“COLOMBO (Reuters) ― At least eight prisoners were killed and more than 50 injured in clashes with guards at a Sri Lankan prison, officials said on Monday, as authorities tried to quell a protest over rising corornavirus infections in the country’s crowded jails. Sri Lanka has witnessed an upsurge in coronavirus cases in the past month and over-congested prisons across the country have reported thousands of fresh infections. Inmates have staged protests in recent weeks demanding an increase in coronavirus testing and new isolation facilities for infected prisoners. The latest clash at Mahara prison situated on the outskirts of the capital Colombo started on Sunday when some inmates protested against prisoners infected by the Covid-19 virus being transferred from other facilities to Mahara. ASSOCIATED PRESS A family member of an inmate pleads to a police officer as she seeks information on the condition of her relative outside the Mahara prison complex in Mahara, outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Nov. 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) “We can’t say it for certain but most of the deaths and injuries appear to be due to gunshots,” said Ajith Rohana, a senior police official tracking the incident. Hundreds of additional police were deployed to help the guards and strengthen security at the prison. “A majority of prisoners injured in the Mahara jail clashes were in critical condition,” said Shelton Perera, director of the Ragama Hospital where inmates from the prison were undergoing treatment. The John Hopkins University’s latest data on Sri Lanka says the country has had 22,988 coronavirus cases and 109 deaths. (Reporting by Waruna Karunatilake in Colombo, Writing by Rupam Jain, Editing by Michael Perry)
Trump Administration Lowballs Unemployment Benefits In New COVID-19 Offer
144 Views0 Comments1 Likes
["The latest stimulus offer from the White House comes with one-time $600 payments for most Americans and a lump of coal for the unemployed. The new proposal offered by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin swapped the $3...
Studies Suggest AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Safe And Effective
135 Views0 Comments0 Likes
["New results on a possible COVID-19 vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca suggest it is safe and about 70% effective, but questions remain about how well it may help protect those over 55 — a key concern for...
COVID-19 Deaths, Georgia Elections And Trump Pardons: Views From HuffPost Readers
132 Views0 Comments0 Likes
["HuffPost Illustration In a recent poll, one of HuffPost members’ top-requested features was a roundup of reader comments. Every week, HuffPost editors read your comments on our top stories and highlight those that c...
Singer Jeremih Leaves Hospital After COVID-19 Battle, Says He’s ‘Forever Grateful’
364 Views0 Comments0 Likes
["Singer Jeremih has been released from the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago after battling COVID-19 during his stay, his family said. The 33-year-old R&B artist, whose real name is Jeremy Felton, thanked th...
Tuesday Is ‘V-Day’ In Britain; First Citizens Will Get COVID-19 Vaccine
153 Views0 Comments0 Likes
["LONDON (AP) — It’s been dubbed “V-Day” in Britain ― recalling the D-Day landings in France that marked the start of the final push in World War II to defeat Nazi Germany. A week after the U.K. became the first Weste...
Selma Blair And Sarah Michelle Gellar Redo ‘Cruel Intentions’ Kiss For COVID-19 Era
73 Views0 Comments0 Likes
["More than 20 years after they co-starred in “Cruel Intentions,” Selma Blair and Sarah Michelle Gellar continue to find ways to reference their legendary screen kiss. The actors made a virtual appearance at Sunday’s...
FBI Urges COVID-19 Retests For Those Tested At New Jersey Lab
56 Views0 Comments0 Likes
["ASSOCIATED PRESS A nurse uses a swab to perform a coronavirus test in Salt Lake City. The FBI in New Jersey is asking anyone who received a COVID-19 test at a lab along the Jersey Shore to get retested as soon as po...
States Scramble To Curb COVID-19 Without National Leadership
113 Views0 Comments0 Likes
["NEW YORK (Reuters) - Individual U.S. states scrambled on Sunday to impose lockdowns to stem coronavirus spikes amid a lack of national leadership on how to curb infections until vaccines are widely available in the ...