Another Kinniya Ferry Tragedy waiting to happen?

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry welcomed investments from Australian Companies in Sri Lanka in the energy and education sectors.The Foreign Minister met with the Australian High Commissioner Paul Stephens at the Ministry on 30th September, 2022.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A warning has been issued for strong winds and rough seas by the Meteorology Department for sea areas extending from Galle to Pottuvil via Hambantota.There is a possibility to increase swell waves (about 2.5 – 3.0 m) and strong winds, gusting up to (60-70) kmph in the sea areas off the coast extending from Galle to Pottuvil via Hambantota. Therefore, the above sea areas will be very rough.There is a possibility to increase swell waves (about 2.0 – 2.5 m) and strong winds, gusting up to (50-60) kmph in the sea areas off the coast extending from Galle to Trincomalee via Puttalam and Kankasanturai.

(With inputs from agencies)

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Government has taken measures to waive duties imposed on five imported raw materials for locally produced sanitary napkins, the Presidential Media Division says. The decision has been taken in order to make hygiene products more affordable in view of ensuring hygiene among women and school girls.In addition, it has also been decided to provide tax concessions for imported finished sanitary napkins as well.Accordingly, the price of a pack of 10 sanitary napkins produced locally will be reduced by Rs. 50 to Rs.

Rita Wilson still has a "persistent cough", more than two years after contracting COVID-19. The 65-year-old singer-and-actress and her husband Tom Hanks were the first famous faces to come forward and reveal they had contracted the virus in the early days of the pandemic in March 2020 and though the 'Asteroid City' star is still feeling the effects of the illness, she feels "very lucky" that things aren't worse. Asked if her breathing and therefore her singing had been affected by the virus, she said: "It was.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson looks on during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at TIAA Bank Field on September 18, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images) ((Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images))PHILADELPHIA - Years passed in Philadelphia with sports fans around the globe howling, how could the city erect a statue of Rocky Balboa but not one for real boxing Hall of Famer and famous resident Joe Frazier?The answer: The statue was nothing more than a movie prop left behind once "Rocky III" filming was finished so it could stand as a tourist attraction.

ArriveCAN, mask mandates among changes as Canada drops COVID-19 border rules Federal officials announced earlier this week that a cabinet order affecting mandatory vaccinations, testing and quarantine of international travellers would not be renewed as the new month began.That means travellers to Canada no longer need to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19, while wearing a mask on planes and trains is now optional.British Columbia residents Joanne and Ted Parker say they would have preferred to see the rules stay in place for masks, which are still recommended.“I think they’re an excellent protection,” Joanne Parker said while waiting at Pearson International Airport, just west of Toronto.“And if one person wears them it’s not that helpful, but if everybody wears them it’s really helpful.”But she said she’s already come to terms with the likelihood that mask rules are gone for good.Earlier this week, when the couple flew into Pearson, they noticed some people were flouting the restrictions days before they were lifted, including one fellow passenger who she said ignored a flight attendant’s request to keep their mask on.“I didn’t like it, but I wasn’t going to say anything because I thought at the end of the week it’s going to be OK anyway,” she said.Ted Parker suggested there were “plusses and minuses” to lifting the final COVID-19 travel restrictions.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The University Grants Commission says that about 93,000 applications have been received for consideration of university admission this year.The UGC Chairman, Senior Prof.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The restaurant owners' association says that although the price of petrol has decreased, the prices of foodstuff at bakeries and restaurants will not be decreased.Its Chairman, Asela Sampath stated that the price of food and drinks including milk tea can be reduced only if the prices of other services in the market are reduced.The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation on Saturday (1) took steps to reduce the price of petrol.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Public Utilities Commission says that there will be no reduction in the duration of power cuts despite the resumption of Norochcholai power generation activities.The PUCSL Chairman Janaka Rathnayake stated that the power cut of two hours and twenty minutes will remain unchanged.The Minister of Power and Energy, Kanchana Wijesekara stated on Saturday (1) that one power unit of the Norochcholai power plant has been reconnected to the National grid after being fixed. In the meantime, the Public Utilities Commission stated that the inspections of pumps at filling stations, which was initiated with the increase in complaints received regarding the quality of fuel, will continue.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A 29-year old woman was killed during a shootout in Danovita early Sunday (2) morning .Police said that a woman who was traveling in a bus was shot when a group who had come to rob a liquor store were about to be arrested.Later, she died upon admission to the Wathupitiwala hospital.Two others were injured in the incident.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Veteran actor Darshan Dharmaraj has passed away on Sunday (2).A Spokespeson for the Colombo National Hospital stated that he passed away on Sunday morning due to a heart attack.He was 41 years old at the time of death.Born in Rakwana, Dharmaraj entered the industry with the television drama A-9 directed by Sydney Chandrasekaran.In 2008, Darshan Dharmaraj made his debut in the movie Prabhakaran.Since then, he contributed to many Sinhala and Tamil films including Machang, Iniwan, Mata, Tsunami and Komali Kings.Constantly praised by critics as an actor full of realistic acting skills, Dharmaraj retained his popularity among Sinhalese as well as Tamil fans.

WISSAHICKON - An apparent road rage situation led to the shooting of a 37-year-old man in Philadelphia's Wissahickon section.According to officials, 5th District officers were called to an alleyway near the 3900 block of Manayunk Avenue, just off the 300 block of Hermit Street Saturday night, around 9:30, on a report of gunshots.When police arrived, they found a 37-year-old man suffering with at least three gunshot wounds and the alleged shooter was also on location.Philadelphia Police Inspector D.F. Pace explained an apparent road rage incident took place on Ridge Avenue between the driver of a white Jeep SUV and the driver of a large, dark-colored Chevrolet van.Somewhere on Ridge Avenue, the driver of the Chevy got out, approached the Jeep and pounded on the hood of the vehicle.Inside the Jeep was a male driver, his wife and 7-year-old child.The driver of the Chevy got back into his vehicle and drove off, according to Inspector Pace, but the driver of the Jeep pursued the Chevy, down Ridge, onto Hermit Street and into the alleyway, with the Chevy crashing into two vehicles parked on the Manayunk Ave.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has planned to initiate an investigation into the causes of the economic crisis in the country.The HRCSL said that special attention will be given to the impact of ever-changing political reasons that resulted in policy changes within the economy.Moreover, the Commission  expects to pay attention to the way in which authorities have acted in making policy decisions that caused the economic downturn, such as ignoring national interests while separating ministries from their scope.The commission also stated it expects to record statements from officials at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Finance, the ministries related to the implementation of national policies, which are directly related to the economy of the country, and those who are currently working at those institutions in addition to those who had worked at the relevant ministries in the past.Accordingly, the support of several economic experts will also be obtained for the relevant matter.The Human Rights Commission emphasized that the investigation is being conducted due to the violation of people's right to life through the economic crisis.Recently, the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner had also explained facts regarding the economic crimes in Sri Lanka in the report presented to the 51st Human Rights Council session held recently.In that report, she pointed out that in order to obtain a permanent solution to the economic crisis that has affected the human rights of all communities, attention must be paid to the corruption that is rooted in this country.The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner also emphasized the need to take action regarding past and recent human rights

The National Archives and Records Administration informed lawmakers that a number of electronic communications from Trump White House staffers remain missing, nearly two years since the administration was required to turn them over.

LANGHORNE, Pa. - Local animal shelters are doing everything they can to assist furry friends in Florida after Hurricane Ian and they are seeking help."I reached out to shelters in south Florida and somebody called me back instantly. Her voice was cracking. They need help, they’re running out of food!" owner of Town and Country Pet Care Center Liz Carpino said.Each day, a clearer picture of just how much devastation Hurricane Ian left behind in many parts of southwestern Florida and help, in the form of Red Cross workers and other aid is being rushed in to those in need.RELATED COVERAGE:Another crisis less known that is playing out simultaneously is the large number of dogs separated from their owners.Liz Carpino is the owner of Town and Country Pet Care Center in Langhorne.

CRESCENTVILLE - The family of a young girl who was killed outside of her Crescentville school Wednesday afternoon says her death wasn’t an accident.17-year-old Saniah Moore died when police say a fellow student hit her wile backing up their car.The girl’s mother says she saw it with her own eyes."Saniah…she was a beautiful, young mother that really had her head right," the victim’s mother, Jessica Sollenberger, said.RELATED COVERAGE: Officials: Girl, 17, struck, killed by car while trying to run from an assault in CrescentvilleSollenberger cannot believe her daughter, Saniah, is really gone, leaving her 7-month-old daughter, London, without her mother."She went to work. She went to school.

A policeman sets up a cordon next to a torched vehicle outside Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, East Java on October 2, 2022. - At least 127 people were killed when angry fans invaded a football pitch after a match in Malang, East Java in Indonesia late MALANG, Indonesia (AP) - Panic at an Indonesian soccer match after police fired tear gas to stop brawls left 129 dead, mostly trampled to death, police said Sunday.Several fights between supporters of the two rival soccer teams were reported inside the Kanjuruhan Stadium in East Java province’s Malang city after the Indonesian Premier League game ended with Persebaya Surabaya beating Arema Malang 3-2.The brawls that broke out just after the game ended late night Saturday prompted riot police to fire tear gas, which caused panic among supporters, said East Java Police Chief Nico Afinta.This picture shows a torched car outside Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, East Java on October 2, 2022.

Rescuers searched for survivors among the ruins of Florida’s flooded homes from Hurricane Ian while authorities in South Carolina began assessing damage from its strike there as the remnants of one of the strongest and costliest hurricanes to ever hit the U.S. continued to push north.

BERKS COUNTY, Pa. - A local boy will never forget a reunion with his military dad for the first time in nearly a year. And, the best part – it was all a surprise.One by one, the students at Owatin Creek Elementary got into place for their outdoor patriotic pep rally. The excitement felt with every wiggle.

(Credit: Food and Drug Administration) BENTON HARBOR, Mich. - Old Europe Cheese, Inc. has issued a voluntary recall for its Brie and Camembert cheeses over concerns of possible listeria contamination, according to the U.S.

BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. - County leaders in Colorado said they mistakenly sent $238,000 to hackers after one of its vendors experienced a cyberattack. Boulder County said on its website that after its vendor was hacked, a spearfishing e-mail was sent to the county. Thinking it was the vendor itself, the county sent the check. However, it turned out the money was sent to a fraudulent account. Retirement accounts have become a popular target for cybercriminals looking to cash out."Although the county has safeguards in place to prevent these types of frauds from occurring, and we successfully thwart attacks by fraudsters several times a year, we did not catch this one in time to prevent the check from being cashed," County Administrator Jana Petersen said on the county’s website.

MARION COUNTY, Ore. - Authorities in Oregon said a kidnapped woman secretly called 911 and called out phrases and street names to discreetly alert officers where to find her and the suspect. Marion County deputies said a 911 call came in Wednesday evening after 5 p.m. local time to the Willamette Valley Communications Center 911.The dispatcher picked up the phone and heard a woman in the background telling someone to "get out of my car" and "don’t touch me."The dispatcher continued to listen to the open line as the woman said street names in the background while driving to alert officers as to where they could find her.RELATED: Video: Man kidnapped off Queens streetDispatchers then alerted officers from the Salem Police Department. Officers found the woman at Shari’s Restaurant on Lancaster Drive SE.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Hundreds of hot air balloons lifted off Saturday morning, marking the start of an annual fiesta that has drawn pilots and spectators from across the globe to New Mexico’s high desert for 50 years now.As one of the most photographed events in the world, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has become an economic driver for the state’s largest city and a rare — and colorful — opportunity for enthusiasts to be within arm’s reach as the giant balloons are unpacked and inflated.Three of the original pilots who participated in the first fiesta in 1972 and the family members of others are among this year’s attendees.

A picture of the victim's walker. (Credit: Wheaton Ridge Police) WHEATON RIDGE, Colo. - Authorities in Colorado said an unidentified 56-year-old man has died after tripping and falling into the street with his walker, and a driver hit him before taking off. The Wheaton Ridge Police Department said the incident happened last Thursday before 9 p.m.

Aleksandr Melnikov (Philadelphia Police Department)SOMERTON - Philadelphia police have made an arrest in connection with a June car accident that resulted in the death of an off-duty Philadelphia police officer.According to officials, 18-year-old Aleksandr Melnikov, from Philadelphia’s Bustleton section, was arrested September 30th, at Philadelphia AID headquarters.The deadly accident occurred June 23rd, just before midnight. Authorities say a car was heading south on Bustleton Avenue, traveling at a high rate of speed, and did not stop at a red light at Bustleton and Rennard Street.RELATED COVERAGE: 'A real tragedy': Off-duty Philadelphia police officer killed in Somerton crash, authorities sayThe car hit a vehicle traveling west on Rennard.

Second Lieutenant Kody Sims instructs students participating in the Army's new Future Soldier Prep Course who are working to improve their Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test scores at Fort Jackson on September 28, 2022 in Columbi The Army fell about 15,000 soldiers — or 25% — short of its recruitment goal this year, officials confirmed Friday, despite a frantic effort to make up the widely expected gap in a year when all the military services struggled in a tight jobs market to find young people willing and fit to enlist.While the Army was the only service that didn't meet its target, all of the others had to dig deep into their pools of delayed entry applicants, which will put them behind as they begin the next recruiting year on Saturday.The worsening problem stirs debate about whether America’s fighting force should be restructured or reduced in size if the services can't recruit enough, and could also put added pressure on the National Guard and Reserve to help meet mission requirements.According to officials, the Marine Corps, which usually goes into each fiscal year with as much as 50% of its recruiting goal already locked in, has only a bit more than 30%. And the Air Force and the Navy will only have about 10% of their goals as they start the new fiscal year.

Pierre Poilievre, have anything to say about it.The most recent polling Ipsos conducted for Global News shows why.The party most interested in reminding Canadians about ties between the convoy and Pierre Poilievre will be the Liberal Party. Why? The Liberals are in a very difficult spot. They currently trail the Conservatives in the national popular vote by five points.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Max Baer, the chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, has died at the age of 74, the court confirmed on Saturday. His death comes just months before he was set to retire.Baer's "sudden passing" came overnight at his home near Pittsburgh, the court said in a news release.

Spirit Airlines logo (Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) A Spirit Airlines flight from Baltimore to Orlando returned to Baltimore shortly after takeoff Friday night because of a problem with the engine. According to FlightAware, a flight tracking website, the plane took off at 8:35 p.m. and was back on the ground at 8:51 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA - Four men were struck by gunfire as shots rang out less than a block from a hospital in Northeast Philadelphia early Saturday morning.Police say the quadruple shooting erupted out he 5000 block of Frankford Avenue, which is just feet away from Jefferson Frankford Hospital.Four men were reportedly brought to the hospital by private vehicle after being shot.A 20-year-old man is in critical condition after suffering a gunshot in the face. He was transferred to Jefferson University Hospital.MORE HEADLINES:Three other victims are in stable condition: a 50-year-old man shot in the chest; a 38-year-old man shot in the ankle; and a 36-year-old man shot in the hand.No arrests have been made, and no weapon recovered.

PHILADELPHIA - A 17-year-old girl is recovering after police say she was shot inside a car on a street in South Philadelphia.The teen was reportedly found in the driver seat of car on the 700 block of Carpenter Street around 2:14 a.m. Saturday.Police saw she was suffering gunshot wounds to the neck and torso.

The funeral for Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96 will be held at Westminster Abbey on September 19.

KENSINGTON - Philadelphia police are investigating a shooting that injured two men, one of them critically, in Kensington.24th District officers were investigating a crime scene on the 100 block of Clearfield, Friday night, about 10 p.m., when they heard gunshots nearby. Additionally, numerous 911 calls came in about the same time for reported gunshots.Officers found two men injured when they got to the intersection of Bellmore Street and Frankford Avenue.A 21-year-old man and a 31-year-old man were both taken to Temple University Hospital, where the 21-year-old is listed as stable and the 31-year-old man is extremely critical condition.

Pfizer’s Paxlovid has been approved by US FDA for COVID treatment. Jagadeesh Babu Rangisetty, Co-founder and Managing Director at Zenara Pharma, said, "We have launched this product in India with an aim to bring the best treatment options against COVID within reach of patients in our country.

(L) Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first reigning monarch to open a session of the Canadian Parliament as she reads a speech from the throne in the Senate Chamber in Ottawa in 1957. (R) Queen Elizabeth II ahead of the Queen's Speech in the House of L LONDON - What does the world look like without Queen Elizabeth II? The British monarch, who died on Thursday at age 96,served as a constant, stabilizing force throughout her 70-year reign.

The longest-reigning monarch in British history, Queen Elizabeth II, has died.

World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that even as COVID cases and fatalities related to the infection continue to decline, it is still the ‘most dangerous time’. WHO chief said that it is ‘encouraging’ that COVID infection and deaths are declining but, still one person is dying of it every 44 seconds.  Explaining this, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, a downward trend can be the most dangerous time, if it opens the door to complacency.  The global decline in reported cases and deaths is continuing.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Human Rights Council will hold its fifty-first regular session from 12 September to 7 October at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.Nada Al-Nashif, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, currently serving as acting High Commissioner, will present the High Commissioner’s oral update on Monday, 12th September.Under agenda item two on the annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General, the Council will hold separate interactive dialogues on the report of the Office of the High Commissioner on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka.In addition, the following reports will also be taken up:The report of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar on the situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar.The report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan.The High Commissioner’s report on the promotion and protection of human rights in Nicaragua.At an organizational meeting held on 30 August in preparation for the session, the President of the Council, Federico Villegas, bid farewell to High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, whose term of office ended on 31st August.  States will have a chance to respond to the High Commissioner’s update and to other reports presented under agenda item two in the general debate on 13th and 14th September.The Council will take action on draft decisions and resolutions on 6th and 7th October, and will also appoint a number of Special Procedure mandate holders before closing the session.

COLOMBO (News 1st); An investigation by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) is currently underway on the death of 14-year-old Sajitha Gunaratne, who died after being trapped in a drain when returning home from school.HRCSL personnel inspected the accident site on Wenesday (7) and have obtained statements related to the investigation.A major rescue operation got underway in Wehera, Kurunegala on 5th of September after the 14-year-old school boy was found trapped in a drain.

James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Sask., on Sunday, making it one of Canada’s worst-ever mass killings. Nineteen people, including the second of the two suspects, were injured.“Our hearts continue to go out to all the families and loved ones impacted by this immense tragedy,” read the press release from the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service and Saskatchewan RCMP.Here are the names of the deceased.No photograph was available.The coroner’s office said the identities of those injured will not be released, but confirmed that “one young teen” was injured.

The Bank of Canada is expected to announce it will be raising its key interest rate Wednesday, making it the fifth consecutive increase this year.

Worldwide, about 10.5 million children may have lost parents or caregivers to COVID-19 and 7.5 million were orphaned, according to new study that estimated excess mortality using World Health Organization (WHO) data.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Human Rights Commission had decided to investigate the tragic death of a schoolboy who was trapped inside a storm drain for over an hour during a torrential downpour in Kurunegala on Monday (5) afternoon.Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission Retired Supreme Court Justice Rohini Marasinghe told News 1st that all relevant parties will be summoned for the investigations.The post-mortem revealed that the young boy, identifed as Sajith Gunaratne, had drowned, resulting in his death.The parents of the Sajith Gunaratne, would have never imagined that their son who was supposed to walk back home, would return one last time on the shoulders of his loved ones on Tuesday (6).Sajith Gunaratne, a Grade 9 student from the Maliyadeva Model School in Kurunegala, passed away under tragic circumstances when returning home from school on Monday (5) afternoon.Sajitha who was walking back on the Wehera Kanda Udawatte Road had moved aside to give way for a van that was traveling on the road, and thereafter had fallen into the storm drain.Locals banded together to rescue Sajitha from the storm drain, however, their efforts proved futile.Sajith who was pulled out after almost an hour and a half was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital, where he breathed his last.Sajith Gunaratne, who was a resident from Wehera, Kurunegala was the youngest in the family with two sisters.The Kurunegala Police on Tuesday (6) inspected the location where the tragedy took place.Locals said that when it rains the storm drain is not large enough for the flow of flood waters.According to the locals, school children from two schools use the Wehera Kanda Watte Road and warned that there are several

From today, around four million people most vulnerable to Covid-19 will start to be invited to book in their autumn booster vaccine.

Saskatchewan is reeling after one of the worst mass killings in recent Canadian history unfolded in two villages northeast of Saskatoon on Sunday.At least 10 people are dead and 15 are injured following a slew of stabbings in 13 locations on James Smith Cree Nation and in Weldon. A Prairie-wide manhunt for two men wanted in connection to the killings continues.Here’s a timeline of what’s happened so far in chronological order (all times local):Saskatchewan RCMP receives multiple calls from James Smith Cree Nation about stabbings at different locations.

NASA‘s new moon rocket sprang another dangerous fuel leak Saturday, forcing launch controllers to call off their second attempt to send a crew capsule into lunar orbit with test dummies.