News

ETCA : 14th round of talks in March

Published

1 year ago

February 20, 2024

nipuni

The 14th round of negotiations between Sri Lanka and India on the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) are scheduled to be held in New Delhi, in the first week of March 2024.

At its meeting on Monday (19 Dec.), the Cabinet of Ministers took into consideration the submission made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding the current situation of the ECTA, and the 13th Round of discussions which took place in this regard.

Accordingly, the nine sub-committees responsible for ‘goods trade’, ‘introduction, general provisions and general exceptions’, ‘service trade’, ‘rules of the origin’, ‘customs procedure and easing the trade’, ‘measurements for sanitation and sanitation of vegetation’, ‘technical constraints for trade’, ‘trade accords’ and ‘economic and technological cooperation’ had entered into discussions.

Meanwhile, the sub-committee on conflict solving and final provisions is scheduled to conduct their discussions at the end of February 2024 in New Delhi.

News

COVID subvariants spreading in Asia detected in Sri Lanka

Published

10 hours ago

May 31, 2025

editor

The Medical Research Institute of Sri Lanka has confirmed that the COVID-19 variant currently spreading in the Asian region has also been identified in the country.

Dr. Jude Jayamaha, a specialist in viral diseases at the Medical Research Institute, stated that patients infected with the Omicron subvariants LF.7 and XFG are being reported locally.

Dr. Jayamaha explained that this finding was confirmed through research conducted on biological samples collected from several hospitals across the island.

However, he emphasized that there is no need for undue fear regarding these COVID-19 variants.

Health authorities have also stressed the importance of vulnerable groups—such as pregnant mothers, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses—following health guidelines, including wearing face masks and avoiding crowded places.

Dr. Jayamaha reiterated that new COVID-19 variants emerge periodically, and health authorities are continuously monitoring the situation, so the public should remain calm.

(newswire.lk)

(This story, originally published by newswire.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

News

Anudi misses out from Miss World Quarter-Finals

Published

11 hours ago

May 31, 2025

editor

The Miss World organization has announced its quarter-finalists, selecting 40 contestants from across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Sri Lanka’s Anudi Gunasekara, was not selected in the top 40, despite being recognized for her impressive performances in the Multimedia and Head-to-Head challenges.

The top 40 consisted of 10 contestants each from Asia & Oceania, Europe, Africa and the Americas.