#AragalayaActivist Lahiru Weerasekera in court today (10)

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Railway Department says that train delays may be experienced along the main line and coastal railway lines on Saturday (8).The Department said that a signal fault had caused the delay.Due to the delay, many trains scheduled to run will be delayed, the Railway Department added. Meanwhile, the Uttara Devi Inter-city Express Train which was scheduled to run from Kankasanturai to Colombo has derailed between Tambuttegama and Senarathgama.The Railway Control Room stated that due to this, trains plying the Northern railways line have been disrupted.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – MP Patali Champika Ranawaka, was appointed the National Council sub-committee chairman on identifying short-and medium-term programs related to economic stabilization.The first meeting of the said sub-committee was held yesterday (07) in Parliament. The name of Patali Champika Ranawaka for the post of Chairman was proposed by the Member of Parliament Vajira Abeywardena, which was seconded by Mano Ganesan and Naseer Ahmed.The committee members expressed their views on the measures that can be taken for the future economic security of the country, such as developing tea cultivation, increasing milk production, restructuring agriculture, fertilizer production, tourism industry, etc.The members also agreed to discuss with experts in various fields and submit a report to the National Council on the 20th that includes economic development proposals related to each field.Accordingly, the members agreed to call experts on foreign exchange issues, and debt restructuring, as well as officials from the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance before the committee on the 13th, to get their views.Also, it was decided to invite experts and relevant officials in the fields of food, health, transportation, energy, etc.. to the committee on the 14th to get their opinions and suggestions.The MPs also agreed to hold the next meeting of the National Council sub-committee on identifying short- and medium-term programs related to economic stabilization on the 19th.Minister Naseer Ahmed, State Ministers Sisira Jayakodi, and Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, and Members of Parliament Vajira Abeywardena, M.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Former Deputy Minister Eric Prasanna Weerawardena has joined the National People's Power.Earlier, he worked as the secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Youth Front and is also the former organizer of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in the Senkadagala seat.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – News has been published in certain print and social media in a misleading manner to the public stating that Wickramaratne Nandun Chinthaka alias ‘Harakkata’, a notorious drug kingpin was released by the Dubai Police on 03rd October 2022 due to the Defence Ministry’s delay in submitting the file from this country to the Dubai authorities regarding the criminal allegations levelled against him.The National Central Bureau (Sri Lanka Interpol) in Colombo which functions under purview of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had been informed that the aforementioned individual has been arrested by the authorities of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 19th August 2022 in response to a Red Notice alert issued by the National Central Bureau. Afterwards, the CID vide their letter number INT 281/21 dated 12th September 2022 had requested the Ministry of Defence to coordinate the extradition of aforementioned individual to Sri Lanka, around 3:00 p.m., same day.Thereafter, on 13th September 2022, in keeping with the instructions of the Secretary, Ministry of Defence, a letter prepared with regard to the above individual and related official documents were handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) by the officers of the Defence Ministry’s Legal Division.Consequently, the MFA had requested instructions from the Attorney General's Department (AG) on 14th September 2022 in this regard which the Attorney General's Department responded on 26th September 2022.

Jason Kenney says he concerned about certain elements that appear to be taking over along the right of the political spectrum.Pointing to the works of traditional conservative philosopher Roger Scruton, Kenney said an important tenet of conservative politics is recognizing the “prosperous and free society” handed down by past generations and being a custodian for future generations.“Conservatism, therefore, means protecting what’s best about what we’ve inherited. Not being opposed to thoughtful reform, but being opposed to radical overnight change and the destruction of institutions,” Kenney told The West Block’s Mercedes Stephenson in an interview airing in full on Sunday..“And so some of what I see now, what I call ‘populism with a snarl,’ is not conservatism.

York Regional Police (YRP) announced they had arrested Andre Marcel Vautour, 47, of no fixed address, who was allegedly wanted in connection with a fraudulent romance scam investigation in Quebec.An online search in Quebec’s court system shows that Vautour is slated to appear in Drummondville, Que., on Monday, Oct. 11.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – An Iranian fishing vessel with around 200 kg of heroin worth over ₹ 1,200 crore has been seized in a joint operation by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Indian Navy, the NCB said on Friday (7).Sanjay Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (operations) of the NCB, who met reporters, said the agency has arrested six Iran nationals and the boat, along with the heroin, was brought to Mattancherry wharf."The NCB has now seized the vessel and 200 kg of heroin. The six Iranian crew members have also been arrested under relevant sections of the NDPS Act, 1985," Singh said, adding that interrogation was on.He said the drug was found in 200 packets each of which has markings and packing specialties unique to Afghanistan- and Pakistan-based drug cartels."While some of the drug packets had 'Scorpion' seal markings, the others had 'dragon' seal markings.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The All Ceylon Poultry Traders Association said nearly 50% of farm owners have quit egg production.The Chairman of the All Ceylon Poultry Traders Association Ajith Gunasekara said the imposition of a control price for eggs and the shortage of animal feed was the main reason for this.He said that there may be a shortage of eggs during the upcoming festive season.

coronavirus infections.  The Union Home Ministry also informed that India's active Covid-19 cases have declined to 29,251 from 30,362. The ministry had informed that the active covid cases was at 32,282 on Thursday.  The last 24 hours saw a total of 2,66,839 Covid-19 tests being conducted.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Today is the 4th day of the 06th phase of the Gammadda door-to-door peoples campaign launched in search of the issues faced by the rural communities in the countryToday, the Gammadda teams will visit Jaffna, Matale, and Kalutara districts in search of issues faced by the people.The Gammadda door-to-door campaign is done in collaboration with the university of Peradeniya.

The study found an 84% increase in the relative incidence of cardiac-related death within 28 days following COVID vaccination COVID mRNA vaccines significantly increase the risk of cardiac-related death, especially in males aged 18 to 39. Speaking against their use, experts further advised that people with certain heart-related ailments should consult their physician before taking these jabs.  Florida Surgeon General Dr Joseph A Ladapo said, "Today, we released an analysis on COVID-19 mRNA vaccines the public needs to be aware of.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Department of Meteorology says that atmospheric conditions are favorable for evening thundershowers in Uva, Eastern, Northern and North-central provinces.Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in Uva, Eastern, Northern, and North-central provinces during the evening or night. Fairly heavy showers above 75mm can be expected in some places.Several spells of showers will occur in Western, Sabaragamuwa, and North-western provinces and 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 at times in the sea area off the coast extending from Kankasanturai to Batticaloa via Trincomalee. Showers will occur at a few places in the other sea areas.Winds:Winds will be south-westerly and wind speed will be (20-30) kmph.Wind speed may increase up to 50 kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Matara to Pottuvil via Hambantota.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Medical Specialists of the Ministry of Health have written to the President not to reverse the proposal on reducing the retirement age in the public sector to 60 years.The Medical Specialists of the Ministry of Health feel that bringing down the retirement age of medical specialists to 60 years will not harm the health service or postgraduate medical education as claimed by the lobbying group that is against the move.They said that though around 250 medical specialists are expected to retire, a fair number of specialists will be available to replace them.This includes 200 specialists who recently returned after completing overseas training, 525 specialists due to arrive in the country within the next two years after completing their training overseas, and 300 trainees who have completed local postgraduate specialty training with eligibility to cover up duties as acting specialists.They said that out of the 250 medical specialists who will retire, the majority are from sub-specialty fields where there are currently enough specialists available in the country.They added that if any specialty is left with a shortage, there is a provision for recruitment on a contract basis. They further added that the younger generation with newer skills and knowledge can provide a better and more efficient service in terms of patient care and post-graduate training if an opportunity is given.

do love a good glass of red wine (or two) while you’re cooking. (And doesn’t that have some health benefits? That’s right, you’re in it for the !) Likewise, getting to bed earlier is a forever goal for just about everyone we know, but something always gets in the way–I mean, you’re midway through season two of Indian Matchmaking, and who can watch just one episode at a time? And, of course, there’s healthy eating and physical activity.

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. - Pigs running wild and wreaking havoc in South Jersey and police say the animals have been causing mayhem and getting a lot of attention for a few weeks."He was driving down Kettlebrook in our development. He was trying to make a left on Halloway.

ST. LOUIS - The Phillies Red October is officially underway, with the team taking on the St. Louis Cardinals for the best of three.

NEW YORK (AP) - The latest government study on teen vaping suggests there's been little progress in keeping e-cigarettes out of the hands of kids.The data seems to show more high school students vaping, with 14% saying they had done so recently, according to survey results released Thursday. In last year's survey, about 11% said they had vaped recently.But experts cautioned that a change in the survey makes it difficult to compare the two: This year, a much higher percentage of participants took the survey in schools, and vaping tends to be reported more in schools than in homes."It continues to be difficult to assess (vaping) trends since the pandemic," said Alyssa Harlow, a University of Southern California researcher who studies youth e-cigarette use.Despite its persistence, vaping appears to be less popular than it was: In 2019, 28% of high schoolers said they had recently vaped.Educators say vaping is still a big problem.Anecdotally, the 2021-22 school year was worse than it was before the pandemic, said Mike Rinaldi, principal of Westhill High School in Stamford, Connecticut.

NFL Players Association urged the league on Friday to implement changes to its concussion protocol in time to protect players in this weekend's games.The players' union wants to strengthen the protocol to avoid a repeat of what happened to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in Week 3 against Buffalo. Tagovailoa was unstable when he walked off the field following a hit and was evaluated for a concussion, but he quickly returned to the game and the Dolphins said a back injury had caused his wobbly gait.Tagovailoa subsequently suffered a concussion four days later at Cincinnati and is out indefinitely.FILE - Medical staff tend to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins after an injury during the 2nd quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on Sept.

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.

The DVLA could ban motorists from getting behind the wheel if they fail to disclose one of 110 medical conditions.

as suspicions of sabotage remain high.In what could have been the largest methane leak in history, four sites along the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipeline have been examined by Danish and Swedish authorities after first being discovered last week in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark."There have been detonations near Nord Stream 1 and 2, within the Swedish economic zone, resulting in extensive damage to the gas pipelines," Swedish security police said in a statement reported by Reuters. The area is no longer being cordoned off and the leaks have stopped, but authorities have said the investigation remains ongoing as some material needs additional analysis."The continued investigation will show whether anyone can be suspected of, and later prosecuted for, this crime," the statement continued. Both Moscow and Western nations have pointed fingers at one another over what some have described as intentional "sabotage."Nations like the U.K. and the Netherlands have responded to the leaks by increasing their maritime security presence in the North Sea "to reassure those working near the gas pipelines," the U.K.

GLOUCESTER, N.J. - An 82-year-old woman in Gloucester County, NJ said half of her savings are now gone after scammers pulled on her heartstrings.Libby Maurer of Deptford Township said she received a phone call on September 16. She believed it was her grandson on the line."I was so emotional that I didn’t think straight at all.

Canada has permanently banned half the membership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from ever entering Canada, as protests sweep the nation following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

study recently published in National Science Review highlights the findings by a team of researchers at Curtin University in Australia.According to researchers, every year the Pacific Ocean decreases in size by a few centimeters, and with depictions from a supercomputer, they expect a new continent will form in 200 to 300 million years."By simulating how the Earth’s tectonic plates are expected to evolve using a supercomputer, we were able to show that in less than 300 million years’ time it is likely to be the Pacific Ocean that will close, allowing for the formation of Amasia, debunking some previous scientific theories," lead author Dr. Chuan Huang, from Curtin University, said in a statement.The movement of tectonic plates is not a new trend, and Huang said over the last two billion years a supercontinent forms about every 600 million years.What a future Amasia configuration could look like in 200-300 million years.

PHILADELPHIA - Authorities say a man was shot by police after he fired several times at officers Friday night in North Philadelphia. The shooting happened just before 6 p.m.

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.

COVID activity continued to rise in many European countries last week, up 14% compared to the previous week in people ages 65 and older, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said today in a regular update.

MEDIA, Pa. - A hearing on the controversial closure of Delaware County Memorial Hospital ends without a decision.A Delaware County judge is expected to rule next week on an emergency injunction to stop the for-profit owner of a Delaware County hospital system from changing the operation of an Upper Darby hospital.The Foundation for Delaware County, formed after Prospect Medical Holdings of California bought the Crozer-Keystone Health System, argues under the sale agreement Prospect may not end the hospital’s operation as an acute care facility and close its emergency room without the Foundation’s approval.Frances Sheen, the president of the foundation said, "They can only close one of those as an acute care facility with the permission of The Foundation of Delaware County. They did not seek that permission.

Newark High School. NEWARK, Del. - A 16-year-old Newark boy has been arrested and charged following an incident at Newark High School Thursday.According to New Castle County officials, Newark High School was put into lockdown Thursday afternoon, around 1 p.m., after school officers determined a student had a gun in the building.The investigation showed the student left the building and students were subsequently dismissed.Authorities say, Newark police went to the suspect’s home, where they found a shooting had just taken place.

Baby clydesdales at warm springs ranch SOURCE: Warm Springs Ranch Warm Springs Ranch just welcomed the birth of two new Budweiser Clydesdale foals, the company announced on Oct. 6. The farm hands were excited to welcome a colt, male and a filly, female both born at the company breeding and training facility of the Budweiser Clydesdales in Boonville, Missouri. The 300-plus acre facility was established in 2008 and is home to the iconic Budweiser horses seen on their famous commercials.

A tractor-trailer crashes into a Ridley Township building after hitting two SUVs.

A mugshot of 22-year-old Lauren Dooley. (Colorado Springs Police Department)A Colorado woman is accused of tying up a man she met on Tinder before stabbing, choking, and threatening to kill him inside her apartment, police said. Lauren Dooley, 22, was arrested Wednesday, Sept.

(AndreyPopov / iStock / Getty Images Plus) Going through a divorce can be incredibly difficult, no matter the reason. It often brings on feelings of grief over the end of a marriage, and for many, anxiety about the unknowns of the future. Emotions aside, the financial cost of divorce can also vary widely — depending on the couple’s circumstances. "I think one of the big misconceptions is that it’s always expensive because people hear these horror stories," Elizabeth Gjelten, a legal editor for Nolo.com, told FOX Television Stations.

Children who had an underlying illness were at greatest risk for severe COVID-19 and death, but those who were vaccinated were fairly well protected, according to an observational study presented this week at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition in Anaheim, California.Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

The extended school closures during the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on US high school athletes, who showed significant decreases in both mental and physical health when sports were cancelled.

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.

MERCED, Calif. - A second suspect has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and murder of a California family.  Alberto Salgado was arrested Thursday night in Merced County for criminal conspiracy, accessory, and destroying evidence.

FILE - Dwayne Johnson attends the Warner Bros. "Black Adam" photo call at SLS Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills on Oct. 06, 2022, in Los Angeles, California.

STEVENSVILLE, Mich. (FOX 2) - An Indiana woman who bought a scratch-off lottery ticket while visiting Michigan won $1 million when she scratched it a few days later."My husband and I travel to Michigan quite a bit, especially in the summer," the woman said.

File: A "help wanted" sign is displayed in a window in Manhattan on July 28, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images WASHINGTON - America’s employers slowed their hiring in September but still added 263,000 jobs, a solid figure that will likely keep the Federal Reserve on pace to keep raising interest rates aggressively to fight persistently high inflation.Friday’s government report showed that hiring fell from 315,000 in August to the weakest monthly gain since April 2021.

New research has revealed that hearing loss, tinnitus or feeling dizzy could signal that you are infected with Covid-19.

PHILADELPHIA - For the second week in a row, Roxborough High School’s football game has been canceled.The cancelation comes more than a week after a shooting behind the school left a 14-year-old player dead and four other teens injured. Officials with the School District of Philadelphia say Friday’s game was scrapped after Roxborough’s scheduled opponent, KIPP DuBois Charter, canceled. The reason for the cancelation has not been disclosed. District officials say Roxborough may still host a scrimmage among themselves. Back on Sept.

COATESVILLE, Pa. - One area high school football game will be played with no fans in the stands Friday night after school officials say they received threats.Coatesville High School and Downingtown High School West will only permit players, coaches, administrators, and security personnel on Coatesville’s campus for the game. Coatesville officials say the barring of spectators came after they received ‘a number of credible safety threats.’ They say they consulted with law enforcement before making the decision, which was made in an ‘abundance of caution.’ MORE HEADLINES: In a letter to their district community, Downingtown stated that the respected Coatesville’s decision.Coatesville says tickets that have already been purchased will be refunded and the game will be streamed on the Coatesville Athletic YouTube Channel.Intermediate and high school students at Coatesville were dismissed at noon Friday to prepare the campus for Friday night’s game. 

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.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police have released video of a shooting that injured a man in Logan as they search for three suspects. On Oct. 4, officers with the 35th District responded to reports of a shooting near Broad and Windrim streets. When officers arrived on scene they found a 23-year-old man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his right arm.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Maligakanda Additional Magistrate on Saturday (10) ordered for the release of activist Lahiru Weerasekera, the convener of the Youth of Change organization, on 2 surety bails of  Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Aragalaya Activist Lahiru Weerasekera was arrested in Colombo on Friday (9) evening.Sri Lanka Police said he was arrested down Dupliation Road in Colombo.Police Spokesperson SSP Attorney-at-Law Nihal Thalduwa told News 1st that Weerasekera was arrested for the obstruction of duties of police officers during a protest in Maradana, being party to an unlawful assembly, and several other charges.