BREAKING : Sri Lankan President declares Emergency

Buffalo supermarket and served multiple search warrants, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Sunday.Federal authorities were still working to confirm the authenticity of a 180-page manifesto that was posted online, which detailed the plot and identified Gendron by name as the gunman, the official said. Authorities say the shooting was motivated by racial hatred.Payton Gendron’s parents were cooperating with investigators, the official said.

Fort Dix noise calendar GIBBSBORO, N.J. - Many people throughout southern New Jersey were awakened early Sunday morning by what was described as a loud boom or explosion, officials reported.The Gibbsboro Police Department, located in Camden County, posted on their Facebook page they were aware of the sounds.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 6: Helium balloons congratulating recent graduates are tied to a railing outside Constitution Hall is viewed on June 6, 2017 in Washington, D.C. The nation's capital, the sixth largest metropolitan area in the country, draws mil As families start to gather in the coming weeks for high school and college graduation celebrations, power companies are warning about the dangers of releasing balloons into the air. Shiny, metallic balloons, also known as Mylar balloons, have a silvery coating that conducts electricity.

LAFAYETTE TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Authorities say a woman was taken to a hospital after she was attacked by a black bear as she walked down a New Jersey road to check her mail.The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said the attack happened at about 4:30 p.m.

COVID-19 on Sunday, according to data released by the province.There are also 151 people in an Ontario ICU due to the virus.The figures represent a drop from the 1,392 people in hospital and 156 in intensive care Ontario reported Saturday. The figures also show a week-on-week decline — Ontario reported 1,167 people in hospital and 207 in intensive care last Sunday.Data reported on Sunday is likely an underestimate as not all hospitals report on the weekend.

TURIN, Italy - Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra, fresh off its Eurovision victory, released a new music video Sunday of its winning hit "Stefania" that features scenes of war-ravaged Ukraine and women in combat gear, as the annual song contest took on ever more political tones.The video was released hours after Kalush Orchestra brought Ukraine its third Eurovision win, pulling ahead of Britain in the grand final after the votes from some of the estimated 200 million viewers from 40 participating countries were tallied.Band members posed for photos and signed autographs outside their Turin hotel Sunday, en route to an interview with Italian host broadcaster RAI. They must return to Ukraine on Monday after being given special permission to leave the country to attend the competition.Russia was barred from the Eurovision Song Contest this year after its Feb.

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Shoppers out on a weekend afternoon and a retired police officer working as a security guard were among the 10 shot and killed at a Buffalo supermarket by a white teenager who authorities say was motivated by racial hatred.Police said Payton Gendron shot, in total, 11 Black people and two white people Saturday in a rampage at the Tops Friendly Market that the 18-year-old broadcast live before surrendering to authorities.Among the dead was security guard Aaron Salter — a retired Buffalo police officer — who fired multiple shots at Gendron, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said Saturday. A bullet hit the gunman's armor, but had no effect.

More Chinese citizens want to emigrate because of discontent with Beijing’s Covid strategy, but many face hurdles in obtaining passports and paperwork

KYIV, Ukraine - Almost three months after Russia shocked the world by invading Ukraine, its military faced a bogged-down war, the prospect of a bigger NATO and a defending country buoyed by its win in a hugely popular pan-European music competition Sunday.Finland announced it would apply to join NATO, as top diplomats from the Western alliance, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, gathered Sunday in Berlin to discuss the war.

PHILADELPHIA - We're keeping an eye on the skies Sunday night for a lunar eclipse between 10:30 p.m. and 2 a.m.

People across Lanarkshire are being encouraged to explore their local greenspace this week.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Three people have now been arrested and charged following the death of a 3-year-old girl at a church exorcism in San Jose.San Jose police on Friday identified the girl's uncle Rene Aaron Hernandez-Santos, 19, and her grandfather, Rene Trigueros Hernandez, 59, as the newest suspects to be arrested on suspicion of felony child abuse. They were arrested on Wednesday. The girl's mother, Claudia Hernandez-Santos, 25, had already been charged with felony child abuse following her daughter's death in the 1000 block of South 2nd Street, which is a makeshift Pentecostal church called Iglesia Apostoles y Profetas.

NEW DELHI :

Queen “isn’t going anywhere for some time”.The former This Morning star had taken to Twitter to share a picture of the Monarch at the The Windsor Horse Show.The Queen had recently prompted concerns among observers after she handed over a number of duties to younger royals by pulling out of attending this year's palace garden parties.But Her Majesty appeared to be in great spirits on Friday as she attended the Royal Windsor Horse Show after missing the first day of the event.In view of her 112,400 Twitter followers, Fern shared a photo on Friday of the Monarch smiling broadly alongside the Earl and the Countess of Wessex.She captioned the snap: “The Queen at the The Windsor Horse Show.She looks wonderful.“I don’t believe she’s going anywhere for some time!!!”Royal fans were quick to reply to the tweet to discuss the ongoing concerns surrounding the Queen’s health.Hunter1_lj tweeted: “I pray not. It's just her mobility isn't always great.“But happy to see Her Majesty, @RoyalFamily enjoying one of her passions.

North Korea has reported 15 additional deaths from "fever", days after officially confirming its first-ever Covid-19 cases and ordering nationwide lockdowns.

Eurovision, the world’s biggest singing competition, is usually a happy affair and a chance to unify Europe with song and dance.However, after 66 years some of the show’s most iconic participants have passed and their legacy lives on.From the Alexandrov Ensemble Choir who led the halftime show to Michael Julien who paved the way to victory in 1969, some of Eurovision’s most recognisable faces still continue to make an impact on the show’s legacy to this day.Daily Star has trawled through the archives to bring you everything you need to know about the competition's tragedies.One of the biggest tragedies involved in Eurovision was the loss of 64 members of the Alexandrov Ensemble Choir.In the early hours of Christmas Day 2016, a Russian Defence Ministry plane went down whilst flying to Syria.Off the coast of Sochi, the crash had no survivors and 93 people were lost whilst travelling for a Christmas celebration with troops at a military base.The group, who sadly lost their lives on 25 December, had performed Not Gonna Get Us with t.A.T.u during the song contest’s interval in 2009 when the event was hosted in Moscow.The choir is the official choir of the Russian armed forces and one of just two choir groups that have the title of Red Army Choir.Örs Siklósi, the lead singer of AWS, performed with the band for Hungary during the show’s 2018 run.He died aged just 29 years old after a battle with leukaemia and his fellow bandmates released a statement upon his premature death.They said that their loss was “indescribable'' and explained: “In June, Örs was diagnosed with leukaemia.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Reports on a planned LTTE attack on 18th May will be duly investigated and steps have been taken to strengthen security, the Ministry of Defence states in connection with reports published on media with regard to the revival of LTTE. Indian Newspapers have published a report quoting Indian intelligence that the LTTE was planning to launch an attack on Sri Lanka on May 18th.After inquiring with regard to the above information by the Sri Lankan intelligence services from the Indian intelligence services, it has been informed that this information has been given as general information and further action will be taken in this regard.Moreover, action will be taken to inform the Sri Lankan Government with regard to any further information as well.However, due to this information and all information received by the intelligence and security forces in connection with national security, due investigations will be carried out and the relevant security forces have been informed to take further steps to strengthen the security, Defence Ministry added.

ATLANTA, GA - JULY 17: Lil Keed performs at 107.9 Birthday Bash 25 at Center Parc Credit Union Stadium at Georgia State University on July 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.(photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage) ATLANTA - Atlanta rapper Lil Keed has died, his brother confirmed.The verified Instagram account of Lil Gotit posted Saturday morning: "Can't believe I seened u die today bro I did all my cries I know what u want me to do and that's go hard for Mama Daddy Our Brothers Naychur and Whiteboy."The cause of the rapper's death is unknown. He was affiliated with Atlanta-based Young Stoner Life Records.The 24-year-old, whose legal name is Rahqid Render according to a bio on YSL's website, was born in Atlanta.

Nick Paul scored twice, including an incredible individual effort on the winner late in the second period, as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 in Game 7 on Saturday to win their first-round playoff series 4-3.

National gas prices continued their staggering rise this weekend, with drivers in Vancouver told to brace for as much as $2.34 per litre at the pumps.

active cases comprise 0.04% of the total infections. The national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.74%, the ministry said.

LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 20: A sign is posted in front of Netflix headquarters on April 20, 2022 in Los Gatos, California. Shares of Netflix dropped over 35 percent after the company reported that it had lost 200,000 subscribers for the first ti Streaming giant Netflix has told its employees to leave the company if they’re offended by the content the company is producing.The directive is found in a memo, first reported by Variety, titled "Netflix Culture – Seeking Excellence.""As employees we support the principle that Netflix offers a diversity of stories, even if we find some titles counter to our own personal values," the memo states."Depending on your role, you may need to work on titles you perceive to be harmful," the memo continued.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Opposition Leader has proposed the name of Rohini Kavirathne for the role of Deputy Speaker of the Parliament.Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Sagara Kariyawasam has stated that he proposes the name of Ajith Rajapaksa for the role of Deputy Speaker at the Parliament.It was decided at the recent meeting of the Party Leaders in Parliament to elect a representative to fill the vacancy in the post of Deputy Speaker, which fell vacant following the recent resignation of Ranjith Siyambalapitiya who was elected as the Deputy Speaker for the second time.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has replied to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa over concerns about the post of Prime Minister.The Opposition Leader in a letter stated that the Samagi Jana Balavegaya will not nominate any members for the proposed Cabinet of Ministers that the President is to appoint by directly disregarding the mandate of the people.Sajith Premadasa said as per his letter to the President dated the 12th May 2022, he is committed to serving as Prime Minister in a government set up under him subject to the conditions mentioned in the said letter.The Opposition Leader also reminded the President in his letter, that when he was invited to accept the Post of Prime Minister he did not say NO to the offer.The letter notes that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and the Samagi Jana Balavegaya believe that entering into a program which allows the President to remain in his position indefinitely disregarding the calls from the people, is a blow to the mandate of the people.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Ranil Wickremesinghe who returned to the political sphere as Prime Minister for the sixth time, assumed duties on Friday (13).Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in on Thursday (12) as the island nation faces political and economic crises.The appointment was made days after Mahinda Rajapaksa, brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, vacated the position after violence was triggered by attacks on peaceful protests by pro-government supporters.Ranil Wickremesinghe has been sworn in as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on five occasions before.He was first appointed as PM from 1993 – 1994 after the assassination of President Ranasinghe Premadasa.Subsequently, from 2001 to 2004 he was elected as the Prime Minister to lead the United National Front Government during the presidency of President Chandrika Bandaranayake.In January 2015, he was appointed as the Prime Minister of the coalition government on the election of President Maithripala Sirisena.His appointment was sanctioned by the Sri Lankan people at the general election of August 2015.Once again, in December 2018, then-President Sirisena was compelled to appoint him as PM after having dismissed him in October 2018.In November 2019, after the defeat of the UNP presidential candidate, he resigned from his position of Prime Minister.Newly-appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the GotaGoGama struggle must continue, and he will not intervene with the struggle.“Police would not do anything to them, and the struggle must continue,” said the Prime Minister during his visit to the Walukaramaya Raja Maha Viharaya in Colombo after taking oaths as the Prime Minister.He said he will show majority from both sides in parliament.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa accepted the President’s invitation to form an interim government.In a letter to the President on Thursday (12), Premadasa said that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya led opposition is willing to form a new interim government in Sri Lanka subject to conditions.One of the conditions put forward by Sajith Premadasa is that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution should be implemented with the support of all political parties within two weeks.Further, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa must resign within a stipulated time period.The third condition is that the President work together with all the political parties to work towards abolishing the Executive Presidency via the 21st Amendment to the Constitution.The fourth condition is that the President must call for Parliamentary Elections to award the people an opportunity to elect a new stable government, following the implementation of the aforementioned constitutional reforms, establishing the rule of law, and returning the people’s lives to normalcy.Sajith Premadasa said that he has a sustainable program to control the fall of the economy and for the implementation of the constitutional reforms.He said he is prepared to for discussions on the swearing in of the new government, and on the period of the said new government.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka has refused to accept any position under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.The opposition lawmaker has condemned any attempt to mislead the people through false propaganda.He says he will stand unconditionally with the demands of the people involved in peaceful protests.The parliamentarian said he will not be a part any process on resolving the crisis without consulting the protestors at Galle Face.

COLOMBO (News 1st); JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the decision taken by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appoint Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister, is one that was made with zero regard to the voice of the people.“All the citizens in unison called for the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and the Government. They all called for recovery of the economy, recover the public funds that were looted, and also institute legal action against those who are responsible for those acts,” he said on Friday (13).The leader of the JVP ridiculed the decision, adding that the appointment has no letigimacy and has no democratic value.“Ranil Wickremesinghe is a person who held the post of Prime Minister, formed governments, and yet could not even win a single seat at the last General Election.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Ranil Wickremesinghe’s appointment to the post of Prime Minister cannot be accepted, said His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith on Thursday (12).Speaking to reporters in Colombo the Archbishop of Colombo expressed the dissatisfaction over the decision reportedly made by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appoint Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister of a new Cabinet.“Mr. Wickremesinghe is only one representative of Parliament and he does not command the majority in Parliament.

COLOMBO (News 1st); From Thursday (12) Sri Lanka has a new Prime Minister, Ranil Wickrmesinghe who has already held the post on several occasions. He was appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Wickremesinghe, who held closed-door discussions with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday (11) , took oaths as the new prime minister following the resignation of Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday (9).

COLOMBO (News 1st); Leader of the National People’s Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake has stressed the need for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign, and thereafter an interim government can be formed for a period of six months.He further said that the NPP is ready to take control of the Interim Government that will be formed, adding that the support of other parties is required, and if that does not happen the NPP would function in the opposition.Anura Kumara Dissanayake said authorities must arrest the Temple Trees conspirators who created the violence in the country, and produce them before the law.“It is clear that Former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Ministers, MPs, Pradeshiya Sabha members, and others used state power to plan the violence,” he said calling on authorities to arrest them and produce them in court.Further, he called on the law enforcement agencies, including the IGP and the Police, to take action to maintain the law and the peace in the country.Dissanayake said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa must immediately step down as his ‘solutions’ to the issues have not led to any form of stability in the country.He also called on the Speaker to function as the Acting President, given that Sri Lanka does not have a Prime Minister.He said the Government and Parliament do not represent the public mandate, and since there is no public trust on the government, a new government must be formed.Dissanayake speaking to the media said the NPP is prepared to take control of the interim government, until an election is called for to establish a new government.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The JVP or the People’s Liberation Front stressed the President MUST step down for any solution to be reached.JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva speaking to reporters on Thursday (12) said as per the present composition of parliament, it is not possible to create stability.‘The people have rejected the existing parliament composition and any solution brought forward with this composition in place cannot be accepted,” he said.He said that a government formed by shuffling this composition will in no way bring about political stability to the crisis-hit nation.“We will need a new people’s mandate. When a government is removed, a new government must be formed.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for talks today (11) in Colombo.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that a new Prime Minister and Government that can command a majority in Parliament and can gain the confidence of the Sri Lankan people will be appointed this week.The President also said that after appointing the new Prime Minister, and Government a constitutional amendment will be moved to enact the content of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which will vest more powers with the Parliament.” The new government’s Prime Minister will be awarded the opportunity to produce a new program and take this country forward,” said the President.Commenting on the calls to abolish the Presidency, Rajapaksa said that the new government, after establishing stability in the country, will be allowed to discuss the matter with all parties and adopt the necessary measures.“At this time while protecting the people and property, and without allowing the country to fall, I request your support to continuously maintain the state mechanism to provide what is necessary for the day to day lives of the people,” said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.Speaking on the violence that took place in the nation earlier this week, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa vehemently condemned the root cause of the violence and said that the Inspector General of Police has been instructed to conduct investigations.“The murders, assaults, acts of intimidation, destruction of property, and the series of heinous acts that followed cannot be justified at all,” said the President.“From the moment these events took place, the Defence Secretary, Commanders of the Armed Forces, The Head of Intelligence, as well as the Security Council was convened and measures were taken to bring calm to the country,” he said,

COLOMBO (News 1st); TNA Parliamentarian M. A.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appealed and urged people to remain calm and stop violence and acts of revenge against citizens, irrespective of political affiliations.In a tweet, he stated that all efforts will be made to restore political stability through consensus, within constitutional mandate and to resolve economic crisis.I appeal and urge people to remain calm & stop violence & acts of revenge against citizens, irrespective of political affiliations.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Health Minister Professor Channa Jayasumana resigned on Monday (9) after violent scenes were witnessed in Colombo, especially near the two main peaceful protest sites against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.A normal Monday morning turned in to a scene of chaos, after pro-government supporters attacked the MynaGoGama protest site near Temple Trees following a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, where he announced he is willing to make any sacrifice for the people.The meeting at Temple Trees was organized by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Local Government Members Forum and saw hundreds in attendance.Following this meeting, the pro-government supporters attacked the MynaGoGama protest site near Temple Trees and dismantled the camp.Thereafter, they moved to the main protest site in Galle Face known as GotaGoGama and destroyed several tents and assaulted peaceful protestors.Sri Lanka Police, the Riot Police, Sri Lanka Army and other law enforcement agencies were called in to control the situation and Sri Lanka Police eventually imposed an island wide curfew to control the unrest.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has extended the nation-wide curfew to 7 AM on Wednesday (11) with immediate effect,  by virtue of the powers vested under section 16 of the Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40). 

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa sent his letter of resignation to the President on Monday (9) after violent scenes were witnessed in Colombo, especially near the two main peaceful protest sites against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the premier.Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in his letter said that he is stepping down to pave way for the All-Party Interim Government to be formed.A normal Monday morning turned in to a scene of chaos, after pro-government supporters attacked the MynaGoGama protest site near Temple Trees following a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, where he announced he is willing to make any sacrifice for the people.The meeting at Temple Trees was organized by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Local Government Members Forum and saw hundreds in attendance.Following this meeting, the pro-government supporters attacked the MynaGoGama protest site near Temple Trees and dismantled the camp.Thereafter, they moved to the main protest site in Galle Face known as GotaGoGama and destroyed several tents and assaulted peaceful protestors.Sri Lanka Police, the Riot Police, Sri Lanka Army and other law enforcement agencies were called in to control the situation and Sri Lanka Police eventually imposed an island wide curfew to control the unrest.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has told the Bar Association of Sri Lanka that he would consider acting as per the constitution on the BASL proposals to retore political and econmic stability in the country.The President’s Media Division said this was announced during a meeting between the President and the Executive Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka on Sunday (8).The Bar Association of Sri Lanka also issued a statement on the meeting. 

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan protestors opposite the Parliament complex have placed undergarments on the barricades that were set up by Sri Lanka Police to prevent them from moving forward.A large number of underwear were seen placed on the yellow barricades and also the GI pipe barricades set up by Sri Lankan authorities.The world’s most creative people’s protests continued in Sri Lanka, with student protestors tear-gassed and chased away by police, stayed on and within hours, set us a township they called ‘Horu-Go-Gama’.Sri Lankans led by the Inter-University Students Federation, commonly known as Anthare’, set up a protest camp along the road leading to the parliament, and this camp is now known as ‘HoruGoGama’.This protest camp is the latest site set up against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and their government.The protestors are demanding that the President, Prime Minister, and their government resign immediately and that the Rajapaksa family return the money they looted from the people over the years.They blame the government for the mismanagement of the economy, which has sent prices of goods skyrocketing and the country’s reserves plummeting to levels reaching a record low.The Inter-University Students Federation, the largest student body in Sri Lanka marched from the University of Sri Jayawardenapura to the Parliament Road on Thursday (5) evening and was confronted by a large police force that fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.However, as word spread of the tear gas attack, more youth joined with the IUSF and decided to occupy the road leading to Parliament and voice their protest.However, all roads leading to Parliament were already closed by Police using GI Pipes and

COLOMBO (News 1st); The world’s most creative people’s protests continued in Sri Lanka today, with student protestors tear-gassed and chased away by police, stayed on and within hours, set us a township they called ‘Horu-Go-Gama’.Sri Lankans led by the Inter-University Students Federation, commonly known as Anthare’, set up a protest camp along the road leading to the parliament, and this camp is now known as ‘HoruGoGama’.This protest camp is the latest site set up against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and their government.The protestors are demanding that the President, Prime Minister, and their government resign immediately and that the Rajapaksa family return the money they looted from the people over the years.They blame the government for the mismanagement of the economy, which has sent prices of goods skyrocketing and the country’s reserves plummeting to levels reaching a record low.The Inter-University Students Federation, the largest student body in Sri Lanka marched from the University of Sri Jayawardenapura to the Parliament Road on Thursday (5) evening and was confronted by a large police force that fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.However, as word spread of the tear gas attack, more youth joined with the IUSF and decided to occupy the road leading to Parliament and voice their protest.However, all roads leading to Parliament were already closed by Police using GI Pipes and Barricades.According to News 1st’s Vindana Prasad Karunarantne who has been covering these protests since day one, the HoruGoGama protest camp received a large number of water bottles and food packs within hours of the Tear Gas attack by police, as more Sri Lankans extended their support to the IUSF.The

COLOMBO (News 1st); Private bus operators in Sri Lanka have decided to step away from operating buses with effect from midnight on Thursday (5).Speaking to News 1st the Chairman of All Ceylon Bus Owners Association Anjana Priyanjith said that an island-wide bus strike will be in effect from today (5) midnight to Friday (6) midnight as a mark of support to the Sri Lankans who are engaging in protests.At the same time, Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association has decided to step away from operating buses with effect from midnight today (5), said Gemunu Wijeratne, the Chairman of the association.Due to the Hartal to be held on Friday (6), island-wide private bus owners have decided to support the protest against the present Government led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Parliamentarian Jayantha Samaraweera said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had positively responded to the proposals put forward for the creation of a All-Party Government which will be named as the “National Consensus Government”.He said as per the proposal the leaders of the political parties that agree to form the “National Consensus Government” would establish a National Council, and National Council would name the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers of the “National Consensus Government”.He made these comments following a meeting between the President and the leaders of political parties that decided to remain independent from the government.“The National Council would decide on the number of ministers required to build back the nation and public trust, and the National Council would also decide on the secretaries that will be appointed,” he told reporters.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has extended an invitation to all political parties represented in Parliament to form an All-Party Government.A statement from the President’s Media Division noted that the President extended the invitation during a meeting with leaders and representatives of political parties that represented the government after the 2020 General Elections but have now decided to remain independent.It noted that attention was drawn towards the establishment of a National Council comprising the leaders of political parties represented in Parliament as the first step towards preparing a National Consensus Government to carry forward the government process.The President had noted that if all political parties reach common ground on the proposals put forward by the political party representatives at this meeting, he would agree to such a proposal.

COLOMBO (News 1st); 96.2% of Sri Lankans believe that all politicians should be audited and all their unaccounted wealth should be confiscated by the state, a recent poll has found.According to this poll by the Center for Policy Alternatives, nine out of ten Sri Lankans hold the opinion that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa should resign, and that the Rajapaksa family should leave Sri Lankan politics, with 87% supporting the demand that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa should also resign.Nearly 75% believe the Executive Presidency should be abolished with more than half the country (55%) wanting all 225 MPs to resign.The poll also shows that 88% of Sri Lankans have either been a queue or had a family member stand in queues for essential items such as gas, fuel, milk powder, and fertilizer over the past one month.According to the Confidence in Democratic Governance Index prepared by the Center for Policy Alternatives 90% of Sri Lankans have had their income or their family’s income affected as a result of the current economic crisis, with 58% believing that the return of the nations economy to normalcy will take a long time.Only 2% of those polled believed Sri Lanka’s economic woes could be attributed to the current world economic situation, with 90% attributing the crisis to political reasons.The Index (Wave 2) was carried out using a semi-structured questionnaire with 1200 sample respondents from the four main ethnic communities.The sample distribution captured men and women from both urban and rural localities in all districts, said the CPA.A multi-staged random stratified sampling technique was used to select the sample locations, and therespondents were selected using the snowball sampling technique within sample

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former President Maithripala Sirisena, who is also the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has consented to form an Interim-Government.“If all the political parties represented in Parliament agree to form an Interim Government, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has decided to form an Interim Government,” said Sirisena speaking to reporters in Colombo.Noting that it could be termed as an All-Party Government or an Interim Government, Sirisena said that this Interim Government would be the first step toward calling for elections.“We do not have an issue with regard to the leadership of the Interim Government. We need to take up the responsibility on behalf of the people to solve the crises in the country,” he added.Sirisena said letters extending an invitation to form the Interim Government will be delivered in the coming days to the respective parties.“The President consented to form an Interim Cabinet of Ministers led by a new Prime Minister,” said the SLFP Chairman, adding that the Interim Cabinet of Ministers would be limited to 15 or 20 Ministers to execute the necessary responsibilities.Further, the President had agreed to establish a National Council, a proposal by the SLFP, that will decide on appointing the Prime Minister, Cabinet of Ministers, Inspector General of Police, Attorney General, and even the Ministry Secretaries.Maithripala Sirisena said that the National Council would advise the President and the Cabinet of Ministers, on how to function..

COLOMBO (News 1st); President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will chair a meeting with the leaders of political parties in the coalition government, and the leaders of political parties that decided to remain independent from the government, at 10:30 AM on Friday (29).The meeting will take place at the invitation of President Rajapaksa to form an Interim Government.The Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the Group of 10 parties, SLPP MPs who decided to remain independent have decided to attend this meeting.The President in a letter addressed to the leaders of political parties affiliated with the government called for a meeting to discuss on an All-Party Government that can be formed after the Prime Minister and Cabinet resigns.The structure of the Interim Government, its duration, and responsibilities are expected to be discussed at the meeting.Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has agreed in principle to form an all-party government that will include all the political parties represented in Parliament as a solution to face the crisis currently experienced in Sri Lanka.In a letter, the President had noted that he had taken into consideration the requests made by the Mahanayake’s of the Three Sects, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Religious Leaders, as well as those from political parties, and civil organizations.It was reported that the meeting between the President and the Parliamentarians from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna on decision that need to be reached to overcome the present crisis, had ended in an impasse.