Canada warns its citizens over Sri Lanka’s worsening economic situation

This photo taken in Los Angeles, California on January 27, 2022 shows the cover of the graphic novel "Maus" by Art Spiegelman. (Photo by MARO SIRANOSIAN/AFP via Getty Images)ATHENS, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee school district has voted to ban a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust due to "inappropriate language" and an illustration of a nude woman, according to minutes from a board meeting.The McMinn County School Board decided Jan.

With Canada’s long-term care homes hard-hit in the pandemic, a new draft of national standards by the Health Standards Organization offers new insight on Canada’s potential strategy to improve the lives of residents.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney slammed Justin Trudeau for “divisive comments” the prime minister made regarding the trucker convoy.

Hospitalizations drop by more than 100 as Quebec adds 56 new COVID-19 deaths Boileau, however, dashed hopes that the positive numbers meant the province would further ease health measures immediately. He said Quebec would take a “week-by-week” approach to lifting restrictions.The province has already announced it would loosen some restrictions on private gatherings and youth sports next week, as well as allow dining rooms to reopen at half capacity.

A steering wheel is shown on a Mini.

Ontario is extending the deadline for long-term care workers to get a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.Staff in the sector had been given until Friday to get booster shots in order to stay on the job, but the date has now been pushed back to March 14. Canada’s new national long-term care standards released.

A care worker who turned down the covid jab says he would be "left with nothing" if he is fired over his refusal to get vaccinated.

Hospital admissions with Covid-19 in Manchester have dropped by more than 75 per cent in the last week, as infection rates continue to plummet across the region.

Neil Young performs in concert during Farm Aid 34 at Alpine Valley Music Theatre on September 21, 2019 in East Troy, Wisconsin. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images)Spotify is currently in the process of removing all of Neil Young’s music from its platform after the rock singer gave the company an ultimatum to "deal with the vaccine misinformation coming from Joe Rogan’s podcast," or lose his music. Rolling Stone Magazine and The Hollywood Reporter reported on Wednesday that Spotify was working to remove Young’s entire catalog of music from its platform following a letter published and then taken down by the Canadian folk and rock legend.Rolling Stone, which first reported on Young’s letter Monday, reported that the post has since been deleted.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry has updated the guidelines on dealing with COVID-19 cases and their close contacts.Thus, a person who has been fully vaccinated should not be subjected to home quarantine if they have no symptoms, even if they are Tier-One Close Contacts of an infected person.They can carry out their daily activities according to the new normal lifestyle and a rapid antigen or PCR test is sufficient only if any symptoms occur.Only the following groups are considered to have been fully vaccinated.If you are over 20 years of age, you should have taken both doses and should have completed more than two weeks since the second dose.

COLOMBO (News 1st): Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is expected to visit Sri Lanka at the end of January 2022, reports said on Thursday (27).Amir-Abdollahian will visit New Delhi at the end of the week amidst Tehran’s talks with world powers on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and urgent diplomatic business with India.Amir-Abdollahian will then leave for Sri Lanka which needs a helping hand due to its economic crisis.Both sides have finalized a tea-for-oil pact under which Sri Lanka pays off the import of oil by exporting tea to Iran.In December 2021, Sri Lanka and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to settle $ 251 million worth of credit outstanding with Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) with the supply of tea of equivalent value.Under the scheme, $ 251 million outstanding from CPC to Iran’s National Iranian Oil Company will be settled via the export of Ceylon Tea to Iran.Under this scheme, the Ministry of Finance is expected to release Sri Lanka Rupees of an equivalent amount of USD 5 Million per month in settlement of the outstanding debt arising until the entirety is settled.The Iranian Foreign Minister’s India-Sri Lanka tour comes after his trips to Moscow and Beijing.

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COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne (Retd) on Thursday (26) affirmed that there is no issue with respect to National Security in the country.“There is a very broad definition to National Security. One aspect is to protect the motherland and the people from any enemy invasion.

Bundesliga manager has been given a one-year ban from football for using a fake Covid certificate. Markus Anfang, 47, stepped down from his role as Werder Bremen boss last November amid claims he had lied about being fully vaccinated.Despite his resignation, he denied any wrongdoing at that time.However, earlier this month he admitted to the investigation led by the German FA's Sports Court that he had presented a forged document.Anfang has now been given a €20,000 fine and the suspension, which is counted from the day of his resignation and has a probation date of June 10.That means he and his assistant Florian Junge, who was banned for 10 months and fined €3,000, should be able to return to coaching next season.Hans E Lorenz, chairman of the court, said: "Markus Anfang and Florian Junge have significantly violated the role model function as trainers through their actions.

Ethnic minorities with lower uptake of the booster are not seeing the same fall in Covid cases as the wider population in Manchester, public health bosses say.

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COVID-19 situation in the province.Dr. Kieran Moore’s news conference comes after the provincial government announced its plan last week to gradually lift public health measures.It’s also Moore’s last regularly scheduled public appearance before restrictions are set to ease on Monday.Indoor social gathering limits are set to increase from five to 10, and restaurants will be able to reopen their dining rooms at 50 per cent capacity.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka says that there will be NO scheduled power cuts until Monday, 1st February 2022.This was confirmed to News 1st by the Chairman of the PUCSL.

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COLOMBO (News 1st); The Colombo Additional Magistrate Chandima Liyanage on Wednesday (26) authorized the Police Narcotic Bureau to detain and interrogate 17 suspects who were arrested in connection to the seizure of more than 300 kg of heroin in international waters.Among the suspects are the owners of the two trawlers that were seized.In a successful operation carried out in international waters south of Sri Lanka, the Navy managed to seize a haul of heroin, with 11 suspects and 02 local fishing vessels on 17th and 22nd January 2022 and they were brought to the port of Colombo this morning (25th January).The consignment of heroin in 309 packages, which had been stuffed in 13 sacks, weighed approx. 343kg 456g (including packages).The street value of the seized consignment of illegal drugs is believed to be over Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka is planning on promoting cycling to work, in order to minimize traffic congestion in Colombo and also to save money on fuel to a certain extent.Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said his ministry is preparing to take steps to promote the use of bicycles to reduce air pollution and many other factors.Accordingly, a Cabinet paper has already been prepared, the Minister said.Amaraweera said the government incurs a cost of Rs. 103.56 per kilometer when a vehicle enters Colombo during traffic congestion, and by promoting cycling to work that cost can be converted to a profit.Steps will be taken to provide an eco-friendly approach to the promotion of cycling due to its ability to reduce air pollution, prevent wastage.It has also been decided to set aside a lane on each road for cyclists when developing roads and to introduce a regulatory program to provide certain promotional benefits to cyclists.

COLOMBO (News 1st); State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana says that more than five million people have been administered the Pfizer booster dose in Sri Lanka.Health authorities have been encouraging the public to obtain the booster dose as to prevent another possible spike in COVID-19 cases in the country.

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New Brunswick Doctor Jean-Robert Ngola, who says he was wrongly accused of causing a COVID-19 outbreak that killed two people, is suing the New Brunswick government, the RCMP, as well as Facebook, for allegedly allowing hateful messages to circulate. Ross Lord explores the implications of Dr.

A 95-year-old Guelph woman died this month after she was unable to get a COVID booster shot in a long-term care home. She had just entered the home after living alone in an apartment.

Russia warned Wednesday it would quickly take “retaliatory measures” if the U.S. and its allies reject its security demands over NATO and Ukraine, raising pressure on the West amid concerns that Moscow is planning to invade its neighbor.The Kremlin has repeatedly denied it has any such designs, but the U.S.

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The Scottish Government has published a Bill which would make some of its emergency coronavirus powers permanent.

COLOMBO (News 1st): The retired doctor who was arrested by Sri Lanka Police with regard to the discovery of a hand grenade at the All Saint’s Church in Borella, Colombo provided a closed-door statement to the Colombo Additional Magistrate for over 2 hours, on Wednesday (26).The Colombo Crimes Division produced the doctors to Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya in order to provide the statement.After providing the statement, he was taken away to the Colombo Crimes Division again.The Colombo South Crimes Division had arrested the doctor on the 17th of January and handed him over to the Colombo Crimes Division on 19th January 2022.The doctor who was arrested in the father of Oshala Herath, a well-known social activist and UNP Candidate for the previous general election.The Colombo Crimes Division arrested an individual identified as ‘Ranale Ruwan’ from Ranna, in Hambantota on 20th January 2022.‘Ranale Ruwan’ was wanted by authorities as it was believed that it was he who provide the hand grenade that was discovered at the All Saint’s Church in Borella on the 11th of January 2022.On the 13th of January 2022, two days after the discovery of a grenade at the church premises, the Head of Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo said the discovery of a hand grenade at a Colombo Church is a conspiracy.He flayed Sri Lanka Police over its handling of the investigation adding that authorities were presented a cooked-up story instead of revealing the truth.Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya on Tuesday (25) ordered the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) to conduct an impartial inquiry into the discovery of a hand grenade in the premises of the All Saints Church

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COLOMBO (News 1st); JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake was summoned to the Police Unit of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Political Victimization, appointed by the present President, on Wednesday (26).He was questioned with regard to the Anti-Corruption Committee that functioned during the period of the Government of Good Governance or the Yahapalana Government.Dissanayake provided a statement to the Police Unit for almost two hours.“This is the first time in Sri Lankan history that a Presidential Commission was appointed to make observations on the report of another Presidential Commission that was appointed to investigate the same events,” said Dissanayake.Dissanayake has already filed an application with the Court of Appeal citing concerns over the Presidential Commission.Speaking to reporters after providing his statement, Dissanayake said the JVPs struggle against corruption will continue and it is not merely against one person or an institution, but a struggle against the entire group of corrupt individuals.He also called on the government to step down as it has failed to keep any of the promises made to the people.

MOSCOW (AP) - Russia warned Wednesday it would quickly take "retaliatory measures" if the U.S. and its allies reject its security demands and continue their "aggressive" policies, ratcheting up pressure on the West amid concerns that Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine.Russia has repeatedly denied it has any such designs, but the United States and its NATO allies are worried because Russia has massed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border and launched a series of war games in the region.At the heart of the standoff are questions about Ukraine's future: Russia has demanded guarantees that NATO will never admit the country and other ex-Soviet nations as members and that the alliance will roll back troop deployments in other former Soviet bloc countries.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lankan Government on Tuesday (25) decided to allocate a mammoth sum of Rs. 40 Billion as compensation for paddy farmers whose cultivations were damaged during the last harvest season.However, it must be noted that the allocations for fertilizer subsidies by the government have dropped since 2019.In 2019, a total of Rs.

PAKISTAN: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday (24) underlined the need for capitalizing on immense goodwill that exists between Pakistan and Sri Lanka by expanding cooperation across diverse areas, including trade and investment, tourism, culture, education, defense, and agriculture.In a meeting with Sri Lankan Minister of Trade Dr Bandula Gunawardhana and State Minister for Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya, Qureshi highlighted the importance of strengthening existing fraternal relations between the two countries through high-level exchanges.Recalling Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Sri Lanka in February last year, the foreign minister stressed that efforts must be made to enhance bilateral trade relations through optimal utilisation of the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (FTA).This he added, can be done by expanding interaction between the business communities on both sides, getting into joint ventures and making investments in high potential sectors.Qureshi said that deepening economic cooperation through proactive economic diplomacy was among government’s top priorities in the context of its policy focus on geo-economics.During the meeting, both sides agreed to continue close collaboration in multilateral fora and to strengthen regional cooperation.Reciprocating the foreign minister’s sentiments, Dr Gunawardhana thanked the Government of Pakistan for its warm hospitality and its goodwill towards Sri Lanka at all levels.He also appreciated Pakistan’s consistent friendship and support for Sri Lanka, noting that the visit was aimed at further advancing mutually-beneficial economic and trade relations.He added that Sri Lanka was keen on expanding ties in various sectors,

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to face further questions over a police investigation into alleged Covid lockdown breaches at Downing Street, as No 10 braces for the submission of a report into the matter.

COLOMBO (News 1st); M.M.C.

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has commenced discussions to integrate the power generated through stand-by generators owned by Private and Public sector institutions into the National Grid.“The generators owned by Private and Public sector institutions are only used during power outages or sudden breakdowns. These generators are capable of generating around 2,000 MW of power, and given the prevailing crisis, these resources could be integrated into the National Grid to address the issue,” Janaka Ratnayake, the Chairman of the PUCSL told News 1st on Wednesday (Jan.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s is fighting for his political survival, after police launched an investigation into the alleged string of gatherings that took place at his residence during COVID-19 lockdown. As Redmond Shannon reports, Boris Johnson’s political future is growing more uncertain by the day.

Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw announces details surrounding the antiviral medication Paxlovid and which COVID-19 patients will be eligible.

COVID-19 safety concerns as students and staff members returned to in-person learning with less transparency about the virus in schools.Teachers say they’re concerned about lack of information on cases now that the province has cut back on testing and contact tracing, as well as ventilation standards and student mask quality. They consider individual labour action one of the last options they have to advocate for stronger safety standards in schools — but remain worried that student safety issues are falling through the cracks.

Sir Elton John has had to cancel two of his gigs after testing positive for coronavirus.

Legendary Canadian rocker Neil Young penned an open letter on Monday, requesting that his music be removed from Spotify as long as host Joe Rogan has his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, on the streaming service.

Omicron strains circulating around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.Most of the strains are very similar to the original Covid variant – which first emerged in November last year – meaning they make no extra impact on severity or immunity.This was also the case for Delta which split into more than 200 sub-variants before Omicron overtook it as the most dominant variant. The first known version of Omicron is B.1.1.529 – which is what was dubbed a variant of concern by WHO.

Sir Elton John has tested positive for COVID-19 and as a result, has sadly been forced to cancel two of his concerts in Dallas, Texas.The 74 year old singer has been fully vaccinated and has also had the booster jab.Thankfully, the star, who is married to husband David Furnish and shared a rare insight into their Christmas with sons Zachary, 10, and Elijah, eight, a month ago, is only suffering from mild virus symptoms so far.The news was announced that the Your Song hitmaker unfortunately had to make the tough decision on Tuesday, January 25, with one of the shows scheduled to take place that night. Get exclusive celebrity stories and fabulous photoshoots straight to your inbox with OK!'s daily newsletter .

Neil Young attends a press conference for Farm Aid 34 at Alpine Valley Music Theatre on Sept. 21, 2019, in East Troy, Wisconsin.