President to address the nation on 16th March

SELMA, NC - APRIL 09: Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a rally at The Farm at 95 on April 9, 2022 in Selma, North Carolina.

Today we are reporting 11,063 community cases, 622 hospitalisations and 16 deaths.

Kelsea Ballerini can’t be at the 2022 CMT Music Awards after testing positive for COVID-19, but that’s not stopping her from celebrating!

Ghaziabad was also closed after 2 students tested positive.

The COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of serious illness and death, but don’t stop people from catching the illness, or getting it more than once.

BRAZIL - 2022/02/21: In this photo illustration, a hand holding a TV remote control points to a screen that displays the Netflix logo. (Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) If you really love a show or movie on Netflix, the company wants you to hit the "Double Thumbs Up" option.The streaming service said its latest feature will provide viewers with more choices and recommendations that better suit their tastes."Providing an additional way to tell us when you’re really into something means a profile with recommendations that better reflect what you enjoy," the company said on its website. RELATED: Elon Musk no longer joining Twitter's board of directors, company says"Consider Double Thumbs Up as a way to fine-tune your recommendations to see even more series or films influenced by what you love," the company continued. Company leaders said, for instance, if users like the show "Bridgerton," they will see other productions with the cast members pop up on their menus or other Shondaland-produced content. Netflix’s family-friendly horror movie 'Nightbooks' is now on Netflix.

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco police made an unusual traffic stop recently when an officer pulled over a driverless car.Video obtained by KTVU shows an officer walking to what would be the driver-side window of a Cruise car only to find that no one was at the steering wheel.After the car came to a stop and the officer walks back to the patrol car, the Cruise vehicle drives ahead through the intersection before pulling to the side again and turning on its hazard lights.Cruise said its car rolled forward to find a safer place to stop."Our AV [autonomous vehicle] yielded to the police vehicle, then pulled over to the nearest safe location for the traffic stop, as intended," Cruise tweeted.FLASHBACK: Man seen riding in the back seat of Tesla with no driver on Bay Area roadsOnlookers can be seen and heard reveling in the scene on Clement Street in the Richmond neighborhood.

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper announced on Monday that he had tested positive for COVID-19, but both his sons tested negative.The 54-year-old native New Yorker - who boasts 14.1M social media followers - captioned his Instastory selfie: 'Hope to get back to work soon.'Anderson has two very young sons - Wyatt Morgan, turning 2 on April 27; and Sebastian Luke, 8 weeks - whom he co-parents with his 'best friend and former partner' Benjamin Maisani. 'Hope to get back to work soon':CNN anchor Anderson Cooper announced on Monday that he had tested positive for COVID-19, but both his sons tested negativeCooper and the 49-year-old Frenchman - who reportedly owns four New York night clubs - ended their nine-year romance in 2018.'Wyatt calls me "Daddy" and Benjamin "Papa,"' the eight-time Emmy winner explained on CNN on February 10.

Britain’s Got Talent star Declan Donnelly has spoken out about feeling “really bizarre” when the talent show dropped filming during the pandemic.The 46-year-old, who co-hosts the show with his sidekick Ant McPartlin, said it “felt weird” not to film scenes for the popular ITV show in January last year.Now back for the new season, Dec revealed the pair missed being in theatres and says being back is “extra special”“It was really bizarre because it has been an annual event for us,” the star revealed.“Every January, we'd come back from the New Year and the first thing we'd do was BGT auditions. Just to not have that in the diary felt a bit empty and a bit weird.“We missed being in the theatres with the audiences, with the acts backstage and with the judges.

LOS ANGELES - Instagram has finally brought back a chronologically ordered feed.On Wednesday, the social media app introduced a couple of new ways to view your feed: Following and Favorites. This new customized experience enables users to decide if they want to view posts from accounts they follow in chronological order.Users can now select the "Instagram" tab at the top left of their home page to switch between Following and Favorites. Favorites will show you the latest from a list of accounts you curate while Following shows posts from people you exclusively follow. "Favorites shows you the latest from accounts that you choose, like your best friends and favorite creators.

Kelsea Ballerini announced she'd be hosting the CMT Music Awards from home Monday night after contracting COVID-19. Ballerini shared the news with fans on Instagram. "All right friends, I have some bad news, and I have some good news," Ballerini said in a video.

A report that went before the Toronto Board of Health looks at the impacts the COVID-19 pandemic on children and youth. Erica Vella reports.

After more than a month, Ontario’s top doctor gave an update on the state of the pandemic. While announcing an expansion to testing and drugs to keep the most vulnerable out of hospital, Dr.

Anderson Cooper is the latest star to share they have tested positive for COVID-19.

LAKEWOOD, N.J. - Authorities in Lakewood, New Jersey have arrested a man accused of a violent string of crimes against members of the Orthodox Jewish community. Dion Marsh, 27, is facing several charges including three counts of attempted murder, bias intimidation and carjacking. The charges stem from a series of violent incidents that authorities say happened on Apr.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has released all investigative materials, including additional body-worn camera video, related to the Minneapolis police deadly shooting of Amir Locke during a no-knock raid in February.The release of the materials comes after Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Wednesday morning there is "insufficient admissible evidence" to support criminal charges against Mark Hanneman, the Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed the armed 22-year-old Black man while conducting an early morning no-knock SWAT team raid.New body camera videoPreviously, the BCA had only released one officer's body camera footage. The reports released with Wednesday’s charging decision confirm that the previously released video was from the perspective of MPD Officer Aaron Pearson, who opened the apartment door with a key provided by apartment management for the SWAT team to enter.The new video shows the moments before and after shots were fired from 11 other body cameras, including Officer Mark Hanneman.An interview transcript included in the case file shows the moments as Marlon Speed, who was sleeping in the next room over when Locke was shot, spoke with the BCA after the shooting.The transcript shows Marlon Speed learned his cousin died while speaking with investigators for a brief period.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 26: A man wearing masks walks past a CVS Pharmacy where a "Free flue shots here" sign is displayed as the city continues Phase 4 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on August 26, WASHINGTON - The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island announced it’ll be easier for people with disabilities to register for a COVID-19 vaccine with CVS Pharmacy online. The department announced a settlement with the company to eliminate barriers that prevented certain disabled customers from getting information about COVID-19 vaccines and booking an appointment online. Federal officials said they found CVS’s COVID-19 vaccine registration portal was not accessible to people who use screen reader software or have trouble using a mouse. RELATED: People with disabilities face more barriers accessing COVID-19 vaccine, CDC data showsOfficials said the types of vaccine appointments offered were not read audibly to screen reader users at the beginning of the scheduling process.

Imagine, Julian Lennon has released a cover in support of Ukraine.Lennon, 59, performed the rendition as a part of Global Citizen’s social media rally, Stand Up For Ukraine, which is working to raise money for the war-torn country amid Russia’s invasion.In a dim, candlelit room, Lennon sang the ballad originally sung by his father, John. He was accompanied by Nuno Bettencourt on guitar.In the description of the YouTube video, Lennon very clearly outlines his reasons for singing Imagine. “The War on Ukraine is an unimaginable tragedy… As a human, and as an artist, I felt compelled to respond in the most significant way I could,” he wrote.

The Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield will today host a media briefing to provide updates on the response to the Omicron outbreak.

EastEnders favourite Jean Slater popped the question to ex Harvey on the latest episode of the BBC soap as fans fear her mental health is spiralling out of control.In a desperate bid to win back the cabbie, fans saw Jean get down on one knee and ask for his hand after she made a move on Harvey’s pal Rocky.The aftermath of their breakup saw Whitney and Martin stumble across a dishevelled Jean tumbling out of a limo after a night outMartin takes her back to Sharon's, where Jean talks about her night out with strangers on a stag do.Jean explained how the men had called her 'crazy', as Martin tried to reassure her and stayed until Stacey arrived.As Stacey told her mum that she'd booked her a doctor's appointment this Friday over concerns about her mental health, Jean becomes angry and storms off.Stacey Slater has been growing increasingly concerned for her mum, who is battling with her mental health.After making an attempt to repair her relationship with Harvey, things took a turn for the worse after she accused him of driving her to make a pass at Rocky because he doesn’t give her enough attention.Harvey dismissed her and sent her packing, but as she headed into town, she spotted her stag do pals from the previous evening posing for pictures at the wedding.As the bride threw the bouquet, Jean forced herself into the mix and caught the flowers, seeing it as a sign to propose to Harvey.Arriving at the house, she cautiously stepped into the living room with the flowers hidden behind her back, before she told Harvey what had just happened and popped the question on one knee.

The Etsy Inc. logo is displayed for a photograph on a smartphone next to sewing supplies in Tiskilwa, Illinois, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan.

(Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images) TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey officials have given approval to seven companies to sell recreational marijuana to adults meaning sales could start within weeks, according to The New York Times. The move comes more than a year after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question to legalize adult use of the drug.Early last year, Democratic Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation to set up a recreational marijuana marketplace. At the time of the signing, Murphy explained that by establishing a recreational marijuana marketplace, the economy statewide would flourish as new jobs would be created.On Monday, New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission, made up of five members, gave seven medical-marijuana companies final approval to start selling their products to all adults, according to NYT. The development makes New Jersey only the second state on the East Coast to fully authorize cannabis sales to all adults. The seven companies are permitted to begin selling recreational cannabis for adult use as soon as each company pays more than $1 million in fees associated with the expanded licenses and meets other requirements to obtain the license. ___DOWNLOAD: FOX 29 NEWS APPSUBSCRIBE: Good Day Digest Newsletter | FOX 29 Philly on YouTubeAdvertisementFOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

United States Football League kicks off on April 16, it's time to meet every team's mascot — but there's a twist.On Monday, each team revealed its mascot on social media.

STEPHENVILLE, Texas - Tarleton State University researchers believe they have demonstrated how combinations of food-grade plant extracts have the power to remove microplastics from wastewater. Specifically, the extracts came from plants like okra, aloe, cactus and psyllium.The researchers presented their findings last month at the virtual spring meeting of the American Chemical Society.Typically, microplastics are removed by either skimming off the items that float at the top or by adding flocculants, or sticky chemicals that attract microplastics and form large clumps. The clumps then sink to the bottom of the water and can be separated from it, according to the university. RELATED: Microplastics found in human blood for the 1st time, study saysLead researcher Dr.

As Shanghai's lockdown enters its third week and amid public outcry about lapses in food supply and services, including medical treatment, officials today announced a plan to ease measures in some of the city's districts where no cases have been reported in the past 2 week.

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore acknowledged the sixth wave of COVID-19 during his first update since early March.

coronavirus rules to prevent a "brutal" Easter as pressure mounts on the NHS, health leaders have warned. NHS bosses issued the stark warning as they pointed out that the service is facing the same pressure this spring as it would in the midst of a "bad winter."The government has been urged to review its Living with Covid plan as high rates of Covid-19 infections are having a "major impact" on the healthcare system.

Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Michigan, left, speaks during a panel discussion during a campaign event for Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont and 2020 presidential candidate, in Clive, Iowa, U.S., on Friday, Jan. 31, WASHINGTON - U.S.

SYLVA, N.C. - A 3-year-old Pennsylvania girl was killed after she was swept over Whitewater Falls in North Carolina, a sheriff's office said.The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that Nevaeh Jade Newswanger of Denver, Pennsylvania, had been visiting the waterfall with family, who are staying in Oconee County, South Carolina, while working in the area, news outlets reported.Jackson County Emergency Management received a 911 call around 5:50 p.m. on Sunday from someone reporting a little girl "had been swept away in the water at the top of the falls" and carried over the edge by the current, the sheriff's office reported.Rescue crews from Jackson, Transylvania, Haywood, Henderson and Oconee counties responded to the falls and launched rescue operations to locate the child, the news release said.

NEW YORK - Leniz Escobar, who went by the same ‘Diablita’ or ‘little devil’ on social media, was found guilty on all counts Monday for luring a group of young men to a wooded area in Central Islip in 2017 where they were beaten and hacked to death with machetes, knives, and tree limbs by more than a dozen members of the MS-13 gang.Escobar had told the group they were meeting to smoke marijuana, according to federal prosecutors.  She was also found guilty of obstructing the investigation into the murders by destroying evidence, warning people to flee, and lying to police. Alexander Ruiz, the only one who managed to escape by running for his life, told the jury that members of MS-13 covered their faces with sweatshirts and ordered them to get down on the ground, threatening to kill anyone who moved. Prosecutors said the motive for the attack was payback because the victims had disrespected the vicious gang on social media and allegedly were members of the rival 18th Street gang.

Ontario’s top doctor says the province isn’t reinstating a widespread mask mandate right now, but issued a “strong recommendation” for individuals to wear a mask in indoor public settings as COVID-19 figures trend upward.Dr. Kieran Moore made the remarks Monday at his first press briefing since early March.“In the last few weeks, we have seen an increase in the per cent positivity and upward trend in wastewater surveillance and a rise in hospitalizations,” Moore said.“These trends are likely to continue for the next several weeks but there are actions that we can take to help manage the impact of this wave such as layering the personal protective measures we have adopted so well over the last two years, even when they may not be legally required.

Coronation Street as Laura Neelan (Kel Allen) sadly passed away in emotional scenes which aired last week.After being diagnosed with cancer, Laura was determined to reconcile with her daughter Kelly Neelan (Millie Gibson).However, her health deteriorated and Gary Windas (Mikey North), who viewers know is responsible for Laura husband Rick's death, tried to persuade Kelly to visit her mum one last timeThings haven't been the same between the mother and daughter since Laura confessed to Rick's murder so Gary could continue to look after Kelly when she died.Laura sadly passed away and Kelly missed her last chance to see her mum.Following Laura's exit from the soap, Daily Star taken a look at Coronation Street's most heartbreaking moments.Soap anniversaries usually come with their fair share of dramatic moments - but Coronation Street's 50th anniversary saw the death of many fan favourites too.Beloved Weatherfield butcher Ashley Peacock was one of the residents to die in a tragic tram crash, leaving fans in tears as the long serving resident left the cobbles for good - several years after the murder of his wife Maxine.Ashley had been in the Joinery Bar celebrating Peter Barlow's stag night, but a tram derailment caused the roof to collapse and in a moment of heroism, Ashley held part of the roof up so Peter and Nick to escape - knowing that he would die instead.The tram crash also claimed the life of Molly Dobbs, and further shock was to follow, as Molly Dobbs revealed to Sally Webster in her dying breaths that she had an affair with Sally's husband Kevin - and that he was the father of her baby.Jack and Vera Duckworth were inseparable on the cobbles, with the couple providing much needed comic relief throughout their time

Depression and loneliness have increased among older adults during the pandemic, prompting a need for more coordinated efforts to address the issue, according to a report on social isolation in older Canadians.The report was conducted by researchers at Simon Fraser University's

COLOMBO (News 1st); The All-Party Conference convened by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will be held in Colombo at 10 a.m on Wednesday (23).This All-Party Conference was convened on a proposal made by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.However, several parties currently represented in Parliament have decided NOT to attend the All Party Conference.The parties that will boycott the APC are;

COLOMBO (News 1st); The All-Party Conference is not a mere political charade, stressed Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday (23) while chairing the much-awaited APC at Temple Trees in Colombo.“This All-Party Conference, with representations from the ruling faction and the opposition, was organized to reach solutions in unison for the issues that we face today,” said the President.President Rajapaksa said all politicians are duty-bound to find solutions to the issues that the country is facing today.He urged the political party representatives to be determined to work together to solve the issues that are plaguing the country.Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal who was also present for the meeting said Sri Lanka is facing a serious economic crisis, like most other countries in the world, and when the pandemic struck some countries had a strong foundation and others were not that fortunate.He once again confirmed the Sri Lankan government’s intentions of working with the International Monetary Fund for financial assistance.Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, however, snapped back at the Central Governor for opening his remarks by saying the former government was responsible for the crisis, at a time when parties have come forward for the APC casting aside differences.“What would happen if I respond? Then another person will have to respond.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Advisory Committee appointed to assist the National Economic Council had submitted 5 proposals to the NEC.The Advisory Committee met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the first time on Monday (21), and made the submissions.The five proposals are as follows:1. Immediately appoint a Technical Committee with Central Bank, and Treasury representation to propose on International Financial facilities.2.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The President’s Office said on Thursday (17) that there was no truth to the reports that claim that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had asked CBSL Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal to resign.It stated that a local newspaper report claiming that the IMF delegation had laid down such a condition is a total canard.The IMF did not discuss officials and the talks covered only the monetary issues, said the President’s Media Division.It went on to note that the President and the Government have the fullest confidence in the CBSL Governor and there is no reason whatsoever to seek his resignation.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka has started discussions with international monetary agencies and other friendly nations on its debt servicing obligations, said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday (16), in a televised address to the nation.“We need to clear the deficit and increase our foreign reserves,” said the President, adding that the government is in talks with various factions to implement necessary processes that would not be detrimental to Sri Lanka.‘We held talks with the International Monetary Fund yesterday (15). We hope to secure a process that would see us service our annual debt installments and sovereign bonds,” said the President adding that it was decided to further work with the IMF after studying the pros and cons of the proposed process.President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that certain decisions made by him in the past attributed to the control of import expenses, and that is why vehicle imports were suspended two years ago, and local industries were encouraged to boost production.The President said the main issue faced when controlling import expenses is the rapidly rising petroleum prices in the world market.“Over 20% of our import expenses are spent on petroleum products.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa leading a protest opposite the President’s Office in Colombo on Tuesday (15) said that the government that promised relief, has only brought about the burden to the people.Sajith Premadasa was clear in his message to the government “Go home or allow the people to decide at a Presidential Election.”“The government led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa must leave if they cannot do what they were elected to do, and let us carry on with governance,” he told the protestors.“We cannot bear this suffering anymore,” Premadasa told a gathering of thousands of protestors in Colombo, adding that the Rajapaksa Government, the Rajapaksa Family are responsible for the suffering and the time is now to send them home.“We are here to tell the government that ruined this country, to go home,” he said.Heavy security was experienced around the President’s Office when the protest was taking place, with protestors also making attempts to break through the police cordon to make their way into the premises.He said the Samagi Jana Balavegaya led government will bring back the Sri Lankan identity that was lost as a result of the actions of the present government.Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told the protestors that it is time to be prepared to save the country from the brink of destruction.“Thousands have come here with no fear of bullets, tear gas, bombs, water cannons, and even baton charges,” he said in a message aimed at the government.Commenting on the fuel crisis, Premadasa said that three middle-eastern governments have promised to supply fuel for two years with no up-front payment to a Samagi Jana Balavegaya led government.He said

(Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s finance minister held talks with a top International Monetary Fund (IMF) official on Monday, two sources said, as the island nation seeks help to deal with its plunging reserves, a sliding currency, and surging inflation, according to Reuters.It was reported that IMF’s Asia Pacific Director had led a delegation to Sri Lanka.It was earlier reported that a Senior Official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will pay a visit to Sri Lanka on Monday (14) and Tuesday (15) to brief Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of the IMF assessment of the current economic crisis.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lankan Twitter-sphere is abuzz with two new #hashtags that have started to trend among pro & anti-government activists.The two hashtags are #WeAreWithGota and #GoHomeGota.According to the local newswire website, several Government officials have extended their support to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa amidst the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka.President Gotabaya Rajapaksa can resolve the current economic crisis of Sri Lanka, the Additional Director General of the Government Information Department Milinda Rajapaksa assured on Monday (14).

The visiting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, H.H. Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdulla Al Saud paid a courtesy calls on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa followed by a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Masatsugu Asakawa, President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), stated with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that the projects that have been implemented with the assistance of the ADB have made significant strides and he pledged to support Sri Lanka’s development efforts continuously.Asakawa made these remarks when he met with President Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat, on Thursday (10).The ADB President also said that special attention will be paid to support small and medium scale enterprises as well as private sector entrepreneurial development.The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided US $ 750 million as concessional loans last year. Asakawa said that loans worth US $ 2 billion would be allocated for operational projects this year.The ADB President assured assistance in the efforts to revive the tourism sector in Sri Lanka and the development of human capital, which has suffered a setback due to the Covid-19 pandemic.The President thanked the ADB for providing nearly US $ 600 million worth of loans and financial assistance to Sri Lanka to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.The President said Sri Lanka seeks the assistance of the Asian Development Bank for green agriculture, renewable energy generation and foreign direct investment in industrial zones.The government aims to achieve 70% of the total energy generation from renewable sources.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has issued an extraordinary gazette amending the Duties and Functions of the State Minister of Defence, State Minister of Disaster Management, Minister of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation. 

COLOMBO (News 1st); President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has decided to convene the Economic Council on a weekly basis with the objective of accelerating the economic growth in the country through the management of the entire economy by thoroughly discussing the local economic policies including macroeconomic policies, the behavior of the national economy after Covid – 19 pandemic situation, economic restructuring as well as the major development projects that directly affect the economic policies and financial policies of the government.The Cabinet of Ministers decided to grant their concurrence to the measures to be taken by the President to let implement the decisions taken by the relevant Ministries, Departments and Statutory institutions when necessary subject to the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers followed by the instructions and guidance of that Board as well as to invite intellects with esteem/standard in the respective fields as required for the meetings of the Economy board.Accordingly, the composition of the Economic Council is comprised as follows.• His Excellency the President Gotabhaya Rajapaksha (Chairman)• Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa• Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardhana• Minister of Highways Johnston Fernando• Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksha• Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage• Minister of Plantation Ramesh Pathirana• Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Ajith Nivard Cabraal• Secretary to the President Gamini Senerath• Secretary to the Treasury S. R.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The state-of-the-art cement manufacturing facility of Lanwa Sanstha Cement Corporation (Pvt) Ltd., was inaugurated by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday (7).A BOI venture, the Lanwa Sanstha facility spread across 63 acres is located in Hambantota’s Mirijjawila Export Processing Zone, and saw an investment of US $ 100 Mn.The total capacity of the plant would be 4mn MT per annum and is one of the largest such facilities in the whole of South Asia.The President and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa also placed the foundation stone for the proposed steel factory at the premises which will cover 250 acres, with an investment of US $ 400 Mn.

COLOMBO (News 1st); President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has advised the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs to name the late ceremonial tusker ‘Nadungamuwe Raja’ as a National Treasure.Further, he had noted to conserve the remains of the Tusker for future generations.The President’s Media Division said that a team from the National Museum was dispatched to Gampaha, where the remains of the ceremonial tusker are currently placed.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former Deputy Police Chief Ravindra Seneviratne filed a Fundamental Rights application with the Supreme Court on Monday (7) seeking an order to prevent his arrest.Ravindra Seneviratne was also the Former Head of the Criminal Investigations Department.The Former DIG in his application sought an interim order preventing any attempt to arrest him based on the contents of the B report produced to the Kuliyapitiya Magistrate’s Court on charges that include the failure to properly investigate Zaharan Hashim, who led the suicide bomb attacks on 21st April 2019.In addition, the Former DIG also sought an interim order restraining President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from issuing a detention order as the Minister of Defense to arrest him under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act.The petitioner also seeks an order quashing the B report filed against him in connection with a fraudulent investigation report allegedly made on an anonymous petition.The Former DIG has requested the court to order his immediate release if he is arrested and to pay Rs. 100 million as compensation.Assistant Superintendent of Police Meryl Ranjan Lamahewa of the CID, Women Inspector Niroshani Pathirana among 14 others were named as the respondents in the application.The Former DIG pointed out that he could be arrested at any time on the basis of that report, thereby violating his fundamental rights.