Farmers concerned as CP rail trains could grind to a halt due to labour impasse

PTI report.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Government has decided to hold a debate on the International Monetary Fund report on recovering Sri Lanka’s debt sustainaibility.Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando stated that the Parliament had decided to hold the debate within the first week of April.Representatives of several parties, including UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, called on the Government to hold a Parliamentary debate on the report.

Hong Kong government said in a statement.

BOSTON - Boston authorities said one construction worker was killed when part of a building collapsed Saturday."This is a terrible tragedy," Mayor Michelle Wu said to reporters. "My heart goes out to the family and loved ones of the worker here tonight.""Companies working at a partial building collapse at 1 Congress St.," the Boston Fire Department tweeted.According to Boston 25 News, the fire commissioner said the worker was in a bobcat when the floor collapsed and he fell 9 stories.

First Dates bartender Merlin ­Griffiths has given a health update amid his ongoing cancer battle. The Channel 4 star announced that he was diagnosed with bowel cancer in September of last year. He told of how he was set to face a year of treatment with doctors telling him he has a 75% chance of living more than five years.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - This weekend, union members are voting on a tentative agreement that was reached between the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers and Minneapolis Public Schools to end the strike. If union members approve the agreement, the educators will return to work on Monday, March 28, and students would return to class on Tuesday, March, 29.MPS announced at 4 a.m. Friday, March 25 that a tentative contract agreement has been reached with the MFT and Education Support Professionals (ESPs), ending the strike if ratified.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) - President Joe Biden on Saturday marveled at the spirit and resolve of Ukrainian refugees in the aftermath of Russia’s deadly invasion as he embraced mothers and children and promised enduring support from Western powers.Biden, while in Poland's capital, listened intently as children described the perilous flight from neighboring Ukraine with their parents. Smiling broadly, he lifted up a young girl in a pink coat and told her she reminded him of his granddaughters.

TRENTON, N.J. - A nine-year-old girl has died after being shot in Trenton on Friday, authorities with the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office say. According to the prosecutor's office, the shooting happened around 7:30 p.m.

#COVID19 is on the rise in many countries. @DrMikeRyan explains the dangerous ‘double effect’ of opening up too quickly and high Omicron transmissibility. The good news is vaccination also has a double effect:1️⃣ saves lives2️⃣ protects health systems pic.twitter.com/Dpn0Gj0iIE

Spring officially commenced on 20 March, and we've already started to see the weather brighten up over recent days. The evenings are beginning to become brighter and the temperature is already on the increase, as we all get prepared for summertime. Clocks are now set to go forward on Sunday 27 March at 01:00, allowing more daylight in the evenings and less in the mornings.

COVID vaccines became freely available in the U.S., one fourth of American adults remain unvaccinated, and a picture of the economic cost of vaccine hesitancy is emerging. It points to financial risk for individuals, companies and publicly funded programs.Vaccine hesitancy likely already accounts for tens of billions of dollars in preventable U.S.

Two weeks after the province lifted its COVID-19 mask mandate, there are calls to reinstate it in some areas. Kylie Stanton tells us where, and what the health minister says about it.

The Canadian veterans who raised money for three ambulances and medical supplies are on the ground in Ukraine, and already making a difference. Rumina Daya reports.

Covid-19 cases, as per updated data by Union Health Ministry. Nearly 4100 deaths including backlog death cases from some states were reported in the last 24 hours. While the Covid-19 active caseload stood at 16,741 on Saturday, as per the Health Ministry data. The cumulative vaccination administered in the country reached 1,82,87,68,476, the data further revealed.

COVID-19 wastewater data shows cases are rising again across Canada “(Calgary has) been coming down a lot,” Kevin Frankowski told Global News on Friday. He is the executive director of Advancing Canadian Water Assets and co-lead of the pan-Alberta wastewater monitoring project.“We’re about 80 per cent of the way down the Wave 5 peak, and for a while it was kind of just staying at the same level.

Chicken meal kits recalled (Credit: FSIS) WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert on chicken breast meal kits due to concerns about the poultry’s misbranding and undeclared allergens. "FSIS is issuing this public health alert to ensure that consumers are aware that these products should not be consumed," the agency wrote in a press release Friday.The chicken breast meal kits were shipped to retail locations in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.

FILE - A study assistant, is holding a blood sample in her hand. (Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Image)Researchers have documented evidence of microplastics found in human blood for the first time, according to a recent study conducted in the Netherlands. The study, published in the journal Environment International on March 24, observed the blood of 22 healthy, non-fasting volunteers and subsequently, 17 out of the 22 people tested positive for having microplastics in their blood. Researchers found four "high production volume polymers" in test subjects’ blood which included polyethylene terephthalate, a synthetic resin which is often found in clothing fibers, containers for liquids and food and found in food in general, according to the study. In addition, polyethylene, one of the most common types of plastics primarily used in packaging for food, medical tubing and cable wires was also detected in the subject’s blood. Also present was polymers of styrene, otherwise known as polystyrene, which is made "from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is commercially manufactured from petroleum," according to Science Direct. Polystyrene is widely used in the food industry to create containers, cups, utensils, plates and bowls. Researchers found approximately 1.6 micrograms (one-millionth of a gram) of microplastics in blood samples.

The pace of COVID-19 spread appears to be slowing in some of Asia's recent hot spots, including Hong Kong, where cases are at their lowest level in a month.

stepmother of a New Hampshire girl who disappeared in 2019 at age 5 have been formally indicted on the charges they were arrested on earlier this year related to the child's well-being, the attorney general's office said Friday.Adam and Kayla Montgomery have been jailed since January. Adam Montgomery had custody of his daughter, Harmony Montgomery, who vanished sometime in late November or early December of that year.

universal health-care system is “at risk” amid unprecedented pressures exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, says the country’s health minister.As a result, Ottawa is pledging an additional $2 billion in top-up health transfers to the provinces in a bid to help them resolve backlogs in surgeries, Jean-Yves Duclos announced on Friday.“Two years after the beginning of the worst pandemic the world has known in over a century, we need to acknowledge that if we do not act quickly and decisively, the long term survival of the universal and public health system Canadians cherish is at risk,” said Duclos.Duclos said delays in surgeries, diagnostics and treatments existed before the pandemic but that after five successive waves of COVID-19 in the span of two years, provincial health systems are struggling.The transfer comes in addition to the $4-billion top-up provided to the provinces in March 2021.More to come.

family’s cruise holiday has been left in tatters after their daughter was not allowed to board over Covid rules – despite being too young to be double jabbed. Dannie and Sharon Sheppard, along with their two children, Niamh, 12, and Ewan, 10, were due to set sail on their one-week trip with P&O Cruises around France, Spain and Portugal, on April 16.

NEW BRIGHTON, Pa. - Two men who worked in direct care at a western Pennsylvania residential facility inflicted what a grand jury alleges was "violent, demeaning and humiliating" abuse on people with severe physical and mental disabilities, federal prosecutors said Friday in announcing hate crimes criminal charges.Zachary Lee Dinell, 28, and Tyler Smith, 31, are accused of abusing people who are not able to speak to report their injuries and lack the capacity to defend themselves.Their 12-count indictment issued Wednesday describes that from mid-2016 to about September 2017 residents of McGuire Memorial in New Brighton were punched in the face and head, choked, kicked in the face, jumped on, had caustic substances and other liquids rubbed into their eyes and had liquids sprayed and thrown into their mouths.Thomas King, McGuire Memorial's general counsel, said the abuse came to light when police investigating Dinell for another matter found texts and videos on his cellphone. An investigation concluded no others at McGuire were aware or involved, King said.Four lawsuits by residents or their family members have been settled by the home's insurer, King said."This was a horrible event for everyone involved in McGuire," King said Friday, noting policies were changed and security cameras installed as a result.

Holly Willoughby.The Streets gained critical and commercial acclaim when they released their debut album Original Pirate Material in 2002, followed by smash hit A Grand Don't Come For Free in 2004.Although Mike Skinner rose to fame with The Streets, the musician has also branched out into other music and film projects too since then.In 2010, the singer and rapper wrote the soundtrack for hit film The Inbetweeners, featuring 10 original compositions by the star.Not only that, but he also branched out into acting himself, appearing in Doctor episode The Time Of The Angels as a security guard in 2011.Four years previously in 2007, Mike had also hosted a late night programme called Beat Stevie on Channel 4.However he has since returned to music, working on projects including D.O.T with musician Rob Harvey in 2011, and releasing music with a rap supergroup featuring musicians including Big Narstie from 2015-2017.Most recently, Mike reunited with The Streets for a tour in 2019, with the group releasing the single How Longs It Been.In 2020 he also released None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive, a mixtape full of guest spots from young stars.Although The Streets had global success, Mike Skinner has spoken openly about suffering with his mental health while at the height of the group's fame.Speaking to Q Magazine, Mike revealed that he had suffered anxiety and depression during that time, saying: "Every day in The Streets was scary because you feel totally out of control."Anxiety, paranoia and general fear. That’s what my 20s were like.

Research has indicated that about one in 11 people north of the border could have had covid last week - the highest proportion ever.

More than 840,000 vaccine doses have been dished out in Ayrshire and Arran, according to a health chief.

The first Canadian-made COVID-19 vaccine by Medicago has been rejected by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to its ties to tobacco giant Philip Morris

LONDON :

A row has broken out over pleas from NHS chiefs for residents to avoid the area’s A&E emergency department.

COVID-19 vaccine appointment booking phone line to accept only calls on weekdays.Starting March 28, the phone line will only be staffed from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27, will mark the final weekend days the phone line will be staffed.

BA.2 sub-lineage. The rest are BA.1," said Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead on Covid-19.

To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA said: “It’s important to be aware that Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is usually spread by tick bites in countries where the disease is endemic, it does not spread easily between people and the overall risk to the public is very low.“We are working with NHS EI to contact the individuals who have had close contact with the case prior to confirmation of their infection, to assess them as necessary and provide advice.“UKHSA and the NHS have well established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be strictly followed."

Good Morning Britain presenters Ben Shephard and Charlotte Hawkins spoke to Soccer Saturday host Chris Kamara during the Friday edition of the ITV news programme. Chris, 64, revealed he is currently in therapy after being diagnosed with speech disorder Apraxia, meaning he can sometimes struggle to get his words out.As the interview began about the forthcoming series of Ninja Warriors, the conversation eventually turned to Kamara's health as Charlotte asked how he was and whether the public's support had helped him.Chris replied: "It was incredible, today's a good day, today I think I'm fine, I don't know how I sound but it seems as if I'm okay."I'm not really sure about how it comes out because if I explain my Apraxia, it's like we take for granted the fact that when we think and coming through our speech, it's comfortable, it's easy, it's natural."My Apraxia when it's bad stops those signals from that brain going to that mouth so it slows it's down.

Love Island star Maura Higgins has given fans a health update following “mystery illness.”The TV star had been undergoing various tests to get to the bottom of an illness that left her bed bound for three days and caused her to lose a stone.Speaking on her Instagram stories yesterday (March 24), the Irish beauty opened up to her 3.4 million followers and explained that her doctor had discovered "severe inflammation" around her bladder.The cause of the problem is unknown, however, and the 31-year-old revealed to her followers that this isn’t the end of it, saying: "Obviously I have to get more tests done."The Longford native explained that she went in for an ultrasound and the doctor decided to conduct a smear test.Aware that smear tests often "grosses people out”, Maura didn’t want to go into too much detail but said: “Afterwards I turned around and said to him ‘oh my god that felt a bit like a smear test’ and he said ‘it was’."The reality TV star continued: "But this is my point because I know a lot of you message me about the smear test… if anyone ever says to you that a smear test is painful, uncomfortable, anything – they are drama queens."Maura assured her followers that her smear tests in the past have never been painful and reflecting on this one, she added: "I didn’t even know I was getting one. It was absolutely fine."Maura concluded her update by sending a vital message to her followers: "My point is get your smear test.

Kingston Mills, Professor of Experimental Immunology at Trinity College Dublin, said it was inevitable that there was going to be a surge in Covid cases as it is "difficult to stop transmission from a person who is not wearing a mask."

Coronation Street fans can expect plenty of drama next week.As Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor) arrives at the courtroom to show her support both Imran Habeeb (Charlie De Melo) and Abi Webster (Sally Carman) are awash with guilt.The local authority solicitor lists a host of reasons proving Abi to be an unfit mother and why Alfie should be taken into care.Imran pleads Abi’s case, doing everything in his power to convince the Judge that Abi’s changed.Toyah suggests to Imran that he’s done all he can for Abi and it’s time to step back and concentrate on Elsie’s adoption hearing. Imran covers his turmoil, while Abi’s furious.When Abi bans him from seeing Alfie, Imran declares he’ll do whatever it takes, even if it means putting his name on the birth certificate.

Canada’s bid to seal World Cup qualification was put on hold Thursday after a 1-0 loss to Costa Rica that saw the Canadians play a man down for almost two-thirds of the match.

COVID-19 vaccine system without actually giving them the shots.Being entered into the provincial database as vaccinated would allow a person to download the BC Vaccine Card, which remains necessary to access a variety of non-essential services until April 8.On Thursday, a sign was posted on the door of the Medicine Shoppe at 4277 Kingsway saying the pharmacy was not dispensing drugs. ‘Abhorrent’: Fraudsters pay Downtown Eastside residents to get vaccinated in their place B.C.

PHILADELPHIA - Authorities say a store employee shot and killed a would-be robber who brandished a fake gun Thursday night in North Philadelphia. Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were called to the Dollar General on the 900 block of West Girard Avenue just before 9 p.m. for reports of an armed robbery. Police Inspector D.F.

PHOENIX - The Arizona Legislature on Thursday joined the growing list of Republican-led states to pass aggressive anti-abortion legislation as the conservative U.S. Supreme Court is considering ratcheting back abortion rights that have been in place for nearly 50 years.The House voted on party lines to outlaw abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, mirroring a Mississippi law now being considered by the nation’s high court.The bill explicitly says it does not overrule a state law in place for more than 100 years that would ban abortion outright if the Supreme Court overrules Roe v.

St. Patrick’s Day, you may need more than the luck of the Irish to make sure you actually appear in the photos. Students’ pictures were being shot in front of a green screen to be superimposed on a generic background later during editing, but since it was St. Paddy’s Day and the traditional garb was also green, some students quite literally disappeared from their pictures. Oliver Snow is one of those students.

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a week prior. Two-dose coverage for those five and older is now 87.9 per cent, up from 87.7 per cent.For third doses, 50.8 per cent of people five and older have received a booster, up from 50.5 per cent a week earlier.

NEW DELHI :

Your heart health and lifespan could be boosted by drinking two cups of coffee a day, a new study has found.

HOUSTON - It's been nearly two weeks since a grand jury declined to criminally charge Deshaun Watson, now reports from the New York Times suggest a Texas grand jury is seeking another charge. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Deshaun Watson will not face criminal charges, grand jury determinesAccording to the report, a grand jury in Brazoria County, just south of Houston past Sugar Land is looking into evidence from the 10th accusation of sexual misconduct against the former Houston Texans Quarterback. This new report also comes almost a week after Watson was traded to the Cleveland Browns. Texans General Manager Nicholas Caserio delivers remarks on Deshaun Watson joining the Cleveland BrownsThe grand jury’s decision in early March came about a year after the women first filed their suits, accusing Watson of exposing himself, touching them with his penis, or kissing them against their will during massage appointments. One woman alleged Watson forced her to perform oral sex.Attorney Rusty Hardin held a press conference Friday after a grand jury determined Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson will not face criminal charges.During a special hearing in February, Rusty Hardin, Watson's attorney, asked the judge to delay the deposition of his client until there is a resolution with the criminal case filed against him, saying there will be prejudicial impacts.The judge ultimately ruled the deposition can go on, but will be restricted to the nine accusers who have not filed a criminal complaint.