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COLOMBO (News 1st); The International Monetary Fund said that Sri Lanka must increase tax revenue in a growth friendly manner. Peter Breuer, the Senior IMF Mission Chief for Sri Lanka, told reporters that the current economic crisis has a number of origins including the governments' inability to meet government spending needs through revenue collection and Sri Lanka is among the countries that collect the least amount of fiscal revenue in the world. He said that Tax Reforms are badly needed to correct the imbalance, and only with appropriate tax receipts will the government be able to fund essential expenditures, and avoid further slashing critically important outlets. "These reforms will also help regain the confidence of the creditors, so that in the future they will once again finance the gap between revenue and expenditure," he said.Peter Breuer further said that it is important that those who can afford it may commence contributions to the financing of necessary government expenditures."The tax package the authorities have introduced including the new tax rate schedule for Personal Income tax helps to meet the objectives. The tax rates proposed under the authorities program are also inline with similar countries who are contributing to Sri Lanka's support package, through the IMF," he said."So it is important to remember that there are many countries who have income levels comparable or may be less than Sri Lanka with much higher tax rates.

Drive-up vaccination was part of a 10-day campaign this month to protect Syrians from cholera, especially in earthquake-stricken areas where the risk of infectious disease is rising. ©WHO

COLOMBO (News 1st); A survery by the Institute for Health Policy revealed that nationally voters are consolidating around the NPP/JVP and SJB, and around ITAK and SJB in the northern Province, with support for the SLPP, SLFP and UNP falling,It noted that overall, NPP/JVP support surged in February giving it a clear lead with 43% of likely General Election voters, compared with 30% for the SJB. The SLPP, UNP and ITAK were far behind with support of 4% of likely voters each, and SLFP support remained at 2%.It goes on to note that NPP/JVP lead in February would have been  arger if not for a gap in voter enthusiasm with its supporters saying they are less likely to vote.IHP’s latest MRP analysis of likely voters indicates that in the 12 months since February 2022 when SLPP support last peaked, the NPP/JVP has gained 30 points and the SJB 11 points. Meanwhile, the SLPP, and SLFP have lost 28 and 15 points respectively, and the UNP has seen its support fluctuate but end only two points higher. During these twelve months, support for the NPP/JVP has fluctuated, peaking in April and in July 2022, and then again currently, but over the longer term its support has steadily risen. In contrast, the increase in support for the SJB has been slower but also less volatile. The fluctuations in support for the NPP/JVP indicate that it has benefited successively from successive swings in floating voters.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Bills were filed, hearings were planned and blame was cast as Congress reacted this past week to the abrupt failure of two banks. A look at what lawmakers are saying and planning as the fallout continues from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.While President Joe Biden called Monday on Congress to strengthen the rules for banks to prevent future failures, lawmakers are divided on whether any legislation is needed.Some congressional leaders are skeptical that a closely divided Congress will act at all."There’s people who are going to choose bills, but I cannot imagine that, with the hold banks have on Republican members of Congress, that we can pass anything significant," said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.Republicans say the laws already in place were sufficient to prevent the bank failures, if only regulators had done their job by spotting obvious problems and directing the banks to take steps that would reduce their risk."If there are ideas out there that people have, you know, at some point, we would be willing to entertain those, but I think it would be premature to start talking about solutions before we fully define the problem and ultimately get answers from the regulators about why they were asleep at the job," said Sen.

Pfizer argued that Seagen can provide a steady and long-lasting revenue stream that will help fill the $17 billion hole it is facing as key products lose patent protection between 2025 and 2030. Pfizer makes a decent argument. Its commercial and manufacturing heft can undoubtedly maximize the value of Seagen’s portfolio and pipeline of antibody-drug conjugates, medicines that use antibodies to deliver powerful chemotherapies directly to tumor cells.

COATESVILLE, Pa. - Coatesville City Council says the ambulance company that the town has a five-year contract with is downgrading its services after just months.Washington Hose Company provides ambulance service to Coatesville, but city council says it was blindsided by an email saying they will no longer provide Advanced Life Support Services (ALS). ALS is a specific level of care needed for severe health emergencies, including heart attacks and strokes.

Air Force One on Ottawa Tarmac (Photo by �� Christopher J. Morris/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) President Joe Biden decided to stick with blue and white for the exterior color scheme of the next Air Force One aircraft, though the classic design will be slightly modernized.The U.S.

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India – Business Wire India GenWorks Health celebrated its 9th Anniversary recently with great fervour in Bengaluru. The celebrations aptly themed “Yeh Dil Maange More" was attended by Customers, Partners, Investors and Employees.

HARRISBURG, PA - JANUARY 17: Adam Shapiro arrives before his brother, Josh Shapiro, was sworn in as Governor of Pennsylvania at the State Capitol Building on January 17, 2023 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Shapiro defeated Republican nominee Doug Mastr HARRISBURG, Pa. - Lawyers for the districts that won a landmark school funding court case in Pennsylvania say that Gov.

Covid cases when after a gap of 97 days, The nation started recording more than 300 cases in a day.  Further it should be noted that India have been reporting a high number of influenza cases in the last two months with prolonged illness, lingering cough, symptoms that are similar to Covid-19. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that this is due to the Influenza A subtype H3N2 virus.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - When Pennsylvania Gov.

SOCIETY HILL - On the final weekend of Black History Month, Philadelphia leaders welcomed Dr. Bernice King for a forum at the historic Mother Bethel A.M.E Church.Morgan Lloyd, with the African American Museum in Philadelphia, said the hope is people will take away a feeling of community and empowerment."Black History Month is a continual thing," said Lloyd. "We’re here at this historical institution that was one of the foundations for our Black abolitionists and a huge community here in the city.

SOCIETY HILL - On the final weekend of Black History Month, Philadelphia leaders welcomed Dr. Bernice King for a forum at the historic Mother Bethel A.M.E Church.Morgan Lloyd, with the African American Museum in Philadelphia, said the hope is people will take away a feeling of community and empowerment."Black History Month is a continual thing," said Lloyd. "We’re here at this historical institution that was one of the foundations for our Black abolitionists and a huge community here in the city.

NEW DELHI : Consumer-tech major Apple will continue to focus on the consumers’ personal health and fitness features on Apple Watch and iPhone, instead of tapping into governments’ health information infrastructure, and medical records, worldwide. In an interview, Sumbul Desai, vice president, Health, Apple said it is not looking to transform medical records but yearns to help consumers gain more insights into their own health. It is also looking to work with researchers and startups in India to further its health efforts.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) officially announced on Tuesday that she’s running to replace U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein in 2024. "The Senate needs a perspective that I bring with my life experiences, as a progressive Black woman who not only fights for what is right, but also gets the job done," Lee told KTVU in her first TV interview of the campaign.

PHILADELPHIA - Another Philadelphia family ripped apart by gun violence are hoping their tragic loss will help spark a change in their community.Temple University Officer Christopher Fitzgerald was fatally shot in the line of duty over the weekend, an act of bravery his family says was expected of the beloved father-of-four."He put his own life on the line," Juan Marrero said of his cousin.RELATED COVERAGE: 'Chris is a hero': Family, friends mourn Temple University officer killed in the line of dutyOfficer Fitzgerald's cousin and uncle, also named Juan, joined Good Day Tuesday morning to remember the fallen officer and the legacy he has left behind."Chris is the embodiment of a good community person," Fitzgerald's uncle, who is also a pastor, said. "He was loved by the people of the community as Chris."Pastor Juan says Fitzgerald could often be found playing with youth at the community center, and working alongside former inmates.

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - There’s a 24-hour community fridge in South Philadelphia and it’s having a huge impact on the community by feeding so many people. But, now they are seeking the public’s help.There are thousands of people in Philadelphia who have food insecurity.

India’s podcast industry, which recorded massive growth during the strict covid-19 lockdowns, has failed to sustain the gains with its listener base plunging as much as 70% in line with the easing of the pandemic India’s podcast industry, which recorded massive growth during the strict covid-19 lockdowns, has failed to sustain the gains with its listener base plunging as much as 70% in line with the easing of the pandemic. Considered nascent, the podcast industry’s biggest challenge is to get people to pay for audio content, which is also true for entertainment content in general.

  A statement noted that the Paris Club members held a meeting on January 25, 2023, in the presence of representatives from Hungary, Saudi Arabia, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and India, as well as from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, to provide financing assurances to support the approval by the IMF Executive Board of the envisaged IMF program for Sri Lanka, which would allow to restore the country’s macroeconomic stability.They examined the macroeconomic and financial situation of Sri Lanka, including its long-term debt sustainability, and the need for a debt treatment by all bilateral creditors to both fill the financing gap and to ensure Sri Lanka’s debt sustainability in line with the proposed Extended Fund Facility."We acknowledge that the Sri Lankan authorities had the opportunity to present Sri Lanka’s economic and financial situation to their creditors, which underscored the need for debt treatment from all creditors.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Ad Hoc Group of Sri Lanka Bondholders (the "Bondholder Group") in a letter to the IMF Managing Director has confirmed it is prepared to engage, through its Steering Committee, with the Sri Lankan authorities in restructuring negotiations consistent with the parameters of an IMF Programme and the targets specified therein (the "IMF Programme Targets").The Ad Hoc Group of Sri Lanka Bondholders (the "Bondholder Group") has acknowledges the Sri Lankan authorities' engagement with their official creditors towards a resolution of the current crisis and restoration of debt sustainability.The Bondholder Group further acknowledged that such engagement has recently resulted in the Government of India (in its letter to the IMF, dated January 16, 2023 (the "India Letter")) delivering letters of financing assurances, committing to support Sri Lanka and contribute to its efforts to restore debt sustainability by providing debt relief and financing consistent with the IMF Extended Fund Facility Arrangement (the "IMF Programme") and the IMF Programme targets indicated in the India Letter.Similarly, the Bondholder Group through its Steering Committee stands ready to engage quickly and effectively with the Sri Lankan authorities to design and implement restructuring terms that would help Sri Lanka restore debt sustainability and allow the country to re-gain access to the international capital markets during the IMF Programme period.The Bondholder Group understands that the IMF Programme's debt sustainability targets are identified as (i) reducing the ratio of public debt to GDP to 95% by 2032,  (ii) limiting the central government's annual gross financing needs to GDP ratio to 13% in the period between 2027 and

Group 1 has seen various encounters being marred by rain and two points will go a long way towards sealing a berth in the semis for these two sides. The winner of the Group 1 clash at the Sydney Cricket Ground could build a bit of a gap from the other candidates, with rain interruptions and abandonments leaving all the sides jostling for vital points.

By paying a nominal add-on premium, employees can upgrade their cover, which can even be continued in a personal capacity post-employment Employee benefits insurtech Healthysure has partnered ManipalCigna Health Insurance to launch India’s first flexi top-up insurance which allows employees to personalize and upgrade their corporate health insurance plans. By paying a nominal add-on premium, employees can upgrade their cover, which can even be continued in a personal capacity post-employment. They are thus able to eliminate the need of buying independent personal health cover and also save up to 90% of premium spending.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Deputy Director of the Asia and Pacific Department of the International Monetary Fund, Anne-Marie Gulde-Wolf has said that Sri Lanka will remain a middle-income country despite the decline in GDP.Speaking at an IMF press conference on the Asia and Pacific Region’s Economic Outlook, the Deputy Director of the Asia and Pacific Department of the IMF responded to questions raised about Sri Lanka's progress toward debt restructuring negotiation, the IMF's program timeline, and whether Sri Lanka could be downgraded to low-income status.She pointed out that it is difficult to predict a timeline because the process of debt negotiations takes time, and mentioned that timelines differ depending on who the creditors are and what is involved. "We certainly are supporting the process as much as we can. And we hope that everybody can work expeditiously to get a process underway, and discussions have started, including with support of all bilateral creditors that are involved," she said. Anne-Marie Gulde-Wolf further speaking noted that with regard to the other multilateral lenders, the IMF is working very closely with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Investment Bank, on programs for Sri Lanka, which would assist in closing the financing gap. "But I want to say also very importantly that the policies under the other multilateral lenders in their areas of expertise will be important to resolve Sri Lanka's longer term growth problems," Anne-Marie Gulde-Wolf emphasized.

The US Air Force Thunderbirds are seen rehearsing their persision flying routine, September 18, 2015 in Forestville, Maryland. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) The United States Air Force is celebrating a major milestone this weekend. Though the country has seen several wars and aircraft flights for more than 100 years, the Air Force as we know it today is only 75 years old. Benjamin Franklin first considered using air balloons for reconnaissance back in 1783. It wasn’t until 1903 that the Wright brothers took the first flight, leading the world into a decade of innovation.Orville (right) and Wilbur (middle) prepare for take off on July 30, 1909.

Arizona–Utah state line pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal charges of tampering with evidence, weeks after being stopped on a highway with young girls in an enclosed trailer.Samuel Bateman, 46, was indicted earlier this month on three counts of destroying or attempting to destroy records, and tampering with criminal proceedings. He pleaded not guilty in U.S.

cheeky bum pinching and kissing in the street. READ MORE: Couple with 40-year age gap defy trolls who doubted them by marking 17th anniversary And, having just celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary, the couple had a surprising response when they were asked if they were well on ITV’s This Morning programme.“I’m still in one piece, it’s a miracle,” Simon replied, before the pair explained that he had a kidney transplant nearly six years ago after an illness left him seriously ill.“It didn’t look like it might be [fine] at first, because I had to go on dialysis and I didn’t realise at the time that I was dying, I was going downhill fast.”Edna picked up the story, adding: “My son and I could see that he wasn’t going to make Christmas, and that was Easter.“But he seemed blissfully unaware of all that, so we left him unaware of that and he fell asleep more and more, he was drowning.”Thankfully, the 87 year-old then recalled how one night she had been upstairs watching murder mystery films when she had finally received the good news that the hospital had found a kidney donor match for her beloved partner.Having overcome the dramatic scenario, the defiant couple reflected on their journey together and suggested that they’d done better than a lot of marriages.To get more lifestyle stories from Daily Star delivered straight to your inbox sign up to one of our free newsletters here.“At the time I believe the British average was 28 months, so if you count that against 17 years, we’re pretty damned good,” Edna acknowledged.Presenting the show, Rylan Clark was clearly impressed with the elderly ladies’ attitude, and even joked about breaking up the relationship to steal her for himself.READ MORE: Couple still enjoy naughty

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, at its meeting held yesterday (17) decided to maintain the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank at their current levels of 14.50% and 15.50%, respectively. In arriving at this decision, the Board considered the latest model-based projections, which point toward a larger than expected contraction in activity and a faster than expected easing of price pressures, compared to the previous monetary policy review. Contractionary monetary and fiscal policies already in place, alongside the measures to curtail non-urgent import expenditure, are expected to result in a notable contraction in credit to the private sector and possible upside risks to unemployment in the near term. The Board was of the view that despite headline inflation being projected to remain elevated in the near term, the policy measures taken by the Central Bank and the Government thus far would help contain any aggregate demand pressures, thereby anchoring inflation expectations, along with the anticipated decline in global commodity prices and its passthrough to domestic prices in the period ahead. Global economic growth is expected to slow at a faster pace As per the July 2022 update of the World Economic Outlook (WEO) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), global economic growth is estimated to moderate to 3.2% in 2022 from 6.1 % recorded in 2021. Tighter financial conditions adopted by central banks around the world following the emergence of inflationary pressures, a slowdown in the Chinese economy due to the resurgence of COVID-19, among others, and further negative spillovers from the geopolitical tensions in

Phillip Messier, who portrays Myles Standish, walks through Pilgrim Village at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, formerly known as Plimoth Plantation, in Plymouth, MA on Nov. 5, 2020.

The sun sets behind a gap along the border wall at the Morelos Dam between the US and Mexico in Yuma, Arizona on May 31, 2022. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)YUMA, Ariz. - Governor Doug Ducey has issued an executive order to immediately close gaps in the U.S.-Mexico wall in Yuma.The border wall will be fortified with 60 double-stacked shipping containers, reinforced with razor wire.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani finance minister Miftah Ismail said on Tuesday “serious worries” that Pakistan would end up like Sri Lanka, grappling with its worst economic crisis in decades, had been averted due to “significant” policy changes and austerity measures.The high price of energy imports have recently pushed Pakistan to the brink of a balance of payments crisis. Its foreign currency reserves had fallen as low as $9.8 billion, hardly enough for five weeks of imports, and the Pakistani rupee had weakened to record lows against the US dollar this year.But the Pakistani economy got a new lease of life when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said last month it had reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistan that would pave the way for the disbursement of $1.17 billion of a stall $6 billion loan program, if approved by the IMF board.Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is caught in its worst financial crisis in more than 70 years as a shortage of foreign exchange has left it struggling to pay for essential imports of food, medicine and, critically, fuel.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd. the organic fertilizer manufacturer that was at the center of controversy in the recent past sent a letter to Sri Lanka's Ministry of Agriculture expecting a reply within 5 days.Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd.

WASHINGTON - The House Jan. 6 committee is headed back to prime time for its eighth hearing — potentially the final time this summer that lawmakers will lay out evidence about the U.S.

(Office of Gov. Tom Wolf)  ((Office of Gov. Tom Wolf) )HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania Gov.

The govt had earlier cut the booster dose gap for those travelling abroad The central government on Wednesday cut the gap for taking the booster Covid-19 dose to six months from the earlier nine months after taking the second shot.  This comes after the Standing Technical Sub-Committee (STSC) of the NTAGI last month recommended reducing the gap between the second and precaution doses of Covid-19 vaccines to six months.  The recommendation was endorsed by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, according to the Union health ministry.  “Therefore, it has now been decided that the precaution dose for all beneficiaries from 18-59 years will be administered after completion of six months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose at a private vaccination centre," read a letter by Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan to all states.  "For beneficiaries aged above 60 years as well as the healthcare workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs), precaution dose would be administered after completion of six months at government vaccination centres free of cost," it added.

Trafford council has cut costs during Covid - but still faces a £18.4 million budget gap.

PTI. Further, based on a study by the CMC Vellore, the panel will also discuss the feasibility of allowing a precautionary dose of a Covid-19 vaccine separate from the one used for primary vaccination.

Bloomberg reported adding “The forecast is particularly bleak in developing countries like India. " Currently, the employment gap between men and women is about 58 percent point. And closing that gap could expand India’s GDP by close to a third by 2050, as per an analysis from Bloomberg Economics.

HARRISBURG - A state court agreed Thursday night in a ballot-counting lawsuit with the campaign of David McCormick, who is in a neck-and-neck Republican primary contest for the U.S. Senate against celebrity heart surgeon Dr.

₹11.51 crore in (FY19) before the pandemic to ₹11.81 crore in (FY21--the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic).

The COVAX program to speed and equitably deliver COVID-19 vaccine to low- and middle-income countries has enough vaccine supplies, but demand for shots is low and some countries are struggling to launch campaigns, a situation that requires urgent action, the group said today.

₹64,180 crore in the 2021-22 Budget, aiming to fill the critical gaps in public health infrastructure, especially in critical care facilities and primary care in both the urban and rural areas.

A Southwest Airlines jet lands at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, CA on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (Photo by Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images) DALLAS - Southwest Airlines will spend more than $2 billion to improve the flying experience for passengers, promising faster internet service, power outlets at every seat on new planes and larger overhead bins for carry-on bags.The airline also said Wednesday that later this month it expects to roll out a previously announced fourth fare category, designed to fill a gap between Southwest's cheapest fares and its mid-priced ticket, which comes with perks like more frequent-flyer points.Southwest has always offered fewer amenities than bigger rivals, right down to its lack of assigned seats and first-class cabins.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, Kathy Barnette, and Dave McCormick are all vying to fill a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania, replacing fellow Republican Pat Toomey.

In case you are traveling abroad, you can now take the precautionary dose against Covid -19 before completing the necessary 9-month gap from the time of the 2nd dose. The recommendation came during a COVID-19 working group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) meeting earlier this week. 

Hindustan Times report.

GENEVA - Cooking oils are the latest commodity to be impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The United Nations says prices for world food commodities like grains and vegetable oils have reached their highest levels as a result of Russia’s military assault on its European neighbor. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said last month that its Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in international prices for a basket of commodities, averaged 159.3 points last month, up 12.6% from February. The ongoing war has prompted a 17.1% rise in the price of grains, including wheat and others like oats, barley and corn.

ANI on Saturday, quoting sources. 

NEW DELHI :