WEATHER ALERT
Sri Lanka's new president says he'll restart talks with the IMF to find a way out of economic crisis
Read full article: Sri Lanka's new president says he'll restart talks with the IMF to find a way out of economic crisisSri Lanka’s new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says that he will soon resume discussions with the International Monetary Fund and foreign creditors to plot a way out of the worst economic crisis in the country’s history.
Sri Lanka closes schools as the death toll from floods and mudslides rises to 16
Read full article: Sri Lanka closes schools as the death toll from floods and mudslides rises to 16Sri Lanka has closed schools as heavy rain triggered floods and mudslides in many parts of the island nation, leaving at least 16 people dead.
A UN agency targets 35% growth in aquaculture production by 2030 to meet demand and fight hunger
Read full article: A UN agency targets 35% growth in aquaculture production by 2030 to meet demand and fight hungerThe U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has set a target to further increase aquaculture production to meet rising demand for seafood and to fight global hunger and undernourishment.
Sri Lanka will get the second tranche of a much-need bailout package from the IMF
Read full article: Sri Lanka will get the second tranche of a much-need bailout package from the IMFThe International Monetary Fund executive board has approved the release of the second tranche of a bailout package to help Sri Lanka recover from the worst economic crisis in its history.
Sri Lanka says it struck a deal with creditors on debt restructuring to clear way for IMF funds
Read full article: Sri Lanka says it struck a deal with creditors on debt restructuring to clear way for IMF fundsSri Lanka says it has reached an agreement in principle with a group of creditors including India and Japan on debt restructuring.
US plans to build a $553 million terminal at Sri Lanka's Colombo port in rivalry with China
Read full article: US plans to build a $553 million terminal at Sri Lanka's Colombo port in rivalry with ChinaThe U.S. plans to launch a $553 million project to build a deep-water shipping container terminal in Sri Lanka as it competes with China in development financing.
How China's Belt and Road Initiative is changing after a decade of big projects and big debts
Read full article: How China's Belt and Road Initiative is changing after a decade of big projects and big debtsChina’s Belt and Road Initiative looks to become smaller and greener after a decade of big projects that boosted trade but left big debts and raised environmental concerns.
Cricket, breakdancing, 7 other sports still waiting for word on 2028 Los Angeles Olympic status
Read full article: Cricket, breakdancing, 7 other sports still waiting for word on 2028 Los Angeles Olympic statusCricket, breakdancing and flag football are still waiting to find out if they will be added to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
A bejeweled cannon and other art will head home to Sri Lanka from Netherlands museum
Read full article: A bejeweled cannon and other art will head home to Sri Lanka from Netherlands museumSri Lanka's foreign minister says his country welcomes the Netherlands' plan to return a bejeweled ceremonial cannon and other colonial-era artifacts from the Netherlands and is working through how to preserve the items.
China expresses support for Sri Lanka ahead of debt meeting
Read full article: China expresses support for Sri Lanka ahead of debt meetingChina has expressed support for Sri Lanka ahead of a meeting of lenders to poor economies but gave no indication if it might help to cut debts that have plunged the Indian Ocean island nation into financial and political turmoil.
Sri Lankan court orders ex-leader to pay victims of bombings
Read full article: Sri Lankan court orders ex-leader to pay victims of bombingsSri Lanka’s Supreme Court has ruled that inaction by the country’s former president and four others led to Easter Sunday bomb attacks in 2019 that killed nearly 270 people and ordered them to pay compensation for violating the basic rights of the victims and their families.
Sri Lanka begins crucial debt restructuring talks with China
Read full article: Sri Lanka begins crucial debt restructuring talks with ChinaSri Lanka’s government has started debt restructuring discussions with China, an important step toward finalizing an International Monetary Fund rescue of the island nation from a severe economic crisis.
US authors Strout, Everett among Booker Prize finalists
Read full article: US authors Strout, Everett among Booker Prize finalistsAmerican authors Elizabeth Strout and Percival Everett are up against writers from Britain, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka as finalists for the prestigious Booker Prize for fiction.
With no immunity, Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa faces legal troubles
Read full article: With no immunity, Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa faces legal troublesSri Lanka’s ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa could face legal action over forced disappearances of activists now that he has been stripped of constitutional immunity following his return home.
USAID chief calls on China to restructure Sri Lanka's debt
Read full article: USAID chief calls on China to restructure Sri Lanka's debtThe head of the U.S. government aid agency has called on China to help Sri Lanka and other nations that had borrowed heavily from Beijing with debt restructuring, not just with lines of credit and emergency loans.
Sri Lanka lawmakers to pick new president among PM, 2 rivals
Read full article: Sri Lanka lawmakers to pick new president among PM, 2 rivalsSri Lanka’s prime minister and acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe faces two rivals in a parliamentary vote on who will succeed the ousted leader who fled the country last week.
IN PHOTOS: Sri Lanka citizens storm streets, presidential palace in anger over economy
Read full article: IN PHOTOS: Sri Lanka citizens storm streets, presidential palace in anger over economyWhat the future holds for the country remains in light of the turmoil remains to be seen, but the images of the people’s anger have sure been striking lately.
Sri Lanka's political chaos persists as crisis talks go on
Read full article: Sri Lanka's political chaos persists as crisis talks go onA political vacuum continues in Sri Lanka with opposition leaders yet to agree on who should replace its roundly rejected leaders, whose residences are occupied by protesters angry over the country’s deep economic woes.
Sri Lanka's crisis rings alarm for other troubled economies
Read full article: Sri Lanka's crisis rings alarm for other troubled economiesSri Lanka is desperate for help to weather its worst crisis in recent memory, but it’s not the only economy that’s in serious trouble as prices of food, fuel and other staples soar, partly due to the war in Ukraine.
Sri Lanka police tear gas protesters opposed to president
Read full article: Sri Lanka police tear gas protesters opposed to presidentPolice have used tear gas and a water canon to disperse demonstrators trying to approach Sri Lanka’s president’s office to demand his resignation over the country’s economic crisis.
Elephants dying from eating plastic waste in Sri Lankan dump
Read full article: Elephants dying from eating plastic waste in Sri Lankan dumpConservationists and veterinarians are warning that plastic waste in an open landfill in eastern Sri Lanka is killing elephants, after two more were found dead over the weekend.
Sri Lanka company prepares to sell massive blue gemstone
Read full article: Sri Lanka company prepares to sell massive blue gemstoneA gem company in Sri Lanka has unveiled a rare and massive gemstone weighing 683 pounds (310 kilograms) that has been certified as one of the biggest corundums ever found in the country.
SKorea dairy company CEO resigns over virus research scandal
Read full article: SKorea dairy company CEO resigns over virus research scandalThe chairman of one of South Korea’s biggest dairy companies has resigned over a scandal in which his company was accused of deliberately spreading misinformation that its yogurt helps prevent coronavirus infections.
The Latest: Gov. hopes to up number of Texans getting shots
Read full article: The Latest: Gov. hopes to up number of Texans getting shotsBrian Kemp said all Georgians 16 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Greg Abbott said Thursday that he’s hoping to increase the number of Texans getting COVID-19 vaccines after seeing a drop in people showing up for the shot. That’s a big jump from the roughly 1.8 million doses a week the state is currently getting. ___PHOENIX — Arizona on Thursday reported 138 confirmed coronavirus cases, the smallest daily increase reported in more than six months. The U.K. says its vaccination program has given at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to more than half the adult population.
The Latest: Ireland reaches half million vaccinations
Read full article: The Latest: Ireland reaches half million vaccinations(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)LONDON — Ireland has given out half a million coronavirus vaccinations about two months after the first inoculation. Evidence suggests this variant can spread more easily than most currently circulating strains of the coronavirus, health officials say. State health officials urge people to maintain precautions, particularly during spring break and Easter gatherings, as the state tries to ramp up vaccinations. Sri Lanka has so far received 1 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured in neighboring India, which donated half of the doses. The Missoulian reported Friday that in Missoula County, Granite Pharmacy has enough vaccine doses to vaccinate all 2,000 county teachers.
The Latest: San Diego zoo vaccinates 9 great apes for virus
Read full article: The Latest: San Diego zoo vaccinates 9 great apes for virus(AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Zoo has vaccinated nine great apes for the coronavirus after a troop of gorillas in its Safari Park became infected. AdThere have been no new community cases of the virus found in Auckland or elsewhere in New Zealand for the past five days. Ad___SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah will open up COVID-19 vaccine appointments to people ages 50 and older on Monday. ___JACKSON, Miss.-- People ages 50 and older in Mississippi are now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine, Gov. — Arkansas’ highest court and the governor are at odds over whether judges, prosecutors and other court employees should be immediately eligible for the coronavirus vaccine.
The Latest: Nevada has 1st confirmed case of SAfrica variant
Read full article: The Latest: Nevada has 1st confirmed case of SAfrica variantWayne Pollard receives a COVID-19 vaccine at the Martin Luther King Senior Center, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in North Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)RENO, Nev. — Nevada health officials have confirmed the state’s first known case of a coronavirus variant that was originally identified in South Africa. AdNevada has also reported six known cases of a more contagious coronavirus variant that first originated in the United Kingdom. ___ALGIERS, Algeria — President Abdelmadjid Tebboune says Algeria will start producing Russia’s Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine in six or seven months. ___CARSON CITY, Nevada — Health officials have confirmed the first known case in Nevada of a coronavirus variant that was first identified in South Africa.
The Latest: Miss. says out-of-staters showing up for vaccine
Read full article: The Latest: Miss. says out-of-staters showing up for vaccineA healthcare worker prepares a dose of the China's Sinovac Biotech COVID-19 vaccine at a drive-thru vaccination site in the Sambadrome, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021. The state’s top public health officials said Monday that the vaccination is supposed to be limited to Mississippi residents, or to people from other states who work in Mississippi. Ad— Evidence is mounting that having COVID-19 may not protect against getting infected again with some of the new variants. Ad___PORTLAND, Ore. — Appointments to receive the coronavirus vaccine in Oregon have been quickly booked as residents who are 80 years and older are now eligible to receive doses. Seniors in Oregon have waited weeks to receive the vaccine, after the original eligibility date was delayed and then Gov.
Asia Today: Sri Lanka vaccinates 1st health workers, troops
Read full article: Asia Today: Sri Lanka vaccinates 1st health workers, troops(AP Photo/Aaron Favila)COLOMBO – Sri Lanka on Friday began inoculating front-line health workers, military troops and police officers against COVID-19 amid warnings about infections among medical workers. The government says 150,000 health workers and 115,000 selected military and police will be the first recipients. The health ministry said it will expand to other parts of the country by next week. AdMost of Sri Lanka's COVID-19 cases and deaths have occurred since October when clusters centered on a garment factory and a fish market emerged in the capital Colombo and its suburbs. The health ministry said more than 113,000 people had received their first dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine and 432 of them reported side effects.
The Latest: Louisiana congressman-elect dies from COVID-19
Read full article: The Latest: Louisiana congressman-elect dies from COVID-19State health officials said Tuesday that the variant was found in a man in his 20s who is in isolation southeast of Denver and has no travel history. Health officials have said the vaccines being given now are thought to be effective against the variant. — A former Louisiana state lawmaker and his wife died from COVID-19 on the same day. ___OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City fire department says a firefighter, whose nephew became the first department employee to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, died of the virus after being infected while responding to a call. In the Upstate area of the state, COVID-19 infection rates continue to outpace every other part of South Carolina.
Asia Today: Tokyo's daily infections top 600 for first time
Read full article: Asia Today: Tokyo's daily infections top 600 for first timeTOKYO – The number of new coronavirus infections in Japan’s capital topped 600 in a day for the first time Thursday, while experts warned of the increased burden on hospitals. Sri Lanka has reported 30,075 coronavirus cases, including 144 deaths. The health ministry later the same day retested the man’s original sample as well as a new sample and found them negative. — India is reporting 31,521 newly coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, dropping to just over a third of the peak seen in mid-September. — South Korea has reported 682 new cases of the coronavirus, as officials work to expand testing to slow infections.
Asia Today: South Korea capital announces new virus controls
Read full article: Asia Today: South Korea capital announces new virus controlsSEOUL – Authorities in the South Korean capital on Monday announced a tightening of social distancing regulations, including shutting nightclubs, limiting service hours at restaurants and reducing public transportation. South Korea has saw the virus spread faster after authorities eased social distancing restrictions to the lowest level in October amid concerns about a weak economy. Many experts and government officials have warned that the chance of the virus spreading will be greater during the cold weather. The Health Ministry reported 4,442 new cases on Monday to bring the country’s total to 502,110, the highest toll in Southeast Asia and second in Asia only to India’s more than 9.1 million confirmed cases. India has reported more than 9 million cases since the pandemic began, second behind the United States.
Asia Today: Melbourne to largely emerge from virus lockdown
Read full article: Asia Today: Melbourne to largely emerge from virus lockdown(AP Photo/Andy Wong)COLOMBO – Melbourne, Australia’s former coronavirus hot spot, will largely emerge from a lockdown after the nation’s second-largest city on Monday recorded its first day without a new coronavirus case in more than four months. At midnight on Nov. 8, Melbourne residents will no longer be restricted to traveling within 25 kilometers (16 miles) of their homes. Melbourne has been under strict lockdown measures since early July, and the state government has been accused of inflicting unnecessary economic damage by not relaxing restrictions sooner. One fatality was reported on Sunday, raising Sri Lanka’s death toll to 16. The Health Ministry said that 45,148 new cases raised the country's overall toll to over 7.9 million.
The Latest: Sri Lanka orders more curfews over virus cluster
Read full article: The Latest: Sri Lanka orders more curfews over virus cluster(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Authorities in Sri Lanka have closed the country’s main fish market and widened the curfew in many parts of the island nation following a surge of coronavirus infections related to a new cluster centered on a garment factory. — Boston schools will switch to all-remote learning in response to rising coronavirus cases in the city. Kelly said Wednesday that two-thirds of the state’s confirmed cases now are outside the Wichita and Kansas City region. On Wednesday, the state reported its first patient to the field hospital on the state fairgrounds in West Allis outside of Milwaukee. ___ROME — The Italian region of Lazio, which includes Rome, is imposing an overnight curfew to combat surging coronavirus infections.
Sri Lanka widens curfew, bans gatherings as virus surges
Read full article: Sri Lanka widens curfew, bans gatherings as virus surgesEmployees of Colombo municipal council crowd around a table to give their swab samples to test for COVID-19 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020. Authorities in Sri Lanka on Wednesday widened a curfew and warned of legal action against those evading treatment for COVID-19 after reporting an escalating cluster centered around a garment factory in the capital's suburbs. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)COLOMBO – Authorities in Sri Lanka on Wednesday widened a curfew and warned of legal action against those evading treatment for COVID-19 after reporting a growing cluster centered around a garment factory in the capital's suburbs. The new cluster at the garment factory is the biggest reported in Sri Lanka. Local media reported that police and health workers were visiting the homes of factory workers on leave and were testing them as well.
The Latest: Sri Lanka bans gatherings amid virus cluster
Read full article: The Latest: Sri Lanka bans gatherings amid virus clusterSri Lankans wait to give swab samples to test for COVID-19 in Minuwangoda, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Authorities in Sri Lanka have banned all public gatherings as a new cluster of coronavirus infections expands in the Indian Ocean island nation. Health officials had raised concerns that infections will rise because of increased travel during the five-day Chuseok harvest holiday that ended Sunday. The figures released by health officials Wednesday brought South Korea’s case total to 24,353 for the pandemic, including 425 deaths. ____OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Oklahoma’s two largest universities are both delaying the start of their spring semester and canceling spring break because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Asia Today: Sri Lanka confirms 321 cases in factory cluster
Read full article: Asia Today: Sri Lanka confirms 321 cases in factory clusterThe health ministry said 321 cases have been identified in the factory cluster after the first patient was diagnosed at a hospital two days ago. The last three weeks have seen a gradual decline in its reported infections. — South Korea has reported 75 new cases of the coronavirus as infections steadily rise in the greater capital area. — Japan and South Korea have agreed to resume business travel between them starting Oct. 8, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. South Korea has reported slightly more than 400 deaths from the coronavirus, while Japan has confirmed about 1,600.