Passara accident: Driver is in critical condition and truck driver arrested
Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said that the driver of the bus has not died as reported earlier and he is currently receiving treatment in critical condition. Also he is identified as a 53 year old man resident of Lunugala. “A person who had stuffed in the driving seat was taken out and he was found dead. He was reported at that time as the driver of the bus . But, later it was revealed that he was not the driver and the driver of the bus has been hospitalised with critical injuries,” he said. The driver of a tipper-truck has been arrested as CCTV video footage showed the bus attempting to avoid the truck before it went down a precipice near the 13th mile post in an area where the road was damaged.
SLAF officer died during parachute training; Airman injured
Sri Lanka Air Force officer had died and an airman was injured during a parachute training session today morning (March 20). Insident happened at SLAF Parachute Training School in Ampara. The deceased officer was 34 years old and identified as Squadron Leader Manoj Padmathilaka. Both of them were attached to the SLAF Vanni Base and reported to the Ampara Training camp on January 11this year to participate in a free parachute training. And the deceased officer was a resident of Polgolla. The injured airman was admitted to the Ampara hospital. The SLAF spokesperson Group Captain Dushan Wijesinghe states “They might have collided with each other due to the sudden change of wind direction and fell on the ground about 40 feet”.
Sri lanka ranks 129 out of 149 countries in World Happiness Report
UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network released the World Happiness Report 2021 on Friday (March 19). It has ranked Sri Lanka in 129 out of 149 countries. Finland was ranked as the happiest country and Afghanistan the least happiest country out of all the countries list. The survey was done using three indicators: life evaluations, positive emotions, and negative emotions. In the questionire people were asked “Please imagine a ladder, with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top,” and also it explained “The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?” Among neighbouring countries, India is at 139th Bangladesh 101st,Pakistan ranked 105th and China is 84th with other countries listed.
Rich countries try to block vaccine plans for developing countries
Wealthy countries including the UK trying to block proposals to help developing countries to increase their vaccine manufacturing capabilities.( BBC ) Even Several poorer countries have asked the WHO to help tem to manufacture vaccines richer countries are pushing back on making international law that would enable them to achieve this. Diarmaid McDonald said“Where we could have language in there that would make it easier for countries to produce more vaccines and more medicines within their country, it would include initiatives that would finance and facilitate that. The UK is on the opposite side of the argument of trying to remove those kinds of progressive proposals from the text,”
Sri Lanka approves China’s Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine
State Minister of Production Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana states that the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has given the approval for the emergency use of Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use .
13 people were killed in a bus accident
Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said that 13 people were killed and nearly 31 passengers were injured in a road accident in Passara todat (March 20) morning. Police said that bus had skipped off the road and plunged down a precipice at 13th mile post on the Moneragala-Badulla Road at Passara. The Injured passengers been admitted to the nearest hospital. Police spokesman further said that negligence of the driver has caused the accident.
NATA request to stop manufacturing and promoting the cinnamon based cigarette
National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) is going to initiate legal actions against the newly launched cinnamon based cigarette “Lion Heart”. Viraj Bandaranayake the Legal Head of NATA stated that the manufacturer of the cigarette had failed to obtain necessary approval from the Ayurveda Department and Health Ministry. Also he further explained this advertising is violation of the law under the Tobacco and Alcohol Act of Sri Lanka. But it was recently promoted by Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa. Viraj Bandaranayake further explained that as the manufacturer didnt submit a public survey before launching the product company did not have the power to launch it to the local market. He also mentioned that authority had sent a written request to the company advising it to stop manufacturing and distributing the cigarette but the company had disagreed to the request. So he explained this as a initiation for other products to be launched to the local market without mandatory approval.
Kandy Esala Perahera declared as UNESCO Heritage
Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO states a proposals was submitted to declare the Kandy Esala Procession commonly as a World Heritage. Secretary General of Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO Moderates Asia Pacific Consultations Dr. Punchi Nilame Meegaswatte said the proposals will be submitted to the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris in France.
Bangladesh National cricket team is visiting Sri lanka for a test mach series.
The Bangladesh National Cricket Team will arrive in Sri Lanka on the 12th April 2021 for a Two Match Test Series, played under the World Test Championship. The series originally was scheduled to be played during October- November 2020 but it was postponed due to the COVID 19 pandemic.
CID begins an inquiry against MP Nalin Bandara over a complaint files by SIS director
Police spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana states that Director of the State Intelligence Services (SIS) Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay has lodged a complaint today ( March 19) against SJB MP Nalin Bandara over a false statement made on Suresh Sallay. In the complaint General Sallay has accused MP Bandara of making a public baseless and false statement linking him to the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks. Police spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana further said that a special team headed by an Assistant Inspector General of Police (ASP) will be investigating into the complaint.