Modi chairs high level meeting to review Covid-19 situation

Ukraine on Sunday demanded crippling new sanctions on Russia from major Western powers over a “massacre” in a town near Kyiv as anger grew in Western capitals and Germany said that those responsible for war crimes should pay.Ukraine said on Saturday that its forces had retaken all areas around Kyiv. The mayor of Bucha, a liberated town 37 km (23 miles) northwest of the capital, said that 300 of its residents had been killed by the Russian army.Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for international war crimes investigators to visit the area to collect evidence and said Kyiv believed the killing of civilians was deliberate.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lankan Cabinet of Ministers have decided to resign and have submitted their letters of resignation to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. However, Rajapaksa will continue to function as the Prime Minister, said Dinesh Gunwardena who was the Minister of Education until today (3). The Cabinet of Ministers can be viewed here : https://www.presidentsoffice.gov.lk/index.php/cabinet-ministers/

Ukrainian troops are finding brutalized bodies and widespread destruction in suburbs of the capital as Russian soldiers withdraw and Moscow focuses its attacks elsewhere, including missile strikes Sunday that targeted fuel and ammunition supplies in southern and eastern Ukraine.

Covid strain has been found in the UK – but boffins say it’s too early to say exactly how transmissible it really is.Top scientists at the UK Health Security Agency warned they were studying the new XE variant.They say it is a mutation of the BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron strains, meaning it is a “recombinant” as it is a combination of two other viral sources.But experts currently don’t know if it is more transmissible than previous strains that have previously wreaked havoc across the UK.There were 637 cases with the XE strain in England as of March 22, the health agency said.It means it would make up just a small fraction of cases reported with the latest data showing almost 70,000 people in England were positive for the virus on April 2.The health agency said initial growth rates showed that XE was not dissimilar from BA.2, according to Wales Online.It added: "As this estimate has not remained consistent as new data have been added, it cannot yet be interpreted as an estimate of growth advantage for the recombinant."Numbers were too small for the XE recombinant to be analysed by region.”Top government boffin Sir Patrick Vallance admitted the next Covid variant could be worse than Omicron.He said it would be a “mistake” to think the more the virus evolves, the less deadly it would become. Stay in the loop with all the latest news from the Daily Star by signing up to one of our free newsletters here. Although Covid cases may have peaked, there will be more hospitalisations and deaths to come from this current wave, Sir Patrick added.He told MPs that despite the vaccination programmes success at preventing deaths, it was not a "credible" strategy to give people booster jabs every four months.But it isn’t all doom and gloom for

Philadelphia Police Cruiser PHILADELPHIA - A man is in critical condition after being shot multiple times overnight in Southwest Philadelphia, according to Philadelphia police. Police say the incident happened on S Redfield Street at 2:04 a.m.

COVID-19 dozens of times in Germany in order to sell forged vaccination cards with real vaccine batch numbers to people not wanting to get vaccinated themselves.The man from the eastern Germany city of Magdeburg, whose name was not released in line with German privacy rules, is said to have received up to 90 shots against COVID-19 at vaccination centers in the eastern state of Saxony for months until criminal police caught him earlier this month, the German news agency dpa reported Sunday. N.Y.

PHILADELPHIA - TRENTON, N.J. - Two people were killed and at least four firefighters were injured in a three-alarm fire in Trenton on Saturday. Authorities say the fire broke out around 7 p.m. on the 800 block of Carteret Avenue. The four firefighters who were injured have been listed in stable condition, according to fire officials. According to the Trenton Fire Department, the home sustained massive damage. PHILADELPHIA - Sunday's conditions include morning showers and even flurries for some parts ahead of afternoon storms in the Delaware Valley. The late-afternoon storms will be spotty with some areas seeing hail. FOX 29's Drew Anderson says the storms will wrap up Sunday evening as the wind cranks up a bit making a chilly close to the weekend that only saw highs in the mid-50s. Temperatures in the mid-50s will continue throughout the week. Looking ahead, Monday will be the only dry day of the week with a tease of sun in the morning ahead of clouds. NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: David McCormack #33 of the Kansas Jayhawks shoots the ball as Jermaine Samuels #23 of the Villanova Wildcats defends in the second half of the game during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal.

ANI that new guidelines may be issued soon. He said the new guidelines may help in reducing the risk of getting infected with non-communicable chronic diseases like diabetes type two, coronary heart disease, heart attacks, stroke and also communicable diseases like COVID-19.

Miley Cyrus has tested positive for COVID-19, but she's not sweating the diagnosis.The «Party in the U.S.A.» singer took to Twitter on Friday and revealed that getting COVID comes with the territory as an artist who travels the world for performances and meeting fans. «Traveling around the world, playin for a 100,000 people a night and meeting hundreds of fans a day the chances of getting COVID are pretty high,» she wrote.

SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP) - Six people were killed and 10 injured in a mass shooting early Sunday as bars and nightclubs were closing in downtown Sacramento and police in California’s state capital were searching for at least one suspect.Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said at a news conference that police were patrolling the area at about 2 a.m. when they heard gunfire. When they arrived at the scene, they found a large crowd gathered on the street and six people dead.

People get vaccinated against COVID-19 at the Cannes Palace of Festivals and Conferences on January 13, 2021 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images) BERLIN (AP) - A 60-year-old man allegedly had himself vaccinated against COVID-19 dozens of times in Germany in order to sell forged vaccination cards with real vaccine batch numbers to people not wanting to get vaccinated themselves.The man from the eastern Germany city of Magdeburg, whose name was not released in line with German privacy rules, is said to have received up to 90 shots against COVID-19 at vaccination centers in the eastern state of Saxony for months until criminal police caught him this month, the German news agency dpa reported Sunday.The suspect was not detained but is under investigation for unauthorized issuance of vaccination cards and document forgery, dpa reported.He was caught at a vaccination center in Eilenburg in Saxony when he showed up for a COVID-19 shot for the second day in a row.

Following weeks of constant bombardment, the outskirts of Kyiv have gone quiet as Ukrainian forces retake territory around the country’s capital. What’s left, though, is utter devastation.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Oregon transportation leaders want to know how hundreds of stuffed animals ended up on the side of a highway, prompting jokes that it was similar to a scene from the movie "Toy Story.""This #ToyStory was found on SB I-5 at #BurnsideBridge," the Oregon Department of Transportation tweeted Wednesday. "We think they may have been on their way to Pizza Planet, but we're not exactly sure how they got there.

TRENTON, N.J. - Two people were killed and at least four firefighters were injured in a three-alarm fire in Trenton on Saturday. Authorities say the fire broke out around 7 p.m.

An Afghan farmer cuts into a poppy bulb to extract the sap, which will be used to make opium, in a field May 6, 2002 in the village of Markhanai in the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban announced a ban Sunday on poppy production, even as farmers across the country began harvesting the bright red flower that produces the opium used to make heroin.The order warns farmers that their crops will be burned and they can be jailed if they proceed with the harvest.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 02: Paolo Banchero #5 of the Duke Blue Devils drives against Brady Manek #45 of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the second half of the game during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesar NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will join Kansas for the NCAA Championship game after defeating its biggest rival Duke in the Final Four Saturday night.Kansas and Villanova waged a memorable 3-point shooting contest at the Final Four, one of them racing out to a big lead in the opening minutes and the other spending the rest of the night trying in vain to catch up.Probably sounds a little familiar.But in a rematch of a rout by the Wildcats four years ago in San Antonio, it was the Jayhawks joyously walking off the court at the final buzzer Saturday night. David McCormack muscled his way for 25 points, Ochai Agbaji was nearly perfect from the field and finished with 21, and the lone No.

OLIVIA Bowen has revealed painful-looking bruises on her arm as she reveals her blood tests are ongoing "throughout" her pregnancy. The former Love Island star, 28, is expecting her first tot with former co-star and now husband, Alex Bowen, with the couple opting to keep the gender unknown until they arrive.

Vladimir Putin bathes in antler blood because he believes it has health benefits including boosting male potency, reports claim.The Russian president has been a fan of the procedure since the mid-2000s and isn’t the only Kremlin official to enjoy the bizarre ritual.Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin is also said to soak in the rare liquid, which is extracted by painfully hacking off a deer's horns.Defence minister Sergei Shoigu introduced the alternative treatment to Putin who washed in a “bathtub containing an odorant extract from blood-filled deer antlers”.Although there is no evidence for the health benefits, the blood’s alleged impacts also include age reversal, bone and muscle strengthening, and even improvements to eyesight and hearing. It has been a tradition for hundreds of years in Russia and there is also evidence of it taking place in China and Korea.

Covid virus.

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A new Covid variant has been found in the UK, experts have confirmed. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it was looking at the XE variant, which is a mutation of the BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron strains.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Reports claiming that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will resign are untrue and false, Media Secretary to the PM confirms to News 1st.

Missiles struck near Ukraine‘s southern port of Odesa on Sunday with Russia saying it had destroyed an oil refinery used by the Ukrainian military, while attempts to evacuate people from the devastated city of Mariupol were due to continue.

COLOMBO (News 1st); A massive protest took place on Sunday (3) evening at the Wijerama Junction close to the Sri Jayawardenapura University.University Students were joined by local residents in this protest, and when they reached the Wijerama Junction they were met with a heavy security forces presence.Sri Lanka Police, The three-armed Force, and the Police Riot Police were seen stationed on the path of the protestors who defied the curfew and stepped out onto the streets to voice their anger over the present situation in the country.As they were not allowed to proceed, they positioned themselves opposite the barricade and carried out a protest, with songs and chants.At the same time, well-known lecturer Upul Shantha Sannasgala, also known as ‘Sannasgala Sir’ visited the Wijerama Junction and condemned the actions of the government.

PUNE :

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Ukraine says it’s run out of the initial rounds of ammunition Canada sent the country in February and needs more. The Canadian government is considering the request, but it will come at a cost to our military. Mercedes Stephenson has more.

Drinking even a small amount of alcohol each week could be a risk to your health, according to a new study.

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COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lanka Freedom Party in a letter to the President has called for a caretaker government to be appointed to address the crises that have plagued the country.The Sri Lanka Freedom Party has informed the President that if the necessary steps are not taken to appoint a caretaker government, all 14 SLFP MPs in government will resign from their positions and remain independent in Parliament.SLFPs Chandima Weerakkody told reporters on Sunday (3) that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party does NOT agree with imposing a Public Emergency.The country is not facing a terror threat, therefore imposing a public emergency for the sole protection of public representatives from the people cannot be accepted, he said.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission has noted that imposing a social media ban is a violation of Human Rights.The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has stressed that imposing Public Emergency without proper assessment of a threat to national security, is a violation of Human Rights.Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka retired Supreme Court Judge Rohini Marasinghe told News 1st that this decision was reached at a special meeting held on Sunday (4).The HRCSL Chairperson also said that it is unjust and unfair for the TRC to impose a Blanket Closure of social media upon being requested to do so by the Ministry of Defence.The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka views such actions as a violation of Human Rights.The Human Rights Commission noted that it would inform the TRC to immediately lift the ban on social media.It added that if a person is attempting to mislead the public via social media, the law needs to be enforced against the said individual and that banning social media used by the community at large is a violation of human rights.In addition, the Human Rights Commission has condemned the attacks on journalists during a protest in Mirihana, Nugeogda on the 31st of March.Chairperson of the HRCSL said the Inspector General of Police will be summoned to the Commission for an explanation on Tuesday (5).Further, the HRCSL is also looking into an attack on protestors by a Senior Cop at a protest in Anuradhapura.That senior police officer too will be summoned to the HRCSL on Tuesday (5) for an explanation.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Government states that the Public Emergency & the Curfew were declared to ensure that the peace, normal way of life, as well as public & property, is protected.A statement from the Department of Government Information noted that the Sri Lankan Government is bound to protect public peace, as well as public and private property, whilst ensuring the right to speech, expression, and protest peacefully.It added that the government had pledged to protect and promote all democratic rights including the Right to Freedom of Expression, Speech, and Protest Peacefully.It went on to note that after the incumbent President was elected to power, water cannons, tear gas, and baton charges were not enforced on any peaceful protest or demonstration.It added that on some occasions the representatives of protestors were allowed to enter the President’s Office for talks and solutions were provided to the issues.The Department of Government Information said that on the 31st of March 2022, a group acted in an unruly manner during a protest and cause serious damage to public and private property, while some were also injured.It stressed that Public Emergency and Curfew were imposed in accordance with the accepted legal provisions, and to protect the lives of the people, public peace, as well as public and private property.

Stephen Griffin is an Associate Professor of Viral Oncology at the University of Leeds. Here, he shares his perspective on the announcement that the Covid-19 vaccine has been recommended for children ages five to 11 - including how seeing his young son suffer in hospital with meningitis affected him.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russian soldiers of mining areas in northern Ukraine as they withdraw or were pushed out by Ukrainian forces. “They are mining houses, mining equipment, even the bodies of people who were killed,” Zelenskyy said.

Daniel Craig has tested positive for Covid-19, resulting in some of his upcoming appearances in Macbeth on Broadway being cancelled.The James Bond star, 54, is currently starring on Broadway in New York opposite Ruth Negga in a production of the Shakespeare play. However the actor was forced to pull out of the Broadway adaptation just two hours before after testing positive for coronavirus.

₹900 per dose plus GST and was waiting for directions to supply it to the Centre. However, the price of the vaccine for the government was not mentioned.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan authorities used tear gas and water cannons during a protest on Sunday (3) morning by students attached to the University of Peradeniya.The University students were protesting against the present state of affairs in the country and were demanding solutions to the issues faced by fellow students.The protest march by the university students was scheduled to commence from the University of Peradeniya premises and proceed towards Kandy town.However, Sri Lanka Police had installed barricades at the Galaha Junction not far from the university, and a heavy police presence was also witnessed in the area along with the water cannons.Police Special Task Force personnel were also called in for security.University Students accompanied by their lecturers proceeded towards the Galaha Junction, and tensions boiled over when they attempted to remove the barricades set up by the police.Scuffles were also reported during the attempt made by the students to move forward.The protest was organized by the main student body of the University of Peradeniya, and staff from the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital also supported it.Sri Lanka Police and Riot Police decided to use water cannons to disperse the crowd and thereafter fired tear gas.Following the tense situation, the protesting university students decided to sit down on the road as a mark of protest.Once again a tense situation arose, and police fired tear gas at the students for the second time.Despite not being allowed to move ahead to the Kandy town, the university students and their support groups protested at Galaha Town until 3 PM.

COLOMBO (News 1st); A special meeting of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanlka is scheduled to be held on Monday (4).The Chairperson of the Human Right Commission, Supreme Court Judge (Rtd) Rohini Marasinghe, said the special meeting is aimed at discussing several issues, including examining the legitimacy of imposing a public emergency to control public protests.The HRC emphasized that it will alway be present to protect the Human Rights of the citizens as enshrined in the constitution of Sri Lanka.The commission said it is closely monitoring the human rights records of those arrested on suspicion of their involvement the protests that took place on Thursday (31) night in Mirihana, Nugegoda.The Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka further stated that necessary action to be taken in this regard will be discussed at the special meeting which is to be held on Monday (4).

active cases shrink to 1,379. So far, 4.24 crore people have recovered from Covid -19 in the country since March 2020 while 5,16,352 have died due to respiratory infection. As many as 3,383 people got recovered from Covid-19 in the past day.

NEW DELHI :

Covid-19 tally of cases went up to 4,30,01,477. Total of 60 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours and death toll to 5,16,132, the Health Ministry data further revealed. The daily positivity rate stood at 0.35%.

NEW DELHI :

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (16) afternoon at the Indian Parliamentary Complex.The Finance Minister had thanked the Indian Prime Minister for the financial assistance India is providing to Sri Lanka.Further, PM Modi was invited by the Sri Lankan Minister to attend the much-awaited BIMSTEC or Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation be hosted by Sri Lanka on 30th March.

12 to 14 age group will be able to get vaccinated against Covid-19 from 16 March. In addition to this, the co-morbidity clause for administering precaution doses to citizens above the age of 60 has also been removed. 

Covid-19 update: Registering a consistent drop in Covid-19 cases in the country, India on Thursday reported 4,184 fresh Covid-19 cases in last 24 hours, taking the total Covid-19 cases to 42.98 million, as per the updated Union Health Ministry data. Additionally, the Covid-19 death cases dropped further, with 104 cases recorded in the last 24 hours. This took the total death toll in the country to 515,459, the Health Ministry data revealed.  

Delhi on Wednesday reported 208 new Covid-19 cases, significantly lower than than a few days ago. Delhi now has 985 active Covid-19 cases, according to the official health bulletin. 

NEW DELHI :