Auditor General to launch probe regarding use of Ministry vehicles

Colombo (News 1st) – India won game one of the three match ODI series against Sri Lanka depsite some late heroics by Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka in Guwahati, India.After the visitors won the toss and chose to field, the home side got off to a blistering start with openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill putting on 143 for the first wicket. The partnership was broken when Gill was dismissed for 70 in the 20th over.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Media Division of the United National Party in a statement on Tuesday (10) evening said that the UNP is engaged in discussions with political parties, factions, and groups that support the government with regard to the upcoming Local Government Election.It added that several rounds of discussions took place recently among the UNP members and the representatives from the other parties, and among them is the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.The statement said that the UNP is expected to engage in talks with other parties and groups shortly. It added that the UNP Chairman Vajira Abeywardena, UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardena, UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara, and UNP Executive Director represented the party at these discussions.It added that the talks are yet to reach the final stages, and when the discussions are over the manner in which the UNP will contest the Local Government Election will be announced officially.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Cabinet of Ministers decided to intruct the Minister of Power and Energy to introduce a price formula for electricity tariff, similar to the fuel price formula.The Government Information Department in a statement said that the Cabinet of Ministers considered the proposal submitted by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stability and National Policies and the Minister of Power and Energy regarding the revision of electricity tariffs. It was further observed by the Cabinet that the Treasury is not able to provide the necessary funds for the Sri Lanka Electricity Board within the existing financial space and therefore there is no other option but to revise the existing electricity tariffs to ensure a continuous electricity supply in the country while minimizing the impact on electricity consumers as much as possible. Accordingly, approval was given to proceed as follows:– The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka will further study the proposed revision of electricity charges submitted by the Electricity Board and if any revision is required, to submit the same on or before 15.02.2023.– Until then, the Ceylon Electricity Board and the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka will jointly take necessary measures to implement the electricity tariff revision proposed by the Ceylon Electricity Board with effect from 01.01.2023 as an interim measure in accordance with the amendments to the Public Policy Guidelines currently in force regarding the Power Industry– If the Sri Lanka Public Utilities Commission submits any amendments, the Ceylon Electricity Board will take steps to implement those amendments and make the necessary adjustments to future monthly

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Magistrate's Inquiry into the mysterious death of businessman Dinesh Schaffter took place at the official chamber of Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya on Tuesday (10).A brother of the deceased provided evidence for 45 minutes behind closed doors.As the recording of evidence took place inside the official chamber of the Colombo Additional Magistrate, journalists did not receive the opportunity to report on the proceedings of the case.Further examination of evidence will take place on the 13th of January 2022.Sri Lanka Police said that it has not informed the court or any other institution that they believe the death to be a suicide."We have not ruled out suicide.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed the cabinet that the fund allocations made via the budget for all ministries will have to be cut down by 5%.This was announced by Minister Bandula Gunawardena, the Cabinet Spokesperson on Tuesday (10) at the weekly Cabinet media briefing."There is no stable income to even support the essential welfare expenses.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The United National Party will contest the upcoming  Local Government Election together with the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, said the UNP General Secretary on Tuesday (10).The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and the United National Party met for talks again on Tuesday (10) at the President's Office.UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara told reporters that the SLPP and the UNP decided to contest the Local Government Election together.He said the matter was discussed with the district leaders.He also said that discussions took place on which Local Government Institutions will be contested under the symbol of the Elephant, and which will be contested under the symbol of the Flower Bud.He also added that an agreement was also reached with regard to using a common symbol for certain Local Government Institutions.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and the United National Party are to meet for talks again on Tuesday (10).A senior spokesperson for the SLPP speaking to News 1st said that the meeting will take place at the President's Office.It is reported that the formation of an alliance to contest the Local Government Election, as well as to contest under one symbol among other matters will be discussed at this meeting.General Secretary of the United National Party Palitha Range Bandara said that he will attend the meeting along with Deputy Leader of the UNP Ruwan Wijewardena.The SLPP is to be represented by General Secretary Attorney Sagara Kariyawasam, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, and Sanjeewa Edirimanne.The UNP and the SLPP met for talks on Sunday (8) as well.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Cabinet of Ministers have once again granted approval to import eggs.Trade Minister Nalin Fernando speaking to News 1st said the Cabinet granted approval to his proposal on Monday (9).He said eggs will be imported before the end of the week from India, and the distribution will be handed over to the private sector, while Lanka Sathosa will be involved in the sale of eggs.The government decided to import eggs as a solution to address the high prices of eggs, as the local price of an egg is between Rs. 60/- to Rs.

NEW DELHI : The union health ministry on Monday said that covid-19 positive samples collected from sentinel sites reveals presence of all Omicron variants in the community. The government’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) sentinel sites referred 324 COVID19 positive samples for sequencing to 22 INSACOG labs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Cabinet of Ministers on Monday (9) granted approval to increase the electricity tariff.The tariff hike will be reviewed by a committee until the 15th of February, and measures will be taken to reduce the tariff, if there is a possibility, a Senior Government Minister told News 1st.The Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka said that a proposal to amend the electricity tariff was received on Monday (9) evening.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he was deeply concerned about the recent violence that erupted in Brasilia. In a statement he said that Sri Lanka not so long ago also experienced similar attempts by groups to overthrow democratic structures through unconstitutional means. While noting that such hostilities are condemned, the President said the Sri Lankan stands in solidarity with the President, Government and people of Brazil in this hour of confrontation.President Wickremesinghe said that it is imperative that democracy and its institutions are universally respected by all citizens.For several days, supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have been protesting as they refuse to accept that the populist autocrat lost his bid for reelection, claiming the election was stolen.Hundreds called for military intervention to overthrow President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was inaugurated one week ago.    Hundreds of supporters of Brazil's former president stormed the Planalto presidential palace, National Congress and the Supreme Court headquarters.After hours of chaos, Brazilian police have retaken control of the premises occupied by the protesters.Lula has declared federal security intervention in Brasilia and vowed to punish ‘neo-fascists’ with ‘full force of law’Bolsonaro denied any involvement in the attack, calling any suggestion otherwise a “baseless” accusation.While Lula has served two presidential terms, he has also served a prison term and some Brazilian say it is "shameful" he should have returned to the presidential palace after his time in jail.Lula spent 580 days in jail after being convicted of corruption in 2017 and was banned from running in the 2018

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Notice was issued once again on Central Bank Monetary Board members Attorney Sanjeewa Jayawardena, and Rani Jayamaha, as they failed to appear in court.On Monday (9) the Fundamental Rights applications filed against 39 people for leading the country to an economic crisis were taken up, and the notice was re-issued to the CBSL Monetary Board members.The Former President, Former Prime Minister, and Former Finance Minister are among the 39 people named as the respondents in the petitions.The FR applications by Transparency International Sri Lanka, Former Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman Chandra Jayaratne, Dr Mahim Mendis from the Open University of Sri Lanka, and Former National Swimming Champion Julian Bolling claim that the respondents named in the petition are directly responsible for the unsustainability of Sri Lanka’s foreign debt, its hard default on foreign loan repayments, and the current state of the economy of Sri Lanka.The applications were considered in the presence of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, and Justices Buwaneka Aluvihare, Vijith Malalgoda, L. T.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Police arrested five people in connection to hacking ATMs in Galle and stealing money.Among the arrested are Bulgarians, and the arrests were made following investigations carried out by the Computer Crimes Division of Sri Lanka Police.On Sunday (8) two men were arrested from the Havelock area in Colombo, and they are residents of Mount Lavinia and Negombo.Interrogation of the suspects led to the arrest of one Bulgarian man, and the other was arrested when he was attempting to flee the country.The second Bulgarian man was identified as the main suspect in the string of robberies, and he was arrested at the Katunayake Airport.Sri Lanka Police also arrested the driver of the vehicle used to commit the crimes, from Pitigala. The vehicle was also seized.The suspect stole Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Navy had fired shots into the air to control a dispute that broke out between two factions at the Sri Lanka Coast Guard station in Hambantota.Sri Lanka Police said that an argument had broken out between the Sri Lanka Coast Guard officers and local fishermen over an incident where two boats met with an accident in the seas off Hambantota.The argument had escalated in to an ugly brawl and in order to control the situation, the Sri Lanka Navy had fired shots into the air.

In a contracting economy, when the country’s leading organisations are consolidating rather than making ambitious expansions, true to the ethos that the Capital Maharaja Group has become renowned for, expansion measures are being put in place under the stewardship of the Group’s Chairman, Sashi Rajamahendran.Looking to the next decade, three of CMG's companies have been entrusted to three industry leaders with proven track records of excellence.Suneth Kudaliyanage has been appointed CEO of Fox Resorts and Fox Vacations, the leisure arm of CMG, whilst Chandima Athukorala takes over Harcros Chemicals (HCPL), and M Chems, the agrarian sector of CMG, and Ramesh Sonaimuthu will provide leadership to M Entertainments in the Digital Rights Management sphere.Sunil Kanojia, Group Director / Chief Executive Officer weighing in on this decision says, “I don’t think CMG is a Group like any other in Sri Lanka. We have always been unconventional and bold in our decisions and agile in executing them.

Some of the world’s most powerful hedge funds and other investors are holding up vital help for crisis-hit Sri Lanka by their hardline stance in debt-relief negotiations after the Asian country’s $51bn (£42bn) default last year, according to 182 economists and development experts from around the world.Instead of geopolitical manoeuvring, all of Sri Lanka’s creditors must ensure debt cancellation sufficient to provide a way out of the current crisis, said a statment from the economists and experts on Monday (9).In a statement the group that said that extensive debt cancellation was needed to give the economy a chance of recovery and that Sri Lanka would be a test case of the willingness of the international community to tackle a looming global debt crisis.The group – including the Indian economist Jayati Ghosh, Thomas Piketty, the author of the bestselling book Capital, and Greece’s former finance minister Yannis Varoufakis – said private sector creditors such as investment companies and hedge funds were preventing a deal.Private creditors own almost 40% of Sri Lanka’s external debt stock, mostly in the form of international sovereign bonds, although the higher interest rates levied on the bonds mean they receive more than 50% of external debt payments.Such lenders charged a premium to lend to Sri Lanka to cover their risks, which accrued them massive profits and contributed to Sri Lanka’s first ever default in April 2022, said the statement."Lenders who benefited from higher returns because of the “risk premium” must be willing to take the consequences of that risk. Indeed, ISBs are now trading at significantly lower prices in the secondary market.

The XBB.1.5 variant of COVID-19, also known as Kraken, has been detected by whole genome sequencing in New Zealand.

Colombo (News 1st) – The Ministry of Power and Energy says it is confident that the highly controversial proposed electricity tariff revision will be approved by the Cabinet today.The Ministry says a week was given for all other Ministers to present their views on the proposal submitted to the Cabinet last week. The Ministry says the cabinet will approve the electricity tariff revision after considering the views today.The Ceylon Electricity Board says it expects to provide a continuous supply of power, without power cuts in future, if the electricity tariff hike is approved as expected and proper inputs are received for coal and fuel power plants.However, the move has drawn vociferous opposition from citizens groups across the country, already battered by the skyrocketing cost of living which includes a steep electricity tariff increase less than six months ago.

Frederica Jansz, Former Editor of The Sunday Leader, penned these thoughts on the 14th death anniversary of Lasantha Wickrematunge.Last year, at the May 13th hearing of The People’s Tribunal at The Hague, there was compelling evidence presented by witnesses which named the highest in the land as having been complicit in the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunge.However, suspects have been released on bail, and official proceedings with regard to the case have all ground to a halt. A man who has blatantly committed the most heinous crimes against journalists may quite possibly be connected to the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunge.At some point, there has to be justice.

Colombo (News 1st): Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Rathnayake states that the Rs.10 billion allocated for the Local Government polls is sufficient. "The previous election cost an estimated Rs. 8 billion due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we managed to spend only Rs.

Colombo (News 1st) – Court has granted permission to detain the five suspects who were arrested with heroin near the Mirissa fishing harbor for a period of seven days.The order was issued when the suspects were produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court yesterday.The Sri Lanka Navy seized over 23kg of heroin from their possession.The suspects, aged between 33 and 42, are residents of Mirissa, Kamburugamuwa and Pitigala.The Police Narcotics Bureau is conducting further investigations.

Al Jazeera – Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy has been elected speaker of the House of Representatives, overcoming the opposition of right-wing dissenters who had derailed for several days his bid to lead the chamber.It took 15 rounds of voting for McCarthy to secure the House’s gavel, securing 216 of the 428 votes cast late on Friday. The Democrats’ Hakeem Jeffries got 212 votes.It was the first time in a century that a speaker was not elected in the first round.McCarthy’s speakership bid appeared up in the air before the House meeting on Friday.

Colombo (News 1st) – NEWSLINE: Is Sri Lanka's health sector in a critical state? Watch on Facebook and Youtube.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe summoned the members of the National Election Commission for an emergency meeting at the President's Office.A Senior Official at the National Election Commission told News 1st that the meeting took place based on an invitation extended by the President.It was reported that the Attorney General was also present for the meeting.The members of the National Election Commission had informed the President that there is no way to prevent the Local Government Elections from taking place, unless via constitutional or judicial action.The Election Commission officials had informed the President of the future programs relating to the election.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Multiple Senior Police Officers including several DIGs have been given transfers with immediate effect.The National Police Commission has approved the transfers that were made based on urgent service requirements.Sri Lanka Police said that DIG K. B.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – COPE has decided to file a complaint with the Speaker against Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara for criticizing the powers of COPE and the Auditor General.The Committee On Public Enterprises met in Parliament on Thursday (5).A statement from the Sri Lanka Parliament noted that Minister Manusha Nanayakkara on the 22nd of December had challenged the powers of COPE, and the tasks of the Auditor General during a national event.COPE had determined that the Minister's comment sets a wrong precedent, and such a comment bring disrepute to COPE as a whole.

Colombo (News 1st) – NEWSLINE: Sri Lanka Crisis Soars: Education Deeply Affected. Watch on Facebook and Youtube.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Ministry of Power and Energy said that a shipment of 60,000 MT of coal will reach the country on Friday (6).The Ministry said that another five coal shipments are expected to reach Sri Lankan shores in January and payments for the fives shipments have already been made.The generator at the Norochcholai Power Plant that was the shutdown for maintenance will be reactivated on Sunday (8), said the Ceylon Electricity Board.One generator at the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant was shut down on the 22nd of December 2022 citing early maintenance and resulted in the loss of 300 MW to the national power grid.In the midst of all this, a proposal is made to once again increase the electricity tariff.According to the country's Power & Energy Minister the objective of this tariff hike is to cover the cost of providing a continuous supply of electricity.One of the scenarios presented by the CEB engineers will be used for this purpose, and according to the Minister the generation plan is as follows:27% from hydro-power 28% from Coal 13% from Diesel and Furnace Oil 2% Wind Power  12% from Private Diesel or Furnace Oil Power Plants. 13% from Solar power plants 4% from rooftop solar panelsThe CEB Employees' Union allege that this is an attempt to reduce the low cost production using coal, and to increase the production that would cost more.According to them, it only costs Rs.

Lanarkshire residents are being warned about a new Covid variant described by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the "most transmissible yet".

COLOMBO (News 1st) Wanted drug trafficker Kanchipani Imran is on the run from Sri Lankan Authorities and the ‘Q’ Branch of the Tamil Nadu police is actively searching for whether he is hiding in Tamil Nadu. The Q Branch is one of the Criminal Investigation Department wings of the Tamil Nadu Police.Look-out notices have been issued to all airports to prevent the criminal from fleeing abroad.The Sri Lankan government has also sought India’s help to capture Imran. The Central Intelligence Agency has also warned the Tamil Nadu government in this regard.An intensive search is being conducted in 14 coastal districts of Tamil Nadu and fishing village areas.Q Branch Officers told Indian media that its personnel are questioning several local people and fishermen to determine if Imran had sneaked into Rameswaram.A Sri Lankan court has already ordered the guarantors for Najeem Mohammed Imran alias Kanjipani Imran to appear in court.Kanjipani Imran, who is a leading drug trafficker in the country, had fled to India and is now preparing to enter Pakistan from there.Imran's mother, brother, and another individual are listed as guarantors.Kanjipani Imran faces serious charges in Sri Lanka including murder, and he was released on a Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has decided to extend the suspension of Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) from carrying on the business and activities of a Primary Dealer for a further period of six months with effect 5th January 2023.The decision was made in terms of the Regulations made under the Registered Stock and Securities Ordinance and the Local Treasury Bills Ordinance.The decision is in order to continue the investigations being conducted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka with regard to the Bond Issuances.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A son of former notorious underworld leader “Soththi Upali” was arrested in Narahenpita for heroin possession on Thursday (5).Police Spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa told News 1st that the 8.80 grams of heroin, two machetes and a sword were recovered from the possession of the suspect.The wife of the 38-year-old suspect is currently in remand custody for ICE possession.Soththi Upali was one of the well-known & notorious underworld gangsters in Sri Lanka and was gunned down in 1998 at Bokundara.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka has issued an extraordinary gazette restricting the imports of gold over 22 carats as jewellery.State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya tweeted that the decision was made to prevent gold smuggling."Special Gazette No.

The Sri Lanka Air Force No 10 Fighter Squadron or the Kfir Squadron marked 27 years on Thursday (5).It was founded on 5th January 1996 with the induction of six new graceful tailless delta Kfir C2s based at SLAF Katunayake under the command of Squadron Leader Priyantha Gunasinghe. The Squadron was reinforced in the year 2000 with the arrival of another nine Kfir C2s and C7s enhancing the fleet up to fifteen fighters. The Kfir was developed by Israel as a multirole all weather day night fighter, which satisfied almost all the fighter capabilities of SLAF’s through Battlefield Air Strike, Air Interception, Air Interdiction, Maritime Air strikes with precision and deadly force.  At the outset, the No 10 Fighter Squadron was strengthened with four pilots, four engineering officers and seventy technicians, who were trained by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and instructor pilots from Israel Air Force. The present Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana was first Officer Commanding Operations and succeeded as the second Commanding Officer from 7th of June 2000.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Dr Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told Parliament on Thursday (5) that the government will never interfere with the operations of the Elections Commission."We will not interfere with their (election commission) activities, and we will not try to amend their agenda. We have never reached such a decision and have not communicated to them of any such matter," said the Justice Minister.He said that the National Election Commission, which is an independent body, must continue with its operations, and there will be no interference from the government."With the assistance of the opposition we secured the passage of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution that details the elections, the date of the elections, and the process of the elections.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Aragalaya activist Randima Gamage was arrested on Thursday (5) morning after he returned to Sri Lanka from overseas.He was arrested at the Katunayake Airport on the charge of illegally entering the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation.Sri Lanka Police said that the Hulftsdorf Magistrate's Court had imposed a travel ban on Randima Gamage.He will be moved to the Cinnamon Gardens Police for further investigations.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Trade Minister Nalin Fernando said that eggs will be imported to the country next week.The announcement comes in a backdrop where several ruling party factions claim there is no money to go for an election.The Minister said that an imported egg will be sold for a price between Rs. 40/- to Rs.

Sharon Osbourne has had multiple procedures over the years in a bid to boost her self-confidence with tweaks to her body.

Colombo (News 1st) – NEWSLINE: Sri Lanka heads towards local polls. Watch Live on 4th January at 8:30 p.m. on TV1. Livestreaming on Facebook and Youtube. 

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

The Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Kanni Wignaraja who is currently in Sri Lanka, appreciated the efforts taken by President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Government in resolving the economic crisis in the country. Wignaraja reiterated the U.N’s financial and technical support for Sri Lanka during this recovery period.This was revealed at the meeting held between the President and the Delegation headed by Assistant Secretary-General of the UN at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday (4).The discussions focused on the economic reforms, with the delegation recognizing that these difficult decisions would have to be taken in order to ensure long-term recovery and growth in the country.The President also briefed the visiting delegation on the political reforms in the country, including the establishment of the Constitutional Council in Parliament and the ongoing discussions with the other political parties, regarding a resolution to the ethnic issues in Sri Lanka.

A new Covid strain nicknamed 'the Kraken' is sparking concern around the world.XBB.1.5, a subvariant of Omicron, is already dominant in parts of the US. Now it has started to sweep across the UK and Telangana.XBB.1.5 is a mutated version of Omicron XBB, a strain that was first detected in India in August. Concern about XBB.1.5 is largely based on how it is currently surging in the US.But it has also already been spotted in Britain and other countries around the globe.Experts are concerned XBB.1.5's rapid rise in the US could be caused by mutations that help it to better infect people and dodge protection from vaccination and prior infections.The XBB15 Covid super variant, which is behind the recent wave of Covid infections across the United States and United Kingdom, has made its way to Telangana.The latest genomic sequencing data by Hyderabad-based genetic laboratories attached to Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortium (INSACOG) have reported 3 XBB15 positive cases in Telangana.Between December and January 2, a total of six XBB14 infections have been reported in India out of which three were from Telangana, two from Maharashtra and one XBB15 infection was from Gujarat.– Input from Agencies

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Railways has decided to add a new train named 'Seethawaka Odyssey' to operate on the Kelani Valley route, in an effort to boost tourism in the country.The 'Seethawaka Odyssey' will be added to service within the next two weeks.The 'Seethawaka Odyssey' will operate from Fort, Colombo to the Waga Railway Station and will make stops at a number of attractions along the route.Passengers will be able to witness a number of waterfalls including the Ranmudu Ella, Kumari Ella, and Goraka Ella, as well as a number of other tourist attractions including the Seethawaka Wet Zone Botanic Gardens.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that bus fares on the Southern Expressway will be reduced by 10%, and bus operators are expected to pass this benefit on to the passengers.Speaking to reporters in Colombo on Wednesday (4), the Minister also said that with effect from midnight the Semi-Luxury Bus service from Kataragama to Colombo, that is operating on the Galle Road, will be terminated."There will be no Semi-Luxury Bus anymore. Following the termination of this service, the Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the Embassy of the Holy See (Vatican Apostolic Nunciature) in Colombo on Wednesday (04) to express his condolences on the demise of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who was called to rest on Saturday (31) morning in the Mater Ecclesia Monastery in the Vatican.Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI from Germany, was called to rest at age of 95, after having served for more than eight years as Pope from 2005 to 2013.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Fisheries launched a modified multiday fishing vessel in Colombo to improve the quality of fish and reduce postharvest loss in the Fisheries sector.The FAO in a statment said that fish products are an important source of animal protein for Sri Lanka and the sector contributes about 1.1 percent to Sri Lanka’s GDP.  However, studies by the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) indicate that the fish quality loss in some harbours is at 60 – 70 percent.Some of the issues contributing to these losses include the lack of an adequate cooling system in multi-day fishing vessels that use weeks-old ice to maintain low temperatures and the captured harvest not being handled or stored properly by fishers, which reduces the quality of the overall harvest and damage the bottom layer of stored fish. To address this issue FAO, together with the Ministry of Fisheries and NARA, modified the design of a multi-day fishing vessel as a pilot project to introduce new boat designs that provide an economically viable solution to minimize the quality loss of fish harvests. By reducing the existing post-harvest losses, the investment for the proposed new design can be recovered within 3.5 years.The modified multi-day vessel features a pilot coolant system in fish holds and storage as well as a modified fish holding facility to minimize the physical damage to fish due to overload.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A Sri Lankan court has ordered the guarantors for Najeem Mohammed Imran alias Kanjipani Imran to appear in court.Kanjipani Imran, who is a leading drug trafficker in the country, had fled to India and is now preparing to enter Pakistan from there.Imran's mother, brother, and another individual are listed as guarantors.Kanjipani Imran faces serious charges in Sri Lanka including murder, and he was released on a Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Former Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka has dismissed claims made by the present Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera over the profits made by the Ceylon Electricity Board.On Tuesday (3), Minister Wijesekera tweeted that the Ceylon Electricity Board was making operating profits during October & November each year due to the increase in hydropower usage.Wijesekera stressed that the operational profits were not due to the tariff adjustments made in August 2022, and states that the CEBs own financial statements from 2017 to 2022 highlight the false and misleading comments made by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka and Former Minister Champika Ranawaka.However, in response to the Minister, Former Minister Champika Ranawaka pointed out that if the tariff was not increased in October 2022 the Ceylon Electricity Board would be making a loss of a whopping Rs.