Edmonton police chief defends response to truck protests, counter-protests and calls for calm on all sides

UKRAINE - A group of European leaders is fighting to allow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the people of Ukraine to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, despite the Nobel Committee’s expired deadline.In a letter, dated March 11, the politicians called on the committee to re-open and reconsider the 2022 nomination rules for the honor."Brave Ukrainian men and women are fighting to preserve democracy and self-government," the letter read. "From the defiance democratically elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the man with tears in his eyes saying goodbye to his family to fight for his country, people all over Ukraine are rising up to resist the forces of authoritarianism.

B.C. health officials have released a written report with daily COVID-19 numbers on Friday, March 18. Legislative bureau chief Keith Baldrey has analysis of the numbers and has details of the BA.2 subvariant associated with Omicron

ATLANTA - A young woman was who killed in an Atlanta shooting after a fight over a bowling ball late Thursday evening has been identified as the Lakevia Jackson who has a son with well-known rapper Young Thug.Jackson's family called the shooting senseless and said they are having a hard time coming to grips with her death during an outing that was meant to be a celebration of life. "She was celebrating a birthday at the bowling alley with a very close family friend," said mother Sherina Jackson.LaKevia Jackson with friends (Family photo)The 31-year-old mother was at out at the Metro Fun Center in a shopping center located 1900 block of Metropolitan Parkway in southwest Atlanta. Her mother said they were bowling when a second group came in and started taking over their space, leading to an argument shortly after 11:30 p.m.

The fossil remains of a Basilosaurus' skull found in Ocucaje, Peru, are displayed by paleontologists at a museum in Lima, on March 17, 2022.  Paleontologists recently discovered the origins of fossils from a fearsome aquatic predator that would make the terrifying shark from "Jaws" look adorable. The skull was dug up last year but scientists announced on Thursday the 36-million-year-old creature once lived in a prehistoric ocean that once covered what is now Peru, Reuters reported. The recovered skull may look like it came from a fire-breathing dragon, but scientists believe the mammal to be a basilosaurus, part of the aquatic cetacean family. Modern descendants of this animal include whales and dolphins. Scientists confirmed the ancient whale measured in at roughly 39 feet offering relief to readers of the creature’s extinction. "It was a marine monster," said Rodolfo Salas, chief of paleontology at Peru's National University of San Marcos, told reporters at a news conference.

PHOENIX - Officials with the Phoenix Police Department say a woman has been arrested in connection with a stabbing incident that left her mother seriously hurt.In a statement released March 18, officials announced the arrest of 27-year-old Brenda Villela, one day after they asked for the public's help in finding her.The stabbing that allegedly involved Villela, according to officials, happened at around 5:20 a.m. on March 16 in the area north of 7th Avenue and Broadway Road."Ms.

PHILADELPHIA - A decision is expected very soon on who will be the next Superintendent of Philadelphia Public Schools, but one decision is already clear: it will be a man.The School District of Philadelphia named John L. Davis Jr., Krish Mohip, and Tony B. Watlington Sr.

David Tennant opened the 2022 Red Nose Day fundraiser by giving a special tribute to Zoe Ball who is missing the show due to getting Covid.

Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans reacts to a touchdown during a game against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium on January 03, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) Deshaun Watson changed his mind.

Then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows speaks to members of the press outside the West Wing of the White House on August 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina state investigators are probing the voter registration of Mark Meadows, a former chief of staff to President Donald Trump, amid questions about him listing a home he never owned on voter records, the state attorney general’s office said Thursday.Attorney General Josh Stein's office asked the State Bureau of Investigation to look into Meadows' voter registration after a local prosecutor requested that state authorities oversee any probe of the matter, N.C.

A pair of new studies that sized up how COVID-19 vaccines affected hospitalizations, including during the Omicron variant surge, found that mRNA vaccines were highly effective against severe illness and that unvaccinated people were 12 times more likely to be hospitalized compared with those who had received a booster, with the risk especially high in Black patients.

SKIPPACK TWP, Pa. - Authorities say a child suffered non-life-threatening injuries after being struck by an ambulance while riding his bike Friday afternoon.Emergency crews responded to 4046 Skippack Pike around 3:30 p.m.

Russian state television suddenly cut away from President Vladimir Putin speaking at a packed Moscow stadium to mark the eighth anniversary of Crimea’s annexation on Friday, showing patriotic songs being performed at the event instead.

Karin Luttinen THERESA, Wis. - The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office announced on Friday, March 18 a significant update in the Baby Theresa death investigation case. Officials have identified mother of the newborn as Karin Luttinen of Milwaukee – and she has been charged with concealing the death of a child, a felony.On April 29, 2009, the body of a newborn girl was found in a garbage bag in the woods in the Town of Theresa.

Authorities say the suspect got into a silver Jeep Wrangler with a hardtop, tinted windows and either a Delaware or Maryland temporary license plate.  NEW CASTLE, Del. - Authorities in Delaware are searching for a man who they say tased and assaulted a woman as she was walking to a bus stop last week. Officers from the New Castle County Division of Police were called to the intersection of Buena Vista Drive and Liborio Lane on Tuesday for reports of an assault. A 31-year-old woman said she was walking to the bus stop when a man approached her and asked if her name is Alicia, according to police. When she said no, investigators say the man pushed a taser into her neck and forced her to the ground.

More than a third of local and state public health officials who resigned or were fired in the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic reported incidents of workplace violence such as threats, harassment, and intimidation, according to a mixed-methods US study yesterday in the American Journal of Managed Care.

Jean Boulet to ask the workers’ health and safety board to investigate.Christine Orain of Le Tremplin, a community organization that works with immigrants in the city just south of Quebec City, says the organization decided to go public after being unable to get any help for the workers.An initial complaint came in January 2021 when one employee came to her organization to say the residence was denying access to his pay stub, and it was discovered employees were not receiving their COVID-19 bonuses.Five others came forward afterwards, including some who didn’t have valid work permits and were allegedly told they would be helped to get one while “volunteering” at the residence in exchange for prepaid cards of between $50 and $70 per week, a situation that lasted for up to 11 months in some cases.Orain says all six workers have since left the residence after receiving their work documents.Boulet said in a statement Friday he was appalled by the report, noting that temporary foreign workers have the same rights and obligations as Quebec workers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin justified the invasion of Ukraine before a packed soccer stadium on Friday, but coverage of his speech on state television was unexpectedly interrupted by what the Kremlin said was a technical problem with a server.Speaking on a stage at the centre of Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, Putin promised to tens of thousands of people waving Russian flags and chanting “Russia, Russia, Russia” that all of the Kremlin’s aims would be achieved.“We know what we need to do, how to do it and at what cost. And we will absolutely accomplish all of our plans,” Putin, 69, told the rally from a stage decked out with slogans such as “For a world without Nazism” and “For our president.”Many of the Russian slogans used at the rally incorporated the “Z” symbol that Russian forces have used as a motif in Ukraine.

Justin Bieber addressed his wife’s health scare in his most recent concert. The singer took a moment to talk to the crowd, assuring them that Hailey was healthy and feeling good. Hailey Bieber released from hospital following a health scareJustin Bieber dedicates song to Hailey, crowd loses itA post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber)The video, which was shared on his Instagram, shows Bieber emotionally speaking to his audience and addressing the things that have been going on in his life.

The U.S. Capitol is shown June 5, 2003 in Washington, DC. Both houses of the U.S.

Even when insurance companies waived charges for COVID-19 hospitalizations, 10% of patients still had out-of-pocket costs of $2,000 or more for care that took place in the 6 months after they were released, finds a new study in the American Journal of Managed Care.The same team published a study Feb 14 in JAMA Network O

COVID-19 have died as the number of hospitalizations linked to the virus continued to drop Friday.The latest deaths, reported on the province’s online COVID-19 dashboard, bring Manitoba’s COVID-19 death toll to 1,726. Manitoba goes mask-free, many businesses, people remain cautious The number of people hospitalized as a result of COVID-19 fell to 382 as of Friday morning, 13 fewer than had been reported 24 hours earlier.As of Friday, 13 people are in ICU with the virus, down four from Thursday.Numbers released by the province Thursday show COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped 15.6 per cent from the previous week and ICU admissions linked to the virus were down 68.2 per cent over the previous week.Manitoba lifted all remaining COVID-19 public health orders Tuesday, including a mask mandate that had required face coverings to be worn in public spaces.

Ontario rejects Waterloo board’s request to have mask mandate extended in schools Of the 23 inpatients with COVID-19, 13 are being treated for COVID-19 while 10 are being treated for something other than COVID-19 but were found to have an incidental infection.At least 167 staff cases are currently active at LHSC, unchanged from Thursday but up from 155 on Wednesday.At St. Joseph’s Health Care London, officials reported 64 cases among health-care workers and two cases among patients or residents, both of Parkwood Institute Main Building.

Casualty spoilers follow. Casualty star Milo Clarke has spoken about his character's devastating health news. Last month, viewers saw that Teddy Gowan had been experiencing dizzy spells which he has been attempting to play down.

COVID-19 testing requirements for fully-vaccinated people crossing the border from the U.S. to Canada “could be huge” for the city beaten down economically by the pandemic.Jim Diodati says Canada’s number one leisure destination pre-pandemic had been seeing close to 14 million visitors per year which equated to about 50 per cent of revenues for the city and its businesses.However, closures to Niagara’s casinos, hotels, restaurants and general hospitality sector affected close to 32,000 (16 per cent) of residents in the entire region through job losses requiring the provincial government to inject millions in support programs to revitalize tourism in early 2021.

SAN FRANCISCO - From curtain bangs to side-swept bangs to micro bangs or something else, it’s the hair trend that is sweeping the nation. Yet, many people are left with bangs regrets. However expertly they’re cut, bangs can be a major hair commitment, and as some of us may have experienced — bangs regret is real.Thankfully, Yelp wants to help fix that fear by providing "Bangs Insurance" or $200 toward a new hairdo if you’re regretting your decision at your recent visit to the salon.A model has hair cut during fashion show.

BBC fundraiser Comic Relief is back on our TV screens on this weekend.The long running programme was founded in 1986 by stars including Lenny Henry, and has since featured some of the biggest names of stage, screen and film including Alan Carr, Tess Daley, Chris Evans and Graham Norton.Its 2022 show will also feature huge celebrities including David Tennant, Davina McCall, Alesha Dixon, Zoe Ball and of course, Sir Lenny Henry, to name a few.Ahead of the highly anticipated event, Daily Star has taken a look at where some of the hosts, past and present, are now.Lenny Henry was one of the stars to co-found Comic Relief back in 1986 and has regularly hosted the charity fundraising programme throughout the years.Having risen to fame as a comedian, he made his way into television through the talent competition New Faces in 1976, at the age of just 16 years old.From there it was onwards and upwards, as he also appeared on Tiswas, The Fosters and starring as multiple characters in 1986's Lenny Henry Tonite and The Lenny Henry Show.He has most recently appeared in Doctor Who as Daniel Barton, Broadchurch as Ed Bennett and The Syndicate as Godfrey Watson, as well as being listed as appearing in the new Lord of the Rings TV series.His career also led him to his future wife and fellow comedian Dawn French, who he was married to from 1984-2010, and with who he has one daughter Billie Henry.The couple divorced in 2010, but Dawn French told The Mirror that she and Lenny are still very close friends, saying: "Remarkably, we seem to have shifted with relative ease from a 25-year marriage to a lasting friendship.“I am amazed by us – there is no war, we’ve turned out to be the best of friends."Zoe Ball is no stranger to presenting roles,

Jesse Espersen fills his SUV with 16.536 gallons of Super+ gas at 7.559 per gallon for a total of 125 dollars at a Mobil station in Los Angeles, CA. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) The national average cost for a gallon of gasoline is likely to continue to fall in the coming weeks, though prices in California will remain elevated due to supply issues, according to an industry expert.As of Thursday, the national average is $4.289 a gallon, down from Wednesday's average of $4.305, according to AAA data.  Gas prices in Westchester are above six dollars as prices at the pump continue to raise across the Southland on Sunday, March 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, CA.

COVID-19 data as she has done throughout the pandemic.“With key indicators continuing to improve or remain stable and the majority of public health measures now lifted, today will be the last day I tweet the daily COVID-19 numbers,” Christine Elliott said Friday.She noted that updated data will still be available on the province’s website. Ontario COVID numbers: 615 people in hospital, 193 in intensive care Throughout the pandemic, Elliott would tweet the latest COVID-19 figures daily, providing an update on the epidemiological situation in the province.The province has shifted towards “living with and managing COVID-19,” a plan which includes lifting all public health measures by the end of April.On Monday, the mask mandate will lift for most public settings in the province.With key indicators continuing to improve or remain stable & the majority of public health measures now lifted, today will be the last day I tweet the daily #COVID19 numbers.There are no changes to available data.

Jean Charest says when it comes to lifting federal COVID-19 mandates, leaders should listen to health experts and not replace that advice with their own judgment.Federal Conservatives and their supporters have long been calling for the removal of vaccine mandates for domestic air travellers, public servants and those working in federally regulated industries.Tory MPs say rapid testing should be allowed for those who choose to be unvaccinated. They have dismissed the mandates, announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before last summer’s federal election, as driving division in the country and threatening people’s livelihoods.Recently, Conservatives have pointed to provinces’ choices to drop their vaccine passport rules along with remaining health restrictions, following the Omicron-driven wave of the pandemic when infections soared.

FILE-A Dairy Queen employee displays an ice cream cone at a DQ restaurant in New York. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images) WASHINGTON - With spring days away, Dairy Queen is giving customers a special treat with the return of their popular Free Cone Day giveaway.On Monday, March 21, customers can get a free, small vanilla ice cream cone at Dairy Queen locations nationwide — except locations inside malls. The free cones are limited to one per person while supplies last and may not be valid for delivery or mobile orders. RELATED: Dairy Queen giving away free ice cream on March 20Dairy Queen was among several companies in 2021 that changed or canceled their giveaway events based on the pandemic.

REDLANDS, Calif. - A Redlands youth soccer coach is behind bars after police found him with a 14-year-old girl in the back of his vehicle, officials said.Redlands police officers made contact with Jonathan Jeremy Ledesma during a vehicle check near Fairway Drive and Country Club Drive a little after 4 a.m. Thursday where he claimed that the victim was his girlfriend.While searching Ledesma's car and phone, officers located sexual text messages in between and "evidence of sex acts inside of the vehicle," according to a Redlands PD news release."Detectives interviewed the victim who disclosed that since she turned 14, she has had sex with Ledesma multiple times," the release says.Are you or someone you know a recent survivor of sexual assault? Help is available. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) provides a 24/7 national sexual assault hotline, which can be reached at 1-800-656-4673.The San Bernardino County judge has authorized a search warrant on the suspect’s vehicle, suspect’s phone, victim’s phone, suspect’s person and the victim’s person.

COVID-19 state of emergency on Monday, the rest of the municipalities in Waterloo Region intend to follow suit next week, although the region itself will not be lifting it.“The removal of the emergency declaration is a key milestone for the township, our residents and businesses as we continue forward in our journey to recovery from the pandemic,” North Dumfries Mayor Sue Foxton said.

COVID-19. Ontario lifts mask mandate in most settings March 21, all directives to drop by April 27 “As we continue on this path, we are able to take a more balanced and longer-term approach to the province’s pandemic response, including in Ontario schools, by removing many of the measures that have been put in place over the past two years.,” the letter reads.“This does not mean COVID-19 has disappeared.”The MOH says students and staff should continue to self-screen while it also has plans to update the screening tool.It also says it will continue to provide masks for both students and teachers should they wish to continue wearing them while those who are more at risk should be made aware of new anti-viral options.The letter also notes that good hygiene should be promoted and that there are increased cleaning measures in place.The letter from the province describes its prevention and response measures as being “robust”.“There remain circumstances where masking is recommended or required, and it will be important to foster an environment that is kind considerate and inclusive for those who choose to continue to wear a mask,” the letter reads.

small asteroid struck the Earth’s atmosphere above Iceland last Friday, just two hours after it was spotted by an astronomer.On March 11, Hungarian astronomer Krisztián Sárneczky, from the Piszkéstető Observatory near Budapest, spotted a small asteroid headed toward our planet.Closer and closer, faster and faster. The impacted asteroid 2022 EB5 on 1 sec images taken at Piszkéstető Observatory with the 0.60m Schmidt telescope on Mar 11, 20:44, 20:50, 20:55, 21:05 and 21:11 UT (T-38, 32, 27, 17 and 11 min).

A 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is on display at a Volkswagen event in Los Angeles, California. (Erik Voake/Getty Images for Volkswagen) DETROIT - Volkswagen is recalling more than 246,000 SUVs in the U.S.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A Florida bridge tender has been arrested for manslaughter, one month after a 79-year-old woman fell to her death from a drawbridge that began rising while she was still walking on it.West Palm Beach Police said they arrested 43-year-old Artissua Lafay Paulk at her home Thursday afternoon with the assistance of US Marshals, after obtaining an arrest warrant two days earlier, which said surveillance video and deleted text messages between Paulk and her supervisor showed she lied in her statement to police.Paulk's arrest stems from the Feb. 6 incident, where 79-year-old grandmother Carol Wright fell to her death from the Royal Park Bridge.Wright was not identified by authorities due to Marsy's Law, but her identity was released by Attorney Lance Ivey, who represents Wright's family, WPTV reports.RELATED: Florida drawbridge death: 79-year-old victim's family attorney says bridge tender was 'negligent'According to Ivey, Wright had taken her bicycle for a ride to a book shop in Palm Beach and was returning home when she began crossing the bridge."She legally and lawfully gets on the bridge.

NEW DELHI :

COVID-19 as hospital numbers continued to fall Friday.There was a total of 1,021 pandemic-related hospitalizations, a decrease of 13. This comes after 76 patients were admitted in the past day, while 89 were discharged.There were 45 intensive care unit cases, a drop of five.The province added 1,170 new novel coronavirus cases, though health authorities say the daily tally doesn’t represent the current situation since access to government-run screening sites remains limited.

Scientists have sounded the alarm on Long Covid's impact on concentration and memory.

COVID on Friday, with 193 in intensive care units, as figures continue to trend downward.This is down by 29 for hospitalizations and a decrease of six in ICUs since the previous day. Last Friday, there were 717 hospitalizations with 238 in ICU.The province recently began distinguishing between those who were admitted to hospital directly because of COVID, and those who were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for the virus.Of the 615 people in hospital with COVID-19, 44.5 per cent of them were admitted because of the virus, while 55.5 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID-19.Of the 193 people in ICUs with the virus, 79 per cent were admitted because of COVID, while 21 per cent were admitted for other reasons.

Photo shows the condition of the coral on the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of the Australian state of Queensland. - The Great Barrier Reef has been hit with "widespread" bleaching.

GENEVA :

COVID-19 health restrictions lifting, many Canadians are finally able to envision a return to normal life. But, as they face burnout, staff shortages and daunting procedural backlogs, some health workers say it isn’t so easy to move on.

After nearly a month of decline, COVID-19 infections around the world have started to creep up again. New cases have shot up by eight per cent globally compared to the previous week, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). However, experts are not sure Canada will see another wave even with loosened public health measures.

Coronavirus infections have continued to increase in England, Wales and Scotland, though the trend is “uncertain” in Northern Ireland, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In England, around one in 20 people in private households are estimated to have had the virus in the week to March 12, or 2.7 million people – up from one in 25, or 2.1 million people, in the week to March 5.

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden and China's Xi Jinping are set to speak on Friday as the White House warns Beijing that providing military or economic assistance for Russia's invasion of Ukraine will trigger severe consequences from Washington and beyond.Planning for the call has been in the works since Biden and Xi held a virtual summit in November, but differences between Washington and Beijing over Russian President Vladimir Putin's prosecution of his three-week-old war against Ukraine are expected to be at the center of the call.White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden would question Xi about Beijing's "rhetorical support" of Putin and an "absence of denunciation" of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine."This is an opportunity to assess where President Xi stands," Psaki said.China on Friday again sought to highlight its calls for negotiations and donations of humanitarian aid, while accusing the U.S. of provoking Russia and fueling the conflict by shipping arms to Ukraine."China has called for every effort to avoid civilian casualties all the time," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters at a daily briefing.

COLOMBO (News 1st); No conditions have been underlined for the USD 1 billion loan given by India, however, the amount will have to be paid back in installments after three years, said Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa.The President is acting on a very prudent and a long-term plan, says Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa on repaying the country’s loans after his entourage returned from India this afternoon. The Finance Minister returned to the country after signing agreements for a US $ 1 billion financial assistance from India. In addition to this $ 1 billion, India has already provided a $ 400 million loan, a $ 500 million loan to purchase petroleum and another $ 500 million via the Asian Clearing Union.Accordingly, the value of loans and relief facilities provided by India to overcome the current economic crisis is about US $ 2.4 billion in total. The Minister of Finance, speaking to media stated that Sri Lanka’s neighbor India has proven that it stands by Sri Lanka with this action, especially with Prime Minister Modi mentioning that all the support that Sri Lanka needs is being provided directly, both economically and socially.The Finance Minister said that Prime Minister Modi has learned of the organic farming and the interest shown by the President with regard to it, and although a shortage of nano fertilizer exists in India, they agreed to provide Sri Lanka with the required quantity.Rajapaksa also stated that India gave Sri Lanka a loan of US $ 1 billion to purchase food and other necessities for the people, especially for the upcoming Sinhala Tanil New Year, and the relevant loan has been in operation since yesterday (17).I urge all business communities to make it very transparent, giving priority to things which