Power Crisis: Crucial meeting on Fuel delivery to CEB

The British government is accusing Russia of plotting to install a pro-Russian government in Ukraine, and say Moscow has already chosen a candidate. Mike Le Couteur follows the developments in the story.

Boston, MA - August 18: A pedestrian watches as the Crystal Symphony cruise ship arrives at Flynn Cruiseport in Boston, MA on August 18, 2021. The ship is scheduled to depart Sunday for a weeklong trip to Bermuda. (Photo by Craig F.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers Association on Sunday (23) warned that there will be four-phase power cuts with effect from Monday (24). However, it is due time to examine the different views of parties involved in the power crisis.What is the current fuel status of power plants?Sapugaskanda has come to a standstill due to lack of oil, and according to the trade unions, the power plant has less than 24 hours to run on fuel.Meanwhile, the Yugadanavi power plant has fuel for only 10 days.What does the Minister of Energy say about this?The Energy Minister, Udaya Gammanpila stated on Sunday (23) that the stocks of fuel have been depleted due to a weakness in the CEB’s calculations.The Minister said that the CEB had requested the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation to supply only enough fuel for 10 days.Minister Gammanpila also stated that the stock of fuel was handed over to the CEB last week as agreed during the discussion held with the President’s participation.Moreover, Minister Udaya Gammanpila added that a ship carrying 37,500 metric tons of diesel has arrived near the Sri Lankan sea border.He also said that fuel could be supplied to the CEB if the relevant stock of diesel is released after obtaining dollars.What does the Minister of Power say?Power Minister Gamini Lokuge said that the CEB is currently managing the fuel stocks it has received so far.The Minister of Power and Energy also stated that due to this, there will be no need for a power cut from next Tuesday (25) onwards.However, the Unions state something completely different.Ananda Palitha, the  Media Spokesperson of the United Trade Union Force revealed that the Petroleum Corporation is the sole supplier to supply on demand.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers Association on Sunday (23) warned that there will be four-phase power cuts with effect from Monday (24). However, it is due time to examine the different views of parties involved in the power crisis.What is the current fuel status of power plants?Sapugaskanda has come to a standstill due to lack of oil, and according to the trade unions, the power plant has less than 24 hours to run on fuel.Meanwhile, the Yugadanavi power plant has fuel for only 10 days.What does the Minister of Energy say about this?The Energy Minister, Udaya Gammanpila stated on Sunday (23) that the stocks of fuel have been depleted due to a weakness in the CEB’s calculations.The Minister said that the CEB had requested the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation to supply only enough fuel for 10 days.Minister Gammanpila also stated that the stock of fuel was handed over to the CEB last week as agreed during the discussion held with the President’s participation.Moreover, Minister Udaya Gammanpila added that a ship carrying 37,500 metric tons of diesel has arrived near the Sri Lankan sea border.He also said that fuel could be supplied to the CEB if the relevant stock of diesel is released after obtaining dollars.What does the Minister of Power say?Power Minister Gamini Lokuge said that the CEB is currently managing the fuel stocks it has received so far.The Minister of Power and Energy also stated that due to this, there will be no need for a power cut from next Tuesday (25) onwards.However, the Unions state something completely different.Ananda Palitha, the  Media Spokesperson of the United Trade Union Force revealed that the Petroleum Corporation is the sole supplier to supply on demand.

Across Alberta, emergency rooms are beyond swamped, and now space at the Stollery Children’s Hospital is being used to help handle high patient demand in the adjacent University of Alberta Hospital emergency department.

MOSCOW (AP) - With tens of thousands of Russian troops positioned near Ukraine, the Kremlin has kept the U.S. and its allies guessing about its next moves in the worst security crisis to emerge between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.Amid fears of an imminent attack on Ukraine, Russia has further upped the ante by announcing more military drills in the region.

Nicola Sturgeon announced a further lifting of Covid restrictions as the country continues to battle the recent wave of Omicron infections.

COLOMBO (News 1st); According to the latest SARS-CoV-2 variant report issued by the Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, 75 new cases of Omicron and 3 new cases of Delta were detected from 78 samples.“These 78 samples were sequenced from the 1st 2nd and 3rd weeks of January from the community.” said Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, Director of the Allergy, Immunology and Cell Biology Unit of the Faculty of Medicine.The 78 Omicron cases include a mix of the two main Omicron lineages BA.1 and BA.2.Omicron sublineages were detected in the following locations.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka will have to call Chinese President Xi Jinping the ‘father of rice’, says the Secretary of JVP and Janatha Jana Balawegaya MP Vijitha Herath.Expressing his views regarding the current crisis in the country in Parliament on Friday (21), the MP alleged that the Government uses the pandemic as an excuse although the gas cylinder explosions and the fertilizer issues did not take place due to COVID-19. Pointing out that the market is flooded with imported rice from India, Myanmar and China, the MP questioned as to how the imported rice can be certified as organic rice. Although the Government expected the price of rice to reduce after importing it, all that has happened is the price of rice increasing, he stated.The MP, speaking further, questioned as to why the Nano Nitrogen scam has not bee solved yet and if the President ordered for an investigation to commence on the following day, as to how the results of the investigation have not been released yet.

COVID-19 pandemic.“What we’ve seen across Alberta in the samples last collected on Wednesday this week is that wastewater values of SARS-CoV-2 RNA are certainly down from the peak of what we had seen with this fifth wave,” Dr. Michael Parkins of the Cumming School of Medicine said Friday.“We’re up slightly from where we were on Monday, but we’ve seen a clear and consistent trend over the last five sampling points that wastewater values of SARS-CoV-2 are decreasing, suggesting cases to be diagnosed six days from now are less over time.” Alberta doctors say province needs to do more than expand capacity Wastewater-based epidemiology has become the de facto method for the province to track the prevalence of COVID-19 in Alberta municipalities, as the wastewater system captures all COVID-19 cases in a population whether they are symptomatic or asymptomatic.On Jan.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday that the Canadian government is authorizing a loan of up to $120 million (CDN) to the Ukrainian government amid the ongoing crisis with neighbouring Russia.

Judi Dench has spent the past 65 years lighting up the stage - and she's made it clear that she has no intention of losing her distinctive sparkle.The actress, who says the word "retirement" is forbidden in her home, also refused to let her fall suppress her spirit - even if it sent her tumbling to the ground.Judi had enjoyed performing energetic dance routines with the encouragement of her TikTok whiz grandson when he moved into her Surrey mansion during the lockdown.However when she took a terrifying fall recently, she didn't have him there to help her back up, as she was in the house alone."I tripped over the carpet and there was nobody in the house, and I was lying on the ground unable to get up for half an hour," she recalled to Saga Magazine of her "frightful" experience.Unfortunately, her pet parrot also wasn't much help in a crisis."[She] kept saying: 'What are you doing? What are you doing?'" Judi revealed."This is when you need a very convenient parrot who would phone somebody but she didn't."After half an hour I just got up."Judi, who admits she has no panic buttons installed in the house in spite of her advancing age, reflected: "You want to be independent and it's very, very difficult."Addressing her thoughts on ageing, she declared: "I don't recommend it!"Determined to live every day as if it were her last, she has defiantly had the words 'carpe diem' tattooed across her wrist.The actress made the bold move as part of a celebration for her 81st birthday six years earlier."It didn't hurt," she insisted."Well, it depends on what your level of pain is - but it didn't hurt me!"Meanwhile, Judi also refuses to be viewed as a national treasure, contemptuously declaring of the tag: "It's stuffy! It sounds like

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Karnataka government on Friday decided to lift the weekend curfew, which was imposed with the intention to arrest the spread of Covid-19. 

COLOMBO (News 1st); Daily power cuts that last about 04 hours are likely if Sri Lanka fails to secure a large USD loan at least by March 2022, says Minister of Energy, Udaya Gammanpila. The Minister stated that the country must be prepared to make the necessary sacrifices in this regard, now itself, and politicians should lead by making sacrifices by example. Minister Gammanpila also stated that Sri Lanka will have to import fuel with the existing limited foreign reserves, at least until the monsoon season begins in April.Speaking further, he said that the country will have to generate electricity by using fuel until the monsoon season. Given this effort to ensure an uninterrupted supply of electricity 24-hours a day, about 04-hour daily power cuts will have to be implemented by March if a large loan is not secured.“Is it not better that we implement one and a half an hour cuts from now itself rather than moving onto four-hour power cuts later on? Should we starve for 28-days after stuffing ourselves from star-class hotels for two days? Or should we rather cook the meals at home by purchasing the vegetables and fruits, which would allow us to have all three meals every day?” the Minister stated.

(FOX 9) - Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson repeatedly lied and attempted to conceal key information after he drunkenly crashed his squad car at speeds of more than 120 miles an hour in December, newly released case files indicate.The files indicate Hutchinson claimed that he wasn't driving his county-owned vehicle, attempted to grab for his gun holster while talking with a Douglas County sheriff's deputy, and delayed in providing a urine sample. The files also indicate that Hutchinson lied in previous TV interviews about his decision to get on the road.At 1:19 a.m. Dec.

COVID-19. Canada’s efforts to buy pandemic PPE to be assessed by auditor general Dr.

The number of Covid infections remains high in Scotland - despite a drop in cases over the past couple of weeks.

Omicron is FAR worse than the original strain of SARS-CoV2

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COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said that the Monetary Board decided to increase policy rates after five months to deliver a message that inflation was being dealt with and that the external sector needs to be stabilized further.Cabraal was speaking at a press conference at the Central Bank on Thursday (20) after the Monetary Board decided to increase the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank by 50 basis points each, to 5.50 percent and 6.50 percent, respectively.Responding to a question by News 1st, the governor said the USD 500 Million settlement of sovereign bonds was made from the reserves and from the inflows that Sri Lanka receives.As a measure to address the USD crisis in Sri Lanka, the Central Bank has reached an agreement with the Licensed Commercial banks in the country allowing them to bear the financing and arrangement of the financing of essential goods, to bring greater stability.The monetary board had decided to distribute the financing of essential import bills for fuel purchases among the licensed banks in proportion to their foreign exchange inflows.He said that the Chinese SWAP is within Sri Lanka’s range of products and currencies, noting that it was moved into the reserves.

Amid an affordable housing crisis, the Ford government held a summit to address the issue. While acknowledging it will take much more to fix the shortage, some are urging the government to take bold actions. Matthew Bingley reports.

: A Toronto tenant says real estate agents did not use sufficient precautions when showing his unit to prospective buyers. As Seán O’Shea reports, the man says realtors often did not clean up the apartment following appointments.

Global COVID-19 activity jumped 20% last week compared with the week before, amid surges across multiple regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its weekly update on the pandemic.

Coronavirus infection rates have fallen in all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester - as every borough has seen the rates fall by at least 50 per cent.

Reuters. "There will always be a lag of two-three weeks," he added.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila said the Central Bank of Sri Lanka had released US Dollars to the Ministry on Tuesday (18) to secure the delivery from two fuel tankers that were anchored off Colombo.“The consignment contains over 37,000 MT of Diesel and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) will deliver 10,000 MT for electricity generation,” he told the weekly Cabinet Media Briefing on Wednesday (19), adding that this stock will be sufficient for a period of 8 days.He also that Sri Lanka’s power generation crisis that should have been solved internally between the Ministries of Power and Energy, has unfortunately spilled into the public domain.“All the allegations and issues could have been raised internally and the solution made public,” said the Minister.He also added that NO proposal was made to change the standards of the fuel delivered to Sri Lanka, adding that these are matters spread across social media platforms by those who wish to generate profits from Diesel.“Some may be mixing other fuel, like Kerosene, to generate more profits,” he said adding that if a person has been victimized via such measures, one must immediately notify the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation over the matter.He said that Sri Lanka’s fuel stocks fluctuate every week, and there will be shipments coming in every week to Sri Lanka, and dismissed claims that Sri Lanka is losing fuel stocks by the day.

LOS ANGELES - A combined $250,000 reward is being offered to help Los Angeles Police track down the person responsible for killing UCLA graduate student Brianna Kupfer in a random daytime attack at a luxury furniture store.The reward, which is a combination of public and private funding, is being offered for information leading to the arrest or conviction of a suspect or suspects in the stabbing death of the 24-year-old last Thursday.A combined $250,000 reward is being offered to help Los Angeles Police track down the person responsible for stabbing UCLA graduate student Brianna Kupfer to death in a random daytime attack at a luxury furniture store."We will find this vicious criminal, we will get him arrested, and we will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law," Councilman Paul Koretz said as he announced the reward."Brianna, who was born, educated and was building her career here in Los Angeles was a rising star in this community whose ascent was unnecessarily cut short by a heartless criminal last Thursday," Koretz read on behalf of Kupfer's family. "She embodied everything that is great about Los Angeles and the entire city should grieve over this senseless act."Brianna Kupfer (LinkedIn) Kupfer was working as a consultant for Croft House on North La Brea Avenue and was alone in the store when a man entered the business.

AVON, Ind. - A freight train derailment in Indiana led to a small fire along with lube oil and diesel fuel leaks, according to WRTV.The news outlet reported that six train cars went off the track near a railyard in the town of Avon, Indiana, about five miles from Indianapolis on Tuesday. The Wayne Township Fire Department said no injuries were reported and there was no threat to the population. Freight transportation company CSX said there was no safety risk to the public and no impacts on waterways, according to WRTV.RELATED: Police: Amtrak conductor dies after falling from trainFirefighters released drone footage showing first responders on the scene. CSX said the cause of the derailment is still under investigation, according to WRTV.AdvertisementStoryful contributed to this report.

The commitment of WHO donors is fuelling the fight against COVID-19 all over the world.

COLOMBO (News 1st); It will be a Sri Lanka – India clash in the Under 19 Asia Cup Finals as Sri Lanka cruised through beating Pakistan in their Semi-Final on Thursday (30).The Lion cubs secured a 22 run victory against Pakistan in a nail-biting encounter in Dubai.After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Sri Lanka Under-19s were all out for a paltry 147 runs in 44.5 overs.In reply chasing an easy target of 148, Pakistan batters were shell-shocked as they were bowled out for 125 runs in 49.3 overs.Off Spinner, Trevin Mathew gave Sri Lanka the glimpse of a resurrection right from the start bagging 4 wickets as he destroyed the Pakistani top order. It was a show of spinners as Skipper Dunith Wellalage bagged 3 wickets as well.Sri Lanka : 147 all out (44.5 overs) Yasiru Rodrigo 31*, Matheesha Pathirana 31 | Syed Zameer 4/32, A Khan 2/26, A Ali 2/27.Pakistan : 125 all out (49.3 overs) A Khan 36 | Trevin Mathew 4/14, Dunith Wellalage 3/31 v SL U19s 147.Sri Lanka won by 22 runs!Meanwhile, in the 2nd semi-final at Sharjah, India tasted sweet revenge as they got the better of reigning World Under 19 champions Bangladesh whom they met during the previous World Cup Final.India completely outclassed Bangladesh defeating the neighbours by a mammoth 103 runs.India scored 243 for the loss of 8 wickets, while the opponents were bowled out for a meagre 140 runs.Sri Lanka will play India in the final of the Under 19 Asia Cup Final on Friday (31).Previously  the group match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh was called off after one of the umpires tested positive for Covid-19 in Sharjah.

Coronavirus infection rates are continuing to plummet across Greater Manchester, as one borough has seen a weekly drop of almost 60 per cent.

aviation crisis in less than 36 hours, when AT&T and Verizon are set to deploy new 5G service.The airlines warned the new C-Band 5G service set to begin on Wednesday could render a significant number of widebody aircraft unusable and “could potentially strand tens of thousands of Americans overseas” while causing “chaos” for U.S. flights.“Unless our major hubs are cleared to fly, the vast majority of the traveling and shipping public will essentially be grounded,” wrote the chief executives of American Airlines , Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others in a letter first reported by Reuters.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned that potential interference could affect sensitive airplane instruments such as altimeters and significantly hamper low-visibility operations.“This means that on a day like yesterday, more than 1,100 flights and 100,000 passengers would be subjected to cancellations, diversions or delays,” the letter cautioned.Airlines late on Monday were considering whether to begin canceling some international flights that are scheduled to arrive in the United States on Wednesday. Y2K 20-20: How a New Year’s mass scare became an embarrassing joke “With the proposed restrictions at selected airports, the transportation industry is preparing for some service disruption.

COLOMBO (News 1st); India on Thursday (6) assured Sri Lanka of its support to tide over “difficult times”.India also welcomed the Trincomalee tank farms project saying it will augment bilateral energy security.After a phone conversation with his Sri Lankan counterpart Professor G. L. Peiris,  Indian External Affairs Minister S.

Several desks sit empty in a second grade class at Robert M. Pyles STEM Academy in Stanton, CA. Some school districts are seeing high absenteeism among students and staff and few substitute teachers to fill in the gaps.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Minister of Power said that Lanka IOC has informed the Ceylon Electricity Board that it cannot deliver fuel as it does not have extra fuel stocks.Minister of Power Gamini Lokuge said if any disruptions to the power supply are likely in the future, the schedule of power cuts will be released.“A fuel tanker of the CPC has also reached the Port. We have held discussions with the Government to somehow release the shipment by settling the payment through the State Treasury at least.

Quebec seniors minister tells inquest that care homes knew how to manage COVID-19 outbreaks Martin Simard’s testimony backed up that of Seniors Minister Marguerite Blais, but it contradicted the testimony of other prominent witnesses, including the province’s ex-public health director and former health minister, who both said the province knew of the risk in late January.Simard said that written internal communication on COVID-19 preparation from January was aimed at the network as a whole and did not focus specifically on the care homes, known as CHSLDs.Kamel has been examining the deaths of elderly and vulnerable people in seven residential settings during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as investigating the government’s response to the outbreaks.On Monday, Kamel said she was “flabbergasted” at the statements she had heard and at the inability of some witnesses to admit that care homes had been a “blind spot” in the government’s response.“It’s been a year that what we’ve been told is, ‘I can’t tell you, I can’t say, and it may not be our department or our group that was managing,”’ she said.“It seems to me that people should be able to tell us in all honesty: ‘Listen, we may have had a little blind spot when it comes to CHSLDs.”’ Quebec ombudswoman calls for review of long-term care model after COVID-19 deaths Simard told the inquiry that the long-term care homes only became a “named issue” on March 11. He said it was the responsibility of then-public health director Dr.

Renfrewshire residents are set to be hit by mail delays as covid takes its toll.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Electricity generation at the Sapugaskanda Power Plant has come to a grinding halt, as it has run out of furnace oil.The Ceylon Electricity Board said it is taking all necessary measures to prevent a possible power outage on Tuesday (18) by using diesel to generate electricity.The CEB added that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has started delivering 900 MT of fuel to generate electricity.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa delivered the Government’s Policy Statement, after declaring open the 2nd session of the 9th Parliament on Tuesday (18).The President said that while successfully encountering short-term problems, the primary responsibility is to continue to implement the long-term development program presented by the government to the people and endorsed by a majority.“The sustainable future of the country is built on it,” said the President.Here’s are some of the key takeaways from the President’s speech:National Security:“Our Government has secured national security and the people have no fear of terrorism today,” said the President in his statement.He said the government has been able to change the situation concerning the underworld that terrorized people, during the past two years.The President further stated that Sri Lanka was becoming a hub for international drug traffickers and the situation today is largely under control due to the action taken by the security & intelligence services in the country.Human Rights:The President in his statement said Sri Lanka needs to correct the misconceptions that have been taken to the international community in the past with regard to Human Rights in the country.“During my tenure, the government did not support any form of human rights violations. We do not condone such actions in any manner,” he said.Electricity:“We will not approve the construction of coal power plants in the future for any reason,” said the President adding that “Our goal is to achieve the carbon-neutral target by 2050.

The end of the coronavirus crisis in the UK appears to be in sight, according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) chief.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila has warned that if the fuel imported to the country is released to the Ceylon Electricity Board for electricity generation, there will be a shortage of fuel for vehicles.“We were compelled to reach a decision to only release fuel to the CEB if they deliver payment in USD,” the Minister told News 1st adding that Sri Lanka does not have oil deposits or large stocks of fuel to be given to the CEB.“We can only procure fuel for the CEB if they can provide us with payment in USD,” he said.The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has already delivered 1,500 metric tons of diesel per day in the last two days.“At present, there are two tankers anchored at sea with a total of 76,000 MT of diesel. If the (CEB) can provide us with the US Dollars to unload one of them, we can deliver diesel to the Ceylon Electricity Board,” he told News 1st while denying that he will be held accountable for any power-cuts that may arise over the shortage of fuel to generate electricity.Minister Gammanpila said he is NOT vested with the responsibility of sourcing US Dollars for the country, adding that he has no power to even print US dollars.“The issue is not the fact that the CEB owes the CPC over Rs.

A man who is critically ill in hospital with covid has admitted that he’s been ‘foolish’ over his stance regarding getting vaccinated.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan authorities will meet on Tuesday (18) to discuss the procurement of fuel for an uninterruptible power supply to the island nation.The Ceylon Electricity Board told News 1st that the existing stocks of fuel will only be sufficient to generate electricity until Tuesday (18) morning.On Saturday (15) the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation supplied 3,000 MT of Diesel to the Ceylon Electricity Board for power generation, and the CPC said the fuel was released considering it as an urgent requirement.Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila said if the Ceylon Electricity Board needs fuel continuously, it must provide US dollars to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.The Minister said if the CEB provides the dollars, the Ministry of Energy is prepared to import and supply the required stocks of fuel for power generation.Minister Gammanpila noted that amidst the prevailing dollar crisis in the country, the CPC goes through serious difficulties to earn USD $400 million every month, to ensure the adequate supply of fuel stocks required for transportation and other industries.He said the Ministry of Energy informed the CEB three months ago that if they require fuel for power generation, they should inform in advance.However, according to the Energy Minister, the CEB has informed the CPC on the 11th of January that they require Diesel from the 13th of January.Minister Gammanpila said the CPC does not possess additional stocks of Diesel to supply on such short notice.He emphasized that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation is ready to import and supply fuel if the Ceylon Electricity Board provides the necessary dollars, adding that the CEB can also directly import fuel by themselves.

COLOMBO (News 1st); According to the latest SARS-CoV-2 variant report issued by the Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, 160 new cases of Omicron and 22 new cases of Delta were detected from 182 samples.“These 182 samples were sequenced from the last week of December and the first week of January from the community and arrival and departure samples from the airport.” said Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, Director of the Allergy, Immunology and Cell Biology Unit of the Faculty of Medicine.The 160 Omicron cases include a mix of the two main Omicron lineages BA.1 and BA.2. BA.1 is detected in at least 113 countries and whereas BA.2 is directed in at least 3o countries.

COLOMBO (News 1st); India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S.