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(Reuters) – Sri Lanka has sought an additional credit line of $1 billion from India to import essentials amid its worst economic crisis in decades, two sources said on Monday (28), as the Indian foreign minister began talks with the government of its neighbor.The island nation is struggling to pay for essential imports of food and fuel after a 70% drop in foreign exchange reserves since January 2020 led to a currency devaluation and efforts to seek help from global lenders.New Delhi has indicated it would meet the request for the new line, to be used for importing essential items such as rice, wheat flour, pulses, sugar and medicines, said one of the sources briefed on the matter.“Sri Lanka has requested an additional $1 billion credit line from India for imports of essentials,” the second source said.

NATO has activated its “chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence elements” amid fears Russia could launch a biological strike in Ukraine.Following an emergency summit of the military alliance on Thursday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels the decision comes as the allies move to equip Ukraine with its own biological defences.“Our top military commander … has activated NATO’s chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence elements,” he said.“And allies are deploying additional chemical and biological and nuclear defences to reinforce our existing and new battlegroups, so we are taking measures both to support Ukraine and also to defend ourselves.” How the war in Ukraine stands a month after Russia’s invasion — and what may be next Stoltenberg made the announcement as part of a slew of new measures taken by the military alliance to boost its presence in eastern Europe amid a growing Russian threat, he said.NATO is sending four new battlegroups to Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, Stoltenberg announced, while promising the allies will further support Ukraine in its fight against Russia as the invasion hit the one-month mark Thursday.However, the West fears Russia, which has yet to make significant ground in Ukraine, could escalate the conflict by using biological weapons. Leaders have expressed their fears over such an attack, but have not provided evidence one is looming.

Russia’s post-Soviet economic reforms, has quit his post as a Kremlin special envoy and left the country due to the war in Ukraine, two sources told Reuters, the highest profile protest by a Russian figure against the invasion.Chubais, who once served as former President Boris Yeltsin’s chief of staff, left his post as Vladimir Putin’s special representative for ties with international organizations, one of the sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Top ex-Kremlin official accused of ‘national betrayal’ quits post at foundation He was appointed to the post, which was charged with “achieving goals of sustainable development,” in 2020, days after resigning as the head of state technology firm RUSNANO, which he had run since 2008.The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Chubais left due to the conflict in Ukraine.

The fossil remains of a Basilosaurus' skull found in Ocucaje, Peru, are displayed by paleontologists at a museum in Lima, on March 17, 2022.  Paleontologists recently discovered the origins of fossils from a fearsome aquatic predator that would make the terrifying shark from "Jaws" look adorable. The skull was dug up last year but scientists announced on Thursday the 36-million-year-old creature once lived in a prehistoric ocean that once covered what is now Peru, Reuters reported. The recovered skull may look like it came from a fire-breathing dragon, but scientists believe the mammal to be a basilosaurus, part of the aquatic cetacean family. Modern descendants of this animal include whales and dolphins. Scientists confirmed the ancient whale measured in at roughly 39 feet offering relief to readers of the creature’s extinction. "It was a marine monster," said Rodolfo Salas, chief of paleontology at Peru's National University of San Marcos, told reporters at a news conference.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Oil prices dropped about 8% on Monday to the lowest in two weeks, as diplomatic efforts between Ukraine and Russia looked like they might end their conflict, which would boost global supplies, while a pandemic-linked travel ban in China cast doubt on the demand outlook.Brent futures fell $8.64, or 7.7%, to $104.03 a barrel by 10:59 a.m. EDT (1459 GMT).

(Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s finance minister held talks with a top International Monetary Fund (IMF) official on Monday, two sources said, as the island nation seeks help to deal with its plunging reserves, a sliding currency, and surging inflation, according to Reuters.It was reported that IMF’s Asia Pacific Director had led a delegation to Sri Lanka.It was earlier reported that a Senior Official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will pay a visit to Sri Lanka on Monday (14) and Tuesday (15) to brief Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of the IMF assessment of the current economic crisis.

Ukraine must hold off Russia’s attack for the next seven to 10 days to deny Moscow claiming any sort of victory, said a senior government official, as more than 2 million refugees fled the biggest assault on a European country since World War Two.Vadym Denysenko, adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, said Russia was desperate for at least some kind of victory, citing the cities of Mariupol or the capital Kyiv as the most likely targets.“They need at least some victory before they are forced into the final negotiations,” Denysenko wrote on Facebook.“Therefore our task is to stand for the next 7-10 days.” U.S. rejects Poland’s offer to supply fighter jets to Ukraine, says it’s not ‘tenable’ Russia said it would provide humanitarian corridors on Wednesday for people fleeing Kyiv and four other Ukrainian cities.

Remi Lindholm of Finland in action competes during the men´s 15km classic cross-country skiing during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at The National Cross-Country Skiing Centre on February 11, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China. (Photo by Tom Weller/VOIGT/ BEIJING - A Finnish skier competing in a men's cross-country skiing race at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing suffered damage to his equipment on Saturday, but just not what you might expect, according to a report.Remi Lindholm, 24, of Finland, spent over an hour traversing the shortened men's 50km mass start free race in brutal temperatures and howling winds, causing his penis to become frozen, Reuters reported."You can guess which body part was a little bit frozen when I finished ...

FILE - People watch the coverage of North Korea's latest missile launch in Seoul Station, South Korea on Jan. 31, 2022.

ZHANGJIAKOU, CHINA - FEBRUARY 07: Katharina Althaus of Team Germany jumps during Mixed Team Ski Jumping First Round at National Ski Jumping Centre on February 07, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) Slovenia’s win in the Olympic debut of the mixed team ski jumping event on Monday was overshadowed by a number of disqualifications over suit violations that led several outraged athletes and coaches to slam the sport’s governing body. Five female ski jumpers, from Germany, Austria, Norway, and Japan, were all disqualified from the competition after officials said their ski suits did not comply with the International Ski Federation’s (FIS) rules.  According to Yahoo Sports, the suits were deemed too loose which seemingly gives the skiers an advantage on their jumps.RELATED: Figure skater Nathan Chen sets record at Olympics after 2018 'poor' performanceGerman head of Nordic events Horst Huttel, whose team was the favorite heading into the event, said, via Reuters, that the situation was "outrageous." "This is a parody, but I am not laughing ...

COLOMBO (News 1st); A currency swap agreement with China has assisted Sri Lanka to raise its foreign exchange reserves to around $3.1 billion, Reuters reports.According to the agency, the reserves had been topped up after a $1.5 billion currency swap with the People’s Bank of China was finalized on Wednesday (29).Central Bank Governor, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, said in a tweet on Wednesday (29) reserves has risen to around $3.1 billion and would remain at that level until year-end.In keeping with our previous announcements, the official #reserve position of the @CBSL has today reached appox USD 3.1 billion and will remain around that level by end 2021 as well. #RoadMap #SriLanka #GoSL— Ajith Nivard Cabraal (@an_cabraal) December 29, 2021Subsequently, the CBSL confirmed the foreign support but did not specifically reference the Chinese swap arrangement.

BENGALURU :

Omicron variant in the country could be low, Reuters reported.

More to come— With files from Reuters and the Associated Press

electric vehicle production in the U.S. would cause harm to Canada’s economy.“It’s not good news for Canada.

Cancun, Mexico, on Thursday that resulted in the killings of two suspected gang members and sent stunned tourists fleeing into nearby hotels for cover."I’ve never been so scared, literally shaking," Mike Sington, who is a guest at the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun, posted on Twitter. "I’m fine now, barricaded in my hotel room for the night, just trying to decompress.RELATED: Americans at Cancun LGBT+ event in hiding after men with long guns reportedly storm beachThe gunmen arrived at the beach by boat and sought out the individuals they intended to kill, Reuters reported, citing a senior state official.

deadly shooting between suspected drug dealers on a Mexican beach Thursday afternoon sent locals and tourists scrambling to safety.Two men were left dead after a confrontation in Bahía Petempich, in Puerto Morelos, resulted in gunfire, state officials said.Puerto Morelos, a beach community about 25 kilometres south of Cancun, is a popular tourist area for many Canadians and Americans.

nation's largest retailer is holding a two-day hiring event for supply-chain associates across the country as the industry battles a range of headwinds from pandemic-related supply chain disruptions to a worker shortage.Walmart's hiring push on Nov. 3 and Nov.

US deaths due to the coronavirus surpassed 20,000 on Saturday, the highest reported number in the world, according to a Reuters tally, although there are signs the pandemic might be nearing a peak.