Breaking News, Latest Philippines Headlines, World, Entertainment, Politics, Weather & Video News
GALLE, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lanka’s team were hit by a Covid-19 outbreak on the eve of Friday’s second Test against Australia with Dhananjaya de Silva, Jeffrey Vandersay and Asitha Fernando all testing positive for the virus. “All three players were found to be positive during a Rapid Antigen Test conducted yesterday,” Sri Lanka Cricket said Thursday. The hosts are looking to bounce back after their crushing 10-wicket defeat inside three days in the […]
by Amal JAYASINGHE Agence France Presse NEHINNA, Sri Lanka (AFP) — As once relatively wealthy Sri Lanka suffers a dire economic crisis with shortages of everything from medicines to gas, people are returning to cooking with firewood. The switch began at the beginning of the year when more than 1,000 kitchens exploded across the country, killing at least seven people and injuring hundreds more. The reason was suppliers looking to cut costs and increasing […]
by Amal JAYASINGHE Agence France Presse Sri Lanka’s parliament has cancelled its remaining sittings for the week to save fuel, officials said Thursday, with a disastrous economic crisis rapidly depleting the island nation’s already scarce petrol supplies. A foreign currency shortage has prevented the import of food, oil and medicines, while runaway inflation and regular blackouts have made life miserable for Sri Lanka’s 22 million population. Parliamentary officials said lawmakers decided to cancel sessions […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Cash-strapped Sri Lanka saw its highest inflation on record for the eighth consecutive month in May, official data showed Wednesday, as the island nation grapples with its worst-ever economic crisis. The Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) rose 39.1 percent year-on-year last month, up from 29.8 percent in April, according to the statistics department. Food inflation in Colombo came in at 57.4 percent, up from 46.6 percent in April. The […]
(Eagle News)–The Department of Foreign Affairs urged distressed Filipinos in Sri Lanka to contact the Embassy in Dhaka or the Honorary Consulate in Colombo. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola said Filipinos may contact any of the following should they wish to return home: Philippine Consulate in Colombo +94 114322267 +94 114322268 +94 112307162 [email protected] [email protected] PHL Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh +88 01735349427 [email protected] DFA- OUMWA +63 967 4421825 (Globe) +63 908 3442070 (Smart) +63 […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lanka’s parliament will convene Tuesday in its first session since a state of emergency was imposed as the country grapples with protests and mounting demands for the president’s resignation over a worsening economic crisis. Severe shortages of food, fuel and other essentials — along with record inflation and crippling power cuts — have inflicted widespread misery across the island nation, which is enduring its most painful downturn since […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lanka on Wednesday began imposing record nationwide 10-hour daily power cuts as it ran out of hydro-electricity on top of a severe shortage of fuel. The South Asian nation of 22 million people is in its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948, because of a severe shortage of foreign currency to pay for imports. The state electricity monopoly said it was imposing the 10-hour power cut, up from […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s public transport was crippled Wednesday as buses ran out of diesel, officials said as the country’s foreign exchange crisis worsened with no dollars to import fuel. The Private Bus Owners’ Association said they were able to operate only about a quarter of their fleet of 20,000 vehicles, while drivers reported queuing for seven hours to top up fuel. “I could not run the bus for two days because […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) – Sri Lanka shipped out to Britain on Monday the last of several hundred containers filled with thousands of tonnes of illegally imported waste, officials said. Several Asian countries have in recent years been pushing back against an onslaught of refuse from wealthier nations and have started turning back unwanted shipments. The waste from Britain arrived in Sri Lanka between 2017 and 2019 and was listed as “used mattresses, carpets and […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa admitted his government is “not delivering” as shortages persist of food, medicines and other essential items because of a dire foreign exchange squeeze. “The people may have a sense of displeasure towards me and the government for not delivering as they expected,” Rajapaksa’s office quoted him as saying on Sunday. “I accept that. Not only me, but all ministers and Members of Parliament should accept […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — The Sri Lankan government on Friday ended price controls on essential foods in a bid to end black market trading as food shortages worsen amid a foreign currency crisis. The cabinet decided to free prices for milk powder, wheat flour, sugar and liquified petroleum gas hoping it would increase supplies. “Prices could go up by as much as 37 percent across the board, but it is hoped dealers will not […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lanka on Friday lifted a near six-week lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus but maintained a night curfew and a ban on public gatherings and parties. Daily deaths had jumped to over 250 with 4,000 infections after Sri Lankans celebrated the traditional Sinhala and Tamil New Year in mid-April, but case numbers have since eased. The health ministry on Friday urged companies to encourage staff to work from […]
