Sri Lankan man given suspended sentence for stealing coconuts in 2021

 

 

COLOMBO (News 1st); State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said a systematic program will be implemented to fix the existing weaknesses in tax payment and streamline the process.Attending an event held in Ruwanwella on Sunday (28) morning, the State Minister said the plan will be presented to the President this week.He added that a proposal to establish a separate court for tax-related matters is also among the proposals.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Judicial Medical Officer at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital Rohan T.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Department of Examinations assures the public that comprehensive security arrangements have been meticulously put in place for the upcoming 2022 GCE OL Examination. Commissioner General of Examinations, Amith Jayasundara, confirms that the assistance of the armed forces, including the police, will play a crucial role in ensuring a secure environment for the examination.To address any unforeseen circumstances, the Commissioner General of Examinations assures that contingency plans have been established to handle emergencies throughout the examination period.Remarkably, this year, ten inmates will also be among the participants of the GCE OL examination.

Mexican authorities say they have made an arrest in the killing of a Quebec man earlier this month in the Pacific coast beach town of Puerto Escondido.

A two-year-old child tragically died after falling into a grain mixer on a farm in Quebec on Friday, provincial police have confirmed.

Republican leaders in the House of Representatives and the White House have reached an “agreement in principle” to raise the debt ceiling — just over a week before the deadline to avoid a potential default.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Department of Animal Production and Health addresses concerns regarding the spread of a viral disease among pigs in the Western Province, reassuring the public that it has not reached epidemic levels. Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – In a concerning revelation, the National Dengue Control Unit has reported that a staggering 25 percent of dengue cases reported are identified from children. To address this alarming situation, Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe has concluded his official visit to Singapore and Japan, returning to the island last night. During his visit, the President engaged in productive meetings with the leaders of both Singapore and Japan, further strengthening bilateral relations.Notably, President Wickremesinghe actively participated in the prestigious Nikkei's Future of Asia conference, where he had the opportunity to address regional challenges and share his insights.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A person has died after sustaining serious injuries in an accident caused by a firework explosion in Thekkawatta in ​​Thambuththegama.Police said the explosion had taken place when the individual tried to light a firework at a wedding held in the area.In repeated attempts to light the firework canister, it exploded and caused serious damage to his head. He had died while receiving treatment in hospital.The deceased is a 31-year-old resident of Thambuththegama.

Colombo (News 1st) – Comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya was arrested by the CID at Bandaranaike International Airport on Saturday night while leaving the country, for allegedly making disrespectful remarks about Buddhism, police said.Ms.

PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia firefighter and his band got the chance of a lifetime this weekend down the shore.Randy Ballinger and his bandmates of "Jersey Calling" opened the inaugural two-day Adjacent Festival in Atlantic City, performing both Saturday and Sunday."They said all right you guys can go, and we just broke right into song and did what we do," said Ballinger. "Music is our passion so if it’s ten people or 10-thousand we’re going to play."RELATED COVERAGE: Philadelphia firefighter severely injured in ladder fall gets invitation to perform at NJ music festivalOrganizers said 20-thousand people are attending the festival each day.

PHILADELPHIA - One woman is dead, and another is in custody after shots were fired inside a home in Northeast Philadelphia early Saturday evening.Police say the 63-year-old woman was shot twice in a living room on the 3300 block of Kayford Circle around 4:30 p.m.She was pronounced dead at the scene from two gunshot wounds to the stomach and chest.MORE HEADLINES:Another woman was taken into custody as one gun was recovered, according to police.A motive is not known at this time.

GILGIT, Pakistan (AP) - A snowy avalanche in northern Pakistan killed 11 people Saturday, including a 4-year-old boy, and injured 25 from a nomadic tribe as they crossed a mountainous area with their goat herds, police said.The avalanche struck the nomads in the Chambeli area of Shounter Pass that connects the Astore district of the Gilgit Baltistan region to the bordering Azad Kashmir region.Four women and a 4-year-old boy were among the dead, said Gilgit Baltistan senior police officer Ziarat Ali.RELATED: Pope Francis gets back to work after battling feverThe nomads were taking their herds of goats on foot from the Kel area of Azad Kashmir to Astore, when they were caught in the avalanche of snow in the early morning hours, Ali said. Tufail Mir, a deputy police chief in the region, said rescuers were facing problems in reaching the avalanche-hit area and troops were helping local authorities.A rescue operation that included two military helicopters faced rough terrain and an altitude of some 14,000 feet (4,270 meters) above sea level.

Accident or crime scene cordon tape, police line do not cross. via Getty Images JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (AP) - The director of a southern Indiana funeral home where 31 decomposing bodies and the cremains of 17 others were found pleaded guilty Friday to more than 40 counts of felony theft.Randy Lankford, owner of Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in Jeffersonville, faces a proposed sentence of 12 years: four years in prison and eight years of home incarceration, Clark County Circuit Court Judge N.

BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. - A trio of suspects posed as police as they robbed a home in Bucks County, getting away with two of the homeowner's firearms, according to officials.Police say the three men entered a home on Reliance Place in Hilltown Township Thursday after identifying themselves as part of the sheriff's department.One of the men was armed with a handgun as they ransacked the house, authorities say.MORE HEADLINES:Several items were stolen, including two handguns registered to the victim, who was forced to the ground with his hands tied behind his back.

OCEAN COUNTY, N.J. - An 11-year-old boy had to be airlifted to a local hospital after being hit by a vehicle, whose driver is now being charged for trying to flee the scene.Giancarlos Fernandez, 19, is accused of hitting the boy on his bike near Barnegat Avenue and Freemont Avenue in Seaside Heights Friday evening.The 11-year-old was thrown to the pavement after "becoming embedded in the vehicle's windshield."MORE HEADLINES:He was airlifted to a local hospital for serious injuries, but is said to be in stable condition.Police say the driver tried to flee on foot following the crash, but was apprehended by officers a few blocks away.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A traffic nightmare played out in North Carolina Thursday after a mobile home tumbled from its truck and blocked vehicles and drivers. The West Mecklenburg Fire Department released pictures showing the disaster west of Charlotte on Interstate 485.Authorities said the truck carrying it fahd crashed and the structure stilt into the four lanes of traffic. RELATED: 2 missing after massive fire at North Carolina construction site, fire chief saysOfficial told local news outlets that four people sustained minor injuries. Storyful contributed to this report.

Pope Francis leaves St. Peter's Square after his traditional Wednesday General Audience.

ceremony in their backyard in -35 C weather.That’s how Kay and Curtis Ballance celebrated their “perfect” wedding day.The couple got married at their home in Grand Prairie, Alta., in February this year just seven weeks after giving birth to their first daughter.Kay Ballance said their preference was to have no guests at all and to just tie the knot at the courthouse, but in Alberta, you are required by law to have a marriage ceremony – which is what they ended up doing.“The size of our wedding, it actually turned out to be perfect,” said Curtis Ballance.“The very important people in our lives were there and yeah, just the smaller the better.

PA State Game Commission Warden Tyler Barnes searches a wooded early after multiple residents reported a black bear wondering the Roxborough and Andorra neighborhoods in Northwest Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Image MOUNTAIN TOP, Pa. - Authorities say a bear that attacked and injured two young children playing in the driveway of a northeastern Pennsylvania home has been captured and euthanized.The Pennsylvania Game Commission said Friday that two bears, a male and a female, had been caught overnight in live traps set following Monday's attack in Wright Township near Mountain Top.

PHILADELPHIA - A Saturday morning crash has claimed the life of man riding his bicycle in West Philadelphia.Police say the bicyclist was struck by a green Dodge Charger on 63rd Street just before 7 a.m.He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The man's identity has yet to be released, but police say he was in his 40s or 50s.MORE HEADLINES:It is unclear what led to the deadly crash, but the driver of the vehicle did remain on scene.

DELAWARE - The stepfather of a 3-year-old girl whose burned remains were found on a softball field several years ago has pleaded guilty to child endangerment charges, according to court documents.Brandon Haas, 41, pleaded guilty in March to one felony count and three misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child. None of the offenses carries mandatory prison time, although the felony count carries a maximum sentence of five years behind bars.

PHILADELPHIA - A violent start to Memorial Day Weekend in Philadelphia has left two people dead, and another two critically injured, in two separate double shootings.Two men were found struck in the first shooting of the morning on the 300 block of Cambria Street just after 3 a.m. Saturday.A 26-year-old suffering from multiple gunshot wounds was pronounced dead at a local hospital; while a 22-year-old is in critical condition after being shot twice.MORE HEADLINES:Two women were then struck by more gunfire as a second double shooting erupted just a few hours later on the 100 block of East Allegheny Avenue.The first victim, a 44-year-old woman, died after being shot twice.

a Utah national park trail. The National Park Service said in a statement that rangers at Arches National Parks responded to a report of CPR in progress. The incident occurred on the Primitive Loop section of Devils Garden Trail.Personnel from Grand County EMS and a Life Flight helicopter also responded to the park. INDIANA WOMAN DIES IN GRAND CANYON WHILE TRYING TO HIKE TO THE COLORADO RIVER AND BACK IN A DAYSkyline Arch, an Entrada sandstone arch, in the Devils Garden section of Arches National Park, Moab, Utah. (Jon G.

READ MORE: Watch: Service dog earns diploma, steals the show at college graduationIt's the latest dispute in the U.S. about what kind of cultural graduation attire is allowed at commencement ceremonies, with many focusing on tribal regalia.Attorneys for Naomi Peña Villasano argued in a hearing Friday in Denver that the school district decision violates her free speech rights.

decommissioned lighthouse, consider this a sign.Ten of the most picturesque lighthouses that dot the U.S.’s eastern coastline are being given away at no cost or sold at auction by the federal government.However, like most things, there’s a catch – and it’s a pretty big (and costly) one.The General Services Administration (GSA) is inviting federal, state, and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, educational and community development agencies, or groups devoted to parks, recreation, culture, or historic preservation to apply to take over any of six historic lighthouses and their outbuildings available free of charge.However, anyone who assumes the role of lighthouse keeper for these storied buildings will be on the hook to pay for the upkeep and maintain them in keeping with federal and local requirements.They’ll also have to be made publicly available for educational, recreational or cultural purposes. It’s not the first time the GSA has dabbled in offloading its crop of historic beacons. The United States Coast Guard has slowly been eliminating lighthouses from government inventory for years, even since the development of GPS technology has rendered them largely obsolete.However, despite no longer being essential in protecting mariners from peril, lighthouses remain fascinating and romantic buildings that capture the interest of people all over the world.“People really appreciate the heroic role of the solitary lighthouse keeper,” John Kelly of the GSA’s office of real property disposition told The Associated Press, explaining their allure.

Memorial Day long weekend, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen extended the deadline for a deal to raise the government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, but only by four days.Originally, Yellen said the deadline was as early as June 1 to avoid a potential default but in a letter to Congress on Friday, the date was extended to June 5.Yellen said her department would make more than $130 billion in scheduled payments in the first two days of the month, including to veterans and Social Security and Medicare recipients, but encouraged the White House and Republicans to come to an agreement “as soon as possible.”“If Congress fails to increase the debt limit, it would cause severe hardship to American families, harm our global leadership position, and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests,” she wrote.The extension comes as President Joe Biden and Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy appeared to narrow in on a two-year budget deal that was aimed at curbing federal deficits.The pair are hoping to strike a compromise over the weekend, but any deal would need to be a compromise as support would be needed from Republicans and Democrats to pass a divided and narrowly-controlled Congress.On Friday evening before departing for Camp David, Biden said “things are looking good.”“I’m hoping we’ll have some clear evidence tonight before the clock strikes 12 that we have a deal,” he said. “But it’s very close.”Despite potential hang-ups, including over stiffer work requirements on people receiving government food stamps, both sides appeared to be optimistic that they could find a deal.“I’m a total optimist,” McCarthy said Friday.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Six suspects who were abducting a woman and a man have been arrested in Dematagoda.The Police say that the special task force also seized the three-wheeler and the motorcycle that the suspects used when abducting the said individuals, during a raid near the Veluvanaramaya in Dematagoda.The suspects are between the ages 22 and 28, and residents of Colombo 09 and 10.The female abducted is a resident of the Etempolawatte Road in Hendala, Wattala, and the male is a resident of Makola south.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe says that the appointment of an individual to the now vacant position of Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka will be done once the President returns to the island following his official visit to Japan.He added the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance forwarded Janaka Rathnayake the letter related to the removal of him from the post of Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission.The State Minister also says that Janaka Rathnayake has accepted the said letter.The proposal to remove Janaka Rathnayake from the position of Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission was passed by a majority of 46 votes in the recent voting held in the Parliament.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Customs says they have received instructions to pay special attention to the inspection activities at the VIP passenger terminal of the Katunayake International Airport.Its media spokesperson Sudaththa Silva says that the instructions were received from the Ministry of Finance.He adds that accordingly, attention will be paid to increasing the number of officers currently deployed for the relevant inspections.Meanwhile, State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe says that if people continue to misuse the airport's VIP terminal and engage in illegal activities, strict action will have to be taken against them.

May 20 draw drew a lot of attention over the long weekend, the release said, but Roy didn’t hear the news until he returned later for more gas.“I went to gas up again, getting ready to go to work tonight, and scanned my ticket and saw it said ‘major winner,’ so I went to the clerk and asked him to check it,” Roy said.“He punched it in and they didn’t seem to know what was going on, so I said, ‘Did I win 50 bucks or what?’ He didn’t say anything, so I said ‘What, millionaire?’ Then he showed me the ticket and I was like, ‘That’s $5 million. I’m a millionaire.’”The release said Roy commutes more than two hours to Saint John each week for work, then returns on weekends to be with his family.

BRISTOL, Pa. - A Pennsylvania community held a vigil Friday for a local infant who prosecutors say died after being beaten and shaken several times by his own father."The community is heartbroken over this, I mean, it’s a small town, everybody knows everybody," Stephane Scancella said. Authorities say on Wednesday night officers from the Bristol Borough Police Department responded to home on 100 block of Radcliffe Street for reports of a 4-month-old in cardiac arrest. Officers administered CPR and rushed the baby to Lower Bucks Hospital where he was pronounced dead just after midnight. Tyler Sullivan (Bucks County District Attorney's Office)  Tyler Sullivan, 30, was charged with homicide and two counts of aggravated assault in the case. Following an examination of the infant, a doctor found that the child had suffered several injuries, including bruises and abrasions throughout the body. Investigators concluded that Sullivan had violently shaken the baby on at least two occasions Wednesday, and at least six additional times over the past six weeks. MORE LOCAL HEADLINES"We all have bene heartbroken about this mom losing her son, especially the way she did," Scancella said. Neighbors day the baby's 22-year-old mother and Sullivan were engaged to be married. "We have to do something for this mother and her family," Scancella said. "It’s heart-wrenching."

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Sri Lanka State Trading (General) Corporation says that steps have been taken to import one million eggs each day.Its chairman Asiri Valisundara says that eggs are imported in this manner based on market demand.He mentioned that currently 20 million eggs have been imported from India.Asiri Valisundara says that 10 million imported eggs have been released to the market.He adds that an imported egg will be released to bakeries, biscuit manufacturers, catering services and restaurants at a price of 35 rupees each.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The re-correction results of the 2021 GCE Ordinary Level Examination have been released.The results can be obtained by visiting the official website of the Department of Examinations, www.doenets.lk.The examination department said that 80,272 applicants had applied for rescrutiny of results this time.Meanwhile, the Department of Examinations says that the distribution of the question papers of the 2022 GCE Ordinary Level examination to exam centers commenced at midnight yesterday (26).Commissioner General of Examinations Amit Jayasundara says that the question papers required for 5 days will be distributed to exam centers.He also says that the distribution of the stationery items required for the examination has been completed.Meanwhile, the Commissioner General adds that special examination centers have been established for students with special needs, prison inmates, and cancer patients.He says that if there are examination candidates who have contracted dengue, they will be given the opportunity to appear for the examination at the nearest examination center on medical specialist advice.The 2022 GCE Ordinary Level examination is to commence from the 29th of May to the 8th of June. Commissioner General of Examinations Amit Jayasundara says that 472,553 candidates will be facing this year's examination in 3,568 exam centers across the island.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - As he vies for the Republican presidential nomination, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is touting a series of measures he has pushed that have led to an upswing in banned or restricted books — not just in Florida schools but in an increasing number of other conservative states.Florida last year became the first in a wave of red states to enact laws making it easier for parents to challenge books in school libraries they deem to be pornographic, deal improperly with racial issues or in other ways be inappropriate for students.Books ensnared in the Florida regulations include explicit graphic novels about growing up LGBTQ+, a children’s book based on a true story of two male penguins raising a chick in a zoo and "The Bluest Eye," a novel by Nobel laureate Toni Morrison that includes descriptions of child sexual abuse.

PHILADELPHIA - The heartbroken mother of a baby-faced Philadelphia teen who was gunned down while riding home on a SEPTA bus earlier this week remembers her son as a "special boy" who was loved by many.Randy Mills, 15, was shot and killed aboard a Route 23 SEPTA bus late Wednesday night near the 5200 block of Germantown Avenue, according to police. The shooting, which was captured on a bus surveillance cameras, shows a person in wearing a mask and dark hooded sweatshirt confront Mills just before he's shot in the chest.The shooter fled the bus before police arrived. Responding officers rushed Mills to Albert Einstein Hospital where he died shortly after his arrival. MORE LOCAL HEADLINE"I got a call saying we believe Randy got shot, I said ‘huh?!’, of course I was shocked," Kesha Langford said. She recalled the final conversation that she had with her son, a student at Roxborough High School. "He said ‘I love you’ and ‘I’ll be home early’ and ‘what are you cooking?’," Kesha said. Roxborough High School is a community still reeling from an ambush shooting that killed 14-year-old Nicholas Elizalde and wounded four others last fall.Police are also searching for a person of interest who Langford believes was captured on bus surveillance footage rifling through Randy's dying bodying.Philadelphia police have released surveillance video from a SEPTA bus where a young man was fatally shot. "I was my son's hand move as if he was trying to say ‘get off me!’," Kesha said.

PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 11: A Customer holds DVD's at a Blockbuster Video store on November 11, 2004 in Wilsonville, Oregon. Blockbuster Inc., offered to buy Hollywood Video today at a price of about $1 billion.

WILDWOOD, N.J. - Many are keeping up with the tradition of spending Memorial Day Weekend down the shore."The whole family is coming down. We’re all going to be crammed in the house, sharing seats and making breakfast. It’s what we love to do," said Todd Patterson.

Bianca Andreescu took the tennis world by storm back in 2019, winning the Rogers Cup at age 19 — the first Canadian to do so in a half-century — and defeating Serena Williams to win the U.S. Open.

GILBERT, S.C. - A school bus collided with a tanker truck Thursday in South Carolina, sending at least 18 people, mostly children, to the hospital, authorities said.The bus was carrying 36 passengers when it collided with the tanker at about 4 p.m. at an intersection near Gilbert in Lexington County, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.Dramatic video shows the school bus pull out in front of the tanker truck before the crash. At least 17 children and one adult were taken to Lexington Medical Center for treatment, the hospital told WIS-TV.

FILE - The Nobska Point Light, famed lighthouse that the Coast Guard is putting up for sale. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images))BOSTON - Ten lighthouses that for generations have stood like sentinels along America's shorelines protecting mariners from peril and guiding them to safety are being given away at no cost or sold at auction by the federal government.The aim of the program run by the General Services Administration is to preserve the properties, most of which are more than a century old.The development of modern technology, including GPS, means lighthouses are no longer essential for navigation, said John Kelly of the GSA's office of real property disposition.

A 17-year-old boy who was reportedly stabbed outside a Philadelphia high school on Friday was driven to a nearby hospital by police. PHILADELPHIA - A teenage boy is recovering after police say he was stabbed outside a high school in West Philadelphia on Friday. Investigators say the 17-year-old was stabbed one time in the backside outside of Parkway West High School just after 2:30 p.m. The teen was taken by police to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center where he was placed in stable condition, according to police. Authorities have not said what caused the stabbing.

SEATTLE, WA - APRIL 14: A detail shot of a baseball on the baseline during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on Friday, April 14, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Rod Mar/MLB via Getty Images) HARRISBURG - A college baseball player died after he was struck in the face when a makeshift dugout he was helping to dismantle collapsed on him this week.Angel Mercado, 19, was a middle infielder who had just completed his freshman season at Division II Central Penn College.

CHICAGO - An expected bump in violent crime this summer has mayors and police officials around the U.S. rolling out familiar strategies of making officers more visible and engaging with community groups, in some cases leaning on civilians to enforce curfews and keep the peace.Chicago is among the U.S.

David Johnston says his decision to recommend against a public inquiry into foreign interference was based on “unprecedented” access to raw intelligence, Canadian national security officials and their political masters.