Government will settle $6.9 billion in debt due this year: Basil

Expect to start paying more for pretty much everything as gas prices are forecast to remain in record-high territory in B.C. for the foreseeable future.

A devastating milestone has been reached in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The United Nations says more than one million people have been displaced by the war.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announced on Thursday that Canada will become the first country to revoke Russia and Belarus’ status as a most-favoured-nation trade partner under law. This includes the imposition of 35 per cent tariffs on goods from both countries as Moscow’s war in Ukraine rages on.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was in agreement with Interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen on Monday during question period in the House of Commons as the two sides found solidarity with Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

The war in Ukraine comes with a horrific toll on the people involved: emotional and financial. It’s costing Russia an estimated $20 million a day to continue the invasion.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former Minister Wimal Weerawansa revealed that he will not accept any ministerial position under the government of the incumbent President.Weerawansa was speaking reporters in Colombo, in his first-ever briefing after he and Udaya Gammanpila were stripped of their ministerial portfolios on Thursday (3) evening.Udaya Gammanpila and Wimal Weerwansa were removed from their ministerial portfolios with effect from Thursday (3) evening, said the President’s Media Division.The PMD statement notes that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa removed Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa and Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila from their portfolios, as per the powers vested in him by the constitution,Watch the Media Briefing Here: 

Transport Canada says.The department didn’t say why or for how long the aircraft — that was grounded on Tuesday — would be restricted to the airport but told Global News in an email Thursday that Transport Canada is working with Canada’s Border Services Agency to “assess the matter.” Cryptocurrency a ‘double-edged sword’ in Ukraine-Russia war, experts say They said they are trying to find out if there has been any violation of the recently announced Notice to Airman (NOTAM) that prohibits Russian aircraft from operating in Canadian airspace.Ottawa officially closed up the nation’s airspace on Feb. 24 while announcing a set of sanctions against Russia as the war against Ukraine rages on.

Chrystia Freeland was photographed holding a scarf bearing colours associated with a far-right Ukrainian paramilitary group from the Second World War this past weekend.Both her office and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress suggest the questions and criticism she has received about it online is linked to a pattern of Russian-backed disinformation targeting members of the Ukrainian community.The Twitter account for Freeland shared photos of the federal finance minister at a Ukrainian solidarity march in Toronto on Sunday holding a black-and-red scarf with the Ukrainian phrase “Slava Ukraini,” which translates to “Glory to Ukraine,” written in Cyrillic. Canada targets Russia and Belarus with tariffs, sends more lethal aid to Ukraine Toronto Mayor John Tory was in the group and his account also shared photos of the moment, including one that showed the other side of the scarf, which had the phrase “Heroyam Slava,” or “Glory to heroes.” Neither Tory nor Freeland are touching the scarf in that photo.Both accounts deleted the photos the next day. Freeland then issued an identical tweet about her presence at the march organized to show solidarity with Ukraine after Russia launched a multi-pronged attack on the sovereign country.

COVID-19 may have more than one variant of the virus attacking them, according to a pair of new studies published earlier this year.Researchers for the two studies — one published in January, the other in February — say their evidence suggests less dominant variants may be simultaneously present in the same infected individual, with some cloaking themselves from the immune system.That could make it difficult for infected patients to get rid of COVID-19 from their systems entirely, said Kapil Gupta, lead author of the January study, in a statement Tuesday.“Some of these variants may use kidney or spleen cells as their niche to hide, while the body is busy defending against the dominant virus type,” Gupta said. Arthritis drug cuts risk of death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: U.K.

WARSAW - The ongoing war in Ukraine has led to one of the largest humanitarian crises in a century, with many fleeing Ukrainians searching for refuge in neighboring countries. The United Nations said Thursday that 1 million people have now fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion less than a week ago, an exodus without precedent in this century for its speed.The tally from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees amounts to more than 2% of Ukraine’s population — which the World Bank counted at 44 million at the end of 2020 — on the move across borders in just seven days.

PHILADELPHIA - Gas prices continue to skyrocket across the country as the war in Ukraine intensifies, and some believe prices will continue to balloon in the weeks ahead.According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, the average cost of a gallon of regular gas in Philadelphia is just below $4.

DREXEL HILL, Pa. - Four women were honored Thursday for their selfless actions in saving four aboard a medical helicopter that crashed in Delaware County two months ago. Kathyrn Donofrio, Emma Gray, Tina Hamilton, and Jewel Singles sprung into action when a Eurocopter EC135 medical helicopter piloted by 52-year-old Danial Moore fell from the sky on Jan. 11. The chopper was on its way to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with an infant patient aboard and two others.

COVID-19 case tally rose to 42,951,556 with 6,396 people testing positive for the infection in a day while active cases declined to 69,897, according to Union Health Ministry data on Friday.

Cheryl Burke is opening up about her efforts to get in touch with her emotions and embrace her feelings following her split from Matthew Lawrence.The pro took to Instagram on Thursday to share a video with her fans and followers about how she's «been really trying to feel my feelings for the first time.»According to Burke, she's been reading up on different philosophies and schools of thought regarding the power of mindfulness and self-reflection, but that it hasn't been an easy road.«It has been an interesting journey so far, to say the least,» Burke, 37, shared. «It's been scary, because I'm so used to pushing through, because of my athleticism and dancing in general.

Ukraine, the largest of its kind in Europe, was under attack by Russian troops and shelling, officials said, sparking a fire at a nearby administrative building.There has been fierce fighting between local forces and Russian troops, the mayor of the nearby town of Energodar  Dmytro Orlov said in an online post, adding that there had been casualties without giving details.Orlov and other Ukrainian officials said earlier that a fire had broken out at the nuclear plant itself, but the state emergency services agency later confirmed the fire had broken out at a training building outside the plant perimeter.The agency said the third power unit of six at the station was disconnected, adding only one power unit was currently operating. It added constant shelling was preventing firefighters from accessing the fire, which continued to burn on one floor after covering the three top floors of the building.

CHICAGO - A lawsuit was filed against the City of Chicago and Mayor Lori Lightfoot Wednesday, claiming she used obscene language and defamed a former Chicago Park District lawyer who was involved in the Christopher Columbus statue controversy in 2021.George Smyrniotis, who served as First Deputy General Counsel for the district, alleged that Lightfoot berated him over a Zoom call, damaging his reputation and leading to the loss of his job as well as causing him emotional distress.The Columbus statue was removed from Arrigo Park in Little Italy in the summer of 2020 after it had become the target of protests and unrest after the murder of George Floyd.DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 NEWS APPOn behalf of the Chicago Park District, Smyrniotis penned a letter of agreement with the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA), allowing them to briefly display the statue at the 2021 Christopher Columbus Day parade.Lightfoot allegedly took umbrage to the agreement, telling an Italian-American leader she would pull the permit for the parade if the statue made an appearance, according to the lawsuit.An Italian American group is suing the city of Chicago to restore the Christopher Columbus statue that was removed during protests last year.She then berated Smyrniotis and his General Counsel Timothy King in a Zoom call on the night of the parade, the lawsuit claims."You d****, what the f*** were you thinking? You make some kind of secret agreement with Italians, what you are doing, you are out there measuring your d**** with the Italians seeing whose got the biggest d***, you are out there stroking your d**** over the Columbus statue, I am trying to keep Chicago Police officers from being shot and you are trying to get them shot.

A 69-year-old man was shot and killed after he withdrew money from an ATM inside a bank, police say. PHILADELPHIA - Authorities say a man was shot and killed shortly after he withdrew money from an ATM inside a bank Thursday night in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood. Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were called to the Citizens Bank on the 5700 block of Germantown Avenue just after 8 p.m.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has delivered 8 key points to the government to be considered to overcome the present economic challenges.These measures are as follows:a) introducing measures to discourage non-essential and non-urgent imports urgently based on the previous recommendation made by the Central Bankb) increasing fuel prices and electricity tariffs immediately, to reflect the costc) incentivising foreign remittances and investments furtherd) implementing energy conservation measures, while accelerating the move towards renewable energye) increasing government revenue through suitable tax increases on a sustained basisf) mobilising foreign financing and non-debt forex inflows on an urgent basisg) monetising the non-strategic and underutilised assets, andh) postponing non-essential and non-urgent capital projects.The above measures would ensure that a coordinated approach is adopted to overcome the challenging economic circumstances faced by the country and to prudently exit the COVID-relatedpolicy accommodation, said the Central Bank.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Minister of Power Gamini Lokuge told News 1st that he was sworn in as the Minister of Energy.He replaces Udaya Gammanpila as the country’s energy minister.Lokuge made the confirmation to News 1st when exiting the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday (3) evening following a meeting, while adding that Pavithra Wanniarachchi would be taking oaths as the Minister of Power.

B.C. Premier John Horgan seemed to hint that the province might be dropping its mask requirement before spring break. Keith Baldrey has more.

Health Matters March 3: An Alberta woman was surprised to find out she’s not eligible for fertility treatments at PCRM because of her size. As Su-Ling Goh reports, the fertility clinic’s policy is controversial among obesity awareness advocates.

AUSTIN, Texas - Aleksei Nikolin attempts to hold a crying, wiggling toddler inside his cramped car as he video chats with a FOX 7 reporter.  "Yes. You see that they are crying because we are tired.

STANFORD, Calif. - The coroner's office on Thursday determined that the death of Stanford women's soccer player Katie Meyer was suicide.The County of Santa Clara Medical Examiner-Coroner said there is no foul play related to Meyer's death."We are exceedingly saddened to hear about the death of Katie Meyer, a beloved, talented, and respected Stanford student, athlete, and Santa Clara County resident," the coroner's office said in a statement. "The Medical Examiner-Coroner extends sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Katie Meyer."The captain of Stanford University's women's soccer team Katie Meyer was found dead in a campus residence, the university said Wednesday.The Stanford University's women's soccer team captain and goalkeeper was found dead in a campus residence earlier this week.Thousands poured onto Maloney Field Wednesday night, the home of Stanford soccer, for a vigil to remember the star athlete.Meyer, 22, was a senior majoring in International Relations, resident assistant, and was supposed to graduate this year."Katie was extraordinarily committed to everything and everyone in her world," Stanford said in a statement released Wednesday.

Russian artillery fire is blasting Ukraine's largest nuclear plant, sparking a fire, hours after international atomic regulators warned combat at the facility could wreak havoc, according to Ukraine authorities.Video posted to Telegram, an encrypted messaging app, early Friday local time appeared to show a projectile landing outside the facility, creating a large fireball.Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, tweeted that Russian forces were "firing from all sides" on the facility."Fire has already broken out," he wrote – a claim that appears to be supported by grainy livestream video. "If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chernobyl.""We demand that they stop the heavy weapons fire," Andriy Tuz, spokesperson for the plant in Enerhodar, said in another video posted on Telegram.

It’s estimated that 1 million Ukranians have now fled the country. Mike Armstrong reports from Poland detailing the refugee situation unfolding there.

PHILADELPHIA - Several Ukrainian communities around Philadelphia have organized relief efforts to help their homeland that continues to valiantly defend itself against an invasion from Russia. The Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center is collecting thousands of boxes of supplies, community leaders are coming together to help, and businesses are holding fundraisers.Craft Hall in Old City held a fundraiser Thursday where every dollar donated was doubled for Voices of Children.Adam Hornik, Craft Hall Owner, partnered with Ukrainian-born DJ Irene Whoo for the event."This organization provides them both psychological and financial and logistical support to help them deal with this tragedy that they are going through," Hornik said.Whoo accompanied the fundraising effort by playing traditional Ukrainian music that she fell in love with as a youth. "We grew up listening to traditional dance, fun, Ukrainian music," Whoo said. "Lots of instruments lots of horns, violins.  It’s drinking music, my people they are rambunctious and fun and happy."Her family fled Ukraine in the early 90’s during the Russian Occupation. The daily rhythms of life that play in her head have been overshadowed by the sounds of war that are breaking her heart."I really just wanted to put something together for everyone to not even talk about anything but positive things," Whoo said. "Hugging each other, be happy, dance."Local pastry chefs are coming together to 'Bake for Ukraine' and there's ways that you can help their cause!Volunteers at the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center in Jenkintown worked tirelessly to process, package, and ship thousands of boxes of donations to support families in Ukraine.

As Russia continues to wage war in Ukraine, Latvian President Egils Levits tells Global’s Mercedes Stephenson that he fears Russia could also invade his nation as a former member of the USSR.

Facade with sign at Amazon Books retail store on Santana Row in the Silicon Valley, San Jose, California, December 14, 2019. NEW YORK (AP) - Amazon is closing all of its brick-and-mortar bookstores, as well as its 4-star shops and pop up locations, as the online retail behemoth reworks its physical footprint.The Seattle-based company said Wednesday that the move, which affects 66 stores in the U.S.

Covid-19 release contagious droplets when they breathe out, so a face covering helps to avoid spreading the disease. If you’re meeting people indoors it’s important to let fresh air in, so it’s a good habit to open the windows for 10 minutes every hour when people visit.

The increasing number of cases and hospitalisations is a reminder of the importance getting vaccinated and boosted.

SHARON HILL, Pa. - A Delaware County judge on Thursday upheld charges against three former Sharon Hill police officers charged in the deadly shooting of 8-year-old Fanta Bility. Officers Devon Smith, Sean Dolan, and Brian Devaney face manslaughter and reckless endangerment charges for the deadly shooting last August. They were fired from the Sharron Hill Police Department following a 6-1 Borough Council vote in January. According to investigators, on Aug.

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had stern words Thursday for two of the most right-wing members of her chamber after their outbursts during President Joe Biden's State of the Union."I agree with what Sen. Lindsey Graham said, ‘Shut up.’ That's what he said to them. They should just shut up," the California Democrat told reporters about the conspicuous interruptions by GOP Reps.

LOS ANGELES - With rent prices skyrocketing across the country, some renters and prospective renters are finding themselves squeezed financially due to tight inventory, significantly high rental costs and multiple offers on less-than-ideal one-bedroom apartments. If this sounds like you, well, you’re not alone.Rentals have exploded across the nation, causing many to dig deep into their savings and risk eviction now that the federal moratorium has ended.But could renters possibly see some relief in the coming months amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic? Will prices for apartments finally come down?Brian Carberry, an expert with leading national consumer resource Rent.com, says rental prices started to skyrocket last summer, and monthly payments remain high for renters. "It really boils down to supply and demand right now," Carberry told FOX Television Stations Group. "Occupancy rates are at an all-time high right now, so there’s just not a lot of available inventory on the market for all of these people that are looking for a place to live.

California boys who were reported missing in 2020 have been charged with killing the children, although their bodies have not been found, authorities said Wednesday.Trezell West and Jacqueline West were arrested Tuesday night on murder and other charges in an indictment returned by a grand jury, Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer told a news conference in Bakersfield.Orrin West, 4, and his brother Orson, 3, were reported missing from their family’s backyard in the desert town of California City on Dec. 21, 2020.

press release from California Attorney General Rob Bonta states. TikTok's privacy policy states that users 13 and under may use the app to play with effects, watch videos, and follow others but not post public videos or interact with other users via messages. Recently the app experimented with the 'profile view' function, which would allow users to see who viewed their profile.

Dancing on Ice legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have shared a health update on contestant Connor Ball after the musician took a nasty fall during the latest live show.Last Sunday (February 27), The Vamps singer and his professional partner Alexandra Schauman skated to George Ezra’s Paradise dressed as pirates, but things didn’t go to plan as he lost his balance during a risky move and fell to the ice.He managed to slice his shin with a blade leaving it bleeding as concerned hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby checked he was ok.During an appearance on Channel 4's Steph's Packed Lunch, Olympic skating champions Torvill and Dean gave an update on the star’s recovery.Asked if anyone had surprised them this series, Chris replied: "I think Connor is a surprise because our other top celebrities are all from a dancing background and Connor, he's a guitar player and so not so much."He's really stepped up, he's a stand out - he's our dark horse."Jayne added: "As Chris said, Connor, each week, has got better and better but unfortunately he's had a couple of falls recently. "He managed to kick himself in the shin last week, he's had stitches in his leg.

COVID-19 in Alberta declined slightly on Thursday to 1,204. That’s a drop from 1,231 patients in hospital with the disease on Wednesday.Of the people in hospital, 80 are being treated in intensive care.

Tamara Lich, one of the leaders of the convoy protest that occupied downtown Ottawa for three weeks last month was in court Wednesday, hoping to overturn an earlier judicial decision that she be held without bail until her trial on the charges of counselling to commit the offence of mischief and committing mischief.

The Philadelphia District Attorney's office announced the charges Thursday against 51-year-old James Pitts on the recommendation of a grand jury. PHILADELPHIA - A former Philadelphia homicide detective has been arrested on perjury and obstruction charges.The Philadelphia District Attorney's office announced the charges Thursday against 51-year-old James Pitts on the recommendation of a grand jury.A request for Pitts' current employment status with the Philadelphia Police Department was not immediately answered.

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Auto Show returns this weekend and prospective car buyers have never had so many options to choose from, but inflated gas prices worsened by the war in Ukraine seem to have pushed electric and hybrid vehicles to the forefront.According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.57, up five cents from last week. Drivers were paying $2.67 a gallon on average a year ago at this time.The auto show, which runs from Mar.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to sit down for talks while urging the West to offer a stronger military assistance to Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion.In a sarcastic reference to a long table Putin used for his recent meetings with foreign leaders and Russian officials, Zelenskyy said: "Sit down with me to negotiate, just not at 30 meters," adding, "I don’t bite. What are you afraid of?"During Thursday's news conference, Zelenskyy said that prospects for another round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiations don’t seem promising, but emphasized the need to negotiate, adding that "any words are more important than shots."RELATED: Who is Volodymyr Zelenskyy?: How this comedian became a wartime presidentHe said the world was too slow to offer support for Ukraine and prodded Western leaders to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine to deny access to the Russian warplanes.

Mike Bradley is among 15 Canadian mayors calling for the federal government to scrap all COVID-19 testing requirements for land border travellers who are double- or triple-vaccinated.In an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the border city mayors, including Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, ask for an end to the testing guidelines, which they say are out of line with public health mandates and unjustified by current science.The letter, also cc’d to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, public safety minister Marco Mendocino, and health minister Jean-Yves Duclos, cites the “heavy price” pandemic travel measures have had on border communities, including through the lengthy closure of the land border to all but essential travel. Feds scrapping pre-arrival COVID PCR test requirement for fully vaccinated travellers The letter comes days after the federal government lifted its pre-arrival PCR test requirements for double- and triple-vaccinated travellers.As of Monday, a negative rapid antigen or PCR test result will be accepted to meet entry requirements, provided the tests are administered by a lab or health care entity.

Americans living in rural areas are less likely to be vaccinated against COVID-19 than their urban counterparts, and the gap between the two groups did not close during the Delta and Omicron surges, according to research published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

COLOMBO (News 1st): The foreign exchange shortage experienced in Sri Lanka will be short-lived, said the country’s Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa.Speaking to officials at the Finance Ministry of Friday (11), Rajapaksa said the government expects to minimize the effects the forex shortage might have on the people.On Monday (7) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed the officials to take steps to immediately release the containers containing essential items at the custody of Customs.The President also appointed a committee headed by Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa to ensure that there is no shortage of essential commodities including food, and this committee met for the first time on Friday (11).A statement from the Finance Ministry noted that though there is a shortage of Milk Powder, Gas, Wheat Flour, and Cement in the local market, there are sufficient stocks of all other essential items and there will be no shortage.In addition, the tax reliefs granted by the government for essential food items not being enjoyed by the people were discussed and it was revealed at the meeting that errant traders abuse the concessions granted by the government and sell goods at exorbitant prices.The implementation of a new mechanism to expedite the release of essential commodities including food to the market, and to regulate and oversee this matter, was also discussed.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The International Monetary Fund has said it is ready to discuss options with Sri Lanka if the government asks for financial support.The International Monetary Fund’s mission chief for Sri Lanka Masahiro Nozaki has told AFP that the government has not requested financial support.In a statement, he said, “the staff stands ready to discuss options if requested”.Finance minister Basil Rajapaksa recently said Sri Lanka had sought advice from the IMF and was considering seeking an international bailout.The mission chief said this was about an ongoing technical assistance mission by the IMF to strengthen the Macro Fiscal Unit at the finance ministry and focuses on training the staff at the Unit.He said the mission is being conducted virtually until February 9th.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal says comments on seeking IMF expert advice is a routine program.In a tweet, Cabraal said ” Finance Minister’s comments that Sri Lanka informed the International Monetary Fund to provide expert advice on the economic situation is about a routine Technical Assistance Program on Macro-Fiscal capacity building for MOF’s new Macro-Fiscal Unit. “Nothing else,” he added.However, Sri Lanka has sought technical advice from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in better managing the debt servicing as well as boosting foreign reserves, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa revealed on Thursday (3).He said the IMF in writing agreed to extend support to Sri Lanka following a request.“We have not made it official yet, but we have requested their assistance by providing their expertise.

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

COLOMBO (News 1st); Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa was acquitted and released from the case filed over the printing of 5 million ‘Lith’ calendars or almanacs by spending 29.4 million rupees in funds belonging to the Divineguma Department during the 2015 Presidential election.In addition, Ex-Director General of the Divineguma Development Department Kithsiri Ranawaka was also acquitted and released from the case.