International Affairs

GENEVA (Reuters): Chinese vaccine makers Sinopharm and Sinovac have presented data on their COVID-19 vaccines indicating levels of efficacy that would be compatible with those required by the World Health Organization, the chair of a WHO advisory panel said on Wednesday.

A consignment comprising 600,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, gifted by China to Sri Lanka were handed over to Dr. Palitha Kohona, the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to China yesterday (30) at the embassy in Beijing.

European leaders are handling rising public frustration, economic distress and mounting coronavirus case numbers in different ways, with most showing the strain of dealing with a yearlong pandemic, say analysts and commentators, who add that the leaders seem to be rattled by a third wave of infections sweeping the continent.

Prospects of an economic rebound in South Asia are firming up as growth is set to increase by 7.2% in 2021 and 4.4% in 2022, the World Bank said in its latest regional report, but warned recovery would be uneven, calling on governments to ramp up vaccination programs and redouble focus on reforms.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department has ordered the departure of non-essential diplomats from Myanmar, it said in a statement Tuesday, amid a crackdown on protesters that has killed hundreds since the country's military coup began.

මීට සුළු මෙහොතකට පෙර සූවස් ඇල අවහිර කරමින් සිරවී තිබූ දැවැන්ත නෞකාව මුදා ගෙන ඇති අතර එම නැව තව සුළු කාලයයක් ඇතුළතදී නැවතත් එහි නියමිත ගමන් මාර්ගයට යොමු කළ හැකි බව නැව මුදා ගැනීමේ මෙහෙයුමේ නිරතව සිටින කණ්ඩායම ප්‍රකාශ කර සිටින බව විදෙස් මාධ්‍යය වාර්තා පවසයි.

The U.N. Special Envoy for Myanmar warned Wednesday that "a bloodbath is imminent" and there is an increasing "possibility of civil war" in the country if civilian rule is not restored.

The United States and other key members of the global coalition to defeat Islamic State are voicing renewed concerns about the terror group against the backdrop of a massive campaign to root out operatives trying to turn a once-liberated area into a new stronghold.

විදෙස් රටවල සිට සරණාගතයින් ලෙසින් මෙරටට පැමිණි විදේශිකයන් 1250කට දේශපාලන රැකවරණය ලබාදීමට ශ්‍රී ලංකාව කටයුතු කර ඇත.

For Serbia and Hungary, Russia's coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V has been a godsend, allowing both countries to accelerate their inoculation drives. Austria announced midweek it is negotiating to buy a million doses.

Pakistan alerted Sri Lanka on August 10, 2018 about a Sri Lankan national involved in extremism and planning for development of explosive devises with the use of readily available chemical materials, but the authorities here had not paid attention on him, the Presidential Commission that probed the serial bombings on 2019 Easter Sunday observes.

The Government has banned a number of Tamil diaspora groups, including some influential organizations based in the UK.

The Federation of St Kitts and Nevis and the Republic of Sri Lanka have formally established diplomatic relations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday said China is willing to work with Sri Lanka to enhance Belt and Road cooperation and contribute to the economic revival of Sri Lanka in a post-pandemic era.

WASHINGTON - While the past year’s battle with COVID-19 has been grueling for health care workers across America, the challenge has been compounded for Asian medical professionals, who have also had to work amid a wave of pandemic-inspired anti-Asian attacks.

The Government of Japan has provided nearly $3 million through UNICEF to support the cold chain system in Sri Lanka and strengthen delivery of immunization services, including in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Myanmar security forces killed 14 people Monday during demonstrations in towns across the country following the deadliest weekend since the February military coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).

Myanmar’s security forces opened fire on a funeral Sunday, a day after more than 100 people were killed during protests against the February military coup.