President calls for report on Kandakadu brawl

Foxconn Technology Group‘s November revenue dropped 11% from a year earlier after shipments from Zhengzhou, China, the world’s biggest iPhone assembly site, were affected by a Covid-19 outbreak, the company said Monday.

A study published in The Lancet has said that the symptoms of long Covid may change in children and the younger population over time. For the study, the researchers asked children in the age group of 11 to 17 how their health was six months and 12 months after taking the PCR tests. They were also asked to recall their symptoms when they took the tests.

Matt Hancock has accused former Scots bra tycoon Michelle Mone of sending him a "threatening" message after a firm she was helping did not secure a deal during the covid pandemic.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation on Monday (5) announced that the price of a liter of Auto Diesel will be reduced by Rs. 10/-.Accordingly, the new price of a Liter of Auto Diesel will be Rs.

₹1,584 crore." He added that under the Namami Gange programme, the project of natural farming is going on along the banks of the Ganges, while the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and all Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Central and State Agricultural Universities and Colleges are making all-round efforts to promote natural farming.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A scholarship program utilizing funds from the President’s Fund has been initiated under the directives of President Ranil Wickremesinghe for students who have passed the G.C. E.

COLOMBO (News 1st) –  Minister of Tourism and Lands Harin Fernando said that a new mobile application will be introduced for the safety of tourists coming to Sri Lanka while promoting the tourism industry.The Minister stated the above at the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Tourism and Lands held recently (30) at the Parliament.The Minister said he hopes to use this mobile application in January.The Minister further explained that through this application, tourists can be allowed to check their location, and if they get lost or need to take some safety measures, they can access the app for instructions.The Minister also said that for the safety of tourists, a tourist police team will be stationed at every beach with tourist attractions.Harin Fernando also mentioned that it is planned to bring 1.5 million tourists to Sri Lanka, especially in the year 2023.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Central Bank of Sri Lanka noted that the speculation that expatriate Sri Lankans' remittances to the country are taxed and forcibly converted into Sri Lankan Rupees is completely unfounded.In a statement, it added that there are no taxes on remittances, and expatriate Sri Lankans are free to hold such remittances in foreign currency form in their bank accounts.They can also convert such remittances into Sri Lankan rupees at their discretion, said the Central Bank.It added that expatriate Sri Lankans can continue to enjoy the current incentives without any charge whatsoever.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Police discovered seven packets of narcotic pills in a canteen at a school in Gampaha.38 narcotic pills were discovered on the school premises which is located in the Malwathuhiripitiya area in Gampaha.Police arrested a woman over the discovery of the narcotic pills, and said investigations were underway.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The 3rd term for all government and government-approved schools began on Monday (5).The 2nd term for all government and government-approved schools ended last Friday (2).Schools will be closed on the 22nd for Christmas and New Year holidays, and schools will start again on the 2nd of January 2023.Further, schools will be closed on the 20th of January 2023 due to the GCE Advanced Level Examination and will start again on the 20th of February 2023.The admission of students for the intermediate classes for 2022 has been suspended with effect from today (5).The Ministry of Education said that students will be accepted to the intermediate classes in 2023 after the end of the third school term of 2022 on March 24, 2023.The Ministry of Education says that it will operate only according to the circulars issued by the Ministry of Education.

(With inputs from PTI)

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Food Security say that steps have been taken to discuss reducing the prices of school equipment & stationery with importers and local manufacturers.Minister Nalin Fernando said that he has informed the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) to discuss the matter and submit a report.Meanwhile, the Chairman of the All Ceylon Communication Owners' Association Indrajith Perera said that the price of office stationery is also skyrocketing given the present economic situation in the country.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has approved power cuts of 2 hours and 20 minutes on 05th December as follows;Groups ABCDEFGHIJKLPQRSTUVW: 1-hour during daytime 1-hour 20-minutes during the night

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Department of Meteorology says that several spells of showers will occur in Northern, Eastern and North-Central provinces.Showers or thundershowers will occur elsewhere during the afternoon or night.Fairly heavy showers above 75mm are likely at some places in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle and Matara districts.The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.Condition of Rain:Showers or thundershowers will occur in several places in the sea areas off the coast extending from Batticaloa to Pottuvil. Showers or thundershowers will occur in the other sea areas around the island during the afternoon or night.Winds:Winds will be north-easterly and speed will be (25-35) kmph.State of Sea:The sea areas around the island will be slight to moderate.Temporarily strong gusty winds and very rough seas can be expected during thundershowers.

Health insurance aims to protect against uncertain... moreHealth insurance aims to protect against uncertain risks and meet health emergency requirements.

People who get Covid after being vaccinated three times tend to display similar symptoms, medical experts have discovered.

Social Work staff from justice services and representatives from Police Scotland, NHS, Education, Housing and third sector gathered at Motherwell Concert Hall recently for the first in-person Justice Conference since 2019.

STRICTLY Come Dancing fans think the right person was eliminated tonight as Kym Marsh became the tenth celebrity to leave the ballroom. The former Coronation Street actress, 43, was given a bye last week after falling ill with Covid, but despite being back to full health, Kym and pro partner Graziano di Prima were sent home after a dance-off with Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu. CBBC star Molly performed a Charleston to Hot Honey Rag from the musical Chicago, while Kym performed a Cha Cha to Fame from the musical Fame.

Covid-19 update: The death toll has climbed to 5,30,6278 with one fatality being reported from Odisha, data updated at 8 am stated. India has logged 226 new Covid infections in a day taking the tally of cases to 4.46 crore while active caseload has declined by 68 to reach 4,529, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

We LOVE Marie Osmond! And Perez does NOT love this basic yellow American mustard!

Kym Marsh has become the tenth celebrity booted off Strictly Come Dancing after battling Molly Rainford in the dance-off. The Coronation Street star faced the axe alongside her professional partner Graziano Di Prima after an intense dance-off with the CBBC star and pro Carlos Gu.

Colombo (News 1st) – There is a rapid increase in the rate of Colorectal Cancer among both men and women across the country, the Sri Lanka College of Oncologists raised the alarm on Saturday (Dec. 03). "In Sri Lanka, the number of Cancer cases detected per year is increasing.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Minister of Finance will present the 2023 budget to Parliament today (14) to create long-term, stable economic growth.The 2023 budget has given special attention to the sectors of the capital market, export market, labour market and digital economy and it is expected to achieve the budget targets through the social market economy.This year’s budget will focus more on providing social welfare benefits to the people who need them most and creating a policy environment to build the private sector as the driving force of the country’s economy.Through the 2023 budget, the process of building a new economy tailored for the new world has been initiated aimed at creating a program to ensure a decent country for the youth

PMD – President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Minister of Finance will present the 2023 budget to Parliament tomorrow (14) aimed at creating long-term, stable economic growth.The 2023 budget has given special attention to the sectors of capital market, export market, labour market and digital economy and it is expected to achieve the budget targets through the social market economy.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A special meeting of the ruling party is scheduled to be held on Monday (14) in connection with the upcoming appropriation bill.The meeting, which is scheduled to be held at 05:00 PM at the Temple Trees, will be presided over by the President and the Prime Minister.The General Secretary of the SLPP, Attorney-at-law Sagara Kariyawasam said that the ruling party MPs will be specially briefed about the upcoming budget proposals.Officials of the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank as well as several economic experts are also scheduled to be involved.Kariyawasam also said that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna will extend its full support to President Ranil Wickremesinghe's decision to restore the country's economy.However, Karivayasam stated that his party will take a decision on extending support for this year's budget after further consideration of the budget proposals presented tomorrow.Meanwhile, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya says that it has called a meeting of its parliamentary group on Monday (14) afternoon to discuss the budget proposals.Its General Secretary, MP Ranjith Madduma  Bandara said that the meeting will be held at the Parliament Complex under the Chairmanship of the Opposition Leader.Moreover, MP Dallas Alahapperuma stated that a meeting of the reformist group of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna representing the Nidahas Janatha Sabhawa will be held at 5:00 PM on Monday (14) to discuss the budget proposals.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has made it clear that his country will not be a part of any big power rivalry, especially in the Indian Ocean region."The total competition in the world has gone from US and Russia to US and China," said the President adding that whatever happens in Russia is a sideshow."Whether the US is in the Indian ocean we have no objections. We have no objections to the Japanese or the Chinese being there, as long as there is no rivalry. We are the literal states, and we have to look after our interests.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Seven newly appointed Ambassadors and a High Commissioner to Sri Lanka presented their credentials to President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday (11).Accordingly, His Excellency Mr. Federico Salas Lotfe, the Mexican Ambassador to Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – World Bank Group President David Malpass has affirmed the World Bank Group’s support to Sri Lanka in rebuilding their economy & creating a foundation for sustainable private sector-led growth, said the President's Media Division.President Ranil Wickremesinghe met World Bank Group President David Malpass at COP27 where discussions focused on the challenging macro-economic and social situation in Sri Lanka.Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe returned to the country on Thursday (10) concluding his visit to Egypt where he attended the COP-27 summit.President Ranil Wickremesinghe held discussions on debt management with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva, Finance Minister of Ghana Ken Ofori-Atta and Speaker of the People’s Majlis of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed on the sidelines of COP27.President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing the COP 27 Climate Change Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt said that unbridled industrialization of the developed countries is the root cause of climate change, leaving the poor to suffer the consequences.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday (7) launched his country’s ‘Climate Prosperity Plan’ at the UN Climate Change Conference in Sharm el Sheikh (COP27), together with Bangladesh, Ghana, and Maldives who are also preparing such plans aimed at emboldening growth despite an increasingly climate insecure world.The Sri Lankan Climate Prosperity Plan (CPP) is a roadmap to attract foreign investment in Sri Lanka’s economy to boost economic growth and employment, while also accelerating climate adaptation and bringing down the country’s greenhouse gas emissions as it transitions towards net negative emissions.President Wickremesinghe spoke alongside Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, and Maldivian Vice President Faisel Naseem.Compared to a Business As Usual scenario, Sri Lanka’s Climate Prosperity Plan is expected to deliver an economic growth rate that is 1% per year higher, resulting in GDP that is 34% higher by 2050.The Sri Lankan plan sets a target of increasing Sri Lanka’s renewable energy generation from 35% to 70% by 2030. The transport, forestry, water and tourism sectors have similarly ambitious aims.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff of the President Sagala Ratnayake met with Faris Hadad-Zervos, the World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka on Tuesday (8).He recalled that Faris Hadad-Zervos, the World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka was amazed by the action policy and the vision of President Ranil Wickremesinghe which was revealed during their meeting recently.The WB Country Director also expressed his willingness to support the President’s vision. “The president’s vision for the country includes some measures that go beyond what the IMF or WB has stipulated.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe met Na Kyung- Won, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and Environment and Head of the Korean delegation, on the sideline of COP 27 in Egypt on Monday (07).While appreciating the efforts taken by Sri Lanka to address the challenges of Climate change, Na Kyung- Won also commended Sri Lanka for the measures taken to reduce carbon emissions despite the country already having a low carbon emission rate.President Wickremesinghe stressed that capacity building is vital for climate action to be successful. From this perspective, he desires to establish an International Climate Change University in Sri Lanka, higher learning, multi-stakeholder institution which strengthens people’s capacities. The President said that he has already held a discussion with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the ADB in this regard and he looks forward to receiving the support and endorsement of the international community.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – 217 detainees who were arrested for their involvement in the recent brawl at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center were remanded.Police Spokesperson & Attorney SSP Nihal Thalduwa told News 1st that the detainees were produced to the Polonnaruwa and Hingurakgoda Magistrate Courts and were thus remanded.Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Major General Darshana Hettiarachchi told News 1st that an investigation is underway over the brawl, adding that a five-member committee comprising of senior ranks will investigate the brawl at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center.The report prepared by this investigation body will be handed over to the Justice Minister upon completion.Sri Lankan authorities said that scores of detainees held at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center fled the premises following Sunday (6) night's brawl.According to reports, the cause of the brawl was a dispute over the use of a bucket used for bathing at the premises.547 detainees were at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center at the time of the brawl.The Commissioner General of Rehabilitation said that steps will be taken to start assessing the damage caused to the facility following the brawl, and it will be carried out by government officers.On the 29th of June 2022, a brawl broke out at the same facility resulting in the death of one detainee, while 400 others escaped.Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for a full report on the Kandakadu Rehab Center incident.The President's Media Division said that the necessary steps needed to be taken to avert a recurrence of such incidents have also been called for, following discussions with Justice Minister Wijeyadasa

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe urged the Secretary-General of the UN and Egypt, as the head of the COP27, to summon a meeting of all Ministers of Agriculture of all the countries to assess the food requirements of 2023 and 2024 and submit a report on the food situation. The President also emphasized the need to work closely with multilateral, and sources of funding and formulate a sustainable debt relief plan immediately to ensure global food security.The President further said that it is essential to finalize this plan by February 2023 and should be implemented by the end of the 1st quarter of 2023, if not the damage caused to the political and social structures of countries will be irreparable.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – 201 detainees at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center were arrested for unruly behaviour, said Police Spokesperson & Attorney SSP Nihal Thalduwa on Monday (7).The detainees who occupied a building at the facility surrendered to Sri Lanka Police on Monday evening.Military Spokesperson Brigadier Ravi Herath told News 1st that 514 detainees were under the control of the security forces by 4 PM on Monday.In addition, a manhunt is underway to locate 33 other detainees who escaped from the facility.Sri Lankan authorities said on Monday (7) that scores of detainees held at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center had fled the premises following Sunday (6) night's brawl.According to reports the cause of the brawl was a dispute over the use of a bucket used for bathing at the premises.547 detainees were at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center at the time of the brawl.A dispute had arisen between a detainee from Galle, and a detainee from Colombo over the bucket at the bathing area.Thereafter, detainees banded together as the Galle Group and Colombo Group.One of the groups thereafter attempted to approach the armoury at the premises, and that escalated the brawl. Sri Lanka Army personnel attached to the 9th Field Regiment Sri Lanka Artillery who were assigned to the security detail of the armoury had foiled the attempt, and shots were fired into the air to control the situation.One group of detainees, around 200 of them, occupied one of the buildings at the facility and defied orders to surrender.At the same time, around 300 other detainees surrendered to the security forces, while another group fled the premises.Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for a full

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe will address the COP-27 Conference on Climate Change on Monday (7).Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe left the island on Sunday (6) for Egypt to participate in the COP-27 Conference on Climate Change which is scheduled to be held from November 6 to 18 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.President Wickremesinghe is scheduled to address the conference on Climate Change issues in Sri Lanka and around the world, on November 7th and 8th.Concurrently, President Wickremesinghe will attend the Global Food Security Forum and the World Leaders’ Forum.President Ranil Wickremesinghe met the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, upon his arrival in Egypt, Cairo on Sunday (6).The President briefed the Secretary-General on the Government’s plans on the National Environmental Policy.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka said on Monday (7) that around 75 – 100 detainees held at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center had fled the premises following Sunday (6) night's brawl.Military Spokesperson Brigadier Ravi Herath told News 1st that around 25 of the escapees had surrendered themselves to the Sri Lanka Army Checkpoint positions on the Somawathiya – Kandakadu Road.A brawl took place between two groups of detainees at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center on Sunday (6) night.One injured detainee and one Sri Lanka Army soldier were admitted to the Polonnaruwa General Hospital.Military Spokesperson Brigadier Ravi Herath told News 1st that several detainees had attempted to approach the armoury at the premises, and that escalated the brawl.Sri Lanka Army personnel attached to the 9th Field Regiment Sri Lanka Artillery who were assigned to the security detail of the armoury had foiled the attempt, and the armoury of the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center was secured by the Sri Lanka Army, said Military Spokesperson Brigadier Ravi Herath.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to depart to Egypt on Sunday (06) to participate in the COP-27 Climate Change Conference.The conference will be held from the 06th to the 18th of November in Sharm el-Sheikh.

(Hindustan Times) – Sri Lanka will miss the December deadline for securing an IMF loan as the main bilateral debtor China was involved in the 20th party congress and had little time for holding debt restructuring talks with Colombo, reported the Hindustan Times.The next meeting of the IMF executive board is in March 2023.According to financial analysts based in Washington, Sri Lanka likely will miss the December IMF deadline and will have to wait for March 2023 to secure a USD 2.9 billion loan from the lending institution in eight equal tranches.In the meantime, the Sri Lankan debt has increased further due to forex depreciation, deep recession, and burgeoning fiscal deficit. Since the end of 2021, inflation has considerably eroded the real value of domestic debt.While debtors India and Japan have already initiated a dialogue with Colombo on debt reconciliation and restructuring, China is still to engage in the dialogue as Beijing was involved in the 20th National Party Congress and had little time for client state Sri Lanka. The total debt of the island nation was USD 36 billion at the end of 2021. Of this, Sri Lanka owes USD 7.1 billion to China or 20% of its debt.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that it impossible to activate the Sectoral Oversight Committees in Parliament in the absence of representatives from the Opposition.Speaking to News 1st the speaker said the leader in the opposition was repeatedly informed to make the appointments to those committees, however, a positive response is yet to be received.Recently, the Sri Lankan Parliament gave the green light to activate 17 Parliamentary Sectoral committees, and the speaker said he hopes to complete the appointment of representatives to the committee during the next parliament week.President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday (3) pointed out that although the formation of the National Assembly has been concluded to bring far-reaching systematic changes, satisfactory progress has not been made with regard to other proposals.The President has indicated this in a letter to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.The establishment of a National Assembly and the appointment of three committees related to public finance and banking were proposed under far-reaching systematic changes.In addition, it was also proposed to appoint the Banking and Financial Services Committee, the Economic Stabilization Committee and the Committee on Ways and Means related to banking affairs, as well as to delegate five youth representatives for the Sectoral committees and to establish the Parliamentary Budget Office.President Ranil Wickremesinghe has expressed that although 17 Parliamentary Sectoral committees should be established as indicated by these proposals; the chairpersons have not been designated for them and the criteria for selecting the youth representatives to be appointed for this purpose has yet

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that it impossible to activate the Sectoral Oversight Committees in Parliament in the absence of representatives from the Opposition.Speaking to News 1st the speaker said the leader in the opposition was repeatedly informed to make the appointments to those committees, however, a positive response is yet to be received.Recently, the Sri Lankan Parliament gave the green light to activate 17 Parliamentary Sectoral committees, and the speaker said he hopes to complete the appointment of representatives to the committee during the next parliament week.President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday (3) pointed out that although the formation of the National Assembly has been concluded to bring far-reaching systematic changes, satisfactory progress has not been made with regard to other proposals.The President has indicated this in a letter to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.The establishment of a National Assembly and the appointment of three committees related to public finance and banking were proposed under far-reaching systematic changes.In addition, it was also proposed to appoint the Banking and Financial Services Committee, the Economic Stabilization Committee and the Committee on Ways and Means related to banking affairs, as well as to delegate five youth representatives for the Sectoral committees and to establish the Parliamentary Budget Office.President Ranil Wickremesinghe has expressed that although 17 Parliamentary Sectoral committees should be established as indicated by these proposals; the chairpersons have not been designated for them and the criteria for selecting the youth representatives to be appointed for this purpose has yet

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe says that if the process to restructure debts with India and China is delayed, the process to reach an agreement with the IMF Executive Board could be further delayed till January. Speaking at the 32nd Annual General meeting of the Sri Lanka Tea Factory owners, the President said that Sri Lanka must first ensure that it can get out of bankruptancy, and negotiate with creditors."I went to the Paris Club first. Western countries and Japan are there. But we are in a special place.

(PMD) – A meeting was held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (31) to inform the President about the private member’s proposal presented by Parliamentarian Premanath C. Dolawatta, which will strengthen President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s policy of increasing the opportunities for the youth community in the decision-making process of the country.During the meeting, MP Dolawatta said that his private member’s proposal, which has been submitted as a bill to amend the 262nd Local Government Elections Ordinance, adds constitutional value to the President’s policy of providing more opportunities to the youth in elections, to strengthen the democratic representation system.The MP also said that the draft includes the necessary provisions to confirm the youth representation of at least 25% in the first and second nomination lists of the local government elections.He noted that according to the recommendations of the Special Commission appointed to look into youth unrest in 1990, the importance of ensuring greater opportunities for the youth in democratic representation systems was highlighted.Accordingly, in 1990, by adding an amendment to the Local Government Ordinance, provisions were introduced to confirm 40% of opportunities in the preparation of local government nomination lists by political parties and independent groups, according to Dolawatta.However, although a positive step was taken by confirming 25% representation of women in the local government bodies, the condition of mandatory youth representation was lost in the relevant amendment, noted Premanath C.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka has decided to launch a website to register passenger transport three-wheelers in the Western Province for the increased fuel quota.State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna said that taxi operators can access www.wptaxi.lk and register for the service to obtain 10 liters of petrol, instead of the 5 liters offered.On the 24th of October 2022, President Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed to increase the weekly fuel quota of 5 litres issued for professional passenger transport three-wheelers to 10 litres.As the first phase, the registration of professional three-wheelers in the Western Province is scheduled to commence on November 1st.Accordingly, from November 6th, 10 litres of fuel per week will be issued to all three-wheeler passenger vehicles in the Western Province.Currently, there are 1.08 million three-wheelers in Sri Lanka, out of which 400,000 are passenger transport three-wheelers, according to the three-wheeler associations.Around 300,000 three-wheelers have been registered with the Sri Lanka Police, and if it is not possible to register the three-wheelers in the entire island by November 13, it was also decided to release the fuel quota for the three-wheelers registered with the police as an initial step.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – India and Sri Lanka are two sides of a coin. Both countries have their differences in culture and religion.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Government will appoint a committee to seek how best to integrate the Tamils of Hill Country Origin further into the Sri Lankan Society, said President Ranil Wickremesinghe.He said further that although some of the Tamils of Hill Country Origin had integrated successfully into the Sri Lankan society, some have failed and measures would be taken to assist them to do so.President Ranil Wickremesinghe made these observations addressing at the occasion of accepting a consignment of medicines donated by the Pondicherry Union Territory and people of India on the request of Ceylon Worker’s Congress (CWC) at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (30).The consignment of medicines was officially handed over to the President by Secretary General of the Ceylon Worker’s Congress (CWC) and Parliamentarian Jeewan Thondaman in memory of the late Mr. Saumyamoorthi Thondaman who passed away 23 years ago on October 30th.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that measures have been taken to strengthen the 74-year-old ties between the United States and Sri Lanka, adding that the support rendered by the United States whenever Sri Lanka was in difficulty would never be forgotten.President Ranil Wickremesinghe made this statement while attending the official opening of the new building of the United States Embassy in Colombo on the 28th.Expressing his views on the diplomatic relations and mutual understanding between the United States and Sri Lanka during the war, the President also recalled with gratitude the support given by the United States under the leadership of George Bush in 2001 during President Wickremesinghe's tenure as Prime Minister.The President also recalled the support provided by the US government led by Bill Clinton to help Sri Lanka recover from the Tsunami disaster in 2004 and said that if not for the intervention of the US led by President Joe Biden, Sri Lanka would not have been able to make a success of the Maha Season.President Wickremesinghe, who further pointed out the 74 years of US-Sri Lanka friendship, partnership and bilateral relations, expressed his appreciation for the support rendered by the United States for the preparation of the first monetary law and the well-drafted legal system for the establishment of the Central Bank.Having experienced such a long and cordial relationship, Sri Lanka and the United States will work as close friends in the future as well, said the President, adding that the United States and Sri Lanka, as inseparable partners, will forge ahead with respect and confidence in each other to preserve peace and democracy.Following is the full speech made by President

COLOMBO (News 1st) – SJB Parliamentarian Dr. Harsha De Silva has questioned President Ranil Wickremesinghe saying as to whether the IMF Staff Level Agreement has been given out to various individuals in committees appointed by him.In a tweet, the MP said that if the IMF staff level agreement that has thus far been hidden even from the Sri Lanka Parliament Committee on Public Finance on purported Radio Silence has been given out, it is a serious breachPreviously, the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Ministry of Agriculture has received the first stock of 13,000 tons of Urea fertilizer today (28) under the World Bank concessional emergency loan of 110 million US dollars and accordingly, the government has decided to provide a 50 kg bag of urea fertilizer to paddy farmers at Rs.10,000.This step was taken to protect household food security, farming and rural incomes based on the demands made during several discussions with the intervention of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.This World Bank support complements the support of other development partners such as the Asian Development Bank and the United States Agency for International Development.Sri Lanka requires approximately 150,000 tonnes of urea fertilizer for paddy cultivation during the Maha season. Mr.