Public mistrust on Government & law enforcement will have dire consequences – BASL

COLOMBO (News 1st); Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in Parliament on Wednesday (22) that four senior Indian Government officials will arrive in Sri Lanka on Thursday (23).He said that Indian Government Officials will be arriving to assess the local economic conditions.Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka is now facing a far more serious situation beyond the mere shortages of fuel, gas, electricity, and food.Sri Lanka will call China, India, and Japan to a donor conference to drum up more foreign assistance and present an interim budget in August, the prime minister said on Wednesday, amid ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

COLOMBO (News 1st); Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. G.L.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Foreign Secretary of India Vinay Kwatra has told President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that India, as a close friend, will will extend its fullest support to Sri Lanka in overcoming the difficult situation.The Indian Foreign Secretary met with the President in Colombo on Thursday (23).The Foreign Secretary is accompanied by Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Finance of India, Ajay Seth, Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India Dr. V.

convoy protests and related organizations were welcomed to Parliament Hill on Wednesday by a group of Conservative MPs that assured them they have ‘allies’ in Ottawa.And while the group professed peaceful intentions for future demonstrations, they also warned they believe Canada was on a “dark path,” deeply “divided,” even showing similarities to countries about to descend into “civil war.” Poilievre encourages anti-vaccine mandate protests amid reports of Canada Day rally The Ottawa press conference was scheduled to coincide with a conference of the “Canada Citizens Coalition,” or C3, an umbrella group for various protesters connected to February’s convoy demonstrations that paralyzed downtown Ottawa and blocked several Canada-U.S. border crossings.The protests were purportedly sparked by an opposition to federal vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers, but quickly morphed into a festival of grievances with federal and provincial authorities.The federal Liberal government resorted to an unprecedented invocation of emergency powers to help police to clear the blockade, and is now facing parliamentary scrutiny and a judicial inquiry into that decision.According to James Topp, one of the organizers who recently walked from B.C.

COVID-19 in wastewater.The government says the data can provide early warning of new pandemic waves or the emergence of new variants. Some Quebec adults could get 4th or 5th COVID-19 shots this fall: vaccine committee Quebec has been screening wastewater for COVID-19 in Quebec City and the Montreal area since late March but only began releasing the data Wednesday.The seven-day average of wastewater collections suggests a decline in the concentration of COVID-19 in wastewater in Quebec City, while in Montreal, the data suggests a stable concentration.Dominic Frigon, a McGill University civil engineering professor who helped develop Quebec’s wastewater screening program, says the data can be useful for detecting trends but adds that COVID-19 levels in wastewater don’t directly correlate to case counts.

HUMMELSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 17: A vote sign is seen at Lower Dauphin High School on May 17, 2022 in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvanians are voting in the primary elections to select candidates from each party for a new governor, lieutenant HARRISBURG, Pa. - Proposals to hold Pennsylvania's presidential primaries in March rather than April and to permit poll watchers to operate outside the counties where they live were advanced Wednesday by a divided House State Government Committee.Both bills had already passed the state Senate and were approved for consideration by the full House.The state's primary during presidential election years would be moved from the fourth Tuesday in April to the third Tuesday in March.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Hamilton Reserve Bank Ltd has filed legal action against Sri Lanka over the country’s alleged default on a $1 billion sovereign bond maturing next month.Plaintiff Hamilton Reserve Bank Ltd. alleges a breach of contract action arising from Defendant the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka’s default on its US$1 Billion 5.875% International Sovereign Bonds due July 25, 2022.According to court documents seen by News 1st, the Plaintiff notes that under the Bonds’ terms, the Sri Lanka owes the Plaintiff a total of US$257,539,331.25, comprised of US$250,190,000 in principal and US$7,349,331.25 in interest.The case document notes that Sri Lanka has failed to pay the amount it owes Plaintiff, in breach of its obligations under the Bonds, even though the full principal amount and the accrued interest on Plaintiff’s Bonds are immediately due and payable.It adds that Sri Lanka’s default is a matter of choice, as Sri Lanka is capable of paying Plaintiff’s Bonds in full. The complaint notes that Sri Lanka’s default is being orchestrated by officials at the highest levels of its government.“This includes the ruling Rajapaksa clan, whose members currently serve as President of Sri Lanka and in numerous other senior government positions.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A powerful earthquake struck a rural, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, killing at least 920 people and injuring 600 others in the deadliest temblor in two decades, authorities said. Officials warned that the already grim toll would likely rise.Information remained scarce on the magnitude 6.1 temblor near the Pakistani border, but quakes of that strength would be expected to cause severe damage in the remote area, where homes and other buildings are poorly constructed and landslides are common.Rescue efforts are likely to be complicated since many international aid agencies left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover of the country last year and the chaotic withdrawal of the U.S.

₹4 lakh to the CDSCO official. The CBI also booked three others including an associate vice-president of Biocon Biologics Ltd, a subsidiary of Biocon, founded by one of India’s most famous woman entrepreneurs, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw. The agency charged that the bribe was paid to get regulatory clearances for an insulin injection, Insulin Aspart, manufactured by the company without undergoing mandatory Phase III clinical trials.

The Government has announced the extension of a Covid-19 illness benefit from the end of June until the end of September 2022.

A view of the U.S. Supreme Court Building on June 20, 2022 in Washington, DC.

WASHINGTON (AP) - WNBA star Brittney Griner tried to call her wife nearly a dozen times through the American embassy in Russia on the couple’s fourth anniversary Saturday, but they never connected since the phone line at the embassy was not staffed, Cherelle Griner said Monday.The couple has not spoken by phone in the four months since Griner's arrest in Russia, where she remains jailed. That was to have changed Saturday, when a long-awaited call was to have finally taken place after getting Russian government approval.

Colombo (News 1st): The U.S. government announced the third tranche of new funding to address the immediate needs of people hardest hit by the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Minister for Home Affairs of Australia Clare O’Neill has said that the Australian government will assist Sri Lanka in overcoming the present economic crisis in compliance with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) framework.Claire O’Neill, who is on an official visit to Sri Lanka, made these remarks when she called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the President’s House in Colombo, on Monday (20).The “Zero Chance” campaign for illegal migration and human trafficking was the policy of the previous Conservative Government of Australia. Home Minister Claire stated the same was the policy of the new government too, which represents the Labour Party.President Rajapaksa explaining the steps that he had taken when he was the Defence Secretary to prevent illegal migration, said that the Navy is taking such actions as are necessary to prevent illegal migration.President Rajapaksa appreciated the support of the Australian Government in providing naval, technical and material assistance and noted that the two countries were working closely together.Australia is on high alert for security in the Indian Ocean.

PTI: “While the schools are scheduled to open from July 1 after the summer vacations, increasing Covid cases have become a major concern for the parents yet again." "The state government has stated that it is not in favour of any more disruptions in studies and aims to continue education while keeping the safety of students and teachers at prior," Kapur further said. "At our school, children with low immunity are provided with the option of staying at home, while parents can connect with the school authorities to get the class work of the student at home.

Council workers and health service staff are gearing up for a summer of strike action.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe held discussions with Australia’s Minister of Home Affairs, Clare O’Neil, on Monday (20) at the Prime Minister’s office.The Minister expressed Australia’s continued support for Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Government’s efforts to stabilize the economy.The Prime Minister explained that Sri Lanka was focussed on developing an export oriented economy which would be opened up to investments from overseas.Minister O’Neil said that the Australian Government was interested in promoting Australian investments in Sri Lanka, while also continuing to drive up Australian tourism to Sri Lanka.

FILE IMAGE - Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov of Russia poses with the Nobel Peace Prize diploma and medal during the gala award ceremony for the Nobel Peace prize on Dec. 10, 2021, in Oslo.

Members of the clergy arrive to celebrate an Easter Sunday mass in front of empty pews at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC on April 12, 2020 as the Basilica remained closed to the public due to the CO The percentage of Americans who say they believe in God has dipped to the lowest number in the past nearly 80 years, according to a new Gallup poll published Friday. The Values and Belief poll, conducted from May 2 to 22, showed 81% of people answered that they believe in God. That is down six percentage points from the 87% of respondents who said they believed in God in the 2017 poll.

SEOUL, South Korea - The surprise announcement by BTS last week that they were taking a break to focus on members’ solo projects stunned their global fanbase, shaking their label's stock price and leaving many questions about the K-pop supergroup’s future.HYBE, the company behind the band, denied the group was taking a hiatus — a word used in a translation of the group’s emotional dinnertime video announcement. In the days since, band members have remained active on social media, continuing the stream of posts, photos and assurances that the band wasn’t breaking up.Despite the immediate impacts — HYBE’s stock initially dropped more than 25% and has yet to fully recover — several factors may still affect BTS’ future.

NEW DELHI : The goal of the central government is to work holistically in the health sector with synergy between preventive healthcare and modern medical facilities, said Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, while delivering a presidential address at 21st Convocation of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) held at Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi on Monday. National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) is an autonomous body of the ministry of health that is entrusted with the task of conducting examinations in the field of modern medicine on an all-India basis.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Police detained a group of people who obstructed the entrances to the President’s Office.Protestors at GotaGoGama obstructed all entrances to the President’s Office, reported Sri Lanka Police on Monday (20).Police said that the protestors moved towards the two other gates leading to the President’s Office early morning on Monday (20) and completely obstructed the path, by setting up two make-shift tents.The GotaGoGama protest demanding the immediate resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is on the 73rd Day on Monday (20).The Occupy Galle Face protest started on the 9th of April 2022 and has been going on daily, despite adverse weather and the 9th May Black Monday attacks on the protest site.Protestors 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.GotaGoGama also has a network of nationwide branches that popped up to support the main protest against the President and the Government.Sri Lanka defaulted on its debt for the first time in its history as the country struggles with its worst financial crisis in more than 70 years.Sri Lanka is seeking to restructure debts of more than $50bn it owes to foreign creditors, to make it more manageable to repay.A chronic shortage of foreign currency and soaring inflation have led to a severe shortage of medicines, fuel and other essentials.

New Delhi: Border controls are not effective in managing a pandemic and politicians should balance the economic and social benefits of air connectivity against the need for health-related travel restrictions, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a statement on Monday. The industry body, which represents around 290 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic, called for governments to apply the lessons learned from the dismantling of global connectivity in response to Covid-19 to ensure that future global health threats can be effectively managed without closing borders.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs on Friday (17) issued a circular on the proposed work from home program for the Public Sector.Accordingly, the Ministry has decided to limit the number of employee requested to be at work from Monday (20).The Secretaries to the Ministries, and Department / Institution Heads have been vested with the power to decide on calling in a minimum number of staff to ensure that public services are provided uninterrupted.In addition, they are also given the power to assign any public servant to a Ministry, Department, or institution locate close to his/her residence.When employees are summoned to work, they must be summoned on a shift / roster basis.If a public sector employee fails to turn up for the shift / roster that is prepared by the authority of the public institution, one personal holiday will be terminated from the said employee.All public sector employees are requested be available to work online, even if a roster is implemented for the functioning of public institutions.

A detailed view of the Bronze medal on day two of the Budapest 2022 FINA World Championships at Duna Arena on June 19, 2022 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) - World swimming’s governing body has effectively banned transgender women from competing in women’s events, starting Monday.FINA members widely adopted a new "gender inclusion policy" on Sunday that only permits swimmers who transitioned before age 12 to compete in women’s events.

inflation in the Canadian economy means the Bank of Canada will have to raise rates above three per cent to bring things back under control, suggests one economist.Don Drummond, an economist and fellow with Queen’s University, spoke with The West Block‘s Mercedes Stephenson and said while the Bank has been clearly signalling an intent to raise rates back between its normal two to three per cent range, that’s a “minimum” for what is needed.“I don’t think that will do the trick. I think the inflation pressures are too embedded,” he said.“They will have to raise their rates above three per cent.”Drummond’s comments come ahead of an expected update to the inflation rate in Canada this week.In April, the last month for which data is available so far, inflation hit 6.8 per cent in Canada — the highest level since 1991 — and an increase compared to the previous month.

The Taoiseach has said that although Covid-19 is here for "the longer term", the public health advice at the moment is not to go back to wearing facemasks in public places.

Quebec are no longer required to wear masks beginning today.The province brought in a COVID-19 mask mandate for indoor public spaces and public transit in the summer of 2020.In mid-May, it became the last province to remove the face covering requirement for indoor public spaces, and going forward, authorities say wearing a mask will be personal choice.Masks are still mandatory in hospitals, long-term care homes and other health-care facilities.The Quebec government announced the plan to remove masks on public transit 10 days ago, a decision that was supported by the province’s public health officials.In the latest figures published Friday, Quebec health authorities reported 1,029 people hospitalized with the disease, including 26 in intensive care.

Freedom Convoy” — the same month the judicial inquiry into the use of the Emergencies Act is set to wrap up.Global News submitted a request under access to information laws to the Privy Council Office on Feb. 24, 2022, asking for records prepared by the department for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.Specifically, the request sought seven days’ worth of emails and other records about discussions on the use of the Emergencies Act, and records that included the following words: “trucker convoy,” “public order emergency,” “state of emergency” or “emergency powers.”But according to the Privy Council Office, they need an extension on processing the request and deciding whether the records can be released until Feb.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange speaks onstage via Skype at "A Virtual Conversation with Julian Assange" during the 2014 SXSW Music, Film + Interactive Festival at Austin Convention Center on March 8, 2014 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Waytao Shing/Ge LONDON - The British government on Friday ordered the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States to face spying charges, a milestone - but not the end - of a decade-long legal saga sparked by his website's publication of classified U.S.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Former Energy Minister and Leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya Udaya Gammanpila has put forward a series of proposals that should be adopted to address the worsening fuel crisis.1. Temporary withdrawal of all Cars and SUVs with an engine capacity of over 2000 CC2.

COLOMBO (News 1st); A letter dated the 25th of November 2021 from the now-resigned Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board M. M. C.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera noted that the fuel shipment that reached Sri Lanka on Thursday (16) is the final shipment under the Indian Line of Credit and NOT the final shipment ever to reach the country.‘This shipment comprises of 44,000 MT of Diesel and it is being subject to quality checks. Once it is cleared, the shipment will be unloaded on Thursday (16) evening,” he told reporters.The Minister said that the Cabinet-appointed Sub-Committee granted approval to enter into agreements with two entities to import Petrol and Diesel to Sri Lanka in the long term.“These agreements are letters of Awards.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The crisis in Sri Lanka has been of its “own making.” , says Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in an interview with the Associated Press.He also said that Sri Lanka may be compelled to buy more oil from Russia, as Sri Lanka desperately needs fuel. He also said that the country is currently trying to get oil and coal from the country’s traditional suppliers in the Middle East, however if the traditional sources cannot provide fuel to Sri Lanka, the country will have to turn to Russia.The Prime Minister also said that while the Gulf nations are Sri Lanka’s main supply for fuel, officials are negotiating with private suppliers, and at times, “We may not know what oil we are buying,”, as fuel in the market can be traced back to Russia or Iran.Speaking on China, the Prime Minister said that it is necessary to identify the projects that are necessary for economic recovery and take loans for those projects, whether it be from China or from others.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ceylon Electricity Board Chairman told the Parliamentary Watchdog that he was told by the President that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was insisting that the energy investments projects be awarded to the Adani Group.Appearing at the Committee on Public Enterprises hearing in Parliament on Friday (10), the CEB Chairman said that following a meeting chaired by the President, he was summoned by the Head of State and was told that the Indian Prime Minister was insisting that the 500 MW wind power plant be given to India’s Adani Group.“I told him (President) that this is not a matter related to me or the CEB and it should be referred to the Board of Investment,” he told COPE.The CEB Chairman said that he thereafter informed the Treasury Secretary in writing, and requested him to look into the matter while noting that there was a government to goverment requirement on the matter.However, he admitted that the agreement can be termed as unsolicited as it is a G2G agreement.In Parliament, Sri Lanka’s Opposition charged that an unsolicited government-to-government agreement to build a 500 MW wind power plant in the northern coast with the involvement of the Adani Group was the main reason to bring forward amendments to the 1989 Act.The main Opposition SJB wanted projects beyond 10 MW capacity to go through a competitive bidding process, but the majority of the government MPs voted against the clause.This Bill, introduced in Parliament on May 17th, 2022 by the Minister of Power and Energy, qualifies a person to apply for a generation license to generate electricity.Accordingly, this amendment will remove the restrictions on the issuance of a power generation license for a person whose generating

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Core Group on Sri Lanka led by the United Kingdom has expressed concern over the attack on peaceful protesters, during the 50th UN human rights council sessions in Geneva. The delegation in presence noted that protesters have exercised their right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, and freedom of expression in recent months.They further stated that the core group has become deeply concerned over the attacks on peaceful protesters and subsequent violence against government allied politicians and supporters.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board M. M.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Government has declared today (13) as a special holiday due to the transportation difficulties and the issues pertaining to the continuation of office functions amidst the power disruptions.Government schools, Government approval private schools, and Catholic schools are holidays today (13).Meanwhile, the Department of Immigration and Emigration said that the Department of Immigration and Emigration and other regional offices will remain open as usual on Monday (13).The Department said that all offices of the Department of Immigration and Emigration will remain open today as essential services must be maintained without hindrance.Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs states that the Consular Division will be open for limited services from 7.30 AM to 4.30 PM on Monday (13).At the same time, the Regional Consulates in Jaffna, Matara, Kandy, Trincomalee, and Kurunegala will also be open on Monday (13).Meanwhile, the final examinations of technical and technical colleges scheduled to be held on Monday (13) have been postponed due to the special holiday.Director-General of the Department of Technical Education and Training S.C Jagath announced that the examinations will be held on the 20th of June 2022.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lankan Government is planning to introduce a two-week work from home (WFH) program for the Public Sector from Monday (20).The President’s Office said the program will be made available by the Ministry of Public Administration via a circular.The President’s Office further said that the program will be in place for a period of two week until the fuel supply is restored across the country.The President’s Office further said that the Education Ministry was instructed to prepare a program on the functions of schools as well.

World Cup is coming to Vancouver and Toronto, but fans in Edmonton will miss out when Canada, the U.S. and Mexico co-host the men’s soccer tournament.FIFA announced Thursday that the expanded 48-team tournament will see games played in 16 cities across North America, including Vancouver and Toronto, the American cities of Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, and New York/New Jersey.

FIFA has chosen it as one of the 16 cities to host games during the World Cup in 2026.Toronto was the other Canadian city selected, leaving third-bidder Edmonton on the outside looking in.FIFA and the USA-Canada-Mexico bid team have not yet determined which of the 10 games taking place in Canada will be played in each city.The 15 other cities include Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Guadalajara, Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Monterrey, Mexico City, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, New York and New Jersey.“British Columbia welcomes the world for FIFA World Cup 2026,” Premier John Horgan said in a news release. “We’re not hosting the largest ever World Cup just for kicks.

Loneliness is on the rise in Scotland and will get worse with the cost of living restricting people socialising.

ArriveCAN app are “absolutely false,” according to the union that represents Canada’s border agents.Mark Webber, president of the Customs and Immigration Union, told a House of Commons committee Wednesday that the number of people who successfully complete the ArriveCAN app prior to showing up at the border is significantly lower than what the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) claims. Drop ArriveCan app travel rules, border city mayors urge Ottawa Webber also said the ArriveCAN app has contributed to decreased security at the border because officers are forced to help travellers with the app rather than focus on their law enforcement responsibilities.“What I can tell you is that the numbers that were provided to you by the CBSA – where it said that 99 per cent of air travellers and 94 per cent of land travellers have the app completed – is absolutely false,” Webber said.“As far as border officers are concerned, the last few months have shown that ArriveCAN neither facilitates cross-border travel, nor does it improve operational efficiency.

Work on road construction has picked up once again, with 729 km of highways readied in the month of May -- 18% more than the 617 km built in pandemic-hit May 2021. In fact, the pace of construction fell by over 20% in 2021-22 to 10,457 km of national highways as compared with 13,327 km in 2020-21. “There are signs that road construction activity will pick up hereon after a not-so-impressive last year.

An anti-vaxxer who attacked two Covid jab clinics with stones he collected from a beach was branded 'arrogant' by a judge today who jailed him for criminal damage. Paul Leonard Edwards, 58, was told he cannot 'deliberately go out and break the law in order to impose your views on others' as he began a 21-month sentence.

COLOMBO (News 1st); A protest took place in Colombo on Thursday (16) against the secret dealings between the Sri Lankan Government and the Adani Group in India.Recent controversial and retracted remarks by the Former Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board linked Indian influence on Sri Lankan Energy Projects.M.M. C Ferdinando, the chairman of Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), resigned on the 14th of June 2022, three days after he claimed before a parliamentary panel that he was told by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pressuring him to give the wind power project directly to the Adani Group.The allegations involve a 500-Megawatt renewable energy project in Sri Lanka’s Mannar district.A letter dated the 25th of November 2021 from the now-resigned Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board to the then-Secretary of Finance S.

The number of people in West Dunbartonshire having their benefits sanctioned has doubled since before the pandemic.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The United States announced today that it will provide $6 million in emergency assistance to address the needs of marginalized and vulnerable communities impacted by Sri Lanka’s economic crisis.This new funding will also provide technical assistance to the Government of Sri Lanka as it implements economic and financial reform measures to stabilize the economy, in line with an anticipated International Monetary Fund (IMF) package.“The U.S. is committed to supporting the Sri Lankan people as they face today’s economic and political challenges,” said Julie Chung, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka.