Sri Lanka: Detectives record statements from ruling party lawmakers on attacks on peaceful protests

COLOMBO (News 1st); A mobile application developed by the Police Constable is being used to by Sri Lanka Police to track vehicles that join multiple fuel queues.According to Police Spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa (Attorney-at-Law) the mobile application FUEL IMC was developed by Police Constable K. G.

DOVER, Del. - House leaders in Delaware have chastised a fellow Democrat who suggested that Delawareans who don’t support mask wearing amid an increase in COVID-19 cases but do support gun rights should kill themselves with their guns. But House leaders gave no indication Friday that they want to pursue formal disciplinary action against Rep.

RJ Cyler, Sebastian Chacon and Donald Elise Watkins in "Emergency" by Carey Williams, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Police said that several senior police officers were transferred based on service requirements.– Senior DIG Ajith Rohana: Transferred as the Senior DIG in charge of the Southern Province from the Crimes and Traffic Division.– Senior DIG M. D.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera states that a proposal will be submitted to revise the rates of Electricity Bills for consumers with very high electricity consumption. Speaking at a press conference held today (28), the Minister requested for all parties to be concerned with regard to electricity consumption, and to reduce institutional and individual consumption of electricity.Addressing a press briefing this afternoon, Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said the people have NOT understood the severity of the Power Crisis in the country.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Committee on Public Accounts directed the Excise Department to specify standards for liquor as soon as possible and take steps to prevent the liquor manufacturing companies from establishing a market monopoly in selling liquor by including various conditions.The Excise Department had stated that standards for locally manufactured liquor are being developed by the Excise Department, Government Analyst Department and the Sri Lanka Standard Institute together and arrangements would be made to gazette those standards through an Excise notification.These matters were contained in the first report of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament of the COPA, which was tabled in Parliament recently (20) by the COPA Chairman (Prof.) Tissa Vitharana.This report contains information on the investigations of 7 Government Institutions summoned by the Committee on Public Accounts during the period from 04.08.2021 to 19.11.2021. and one Special Audit Report.

An Edinburgh man struggling with long Covid has been forced out of his home after his yob neighbours caused a flood resulting in extensive damage to his flat.

Ukraine said on Friday its forces may need to retreat from their last pocket of resistance in Luhansk to avoid being captured by Russian troops pressing an advance in the east that has shifted the momentum of the three-month-old war.

LOS ANGELES - It’s the latest venture being tested out by Netflix: livestreaming. The news was first exclusively reported by Deadline and confirmed by FOX Television Stations. While the streaming company is currently in its early stages of development and doesn’t have an official timeline yet, its efforts are concentrated on unscripted content and live events. This means Netflix would have the ability to do live comedy specials at events such as its recent Netflix Is A Joke festival and competition series that involve live voting. RELATED: Norm Macdonald’s secret, final standup special coming to NetflixIn addition, the company could choose to do live reunion specials on hit reality series including "Love is Blind" and "Selling Sunset."This move by Netflix comes as many other companies and networks hop on the livestreaming bandwagon. It also comes just one week after Netflix announced the layoffs of 150 employees. Last month, the company also reported its first paid subscriber loss in more than a decade, which could explain its move toward new concepts like livestreaming."As we explained on earnings, our slowing revenue growth means we are also having to slow our cost growth as a company.

LOS ANGELES - Gas prices are so high that demand for fuel during peak driving season this summer is expected to slump, according to experts.According to data by the Energy Information Administration compiled by Bloomberg, demand for gas has hit its lowest level during this time since 2013, excluding the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, high gas prices have brought demand down by 5%.Gas prices have been hitting fresh records for the past 11 consecutive days amid the energy supply crunch in the U.S., according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), which noted that the stretch of record-high prices as the pump is "unprecedented."Speaking with Fox News Digital, Andrew Gross, the national spokesman for AAA Inc. revealed that drivers should expect elevated prices throughout the summer, especially if the war in Ukraine rages on.The national average for a gallon of gas was $4.59 last week, a slight increase from the day before and a new record high.Thursday’s record was 16 cents higher than the week before, nearly 50 cents higher than the month before and $1.55 more compared to the same time last year.All 50 states had a national retail price over $4 a gallon on Thursday, according to AAA, with Oklahoma offering the cheapest gas at $4.03 a gallon and California offering the most expensive gas with an average of $6.06.

FILE-Generic police tape file picture (Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star via Getty Images) CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A woman in West Virginia fatally shot a man who began firing an AR-15-style rifle into a crowd of people that had gathered for a party, authorities said.Dennis Butler, 37, was killed Wednesday night after he pulled out the rifle and began shooting at dozens of people attending the birthday-graduation party outside an apartment complex in the city of Charleston, police said in a statement.The woman, who was attending the party, drew a pistol and fired, killing Butler, the statement said. No one at the party was injured."Instead of running from the threat, she engaged with the threat and saved several lives last night," Chief of Detectives Tony Hazelett told news outlets Thursday.Butler was at the apartment complex earlier in the evening in a vehicle and had been warned to slow down because children were playing, police said.

Long COVID-19 symptoms can affect even fully vaccinated people after mild breakthrough infections, but their risk of serious complications such as lung and blood-clotting disorders is much lower than that of their unvaccinated peers, finds a study of more than 13 million US veterans published this week in Nature Medicine.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Party Leaders who attended Friday’s (27) meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss constitutional amendments have agreed to implement the 19th Amendment as the 21st Amendment to the Constitution.Further, they also agreed to abolish the executive presidency, as a second step on the way forward.The Prime Minister’s Media Division said the Party Leaders would continue their deliberations on whether the President should hold the Ministry of Defence with him.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said that the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery will commence operations for the first time since March 20th with the unloading of a Crude Oil shipment on Friday (27).The refinery will start producing Fueling in 6 days, he said.The Chairman of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Sumith Wijesinghe stated that steps were taken to make payments for the Crude Oil shipment that will be unloaded on Friday (27).

NEW YORK, USA - MAY 19: A general view of Security Council meeting about ''Maintenance of international peace and security - Conflict and food security'' at United Nations HQ in New York City, United States on May 19, 2022. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/An UNITED NATIONS (AP) - China and Russia vetoed a U.N.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the country’s new Finance Minister, as well as Minister of Economic Stability, and National Policies.He took oaths as the Finance Minister in the presence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday (25).

COLOMBO (News 1st); US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie J. Chung met with Sri Lanka Air Force Commander Sudarshana Pathirana in Colombo on Friday (27).The Ambassador tweeted that a strong, secure Sri Lanka is critical to the stability & prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.The Ambassador and the Air Force Commander discussed about efforts to strengthen defense cooperation in the region & ongoing commitment to Sri Lankan security.

COLOMBO (News 1t); Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday (26) called for the international community to help the island nation overcome its current economic crisis.President Rajapaksa said that it is very important that solutions to the current national crisis be implemented within the framework of democracy.The President was addressing Nikkei’s Future of Asia conference, held in Tokyo and online.“We have appointed a new prime minister and a cabinet of ministers with representation from multiple political parties,” Rajapaksa said. “And we are fostering ongoing discussions in parliament toward forming a national consensus on the way forward.”President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said that inflation has risen due to COVID-19 pandemic, which has crippled the tourism industry, reduced remittances from expatriate workers, created a severe financial crisis and other factors combined with the debt burden.The President stated that the assistance of friendly nations was urgently needed to ensure that the requirements of essential medicines, food supplies and fuel were met.The President also emphasized the need to increase cooperation among nations to ensure that problems are overcome.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Detectives attached to Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigations Department recorded a statement from Former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.A statement was recorded from him over the attacks on the MynaGoGama and GotaGoGama peaceful protest sites on the 9th of May 2022.A Senior Police Officer said that the detectives visited the location where the Former Prime Minister is currently staying, and recorded the statement.On Wednesday (25) Six people including Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Parliamentarians Sanath Nishantha, and Milan Jayathilake who were arrested for attacking the #GotaGoGama and #MynaGoGama peaceful protests in Colombo on the 9th of May, were remanded until the 1st of June 2022.When the suspects were escorted to the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court under armed guard, protestors had also gathered in the vicinity, demanding justice for the victims of the attacks.Two men and another woman who were produced in an identification parade, but were not positively identified were granted bail by the Colombo Fort Magistrate.Further, the Magistrate ordered the Inspector General of Police to provide reasons for not implementing the instructions given by the Attorney General to transfer Senior DIG in-charge of the Western Province Deshabandu Thennakoon.Additional Solicitor General Ayesha Jinasena, who appeared before the court, said that the Attorney General had written to the IGP on the 23rd to transfer the senior DIG.She also said that the IGP had received intelligence on the 8th of May regarding a pro-government march from Temple Trees to the President’s House.The Additional Solicitor General said that the IGP had instructed Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon in writing to take appropriate action as there

COLOMBO (News 1st); The International Monetary Funds says that since Sri Lanka’s public debt is assessed as unsustainable, approval by the Executive Board of an IMF-supported program for Sri Lanka would require adequate assurances that debt sustainability will be restored.An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team led by Mr. Peter Breuer and Mr.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) emphasized that the Department of Probation and Child Care Services should expeditiously develop a National Policy on children in Sri Lanka and give proper guidance in this regard.The COPA report which was presented in the Parliament recently, further states that the Ministry should intervene to allocate funds without disparity when funds for this subject were provided to the Provincial Councils.The Committee also directed the Department of Probation and Child Care Services to pay attention to establishing a probation office for every judicial zone when the National Policy was developed.The Committee has directed the Secretary to the Ministry to amend the Laws and Ordinances applicable to children, including the Adoption of Children Ordinance, and to take necessary steps to amend these Acts expeditiously in accordance with timely requirements.The Secretary to the Ministry said that the process of amending the ordinances had already been commenced and the amendment of the laws relating to the Children and Young Persons Ordinance was at its final stage.The Committee directed the Department of Probation and Child Care to develop a methodology to protect children from abuse when they use internet.The Committee also instructed to develop a program to create a mass media censorship favorable for society to avoid irregularities committed by mass media in reporting incidents of juvenile crimes.It was disclosed here that a committee has been appointed with the intervention of the Women’s Caucus of Parliament on media regulation in relation to the said matter and its work was being carried out speedily.These matters were contained in the first report of the Second Session

WASHINGTON - With mass shootings in Texas, New York and California fresh in Americans’ mind, the Supreme Court will soon issue its biggest gun ruling in more than a decade, one expected to make it easier to carry guns in public in some of the largest cities.Already in an uncomfortable spotlight over a leaked draft opinion that would overrule Roe v. Wade’s nationwide right to abortion, the justices also are facing a possible backlash from the guns case.

NEW YORK - Former President Donald Trump must answer questions under oath in New York state’s civil investigation into his business practices, a state appeals court ruled Thursday.A four-judge panel in the appellate division of the state’s trial court upheld Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron’s Feb. 17 ruling enforcing subpoenas for Trump and his two eldest children to give deposition testimony in Attorney General Letitia James' probe.Trump had appealed, seeking to overturn the ruling.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Six people including Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Parliamentarians Sanath Nishantha, and Milan Jayathilake who were arrested for attacking the #GotaGoGama and #MynaGoGama peaceful protests in Colombo on the 9th of May, were remanded until the 1st of June 2022.When the suspects were escorted to the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court under armed guard, protestors had also gathered in the vicinity, demanding justice for the victims of the attacks.Two men and another woman who were produced in an identification parade, but were not positively identified were granted bail by the Colombo Fort Magistrate.Further, the Magistrate ordered the Inspector General of Police to provide reasons for not implementing the instructions given by the Attorney General to transfer Senior DIG in-charge of the Western Province Deshabandu Thennakoon.Additional Solicitor General Ayesha Jinasena, who appeared before the court, said that the Attorney General had written to the IGP on the 23rd to transfer the senior DIG.She also said that the IGP had received intelligence on the 8th of May regarding a pro-government march from Temple Trees to the President’s House.The Additional Solicitor General said that the IGP had instructed Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon in writing to take appropriate action as there could be a breach of the peace as the group had planned to cross Galle Face.However, the Magistrate noted that it does not appear the Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon had taken measures to prevent the incident, based on the facts submitted to the court.President’s Counsel Maithri Gunaratne, who appeared for the protesters, expressed surprise at the failure to arrest Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon despite reports that he was having a

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi states that India is providing all possible support to Sri Lanka.Mentioning that Sri Lanka is passing through difficult times, the Prime Minister said that as a closed friend and neighbor, India is providing support, which includes financial support, support of fuel, food, medicines and other essential items. Further stating that many Indian organizations and individuals have sent assistance to Sri Lanka, the PM said that India has also spoken strongly in international forums for extending economic support to Sri Lanka.

COLOMBO (News 1st); International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva says that Sri Lanka’s crisis is due to mismanagement.She was speaking to India’s NDTV at Davos and said that “It is breaking my heart to watch the pictures of what is happening in the country, that was once quite prosperous.

Churchill Beluga Whale Tour Operators Association says confusion over COVID-19 border restrictions continues to impact international tourism to the area.CBWTOA president Wally Daudrich told Global News that international visitors to the northern Manitoba town, known as the polar bear capital of the world, make up more than 90 per cent of annual tourists, and without them, the industry continues to struggle.“Internationally, other countries are opening wide open, so their tourism industry is starting to flourish — and being one of the largest countries, geographically, in the world, our borders are largely still just closed,” Daudrich said.“Other countries, like the United States, places in Europe and such, they announced very clearly that their borders were open and there was no interim fuzzy or grey stage they had to go through.“Our clients are calling us and asking us a lot of questions.”The association, in a statement earlier this month, said the situation has resulted in fewer tours and hotel rooms booked, as well as less work for many across the usually busy sector.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has expressed concern over the draft bill for the 21st Amendment to the constitution, proposed by Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC.Sajith Premadasa said that MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara, the General Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya presented a bill titled the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, which seeks to abolish the Executive Powers of the President and restore the provisions of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.He said the President in his address to the nation on the 11th of May 2022, committed that the 20th Amendment to the constitution would be repealed and the 19th Amendment to the constitution would be restored and steps would be taken to abolish the executive presidency.However, the Opposition Leader noted that contrary to the promises given by the President, the draft by the Justice Minister enables the President to hold ministerial portfolios, which was not envisaged in the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.He noted that the draft bill instead of reducing the power of the executive president does the opposite by strengthening the President’s executive powers contrary to the provisions of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The appointment of Former Maldives President & present Speaker Mohamed Nasheed as a liaison to coordinate relief efforts for Sri Lanka have caused a debate among many Sri Lankans.The Maldives Journal, an online news website, reported that the speaker of the Maldivian Parliament, President Mohamed Nasheed is presently brokering safe passage for former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his family.The website reported that Nasheed visited Sri Lanka last week, and volunteered to coordinate international relief efforts for Sri Lanka, despite lacking any experience in that field.On the 19th of May Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe accepted an offer from Maldivian Speaker Mohamed Nasheed to assist the debt-ridden nation’s bid to secure international relief in the ongoing economic crisis.Mohamed Nasheed arrived in the island on the 20th of May with the approval of the Prime Minister.During his visit, Nasheed called on Former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Political Party Representatives, as well as the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.On the 21st of May he met Former Minister Namal Rajapaksa.According to The Maldives Journal, in the last few days Nasheed has held several meetings with high-level political figures and lobbied to grant the Rajapaksa family a safe passage to the Maldives.Quoting a Madivian Government official The Maldives Journal reported that after he had resigned, Mahinda Rajapaksa had called Nasheed.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Parliamentary Watchdog, the Committee on Public Enterprises has recommended that a Special Parliament Select Committee be appointed to investigate the reasons for the present economic crisis, as well as all the officers who had neglected their duties to pave the way for the crisis.COPE Chairman Professor Charitha Herath (MP) had said the decisions taken by a few had negatively impacted the entire country, and the investigation needs to be expedited considering the matter as a criminal act.Appearing at the Committee on Public Enterprises, the Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, said that when Sri Lanka approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and sought credit facilities by March-April 2020, they had stated in writing that Sri Lanka did not have Debt Sustainability at that time.Therefore, the then Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and the Governor of the Central Bank had been informed in writing that the existing loans would have to be restructured in order to obtain credit facilities, he said.Accordingly, after the relevant technical discussions were carried out under the Finance Act, the Monetary Board of the Central Bank recommended the relevant technical matters to the Minister of Finance and other senior officials, the Governor of the Central Bank said adding that the relevant decisions are made by the Cabinet including the Minister of Finance.The then Minister of Finance had never addressed Parliament and Ajith Nivard Cabraal, who was speaking in Parliament on his behalf, had not informed Parliament of this fact, MP Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Minister of Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said that authorities have explored the idea to increase prices in premium products.In a tweet, the Minister said that 95 Petrol and Super Diesel daily requirements are less than 10% of the market share.“Driving up prices significantly on both will not be a solution. It will create an artificial demand for lesser priced products,” he tweeted. 95 Petrol and Super Diesel daily requirements are less than 10% of the market share.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s National Transport Commission has approved to increased bus fares by 19.5% with effect from midnight on Tuesday (24).Accordingly, the new minimum fare will be Rs. 32/-.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lankan Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to seek the assistance of an International Financial Advisor, and an International Legal Advisor for the debt restructuring process.A document from the Department of Government Information noted that 28 proposals were received for an International Financial Advisor, and 23 proposals were received for an International Legal Advisor.Accordingly, the Cabinet of Minister had decided to hire financial and legal advisers Lazard and Clifford Chance for the difficult task of renegotiating its debt.Lazard, the world’s leading financial advisory and asset management firm, advises on mergers, acquisitions, restructuring, capital structure and strategy.Clifford Chance is one of the world’s pre-eminent law firms, with significant depth and range of resources across five continents.

PHILADELPHIA - Authorities say four people, including two teens, were shot while walking to a prom send-off party Wednesday night in Philadelphia. Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department responded to the 3500 block of Fairmount Avenue around 7 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) - New U.S. research on long COVID-19 provides fresh evidence that it can happen even after breakthrough infections in vaccinated people, and that older adults face higher risks for the long-term effects.In a study of veterans published Wednesday, about one-third who had breakthrough infections showed signs of long COVID.RELATED: ‘Today is day 353’: Woman takes 189 pills a week nearly 1 year after COVID-19 diagnosis to combat symptomsA separate report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that up to a year after an initial coronavirus infection, 1 in 4 adults aged 65 and older had at least one potential long COVID health problem, compared with 1 in 5 younger adults.Long COVID refers to any of more than two dozens symptoms that linger, recur or first appear at least one month after a coronavirus infection.

INDIANAPOLIS - Republican lawmakers in Indiana voted Tuesday to override the GOP governor’s veto of a bill banning transgender females from competing in girls school sports and join about more than a dozen other states adopting similar laws in the past two years.State senators voted 32-15 in favor of overriding Gov. Eric Holcomb following the same action in a 67-28 vote by the House earlier in the day.

(Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) HARRISBURG - An effort by Democratic lawmakers in Pennsylvania to ban owning, selling or making high-capacity, semi-automatic firearms went nowhere Wednesday as state House Republicans again displayed their firm opposition to gun restriction proposals.The state House of Representatives voted 111-87 against the effort by Democratic Rep. Danielle Friel Otten of Chester County to take up the bill after Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff argued it should have to go through a committee first.The bill has spent more than a year in the Judiciary Committee, where Chairman Rob Kauffman, R-Franklin, has bottled up most proposals to regulate or restrict firearms.During floor debate, Otten said the massacre of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday created a "moral obligation to act, today, before this happens one more time."Minority Leader Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, listed communities across Pennsylvania that have recently been the site of gun violence.The bill would not apply retroactively and result in people losing firearms they already lawfully bought, McClinton said.Benninghoff, R-Centre, responded that because of the "magnitude" of the proposal it "needs to be vetted through the committee process" so that lawmakers can "get it right."Just one Republican, Rep.

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A Pennsylvania resident caught a record carp while fishing from the bank of Summersville Lake in West Virginia, regulators said.Ayden Minick of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, caught and released the carp on May 7, the Division of Natural Resources said in a news release. It measured by a DNR fisheries biologist at 41.2 inches (104.6 centimeters) long, breaking the record of 41 inches (104.1 centimeters) caught in 1988 by Charles Cook at Stonecoal Lake.The carp weighed 45 pounds (20.4 kilograms), which was just shy of the record of 47 pounds set in 1998 in a Preston County farm pond.Advertisement

As we step into the third year of the pandemic, post-coronavirus complications or long COVID is becoming an equal concern as the initial infections from the virus itself. Some studies have shown that people can suffer from long Covid symptoms even after 2 years and devastating neurological effects can persist for more than a year. And though most complications tend to improve over time, some of the symptoms can become worse. Here is all that you need to know.

AFP, Antoine Flahault, Director of the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva said the emergence of the phenomenon should act as an alert. 

(Reuters); Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Tuesday (24) he will present an interim budget within six weeks, slashing infrastructure projects to re-route funds into a two-year relief programme for the crisis-hit island nation.Wickremesinghe, who took office two weeks ago, warned that inflation would rise as the government gets down to tackling the crisis, and that there could be more protests on the streets.He said he hoped any unrest would not get out of hand, adding that funds would be made available to help the most vulnerable of the country’s 22 million people.“Looking at the hard days ahead, there has to be protest.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The World Bank said that it is concerned for the people of Sri Lanka and are working in coordination with the IMF and other development partners in advising on appropriate policies to restore economic stability and broad-based growth.Until an adequate macroeconomic policy framework is in place, the World Bank does not plan to offer new financing to Sri Lanka.“Recent media reports have inaccurately stated that the World Bank is planning support for Sri Lanka in the form of a bridge loan or new loan commitments, among other incorrect assertions,” said the World Bank.It added that it is currently repurposing resources from previously approved projects to help the government with some essential medicines, temporary cash transfers for poor and vulnerable households, school meals for children of vulnerable families, and support for farmers and small businesses.

killed 15 people Tuesday at an elementary school in Texas, authorities said. The victims included 14 children and one teacher.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe revealed to the Committee on Public Finance that the treasury had misled parliament by submitting wrong estimates.“Unrealistically high revenue estimate were to Parliament.

Authorities in New Jersey are investigating after a person was shot by police in Absecon on May 24. ABSECON, N.J. - A person was shot by police in Absecon on Tuesday, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. The shooting took place at the Dollar General located on the 700 block of New Road, authorities say. According to officials, the Major Crimes Unit with the Prosecutor's Office is on scene investigating. No additional information about the shooting was released. Authorities in New Jersey are investigating after a person was shot by police in Absecon on May 24.

Bahamas has officially been released in a new report.According to the newspaper Nassau Guardian, the American tourists died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Multiple Bahamian outlets have corroborated this claim.The deaths occurred at the Sandals Emerald Bay resort on the Bahamas’ Great Exuma island on May 6. Prince William, Kate embark on Caribbean tour with monarchy ties under scrutiny Samples from the three victims were taken and sent to a lab in Philadelphia for analysis earlier this month.Michael Philips, 68, and Robbie Philips, 65, were both found dead in one room.

COLOMBO, LONDON; Sri Lanka has hired heavyweight financial and legal advisers Lazard and Clifford Chance as it prepares for the difficult task of renegotiating its debts, a trio of sources told Reuters on Monday.The move is the latest development in Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948 and comes after the country was officially declared in default for the first time ever last week after it halted debt payments.All three sources asked not to be named because the talks remain private. Spokespeople from Sri Lanka’s Cabinet and Lazard, which has handled debt talks for dozens of crisis-strained countries in recent years, did not immediately reply to requests for comment while law firm Clifford Chance declined to comment.Experts and economists have been waiting for the appointment as the country looks to restructure over $12 billion of overseas debt that had been building up for years but become unsustainable when COVID-19 hammered the economy.The economy of around 22 million people began to show cracks in 2019 after large tax cuts by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government drained the country’s coffers.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Kimarli Fernando, the Chairperson of Sri Lanka Tourism has sent her letter of resignation to the newly appointed Minister of Tourism, Harin Fernando.“The Tourism Industry is not limited to a few Colombo based Associations represented on the Tourism Boards, known to dictate self-benefiting terms to political authorities while risking the future of an entire industry,” she noted in her letter.She said that a handful of ‘Veterans’ act like a ‘Cartel’, objecting to SME benefits such as the proposed minimum wage, a fair transportation cost for tourism drivers & obstructing the long overdue shift to digital marketing, which they do not understand, promoting only the age-old pre-internet trade show model.“I pray that such archaic practices will not continue to relegate this country to underperform vis-a-vis its competitors.