Lanka's current economic crisis would result in increasing numbers of Sri Lankan women being trapped into slavery as thousands more venture overseas to escape poverty.  Now our worst fears have been realised.News 1st brings to you the shocking revelation that more than 50 women have been sent into slavery in Dubai by two job agencies in the central cities of Anuradhapura and Kurunegala, in a report filed by News 1st's Nisal Sooriyarachchi, and Naveksha Gunasekera.A foreign employment agency in Anuradhapura has trafficked more than 50 women to work as virtual slave labour in the state of Dubai where most of them are currently been held against their will in atrocious conditions. Several women who who fell victim to this scam have revealed that the agency headed by 3 women living in Dubai. Thushara Nilmini, a resident of Anuradhapura, who finally made her way back to Sri Lanka after falling victim to the scam, said that between 50 and 60 women who went abroad for domestic work are being held captive in various areas of Dubai. Chandrika, who asked that her full name not be revealed, has gone to work as a domestic worker in Dubai and is currently in a destitute state there. News 1st managed to obtain a telephone interview while she is in Dubai.She said that they stayed at the agency for about a month, and barely got anything to eat. "Then they stationed us at this safe house.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu has assured to support Sri Lanka during this difficult period. He is currently on an official visit to Sri Lanka, and met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday (19). While appreciating the President’s efforts in rebuilding Sri Lanka’s economy he said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe is the right person to get the country out of the present crisis and assured him that he has a force backing him.He also stated that the U.S.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Supreme Court on Wednesday (19) granted permission to issue notice on Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appear in court on the 15th of December 2022 over the case filed over the enforced disappearance of social activists Lalith & Kugan, back in 2011.Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on Wednesday (19) granted permission to issue notice on Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appear in court on the 15th of December 2022 after a fresh petition was filed requesting to annul the Court of Appeal’s decision preventing the enforcement of an order issued by the Jaffna Magistrate's Court on former President Rajapaksa with regard to the enforced disappearance of Lalith Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan in 2011 within the Jaffna High Security Zone.Earlier, the Supreme Court had granted permission to the complainant to sent notice to then Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appear in court on Wednesday (19).Attorney Nuwan Bopage apearing for the complainant requested permission from the Supreme Court to sent notice to the Wijerama Mawatha residence of the Former President, as it has come to light that Rajapaksa is no longer living at his residence located in Mirihana.Permission was granted to re-issue notice on the Former President by the Supreme Court Judge-bench comprising of Justices Gamini Amarasekara, Yasantha Kodagoda and A. H.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A story of a bond between a man and a monkey was reported from the Batticaloa District in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka on Wednesday (19).According to local reports, a man had befriended a monkey in the rural village and this monkey had made daily visits to the residence for food and to play with his new human friend.Unfortunately, on Tuesday (18) the local man passed away and when the monkey made his usual visit to the house to see his friend, he only came to find the family and friend of the man around a lifeless body prepared for burial.Video captured at the funeral tells a story of a strong affectionate bond between man and animal, as the monkey was seen trying to call his friend to play, unaware that his friend was no more. 

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's State Agriculture Minister told Parliament that the treasury is yet to release funds to compensate farmers who were affected following the use of Organic Fertilizer.Mohan Priyadarshana de Silva, the State Minister of Agriculture informed the Parliament that a request was made to the Treasury to release the funds to pay the necessary compensation to the farmers whose harvest dropped due to the use of organic fertilizer. He told the Parliament that the funds are yet to be released by the Treasury.His comments were in reponse to the concerns raised by SJB MP Ajith Mannappruma in Parliament on Wednesday (19).The Opposition MP alleged that private mill owners were extorting the paddy farmers, and the farmers in turn have been rendered helpless.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A daring rescue operation was launched to rescue a young man trapped in the middle of the Mahaweli River, while the search continues to locate another missing man.A major rescue operation got underway in Waratenne, Kandy after two young men were swept away by strong currents in the Mahawelia River.Initial reports said that the two men were swimming with several others.One of the young men had managed to cling on to a rock in the middle of the river, braving the strong currents from Sri Lanka's longest river.The rescue operation was launched by the Life Saving Team from the Kandy Police, and the Sri Lanka Army.With the assistance of two local men, the life saving teams managed to successfully retreive the man following a two hour rescue missing.The search continues to locate the other missing man.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The World Bank, in its Sri Lanka Development Update (SLDU), emphasizes that the first step the country should is to determine the current needs of the population in a transparent and unbiased manner. The document, which reports on key developments over the past 12 months in Sri Lanka’s economy, underlines that Sri Lanka is currently facing an unprecedented macroeconomic crisis, as years of fiscal indiscipline and risky commercial borrowing have led to unsustainable levels of public debt. The World Bank emphasizes that in order to determine the current needs of the population in a transparent and an unbiased manner, the government will have to collect data on households receiving or needing assistance, sufficient to ensure they are properly identified and that assistance to the poorest is prioritized. Accoridngly, the data will be collected by government officials on mobile devices, using a secure process and with a transparent grievance and appeals mechanism. A wide outreach campaign needs to be conducted  to ensure all who are in need can apply to be registered and assessed for assistance, the World Bank states. Therefore, a process will be put  in place to update these data on a regular basis (at least once every two years).

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe revealed that in 2020/2021 a total of Rs. 2.3 Trillion was printed paving the way for inflation to rise to 70% – 75%, while further increasing food inflation.In a special televised statement on Tax Policy, the President elaborated on the progress made with regard to debt restructuring. "An important step in Sri Lanka's debt restructuring program took place last week. A team under our Minister of state for Finance participated in the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Sri Lanka Administrative Service Association proposed that the Committee on Public Finance and the Committee on Public Enterprises be given the powers recover the money lost to the government from the officials who misused the public funds and the politicians who decided to misuse the government funds and also to enable for them to be subjected to the judicial process and be punished.Discussions on this regard took place at the National Council Sub-Committee on Identifying Priorities in Formulating Short-, Medium- and Long- Term Policies which met in Parliament yesterday (Oct.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament on Wednesday (19) that there is no national policy to cater to the non-academic education staff in the country.He told the house that the 30,000 plus non-academic staff are facing numerous issues due to the absence of a proper policy that also includes promotions.He said that educated individuals are serving as janitors, and security officers as a result of the absence of a proper policy to facilitate their future progress.The Opposition Leader also raised concern over the funds that have been allocated for security officers for their uniforms, torches, and batteries, however, no one appears to know what happens to the money that is reserved from the budget.Education Minister Susil Premajayantha proposed for the non-academic education staff to be recruited to management-level positions in schools, and if they are already qualified they can sit for the management-level examinations.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka is planning to designate the Ratmalana Airport for private aircraft in the future.Sri Lanka's Minister of Ports and Aviation told the Parliament on Wednesday (19) that the Ratmalana Airport will be used as a dedicated airport for private jets, as well as flying schools.He told the house that before he was appointed as the minister, a large sum of money was spent on converting the Ratmalana Aiport into an international airport, however, there were concerns surrounding the modus operandi followed in the upgrades.The Minister said the Maldivian Airline had expressed their interest to fly passengers to Ratmalana, however, following the opening of the airport the Maldivian Airline was reluctant to operate citing the situation in the country that prevailed.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The International Monetary Fund says it is deeply concerned, but committed to support Sri Lanka.Peter Breuer, Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka, and Masahiro Nozaki, Mission Chief for Sri Lanka in an exclusive comment to News 1st said that the International Monetary Fund is deeply concerned about the impact of the crisis on the people of Sri Lanka.They said deep concern is particularly on the poor and vulnerable grous.Both the Senior Mission Chief of Sri Lanka and the Mission Chief noted that the IMF is committed to support Sri Lanka at this difficult time in line with the IMF’s policies.

COLOMBO (News 1st)  –  A 21-year-old woman was shot dead in Shiva Nagar in Vavuniya on Tuesday (18) night.Sri Lanka Police said that the killer had waited in hiding near her house, and committed the murder, and thereafter fled the scene.A suspect is yet to be arrested and the body was moved to the Vavuniya Hospital morgue for the post-mortem examination.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – One person was killed in a drive-by shooting in Yakkalamulla, Galle on Wednesday (19) morning.Sri Lanka Police said that two people including a child were also injured.The Office of the Police Spokesperson said two motorcycle gunmen had opened fire at the trio, killing a 33-year-old man.Reports suggested that the deceased was linked to previous crimes that took place in the south of Sri Lanka.The injured are a 3-year-old child, and a 24-year-old man.

Colombo (News 1st) – Rated Sri Lankan corporates in consumer-goods retail, power generation and homebuilding will be among the most affected if the economic crisis deepens or is sustained for a prolonged period, says Fitch Ratings. Significant cost inflation affecting demand and profitability, import restrictions disrupting operations, and high interest rates are key risks faced by domestic corporates in the next 12-18 months.Based on Fitch’s base case forecast assumptions, we project that most other corporates will be able to weather the current economic downturn, supported by their presence in defensive industries, weakened competition, strong balance sheets, and adequate liquidity.Most rated corporates posted strong revenue growth and expanding margins in their June 2022 quarterly results due to inflation-led price hikes and sale of lower-cost inventory purchased prior to the sharp devaluation in the local currency in March 2022.

(With inputs from PTI)

COLOMBO (News 1st) – US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu arrived in Sri Lanka on Wednesday (19) to discuss U.S.-Sri Lanka relations and Sri Lanka’s economic situation.US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung tweeted that she welcomed US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu/Assistant Secretary Lu will meet with senior Sri Lankan officials to discuss ways in which the United States and Sri Lanka can promote economic stability, regional security, human rights, and responsive, transparent, and inclusive governance.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Moscow secured a long-term Credit Line from the Government of the Russian FederationThe Embassy of Sri Lanka in Moscow announced that on the 17th October 2022, a productive discussion was held with the Russian Government on the possibility of obtaining a long term credit line in order to procure fuel to Sri Lanka. Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, Prof. Janitha A.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu will be engaging in a visit to Sri Lanka from October 17th until October 19th to discuss U.S.-Sri Lanka relations and Sri Lanka’s economic situation.During his visit, Assistant Secretary Lu will meet with senior Sri Lankan officials to discuss ways in which the United States and Sri Lanka can promote economic stability, regional security, human rights, and responsive, transparent, and inclusive governance.This visit comes after several other visits by top US Government officials such as Under Secretary-General Victoria Nuland. 

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Eight people, including a monk, who were arrested during the protest organized by the Inter-University Student's Federation on Tuesday (18) will be produced to the Mahara Magistrate's Court on Wednesday (19).Sri Lanka Police said that the eight people were arrested for obstructing the movement of the public and vehicles, party to an illegal assembly, unlawful assembly, and disregarding the instructions of public officials.Sri Lanka Police and the Inter-University Student's Federation were engaged in a stand-off on Tuesday (18).The stand-off took place when the police decided to block the Colombo – Kandy main road to prevent a protest march from proceeding from the University of Kelaniya citing that 6-hour prior approval was not obtained.Inter-University Student's Federation launched their protest march against suppression on a rainy Tuesday (18) afternoon.They demanded the release of the two student activists who are being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.They also emphasized stopping the repression immediately.

SAN DIEGO, CA - OCTOBER 18: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during Game 1 of the NLCS between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Tuesday, October 18, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Dani SAN DIEGO - Bryce Harper homered again, Kyle Schwarber hit a jaw-dropping, 488-foot drive and Zack Wheeler was brilliant in throwing one-hit ball for seven innings to lead the Philadelphia Phillies over the San Diego Padres 2-0 Tuesday night to open the all-wild card NL Championship Series.Wheeler and two relievers combined on a one-hitter for Philadelphia.

MARIETTA, Ohio (AP) - A small plane crashed into a car dealership parking lot near the border of Ohio and West Virginia early Tuesday, killing two people on board and sparking a large fire.The crash of the 1974 Beechcraft Air King E90 in Marietta, Ohio, was reported about 7:15 a.m., according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The pilot and another person on board were killed.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Police and the Inter-University Student's Federation were engaged in a stand-off on Tuesday (18).The stand-off took place when the police decided to block the Colombo – Kandy main road to prevent a protest march from proceeding from the University of Kelaniya citing that 6-hour prior approval was not obtained.Multiple arrests were also made during the protest.Inter-University Student's Federation launched their protest march against suppression on a rainy Tuesday (18) afternoon.They demanded the release of the two student activists who are being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.They also emphasized to stop the repression immediately.But when the police informed that the march could not be allowed because permission was not obtained 6 hours prior, a heated situation arose. Then, as the students moved towards Colombo, the police announced to disperse immediately. The group protesting on the road in front of the university later attempted to proceed forward again. There the police announced to disperse for the second time and several people were arrested. A heated situation arose again when a couple riding a motorcycle on the road claimed to have shown support to the students. However, the students did not attempt to continue with today's march and dispersed after student activists addressed the gathering in front of Kelaniya University. 

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The  Chairperson of the National Council Sub-Committee on Identifying Priorities in Formulating Short-, Medium- and Long- Term Policies, Namal Rajapaksa, stated on Tuesday (18) that the sub-committee will promptly submit the necessary recommendations to the National Council to prepare a national policy for the digitization of public services, including the issuance of digital identity cards.Officials from the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government, Ministry of Technology, Department of Registration of Persons, Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) and the Attorney General's Department participated in the first meeting of the sub-committee held at the Parliament.Attention was also paid to matters such as the collection of data required to speed up the issuance of the electronic national identity card and the speedy establishment of the data protection agency under the Personal Data Protection Act.The sub-committee also discussed at length the need to amend ordinances to remove existing legal obstacles for updating the public service through digitization and accordingly, the sub-committee recommended to the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration M.M.P.K.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Customs recovered 2.5 kg cocaine concealed in the luggage of a female passenger from Suriname.Customs said that the 26-year-old woman was subject to a special search following her suspicious behavior upon arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Tuesday (18).She had traveled from Brazil to Qatar and then boarded Qatar Airways Flight QR 662 to Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka Customs said that the cocaine was concealed inside five tins labeled as food items.The street value of the cocaine is around Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Navy’s Auxiliary Ship A 521 on a dedicated search and rescue mission,  this afternoon (18th October 2022) re-established communication links with the naval craft with which the Navy had no means of connection for about a month, since September 17th, when it was on a special surveillance operation off the southern coast.After communication with the craft was lost, a dedicated search and rescue operation was launched from 26th September by Navy’s Fast Attack Craft and Offshore Patrol Vessels. The search operation was also augmented by air assets of the Sri Lanka Air Force.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Education Minister said that the results of the Ordinary Level examination will be released before the end of November 2022.Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) –  Two teenage boys died after they drowned in a flooded quarry pit in Thun-Anda-Hena in Athurugiriya.They were reportedly playing inside the pit after school on Monday (17).According to relatives, as the boys did not return home later in the evening they decided to search for them and only located their clothes.The deceased were 14-year-old Sandun Nimsara, and 15-year-old Nadun Induruwa.Sri Lanka Police said that the boys had attempted to paddle a makeshift raft and drowned when it toppled over.The Disaster Management Center appeals to the general public to refrain from playing in water holes, and from visiting landslide-prone areas.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Cabinet of Ministers have approved a proposal to raise the Government's debt ceiling for the year 2022. Speaking at the Cabinet decisions press conference on Tuesday (18), Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena said that the country currently can only take debt to the limit whic the Parliament hsa set, which is Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Association has stressed the need to ensure the people's rights to assembly in Sri Lanka.Clement Voule, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Association and Peaceful Assembly said his office will be following the situation closely in Sri Lanka.'He said that ahead of protests planned by the Inter-University Student's Federation in Colombo on Tuesday (18), Sri Lankan authorities must respect the right to assembly.He also said that law enforcement has an obligation to protect peaceful protestors & must create a safe & enabling environment for all to express their views.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – South Asia's fastest man & Commonwealth Bronze Medalist Yupun Abeykoon returned to Sri Lanka on Tuesday (18) morning.Sri Lankan sprinter Yupun Abeykoon won Bronze in the Men's 100m at the Commonwealth Games, clocking a time of 10.14 seconds. The first Asian to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the event, Abeykoon was only 0.01 seconds behind Olympic Games finalist Akani Simbine of South Africa who took SilverHe is currently ranked 20th in the world rankings, and this is the first time he visited Sri Lanka following the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games.Speaking to reporters Abeykoon said he was pleased to renew many recorded this years, and it also in talks with the Sports Minister to improve Sri Lankan Athletics to a professional sport.

COLOMBO (News 1st) –  Sri Lanka's Minister of Power and Energy said that the fuel quota for three-wheelers will likely be increased within the next two weeks.He said if the documentation process is completed the provision can be made available within a week.The Minister also said that three-wheeler drivers must also pass on the benefit of reducing petrol prices to the customers as well.

COLOMBO (News 1st) –  Sri Lanka's State Finance Minister says that the IMF is committed to working with Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka's State Minister for Finance Shehan Semasinghe tweeted that he, and the delegation concluded their visit to the IMF annual meeting with a bilateral discussion with Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the IMF.He said the IMF Managing Director commended the government on the difficult, yet essential, reforms that it had undertaken to restore economic stability,He also said that Kristalina Georgieva assured the IMF’s commitment to  work with Sri Lanka to place the country on a stable and sustained growth path as early as possible.

Fauci, long Covid impairs the body system without any signs, and that's why it has not attracted much attention as a death rate. There is no test for long Covid – its precise causes remain mysterious and little is known about how it interacts with other medical and physical conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO) believes that between 10% and 20% of Covid-19 survivors have been left with lasting symptoms including breathlessness, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction that can persist long after the acute infection has resolved.

Colombo (News 1st) – Sri Lankan Writer Shehan Karunatilaka won the prestigious Booker Prize for fiction on Monday (17) for “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida,” a satirical “afterlife noir” set during Sri Lanka’s brutal civil war.Karunatilaka, one of Sri Lanka’s leading authors, won the 50,000 pound ($57,000) award for his second novel. The 47-year-old, who has also written journalism, children’s books, screenplays and rock songs, is the second Sri Lanka-born Booker Prize winner, after Michael Ondaatje, who took the trophy in 1992 for “The English Patient.”Karunatilaka received the award from Camilla, Britain’s queen consort, during a ceremony at London’s Roundhouse concert hall.The judges’ unanimous choice, “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida” is the darkly humorous story about a murdered war photographer investigating his death and trying to ensure his life’s legacy.Karunatilaka said Sri Lankans “specialize in gallows humor and make jokes in the face of crises”.“It’s our coping mechanism,” he said, and expressed hope that his novel about war and ethnic division would one day be “in the fantasy section of the bookshop.”Former British Museum director Neil MacGregor, who chaired the judging panel, said judges chose the book for “the ambition, the scope and the skill, the daring, the audacity and the hilarity of the execution.”“It’s a book that takes the reader on a rollercoaster journey through life and death, right to what the author describes as the dark heart of the world,” MacGregor said.

Ontario, Canada, healthcare systems saw an uptick in healthcare use by adult COVID-19 survivors—especially women—starting 2 months after people were infected, placing more demand on an atrophied healthcare workforce, finds a study with implications for long COVID and hospital resources long term published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ).

FILE-Economic stimulus checks are prepared for printing at the Philadelphia Financial Center in 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Jeff Fusco/Getty Images) Millions of Americans are still eligible to receive a COVID-19 stimulus payment, with some households in store for a possibly massive payment.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Navy said it has sought the assistance of neighboring countries to locate the Sri Lanka Navy boat that went missing with six Sri Lankan sailors.Navy Spokesperson Captain Indika De Silva told News 1st that information about the missing boat was relayed to the authorities in India, Maldives, Indonesia, and Australia assuming that the Sri Lanka Navy boat may have drifted into international waters.The Sri Lanka Navy boat with six sailors had been engaged in operations to monitor suspicious activity in the Southern Coast of Sri Lanka and had left Sri Lanka on the 16th of September, and has been missing for exactly one month.On the 17th of September 2022, the Sri Lanka Navy lost all communication with the boat in question, and the Navy Spokesperson said that search and rescue operations are continuing to locate the missing sailors and the boat.

(The Hindu) – Close on the heels of the project that translocated cheetahs from Namibia, the Indian government is considering a proposal from Colombo to export a number of gaurs, or Indian bisons, to Sri Lanka to revive the population of gavaras that have been extinct in the island since the end of the 17th century.If the project is cleared, it would be the first such agreement between India and Sri Lanka, and part of a global trend of “wildlife or zoological diplomacy”, say experts.Sources said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which received the request in August, has now forwarded it to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), “seeking comments” on the proposal to transport at least six specimens, including a bull and three to five cows. According to the written proposal, the Sri Lankan Department of Zoological Gardens would then carry out “captive breeding a herd of about a dozen specimens over a five-year period before trial reintroduction to the wild could take place in accordance with [internationally mandated] guidelines for reintroductions”.S.P.

COLMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Ministry of Power and Energy has decided to reduce fuel prices with effect from Monday (17) night.92 Octane Petrol (1 Litre) reduced by Rs. 40/- to  Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – More than forty students attending a school in Bogaswewa, Vavuniya were hospitalized following a wasp attack on Monday (17) morning.The students were rushed to the Padaviya, and Vavuniya hospital.Sri Lanka Police said that two students are in critical condition.

(Times of India) – Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India has told the Times of India that any security threat to India is also a security threat to Sri Lanka.The Times of India said the High Commissioner had  sought to reassure the Indian government that in line with their bilateral agreement and understanding, the island nation won’t allow its ports to be used by a foreign country in any manner that is prejudicial to India’s interests.Describing India as the key to "sustainable" economic recovery of debt-ridden Sri Lanka, the high commissioner said that the strategically located country is exploring with India trilateral cooperation opportunities with Japan, Israel and the UAE.According to Moragoda, Sri Lanka wants economic integration with India which, he said, will allow the country to expand its existing economic model and ensure quicker recovery from the debt crisis it’s facing.  "If we can hitch on to India, when you move we can move too.