News updates

IN NORMAL times a government sitting on $440 billion in foreign reserves would have few cares. Even in the present season of turmoil in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is lucky. With the price of oil up by $10 a barrel since January, and the Saudis squirting out spare stuff to make up for the slump in Libya’s output, the …

JEDDAH: Thirty three cases of dengue fever have been reported in the last three weeks in Jeddah, according to Health Affairs Director Dr. Sami Badawood, adding that more infections were likely in the coming weeks as the cool season comes to an end. Over a month after the Jan. 26 floods, local residents are combating fears of a malaria epidemic …

In the past few years, paranoid conservatives have cooked up all sorts of conspiracy theories about President Barack Obama. Some have claimed he has a secret plan to confiscate guns. Others have said he has a secret plan to confiscate IRA accounts. Still others have contended he's setting up clandestine FEMA concentration camps. And, of course, there's the big one: …

  The Polannaruwa has become the prey of ongoing flood. The reservoirs and tanks surrounded by Polannaruwa over flowing with flood waters, in addition to continuingtorrential rain water.  Several spill gates of Parakrama Samudraya, Kawudulla and Minneriya tanks have been opened. Galella, Manampitiya area in Polonnaruwa- Batticaloa road is impassable due to flooding.  Many villages are submerged in water including Medegiriya town …

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has strongly praised Sri Lanka's macro-economic performance. The lending institution says the economy appears to have fundamental strengths. It has also approved another tranche of a $2.6bn (£1.6bn) loan. The organisation backed the latest instalment of the loan – nearly $200m dollars – intending it to help the country recover from its war and from …