World News in Brief: COVID risk still high worldwide, massive Congo flood displacement, concern over Sri Lanka drugs crackdown

World News in Brief: COVID risk still high worldwide, massive Congo flood displacement, concern over Sri Lanka drugs crackdown

The virus is still circulating globally but relatively few countries are following infections closely, meaning the actual threat due to the coronavirus and its variants could be anything from two to 19 times higher than what is being reported to WHO. The agency’s COVID focal point, Dr Maria Van Kerhove, told journalists in Geneva that…

Read More
Sri Lanka urged to conduct probe into 2019 attack

Sri Lanka urged to conduct probe into 2019 attack

Addressing the forum in Geneva, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada-Al Nashif also urged the Sri Lankan authorities to accelerate investigations and prosecutions probing cases of human rights violations, in particular, the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. Ms. Al-Nashif noted that investigations should comply with international human rights standards. Her comments follow repeated calls to the…

Read More
Accountability key to Sri Lanka’s future: UN rights chief

Accountability key to Sri Lanka’s future: UN rights chief

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stressed the urgency of addressing these challenges if the country is to move forward, recalling the 2022 anti-Government protests demanding a fairer and more inclusive society. “But the potential for a historic transformation that would address long-standing challenges is far from being realized.” The UN rights chief’s…

Read More
Export of 100,000 monkeys from Sri Lanka unknown, Chinese Embassy

Export of 100,000 monkeys from Sri Lanka unknown, Chinese Embassy

The Chinese Embassy in Colombo has shown ignorance regarding the export of 100,000 monkeys. China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration, which oversees the export and import of wild animals and plants, has not received any request from a Chinese company to import monkeys from Sri Lanka, the Chinese embassy said in a statement. Gonadasa Samarasinghe,…

Read More
Sri Lanka receives first tranche of bailout from International Monetary Fund

Sri Lanka receives first tranche of bailout from International Monetary Fund

Ranil Wickramasinghe said that the tranche will pave the way for better financial discipline for Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka receives first tranche of bailout from International Monetary Fund. Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has told the Parliament that Sri Lanka has received the first tranche of bailout from the International Monetary Fund, which will set…

Read More