Breaking News 15

COLOMBO (News 1st): Senior Veteran Journalist and Former Diplomat Bandula Jayasekera, passed away earlier on Friday morning (Mar. 05)

The late Mr. Jayasekara who was diagnosed with Myelodyplastic Syndrome Blood Cancer, underwent treatment and was 60-years of age at the time of his demise.

As a Diplomat, Mr. Jayasekara was a proud flag bearer for Sri Lanka serving in Canada, the USA and Australia.

As a Senior Journalist and broadcaster he continued to give a voice to the voiceless; Mr. Bandula Jayasekera was the host of News 1st’s “Pathikada” programme.

He also served as the Chief Editor of the Daily News.

A lifelong involvement in the print media and later as a broadcaster with the Capital Maharaja Group, Mr. Bandula Jayasekara enjoyed a role in public interest issues.

Colombo (News 1st); 24,374 people were given the vaccine for COVID-19 on Sunday (28), said the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health.

Accordingly, a total of 466,350 people have been jabbed with the vaccine since the 29th of January 2021, it added.

COLOMBO (News1st): The 46th UN Human Rights Council sessions will get underway in Geneva on Monday (22), and reports suggest that the UN Core Group is expected to handover a resolution against Sri Lanka to the Human Rights Council Secretariat.

The resolution against Sri Lanka is being finalized by the UN Core Group on Sri Lanka that comprises the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, and Malawi.

The mandatory cremation policy of individuals who die of COVID-19, against the practices of minority communities is among the highlights in the resolution.

It has also stressed the importance of a comprehensive accountability process for all violations and abuses of human rights committed in Sri Lanka.

Further, the resolution has called for the monitoring of Sri Lanka’s implementation of its 20th amendment while stressing the importance of democratic governance.

The government has also been encouraged to respect local governance, including holding elections for provincial councils and ensuring their operations under the 13th amendment.

Meanwhile, foreign relations minister Dinesh Gunawardena is set to address the 46th UNHRC sessions via video conferencing technology on Tuesday (23).

A committee appointed by the government under the foreign minister’s leadership will be among the Sri Lankan delegation that will attend the sittings online.

The committee comprises state minister of international cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya, education minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, Labour minister Nimal Siripal de Silva, Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila, and Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara.

A dialogue on the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sri Lanka will take place during the 46th UNHRC sessions on Wednesday at 7:30 pm Sri Lankan time.

COLOMBO (News 1st): President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has revised the portfolios of the State Ministry of National Security and Disaster Management, State Ministry of Home Affairs as well as the State Ministry of Land Management, via an extraordinary gazette.

According to the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2212/20 issued on 16th February 2021, the revised portfolios will be in effect from Tuesday (Feb. 16).

Thereby, the portfolios of 18 institutions that come under the purview of the Ministry of National Security and Disaster Management have been revised

The institutions are:
01. Department of Registrar General
02. Department of Immigration and Emigration
03. Secretariat for Non-Governmental Organizations
04. National Disaster Management Council
05. Disaster Management Centre
06. National Disaster Relief Services Centre
07. Department of Meteorology
08. National Building Research Organization
09. Rakna Arakshana Lanka Ltd.
10. National Authority for the implementation of Chemical Weapons Convention
11. National Dangerous Drugs Control Board
12. Defence Services School
13. National Defence Fund
14. Defence Research and Development Centre
15. Sri Lanka Institute of National Defence Studies
16. Sri Lanka Institute of National Defence Studies
17. Ranaviru Seva Authority
18. Api Wenuwen Api Fund

Through the gazette, all District Secretariats and Divisional Secretariats have been revised under the State Ministry of Home Affairs.

Furthermore, seven institutions are revised under the State Ministry of Land Management, State Enterprises Land and Property Development.

Accordingly, the following institutions will now be listed under the purview of the State Ministry of Land Management:
01. Department of Land Commissioner General
02. Land Reform Commission
03. Department of Surveyor General of Sri Lanka
04. Institute of Surveying and Mapping
05. Land Survey Council
06. Department of Land Use Policy Planning
07. Department of Land Settlement

Colombo (News 1st); The Committee on High Posts of the Sri Lankan Parliament approved the appointment of 04 Ministry Secretaries and 02 Ambassadors.

Accordingly J. M. J. P. Bandara was approved to the post of Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Shrimal Wickremesinghe was approved to the post of Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Seychelles.

In addition, the following appointments were also approved.

Mapa Pathirana : Labour Secretary
R. M. I. Ratnayake : Fisheries Secretary

Anuradha Wijekoon : Sports & Youth Affairs Secretary
Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe : Health Secretary

COLOMBO (News 1st): A fire is reported at a factory in the Katunayake Investment Zone, officials said on Wednesday morning (Feb. 03).

Four fire trucks and several teams were dispatched to douse the fire, the Fire Service Department of the Colombo Municipal Council told News 1st.

According to the CMC Fire Service Department, the Fire Brigade at the Katunayake Investment Zone was also dispatched to contain the fire.