Sri Lanka has cancelled all public events and gatherings for two weeks as the number of coronavirus cases in the country rose to eight, the health minister said. Director General of Health Services Dr Anil Jasinghe said two more cases of COVID-19 were identified on Saturday. Health Minister Pavithra Wannirachchi said that all public events stand cancelled for a period of two weeks as a measure to help the authorities with curbing the spread of the virus. Last week the Lankan government announced that travellers from a number of European capitals would not be allowed to enter the country in view of the growing threat. France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Austria are included in the list. At least four Polish nationals, who had arrived at the airport to leave the country, were taken to hospital for observations, authorities said. The prison authorities said that all inmates will be limited to one visitor during the visit hours. The schools and universities remain closed.
Foreign observers invited for SL polls
Sri Lanka’s National Election Commission (EC) has invited foreign observers for the April 25 parliamentary polls. Commission member S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole said that observers from the European Union, Commonwealth and the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) have been invited. The international observers, who will be deployed around the country, will submit their observations and recommendations after the polls are over.
Police officer arrested in honour killing case
A senior police officer in Pakistan has been arrested for allegedly murdering his lawyer friend in a honour killing case and later dissolving his body in acid to destroy evidence. Police said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mufakhar Adeel was arrested, almost a month after his 'mysterious disappearance'. 'SSP Adeel has been arrested for allegedly murdering his friend, advocate Shahbaz Tatla, in the name of honour,' Lahore Police chief Zulfiqar Hameed said. A fter the murder, Adeel dissolved Tatla's body in acid to destroy evidence, he said. The SSP, who had disappeared a month ago after murdering the lawyer, confessed to his crime in police custody, Hameed said, adding that he was arrested while trying to crossover to Iran.
Poisonous liquor claims 17 lives in Nepal
At least 17 people have died after consuming toxic homemade liquor in southern Nepal, police said. The victims consumed the toxic homemade liquor during the Holi celebrations on March 10 in Dhanusha of southern Nepal. Twenty-eight other drinkers have fallen sick, the police said, adding that they are currently undergoing treatment. According to the Dhanusha district police office, 13 people died in Chhireshwornath Municipality and the rest in Musahari of Janakpurdham Municipality-7. The deceased consumed excessive amount of homemade alcohol at a local bar in Dhanusha district. The drinkers consumed methyl alcohol, which is poisonous, according to doctors. Meanwhile, seven persons have been arrested by the police for selling homemade poisonous liquor.
Bangladesh slum fire leaves many homeless
Thousands of people were rendered homeless after a massive fire ripped through a slum in Bangladesh's capital of Dhaka. Hundreds of shanties were destroyed in the Rupnagar slum in the city’s Mirpur area, witnesses said. As many as 150 firefighters scrambled to get access to enough water and battled for three hours to bring the flames under control, said fire service official Zillur Rahman. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Video footage showed heavy plumes of smoke billowing all around the congested slum area. Lax regulations and poor enforcement have often been blamed for large fires in the South Asian nation that have killed hundreds of people in recent years. At least 25 people were killed in March last year when fire broke out in a 22-storey commercial building in Dhaka’s upscale area of Banani.
Two US, one British personnel killed in Iraq attack
One British and two American personnel were killed and about a dozen people were wounded when 18 small rockets hit Iraq's Taji military camp north of Baghdad, US officials said. The officials, who cautioned the death toll may rise given the severity of some of the injuries, said it was too soon to assign blame. Any indication that Iran-backed militia were responsible could spark a new round of confrontation between the United States and Iran. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and they "underscored that those responsible for the attacks must be held accountable," the State Department said. The last military escalation led to a US strike in January that killed top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, which, in turn, led Iran to fire missiles at a base in Iraq hosting US forces, leaving more than 100 troops with brain injuries.
Hong Kong church streams mass online
The Catholic Church in downtown Hong Kong is broadcasting mass to worshippers to their homes via online streaming as a way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The church was formerly packed during daily morning mass and on Sundays, but the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong has suspended mass and liturgies since Feb. 15 in line with government health guidelines promoting social distancing. "It was a painful decision," father Thomas Law said. "However, it was a faithful decision as we believe in God. God has given us the power to make sacrifices that make it a loving decision." Churchgoer Stephen Wong and daughter Amanda said they missed the community spirit but were thankful for the arrangement. Many churches in Hong Kong have taken their services online due to the rising number of coronavirus cases in the Chinese-ruled city, which has reported 130 cases and three deaths. Similar arrangements have been made in Singapore and elsewhere at various churches, temples and mosques.
Man rescued after 69 hours in rubble
A man was pulled out alive after being trapped for 69 hours under the rubble of a collapsed virus quarantine hotel in southeastern China in which at least 27 other people died. The official news agency said the man was sent to hospital immediately after being rescued. In another case a 10-year-old boy and his mother had been rescued after being trapped for 52 hours. The condition of all three survivors remains unknown. The hotel in the city of Quanzhou had been a quarantine site for people exposed to the new coronavirus. Most parts of China are quarantining people for 14 days if they are from high-risk areas or even travelled abroad or simply outside their home regions. The building had reportedly been modified illegally before the collapse.
Conmen jailed for impersonating French minister
Six men who netted more than $50 million in a brazen and elaborate scheme by impersonating a French defense minister and asking wealthy individuals and institutions to pay for fake, off-the-book government operations were convicted of fraud by a criminal court in Paris. Two of the men, Gilbert Chikli, 54, and Anthony Lasarevitsch, 35, whom investigators called the masterminds of the plot, were sentenced to 11 years and seven years in prison and fined 2 million euros and 1 million euros. Prosecutors said at the trial in February that the group impersonated Le Drian, mainly in phone calls. In some cases, the group made video calls using a silicone mask and a fake setup of Le Drian’s office.
Nuke safety cabins sell for £15k amid Covid-19 spread
People living in fear of catching coronavirus are being offered the ‘ultimate protection’ – three ex-MoD nuclear, biological and chemical-proof cabins. The green-coloured, aluminium Cold War cabins boast ‘full protection’ against viruses and are being advertised on eBay for £15,000 a piece.
S Korean teens sue govt demanding emission cuts
High school student Kim Yu-jin and 29 other young activists in South Korea are suing the government, claiming that parliament’s recent revision to the nation’s climate-change law fails to set specific targets to prevent global warming. The complaint to the court in Seoul argues that their fundamental rights, including the right to live and a clean environment, have been infringed.
Coronavirus lockdown helps Italian cops nab top mobster
A top “Ndrangheta clan” member was arrested in Italy after police, helped by the Covid-19 lockdown, spotted him smoking inside a safe house, officials said. Cesare Cordi had been on the run since August, when a judge issued a warrant for the 42-year-old’s arrest. ‘Ndrangheta’ confederation of 100 organised groups in Calabria is considered Italy’s most powerful crime syndicate
Netanyahu rival Gantz chosen to form new Israeli govt
Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz will be given the first opportunity to form a new government after an inconclusive national election this month, the country’s president said, raising questions about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future. The decision by President Reuven Rivlin was announced by his office after he consulted with leaders of all of the parties elected to parliament. He will formally designate Gantz with the task and give him a month to cobble together a governing coalition. The political wrangling comes at a sensitive time. Netanyahu has been leading the country as it confronts a growing coronavirus threat, with over 200 cases diagnosed and the number quickly rising. Netanyahu also faces serious legal troubles as he prepares to go on trial to face corruption charges. Netanyahu's Likud emerged as the largest party in the 2 March election, Israel's third in under a year. But with his smaller religious and nationalist allies, he received the support of only 58 lawmakers during consultations, leaving his right-wing bloc three seats short of the required majority in parliament. Gantz's Blue and White received the support of parties representing 61 seats, a slim majority.
Iran temporarily frees 85,000 prisoners
Iran has temporarily freed about 85,000 prisoners, including political prisoners, in response to the coronavirus epidemic, a judiciary spokesman said. The death toll in Iran from coronavirus has risen to 988 and a total of 16,169 people have been confirmed infected across the country, one of the worst national outbreaks outside China, where the pandemic originated. "So far, some 85,000 prisoners have been released ... Also in the jails we have taken precautionary measures to confront the outbreak," judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said. "Yes, about 50% of them were security-related prisoners," he said when asked at a briefing. He did not elaborate on when those released would have to return to jail. Iran announced the release of 70,000 prisoners on March 9 in response to the virus, but none were political detainees. The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, said then that he had asked Tehran to free all political prisoners temporarily from its overcrowded and disease-ridden jails to help contain the spread of coronavirus.
Spain’s king cuts financial ties with dad
King Felipe VI of Spain said that he was renouncing his personal inheritance from his father, Juan Carlos, who has been implicated in a Swiss offshore account investigation. Felipe is also stripping his father of his stipend in an apparent bid to sever any financial linkage between the Spanish royal household and the former monarch. The announcement came as Felipe has himself risked getting entangled in the financial scandals centering on his father. Felipe took over as king in 2014 when his father abdicated amid personal scandals and health problems. Juan Carlos, 82, has benefited from legal immunity in Spain. But he could face trial overseas as prosecutors investigate his possible ties to two separate foundations that both held Swiss bank accounts.
