Local Government Election 2023 postponed – NEC

COLOMBO (News 1st); An individual who was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital following the protest staged by the Jathika Jana Balavegaya in Colombo on Sunday (27) has died.General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva speaking to reporters in Colombo on Monday (27) said a peaceful protest by the JJB was attacked, and as a result of an attack around 28 people were hospitalized due to injuries. "Two people were in critical condition.

SOCIETY HILL - On the final weekend of Black History Month, Philadelphia leaders welcomed Dr. Bernice King for a forum at the historic Mother Bethel A.M.E Church.Morgan Lloyd, with the African American Museum in Philadelphia, said the hope is people will take away a feeling of community and empowerment."Black History Month is a continual thing," said Lloyd. "We’re here at this historical institution that was one of the foundations for our Black abolitionists and a huge community here in the city.

Colombo (News1st) – The Freedom People's Alliance staged a protest at the Welekade junction in Badulla on Sunday (26) demanding that elections be held. Parliamentarians representing the Freedom People's Alliance including Prof. G.L.

southern Italy at dawn Sunday, the Italian Coast Guard said."As of now, 80 persons were recovered alive — some of whom succeeded in reaching the shore after the shipwreck — and 43 bodies were found along the shore," the Coast Guard statement said shortly before noon.Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said that the migrants were crowded into a 20-meter (66-foot) -long boat in "adverse weather conditions." In a statement released by her office, she expressed "her deep sorrow for the many human lives torn away by human traffickers.""It's inhumane to exchange the live of men, women and children for the ‘price’ of a ticket paid by them in the false prospect for a safe voyage," said Meloni, a far-right-wing leader whose governing allies includes the anti-migrant League party.She vowed to use her leadership to press for crackdowns on departures arranged by human smugglers and to press fellow European Union leaders to help Italy in her quest.A chunk of the boat, along with piles of splintered wood, littered the beach at Steccato di Cutro, part of Calabria's coastline along the Ionian sea. Some of the survivors tried to keep warm, wrapped in what appeared to be colorful blankets or sheets.Credit: Italian Red Cross via Storyful A helicopter and motorboats were deployed in search efforts, including vessels from state firefighters, border police and the coast guard.A Coast Guard motorboat rescued two men suffering from hypothermia and recovered the body of a boy in the rough seas, it said in a statement.

A hotel chain operated by the businessman bidding to buy Manchester United FC netted £3.1million in public Covid-19 grants - despite him being worth billions, it's been revealed.

Colombo (News1st) – 28 people have been hospitalised following the protest march organised by the Jathika Jana Balavegaya in Colombo on Sunday (26).Police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protest march which commenced at the Vihara Maha Devi Park in Colombo.The injured have been admitted to the National Hospital for treatment.The protest was held citing several concerns including delays in conducting the Local Government Election.Earlier in the day, the Fort Magistrate Court issued an order preventing a group of 26 including Leader of the Jathika Jana Balavegaya Anura Kumara Dissanayaka from entering areas around the President's Office, President House and Galle Face from 01 pm – 08 pm on Sunday (26).This was in reponse to a request made by the Fort, Kompannavidiya and Colpetty Police.The Police had made the request taking into consideration the inconvenience to the public owing to the JJB protest to be held in Colombo on Sunday (26) afternoon.Similarly, the Maligakanda Magistrate Court issued an order preventing a group including Leader of the Jathika Jana Balavegaya Anura Kumara Dissanayaka from protesting or marching around the Colombo Hospital Square.This was in response to a request made by the Maradana Police OIC.The Maradana Police had made the request considering the possible inconvenience to patients and people visiting the hospitals including the National Hospital and Eye Hospital.According to the court order, the protesters were prevented from marching from the Lipton Roundabout to Deans Road, as well as blocking the road and pavement leading upto the Seamans Road Junction.The court order applies to 26 including JJB Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, Tilvin Silva, Vijitha Herath, Nalinda

Canada needs a public inquiry into allegations of Chinese election interference, Canada former spymaster says.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Fort Magistrate Court has issued an order preventing a group of 26 including Leader of the Jathika Jana Balavegaya Anura Kumara Dissanayaka from entering areas around the President's Office, President House and Galle Face from 01 pm – 08 pm on Sunday (26).This was in reponse to a request made by the Fort, Kompannavidiya and Colpetty Police.The Police had made the request considering the inconvenience to the public owing to a JJB protest to be held in Colombo on Sunday (26) afternoon. The protest will be held citing several issues including the rise in electricity tariffs, unjust tax regime and delay in the local government election. 

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A Detroit rapper's role in a $27 million tax fraud scheme landed her a prison sentence.Sameerah Marrell, also known as Sameerah Anderson, Sameerah Pickett, Crème, and Loren Boyd, was sentenced to 4 ½ years in prison and three years of supervised release. The 42-year-old must also pay the remaining restitution – $7,979,041.71.According to federal authorities, Marrell had successfully stolen $8.5 million, and the amount owed in restitution has been reduced by money, cars, and jewelry seized by the federal government and the states from Marrell during the course of this investigation.Between 2014 and April 2022, Marrell worked with others to file 122 false income tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service and Minnesota, Georgia, Maryland, Arizona, Connecticut, and Colorado state treasuries.

Colombo (News1st) – The Chairman of the National Election Commission (NEC) Nimal Punchihewa stated that he has written a letter to the Speaker of Parliament seeking his intervention to secure funds for the 2023 Local Government Election.The Chairman said the letter was dispatched to the Speaker on Friday (24).The NEC announced on Friday (24) that the Local Government Election, which was due to be held on the 9th of March, had been postponed."The election was postponed due to reasons beyond the commission's control," the NEC said.The new date is to be announced on the 3rd of March."A request has been made to the Speaker to intervene to obtain funds from the Treasury, which are necessary to conduct the election," the commission added on Friday.

The objective of the two-day Chintan Shivir is to review processes and implementation of policies and programmes related to drugs quality and enforcement in the country. The meeting will also recommend ways and means for facilitating ease of doing business by reviewing predictability, transparency and compliance to Indian drug standards, regulatory capacities across states and centre New Delhi: The union health ministry’s two-day “Chintan Shivir" on Drug Quality Regulation and Enforcement commenced on Saturday in Hyderabad to deliberate on unified IT intervention all regulatory activities, effective enforcement at field level, Indian pharmacopeia and adherence to standards, and capacity building of state and national regulators.

Govt is planning to increase the number of beds under ESIC to 28,000 from 19,000, and the number of hospitals to 241 from 160 New Delhi: The government is working to improve medical infrastructure under Employees’ State Insurance Corp (ESIC), and increase the number of beds under the healthcare service to 28,000 from 19,000, and the number of hospitals to 241 from 160, said union minister Bhupender Yadav. The Social Security Code 2020 has been designed in a way to realize the dream of achieving the motto of Ease of Doing & Ease of Living for sustainable and inclusive growth for workers and the nation.

Justin Trudeau’s office, warning them that one of their candidates was part of a Chinese foreign interference network.According to sources, the candidate in question was Han Dong, then a former Ontario MPP whom Canada Security Intelligence Service started tracking in June of that year.National security officials also allege that Dong, now a sitting MP re-elected in 2021, is one of at least 11 Toronto-area riding candidates allegedly supported by Beijing in the 2019 contest. Sources say the service also believes Dong is a witting affiliate in China’s election interference networks.Three sources with knowledge of the investigation said Dong emerged as a successor to MP Geng Tan as the 2019 Liberal candidate in ways the service found suspicious.

HATBORO, Pa. - A viral video of a racist rant by a customer, yelling offensive things directed at the business owner, is posted on TikTok and has been viewed over and over, shared on multiple platforms and it’s sparking outrage."You feel frustrated. It’s something that I was not expecting," said Omar Quinones. He’s the owner of Amy’s Pizzeria in Hatboro.Captured on video, the woman is seen yelling, "You give me my money back! I'm not giving my money to some illegal immigrant."It happened at Amy’s Pizzeria, Thursday night.

JENKINTOWN, Pa. - Friday marks one year since Russia invaded Ukraine, reducing entire cities to rubble and the death toll still unknown. Additionally, more than 8 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their country.

Also Read: Higher heart rate and increased palpitations post covid? Here is what doctors say He further added. "India under the leadership of honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji adopted a 'Whole of Government' and 'Whole of Society' approach in a proactive, preemptive and graded manner, thus adopting a holistic response strategy for effective management of COVID-19."Take a look at how various initiatives of PM @NarendraModi Ji's Govt during COVID-19 helped greatly in saving both lives & livelihoods.According to a @Stanford report, COVID-19 vaccination prevented the loss of ₹1.29 lakh crore in 2021 and saved lakhs of precious lives.

dead whales washing ashore to wind farm development.This winter, 16 whales have washed up dead along the Atlantic coast in places like Assateague Island in Maryland, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Long Island, New York.The standings are part of what the National Marine Fisheries Service, or NMFS, call the Humpback Whale Unusual Mortality Event, which started in 2016.The Marine Mammal Commission said in a statement posted to its website on Tuesday that 40% of the whales were examined at necropsy and showed evidence that a ship struck them, or they got entangled in fishing gear.The commission also said these strandings are nothing new, and they are not isolated to the Atlantic coast.According to the commissioner, at least 10 humpback whales have stranded each year during the UME, though in 2017 the highest number of 34 were recorded stranded.What scientists have found is the number of humpback whales in the Gulf of Maine is increasing, and the younger whales are moving to the Atlantic coast, where they are vulnerable to being struck by ships.Many people, though, say wind farm development is the cause of the whale strandings.READ MORE: Dead whale found on beach at Assateague Island National SeashoreWind farm development and research is taking place up and down the Atlantic coast, in places like Block Island, Rhode Island; Montauk, New York; off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland, and nearly 20 miles offshore Virginia Beach, Virginia.Agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, and U.S.

Ilana D. Weinstein and Thomas H. Lee attend the Lincoln Center's Alternative Investment Industry Gala at David Geffen Hall on November 21, 2022 in New York City.

Two soldiers patrol the area as the first anniversary of the war between Russia and Ukraine nears in Irpin, Ukraine on February 22, 2023. (Ignacio Marin Fernandez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) TAIPEI, Taiwan - One year into Russia's war against Ukraine, China is offering a 12-point proposal to end the fighting.The proposal follows China's recent announcement that it is trying to act as mediator in the war that has re-energized Western alliances viewed by Beijing and Moscow as rivals.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the media during the joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, (not pictured) on February 21, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Roman Pilipey/Getty Images) KYIV, Ukraine - Ukraine’s president pledged to push for victory in 2023 as he and other Ukrainians on Friday marked the somber anniversary of the Russian invasion that he called "the longest day of our lives."As morning broke on a day of commemorations and reflection, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy struck a tone of grim defiance and used the Feb.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said it is the duty of the sitting President to hold the election.However, he noted that if there are no funds with the state, an election cannot be held as well. The Former President said that his party is ready for an election at any given moment.Mahinda Rajapaksa said because he knew he would secure a win, he never delayed a single election during his time as the President.He said the present government is uncertain if it would win or not, thus the election too is uncertain.He said when an election is called for, it is possible to understand the pulse of the people. Commenting on the IMF funds, he said the government should be able to secure the funds.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Election Commission will meet on Friday (23) to reach a final decision on the 2023 Local Government Election due to the lack of financing and support from state agencies.Earlier, the Election Commission decided to conduct the Local Government Election on the 9th of March 2023.However, the Government Printer had refused to deliver the ballot papers owing to a payment issues, and this led to the National Election Commission to postpone the postal voting process that was scheduled for this wekk.The Chairman of the National Election Attorney Nimal Punchihewa said the Local Government Election was called for legally as per the country's constitutions and the election law.He told News 1st on Thursday (23) that all members of the National Election Commission consented to the Local Government Election Process.He said that given that funds were not being provided to continue with the election process, the National Election Commission will meet on Friday (24) to reach a final decision on the Local Government Election 2023. The statement came from the Elections Chief after Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament on Thursday (23) that the country's National Election Commission has not legally called for an election, and there are no funds to conduct an election.Commenting on the debate requested by the opposition on postponing the election, the President said there is no election for one to be postponed.The President said the proposed Parliament Select Committee must be appointed to inquire into the Election Commission and the Local Government Election.In the meantime, the petition filed by Retired Sri Lanka Army Colonel W. M.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke is ending his time on the council after more than a decade of service. According to the City Council, he served as the president for 12 years and announced Thursday that he would not seek re-election. "I'm extremely proud of the collective work of this legislative body so far during my term as its President," he said. "From making the largest single investment in affordable housing and neighborhood preservation in Philadelphia history, to a comprehensive program to begin moving 100,000 Philadelphians out of poverty, to the work we're doing to invest in community-based violence prevention to make Philadelphia safer, City Council has led the way in taking action to make our city a better, cleaner and safer place to live and work." Clarke began serving on the City Council as a Councilmember for the 5th District in 1999.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government has signed health-care agreements in principle with all four Atlantic provinces and Ontario.

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio - Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited East Palestine, Ohio, on Thursday to tour the site where a train wrecked nearly three weeks ago as the government faces growing criticism over the federal response to the derailment.The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report Thursday on the derailment. NTSB officials have scheduled a news conference at 1 p.m.

We note with deep concern the deteriorating situation in the country with regard to governance and the erosion of public confidence in the democratic process. We are all aware that the country was rendered bankrupt due to policy blunders, corruption, waste and mismanagement by those who were entrusted the task of governing the country. The people have now been burdened with very painful economic measures which could have been averted if the right thing was done at the right time.

common respiratory illness that can cause severe breathing problems, could be approved by August. Pfizer, the maker behind the new RSV vaccine candidate referred to as RSVpreF, announced on Tuesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had accepted its application for review and has set an action date of deciding whether to approve or not by August 2023. "If approved, RSVpreF would help protect infants at their first breath from the devastating effects of this infectious disease, which though well-known, has been particularly evident throughout this RSV season," Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Chairman of the National Election Attorney Nimal Punchihewa said the Local Government Election was called for legally as per the country's constitutions and the election law.He told News 1st on Thursday (23) that all members of the National Election Commission consented to the Local Government Election Process.He said that given that funds were not being provided to continue with the election process, the National Election Commission will meet on Friday (24) to reach a final decision on the Local Government Election 2023. The statement came from the Elections Chief after Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament on Thursday (23) that the country's National Election Commission has not legally called for an election, and there are no funds to conduct an election.Commenting on the debate requested by the opposition on postponing the election, the President said there is no election for one to be postponed.The President said the proposed Parliament Select Committee must be appointed to inquire into the Election Commission and the Local Government Election.In the meantime, the petition filed by Retired Sri Lanka Army Colonel W. M.

In a bid to maximize the use of government funds and ensure that resources are utilized efficiently, President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake has issued a directive on the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, requiring officials purchasing airline for official travel abroad to be on Economy Class.This directive will take effect from March 1, 2023, and supersedes all previous circulars and instructions related to this subject.According to the new directive, officials such as the Hon. Chief Justice, Hon.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The petition filed by Retired Sri Lanka Army Colonel W. M.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament on Thursday (23) that the country's National Election Commission has not legally called for an election, and there are no funds to conduct an election.Commenting on the debate requested by the opposition on postponing the election, the President said there is no election for one to be postponed."The Election Commission had gone to court and said that it cannot conduct an election. However, an affidavit was provided. It states that the Commission has been informed by the Secretary of the Treasury that he is unable to provide the necessary funds to conduct the election.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka and Japan singed Exchange Notes for a humanitatrian grant of USD 46 Million.Mahinda Siriwardena, the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, and Mizukoshi Hideaki, the Ambassador of Japan, signed an Exchange of Notes to secure a humanitarian grant of USD 46 million. The purpose of the grant is to provide diesel fuel to public hospitals throughout Sri Lanka. The signing ceremony took place at the President's Office, with President Ranil Wickremesinghe in attendance.Under this agreement, the Government of Japan has committed to supplying 20 million litres of diesel fuel.

WASHINGTON - Proud Boys leaders plotted to violently prevent President Joe Biden from taking office because they were trying to "save the country" from what they feared would be a tyrannical government, a former member of the far-right extremist group told a jury on Wednesday.FILE - Enrique Tarrio (C), leader of the Proud Boys, uses a megaphone while counter-protesting people gathered at the Torch of Friendship to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2021, in Miami, Florida. (Phot Jeremy Bertino, a key government witness in the seditious conspiracy case against former Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio and four associates, said he believed an "all-out revolution" was brewing in the days before a mob of Donald Trump supporters attacked the U.S.

It was just after 5 a.m. ET on Sunday when a group of men allegedly broke into the house where Ali Mian, a 22-year-old resident of Milton, Ont., lives, according to police.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - An independent scientific agency that advises the federal government on policies that could impact marine mammals said there is no evidence linking site preparation work for offshore wind farms with a number of whale deaths along the U.S. East Coast.In a statement released Tuesday, the Marine Mammal Commission became the third federal agency to reject a link between the deaths and the offshore wind energy industry, despite a growing narrative among offshore wind opponents that probing the ocean floor to prepare for wind turbine projects is killing whales.Last month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S.

Club Q and the memorial for the victims of the shooting photographed in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Tuesday, November 29, 2022. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - It is no mystery who shot and killed five people at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs last year, but what motivated that person to target a venue that had long been a sanctuary for the LGBTQ community in the mostly conservative city remains unknown.That could change during a hearing that started Wednesday in a courtroom packed with victims and their relatives.

Kate McKenna starts her days much like the other parents on her street. She drives her kids to school and returns to her bungalow on a cul-de-sac south of Vancouver.

WARSAW - President Joe Biden is wrapping up his whirlwind, four-day visit to Poland and Ukraine by reassuring eastern flank NATO allies that his administration is highly attuned to the looming threats and other impacts spurred by the grinding Russian invasion of Ukraine.Before departing Warsaw on Wednesday, Biden will hold talks with leaders from the Bucharest Nine, a collection of nations on the most eastern parts of the NATO alliance that came together in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.President Joe Biden challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to "end the war" against Ukraine and warned that the U.S. and its allies around the world will continue to support Ukraine and push for new sanctions on the Kremlin.

COLOMBO (News 1st); If the Local Government Election is not held as planned, all Local Government Bodies will be moved under the control of the Commissioner from the 20th of March, as the tenure of the Local Government Institutions ends on that day.Public Administration & Home Affairs Secretary Neel Bandara Hapuhinna stated that accordingly, the secretaries of local councils and municipal councils as well as municipal commissioners are expected to carry out the administrative activities of those institutions.The petition filed against holding of the local government election is scheduled to be called up at the Supreme Court on Thursday (23).Based on the decision taken by the Supreme Court, the election commission will meet  on Friday (24) and take a decision.As of now, the postal poll related to the election has been postponed indefinitely due to the failure of the government printer to deliver the required ballot papers.The Government Printer took that step due to the non-payment of the required money for printing ballot papers.Recently, Sri Lanka's National Election Commission informed the Supreme Court that obstacles have arisen with regard to conducting the Local Government Election on the 9th of March 2023 as planned. 

found solace in the American consumer. On the surface, Walmart’s fourth-quarter results look like exhibit A for the optimists. The company’s comparable sales in America grew by a faster-than-expected 8.3%, compared with a year earlier.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Trinco Night Navigation Operations Project at the Trincomalee Harbour was launched recently, and is now in operation.Trincomalee Harbour, a natural deep-water harbor, is considered the fifth largest natural harbor in the world. Despite its world-class recognition among industrial and tourist ports, the development and operations of the Port of Trincomalee were hampered due to the rapid development of the Port of Colombo and the lack of potential to perform night operations. Vessels calling at the port at night had to enter the port during the daytime of the following day, after anchoring at the out-harbor waters during the previous night, which caused interruptions to port operations and their efficiency.As a result of fruitful discussions between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Government of Japan in 2017, the two governments entered into an agreement to implement a grant aid under the Japanese Non-Project Grant Aid Program 2017, also known as the Economic & Social Development Program. Accordingly, this grant aid of 01 billion Japanese Yen was provided for the Night Navigation Operations Project at the Port of Trincomalee, which included a state-of-the-art Vessel Traffic Management System, Radar Equipment, Lighthouse Equipment, 16 Navigation Buoys, 02 Mooring Buoys, 02 400KV Generators, 14 Fire Pumps with machinery, and a Pilot Vessel provided by the Japan International Cooperation System (JICS) with the assistance of the Government and the People of Japan.The Trinco Night Navigation Operations Project, which includes all of this equipment and facilities, was handed over for operations on February 17, 2023, at a function held at the Port of Trincomalee.

Guns N’ Roses is hitting the road in 2023, mapping out an extensive, five-month world tour that will hit stadiums, arenas and festivals around the world, including multiple shows in Canada.

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) - Federal environmental regulators on Tuesday took charge of the cleanup from the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment and chemical burn and ordered Norfolk Southern to foot the bill.The Environmental Protection Agency told Norfolk Southern to take all available measures to clean up contaminated air and water, and also said the company would be required to reimburse the federal government for a new program to provide cleaning services for impacted residents and businesses.The EPA warned Norfolk Southern that if the company failed to comply with its order, the agency would perform the work itself and seek triple damages from the company."The Norfolk Southern train derailment has upended the lives of East Palestine families, and EPA’s order will ensure the company is held accountable for jeopardizing the health and safety of this community," EPA Administrator Michael S.

four-day workweek in the U.K. show showed significantly reduced rates of employee stress and illness while maintaining productivity.The six-month trial, billed as the world’s largest of its kind, included 61 companies that committed to a 20% reduction in working hours for all staff — with no drop in wages.

.The US and UK currently don't offer this benefit as standard, but we hope that more governments will take inspiration from Spain—as well as Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea, and Zambia—in accommodating the impact of periods on our health.Studies have found that the workplaces ignoring the impact of periods on an employee affects productivity considerably, as well. that people who menstruate tend to work through their period pain, and it makes them less productive.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) officially announced on Tuesday that she’s running to replace U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein in 2024. "The Senate needs a perspective that I bring with my life experiences, as a progressive Black woman who not only fights for what is right, but also gets the job done," Lee told KTVU in her first TV interview of the campaign.

Revelers catch beads from a float in the 2023 Krewe of Proteus parade during Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Feb. 20, 2023.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives for his annual meeting with the Federal Assembly on Feb. 21, 2023, in Moscow, Russia.