Trade Ministry to reimplement 35 inactive TAs

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Meteorological Department says that Showers or thundershowers will occur over most parts of the island during the afternoon or night.In addition to this showers may occur in Eastern, Southern and Western provinces and in Jaffna district during the morning too.Fairly heavy showers above 75 mm can be expected at some places in Western, Central, Southern and Sabaragamuwa provinces.Furthermore misty conditions can be expected at some places in Central, Sabaragamuwa, Uva and Western provinces during the morning.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Commissioner General of Examinations L. M.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Litro Gas Lanka Ltd.

KIRSTY Gallacher has opened up on the major health condition which saw her quit her breakfast presenting gig on GB News. The former Sky Sports presenter, 46, admitted she found a "benign tumour" shortly before leaving her GB News co-host role alongside Simon McCoy.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Litro Gas Lanka Ltd.

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) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to depart to Egypt on Sunday (06) to participate in the COP-27 Climate Change Conference.The conference will be held from the 06th to the 18th of November in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Sri Lanka, which is under an ongoing economic crisis, is headed for another major turbulence as the country will not be able to secure the much-needed IMF loan in December as its ally and debtor China is yet to initiate a dialogue on debt restructuring with Colombo.A report in the Hindustan Times quoting financial analysts based in Washington said that Sri Lanka will miss the IMF deadline and will have to wait till March next year to secure a loan of $2.9 billion, as Beijing was involved in the 20th National Party Congress.The next meeting of the IMF executive board is in March 2023, Sri Lanka will most likely have to wait until then for IMF Board approval, and access to the funds.Why is China's involvement so important to access IMF funds?Sri Lanka is now considered a country that defaulted on its external debt because the island nation lacked foreign reserves for debt servicing.According to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Finance Ministry, Sri Lanka's total debt was $36 billion at the end of 2021.Of this total debt, Colombo owes some 52% in bilateral credit to China, 19.5% to Japan, and 12% to India.One of the main conditions for Sri Lanka to tap the USD 2.9 Billion funding from the International Monetary Fund is debt reconciliation and restructuring.Bilateral means transactions between two countries, and there is an institution that operates with the support of the International Monetary Fund to talk about bilateral debt, and this is called the Paris Club.Sri Lanka has obtained a large number of loans from Japan, India, and China, and among them, only Japan is a member of the Paris Club.India is openly supporting Sri Lanka's engagement with the IMF, and avenues are open for Sri Lanka to discuss debt

COLOMBO (News 1st) – An Extraordinary Gazette has been issued declaring the appointment of a 5 member National Delimitation Committee on Demarcation of Wards for Local Authorities.The Gazette has been issued by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena under Sub-section (1) of section 3A of the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance.The Committee is chaired by former election chief Mahinda Deshapriya and includes Jayalath R. V.

up by double digits since July when optimism was waning amid rising cases.With weekly COVID-19 cases now lower than in July, the 65% of U.S. adults who believe the pandemic is improving is up 24 percentage points and on par with readings in February and April. In addition, 24% of Americans say the situation is staying about the same and 11% think it is getting worse.Gallup began measuring public perceptions of the coronavirus situation once per quarter this year after tracking it monthly in 2021 and weekly for much of 2020.Though markedly improved, the current assessment, from an Oct.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Public Utilities Commission has approved a one-hour power cut for the long weekend from 5th to 7th November.Accordingly, the power cut will be between 5:30 PM & 8:30 PM for groups A to W.On the 8th of November, a two-hour power cut will be imposed for groups A to W.

It is important to take preventive action to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and protect against mosquito bites to prevent dengue.The vector for dengue, Aedes mosquito, bites during the day. The highest biting intensity is about two hours after sunrise and before sunset.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Police launched an investigation into a brawl that took place between two student groups at the University of Kelaniya.Police said that statements were recorded from five injured students on Thursday (3) night.The altercation had taken place on Wednesday (2) early morning urging a group of students to withdraw their complaint against ragging filed with the Kiribathgoda Police.Fourth-year students attached to the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Kelaniya had assaulted a group of second-year students from the same faculty.The injured students obtained treatment from the Homagama Base Hospital and discharged themselves, and Sri Lanka Police launched an investigation based on the notification made by the hospital.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies says At least 5.7 million people require humanitarian assistance in Sri Lanka..The International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies in its Needs Assessment Report for October 2022 said that At least 5.7 million people or 26 per cent of the population require humanitarian assistance.IFRC warned that without immediate humanitarian assistance, and ‘upstream’ interventions to address the fragility of systems, services and facilities, this number will multiply, and the consequences will deepen.IFRC said that at the community and family level, the macroeconomic collapse in Sri Lanka has translated into a complex humanitarian emergency, as millions of people are increasingly suffering, with severe shortages of food, fuel, cooking gas, medicine and other essentials.The IFRC assessment found that household purchasing power is constrained by food inflation and that disruptions to livelihoods and food insecurity have increased, raising worries about malnutrition.People are suffering from poorer health because the healthcare system has become compromised, and the household economic stresses have resulted in rising concerns over basic needs and protection for the most vulnerable such as those already living below the poverty line, people with disability, and marginalised people.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A Russian Naval detachment of the Pacific Fleet formed by the 'Varyag' missile cruiser, Admiral Tributs anti-submarine ship, and 'Boris Butoma' tanker have entered the zone of responsibility of the Pacific Fleet south to Sri Lanka.The detachment is redeploying from the Mediterranean Sea to their base located in Vladivostok after operating in the off-shore maritime zone.Once the detachment reached the area near the island, its guidance was assumed from the Black Sea Fleet to the Pacific Fleet. The ships are currently crossing the Indian Ocean.The detachment departed from its base in December 2021Admiral Tributs : Admiral Tributs is a Project 1155 Large Anti-Submarine Ship of the Russian Navy.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Canadian business community has accorded support to the development of Sri Lanka's economy to overcome the economic crisis.This was accorded at the meeting on Thursday (03), between Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, Speaker of Parliament and a group of Canadian business leaders in Parliament. The Canadian business community said that they hope to increase their friendship with Sri Lanka and also expressed their desire to support the young entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka to build their enterprises.Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, Speaker of Parliament addressing the delegation, said that they will work expeditiously to bring about the development of the country. The speaker showed that the support of Canada's business leaders is also important for this purpose and pointed out the need for cooperation between the two sides.Furthermore, the speaker told the delegation present that an Overseas Sri Lankan Coordination Secretariat to help expatriates is in the process of being established in Sri Lanka and the necessary discussions are currently underway and that he hopes to get the support of each party for economic development.The Minister of Education and Leader of the House of Parliament, (Dr.) Susil Premajayantha was also present at this event and he pointed out the need to increase the friendship between the two parties.

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.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan authorities held a virtual meeting with Sri Lanka’s official creditors agains on Friday (4).The meeting was chaired by the Secretary to the Treasury and the Ministry of Finance, K M Mahinda Siriwardana, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe.The meeting represents another important step towards securing International Monetary Fund (IMF) Board approval for Sri Lanka’s IMF program.Sri Lanka reached a Staff-Level Agreement with the IMF on a four-year program supported by the Extended Fund Facility on 1st September 2022. The program, amounting to USD 2.9bn, is expected to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability while protecting the vulnerable and safeguarding Sri Lanka’s financial system.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Sri Lankan Government has announced via an Extraordinary gazette that electricity supply, petroleum production and distribution, hospital services have been declared as essential services. 

(Hindustan Times) – Sri Lanka will miss the December deadline for securing an IMF loan as the main bilateral debtor China was involved in the 20th party congress and had little time for holding debt restructuring talks with Colombo, reported the Hindustan Times.The next meeting of the IMF executive board is in March 2023.According to financial analysts based in Washington, Sri Lanka likely will miss the December IMF deadline and will have to wait for March 2023 to secure a USD 2.9 billion loan from the lending institution in eight equal tranches.In the meantime, the Sri Lankan debt has increased further due to forex depreciation, deep recession, and burgeoning fiscal deficit. Since the end of 2021, inflation has considerably eroded the real value of domestic debt.While debtors India and Japan have already initiated a dialogue with Colombo on debt reconciliation and restructuring, China is still to engage in the dialogue as Beijing was involved in the 20th National Party Congress and had little time for client state Sri Lanka. The total debt of the island nation was USD 36 billion at the end of 2021. Of this, Sri Lanka owes USD 7.1 billion to China or 20% of its debt.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A crude oil shipment that was ordered by Sri Lanka remains anchored in Sri Lankan waters for almost 53 days, due to non-payment for the cargo by local authorities.A source from the Ministry of Power & Energy said as Sri Lanka is yet to make payments for two previous crude oil shipments, the vessel at the port has rejected the call to unload the shipment.A crude oil shipment that was ordered by Sri Lanka remained anchored in Sri Lankan waters for almost 53 days.A source from the Ministry of Power & Energy said Sri Lanka had made two previously purchased from the company that delivered the Crude Oil, and the payments are yet to be made for those two shipments.Therefore, the vessel has rejected calls to unload crude oil in Sri Lanka until the payment for the two previous shipments is made.The source from the Ministry of Power & Energy said Sri Lanka facing difficulties in sourcing US Dollars to make the payments.The Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery remains closed for weeks, due to the unavailability of crude oil

COLOMBO (News 1st) –  Sri Lanka's Women and Child Affairs Secretary Neil Bandara Hapuhinna says that the project to provide nutrition packs for pregnant and lactating mothers was suspended due to the lack of funds.As per this project, pregnant and lactating mothers were entitled to a nutrition pack worth Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that it impossible to activate the Sectoral Oversight Committees in Parliament in the absence of representatives from the Opposition.Speaking to News 1st the speaker said the leader in the opposition was repeatedly informed to make the appointments to those committees, however, a positive response is yet to be received.Recently, the Sri Lankan Parliament gave the green light to activate 17 Parliamentary Sectoral committees, and the speaker said he hopes to complete the appointment of representatives to the committee during the next parliament week.President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday (3) pointed out that although the formation of the National Assembly has been concluded to bring far-reaching systematic changes, satisfactory progress has not been made with regard to other proposals.The President has indicated this in a letter to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.The establishment of a National Assembly and the appointment of three committees related to public finance and banking were proposed under far-reaching systematic changes.In addition, it was also proposed to appoint the Banking and Financial Services Committee, the Economic Stabilization Committee and the Committee on Ways and Means related to banking affairs, as well as to delegate five youth representatives for the Sectoral committees and to establish the Parliamentary Budget Office.President Ranil Wickremesinghe has expressed that although 17 Parliamentary Sectoral committees should be established as indicated by these proposals; the chairpersons have not been designated for them and the criteria for selecting the youth representatives to be appointed for this purpose has yet

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that it impossible to activate the Sectoral Oversight Committees in Parliament in the absence of representatives from the Opposition.Speaking to News 1st the speaker said the leader in the opposition was repeatedly informed to make the appointments to those committees, however, a positive response is yet to be received.Recently, the Sri Lankan Parliament gave the green light to activate 17 Parliamentary Sectoral committees, and the speaker said he hopes to complete the appointment of representatives to the committee during the next parliament week.President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday (3) pointed out that although the formation of the National Assembly has been concluded to bring far-reaching systematic changes, satisfactory progress has not been made with regard to other proposals.The President has indicated this in a letter to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.The establishment of a National Assembly and the appointment of three committees related to public finance and banking were proposed under far-reaching systematic changes.In addition, it was also proposed to appoint the Banking and Financial Services Committee, the Economic Stabilization Committee and the Committee on Ways and Means related to banking affairs, as well as to delegate five youth representatives for the Sectoral committees and to establish the Parliamentary Budget Office.President Ranil Wickremesinghe has expressed that although 17 Parliamentary Sectoral committees should be established as indicated by these proposals; the chairpersons have not been designated for them and the criteria for selecting the youth representatives to be appointed for this purpose has yet

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Department of Meteorology announced that showers or thundershowers will occur at several places over most parts of the island during the afternoon or night.Showers may occur in Northern, North-Western and Western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the morning too.Heavy showers of about 100mm can be expected at some places in Northern, North-Central, Eastern and Uva provinces and the Puttalam district.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 several places in the sea areas around the island.Winds:Winds will be south-westerly or variable in direction. Wind speed will be (20-30) kmph.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) approved power cuts of 2 hours for today (4) as follows;Groups ABCDEFGHIJKLPQRSTUVW: 1 hour during daytime 1 hour during the night

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's health ministry reported the first case of monkey pox in the country.Sources said the patient had returned from abroad, and was directed to medical treatment.What is Monkeypox?Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe. With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Colombo Dockyard PLC, successfully launched a Cable Laying and Repair Vessel (C/S Sophie Germain) to Orange Marine France on 3rd November 2022Colombo Dockyard PLC is the leader of Shipbuilding Industry in Sri Lanka and one of the most competitive Shipyards in South Asia, the launch for Orange Marine France puts Colombo Dockyard on course with its shipbuilding activities, resilient and undeterred by the challenges faced. Orange Marine is a French company specializing in the field of submarine telecommunications, from the initial design, engineering, to installation of intercontinental and regional links, and maintenance of existing cables. The ceremonial launching took place at the Dock No 2 of CDPLC premises and the occasion was graced by the participation of owners, representatives from Embassy of France in Sri Lanka, Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka, officials from government institutions including Sri Lanka Navy, Export Development Board (EDB), Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), Sri Lanka Customs, Officials from state and private banks, ship designers, Class surveyors, CDPLC top management and employees. 

Covid-19 update: The death toll climbed to 5,30,479 with 18 fatalities which includes 15 deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. With 1,216 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India's tally of Covid-19 cases rose to 4,46,58,365, while the active cases declined to 15,705, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. The death toll climbed to 5,30,479 with 18 fatalities which includes 15 deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

Wendy Williams gave fans another tease of her upcoming podcast in a photo slideshow shared to Instagram on Thursday.The 58-year-old TV personality looked happy and healthy while sitting in a funky purple velvet chair with a 'The Wendy Experience' hoodie on.Williams has been 'home and healing' for the past two weeks after re-entering rehab in September following a streak of erratic behavior and claims of substance abuse. She's back! Wendy Williams gave fans another tease of her upcoming podcast in a photo slideshow shared to Instagram on Thursday'About Last NIGHT… Team WENDY!' Williams captioned Thursday's post.

Two investment experts talk about where growth will come from, Amazon vs. TikTok and more How the Pandemic Changed E-Commerce—and Where It Goes Now

EastEnders actress Sam Womack, who played the role of Ronnie Mitchell for years, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, forcing her to undergo a traumatic course of chemotherapy. As she saw in her 50th birthday doing one of the things she loves best - performing to an audience - she admitted it had been a "rough couple of months".Sam made her spectacular West End comeback as the White Witch in the theatrical version of Narnia tale The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe last night.Fans had been anxiously awaiting news about her health, but she assured the world she was now "back to work" at London's Gillian Lynne Theatre.She announced proudly: "It's been a rough couple of months but I am blessed to be back."Meanwhile, Rita Simons, who played her onscreen sister Roxy on EastEnders, declared her a "warrior" as she joined the many admirers celebrating her milestone birthday - the first one since her health news."Happy birthday to the other half of me.

Falkirk district saw deliberate fire-setting increase by 31 per cent last year with grass fires and wheelie bins the main targets for anti-social behaviour.

Officials with the Coatesville Area School District say nearly 1,500 students were evacuated following a message that threatened the ignition of the school on Monday afternoon.  COATESVILLE, Pa. - Officials with the Coatesville Area School District say the Senior High School was evacuated after the safety of its students and staff were at risk following a threat that was made on Monday. Just after 8:30 a.m., officials with the district say they received a message indicating that an accelerant was placed in the Senior High School and that it would be ignited at noon. The Coatesville Area Senior High School and the Intermediate High School were placed on restrictive movement until local authorities decided to conduct a search using accelerant-detecting K9s, causing nearly 1,500 students to be evacuated. The Chester County Assistant Fire Marshall says that 1,400 students and 120 staff members were relocated to the football stadium as all backpacks remained inside the building to get swept by the K9s. As students and staff waited at the stadium, officials say another message was received indicating that there were weapons on campus. After about an hour in the stadium, officials say a series of fights broke out between different groups of students, resulting in a county-wide request for assistance.

PHILADELPHIA - Nick Sirianni threw his head back as he walked into Philadelphia’s locker room and bellowed, " How ‘bout them Eagles! " The Eagles coach took delight in echoing the old Dallas catchphrase.Sirianni had every reason to revel in the moment: The Eagles are the only undefeated team in the NFL.That’s right, 6-0 for only the third time in franchise history, and first since the 2004 season when Donovan McNabb, Terrell Owens & Co. raced all the way to the Super Bowl.Jalen Hurts, C.J.

(Times of India) – Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India has told the Times of India that any security threat to India is also a security threat to Sri Lanka.The Times of India said the High Commissioner had  sought to reassure the Indian government that in line with their bilateral agreement and understanding, the island nation won’t allow its ports to be used by a foreign country in any manner that is prejudicial to India’s interests.Describing India as the key to "sustainable" economic recovery of debt-ridden Sri Lanka, the high commissioner said that the strategically located country is exploring with India trilateral cooperation opportunities with Japan, Israel and the UAE.According to Moragoda, Sri Lanka wants economic integration with India which, he said, will allow the country to expand its existing economic model and ensure quicker recovery from the debt crisis it’s facing.  "If we can hitch on to India, when you move we can move too.

Thousands of protesters, including France’s newly crowned Nobel literature laureate, piled into the streets of Paris on Sunday, in a show of anger against the bite of rising prices and cranking up pressure on the government of President Emmanuel Macron.

Hailey Thomas with Henrys Lake hybrid trout (photo by Shane Thomas) When Hailey Thomas and her family headed to a renowned lake in Idaho to fish and enjoy a beautiful afternoon, she never thought she’d come home a state record holder.Despite the beautiful weather, Hailey and her husband Shane, himself a veteran angler and former state-record holder, weren’t having much luck on Henrys Lake, according to the Idaho Fish and Game Department. They decided to raise the anchor and try again somewhere else on the lake, but then Hailey hooked something.

Covid infections in the UK have jumped 31 per cent in 10 days, according to the latest data, with most of the country now seeing a steady increase in virus levels. Experts are warning that the rise is particularly notable among the elderly population.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The subjects and functions of four State Ministries – State Ministry of Power and Energy, Media, Transport and Highways and Health have been gazetted.A number of institutes including the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation/Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited, Trinco Petroleum Terminal (Pvt) Ltd, and Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka will be under the purview of the State Ministry of Power and Energy.Sri Lanka Post, the Department Of Government Printing and the Sri Lanka Institute of Printing will be under the purview of the State Ministry of Media.Four institutes including the Department of Motor Traffic, National Council For Road Safety and National Transport Medical Institute will be under the purview of the State Ministry of Transport and HighwaysUnder this, institutes controlled by the Road Development Authority and 'Sahasya Investments Limited' will be included.The Private Health Services Regulatory Council, 1990 Suwa Seriya Foundation and the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol will be under the purview of the State Ministry of Health.In addition, the State Ministry of  Indigenous Medicine announced that it will control the subjects and functions of several institutes including the Department of Ayurveda, Sri Lanka Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation and the Ayurvedic Medical Council.

Covid-19 has been with us for almost three years now.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Education Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party, Pubudu Jagoda states that it is not fair to put the tax burden on the people, citing that the Inland Revenue Division, which had stated that Rs. 800 billion of taxed remain unpaid from large companies.He further pointed out that scams such as the sugar scam have taken place, yet no action has been taken with regard to it, and the taxes have not been reimbursed from the companies which were involved.Moreover, Jagoda said that the same fate has befallen the coconut oil scam and the garlic scam.

Emergencies Act earlier this year prepares to enter its public phase, the prime minister is standing firm behind his decision to use the controversial legislation — even as civil liberties groups raise questions.The Public Order Emergency Commission’s public hearings will kick off on Thursday, at which point Canadians will be able to hear from a number of different high-profile voices about whether the invocation was a justifiable response to the convoy protest that blockaded downtown Ottawa and two border crossings for weeks.

Ukraine on Monday.The strikes targeted downtown Kyiv, among other Ukrainian cities, and killed at least 14 people. Nearly 100 more were wounded, according to Ukraine’s Emergency Service.“I’m appalled by Russia’s continued attacks on Ukrainian civilians.

Eugene Lamont Sneed, 23, was out on bond in relation to a 2020 domestic violence charge when he allegedly poured the boiling hot water down the throat of his daughter on Sunday, who is only 1, according to FOX 17. A man in Alabama allegedly poured boiling water down his 1-year-old baby's throat while he was out on bond in relation to a domestic violence charge.Eugene Lamont Sneed, 23, was out on bond in relation to a 2020 domestic violence charge when he allegedly poured the boiling hot water down the throat of his daughter on Sunday, who is only 1, according to FOX 17.Niktoria Lett, the mother of the 1-year-old, Royalty, said that the baby was left alone with Sneed, who is the baby's father, on Sunday. When Lett got back to the apartment, she saw Royalty's face "all messed up," according to FOX 10."I get in the apartment and my whole my, my baby face is just messed up," Lett explained.

Since 2019, coronavirus has muted significantly and with that changed the symptoms associated with it. For example, in the initial days, the most common COVID symptoms included loss of taste or smell and fatigue and as of today, the signs that are associated with the infection.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera says that the tender to import 25,000 MT of urea required for the maha season will be submitted to the cabinet on Monday (10) for approval.The fertilizer stock is set to be imported under World Bank assistance.Under the same assistance, the Ministry of Agriculture stated that it has planned to import 45,000 MT of potassium as well.

The study found an 84% increase in the relative incidence of cardiac-related death within 28 days following COVID vaccination COVID mRNA vaccines significantly increase the risk of cardiac-related death, especially in males aged 18 to 39. Speaking against their use, experts further advised that people with certain heart-related ailments should consult their physician before taking these jabs.  Florida Surgeon General Dr Joseph A Ladapo said, "Today, we released an analysis on COVID-19 mRNA vaccines the public needs to be aware of.