BBC Having watched Asian and European countries struggle against Covid-19, the US was slow to ramp up testing and order its residents to stay at home. We look at this crucial time period and what exactly was done to prevent the outbreak. Produced by the BBC’s Franz Strasser, narrated by Hannah Long-Higgins https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-52622037

Courtesy The Hindustan Times With climate uncertainty, humanitarian emergencies in the region are poised to grow. India must invest in regional frameworks for disaster management and take the lead in setting up a road map for greater cooperation On September 3, a fire broke out in a large crude carrier MT New Diamond off the eastern coast […]

Courtesy Aljazeera Salvage operations continue to stop fuel leak from fire-sticken New Diamond oil supertanker off Sri Lanka’s east coast. A salvage team is still trying to plug a fuel leak from the fire-stricken New Diamond oil supertanker, Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Indika de Silva said on Friday. The tanker, which is carrying the about […]

Courtesy https://www.manufacturing.net/ The MT New Diamond, which is carrying nearly 2 million barrels of crude oil, was damaged by two fires in a little over a week. This photo released by Sri Lankan Air Force shows ships fighting fire on the MT New Diamond, about 30 nautical miles off the coast of Sri Lanka, Tuesday, […]

Courtesy Sputnik Rising Buddhist nationalism in Sri Lanka has prompted the government to revisit plans for a cow slaughter ban, with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa reportedly floating the proposal in a parliamentary meeting. The proposal has brought together Buddhists and Tamils who see such as law as in line with their religious sentiments. Fresh from […]

Courtesy gCaptain By Waruna Karunatilake COLOMBO, Sept 8 (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s navy said on Tuesday that an oil slick had been spotted a kilometre from a loaded supertanker off the country’s east coast, as efforts to extinguish a fire on board continued. Sri Lankan officials are working to assess any damage to the environment […]

Courtesy The Hindustan Times The Bombay high court last week refused bail to a 60-year-old Finnish national arrested for helping a Sri Lankan national to illegally migrate to Europe. Justice Sarang Kotwal rejected the bail plea of Miira Mirva Helena Pasma observing that there were strong circumstances against her. Pasma was arrested after Sri Lankan […]

Courtesy Adaderana The fire onboard the crude oil tanker MT New Diamond has been completely doused, the Commander of Sri Lanka Navy confirmed. However, there still remains a risk of the ship catching on fire again due to the temperature of its current location, the Commander told media following a meeting held with the Attorney […]

Courtesy Hiru News The Navy says that the fire that broke out in the New Diamond ship in the eastern seas is now contained. Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard also confirmed that the fire that broke out on the ship has been brought under control. They said this by leaving a special note on their […]

Adaderana

Courtesy Adaderana The owners of the crude oil tanker MT New Diamond”, which was engulfed by flames on Thursday morning (03) off Sri Lanka, have handed over the vessel to an international salvage company. A team of the company is set to arrive in Sri Lanka on Monday (07), the chairperson of the Marine Environment […]

Courtesy Hiru News Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard are currently engaged in a joint effort to control the fire raging in the oil tanker, MT New Diamond caused by an explosion. Nine ships have been deployed to control the fire. Meanwhile, […]

Courtesy Hiru News The Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard continues to work together to contain the spread of fire erupted on board the oil tanker, MT New Diamond on 03rd September 2020 at 8.00 a.m. Accordingly, an MI 17 helicopter of […]

CNN An oil tanker carrying 270,000 metric tons of crude oil has caught fire off the coast of Sri Lanka, sparking a transnational firefighting mission.  https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2020/09/04/oil-tanker-on-fire-sri-lanka-india-jba-lon-orig.cnn/video/playlists/around-the-world/

Courtesy Hiru News The Geological Survey and Mining Bureau says that they have observed that the epicenter of the tremor that occurred in the Pallekele area in Kandy this morning, and the previous tremors that occurred were located in the same place. Geologist Nalin de Silva, head of the team investigating the case, said the […]

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia Maj.Gen (Rtd) Vijitha Ravipriya, currently Director General of Sri Lanka Customs elected as the association’s first President COLOMBO, July 31 (Xinhua): Sri Lanka-China mutual cooperation was emphasized at the inauguration of the country’s first-ever association for Sri Lankan alumni of the People’s Liberation Army National Defense University (PLA NDU) in Colombo on Thursday. Speaking […]

Courtesy The Daily News Director of Health and Nutrition at the Ministry of Education, Renuka Peiris; Charge d’Affaires ad interim of Japan to Sri Lanka, Kitamur Toshihiro; WFP Deputy Country Director of Sri Lanka, Andrea Berardo; Secretary of the Ministry of Education, N.H.M. Chitrananda; and Additional Secretary of School Activities at the Ministry of Education, […]

Courtesy Hiru News Acting IGP informs all police stations that Toddy tapping from Kithul trees, will no longer be an offence to file a court case.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror The ongoing interim school holiday has been extended by another week and the schools will be reopened for Grade 11, 12 and 13 students on July 27, the Education Ministry said today The week long school holiday declared during a sudden spike of Covid-19 transmissions earlier this month. The Director General […]

by Tang Lu and Jamila Najmuddin Courtesy NewsIn.Asia The “Wedding Boutique 2020” exhibition held in Colombo last weekend had many eye-catching and dazzling wedding products on display COLOMBO, July 12 (Xinhua) — Early Saturday, young Ranjani Gunatilake, who is planning her wedding in December, traveled to the Waters Edge resort in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo […]

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia Considered one of the four main sacred places associated with Lord Buddha, Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh is believed to be the site where the Buddha attained ‘parinirvana’. Colombo, July 14 (newsin.asia): The Indian cabinet of India, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has granted approval to declare Kushinagar Airport in Uttar Pradesh as […]

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia The film is the story of two men from rural Sri Lanka wading their way into the city to request a correction be printed on a newspaper which falsely accuses one of them to be a terrorist and the turbulent passage they endure along the way. Colombo, July 8 (newsin.asia): The Sri Lankan […]

by Dilrukshi Handunnetti Courtesy Mongabay A new study has finally solved a herpetological mystery surrounding Dendrelaphis bifrenalis, a species of bronzeback snake endemic to Sri Lanka. Researchers have established, through morphological differences and DNA sequencing, that the dry-zone populations of the snake are the true D. bifrenalis, and the wet-zone populations are a species new to […]

Protect All Wildlife When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of 7 ‘rogue’ and ‘trouble-making’ Elephants on his reserve at Thula Thula in 1999, his common sense told him to refuse. But he was the herd’s last chance of survival – notorious escape artists, they would all be killed if […]

elinoyes Michael Fishbach narrates his encounter with a humpback whale entangled in a fishing net. Gershon Cohen and he have founded The Great Whale Conservancy to protect whales. http://www.greatwhaleconservancy.org, is their website, or go to gwc’s facebook page, and join them in helping to save these magnificent beings.

Courtesy Hiru News The OIC of the Thalawakele Police has managed to save the life of a young girl who attempted to commit suicide by jumping into the Upper Kotmale reservoir . According to our correspondent, a 28-year-old father of two has drowned while trying to save the girl. The girl had jumped into the […]

Ada Derana