Average new car prices set to hit record $46,259 in August

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands with the concurrence of the Government of Sri Lanka has appointed Bonnie Horbach as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Sri Lanka based in Colombo. She presented credentials to president Ranil Wickremesinghe, at the Presidential Secretariat recently.COLOMBO (News 1st); The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the concurrence of the Government of Sri Lanka appointed Khalid Hamoud Nasser Aldasam Alkahtani as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Sri Lanka based in Colombo. He has presented credentials to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, recently at the Presidential Secretariat.Sri Lanka’s relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia go back several centuries. People-to-People contact between the two countries has flourished since ancient times.Readers from Arabia visited and transited  Sri Lanka as Sri Lanka was the center of the maritime route between the east and the west.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – It’s not a secret that we are all broke as a country, and we have to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, said Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing a meeting with the Sri Lankan Diaspora.President Ranil Wickremesinghe who visited the United Kingdom to attend the funeral ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II had met with the Sri Lankan Diaspora in Britain on Monday (19) afternoon." We have already started discussions with the IMF and staff level agreement is there. We have to talk to India, China and Japan and to the private creditors.

PHILADELPHIA - A school bus crash left at least one person injured during the morning school rush Tuesday morning.Officials say three students were on the bus when it crashed on the corner of 52nd and Spruce Street. The students were on their way to Dobbins High School, according to officials.One person was reportedly injured, and transported to a local hospital.

FOX Forecast Center warns that these rains could produce additional localized life-threatening flash flooding.HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER ON TVHurricane Fiona first crashed into the extreme southwestern coast of Puerto Rico on Sunday afternoon, leaving catastrophic flooding and most of the island in the dark, and then hit the eastern Dominican Republic about 12 hours later n the pre-dawn hours of Monday.Maximum sustained winds for Hurricane Fiona's first landfall in Puerto Rico were estimated at about 85 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. High winds were reported across the island on Sunday, including a 103-mph wind gust in the city of Ponce.Downed power lines on road PR-743 in Cayey, Puerto Rico as the island awoke to a general power outage on September 19, 2022 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Minister of Education Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The proposal to establish the National Assembly is currently being debated in the Parliament.Leader of the National People's Power, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, stated in Parliament today (20) that not all proposals submitted for the formulation of the National Assembly have been considered.However, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena claimed that the proposal itself came from opposition parties.Dissanayake pointed out that the proposed National Assembly and its purpose according to the Government are completely contradictory.Emphasizing that the National Assembly, which was being discussed within the opposition, was to have those appointed from an interim Government, the NPP Leader menioned that now, an interim Government has not been formed, however a Prime Minister has been appointed, a Cabinet has been appointed, State Ministers have been appointed, and in the absence of an interim Government, the essence of the National Assembly has been lost, he said.Additionally, MP Dullas Alahapperuma stated that although his group will not participate in the National Assembly, which is a move to deceive the people and the international community, he will continue to support the positive steps taken for the benefit of the people.

Health chiefs are being urged to speed up the reopening of Altrincham Hospital's minor injuries unit (MIU) to a seven-day-a-week service. Treatment of injuries like broken limbs was suspended in November 2021 because of a lack of emergency nurse practitioners (ENPs).

Robbie Williams has spoken candidly about the mental health struggles Take That suffered, while reflecting on 25 years in the entertainment industry . The singer was promoting his upcoming Netflix documentary on Good Morning Britain and speaking to showbiz correspondent Richard Arnold in a pre-recorded interview, Robbie spoke of the difficult experiences he and his Take That bandmates faced at the height of their boyband fame.

DOVER, Del. - The company that privatized operations at the port of Wilmington several years ago owes more than $21 million in damages for breaching an agreement to buy the port’s former stevedoring firm, a Delaware judge ruled Monday.Vice Chancellor Lori Will also found GT USA Wilmington in contempt for violating a court confidentiality order by using materials it obtained in defending itself in a 2018 lawsuit filed by Murphy Marine Services to negotiate a deal with one of Murphy Marine’s largest customers.Monday’s ruling came more than a year after a different Chancery Court judge ruled that GT was bound by the terms of a 2018 letter agreement regarding the purchase and sale of 100% of the equity interest of Murphy Marine.Will ruled Monday that GT violated the binding letter agreement by refusing to negotiate a definitive purchase agreement with Murphy Marine. She also said GT improperly used information obtained from Murphy Marine during the lawsuit to negotiate its own stevedoring contract with Dole Fresh Fruit Company.Officials with GT USA Wilmington did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.GT USA Wilmington is a subsidiary of port management company Gulftainer, which is based in the United Arab Emirates.

DOVER, Del. - A state judge has halted the implementation of a ruling he issued last week declaring Delaware's new vote-by-mail law is unconstitutional and that voters cannot mail in their ballots in the upcoming November election. Vice Chancellor Nathan Cook on Monday granted a motion by elections officials to stay his ruling pending an expedited appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court.MORE LOCAL HEADLINESThe Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in the case on Oct.

(From L to R): Britain's King Charles III, Britain's Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Camilla, Queen Consort, Sir Timothy Laurence, Mr Peter Phillips, Sophie, The United Kingdom’s first family is notoriously private and may seem mysterious to some, but the death of Queen Elizabeth II has once again thrust the royal family’s scrutinized dynamic into the public eye. Immediate members are taking part in the days-long ceremonial traditions of laying a monarch to rest. Here is a look at the key faces and players in the royal family:Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, became king immediately following the death of his mother. His coronation is still being planned and has yet to be announced. Meanwhile, the 73-year-old monarch has been under intense media scrutiny and has taken a grueling schedule.

Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the World Health Organization's Emergencies Programme, has expressed concern that the capacity to detect new variants of Covid-19 quickly has been lost.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe engaged in cordial conversation with King Charles III on Sunday (19).World leaders who were in London to attended the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on the 18th of September.President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who participated in the event, having a friendly conversation with King Charles III, said the President's Media Division.Senior Professor Mrs.

(ANI / New Delhi); Sri Lanka High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda on Monday (19) referred to remarks of Mahinda Rajapaksa about the island nation's relations with India and said that the former President of the country used to say that "China is a close friend but India is our brother and sister".Moragoda described the relationship between the two countries as "special" and said India's security interests are "our own security interests"."Rajapaksa used to always say China is a very, very close friend but India is our brother and sister…. Within a family you can have quarrels but finally, it is your family," he said during an interaction at the Indian Women's Press Corps."From Ramayan to Buddhism today, Sri Lanka and India have a long historical relationship.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Today’s exchange rates from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka:USD Buy 359.1381 Sell 369.9003GBP Buy 408.2941 Sell 424.4361EUR Buy 357.8970 Sell 372.8429JPY Buy 2.4933 Sell 2.5970AUD Buy 239.7194 Sell 250.9472

Amber Alert has been issued for a child who was last seen at BC Children’s Hospital on Oak Street in Vancouver at 12:40 p.m. Monday.The child, Phaivanh Correia-Chanthabouala is three years old and two feet tall, according to Vancouver police.He has black hair and was last seen wearing a grey zip-up jacket, blue pants and red shoes.The suspect is his mother Jenny Chanthabouala who is described as Asian with long black dreadlock hair, wearing a black jacket, black toque, glasses, grey sweatpants, a red-, yellow- and turquoise-striped messenger bag and brown Ugg boots.

GREAT FALLS, Mont – The 36th Contingency Response Squadron assigned to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, organized a Mobile Training Team event between the Sri Lanka Air Force and the 120th Airlift Wing, Montana Air National Guard, Sept. 8-12.Airmen from the 120th Logistics Readiness Squadron and 120th Maintenance Squadron showed 15 members of the Sri Lanka Air Force how to use aircraft loading and refueling equipment they will receive next year from the Department of Defense under the Building Partner Capacity Program.The program builds partnerships with foreign nations by providing military and equipment training to enhance their capabilities.During the four-day Mobile Training Team event, the 120th AW Airmen worked with the Sri Lanka Air Force members on pallet buildup, refuel/defuel procedures, forklift operations, weight and balance calculation, loading and unloading aircraft.“We brought a mix of pilots, loadmasters, crew chiefs, fuel specialist, maintenance officers and logistics officers on this Mobile Training Team,” said Danushka Premadasa, Sri Lanka Air Force wing commander.

With the inputs from the ANI

NEW DELHI: Consumers are willing to spend on health and well-being, despite financial uncertainty, according to findings of a consumer survey conducted by Accenture. The consulting firm has been mapping consumer behaviour and sentiment since the onset of the pandemic. The latest survey, conducted in 16 countries including India, mapped responses from 11,000 consumers.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Navy conducted a special operation to chase away Indian poaching trawlers from Sri Lanka’s waters on the night of yesterday (19). The operation led to the seizure of an Indian trawler with 08 Indian nationals poaching in the island’s waters off Kovilan Lighthouse, Kankasanthurai.Sri Lanka Navy continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lanka’s waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing trawlers.In a similar operation conducted in the dark hours of 19th September, the Northern Naval Command deployed a Fast Attack Craft of the 04th Fast Attack Flotilla to chase away a cluster of Indian poaching trawlers, after having spotted them engaged in illegal fishing in Sri Lanka’s waters off Kovilan Lighthouse, through the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). Thus, the Navy held an Indian poaching trawler and continued to remain in the island’s waters, with 08 Indian fishers and fishing gear.The seized trawler together with 08 Indian fishermen was brought to the Kankesanthurai Harbour and they will be handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for onward legal proceedings.Meanwhile, the Navy has seized 25 Indian poaching trawlers and nabbed 189 Indian fishermen in Sri Lanka’s waters, during operations conducted thus far in 2022 and produced them to authorities for legal proceedings.Taking into account the consequences of illegal fishing practices by foreign fishermen in Sri Lanka’s waters on the livelihood of local fishermen and ocean resources of the country, Sri Lanka Navy continues to remain vigilant and conduct its operations to prevent such practices. 

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) informed that it has decided to extend power cuts for 20 Minutes.Accordingly, PUCSL approved power cuts of 1 hour and 20 minutes for 20th & 21st September as follows;Groups ABCDEFGHIJKLPQRSTUVW:1-hour and 20-minutes from 6.00 PM – 10.00 PM

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) announced that the water supply will be interrupted for 16 hours tomorrow (21) for several areas in Kahahena, Hanwella, Jalthara-Ranala, Kaduwela, Mapitigama, Dompe.This will be in effect from 8.00 AM to 12.00 midnight.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka’s leadership is essential to supporting a free & open Indo-Pacific region, said US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie J.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Department of Agrarian Services Development says that they will begin providing urea fertilizer to farmers for the Maha season from next month.The Commissioner General of the Department of Agrarian Services Development E.H.M.L Abeyratne said that the remaining stock of urea obtained under Indian loan assistance will be distributed to the farmers.In the first phase, 20 kg of urea fertilizer is to be given per hectare.The Commissioner General of the Department of Agrarian Services Development noted that fertilizers will be provided to farmers in Kurunegala, Ampara, Batticaloa, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, and Jaffna districts.

In the last 24 hours, more than 4,676 people recovered from covid and India’s total recoveries till date stand at 4,39,67,340. NEW DELHI: India reported 4,043 new covid infections and 15 related deaths in the last 24 hours, according to an update by the Union health ministry on Tuesday.

Queens Elizabeth II‘s final procession had thousands of onlookers as her casket made it way down the Long Walk toward Windsor Castle, but perhaps none were as touching as the attendance of her beloved corgis and her favourite pony.

4,858 Covid cases on Monday.  The country’s active caseload has now dropped to 47,379 from 48,027 yesterday, as per the ministry data. The daily positivity rate has been reported at 1.37 percent, while the weekly positivity rate is 1.81 percent. India conducted 2,95,894 Covid tests in the last 24 hours, with the total number of tests conducted so far at 89.20 crore.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Resolution to constitute the Parliament Committee designated “National Council” is scheduled to be debated on Tuesday (20) from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm, following which, the approval of the Parliament is to be obtained.Parliament is scheduled to meet from the 20th to the 23rd and Questions for Oral Answers have been scheduled to be taken up from 9.30 am to 10.30 am except Friday the 23rd. The adjournment debate brought by the government on the “Necessity of increasing the Government Revenues” will be held from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm on the 21st.On September 22nd, from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm, the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (Amendment) Bill (Second Reading) and a Regulations under the Civil Aviation Act are to be passed fowling debate. Thereafter from 1.00 pm to 4.30 pm, the amendments to the Standing Orders of the Parliament are scheduled to be debated.Thereafter, it was also decided to take up Questions at the Adjournment Time from 4.30 p.m. – 4.50 p.m.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the General Public that the computer system breakdown, experienced in the Attestation & Verification unit of the Consular Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Regional Offices in Jaffna, Trincomalee, Kandy, Kurunegala, & Matara has been resolved and the Attestation & Verification service will resume from today (20) onwards.All other services of the Consular Division will also continue to be provided.For further details the visiting service seekers may contact;Consular Affairs Division, Colombo 01 – 0112338812/0112338843 Regional Office, Jaffna – 0212215970 Regional Office, Trincomalee – 0262223182 Regional Office, Kandy – 0812384410 Regional Office, Kurunegala – 0372225941 Regional Office, Matara – 0412226697

Also Read: COVID-19 lockdown, mass testing in China despite minor cases - here’s why "Previous research has shown face mask wearing can reduce the risk of spreading and contracting the disease. So, we wanted to create a mask that can detect the presence of virus in the air and alert the wearer," says Yin Fang, the study's corresponding author and a material scientist at Shanghai Tongji University.

Texas sheriff on Monday opened an investigation into two flights of migrants sent to Martha's Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but did not say what laws may have been broken in putting 48 Venezuelans on private planes last week from San Antonio.Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, an elected Democrat, railed against the flights that took off in his city as political posturing.

B.C.

dengue cases, with over 100 people being diagnosed with the infection in the last one week, taking the tally of the vector-borne disease in the city to nearly 400 so far this year, according to PTI report. According to a civic body report released on Monday, 152 cases have been reported in this month alone till September 17.

Canadian Hurricane Centre said it is monitoring Hurricane Fiona, although it’s too early to predict any detailed impacts.Fiona’s track shows it could affect Nova Scotia and Newfoundland by this weekend. Hurricane Fiona rips through Puerto Rico, unleashes landslides, knocks out power Yesterday, the hurricane struck Puerto Rico’s southwest coast — unleashing landslides, knocking out power, and ripping up asphalt from roads.Forecasters said the storm would cause massive flooding and threatened to dump “historic” levels of rain, with up to 76 centimeters possible in some areas.A state of emergency was declared in the U.S.

COVID-19 vaccination campaign gets underway.The campaign is launching with a focus on vulnerable groups, including health-care workers, the clinically extremely vulnerable, Indigenous people and seniors.And for the first time, a bivalent version of Moderna’s mRNA vaccine will be available to adults. When can you get an Omicron booster? Here’s how provinces are rolling them out “It’s a vaccine that was specifically designed to be more effective against Omicron variants.

LOS ANGELES - Following the news from Taco Bell that the Mexican Pizza is officially back on the menu for good, many have been left to speculate whether or not it actually is a pizza. This speculation has apparently offended the popular fast-food chain Pizza Hut as they recently took to social media to throw shade at Taco Bell. Thinking that Taco Bell was intending to out pizza the hut with the latest success of the Mexican Pizza, Pizza Hut posted a photo of someone folding a slice of pizza in the shape of a taco and calling it an "Italian Taco."The post sent pizza and taco fans into a frenzy wondering if they would have the chance to get their hands on such a creation but Pizza Hut later confirmed to multiple outlets that the whole thing was just a slice of pizza folded like a taco. Kicking Taco Bell while they were down, Pizza Hut made a jest out of the news that when Taco Bell originally brought back the Mexican Pizza earlier this year, it sold out within weeks. Pizza Hut noted that their Italian Taco was something that would never sell out. Taco Bell's Mexican pizza will return as a permanent menu item this month after the food chain severely underestimated demand in a temporary release earlier this year.The fast food chain brought back the Mexican pizza as a limited-time menu item in May, but did not purchase nearly enough supply to meet demand.

FILE - Downtown Denver skyline, photographed from the Jacquard Hotel rooftop in Denver, Colo., on Nov. 14, 2018.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said its narcotics unit recently found enough fentanyl inside a home that could reportedly kill up to 1.5 million people. In total, the unit found 3 kilos – or about six pounds – of fentanyl, 1.2 kilos – or a little more than two pounds – of cocaine, and over 6,000 pills, some of which were laced with fentanyl, the sheriff's office said.Some 2,400 of those 6,000 pills – or 40% – had "lethal amounts" of fentanyl in them, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post, which included a photo of the haul.

PHILADELPHIA - Authorities are searching for a man accused of at least two unprovoked attacks of teenage girls at different SEPTA stations in Philadelphia. The first attack, according to police, happened during the Friday morning rush hour on Sept. 9 at the Walnut-Locust Street Station. The 17-year-old victim was reportedly walking in the station when the man strangled her to the ground with both hands around her neck.He eventually let the girl go and fled the station in an elevator, according to police. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESThree days later police believe the same man attacked a 13-year-old girl around 7:30 a.m.

FILE - U.S. President Joe Biden arrives for an event in the Rose Garden of the White House Sept. 15, 2022, in Washington, DC.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - At just 5 years old, Katherine Lange has endured three open-heart surgeries, almost 40 blood tests, nearly 10 heart catheterizations and several hospital stints. Her father, Gary, said that’s because his daughter was born with half a heart, a rare disorder known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome."The left side of her heart never developed, or its severely underdeveloped," Gary told FOX Television Stations. "She’s basically missing half her heart." "She can have a heart attack at any time.

Last night during a "60 Minutes" interview, President Joe Biden said the pandemic is over, though COVID-19 is still a problem, which prompted swift and sharp criticism among some public health experts.

A panel of experts with the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) published a statement last week on ways to improve antibiotic use and stewardship during infectious disease pandemics and outbreaks.

FILE - In this handout photo illustration provided by the John Innes Centre UK, purple tomatoes are seen on Oct. 27, 2008, in Norwich, United Kingdom.

BALTIMORE - A judge has granted a request from prosecutors to vacate the 2000 murder conviction of Adnan Syed, whose case was chronicled in the hit podcast "Serial."READ MORE: Judge orders new look at evidence in Adnan Syed case chronicled in podcast 'Serial'The development comes after Baltimore prosecutors filed a motion Wednesday saying a lengthy investigation conducted with the defense had uncovered new evidence that could undermine the conviction of Syed.Baltimore prosecutors have asked a judge to vacate Adnan Syed's conviction for a 1999 murder that was chronicled in the hit podcast "Serial."Syed has served more than 20 years in prison for the strangling of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, who was 18 when she was killed in 1999. Her body was found buried in a Baltimore park.Syed, 42, has maintained his innocence for decades and captured the attention of millions in 2014 when the debut season of the "Serial" podcast focused on the case and raised doubts about some of the evidence, including cellphone tower data.Adnan Syed (L) and Hae Min Lee (R) Prosecutors said in their motion that they weren’t asserting that Syed is innocent but they lacked confidence "in the integrity of the conviction" and recommended he be released on his own recognizance or bail.READ MORE: Prosecutors ask judge to vacate Adnan Syed's murder conviction"We believe that keeping Mr.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A Northern California mother of two was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison for faking her own kidnapping so she could go back to a former boyfriend, which led to a three-week, multi-state search before she resurfaced on Thanksgiving Day in 2016.Sherri Papini, 40, pleaded guilty last spring under a plea bargain that requires her to pay more than $300,000 in restitution.Probation officers and Papini’s attorney had recommended that she spend a month in custody and seven months in supervised home detention. But Senior U.S.

The new bivalent (two-strain) Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster triggered stronger neutralizing antibody responses against the highly transmissible Omicron variant at 28 days than the previously authorized booster, with no safety concerns, according to the interim results of a phase 2/3 open-label, nonrandomized study published late last week in the New England Journal of Medicine.