Breaking News, Latest Philippines Headlines, World, Entertainment, Politics, Weather & Video News
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — A high-profile shaman who tried to end Sri Lanka’s Covid-19 outbreak with “blessed” water has died of the virus, his family said Thursday. Eliyantha White, 48, who treated sports stars and top politicians including the country’s prime minister, claimed in November he could end the pandemic in Sri Lanka and neighbouring India by pouring pots of his “blessed” water into rivers. Health minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi endorsed the water treatment, but […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lankan women were urged to delay getting pregnant after more than 40 expectant mothers died of Covid-19 in four months, the health ministry said Thursday. The island nation, which recorded its first maternal coronavirus death in May, is battling a spike in Delta variant infections after travel restrictions were eased for local new year celebrations in mid-April. “Usually, we have 90 to 100 maternal deaths a year, but since […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lankan government officials on Wednesday raided private warehouses to seize thousands of tonnes of sugar, a day after a state of emergency was declared over food shortages caused by a currency crisis. A military officer put in charge of efforts to bolster food stocks said at least 13,000 tonnes of white and brown sugar were found in the raids. “The objective is to prevent hoarding,” Major General Senarath Niwunhella, […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lanka’s main elephant orphanage recorded a rare twin birth Tuesday as a 25-year-old named Surangi delivered healthy male calves. They are the first elephant twins born in captivity in Sri Lanka since 1941, according to elephant expert Jayantha Jayewardene. “Both the calves and the mother are doing fine,” Renuka Bandaranaike, head of the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, told AFP. “The babies are relatively small, but they are healthy.” She said […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lanka on Tuesday declared a state of emergency over food shortages as private banks ran out of foreign exchange to finance imports. With the country suffering a hard-hitting economic crisis, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he ordered emergency regulations to counter the hoarding of sugar, rice and other essential foods. Rajapaksa has named a top army officer as “Commissioner General of Essential Services to coordinate the supply of paddy, rice, […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lanka’s government rejected on Tuesday mounting calls for an immediate lockdown to contain a surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths that is severely stretching hospitals and crematoriums. Government spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said the country had not reached a critical stage even as the island nation suffers more than 100 deaths per day on average. “Curfews or a lockdown is the last resort, but we are not […]
(Eagle News) — The Philippines has extended its ban on inbound flights from India and other countries. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the ban, which also covers Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates and Oman, is now in effect until July 31. According to Roque, there has been a recommendation for Indonesia to be included in the list of countries covered by the travel restrictions but President Rodrigo Duterte has yet to decide […]
(Eagle News) — The Bureau of Immigration reminded airlines not to board passengers coming from India and the other countries covered by the travel ban extended until July 15. According to the bureau chief Jaime Morente, airlines that allow the boarding of passengers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates will be referred to the aviation authorities for the imposition of appropriate sanctions. “Foreigners arriving the said countries […]
(Eagle News) — The Philippines has extended the travel restrictions on India and six other countries. In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the ban on passengers also from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Oman, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates is now in place until June 30. The ban was supposed to end on June 15. The government first imposed the travel restrictions on passengers from India in April, following the surge in COVID-19 […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Army relief workers in aluminium dinghies handed out rice and other food to residents in submerged parts of the Sri Lankan capital as the death toll from monsoon floods across the country rose to 17 Monday. The monsoon hits the South Asian country twice a year, bringing vital rain for irrigation and hydro-power generation, but it can be deadly and destructive. At least 17 people have died since Friday, after […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Monsoon rains triggered floods and mudslides in Sri Lanka killing at least 16 people and leaving more than a quarter of a million homeless, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said Sunday. Heavy downpours in 10 out of the country’s 25 districts since Friday buried most of the victims alive, the DMC said. In the central Kegalle district, a pet dog pointed rescuers to a location where four members of the […]
by Amal JAYASINGHE COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lanka was preparing Thursday for a possible major oil leak from the burnt-out cargo ship sinking off Colombo’s main harbour, as worsening weather stalled salvage efforts. The Marine Environment Protection Authority readied oil dispersants and skimmers in case of a leak from the MV X-Press Pearl, which had 350 tonnes of fuel oil on board when it caught fire two weeks ago. The vessel, which burned […]
