Cabinet approves President’s relief measures

Matt Hancock told aides he wanted to “frighten the pants off everyone” about the Kent variant of Covid to ensure compliance with lockdown rules, leaked messages have revealed. The latest set of WhatsApp exchanges show the then-health secretary and others discussing how to use an announcement about the variant to scare the public into changing their behaviour. The messages, among 100,000 passed to the Telegraph by journalist Isabel Oakeshott, show cabinet secretary Simon Case suggested in January 2021 that the “fear” factor would be “vital”.

FRENCHTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - State police are at an abandoned school in Monroe County where a dead body was discovered.Sources told FOX 2 that a female body was discovered tied up and wrapped in a tarp.

NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA - After 53 years, Nick’s Roast Beef on Cottman is closing permanently in Northeast Philadelphia.Most people know it as the ideal spot for a roast beef sandwich, but for Peter Kurtz, it’s a second home."It started out at as a little bar, I started out as a bartender there when I was 19-years-old," he says.Kurtz bartended at its first location a few doors down and stuck around as a frequent customer for decades to follow. 52 years later, he says he wouldn’t miss the last hoorah."I could’ve gone to other places, I live right down the street, but this is, I keep calling it my bar," says Kurtz.

STRAWBERRY MANSION - Asbestos discovered at a Philadelphia school and students and staff at one Philly school won’t be going back to their building. But, they are not happy with the back-up plan.Fireworks flew at Strawberry Mansion High School Sunday.

CAMDEN, N.J. - Celebrations in honor of the American Red Cross and its volunteers, donors and partners are happening all throughout the month of March.This is now the 80th annual celebration for the humanitarian nonprofit that was founded back in 1881 by Clara Barton.On Sunday, the New Jersey Region held a kickoff event aboard the Battleship New Jersey in Camden.Distinguished speakers included Captain Warren Judge of the Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen and Camden County Commissioner Melinda Kane."We are first on the ground when there’s a major disaster. Our volunteers mobilize, whether it’s a house fire here in New Jersey or a flood or hurricane anywhere in the country. We scale up, we go, we help people in need," said Regional CEO Rosie Taravella of the American Red Cross of NJ.

mental health problems are linked to higher rates of high blood pressure, metabolic disease, and heart disease. The study found that depression symptoms were significant among all patients, whether they were infected with COVID-19 or not.

BUSTLETON - A 75-year-old man died after he was struck by a car in Bustleton.The incident occurred Sunday night around 7 p.m. on the 1700 block of Grant Avenue.The victim was hit by a vehicle.

SELMA, Ala. (AP) - President Joe Biden used the searing memories of Selma's "Bloody Sunday" to recommit to a cornerstone of democracy, lionizing a seminal moment from the civil rights movement at a time when he has been unable to push enhanced voting protections through Congress and a conservative Supreme Court has undermined a landmark voting law."Selma is a reckoning.

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, from American Airlines company, taking off from Barcelona airport, in Barcelona on 24th February 2023. (Photo by JanValls/Urbanandsport /NurPhoto via Getty Images) A college student was arrested Saturday for allegedly urinating on a fellow passenger while intoxicated during an American Airlines flight from New York to India, according to reports. Indian News Agency ANI reported that the urinating passenger is a 21-year-old college student in the U.S.

Also Read: UK health minister Matt Hancock resigns after breaking Covid rules with affair in office Throughout the pandemic, the UK government has been accused of scaremongering, but it has denied such allegations. Hancock's department stated that the accusations were "misleading". The WhatsApp conversation between Hancock and his media adviser, Damon Poole, took place on 13 December 2020, two days after the emergence of the new variant, known as alpha or the Kent variant.

(FOX 9)A suspected burglar who allegedly broke into an El Paso, Texas, home in broad daylight and shot a dog was sent running when one resident pulled out his own handgun and returned fire.Bruce Wayne Murphy, 29, is accused of breaking into a Northeast El Paso home just before 9 a.m. March 1.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 20: (L-R) Dawn Dickson, Mona Scott-Young, Wendy Diamond, Judy Heumann, Mitzi Perdue, Nadja Swarovski and Coco Rocha attend the 2022 Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization Summit at United Nations on May 20, 2022 in New Yor Judy Heumann, a renowned activist who helped secure legislation protecting the rights of disabled people, has died at age 75.News of her death Saturday in Washington, D.C., was posted on her website and social media accounts and confirmed by her youngest brother, Rick Heumann.He said she had been in the hospital a week and had heart issues that may have been the result of something known as post-polio syndrome, related to a childhood infection that was so severe that she spent several months in an iron lung and lost her ability to walk at age 2.She spent the rest of her life fighting, first to get access for herself and then for others, her brother recalled.Javeno McLean talks with FOX Television Stations about why it's important to give back."It wasn’t about glory for my sister or anything like that at all. It was always about how could she make things better for other people," he said, adding that the family drew solace from the tributes that poured in on Twitter from dignitaries and past presidents like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.RELATED: Study: NFL players who experience concussions may exhibit cognitive failure later in lifeHeumann has been called the "mother of the disability rights movement" for her longtime advocacy on behalf of disabled people through protests and legal action, her website says.She lobbied for legislation that eventually led to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Rehabilitation Act.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) - Authorities in Ohio say there is no indication of any risk to public health from the derailment of a Norfolk Southern cargo train between Dayton and Columbus, the second derailment of a company train in the state in a month.Norfolk Southern and Clark County officials say 28 of the southbound train’s 212 cars, including four empty tankers, derailed at about 4:45 p.m. Saturday in Springfield Township near a business park and the county fairgrounds.

A Southwest Airlines passenger jet lands at Chicago Midway International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, on December 28, 2022. (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images) HAVANA, Cuba - A Florida-bound Southwest flight returned to Cuba Sunday after birds struck the aircraft which led to smoke filling the cabin. The airline said the incident happened onboard Southwest flight #3923 leaving Havana, Cuba, for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the morning. Shortly after takeoff, the pilots reported multiple bird strikes to an engine and the aircraft’s nose.The plane returned to Cuba where passengers were evacuated via the slides because smoke filled the cabin.RELATED: NTSB investigating after jet passenger dies during severe turbulence over New EnglandThe crew and passengers were bussed to the terminal and will be placed on another flight, the company told FOX Television Stations. "We commend the swift, professional actions of our Pilots and Flight Attendants in responding to this event," the airline said in a statement.

A traveler passing through Norfolk International Airport in Virginia put their cat through the TSA checkpoint X-ray machine last Friday. (TSA) Norfolk, Virginia, Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, agents were in for a surprise last week after a passenger put their pet cat through the checkpoint X-ray machine.TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein posted about the incident on Twitter on Friday."Just when you thought it was safe to bring your pet on a trip…A traveler left their pet in its travel carrying case at a @TSA checkpoint this morning at @NorfolkAirport," Farbstein tweeted.

MONEE, Illinois - When people heard that someone had abandoned a dog outside a Burger King in suburban Chicago with a note reading "Him I'm King, I'm a good Boy, Love to Hug & Kiss," there was some outrage over the dog's situation.After all, who would dump their dog?But, Monee Police and the South Suburban Humane Society (SSHS) now say King's story is a sadder and more complicated story about how much people struggle to take care of their pets. They are trying to help the owner out, so they can be reunited."[H]is pet parent came to the shelter to tell us what had happened.

PARIS - Robots took the runway last week during Coperni’s Fashion Week show in Paris on Friday. Boston Dynamics said its robots accompanied the models during the show. According to Storyful, the show was a reinterpretation of Jean de la Fontaine’s "The Wolf and the Lamb," using Boston Dynamics’s robot Spot.The show presented Coperni’s vision that "there is neither a dominant nor a dominated, but that mankind and machine live in harmony."RELATED: Man credited with inventing cellphone sees dark side, but also hope in new techLocal news reports said having a robot take part in the show was history "in which robots, rather than models, were the star turn."Footage released by Storyful showed Spot robots and models both engaging with each other during the show. "Spot is an agile, mobile robot that climbs stairs and traverses rough terrain with unprecedented ease. When Spot is not performing in fashion shows, the robot supports remote inspections and autonomous sensing in a variety of environments," a statement read."Spot robots perform many diverse tasks, from collecting equipment data in industrial facilities to creating digital twins on construction sites to helping first responders safely assess potentially hazardous situations."Storyful contributed to this report.

NEWARK, Del. - A single-vehicle accident on I-95 in Newark claimed the life of a 30-year-old woman, while two other people were injured.Delaware State Police officials said the accident happened Saturday night, just before 10:30, on northbound I-95 in Newark, just south of the service plaza.A white SUV, driven by a 24-year-old man, left the highway on the right shoulder and overturned, according to authorities.The driver was taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.Two women were also in the vehicle when it crashed. A 23-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries and a 30-year-old female passenger was transported to a local hospital where she died from her injuries.I-95 was shutdown after the accident and it took DSP troopers about two hours to investigate and clear the highway.An investigation into the accident is ongoing.

Kyle Busch, who won at Fontana last week to earn his first victory for Richard Childress Racing, returns home to Las Vegas as the favorite to win the Pennzoil 400.  Busch's 61 career victories are the most among active drivers. But he’ll face tough competition from Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, and others competing on the 1.5-mile track.Hamlin has the longest active streak of top-10 finishes on 1.5-mile tracks at six.  Larson has finished in the top 10 in eight of his last 10 starts at Las Vegas, and Chastain finished in the top three in both Las Vegas races in 2022, Nascar.com noted. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A Bombardier Challenger 300 XOJet charter passenger jet heads out to the runway at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport in this aerial photo taken on June 1, 2021, in Santa Rosa, California.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he is not “ruling out” making a public inquiry into foreign interference a condition for continuing the governance deal with the federal Liberals, but says that is not a decision he is making just yet.

Nile Wilson and Olivia Smart have scored the first 40 of this year’s Dancing On Ice.The 27-year-old Olympian skated to In My Blood by Shawn Mendes, which he chose because the lyrics conveyed his mental health journey after retirement from gymnastics. In the video before his performance, Wilson spoke about his feelings of “complete loneliness” after retiring from the sport and turning to drinking, gambling and painkillers – describing himself as being in a “scary place”.

climate change poses a profound, ongoing threat to national security and prosperity, including the possible loss of parts of British Columbia and the Atlantic provinces to rising sea levels.A newly released analysis by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service also foresees an increase in ideologically motivated violent extremism from people who want to speed up climate change solutions and those more interested in preserving their current way of life.

Mexico in the suspected femicide of a woman who has been identified by family members as Kiara Agnew of Dawson Creek, B.C.Agnew was with her boyfriend on what was supposed to be a dream trip to Mexico when her family said the Mayan Riviera vacation turned into a nightmare just days shy of her 24th birthday.“She didn’t want to lose her life at 23,” Agnew’s aunt Katlyn Levesque told Global News from New Brunswick Saturday.“It doesn’t feel like it’s real yet, I don’t want it to be real. I’ve never wanted something to be more false in my entire life.”Policías de la SSPyT de Solidaridad aseguraron a una persona de origen extranjero por el posible delito de feminicidio, tras ser encontrada una mujer sin vida con posibles marcas de violencia en un hotel ubicado en la colonia Xcalacoco.

An old recipe atop a cookbook from 1894 dusted with flour with vintage sifter and measuring cup in background. via Getty Images Old cookbooks could be worth a small fortune.Listings on eBay — a popular multinational auction website — show that some vintage cookbooks have been priced at hundreds or thousands of dollars.The cookbook that’s currently commanding the highest price on eBay is a 142-page spiral cookbook that’s entitled, "Arizona Cook Book: Indian, Mexican, Western, Arizona Products, Backpacking-Camping, Patio Barbecue," which has been listed for sale at $6,850.20 (original listing price: $9,786).$2 BILLS FROM 1890 COULD BE WORTH OVER $4,500: REPORTThe book was written by Al Fischer and was published in 1983 by Golden West Publishers.Other sellers on eBay and similar e-commerce platforms, such as Amazon and Etsy, have listed the book for under $20.The seller who’s hoping to sell the 40-year-old cookbook on southwestern cuisine has noted that the book is in "very good" condition and doesn’t have any "known wear or writing."Three other cookbooks that have a four-figure price tag on eBay at the time of publication include "The Australian Women’s Weekly: Great Ways with Steaks & Chops" from 1974 ($1,010.85), "Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book" from 1950 ($1,000) and a first-edition "La Methode Jacques Pepin: An Illustrated Guide to The Fundamental Techniques of Cooking" from 1976 ($1,000).Betty Crocker old cookbooks.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police are seeking three more suspects after they arrested one for a carjacking that they say ended in a police pursuit. On Saturday, around 9 p.m., officers from the 6th district responded to the 1200 block of Poplar Street for a carjacking. When responding officers arrived at the scene, they spoke with the victim about the stolen car information and the description for the suspects. When one of the officers went over the radio to inform the district of the car details, another officer observed the stolen car traveling southbound on Broad Street. Authorities say the officer activated his lights and sirens in an attempt to stop the stolen car when the offenders took off at a high rate of speed. MORE HEADLINES The pursuit ended at 700 Chester Pike in Prospect Park after the offenders crashed into a fence, according to police. After the crash, police say four offenders fled from the car, but one suspect was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit.

PHILADELPHIA - Police are investigating a shooting that they say happened when a 6-year-old got ahold of a gun and accidentally shot his motherAround 11 p.m. on Saturday, police responded to a call regarding a person with a gun on the 5600 block of North 7th Street. When officers arrived, they found numerous people inside a residence and blood on the floor in the foyer. Responding officers were informed that the victim was transported to Albert Einstein Medical Center. MORE HEADLINES It was at the hospital where police spoke to the victim who stated her 6-year-old son found a firearm outside their home on North 7th Street.Authorities say the victim took the firearm and gave it to her husband in an effort to clear the weapon.

New Delhi: Many of India’s wealthiest people are leaving their private bubbles to join commoners on commercial flights, as the pandemic fades and airlines get back into rhythm. These wealthy flyers had retreated to business jets during the pandemic to minimize the risk of catching the virus. According to industry data, a passenger on a regular commercial flight risks infection from at least 280 contact points compared with just 40 when flying on private jets.

All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health was created in 1932 to be one of the three premier institutions globally like the John Hopkins and Tropical School of Medicines in the US. New Delhi: The government plans to revive the Kolkata-based All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health (AIIHPH), transforming it into a world-class ‘School of Public Health’ and regain space ceded to private think tanks such as Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) in public policy discourse, said two officials aware of the developments.

SOMERS POINT, N.J. - Somers Point Police have launched an investigation after they say a woman died on Saturday morning. Shortly after 7 a.m., police were dispatched to the 600 block of 3rd Street for reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located a woman who had been shot inside a residence. Authorities say the victim was pronounced dead on scene. Officials with the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office say there is no threat to the public, and they are asking anyone with information to contact them as they investigate the shooting. 

LOS ANGELES - A high-speed bullet train connecting Southern California to Las Vegas is one step closer to reality after a landmark deal was inked with several craft rail unions that will enable construction for the historic project to begin this year. Brightline, which is reportedly the only private rail company in the U.S., is on track to connect Las Vegas to Los Angeles with a new 218-mile rail system linking stations at the Las Vegas Strip, Apple Valley, Hesperia, and Rancho Cucamonga within the I-15 right-of-way with trains capable of speeds of 200 mph.The company recently announced the memorandum with the High Speed Rail Labor Coalition, which includes 13 rail unions representing more than 160,000 freight, regional, commuter and passenger railroad workers.Construction on a highly anticipated bullet train from LA to Las Vegas is slated to begin later this yearPREVIOUS COVERAGE: US infrastructure plan spurs talk of Vegas-LA rail service"The MOU demonstrates the support of union labor in the development of the Brightline West system and Brightline West’s commitment to providing the safest possible rail operations and high-quality working conditions for its employees," the company said in a statement.The Brightline train is seen at the new MiamiCentral terminal during the inaugural trip from Miami to West Palm Beach on May 11, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) According to Brightline, the expected travel time between Las Vegas and Los Angeles is approximately 2.5 hours.

Tesla Model Y electric vehicles in a lot at the Tesla Inc. Gigafactory in Gruenheide, Germany, on Saturday, Jan.

Marianne Williamson speaks as she endorses Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) during a campaign rally at Vic Mathias Shores Park on February 23, 2020 in Austin, Texas.

Former Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD) appears on Meet the Press in Washington, D.C. Sunday, Feb.

PHILADELPHIA - Police are investigating several shootings from Saturday night to early Sunday morning that left five people dead, including a 14-year-old boy. An early-morning shooting on Sunday left a man dead, marking the fifth person to be killed in Philadelphia since Saturday night.Shortly before 5 a.m., police responded to the 2500 block of North Franklin Street for reports of a shooting. When officers arrived, they say they located a man who had been shot at least eight times. Medics transported the victim to Temple University Hospital where authorities say he was pronounced dead just after 7 a.m. This shooting came hours after a violent Saturday night left four others dead. The weekend gun violence began around 8:30 p.m.

Bakhmut, as residents attempted to flee with help from troops who Western analysts say may be preparing to withdraw from the key eastern stronghold. Read more: Canada’s defence chief makes first trip to Ukraine since Russian invasion A woman was killed and two men were badly wounded by shelling while trying to cross a makeshift bridge out of the city in Donetsk province, according to Ukrainian troops who were assisting them.A Ukrainian army representative who asked not to be named for operational reasons told The Associated Press that it was now too dangerous for civilians to leave Bakhmut by vehicle and that people had to flee on foot instead.Bakhmut has for months been a prime target of Moscow’s grinding eastern offensive in the war, with Russian troops, including forces from the private Wagner Group, inching ever closer.An AP team near Bakhmut on Saturday saw a pontoon bridge set up by Ukrainian soldiers to help the few remaining residents reach the nearby village of Khromove.

OVERBROOK - A 14-year-old boy died after someone shot him in the chest in Overbrook.19th District officers were called to the 6000 block of Haddington Lane, in Philadelphia’s Overbrook section Saturday night, around 8:30, on the report of a shooting, according to authorities.When they got on scene, they found a 14-year-old boy on the street suffering with two gunshot wounds to the chest.Police rushed him to Lankenau Medical Center where the boy died from his injuries.Police say an active investigation is unfolding. There are no details regarding any suspects.

H3N2. The medical body said that the H3N2 has been in wide circulation for the past two-three months and is more fatal than other viruses. According to Dr Arjun Dang, CEO, Dr Dangs Lab, H3N2 Influenza cases are being reported more in comparison to H1N1.

Canada’s defence chief has concluded his first trip to Ukraine since the Russian invasion started more than a year ago.

KENSINGTON - A youth program in Kensington is working to get young people off the street and on the ice, by making a popular winter sport more accessible to everyone.Scanlon Figure Skating is giving kids a safe and affordable option to hit the rink. Skaters there are more than friends – they’ve become family."Honestly, if I didn’t have this sport, I have no idea where I’d be today," skating coach Channely Valverde said.Valverde learned to skate at the Scanlon Rec Center when she was just 6-years old.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - About 20 cars of a Norfolk Southern cargo train derailed near Springfield Saturday evening, the second derailment of the company's trains in Ohio in a month, officials said. But unlike the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, a company spokesperson said there were no hazardous materials aboard the train, The Columbus Dispatch reported.The CEO of the railroad company behind the toxic derailment in Ohio will face lawmakers next week in both Pennsylvania and DC.The train, which did not have passengers, derailed around 5 p.m.

CENTER CITY - After it was held outdoors the last two years, the 2023 Philadelphia Flower Show is back inside the Convention Center. The 9-day event kicked off Saturday, welcoming guests into an immersive and colorful world of landscape and floral design."How can you not get one of these when you’re at the Philadelphia Flower Show"It’s the electric feeling you get when you receive something or give something in a beautiful way, like flowers," Director of Experience and Engagement for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Rebecca Schuchart, stated.Appropriately named Florastruck, the elaborate design is captivating with eyes wandering from one arrangement to the next."So, that’s the joy that we wanted to create and portray through the show this year, that electric feeling you get when you see all this beauty around you," Schuchart explained.The Philadelphia Flower Show is the largest and oldest one in the country and has been for nearly 200 years.The Philadelphia Flower Show kicked off Saturday, welcoming guests into an immersive and colorful world of landscape and floral design."Every single year, since I was about 10," Amy Jachimski said.Jachimski, from Ocean City, Maryland, is at the show with her daughter, mother and their flower crowns.

During a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat on February 16th, President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that an International Monetary Fund (IMF) EFF loan is expected to be received in March. The President also mentioned that the possibility of reducing bank interest rates is being considered in line with the gradual drop of inflation rate.The discussion was aimed at identifying the issues faced by small and large-scale rice mill owners and finding solutions to resolve them. The rice mill owners brought up the fact that the production cost of a kilogram of rice has increased due to various factors, including the rise in fuel prices, electricity charges, machinery maintenance costs, transportation costs, and all other production and administrative expenses.They noted that they would incur losses by selling their product at the current market price as it is lower than the production cost.The rice mill owners also pointed out the difficulty of paying a high interest rate of 28% on bank loans taken to purchase paddy. It was mentioned that the production cost of a kilogram of paddy has increased due to the rapid increase in prices of the agricultural inputs for paddy cultivation.

The historic Temple of the Tooth Relic in the city of Kandy will host a Janaraja Perahara on February 19th, after 34 years.The procession has been organized to coincide with the 75th Independence Celebration, and it will be inaugurated under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.According to the Coordinating Officer and the Cultural Officer of the Temple of the Tooth Relic, the procession will begin from the Magul Maduwa premises at 6.30 pm on February 19th. It will parade along the Dalada Street, Yatinuvara Street, Kanda Street, Raja Street, and return to the temple, marking the end of the event.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has directed Power & Energy Minister & relevant officials to ensure uninterrupted power supply is made available for electricity customers once the PUCSL tariff revision is implemented.The President's Media Division also said that the President gave directives to provide concessions for low-income families and provide solar rooftop systems for religious places & government educational institutions when the new tariff revision comes into effect.The Ministry of Power and Energy said that power outages will not be imposed from Thursday (16), as the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka granted approval to the 66% electricity tariff hike.A source from the Ministry of Power and Energy speaking to News 1st said that a decision will be reached in the future with regard to those who are unable to settle their electricity bills.The Public Utilities Commission has approved a 66 percent hike in electricity tariffs with effect from Wednesday (15).It was with the agreement of the three members of the PUCSL except the Chairman of the Commission Janaka RatnayakeIn order to generate an additional income of Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the government will not give into the demands of protestors.He noted that just, because certain groups strike demanding the removal of certain officials, the government will not remove anyone arbitrarily as there is a procedure that has to be followed and the government will follow the rules and act accordingly.He was addressing the launch of the Centre for Governance and Public Policy (C-GaPP) at the Sri Lanka Technological Campus (SLTC) Research University at the Trace City in Colombo on Wednesday (15).He said that the responsibility to address such issues rests to a large extent with the Universities. The President noted that even at the point of the new Centre for Governance and Public Policy (C-GaPP) being inaugurated at the Sri Lanka Technological Campus (SLTC) Research University, two strikes were in progress. One was staged at the Ruhuna University demanding the removal of the Vice Chancellor and another one demanded the removal of the General Manager of a state Corporation.President Wickremesinghe further stated that the removal of the General Manager is a matter of the government. “Just, because there is a strike we will not remove him.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The National Election Commission has informed the Political Party Secretaries that it will not be able to direct the ballot papers for Postal Voting tomorrow (15), as previously planned. This was revealed by the Secretaries of the Political Parties who met with the National Election Commission on Tuesday (14) morning.Earlier, Chairman of the National Election Commission Attorney Nimal Punchihewa speaking to News 1st said that the current state of affairs surrounding the election will be discussed at the meeting. Election Monitors were also summoned for this meeting.The Secretaries of the Political Parties  revealed that the National Election Commission is yet to decide on whether or not the Local Government Election will be held on the 9th of March 2023. They also noted that the National Election Commission is likely to face an issue concerning the Ballot Papers required for postal voting.Palitha Range Bandara, the General Secretary for the United National Party told reporters that the UNP has never called for a delay in elections."How can one even ask for funds from President Ranil Wickremesinghe, after he took over a country that was literally bankrupt," he told the media while leaving the National Election Commission premises.He said that based on the meeting with the NEC it is likely the election would be delayed."If the government says it does not have the funds, if the Government Printer says it cannot print the ballot papers without payment, it is the National Election Commission that needs to decide on the matter," he added.Ranjith Madduma Bandara, the General Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya told reporters that the National Election Commission had given an undertaking to go ahead with

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka has announced a certified price for paddy purchasing during the Maha Cultivation Season.Agriculture Secretary Gunadasa Amarasekera speaking to News 1st said that the Finance Ministry has issued the relevant circular for this purpose.Accordingly, a kilogram of paddy with moisture will be purchased for Rs. 88/- and a kilogram of dry paddy will be purchased for Rs.