Vasu opposes rehabilitation act, says is contrary to fundamental rights

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Today’s exchange rates from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka:USD Buy 360.7312 Sell 371.2425GBP Buy 401.9620 Sell 417.9717EUR Buy 349.9535 Sell 364.8447JPY Buy 2.3818 Sell 2.4836AUD Buy 224.1226 Sell 235.0303

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Janaka Ratnayake said that the scheduled power cuts on Monday (24) will not be carried out considering the celebration of the Deepavali festival.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Hindus across the World Celebrate the Deepavali Festival today (24).Diwali (also called Divali or Deepavali) is a “festival of lights” that celebrates the triumph of light over dark and good over evil, and the blessings of victory, freedom, and enlightenment. The name comes from Sanksrit dipavali, meaning “row of lights.” On the night of Diwali, celebrants light dozens of candles and clay lamps (called diyas), placing them throughout their homes and in the streets to light up the dark night. In most of India, Diwali consists of a five-day celebration that peaks on the third day with the main celebration of Diwali. In other places where Diwali occurs, usually only the main day is celebrated.Diwali is primarily celebrated by followers of the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain faiths.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Offshore Patrol Vessel P 627 of Sri Lanka Navy, which set sail for her home-bound journey from Seattle, United States on 03rd September 2022, called at the Port of Changi in Singapore on 22nd October 2022. The High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Singapore, Sashikala Premawardhane was also present on this occasion to welcome the ship.After having called at the Port of Manila in the Philippines, P 627 began her home-bound journey from there on 16th October. Having covered a passage of about 1393 nautical miles (2580 km) she arrived in Singapore on 22nd October 2022 for replenishment and services.When the ship arrived at the Port of Changi, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Singapore, Sashikala Premawardhane was also present to welcome the ship.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Department of Meteorology says that showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, and North-Western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts. Heavy showers above 100 mm may be expected at some places in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and Galle and Matara districts.Showers or thundershowers may occur elsewhere over the Island during the afternoon or night.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 at times over the sea areas around the Island.Winds:Winds will be westerly or South-westerly.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Security Nalin Fernando said that relevant officers have been instructed to check the proper weight of a loaf of bread.The Minister said that a loaf of bread should be 450g.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Meteorological Department has issued an Amber alert for strong winds and rough seas, especially for multi-day boats in the deep of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea areas. According to the Meteorology Department, the depression over north Andaman Sea has concentrated in to a deep depression and located near latitude 15.60N and longitude 88.40E (East central Bay of Bengal) Sunday (23) morning.It is very likely to move northwestward and intensify further into a cyclonic storm over central Bay of Bengal.Subsequently, it is also very likely to move North-northeastwards and cross Bangladesh coast around 25th October.Wind speeds will be (60-70) kmph and can increase up to 80 kmph in sea areas between (12N – 20N) and (85E – 100E).

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Minister of Justice has imposed further restrictions on the rights of imprisoned persons under a gazette issued on 12th July 2022.Former Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Ambika Satkunanathan Tweeted concerns in this regard today.According to the former HRCSL Commissioner, as per the new prison rules under the Second 94 of the Prisons Ordinance, most concerning are the reduction of visits to remanded imprisoned persons from 6 days a week to 1 a week. She added that they have also reduced the time outside cell from 4 hours to 1 hour.Some of the provisions underlined in the gazette is as follows:RIGHT TO RECEIVE VISITSAn unconvicted person to receive visits 6 days a week, is repealed by the gazette, which replaces it with a rule that limits such visits to once a week.The new rule also sets out reasons for which visits can be restricted.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Seven people have been arrested for taking pictures without  permission in the high security zone around the Victoria Dam with the use of a drone.Police stated that the security forces have informed the concerned suspects not to take photographs in that area.However, they have taken photographs despite the order, which led to their arrest.Accordingly a camera and a drone were found in the possession of the suspects and were taken into police custody.The suspects are aged 31 and 32 and were identified as residents of Dehiwala and Weligama areas.

Hibernian have announced that Easter Road hero Frank Sauzee has had to withdraw from a charity match set to take place next month.

ROBBIE Coltrane's causes of death reveal the Harry Potter star suffered painful health problems leading up to his passing at the age of 72. The Brit acting legend died from a number of conditions including multiple organ failure, his death certificate has shown. It's understood the Harry Potter star had been unwell for some time and battled diabetes and obesity.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Police Special Task Force has seized 95 kg of Kerala Cannabis worth Rs. 16,000,000.00 which were brought to the country via sea routes.The consignment of Kerala Cannabis has been brought into the country from India. A team of STF personnel and combat motorcycle team personnel have conducted a raid at the Maadagal East Coast in the Ilawale Police Domain on Sunday (23), in line with information received from the Army Intelligence Division.The raid has been carried out under the guidance and supervision of SSP Hettiarachchi, SSP Nishantha, the commanding officers of Special Task Force Jaffna Camp, and as per the orders and instructions of STF Commanding Officer Varuna Jayasundara and Chief Inspector  Mendis.A consignment of 95.691 kg of Kerala Cannabis was found in a motorboat at 03:30 a.m., without any suspects. Police suspects that the Kerala Cannbis smuggling has been secretly carried out by boats for a significant period of time.

Sri Lanka commenced their Super 12 campaign with an impressive nine-wicket triumph over a disappointing Ireland in Hobart on Sunday.Namibia slip-up long forgottenThere were many fears for Sri Lanka when they were thrashed by Namibia in the opening match of the First Round, but the reigning Asia Cup champions are slowly gathering some momentum.While the nine-wicket victory over Ireland was expected by most, the way the island nation went about it was ultra-impressive as they clinically dispatched of their opponents in clinical style with plenty of improvement to come.Star spinner Wanindu Hasaranga (2/25) took his eighth and ninth scalps of the tournament thus far and he was well supported by fellow spinner Maheesh Theekshana (2/19), who was thrust into the bowling crease during Ireland's batting Powerplay.Not only did Sri Lanka take wickets at regular intervals, but they also kept the run rate down as Ireland's batters were unable to gather much momentum and were restricted to 128/8 from their 20 overs.Sri Lanka's run chase was a mere formality, with in-form opener Kusal Mendis (68 from 43 balls) continuing his excellent tournament thus far with another half-century .Ireland struggle for fluencyMuch of the good Ireland managed from eye-catching victories over Scotland and the West Indies was undone against Sri Lanka, with the European side unable to back-up their strong showings from the First Round.Veteran opener Paul Stirling (34 from 25 balls) got a handful of big shots away early, but young gun Harry Tector (45 off 42) was the only other player to look assured at the crease.Their bowling didn't fare much better, with spinner Gareth Delany (1/28) the only wicket-taker as Ireland started their Super 12 campaign in

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Inter University Students' Federation organized a demonstration demanding the release of student activists detained under the PTA.The protest was held under the theme, "People's wave for Justice". The demonstration was held in a train plying from Jaffna to Colombo.Our correspondent said that the group has arrived at the Beliatta station a short while ago, and heavy security has been observed around the area.The protest started from Anuradhapura railway station.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Employees' Provident Fund has amassed more than 28 million members.However, this number also includes those who are deceased. The Deputy General Manager of the Employee's Trust Fund, Kitsiri Ratnayake, stated that 10 welfare programs are currently in place for the said members.He stated that many do not avail the benefits of these welfare programs due to being unaware of them.Deputy General Manager Ratnayake added that a loan program is also in place for conducting the repair work of members' houses.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Minister of Justice, Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the robbery of Rs. 2.1 million in Moratuwa.The suspects were arrested during an operation carried out by the Mt.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – According to the National Road Safety Council, 40% of the current road accidents are related to motorcycles.Its Chairman, Anton de Mel stated that a research conducted in collaboration with the Moratuwa University regarding measures which can be taken to reduce motorcycle accidents, resulted in this. He further stated that much of the youth is used to using high-fuel consumption motorcycles, which has overtaken the generation as a trend.De Mel added that the steps will be taken to introduce legislation to reduce such accidents in the future, in line with the Motor Traffic Department.

Also Read: Viruses ‘watch’ us to decide when to attack Fauci was speaking at an event with the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism.There is always a risk of upsurge in the winter, he warned, so people shouldn't let their guard down. Although things appear to be going well, it would be premature to declare that the pandemic is finally finished, he added.

FILE - A car goes through a drive thru at a Taco Bell restaurant. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)QSR Magazine, a publication that provides in-depth information about the fast food industry, released its 2022 drive-thru report which outlines the fastest drive-thrus in the United States, among other things.

A man is dead after faulty GPS coordinates may have led him to drive his Jeep off a North Carolina bridge that had washed away in 2013. There was no signage or barricade on the bridge to alert drivers of its decrepit state.

COVID-19 cases over the past three weeks and expects that to continue.The agency says there were 8,300 cases of COVID-19 detected from Sept. 25 to Oct.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Although the President attempted to push the idea that he accepted the challenge of leading the country forward through an economic crisis as there was no one else qualified to take up the challenge, the question remains whether he accepted it because he did not have a choice, or whether he was chosen to oversee the return of the Rajapaksas. Speaking at the Parliament, JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that the Rajapaksa camp was pushed against the wall, and they chose Wickremesinghe as the President to see them through the current crisis. "Therefore, he is not the one who accepted this challenge, but he is the chosen one," Dissanayake said.He emphasized that he too remains ready to accept this very same position and challenged the President to hold an election to appoint a leader and government.Citing the statement by President alleging that some political parties are ready to take power over dead bodies, Dissanayake challenged the President to name such parties."We have to accept that a Government and an individual cannot come out of this crisis. Society should be united for this.

Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski speaks after he and the Belarusian human rights organization Vjasna were awarded the 2020 Right Livelihood Award during the 2020 awarding ceremony in Stockholm on Dec. 3, 2020.

Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway has said that heer husband Derek Draper “remains very damaged” amid his health battles following on from him contracting coronavirus in 2020. The former political advisor has been in and out of hospital many times in the last couple of years, after he contracted a serious case of coronavirus in March 2020. The virus caused damage to a number of Derek’s organs causing his health to decline after first falling ill over two years ago.

Kate Garraway has opened up on her husband’s illness on ITV’s new show DNA Journey and things took an emotional turn as she spoke about her partner.The Good Morning Britain presenter appeared on the show alongside her ITV colleague Alison Hammond and the pair set about retracing their ancestry.However, the topic soon turned to her husband’s ill health and Kate made herself very vulnerable for the programme.READ MORE: Kate Garraway says ITV star Alison Hammond 'texted her everyday' during 'difficult time'Garraway bravely spoke about Derek on DNA Journey and heartbreakingly said that “2020 was a devastating year”.She continued: “With Derek, he got very sick very early on in the pandemic and has remained very damaged.

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden said Thursday that the risk of nuclear "Armageddon" is at the highest level since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, as Russian officials speak of the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons after suffering massive setbacks in the eight-month invasion of Ukraine.Speaking at a fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin was "a guy I know fairly well" and the Russian leader was "not joking when he talks about the use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons."Biden added, "We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis." He suggested the threat from Putin is real "because his military is — you might say — significantly underperforming."Marine One carrying US President Joe Biden lands at the Wall Street landing zone in New York on Oct. 6, 2022.

​COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka categorically rejected resolution A/HRC/51/L.1 (Rev.1) titled "Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka" tabled by the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and the United States, which was adopted by a vote at the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, on Thursday (6).Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry delivered the statement on behalf of Sri Lanka as the country concerned and called on the Members of the Council to reject the resolution by voting against it.In support of Sri Lanka’s position opposing the resolution, the delegation of Pakistan called for a vote. Over half of the members of the Council did not support the resolution with 07 countries (Bolivia, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Venezuela) voting against the resolution and 20 countries abstaining on the vote. 20 countries voted in favour of the resolution.Representatives of Pakistan, Brazil, China, Venezuela, Japan and Republic of Korea made statements in support of Sri Lanka prior to the vote.Pakistan said that they share the concerns of Sri Lanka and other Member States that the resolution is intrusive and this level of scrutiny would not be even acceptable to any sovereign state including the Core Group.

MERCED, Calif. - The suspect in the killing of a Merced family had worked for the victims at one point, according to a relative.A loved one told KTVU that Jesus Salgado, 48, once drove a truck for the family's company.The bodies of 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her parents Jasleen Kaur, 27, and Jasdeep Singh, 36; and her uncle Amandeep Singh, 39., were found at an orchard in Merced County two days after they were kidnapped at gunpoint from their business, police said.SEE ALSO: Body language analyzed while slain Merced family kidnapped"Our worst fears have been confirmed," Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said at a Wednesday night news conference.Warnke said the victims were close to each other when found by a farmworker tending to an almond orchard in a remote area near the town of Dos Palos, a town about 30 miles south of Merced where the family was kidnapped on Monday.A source close to the investigation told KTVU that the two brothers were killed with a machete. The source said Kaur was then shot as she held her baby girl in her arms.

FILE-A police officer pulls police tape at the scene of an incident. (Photo by Aimee Dilger/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - A man died after trying to do a handstand while on a balcony at a hotel last week in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, WPDE-TV reported Wednesday.The South Carolina news outlet cited a release from Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard.

(Reuters) – Japan has not yet reached an agreement to co-chair a debt summit with Sri Lanka's creditors, a government official in Tokyo said on Thursday, as the island nation struggles to find a way out of a crippling economic crisis.Sri Lanka has to renegotiate around $30 billion of foreign debt, including with bilateral creditors such as China, Japan, and India, with one of them likely to co-chair the talks."We have not reached such an agreement. It might be their wishful thinking but the situation remains unchanged," a senior Japanese government official with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on condition of anonymity.The denial from Tokyo came less than an hour after Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe's office said on Thursday that Japan had agreed to co-chair the meeting with negotiators.Wickremesinghe's office later issued a clarification saying Sri Lanka had requested Japan to co-chair the summit.

Hilary Swank has a lot to be excited about.

Sharon Osbourne is getting candid about her own grief surrounding husband Ozzy Osbourne's Parkinson's diagnosis. «I just think of my husband, who was very energetic, loved to go out for walks, did a two-hour show on stage every night, running around like a crazy man,» she tells English broadcaster Jeremy Paxman in ITV's . «Suddenly, your life just stops — life as you knew it.» She goes on, «When I look at my husband, my heart breaks for him.

Officials investigate after two dogs allegedly attacked a family and killed two children. (Shelby County Sheriff's Office (Tennessee))SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. - A sheriff's office in Tennessee said an infant and toddler were killed by their family dogs.In a tweet on Wednesday afternoon, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee said dogs attacked a 2-year-old girl, a 5-month-old boy and their mother in a home.

More arrests are “futile,” British Columbia’s attorney general says as he rebuffed criticism of government policies on repeat offenders and violent crime across the province.

AUGUSTA, ME: APRIL 30, 2022: Former Maine governor and gubernatorial candidate Paul LePage speaks during the Maine Republican Convention at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday April 30, 2022. (Photo by Carl D.

Officer-involved shooting determined to be lawful. (Berks County DA)READING, Pa. - A police officer's gunshots that injured a wanted man in the parking lot of a Reading Wawa last month were found to be justified according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.An investigation into the September 14 shooting determined the officer, "discharged their weapon lawfully in self-defense and defense of another."Plain and uniformed officers descended on a Wawa on Lancaster Avenue after reportedly receiving a tip that Emanuel Padilla-Tirado, who was wanted in connection to a shooting, was in the area. Officials say Padilla-Tirado charged the officers when his vehicle got blocked in, striking one of them.The officer then fired three shots at the suspect as he continued to charge, until his vehicle was stopped by a concrete pillar.Padilla-Tirado was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital along with his female passenger.

PALM COAST, Fla. - Bodycam video shows the shocking moments an armed Florida man allegedly used a 1-year-old child as a human shield during a standoff with Flagler County deputies. WARNING: The video contains sensitive content that may be difficult to watch.Deputies say 27-year-old Brandon Matthew Douglas Leohner kidnapped his girlfriend's child and then led deputies on a chase that ended at a McDonald's in Palm Coast. On Sept.

COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Westmount Shopping Centre will reopen this week to give Londoners more opportunities to get a booster shot.The clinic, which previously operated at the mall in July, will reopen on Thursday, offering any dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on a walk-in basis between 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court is taking up an Alabama redistricting case that could have far-reaching effects on minority voting power across the United States.The justices are hearing arguments Tuesday in the latest high-court showdown over the federal Voting Rights Act, lawsuits seeking to force Alabama to create a second Black majority congressional district. About 27% of Alabamians are Black, but they form a majority in just one of the state’s seven congressional districts.The court’s conservatives, in a 5-4 vote in February, blocked a lower court ruling that would have required a second Black majority district in time for the 2022 midterm elections.A similar ruling to create an additional Black majority district in Louisiana also was put on hold.A law enforcement official stands in front of the U.S.

FILE - The game ball stands on a pedestal that says 10 Years of NWSL on the pitch before the National Women's Soccer League match between NJ/NY Gotham FC and the Houston Dash at Red Bull Arena on July 31, 2022, in Harrison, New Jersey. (Photo by Ira WASHINGTON - An independent investigation into the scandals that erupted in the National Women's Soccer League last season found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct were systemic in the sport, impacting multiple teams, coaches, and players, according to a report released Monday."Abuse in the NWSL is rooted in a deeper culture in women’s soccer, beginning in youth leagues, that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs boundaries between coaches and players," former acting U.S.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The World Food Program in its report for September 2022 reported that the highest level of acute food insecurity is in the Estate sector.The World Food Program has highlighted the tea production sector as having the  highest level of acute food insecurity in the Estate sector.It is also recorded and among female-headed households, households with no education, and Samurdhi programme beneficiaries.A severe macroeconomic crisis caused acute shortages and spikes in the prices of essential products, including medicines, food, agricultural inputs and fuel, bringing the overall economic activities to a standstill, with major disruptions to agricultural production, said the WFP.It added that acute food insecurity has risen dramatically, as a result of import shortages, soaring prices, livelihood disruptions, reduced household purchasing power and exhaustion of less severe household coping strategies. The WFP said that Food and livelihood-related coping strategies are being widely adopted, including cutting the number of meals consumed in a day, reducing meal sizes, spending savings, and purchasing food on credit. As households exhaust these strategies, more of them are likely to engage in severe means of coping with negative knock-on consequences for food security over the medium term.The World Food Program warned that the situation is likely to deteriorate during the lean season from October 2022 to February 2023.It added that over 6.2 million people (28 percent of the population) are estimated to be moderately acute food insecure and 66 000 people to be severely acute food insecure. Immediate food assistance and livelihood programmes are essential for moderately and severely acute food insecure

FILE - People watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a railway station in Seoul on Sept. 29, 2022.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Former Chairman of COPE Professor Charitha Herath was not included in the list of COPE members announced by the Speaker on Monday (3).Professor Charitha Herath is among the several ruling faction MPs who decided to remain independent and sit with the opposition in Parliament.Professor Charitha Herath tweeted that after a delay of two months COPE member list is out, and as predicted, his name isn't on the list. He said that thieves, deal makers who are in favor of a corrupted system WON for the day, and the people behind the economic crimes wanted him out of their way.Professor Charitha Herath said that the President and the Prime Minister should be ashamed of what had happened.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission congratulating President Ranil Wickremesinghe on his election as the President of the Democratic of Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has assured its support to the government of Sri Lanka for the efforts to overcome the crisis successfully.Issuing a statement, Ursula von der Leyen noted that at a time of unprecedented challenges faced by the people of Sri Lanka, the European Union remains committed to support Sri Lanka’s efforts to overcome the crisis successfully, including the necessary reforms that will bring the country back to a path of inclusive prosperity and lasting national reconciliation.She further stated that in this process, freedom of expression and assembly, dialogue among all stakeholders, as well as respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights will remain essential.She has also made a reference to the assessment by the European Union on the progress made by Sri Lanka on GSP+ commitments.

Covid cases could rise again. Similarly, every autumn and winter the UK's most vulnerable people are at risk from flu. With vaccines for both available, one pharmacist is urging people to take up the offer.

Russia faces a series of setbacks on the battlefield against Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin only knows how to do one thing, according to one of his most prominent critics: “escalate.”That’s because Putin views the prospect of losing power as an “existential threat,” according to Bill Browder, a U.S. investment fund manager who has influenced Western governments into clamping down on corrupt Russian officials.“If Putin were ever to lose power in Russia, he would lose all the money that he’s stolen over the last 22 years.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The former Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Ambika Satkunathan has filed a petition at the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka challenging the Bill titled “Bureau of Rehabilitation Act”, emphasizing that the provisions of Bill are inconsistent with the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of Sri Lanka.The petition states that the Bill purports to establish a Bureau for the rehabilitation of “drug dependant persons, ex-combatants, members of violent extremist groups and any other group of persons who require treatments and rehabilitation”.Moreover, the petitioner alleges that these categories have not been properly defined and do not clarify how persons may qualify for rehabilitation under these categories, in addition to assuming that “members of violent extremist groups” and “drug dependent persons” require that same approach to rehabilitation. The Bill, Sathkunathan states, uses vague and arbitrary classifications, leading to persons being detained for rehabilitation for even participating in protests, as recent arrests of protestors under the Prevention of Terrorism Act have demonstrated. The petitioner further states that under this bill, the rehabilitation process has been militarized, and allows the President to designate any member of the armed forces to exercise, perform and discharge the powers, duties and functions under the Act.The petitioner therefore requests the Supreme Court to declare several sections of the Bill as outlined in the petition inconsistent with the Constitution of Sri Lanka as they violate the fundamental rights and Sovereignty of the People.