Daily Exchange Rate from CBSL

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Two chartered flights of essential medicines gifted by China will arrive in  Colombo on Thursday (27).The Chinese Embassy in Colombo said that the value of the essential medicines is 35 million RMB (1.8 billion LKR). The two chartered flights carrying essential medicines donated by China to Sri Lanka both departed Chengdu in North West China for Colombo earlier on Thursday (27th).The Chinese Embassy said that in June, and September 2022 China donated 23 Million RMB (1.2 bln LKR) worth of medicines to Sri Lanka.With a total volume of 151.25 cubic meters and a weight of 28.64 metric tons, the consignment consists of:1) 15,000 vials of Human Albumin Solution; 2) 330,300 doses of Rabies Vaccine for Human Use (Vero Cell) Freeze-dried; 3) 7,500 vials of 23-Valent Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV23); 4) 22,020 vials of Human Immunoglobulin (ph4) for IV use; 5) 170,240 syringes of Recombinant human granulocyte Colony-Stimulating factor injection.The consignments will be officially handed over to Sri Lankan authorities later on Thursday (27).

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The need for peaceful co-existence and unity among the races is felt more strongly than at any time in history, in our country where different races live together and children in all parts of the island are working together without discrimination, Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne said on Wednesday (26).The National Cadet Corps (NCC), including in the North and Eastern Provinces, is doing silent service to build harmony among nationalities supporting the government's program after lasting peace was restored in the country.The Defence Secretary made these remarks while gracing as the Chief Guest of the passing out parade of NCC Hermann Loos & De Soyza Championship – 2022 held at the NCC Training Centre at Rantembe.The Defence Secretary also said there is an opinion in society that children who are engaged in cadet activities during school period acquire leadership qualities, discipline, the persistent performance of their duties, the ability to face challenges and live with self-confidence when socializing as adults and it reflects well through them.He congratulated the cadets who won the national championship as well as all the other cadet platoons who competed very well in the competition. He also paid his gratitude to their parents for directing their children to the training activities of the NCC and for being a great strength to them.General Gunaratne in his address said that our children should be prepared to face the emerging world as future employment sector is undergoing a massive transformation and accordingly, digital technology methods such as artificial intelligence, intelligent automation, robotics etc.

Irvine will be the site of a national mental health facility for 12-18-year-olds with complex difficulties requiring a high level of care.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The budget for the year 2023 will be presented to Parliament on the 14th of November 2022.The decision was reached when the Parliamentary Committee on Business met on Thursday (27) morning.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – An extraordinary gazette was issued increasing the Companies' Regulations and Societies regulations fees.The extraordinary gazette was issued by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies.The extraordinary gazette on increasing the Companies' Regulations and Societies' regulations fees was issued on Wednesday (26).The fee for the registration of a Private Limited Company has been increased to Rs. 4,600.00/- from Rs. 4,000/-.The new fee for the registration of a Public Limited Company is Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Health Ministry said that the number of Dengue cases reported in Sri Lanka has increased threefold compared to 2021.So far in 2022, more than 62,000 Dengue cases have been reported.Director of the National Dengue Control Unit, Dr Sudath Samaraweera says 60 people have died from Dengue this year, adding that a majority of the victims were children and those below the age of 50 years.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe issued an extraordinary gazette moving the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka and related institutions from the purview of the Defence Ministry to the Ministry of Technology. 

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Ministry of Agriculture announced that a vessel carrying 12,500 MT of fertilizer reached the country last night (26).The additional secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Mahesh Gammanpili said that the vessel reached Sri Lanka from China.The unloading of urea fertilizer is scheduled to commence on Thursday (27) morning.The stock of urea fertilizer was moved to Sri Lanka under the World Bank loan assistance.The Ministry further said that the stock of urea fertilizer will be distributed to the farmers in Ampara and Batticaloa districts.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Select Committee of Parliament to look into and report to Parliament its recommendations to ensure gender equity and equality with special emphasis on looking into gender based discriminations and violations of women’s rights in Sri Lanka held discussions regarding the progress of drafting the proposed Bill entitled “Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment” followed by a presentation to review findings on the implementation of the multi sectoral National Action Plan to address Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) 2016-2020.These discussions were held at the said Select Committee chaired by (Dr.) Sudarshani Fernandopulle, Member of Parliament recently (20).The Select Committee members agreed to send the draft inclusive of all recommendations discussed at the Select Committee to the expert committee assigned for the purpose within two weeks under the purview of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.The Select Committee also acknowledged the progress of the implementation of the multi sectoral National Action Plan to address Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) 2016-2020 and directed and requested the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs to incorporate contextualized initiatives to the new plan.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Committee on Parliamentary Business will convene today (27) under the leadership of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.The meeting is scheduled to commence at 11.30 AM at the Parliament.Discussions will focus on the future proceedings of Parliament. Reportedly, the Budget presentation and the Budget debate will also be taken up for discussion during the meeting.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Department of Meteorology says that several spells of Showers will occur in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-Western provinces and Galle and Matara districts.Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and Ampara and Hambantota districts during the afternoon or night.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:A few showers will occur in the sea areas off the coast extending from Colombo to Matara via Galle.Winds:Winds will be north-westerly or variable in direction.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – As recommended by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), the power cut has been reduced to 2 hours on the 27th & 28th of October as follows;Groups ABCDEFGHIJKLPQRSTUVW: 1-hour during daytime 1-hour during the night

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Attorney-at-Law Sagara Kariyawasam emphasized that dual citizens should be allowed to enter the Parliament. Speaking at a press conference held at the party headquarters, Kariyawasam stressed this point taking into example the newly appointed British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.Pointing out that the concept of a global village is now prevalent in the world, the SLPP General Secretary said that instead, some parties are attempting to drag the country back into tribalism.He said that England, as a country where Protestant Christianity is used as the official religion, a Hindu of Indian origin was appointed as the Prime Minister, which speaks for the UK's acceptance towards those of a different origin, in contrast to that of Sri Lanka. "The question of whether we, as a country are moving towards tribalism, I think was best answered for those who brought amendments such as the 22nd Amendemnt, by England last week," he said.However, the question remains, wheter the example taken by Kariyawasam is comparable to the situation in Sri Lanka? The current British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was born on the 12th of May 1980 at the Southampton Hospital in Britain . Which means he was a British citizen by Birth.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has recommended not to extend the detention order issued against Wasantha Mudalige and Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma.The HRCSL said that any futher investigations that the police may need to conduct can be carried out successfully and expeditiously without the continued detention of these persons.It asserts that the arrest, detention, and continued incarceration of the convener of the Inter University Student Federation (IUSF), Wasantha Mudalige, and the convener of the Inter University Bhikku Federation (IUBF), Ven.

Grammy-nominated actress Selma Blair and her service dog Scout were surrounded by ladies as they headed inside Skylight Books in LA's Los Feliz neighborhood on Tuesday.The Michigan-born 50-year-old was scheduled to host a 3:30pm reading/signing for her memoir Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up, which was released back on May 24.Selma was wearing a b&w-patterned blouse, black slacks, and pink peep-toe heels for the ticketed event. All smiles: Grammy-nominated actress Selma Blair and her service dog Scout were surrounded by ladies as they headed inside Skylight Books in LA's Los Feliz neighborhood on TuesdayBlair (born Beitner) appeared to be in great spirits following her October 17 exit from Dancing with the Stars.'Oh the places I've been! But I never considered I would be in a dance rehearsal space for a live @disneyplus ballroom dance show,' the Far More actress - who boasts 3.5M social media followers - wrote on Instagram that same day.

Selena Gomez has COVID.The Calm Down singer shared the news on her Instagram stories on Wednesday morning as she was seen laying on a sofa with a fur blanket over her as her dogs rested nearby.In her caption, the 30-year-old Wizards Of Waverly Place vet told her followers that they need to take COVID seriously because it is still out there. Ill at home: Selena Gomez has COVID. The singer shared the news on her Instagram stories on Wednesday morning as she was seen laying on a sofa with a fur blanket over her as her dogs rested nearby'I'm not going to be on Fallon tonight,' her noted began.'I ended up getting covid but am resting and feeling ok.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – While the SLPP General Secretary says that dual citizens should be allowed to make decisions on behalf of the people of Sri Lanka, the United National Party took a different stance.The Vice President of the UNP, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said that he opposed dual citizens taking seats in the Parliament, and Sri Lanka should only be ruled by Sri Lankans who care and think about the country.Otherwise, he pointed out, any dual citizen has the right to go to a different country in the future and act in the way that they desire without facing repercussions of their actions. Meanwhile, SJB MP S.M.

Humza Yousaf has been branded the "worst health secretary since devolution" by Labour in a row over how prepared the NHS is for winter.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – MP Dilan Perera says that the Government will not be able to stop any allegations against it with regard to human rights violations. Speaking to media, the Freedom Peoples Congress MP said that Venerable Galwewa Siridhamma Thero, who was visited by HRCSL personnel, was observed to have been unwell on 24th October. However, the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) only took the Thero to the hospital on 25th, which by that time, his platelet count and blood pressure were already low. "Therefore, the arrests made under the Prevention of Terrorism Act is wrong. If we can't pay attention to their health condition at least after the arrest, we will not be able to stop the accusations of human rights violations," he added.Earlier today, a senior official attached to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka confirmed that Ven.

COLOMBO (News 1st)- Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed the security forces to conduct an investigation in an impartial manner in to the recent incident inside the Yala National Park where a fleet of Off-Road vehicles were seen performing doughnut inside the park premises.Cabinent Spokesperson & Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that the President also instructed to penalize those accountable.Nine people and seven jeeps that were involved in the Yala Fiasco over the weekend, that received widespread condemnation, were produced to the Tissamaharama District Court on Wednesday (26) after they surrendered to the Yala National Park Rangers Office earlier in the day.The Magistrate ordered for the suspects to be released on a personal bail of Rs. 500,000/- each.In the meantime, a three-member Committee was appointed to conduct further investigations on the Wildlife officials who have been temporarily suspended for failing to prevent incident from taking place.This committee will be chaired by an Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resource Conservation.A total of seven Park Rangers have been interdicted until the investigations are over, and they are charged with dereliction of duty and for their direct or indirect involvement in the incident.The matter was also raised during Wednesday's (26) cabinet briefing, and Minister Bandula Gunawardena.

Nine people and seven jeeps that were involved in the Yala Fiasco over the weekend, that received widespread condemnation, were produced to the Tissamaharama District Court on Wednesday (26) after they surrendered to the Yala National Park Rangers Office earlier in the day.The Magistrate ordered for the suspects to be released on a personal bail of Rs. 500,000/- each.In the meantime, a three-member Committee was appointed to conduct further investigations on the Wildlife officials who have been temporarily suspended for failing to prevent incident from taking place.This committee will be chaired by an Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resource Conservation.A total of seven Park Rangers have been interdicted until the investigations are over, and they are charged with dereliction of duty and for their direct or indirect involvement in the incident.The matter was also raised during Wednesday's (26) cabinet briefing, and Minister Bandula Gunawardena.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka issued a clarification regarding the implementation of the Social Security Contribution Tax on electricity bills. As per the Social Security Tax Act, electricity supply by Ceylon Electricity Board is subject to Social Security Contribution Tax.Accordingly, the Ceylon Electricity Board will charge the said tax from the 1st of October, 2022 on the purchase of electricity by the parties including consumers who receive electricity from the Ceylon Electricity Board. "As the electricity tariffs were revised recently, we suggested the Ministry of Finance exempt electricity consumption from this tax. The Ministry of Finance has informed us that according to the relevant Act, the electricity supply of the Ceylon Electricity Board is subject to this tax.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health is preparing to establish a database by spending almost a billion rupees, however no progress has been made with regard to the infamour #DataScam.The approval of the National Medicnes Regulatory Authority is essential for every medicine and medical device imported to Sri Lanka.With the COVID-19 pandemic, most of these activities take place online, and an advertisement published by the NMRA on October 15th, 2020 confirmed this.The functions of the NMRA were carried out online using the Lanka Government Cloud for uploading important data related to medicinesand medical devices.However, the data belonging to the NMRA which was available on the Lanka Government Cloud suddenly went missing, and later it was revealed that it was deliberate deletion.A complaint on data going missing from the NMRA Cloud was filed with the CID on July 23rd, 2021.A software engineer attached to the private company that managed the NMRA system was accused of deleting the data.However, the database did not even have the minimum security measure or a backup facility.The issue went to the Courts on 6th October 2021 where the gravity of the missing data was disclosed.Senior Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Dileepa Peiris revealed at the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court that medicine racketeer made undue advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic that was spreading across Sri Lanka at the time.In court it was revealed that the systems operator from the private company that managed the NMRA cloud had deleted data for a period of seven long hours.Senior Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Dileepa Peiris emphasized that all those involved in this crime should be thoroughly investigated and brought to justice as they are

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Board of Directors of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), in consultation with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) have decided to extend the trading hours with effect from 01st November 2022.Accordingly trading hours will be as follows from November onward; Pre-open session – 09:30 a.m.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says incentives must be given to industries that generate dollars for Sri Lanka, in order to boost the economy."We can't resolve these issues by putting pressure on the economy. A program to boost the economy is mandatory.

Earlier, it was said that the incident was an accident involving the explosion of a gas-powered car. Sources now indicate that Mubeen was not driving a gas vehicle, but a petrol vehicle and the early triggering of the cylinder could have been an accident.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Coconut cultivations across multiple districts have been severely affected due to the Coconut White Fly infestation.The Coconut White Fly, which was reported for the first time from the Kegalle district in 2019, is currently widespread in several districts.The Assistant Director of the Coconut Research Institute, Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Foreign Employment Bureau said that five Sri Lankan expatriates who had gone to Saudi Arabia to work as domestic aides will be repatriated soon.The Spokesperson Deputy General Manager Gamini Senarath Yapa said that the group departed Sri Lanka via the same Foreign Employment agency, and were trapped in a province some 1,200 km away from the Capital Riyadh.He said that the Sri Lankan Embassy in Saudi Arabia is coordinating the activities to repatriate them to Sri Lanka.Writer: Teena Marian

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Today’s exchange rates from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka:USD Buy 359.1671 Sell 369.9156GBP Buy 399.4396 Sell 415.2984EUR Buy 349.8950 Sell 364.6177JPY Buy 2.4607 Sell 2.5639AUD Buy 228.9209 Sell 239.7898

The Cactus Plant Flea Market Box (Credit: McDonald's USA, LLC) McDonald’s adult Happy Meals have gone viral, so much so that McDonald’s staff are drowning in orders and are now begging the public to stop ordering them, according to multiple reports and posts on social media.  The fast-food chain announced Tuesday a collaboration with Cactus Plant Flea Market to create a boxed meal that contains one of four collectible figurines: Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Birdie and Cactus Buddy. Meal options include a Big Mac, or the 10-piece Chicken McNuggets with french fries and a drink. The announcement had adults running (or maybe more like driving) to their local McDonald’s to snag a box. The adult meals are only available for a limited time, which is probably why McDonald’s employees are feeling the sting of handling an avalanche of orders for the specialized meals. People on social media claiming to be McDonald’s workers are venting their frustrations on Reddit and TikTok as orders pile up for the coveted adult Happy Meals and staff struggle to meet demand. One user on Reddit posted under the title: "New Adult Happy-meals are killing me" and said workers need to "literally stockpile them (happy meals) to survive a rush." Another person commented under the Reddit post, saying their McDonald’s location allegedly ran out of boxes the first day they received them and then ran out of toys on the second day.  "And on the third day we had to say the truck doesn’t come till tomorrow.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando FreeFall drop tower ride at ICON Park will be torn down following the tragic death of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson, who fell out of the ride's restraints in March while visiting Florida for Spring Break, the attraction's operators announced on Thursday.In a statement, CEO of Orlando Slingshot Ritchie Armstrong said the company decided to take down the 430-foot drop tower ride to respect Sampson's family's wishes, as well as public outcry over the boy's death. "We have listened to the wishes of Tyre’s family and the community, and have made the decision to take down the FreeFall" - Orlando Slingshot CEO Ritchie Armstrong"We are devastated by Tyre’s death. We have listened to the wishes of Tyre’s family and the community, and have made the decision to take down the FreeFall," Armstrong's statement read.

Mulayam Singh ji is still critical and on life saving drugs, he is being treated in the ICU Medanta hospital, Gurugram, by a comprehensive team of specialists." Samajwadi Party patriarch has been under treatment since August 22 for his regular medical checkups and examinations. On Sunday suddenly his health deteriorated after which he was shifted to ICU in Medanta Hospital. Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and enquired about his father Mulayam Singh Yadav's health, said sources.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, at its meeting held on 05 October 2022, decided to maintain the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank at their current levels of 14.50 percent and 15.50 percent, respectively. In arriving at this decision, the Board considered the latest macroeconomic conditions, expected developments, and macroeconomic projections. The Board noted the tight monetary conditions prevailing at present, the decelerating pace of inflation, and the envisaged disinflation path in the near term supported by both domestic and global factors. The Board was of the view that the monetary conditions remain sufficiently tight to achieve the envisaged disinflation path in the period ahead. The contractionary fiscal policies would complement the effects of tight monetary policy measures already in place, helping to mitigate any build-up of aggregate demand pressures, thereby anchoring inflation expectations and bringing down headline inflation to the targeted level of 4-6 percent over the medium term.-Domestic economic activity is expected to remain subdued during 2022, before recovering in 2023 As per the GDP estimates published by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS), the real economy is estimated to have contracted by 4.8 percent in the first half of 2022, on a year-on-year basis. The economy is expected to contract in the second half of 2022 as well, impacted by tighter monetary and fiscal conditions, along with the continuation of supply-side constraints and uncertainty surrounding the business environment amidst shortages of foreign exchange in the domestic foreign exchange market, among

Truck crashes into bridge in Radnor. RADNOR, Pa. - A tractor-trailer crash is causing traffic delays in Radnor Tuesday morning.Police say the bridge strike has caused King of Prussia Road to shut down between Radnor Chester and Matsonford roads.A photo from the scene shows the top of the truck stuck under the overpass.

WILDWOOD, N.J. - Hurricane Ian may have run its course through Florida, but the deadly storm isn't finished with the Jersey Shore just yet. Angry waves are tearing through sand dunes, causing major flooding across the New Jersey coast. The beach in Wildwood has narrowed since chunks of sand have been washed away in the surf.

Covid-19 damaged the DNA in heart tissue, which was not detected in influenza samples. Notably the researchers also found that while Covid-19 and influenza are both severe respiratory viruses, they appeared to affect cardiac tissue very differently. "In comparison to the 2009 flu pandemic, Covid has led to more severe and long-term cardiovascular disease but what was causing that at a molecular level was not known," said Arutha Kulasinghe from the University of Queensland, Australia.

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2020/05/19: Construction workers wearing protective face masks on site. National Grid resumed the North Brooklyn "MRI" Pipeline construction by allegedly authorizing themselves to continue, despite the risks of the A recent survey reveals that not all drivers can recognize and understand different road signs despite having their licenses for many years. Myvision.org surveyed more than 1,060 drivers about road signs and other distractions they face when behind the wheel.

CHICAGO - Chicago police said a little boy was killed in West Lawn on Friday night in what was apparently a road rage incident.The gunman brazenly shot into a car with four children inside, with Mateo Zastro, 3, becoming yet another victim of Chicago’s senseless violence. "We will not rest until those responsible for this senseless and cowardly act of violence are brought to justice," 8th District Commander Bryan Spreyne said. The attack happened around 8:30 p.m. Friday. Police said Mateo was riding with his mom and three siblings near 44th & West Marquette Road.

Rita Wilson still has a "persistent cough", more than two years after contracting COVID-19. The 65-year-old singer-and-actress and her husband Tom Hanks were the first famous faces to come forward and reveal they had contracted the virus in the early days of the pandemic in March 2020 and though the 'Asteroid City' star is still feeling the effects of the illness, she feels "very lucky" that things aren't worse. Asked if her breathing and therefore her singing had been affected by the virus, she said: "It was.

WISSAHICKON - An apparent road rage situation led to the shooting of a 37-year-old man in Philadelphia's Wissahickon section.According to officials, 5th District officers were called to an alleyway near the 3900 block of Manayunk Avenue, just off the 300 block of Hermit Street Saturday night, around 9:30, on a report of gunshots.When police arrived, they found a 37-year-old man suffering with at least three gunshot wounds and the alleged shooter was also on location.Philadelphia Police Inspector D.F. Pace explained an apparent road rage incident took place on Ridge Avenue between the driver of a white Jeep SUV and the driver of a large, dark-colored Chevrolet van.Somewhere on Ridge Avenue, the driver of the Chevy got out, approached the Jeep and pounded on the hood of the vehicle.Inside the Jeep was a male driver, his wife and 7-year-old child.The driver of the Chevy got back into his vehicle and drove off, according to Inspector Pace, but the driver of the Jeep pursued the Chevy, down Ridge, onto Hermit Street and into the alleyway, with the Chevy crashing into two vehicles parked on the Manayunk Ave.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Traffic movement will be restricted along the Colombo-Avissawella road from 10 PM on Saturday (01) until 5 PM Sunday (02), says the Police. Accordingly, traffic will be restricted along the Colombo-Avissawella road from Wellampitiya intersection until the Kotikawatta intersection due to an essential maintenance work, which includes laying water pipes.The Water Supply Board stated that during the closure of the road, alternative routes can be taken from Wellampitiya Road via Kolonnawa to Gothatuwa Town, Kotikawatta Road in order to re-enter Avissawella Road.

FILE - Flowering field of industrial hemp. ( John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)Vermont dispensaries are set to begin selling marijuana for recreational use, though only three will be ready to do so on opening weekend.FLORA Cannabis in Middlebury, Mountain Girl Cannabis in Rutland and CeresMED in Burlington will all open on Saturday.

A higher rate of illness benefit for people who miss work due to Covid-19 comes to an end today.

A study today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report shows that US nursing home residents who received a second mRNA COVID-19 vaccine booster dose 60 days earlier were 26% protected against Omicron infection, 74% against hospitalization or death, and 90% against death alone.

Flamingos stay safe from Hurricane Ian inside a bathroom at Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg, Florida (photo courtesy Sunken Gardens). ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - As Hurricane Ian came ashore Wednesday, millions of Floridians either evacuated or hunkered down at home.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, the Governor of the Central Bank research collaborations between academia and policymakers to address various issues faced by the economies amidst the prevailing high volatility in the global economic landscape is of paramount importance.The Governor highlighted that although the applicability and validity of findings of certain models and theories presented in theoretical academic research could be somewhat limited amidst crises like the one Sri Lanka is facing at present, ongoing effort to study the dynamics of emerging market economies is an essential element in the recovery process. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka co-hosted the CBSL-ADBI-APAEA Online Macroeconomics Conference for the third consecutive year, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and the Asia-Pacific Applied Economics Association (APAEA), on 23 September 2022. This year’s theme remained the same as the previous year; 'Emerging Issues for Macroeconomic Stability'.Inaugurating the Conference, Dr.