Forex shortage is short-lived, says Basil while assuring sufficient stocks of many goods

(Courtesy: WSVN) WILTON MANORS, Fla. - Four West Point cadets on spring break in South Florida overdosed on cocaine laced with fentanyl, with two other cadets becoming exposed to the drug after they began performing CPR on their friends. All had to be hospitalized, with at least one person in critical condition, rescue officials said.In the front yard of the vacation rental home, multiple people were found in cardiac arrest Thursday when emergency crews responded to the 911 call, Fort Lauderdale Fire Department Battalion Chief Steve Gollan told news outlets."We are being told that four of those people had taken a substance that was believed to be cocaine laced with fentanyl when they went down into cardiac arrest," Gollan told WSVN.That’s when first responders said two friends of the victims began performing mouth-to-mouth CPR, which then exposed them to the dangerous drug as well and caused them to overdose.RELATED: 5 Florida children face hate crime charges for attacking white students"We were able to get some of those individuals back, so their heart was beating again, with a Narcan.

COVID-19 restrictions.The vaccine passport, which came into effect last September, has been gradually phased out over the past weeks. It was required to enter restaurants, gyms and bars, among other establishments.Health Minister Christian Dubé announced earlier this month that the government bumped up the timeline to eliminate the passport system by two days following discussions with public health officials.

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COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s CEB and India’s largest integrated energy company, NTPC signed the agreement for the joint development of the 100 MW Sampur Solar Power Plant yesterday (11).The Indian High Commission stated that the High Commissioner attend the signing of the agreement, along with 4 Ministers including the Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and the newly-appointed Minister of Energy, Pavithra Wanniarachchi.In a press release, the Indian High commission noted that during the visit of Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa to India last year, both sides had resolved to enhance investments from India in various sectors in Sri Lanka that would contribute to growth and expand employment, and the Sampur Solar Power Project is an important step in this direction.The Ministers attested to the strength of India-Sri Lanka economic partnership for mutual prosperity, including through cooperation in renewable energy, the High Commission added.Moreover, the High Commission noted that cooperation with Sri Lanka in this domain will only become stronger with the implementation of the US$ 100 million Line of Credit offered by India to Sri Lanka for development of solar power projects in Sri Lanka. Similarly, there is significant interest among private sector on both sides for cooperation in renewable energy which is likely to increase in the coming years.High Commissioner was delighted to attend the signing of the JVSHA between @ntpclimited & @CEB_lk today for the joint development of a solar power plant at Sampur.

Weatherfield in 1995, before he departed with his mum, Denise Osbourne, just two years later. He returned to the Cobbles for a brief storyline in 2007 and eventually became a series regular in 2016 after Ken suffered a stroke. READ MORE: ITV Coronation Street baffles fans as issue spotted after Abi rushed to hospitalDaniel has been played by Rob Mallard since becoming a Coronation Street mainstay, who has portrayed the character through some of Weatherfield's most dramatic storylines.

PHILADELPHIA - The Delaware Valley is bracing for a weekend winter storm that will bring rain and snow along with freezing cold temperatures and whipping winds. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for areas along the I-95 corridor and Philadelphia's north and west suburbs. Parts of the Lehigh Valley will be under a Winter Storm Warning, including the Poconos where forecasters expect around half a foot of snow. FOX 29's Scott Williams says the storm will start with widespread rain showers that could include a rumble of thunder. As temperatures start to fall towards the freezing point, forecasters expect the rain to change over to wet snow during the late-morning. The slushy snow will persist for the first half of the afternoon and begin to lessen around 2 p.m.

Covid mortality in 12 Indian states using data from the civil registration system, the report found that India had an estimated 152.5 excess deaths per 100,000 people over the two years.

His character is the son of a Coronation Street legend but off-screen, Rob Mallard has a very different life.

A B.C. man who killed his three children has been granted unescorted leave in the community for up to 28-days.

Russia’s deadly bombardments are striking more of western Ukraine. Mike Armstrong explains how Ukrainians are reacting, and how hundreds of volunteers are working around the clock to send out food and supplies.

There are signs Russia plans to ramp up its assault on Ukraine’s capital, as Kyiv remains out of Russian hands after weeks of attacks.

A former star of the filmed-in-B.C. series ‘Riverdale’ has pleaded guilty to the death of his mother. 23-year-old Ryan Grantham pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Barbara Waite.

A B.C. woman trying to get family members out of Poland says despite government assurances that Ukrainian refugees will be expedited, the process is still complicated and cumbersome. Rumina Daya reports.

PHILADELPHIA - A Ukrainian-American woman from Philadelphia boarded a plane to Romania on Friday night with the goal of reaching Ukraine to help evacuate women and children besieged by war.Svetlana Tikhonov is the founder of Quadrat Academy, a Montessori middle and high school in Northern Liberties. Her school has been collecting supplies for Ukrainian refugees. Tikhonov is personally collecting monetary donations through givebutter.com with a plan to use the funding on the front lines."We’re bringing the money there, and I’m going to hopefully provide supplies: medical aid, housing, anything we need to do not he ground," Tikhonov said. The husband of a Ukrainian woman shared the story of his wife's harrowing escape from her war-torn homeland as Vladimir Putin's Russian army commenced a full-fledged invasion two weeks ago.Tikhonov grew up in Kiev and left Ukraine with her family when she was 14.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday Ukraine was at a “strategic turning point” in the war as Russian forces bombarded cities across the country and appeared to be regrouping for a possible assault on Kyiv, with satellite images showing them firing artillery as they closed in on the capital.

We’re now past two weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine and there remains hope that the Russian advance can be stalled long enough for sanctions to so badly damage the invader’s economy that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be forced – one way or another – to end his war.

RCMP say a person has died after a shooting in the parking lot of a Real Canadian Superstore in North Vancouver and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has been called in. Emad Agahi reports.

Covid-19 cases continued the declining trend with the country logging 3,614 fresh Covid-19 cases on Saturday, taking the Covid-19 tally to 4,29,87,875, as per the Union Health Ministry updated data. Additionally, India on Saturday recorded a massive decline in Covid-19 deaths logging 89 fatalities in the last 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 5,15,803, as per Health Ministry data.

PHILADELPHIA - A Bucks County man who was one of the first people diagnosed with COVID-19 in the area during the onset of the pandemic said he's still experiencing symptoms long after recovering. Rico Rodriguez was in the hospital for two months with coronavirus in early 2020 and needed to be on a ventilator. He said most of his time spent in the hospital was a blur and he lost 45 pounds. "My doctor said when I first woke up that my lungs will come back, maybe not 100%, so I still do have breathing issues and shortness of breath from the longs sentence," Rodriguez said.Two years later, Rodriguez now considers himself a COVID-19 long hauler – a term for people still experiencing symptoms long after surviving the disease. Long COVID is usually diagnosed many weeks after a bout with COVID-19.

Kristen Stewart makes a casual arrival for her Spencer conversation held at 92Y in New York City on Friday (March 11).

omicron variant spawning outbreaks at a scale only seen at the peak of the start of the pandemic, China’s daily Covid-19 caseload exceeded 1,000 for the first time in two years. Here is a look at what is going on in the country.

COATESVILLE, Pa. - Authorities say a Pennsylvania man had a brief shootout with a burglar who stole two guns and a video game console from the victim's apartment Friday morning.Officers from the City of Coatesville Police Department were called to a property on East Lincoln Highway for reports of a shooting. According to investigators, the victim returned home to find a man armed with an AR-15 standing in his doorway. After a brief struggle, police say the suspect fired at least 7 shots and the victim returned fire with his legally-owned firearm. No one was struck during the brief shootout, according to police.The AR-15 used in the shooting was stolen from the victim's home along with another gun and a Playstation 5, police said. Authorities did not provide a description of the suspect.

SPALDING COUNTY, Ga. - When a Spalding County girl celebrated her eighth birthday, she got a present no one ever imagined. Her parents said someone had taken a toy out of a box and replaced it with marijuana.The girl's dad said from the outside, it looked like a regular box with a toy in it.

Russian NHL star Alexander Ovechkin is making his way across Western Canada this week as his team, the Washington Capitals, take on the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks.

"It's an absolute tragedy, there's nothing more to be said about it," Pace said. "It's not something that was intentional in anyway, it was just a tragic set of circumstances that lead to the death of this poor, innocent little girl." PHILADELPHIA - Authorities say a child was killed when she tried to open her grandmother's car door while she was parking and became pinned between the door and a tree. Emergency responders were called to the 3000 block of Aldine Street around 8 p.m.

LOS ANGELES - Rideshare drivers have been hit hard with the recent spike in gas prices and soon rideshare customers could be impacted as well. The recent surge in gas prices has prompted Uber to add a fuel surcharge in order to help drivers and couriers struggling with the recent financial burden. "Beginning Wednesday, March 16, consumers will pay a surcharge of either $0.45 or $0.55 on each Uber trip and either $0.35 or $0.45 on each Uber Eats order, depending on their location—with 100% of that money going directly to workers’ pockets," Uber wrote in a press release. "We know that prices have been going up across the economy, so we’ve done our best to help drivers and couriers without placing too much additional burden on consumers. Over the coming weeks, we plan to listen closely to feedback from consumers, couriers and drivers.

The province is taking a step back on one of its COVID-19 orders and extended health care workers now only have to report their vaccination status. The previous version of the order required all workers to be vaccinated and the change is causing some confusion for those involved.

It’s only been a few days since the City of Edmonton dropped its mandatory mask bylaw. But after two years of masking up, how are Edmontonians and businesses dealing with this new found freedom? Chris Chacon takes a look.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are signing their names on an open letter which called out loosening COVID-19 policies across the world.

After six million people died, public health measures that came and went, and an unprecedented vaccine rollout, the world is marking two years since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic.

River East Transcona School Division has released a music video dedicated to lifting the spirits of Manitoba’s health care workers.“The project began when we had our first choir meeting of the year,” Kildonan East music teacher Janet Isaac-Martens said.“Our students and I were having ideas on how we could perform when we couldn’t perform to an audience.”About 65 students from Kildonan East Collegiate, River East Collegiate and Murdoch MacKay Collegiate spent months working on the collaborative virtual video.“A boost to them is kind of necessary,” Kildonan East Grade 12 student Aiden Ordonez said. “To just reach out on our end and let them know that they’re appreciated.

Covid deaths between January 2020 and December 2021 were around eight times higher than reported.

PHILADELPHIA - Social media feeds have been flooded with raw footage of war ever since Russia invaded Ukraine over two weeks ago. Experts wonder what kind of impact this kind of unfiltered and often times unsolicited footage is having on social media's most impressionable users. The Washington Post reported Friday that the Biden Administration hosted 30 of the top social media influencers to brief them on the situation in Ukraine.

Dolly Parton is often seen wearing gloves. While some of her gloves are glamorous, other times she wears fingerless, skin coloured gloves that are hard to see.

Junior hockey: With mask mandate lifted, teams hoping to see increase in fans This is not the only place still requiring masks. Airports fall under federal mandates and Transport Canada regulations still state that everyone must have a mask or face covering during their journey.Kelowna International Airport director, Sam Samaddar, explains where masks must be worn.“As you enter and go through the pre-boarding screening, you will have to have a mask and really maintain that through boarding an aircraft and also on board the aircraft,” Samaddar said.Samaddar is concerned about travellers not following the rules, now that the provincial mask mandate has been lifted in most other indoor settings.

Edmonton’s transit system will get federal and provincial funding to make up for pandemic revenue shortfalls. Breanna Karstens-Smith reports.

B.C. health officials released a written report with daily COVID-19 numbers on Friday, March 11 — the second anniversary of officials declaring the pandemic.

LOS ANGELES - One suspect is in custody after leading the Los Angeles Police Department on a chase through South Los Angeles Friday morning. FOX 11's Stu Mundel was live in SkyFOX over the scene. The pursuit began shortly after 8 a.m. Friday, with police responding to a stolen vehicle call. The vehicle involved was a silver, four-door mid-sized vehicle.The chase didn't last very long.

Today we are reporting 18,699 new community cases, 853 people in hospital with the virus, and seven additional COVID-19 related deaths.

A semi-automatic pistol is seen among a sample of ghost guns seized by the Oakland Police Department. (Stephen Lam/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images) WASHINGTON - The popularity of ghost guns is becoming a growing problem nationwide based on the easy access for consumers to purchase and make them. The homemade guns are untraceable and unregulated by the government. Ghost guns are homemade firearms that are purchased online and can be made for under $500.

PHILADELPHIA - Authorities believe a Philadelphia father and soon-to-be husband was shot and killed during an attempted robbery Thursday night to become the city's 100th homicide so far this year. Family members say 28-year-old Bryheem Barr was walking to his car to go to work just before 11 p.m. near the intersection of North 53rd and Arch streets when the deadly shooting happened. According to police, Barr was found shot multiple times and driven to Penn Presbyterian Hospital by officers where he died. A police source told FOX 29's Kelly Rule that they believe the deadly shooting happened during a robbery and the shooter took Barr's legally-owned firearm.Bryheem Barr, 28, was shot and killed during an attempted robbery in West Philadelphia.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa on Monday (14) assured the Cabinet of Ministers that the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and the Employees’ Trust Fund (ETF) as well as 9 other funds will be exempted from the 25% Surcharge Tax proposed in the 2022 Budget.It had been proposed in the 2022 Budget to impose a 25% Surcharge Tax on individuals or companies earning an annual taxable income of Rs. 2,000 million or more.Concerns were voiced by experts, opposition politicians as well as members of the government itself that the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and the Employees’ Trust Fund (ETF) would also be subjected to the surcharge tax.They cited that any fund that exceeds Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st); President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that the nature or extent of the challenges will not matter in fulfilling the promises made to the people.He noted that development activities continue in the country while taking necessary steps to control the COVID-19 pandemic.The President also pointed out that the economy, which had been collapsed for nearly two years, is gradually recovering.The President made these remarks participating in the first round of discussions in a series of sessions with professionals representing various fields, held at the President’s House on Friday (11).The professionals who participated in the discussion said that they are further committed to make the national programme a success by giving the necessary strength to achieve the goals desired by the President, said a statement.The professionals vehemently rejected the allegations spread by some sections with the objective of achieving narrow political agendas, the statement added.Experts in the field said that the new approach to agriculture initiated by the President is being continuously supported by the researchers and entrepreneurs who are engaged full time in these fields, further noted the statement.Representatives from a wide range of fields, including education, policy, sociology, agriculture, research, water and renewable energy, medical, engineering and innovation, were present at the discussion with the President.Ministers, State Ministers, Members of Parliament, the Governor of the Central Bank, the Secretary to the President, the Principal Advisor to the President and many others were also present.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday (9) said that his policies and the policies of the government were prepared with the future generations in mind.President Rajapaksa assured that all promises will be fulfilled.He said the government is facing challenges in various sectors, including education, agriculture, and electricity.Noting that the economy is reviving following the pandemic, President Rajapaksa urged the masses to obtain the booster dose and not leave any reason for the country to go into lockdown again.The President urged the public sector employees to fulfill their duties and responsibilities in line with the government’s policy statement.“I promised the farmers that fertilizer will be given for free and the certified price for paddy will be increased, and that was my first duty,” said the President while addressing a crowd at the Salgado Stadium in Anuradhapura.The President also promised to increase the income of the local farmers by 100% with or without fertilizer.

COLOMBO (News 1st); President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed officials to take the necessary steps to release freight containers with essential items that are held by Sri Lanka Customs.The President had reached this decision with the objective of ensuring that there is no shortage of food and essential goods in the local market.The President had also appointed a committee headed by Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa to ensure that there is no shortage of food and essential items.The President on Monday (7) had stressed the need to provide the general public with the opportunity to make purchases for the upcoming holiday season without having to experience any shortage.The President had noted that the opportunity will be given to import selected essential items and there should be no room for anyone to import in excess for ulterior motives and to conceal stocks for profits.The committee led by Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa was tasked with preparing streamlined mechanisms to release essential items to the local market while regulating and monitoring the process.

COLOMBO (News 1st): Sri Lanka’s debt installments of $6.9 billion due this year, will be settled, Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa said on Wednesday (Feb. 2).“Have you heard about a Finance Minister who got criticized when settling the due loans as much as when obtaining loans? Now they are scolding us because we are paying off the loans.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa said that the proposed Special Goods and Services Tax will be managed under the Departments of Inland Revenue, Customs, and Excise.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Professor G. L.