SL International Cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka arrested in Australia

Foxconn Technology Group‘s November revenue dropped 11% from a year earlier after shipments from Zhengzhou, China, the world’s biggest iPhone assembly site, were affected by a Covid-19 outbreak, the company said Monday.

A study published in The Lancet has said that the symptoms of long Covid may change in children and the younger population over time. For the study, the researchers asked children in the age group of 11 to 17 how their health was six months and 12 months after taking the PCR tests. They were also asked to recall their symptoms when they took the tests.

Matt Hancock has accused former Scots bra tycoon Michelle Mone of sending him a "threatening" message after a firm she was helping did not secure a deal during the covid pandemic.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation on Monday (5) announced that the price of a liter of Auto Diesel will be reduced by Rs. 10/-.Accordingly, the new price of a Liter of Auto Diesel will be Rs.

₹1,584 crore." He added that under the Namami Gange programme, the project of natural farming is going on along the banks of the Ganges, while the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and all Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Central and State Agricultural Universities and Colleges are making all-round efforts to promote natural farming.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A scholarship program utilizing funds from the President’s Fund has been initiated under the directives of President Ranil Wickremesinghe for students who have passed the G.C. E.

COLOMBO (News 1st) –  Minister of Tourism and Lands Harin Fernando said that a new mobile application will be introduced for the safety of tourists coming to Sri Lanka while promoting the tourism industry.The Minister stated the above at the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Tourism and Lands held recently (30) at the Parliament.The Minister said he hopes to use this mobile application in January.The Minister further explained that through this application, tourists can be allowed to check their location, and if they get lost or need to take some safety measures, they can access the app for instructions.The Minister also said that for the safety of tourists, a tourist police team will be stationed at every beach with tourist attractions.Harin Fernando also mentioned that it is planned to bring 1.5 million tourists to Sri Lanka, especially in the year 2023.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Central Bank of Sri Lanka noted that the speculation that expatriate Sri Lankans' remittances to the country are taxed and forcibly converted into Sri Lankan Rupees is completely unfounded.In a statement, it added that there are no taxes on remittances, and expatriate Sri Lankans are free to hold such remittances in foreign currency form in their bank accounts.They can also convert such remittances into Sri Lankan rupees at their discretion, said the Central Bank.It added that expatriate Sri Lankans can continue to enjoy the current incentives without any charge whatsoever.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Police discovered seven packets of narcotic pills in a canteen at a school in Gampaha.38 narcotic pills were discovered on the school premises which is located in the Malwathuhiripitiya area in Gampaha.Police arrested a woman over the discovery of the narcotic pills, and said investigations were underway.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The 3rd term for all government and government-approved schools began on Monday (5).The 2nd term for all government and government-approved schools ended last Friday (2).Schools will be closed on the 22nd for Christmas and New Year holidays, and schools will start again on the 2nd of January 2023.Further, schools will be closed on the 20th of January 2023 due to the GCE Advanced Level Examination and will start again on the 20th of February 2023.The admission of students for the intermediate classes for 2022 has been suspended with effect from today (5).The Ministry of Education said that students will be accepted to the intermediate classes in 2023 after the end of the third school term of 2022 on March 24, 2023.The Ministry of Education says that it will operate only according to the circulars issued by the Ministry of Education.

(With inputs from PTI)

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Food Security say that steps have been taken to discuss reducing the prices of school equipment & stationery with importers and local manufacturers.Minister Nalin Fernando said that he has informed the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) to discuss the matter and submit a report.Meanwhile, the Chairman of the All Ceylon Communication Owners' Association Indrajith Perera said that the price of office stationery is also skyrocketing given the present economic situation in the country.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has approved power cuts of 2 hours and 20 minutes on 05th December as follows;Groups ABCDEFGHIJKLPQRSTUVW: 1-hour during daytime 1-hour 20-minutes during the night

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Department of Meteorology says that several spells of showers will occur in Northern, Eastern and North-Central provinces.Showers or thundershowers will occur elsewhere during the afternoon or night.Fairly heavy showers above 75mm are likely at some places in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle and Matara districts.The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.Condition of Rain:Showers or thundershowers will occur in several places in the sea areas off the coast extending from Batticaloa to Pottuvil. Showers or thundershowers will occur in the other sea areas around the island during the afternoon or night.Winds:Winds will be north-easterly and speed will be (25-35) kmph.State of Sea:The sea areas around the island will be slight to moderate.Temporarily strong gusty winds and very rough seas can be expected during thundershowers.

Health insurance aims to protect against uncertain... moreHealth insurance aims to protect against uncertain risks and meet health emergency requirements.

People who get Covid after being vaccinated three times tend to display similar symptoms, medical experts have discovered.

Social Work staff from justice services and representatives from Police Scotland, NHS, Education, Housing and third sector gathered at Motherwell Concert Hall recently for the first in-person Justice Conference since 2019.

STRICTLY Come Dancing fans think the right person was eliminated tonight as Kym Marsh became the tenth celebrity to leave the ballroom. The former Coronation Street actress, 43, was given a bye last week after falling ill with Covid, but despite being back to full health, Kym and pro partner Graziano di Prima were sent home after a dance-off with Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu. CBBC star Molly performed a Charleston to Hot Honey Rag from the musical Chicago, while Kym performed a Cha Cha to Fame from the musical Fame.

Covid-19 update: The death toll has climbed to 5,30,6278 with one fatality being reported from Odisha, data updated at 8 am stated. India has logged 226 new Covid infections in a day taking the tally of cases to 4.46 crore while active caseload has declined by 68 to reach 4,529, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

We LOVE Marie Osmond! And Perez does NOT love this basic yellow American mustard!

Kym Marsh has become the tenth celebrity booted off Strictly Come Dancing after battling Molly Rainford in the dance-off. The Coronation Street star faced the axe alongside her professional partner Graziano Di Prima after an intense dance-off with the CBBC star and pro Carlos Gu.

Colombo (News 1st) – There is a rapid increase in the rate of Colorectal Cancer among both men and women across the country, the Sri Lanka College of Oncologists raised the alarm on Saturday (Dec. 03). "In Sri Lanka, the number of Cancer cases detected per year is increasing.

The World Health organization (WHO) estimated that 9% of the world population now had some resistance to Covid-19, but warned that a troubling new variant could still emerge. "WHO estimates that at least 90 percent of the world's population now has some level of immunity to SARS-CoV-2, due to prior infection or vaccination," said Tedros, referring to the virus that causes Covid-19 disease. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said gaps in vigilance were leaving the door open for a new virus variant to appear and overtake the globally dominant Omicron.

Health experts are investigating cases of Strep A infection after the deaths of six young children and a rise in cases.

STRICTLY star Kym Marsh is returning for the Quarter Finals TONIGHT after she was forced to miss last's live show week due to Covid. Actress Kym Marsh, 46, began training again this week and will return to Strictly Come Dancing as she and pro partner Graziano, 28, perform a Cha Cha Cha for Musicals Week tonight. Meanwhile, former frontrunner Hamza Yassin's odds of winning Strictly 2022 have fallen away as new data reveals he’s no longer the show's favourite star.

GOOD Morning Britain host Kate Garraway gave an emotional update on Derek Draper's health this morning. The 55-year-old star appeared on Lorraine Kelly's show with co-host Ben Shephard when she opened up about her husband. Derek was taken to intensive care with Covid in March 2020 and only allowed home in April the following year.

(Reuters) – International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday that she will travel to Beijing next week with heads of other international institutions to press for quicker action on debt relief for poor and developing countries.The meetings with the country's leadership will focus on China's economic, COVID-19 and debt relief policies and will include officials from China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China, the IMF said."This is the first time, hopefully, we will be able to sit together and discuss the very pressing issues that China, and the world are faced with," Georgieva told the Reuters NEXT conference.Georgieva said that during the Beijing meetings she intends to discuss ways to accelerate China's participation in debt relief for poor and developing countries as the world's largest official bilateral creditor."I am very hopeful that when we have a chance next week to discuss these issues, we will continue on a path of finding better solutions and strengthening the capacity of the common framework to deliver," she said, referring to G20 countries' slow-to-launch common debt restructuring framework.World Bank President David Malpass told the conference that he would join the discussions in Beijing, along with officials from the World Trade Organization, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and others.Georgieva and Malpass have both called for reforms of the common framework to offer heavily indebted countries a freeze in debt service payments when they apply for debt relief and clearer timelines for reaching agreement on debt treatments.Asked if China's slowing growth would limit its appetite for agreeing to debt reductions, Georgieva said she hoped

A new study has revealed that teenagers had a tremendous impact on their mental health due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The findings claimed that pandemic-related stressors have physically aged the brains of adolescents.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Parliamentarian & Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka told Parliament on Friday (2) that the project to dig trenches as a solution to the Human-Elephant Conflict is a failure.Sarath Fonseka said that a ruling party MP from Ampara had proposed for trenches to be dug as a solution to the human-elephant conflict.Fonseka said warned that digging up a trench that is 10 feet wide and 10 feet deep would pose a direct threat to the river systems in the country.He added that even though the Department of Wildlife Conservation had not approved the project on technicalities, a 55-kilometer-long trench has been dug up, and the allegation is that the project is being used to illegally remove soil and sand.His comments were met with strong opposition from the ruling party in the house.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva told Reuters Next on Friday (2) that changes to the G20 Common Framework on debt restructuring were needed to speed up debt treatments, freeze debt service payments once a country requested help, and open the process to middle-income countries like Sri Lanka."We are concerned that there is a risk for confidence in debt resolution to be eroded at a time when the level of debt is very high," Georgieva said."We don't see at this point … a risk of a systemic debt crisis," she said, adding that countries in debt distress were not large enough to trigger a crisis that would threaten financial stability.Source: Reuters

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The 3rd term for all Government & Government-approved schools will commence on Monday (5).The Education Ministry's Additional Secretary for School Affairs Lalitha Egodawala speaking to News 1st said that the 2nd term concluded on Thursday (1) and Friday (2) was declared a holiday for all schools.Christmas holidays for schools will commence on the 22nd of December, and schools will re-open on the 2nd of January 2023.Thereafter, schools will close for a month from 20th January to 20th February 2023 for the G.C.E.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's State Ministry of Higher Education says the cut-off marks for university entrance based on the results of the recent A/L examination will be released today (2). The Ministry further said that it has planned to enrol 44,000 students in the universities this year based on the cut-off marks.Over 85,000 students applied for admission to state universities this year.The selected students are scheduled to start their academic activities in each university in January 2023.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Department of Meteorology says that showers or thundershowers will occur in Northern and Eastern provinces and in the Hambanthota district.Showers or thundershowers will occur elsewhere during the afternoon or night.Fairly heavy showers above 75mm are likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces and in Galle and Matara districts.The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.Condition of Rain:Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Pottuvil via Kankasanturai, Trincomalee and Batticaloa. Showers or thundershowers will occur in the other sea areas during the afternoon or night.Winds:Winds will be north-easterly and wind speed will be (20-30) kmph.State of Sea:The sea areas around the island will be slight.Temporarily strong gusty winds and very rough seas can be expected during thundershowers.

OLIVIA Attwood has hinted at a "cover-up" over her shock exit from I'm A Celebrity. The 31-year-old spent just 24 hours in the jungle before being rushed to A&E after abnormal blood test results. Despite getting the all-clear, Olivia's health sparked overnight crisis talks before it was ruled unsafe for her to return.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Hirunika Premachandra who led a protest against harassment was arrested by the Cinnamon Gardens Police on Monday (14) afternoon.Police said that she was arrested on several charges.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Eleven Sri Lankan fishermen along with two vessels have been arrested by the Indian Coast Guard under charges of illegally entering Indian waters.At the time, the fishermen were fishing in Indian waters, 175 nautical miles off the coast of Kalingapatnam in Srikakulam district.Indian media reported that the arrested fishermen have been handed over to the Kakinada Police Station for further investigations.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated two business associates of a sanctioned al-Qa’ida financial facilitator and external operations plotter. The two individuals designated today are Mohamad Irshad Mohamad Haris Nizar and Musab Turkmen, who conducted businesses activities to assist Ahmed Luqman Talib (Talib), who was previously designated by OFAC for facilitating the international movement of individuals and finances in furtherance of al-Qa’ida’s objectives. Australian authorities arrested Talib on March 25, 2021, and days later charged him with plotting incursions into foreign states for the purpose of engaging in hostile activities.“Treasury is taking this action to further disrupt a transnational al-Qa’ida financial facilitation and operational plotting network,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Sri Lanka Police Special Task Force arrested a 27-year-old man from Thamankaduwa, Gallella for possessing 118 stones believed to be gems.The STF said that the raid was carried out on the Akkaraipattu main road following an intelligence tip received by the officials of the Kalavanchikudi camp.Therefore, 188 stones of various colours suspected to be gems were seized from the possession of the suspect.In addition, a Gemstone Testing and Identification device were taken into custody.

MIKE Tindall has been investigated over breaching I'm A Celeb's strict Covid rules by playfully tackling an assistant producer, it has been revealed. The former England Rugby ace, who is married to the late-Queen's granddaughter Zara Philips, could have broken ITV rules that dictate cast and crew members must remain at least two meters apart at all times.

COLOMBO (News 1st) –  Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered an ancient hidden tunnel beneath a temple that they hope leads to the long-lost tomb of Queen Cleopatra.The massive tunnel was discovered by an Egyptian-Dominican archaeological research team from the University of Santo Domingo in the area of the Temple of Tapozeris Magna, just west of Alexandria, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced last week.Located about 40 feet below ground, the tunnel is about 6.5 feet high from ceiling to floor and runs for nearly a mile long at 4,281 feet, according to Dr. Mustafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Archaeology.A preliminary study of the tunnel suggests that it’s similar in construction to the Jubilinos tunnel in Greece, but longer.Previous excavations at the temple site led to the discovery of coins bearing the names of both Queen Cleopatra and Alexander the Great as well as statues of the Egyptian goddess Isis, according to the ministry’s post.Some believe that the tunnel could lead to the undiscovered tomb of Cleopatra, who lived between 69 B.C.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The United Nations (UN) team in Sri Lanka and non-governmental organisations have today revised and extended their joint Humanitarian Needs and Priorities (HNP) Plan, which aims to provide life-saving assistance to 3.4 million people amid Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis since independence.Since June, the HNP has been responding to the Government's request for UN-backed multi-sector support for Sri Lanka's debt and food and medicine shortages. Governments and donor agencies have helped the humanitarian community reach over 1 million of the country's most vulnerable people with cash, food, school meals, medicine, protection, and livelihood support. The HNP aligned with appeals from other UN agencies has raised US $79 million for Sri Lanka thanks to landmark support from the U.S and USAID, Australia, and Japan including JICA, the UN Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), as well as Canada, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, Italy, EU, Switzerland, France, and with additional support from the UK, Germany, Thailand, Sweden, Georgia, Latter Day Saint Charities and private individuals and organizations including Brandix Apparels Ltd, Hemas Holdings PLC, Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company PLC, Daraz (Alibaba Group), Amana Bank PLC and the Citi Foundation. The HNP's revision extends the plan through 2022 and requires US $70 million in additional funds to reach a total of US $149.7 million."We are immensely appreciative of the solidarity the international community has shown with the people of Sri Lanka, including through their generous contributions to the HNP.

Crocodile Dundee icon Paul Hogan has opened up about his debilitating health issues. In an interview for Australia's A Current Affair, the 83-year-old actor revealed that he has been diagnosed with retroperitoneal fibrosis, a rare inflammatory disorder, and a benign tumour that has wrapped around his abdominal aorta. Hogan, who lives in Los Angeles with his 24-year-old son Chance, also recently had a pacemaker implanted and claims he is now too weak to open a jar.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe proposed to establish an International Climate Change University in Sri Lanka with an ancillary institute in the Maldives to counter obstacles in implementing climate action plans.He was speaking at the COP-27 Conference in Egypt on Tuesday (8), and noted that the institution would be the first of its kind in the world."This seat of learning can be a global centre for green and blue studies, for scientists, environmentalists, researchers, policymakers, development practitioners, and students the world over to inter-change knowledge, transcending national and disciplinary boundaries," said the President.He went on to note that the envisaged climate change university will offer both short-term courses, and post-graduate academic awards to build capabilities on mitigating and adapting to climate change and stressed on the collaboration of multilateral institutions and organizations such as the Commonwealth, World Bank and the Asian Development Bank amongst others needs to be sought for the establishment of the institute of higher learning making it a multi-stakeholder partnership transcending national boundaries. "It is my hope that Sri Lanka's proposal will receive extensive support and endorsement from the international community.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The second total lunar eclipse of 2022 will turn the moon a reddish-copper colour for 85 minutes on Nov. 8, 2022.Sri Lanka will be able to witness this spectacle from 5 PM to 7 PM on that day.Often colloquially called a Blood Moon, a total lunar eclipse, happens as the full moon (in this case November's full Beaver Moon) moves into the deep umbral shadow of the Earth and receives only light first filtered by Earth's atmosphere, will be visible from North America and parts of South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. A partial lunar eclipse will be visible from Iceland, parts of South America, south and central Asia and Russia.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – 201 detainees at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center were arrested for unruly behaviour, said Police Spokesperson & Attorney SSP Nihal Thalduwa on Monday (7).The detainees who occupied a building at the facility surrendered to Sri Lanka Police on Monday evening.Military Spokesperson Brigadier Ravi Herath told News 1st that 514 detainees were under the control of the security forces by 4 PM on Monday.In addition, a manhunt is underway to locate 33 other detainees who escaped from the facility.Sri Lankan authorities said on Monday (7) that scores of detainees held at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center had fled the premises following Sunday (6) night's brawl.According to reports the cause of the brawl was a dispute over the use of a bucket used for bathing at the premises.547 detainees were at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center at the time of the brawl.A dispute had arisen between a detainee from Galle, and a detainee from Colombo over the bucket at the bathing area.Thereafter, detainees banded together as the Galle Group and Colombo Group.One of the groups thereafter attempted to approach the armoury at the premises, and that escalated the brawl. Sri Lanka Army personnel attached to the 9th Field Regiment Sri Lanka Artillery who were assigned to the security detail of the armoury had foiled the attempt, and shots were fired into the air to control the situation.One group of detainees, around 200 of them, occupied one of the buildings at the facility and defied orders to surrender.At the same time, around 300 other detainees surrendered to the security forces, while another group fled the premises.Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for a full

Sri Lankan cricket star Danushka Gunathilaka will remain behind bars after being charged with sexually assaulting a woman in Sydney's eastern suburbs during the T20 World Cup.   Gunathilaka unsuccessfully applied for bail in Downing Centre Local Court on Monday in a hearing that was closed to the public. Police had been granted a suppression order restricting access on what could be reported about the 31-year-old's alleged crimes.The top-order batsman spent Sunday night behind bars after being charged with raping a 29-year-old Australian woman.He faces four counts of sexual intercourse without consent allegedly committed over a two-hour period at Rose Bay on November 2. Gunathilaka appeared in the Downing Centre by audio-visual link from Surry Hills police station.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – England booked a spot in the Semi-finals of the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup after comfortably beating Sri Lanka by 4 wickets, despite a nervous finish. The result means tournament hosts Australia have been knocked out of the tournament.A target of 142 looked well within reach after openers Jos Buttler and Alex Hales posted 75 for the first wicket inside eight overs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Police arrested a man for the possession of three kilograms of heroin from Angunukolapelessa on Friday (4) morning based on the information extracted from a suspect arrested on Thursday (3) for heroin possession.On Thursday (3) night, Sri Lanka Police arrested a man and a woman for the possession of 25 kilograms of heroin in Ambalantota.Sri Lanka Police discovered 25 kilograms of heroin in a house in Ambalantota following a raid.Police said five people connected to a heroin distribution ring have been arrested.Sleuths have informed detectives that the heroin was smuggled to Kudawella by boat and was concealed inside a cooking gas cylinder.