India reports 109 new covid cases

COLOMBO (News 1st); Lanka Sathosa has reduced the prices of seven grocery items with effect from Thursday (9). One kilogram of Dried Chili has been reduced by Rs. 75/- to Rs.

the couple announced they had split in 2017. Watch Below: Ben Stiller Calls Daughter Ella, 16, 'Beautiful' After Their Golden Globes 2019 DateFive years later the parents made headlines when announcing they had reunited, and now they're revealing how they made their way back to each other. The answer? The coronavirus pandemic, which forced them to quarantine together as a family. The couple rekindled their relationship in February 2022.“We had all this time to talk,” shared Christine on Drew Barrymore’s talk show. “There were no other distractions. It was a really special time.” Now celebrating three years together, the actress explained that although spending “time apart” had been vital for the couple, they had always prioritised family time. "We always stayed a family unit [and] continued to do things together,” she said.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Six university students who were arrested during Wednesday (8) night's protest at the Kelaniya University will be produced to the Mahara Magistrate on Thursday (9).Sri Lanka Police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse a group of university students at the Kelaniya University premises. This protest commenced at around 9 PM on Wednesday (8).This protest was organized against the arrest of Student Leader Kelum Mudannayake, and Student Activist Dilshan Harshana, and the students demanded their immediate release.Though tear gas and water cannons were used multiple times to disperse the protesting students, they continued to engage in the protest until midnight.One lane along the Colombo – Kandy main road was completely blocked due to the protest, disrupting the movement of traffic.

The children of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will now be referred to as prince and princess after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made public that they are claiming the royal titles.

PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia firefighter who was badly hurt when he fell from the roof of a rowhome while battling a fire was released from the hospital on Wednesday. Officials say Ladder 13 firefighter Randy Ballinger was working with his colleagues to extinguish a rowhome fire on the 1100 block of South Paxon Street on Feb.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization, and National Policies on Wednesday (8) issued an Order to waive the remaining balance of the Special Commodity Levy on imported Dates in view of the Ramadan festival.The levy, set at Rs. 200 per Kg, will be collected at a reduced rate of Rs.

inflation and are doing everything they can to keep prices low for Canadians, pinning the blame on suppliers and the global market.But many MPs on the House of Commons agriculture committee were not buying what the CEOs were selling, repeatedly asking the executives to square rising profits with grocery costs that are forcing families to make hard choices at the checkout aisle.“How much profit is too much profit?” asked NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who has made food inflation and alleged “greedflation” by grocers a top issue for his party.“Is there no limit to how much profit you can make on the backs of Canadians that are struggling because they can’t afford their groceries?”“Reasonable profitability is an important part of operating a successful business,” said Loblaw Companies CEO Galen Weston Jr., who stated several times during his testimony that his company makes $1 in profit for every $25 sold.Singh, who’s not a regular member of the committee, advertised his showdown with Weston in a slate of social-media posts ahead of the meeting.Weston appeared alongside Metro Inc. CEO Eric La Fleche and Michael Medline, CEO of Empire Co., which operates chains including Sobeys, Safeway and FreshCo.All three companies and their executives have been increasingly under scrutiny for the prices of the food on their shelves.While headline inflation has shown signs of cooling in recent months, prices for food purchased from the grocery store were again up 11.4 per cent in January, according to Statistics Canada.An analysis from Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab published in November found all three top grocers beat their five-year averages for profit in the first half of 2022, with Loblaw beating its previous best results

Colombo (News 1st) – A protest was staged on Wednesday (8) against the brutal attack on University of Colombo students during the protest they staged on Tuesday (7). Police fired water cannons and tear gas to disperse the protesters in four different locations. The University of Colombo Federation of University Teachers Association staged a protest on Wednesday (8) opposite the university premises.

 Sri Lanka’s rupee, which became the world’s best performing currency this year amid hopes of an International Monetary Fund bailout, may resume declines and lose a fifth of its value against the dollar by end-2023, according to Fitch Solutions.“We are optimistic that Sri Lanka will be able to secure an IMF board approval by early 2Q-2023,” said Seah Wang Ting, country risk analyst at Fitch Solutions. Nevertheless, there’s potential for disruptions after the initial board approval as authorities may find it challenging to stay on track with the IMF program amid a weakening economy and a local election likely on the horizon, he said.Fitch maintained its forecast for the rupee to weaken to a record low of 390 per dollar by year-end.

PHILADELPHIA - A mother and daughter are injured after police say they were shot inside a Holmesburg pizza shop Wednesday night. Just before 9 p.m.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Criminal Investigations Department arrested a 34-year-old man for fraud.Sri Lanka Police said that the suspect had doctored invoices to defraud approximately Rs.

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP, Pa. - The new SEPTA Media Wawa Line has residents in nearby Aston, Middletown and Chester Heights blowing a fuse. The trains blow their horns at all hours of the night, causing a level of noise residents find discomforting."We are pro-train.

PHILADELPHIA - Law enforcement sources believe a group of children no older than 15-years-old are behind the brutal and seemingly unprovoked beating of a woman in Center City.The attack happened just after 7 p.m. Thursday near the corner of 15th and Chestnut streets. The victim, a 34-year-old woman who lives nearby, was on her way to a hair appointment when she was jumped by a group of eight young people. "Someone tapped her on the shoulder, she turned around, and they smacked her on the head, she went down and her head was stomped on," the victim's father, Dr.

Idaho student murders suspect Bryan Kohberger with gloves on, stuffing his trash into Ziploc bags, according to a local prosecutor.Investigators also noted in recently unsealed search warrants that they took a pair of Ziploc bags from Kohberger's car the same night.One had a pink zipper. The other was green.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate voted on Wednesday against a disapproval resolution that would overturn D.C.'s criminal code revisions.By a vote of 81-14-1, the senators passed the H.J.Res.26, the D.C. Crime Disapproval Resolution, with one senator voting "present."The votes comes after weeks of debate over a proposed overhaul of D.C.'s criminal code, that was approved by the D.C.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The major freight railroads announced a number of steps Wednesday that they are taking to improve safety in the wake of last month’s fiery Ohio derailment, but it’s not clear if their actions will be enough to satisfy regulators and members of Congress who are pushing for changes.Many of the proposals from the Association of American Railroads trade group focus on strengthening the network of trackside detectors that railroads use to spot problems before they can cause derailments.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California Gov. Gavin Newsom is delivering on his word to cut ties with Walgreens over the drugstore chain's stance on distributing abortion pills.On Wednesday, California officials announced the Golden State won't renew its $54 million contract with Walgreens because the company said it won't dispense the abortion medication, mifepristone in 20 states. "California will not stand by as corporations cave to extremists and cut off critical access to reproductive care and freedom," said Newsom.

PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia public school was forced to abruptly close due to asbestos for the second time in as many weeks, worsening concerns from parents and faculty about the safety and upkeep of city schools.In a letter to families, Mastery Schools CEO Scott Gordon said inspectors from the School District of Philadelphia found damaged asbestos on the campus of Simon Gratz High School, which also houses Simon Gratz Preparatory Middle School. Officials say the three-year reinspection of the district-owned building was in accordance with the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act. The district recommended the school be closed for the duration of the inspection, according to school officials. "We were unaware of the existence of these conditions prior to the inspections, the safety of ouse students and staff is our primary concern," Gordon said.

EAST GERMANTOWN - Students at Imhotep Charter High School are changing lives through their stem program. Through the use of 3D printers, they are bringing clean water everywhere from Mississippi to Ghana."I am one of the first people in my family to be doing something this big," student JaNiece Watters said.Five months ago, STEM ambassadors from Imhotep Institute Charter High School traveled to Jackson, Mississippi to aid in the city’s water crisis.RELATED COVERAGE:Student Musa Wilson stated, "Knowing that we changed lives down in Jackson, Mississippi is really monumental for us, especially as young, Black kids."Now the students will be taking 3D printed water filters overseas to a town in Ghana, called Kheta, where the water can’t even be used to wash hands."We’re going to be helping over 3,000 students across 10 different schools in Ghana," Watters continued.From water filter design and 3D printing, to product testing and research, each of the students has a fundamental role in the life-changing project."We’re trying to produce 200 and it probably takes around seven to eight hours to make one, so we’re getting ahead early," student Cyril Woodland said.Shirley Posey is the director of STEM at Imhotep and says being proud is an understatement."We’re trying to cultivate our scholars to be critical thinkers, to be problem solvers.

PHILADELPHIA - Police are investigating a shooting that they say left a man injured near a West Philadelphia elementary school Wednesday afternoon.Shortly before 4 p.m., police were called to the 1600 block of North 54th Street, right near Heston Elementary School, for reports of shooting. Upon arrival, responding officers say they found a 21-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the thigh.

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office has announced charges against several police and public safety officers involved in sexual violence cases.In a Wednesday afternoon press conference, DAO officials detailed three cases.Pointing out similarities to the case of former Philadelphia detective Phillip Nordo, who was sentenced to 24.5 to 49 years in prison on rape, stalking and attempted sexual assault charges, District Attorney Larry Krasner called the allegations "very serious." He also urged individuals who may have information to come forward with details.Assistant District Attorney Lyandra Retacco released new information about a case against Howard Rubin, a former resource officer for the Philadelphia School District.Officials say Rubin was arrested in January 2021 and later sentenced to 10 - 20 years on charges relating to the sexual assault of minors.According to authorities, in 2010, Rubin was fired from a Philadelphia high school for inappropriate relations with students. Years later, he was separated from a charter school in the city for fraternizing with students.Rubin, who referred to himself as the "Philly Hip Hop Cop" on social media profiles, was well known at events where children would gather, Retacco said.The DAO's office says he often served as an armed security guard at many of the events and claimed to mentor city youth. Officials are asking anyone with information or who may have been a victim of Rubin's to come forward.

NASA officials Tuesday provided post-flight updates on Artemis I mission’s technical performance, along with any impacts the mission may have on the timeline of Artemis II.Artemis I launched on Nov. 16, 2022 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center near Orlando, Florida and then returned on Dec.

India reported 82 new covid cases in the last 24 hours, the union health ministry data showed on Monday. While active cases declined to 1,837, the total number of covid cases has reached 44.7 million so far. India has recorded 530,753 covid-related deaths since the onset of pandemic.

COLOMBO (News1 st) – Can the old forests of Sri Lanka be restored to its former glory keeping in mind the economical benefits it provided to humans living among it? News 1st's Dhisal Kapuge files this report in hopes of finding answers to that question. WATCH FULL VIDEO:  

Covid cases are constantly declining across the country with Karnataka reporting 123 active cases while Kerala with 1,248 active cases New Delhi : India has reported 124 new covid cases in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry data on Sunday. The total number of covid cases have reached 44.7 million, with 530,750 covid related deaths since the onset of covid pandemic. Covid cases are constantly declining across the country with Karnataka reporting 123 active cases while Kerala with 1,248 active cases.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A minor tremor was reported near the Wellawaya Town on Saturday (11) morning.This follows two minor tremors reported on Friday (10) afternoon in Wellawaya and Buttala. Saturday's tremor measured a magnitude of 2.3, and was reported at about 03:48 am."There is no threat was reported to the area", Acting Director General of the Geological Survey & Mines Bureau Janaka Ajith Prema said.A team of geologists was deployed to Buttala to investigate the tremors that were reported.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The World Food Program in a recent report has revealed that the vulnerable households in Sri Lanka are bearing the brunt of the food crisis.According to the December assessment results, 33% of households are food insecure. In 2019, food insecurity levels in the country stood at 9.1%.

As energy bills continue to rise, many households are turning to wood burning stoves as a cheaper alternative to stay warm.

NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s Covid-19 Therapeutic Service has surpassed a major milestone - after being in operation for more than a year.

COLOMBO (News 1st); A minor tremor measuring a magnitude 3.0 was reported from Buttala on Friday (10).The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau said the incident took place at approximately 12:11 in the afternoon.It added that the tremors were recorded at the Seismic Stations located in Pallekele, Mahakanadarawa, and Hakmana.According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) two other events were reported in the Indian Ocean.A M 4.6 tremor was recorded off the west coast of northern Sumatra, and M 4.7 tremor was recorded on the Carlsberg Ridge.

Bloomberg: The International Monetary Fund said its approval for a $2.9 billion loan to bail out crisis-riddled Sri Lanka will depend on the island nation securing assurances on debt relief from its bilateral creditors.“Sri Lanka continues to engage with official bilateral creditors to obtain financing assurances and also continues to advance domestic reforms,” an IMF spokesperson said in a statement on the progress of its Extended Fund Facility to the South Asian nation. “As soon as adequate assurances are obtained and remaining requirements are met, including by the Sri Lankan authorities, the EFF arrangement for Sri Lanka can be presented to the IMF’s Executive Board for approval.”The Paris Club – an informal group of rich western creditors — and India have provided formal support to the multilateral lender for the loan recast, leaving China — Sri Lanka’s biggest lender — as a holdout.

Britney Spears is having a tough time, according to those closest to her.

COLOMBO (News 1st);  Bank employees reported to work dressed in Black to protest against the government's tax regime.The Ceylon Bank Employees Union said that all members reported to work dressed in Black in support of the National Protest Day.The Ceylon Bank Employees Union also said that the government has failed to respond to the amendments put forward by the professionals with regard to the new tax policy, and thus strict trade union action will be instituted.Over 3,000 bank employees from Public, Private and International Banks joined the protest.The Inland Revenue Department on Wednesday (8) issued a circular on exempting non-cash benefits provided to employees including vehicle, fuel allowances, housing, medical benefits etc. from the PAYE tax.These also include the value of company shares or the share options offered by employers, the value of the telephone allowances and concessionary rate loans obtained by employees. However, the Government Medical Officers' Association alleged that the amendments to the PAYE Tax were made to benefit only the 225 MPs in Parliament.Dr.

The tourism minister said that approximately 6.19 million foreign tourists were received in India during 2022. “This is a four-fold increase in the number of arrivals over the last year.” New Delhi: Despite the severe effects of Covid-19 pandemic on the tourism sector, India saw a boost in foreign tourist arrivals in 2022, said tourism minister G Kishan Reddy said on Wednesday. Addressing the inaugural session of the 1st Tourism Working Group meeting under India’s G20 presidency, the minister said that approximately 6.19 million foreign tourists were received in India during 2022.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Military and Police Units equipped in riot gear were seen stationed at multiple locations in Fort, Colombo as Trade Unions launched protests against the governments' unjust tax regime.Trade Unions in Sri Lanka have declared Wednesday the 8th of February as a day for protests.Trade Unions are protesting against the government's failure to address the medicine shortage, and the unjust tax regime imposed by the government.The Government Medical Officers Association, a party to the Professionals' Trade Union Collective launched a 24-hour token strike across all Private and State hospitals.The Federation of University Teachers' Association also decided to engage in a one-day token strike.Trade Unions from the electricity, water supply, petroleum and port sectors organized joint protests in Fort, Colombo on Wednesday (8) afternoon.Port sector trade unions announced a work-to-rule action in the morning, and joined the protest in the afternoon.The water supply, petroleum and power supply sector trade unions announced that they will take sick leave on Wednesday (8) and join the protest without reporting to work.Activities across hospitals, universities, divisional secretaries, and other sectors affected by the trade union action launched by the Professionals' Trade Union CollectiveHowever, the Ceylon Electricity Board Technological Engineers and Superintendent Union stated that although they support the protest against the unjust tax regime, they will be taking necessary measures to supply electricity without disruption. A.G.U.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that if the country continues according to the existing plan, Sri Lanka can rise out of bankruptcy by 2026.While delivering his Government’s Policy Statement following the ceremonial opening of the parliament session, President Wickremesinghe said that people will realize the importance of the present unpopular decisions in two to three years."Due to the measures taken, we have been successful in reducing the burden gradually. Now there is stability in the economy. People are comfortable.

Jeremy Clarkson has revealed that the amount of traffic to his Diddly Squat Farm shop prevented people from getting to the local health centre for their Covid vaccinations.

Covid-linked joint pain can bother you for months and mostly people report of knee pain In the last three years, most of us have learned to live with COVID. Today, we know what to avoid and how to cope with it in case we get infected. But the disease is still a threat as we still don't know much about the long-term effect of the virus, i.e.

the desired objectives of those Project Offices and Project Management Units have been achieved and whether they should be continued. The committee has recommended to close down 55 existing Project Management Units, to suspend the activities of 32 others and to run 46 Project Management Units with minimum staff. Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Bandula Gunawardena said the matter was extensively discussed in cabinet, and as per the request made by the Ministers the President had agreed to reach a decision on closing down all 55 project offices in the future.Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance Economic Stabilization and National Policies to implement the recommendations of the committee report.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC said that the country is ready to deploy a contingent of 300 military personnel for relief efforts in Turkiye.The contingent will include personnel from the Sri Lanka Engineers Corps and the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps.Minister Ali Sabry said that on the instructions of the President he contacted the Foreign Minister of Turkiye and offered assistance for search & rescue"We recall when the Tsunami struck us in 2004,Türkiye provided immediate humanitarian assistance & built a housing complex for those who lost their houses," tweeted the Minister.The Sri Lankan Embassy in Turkiye said that it has not been able to access information with regard to the Sri Lankan woman who was reported missing following the devastating earthquakes.A Senior Officer attached to the mission said that the mobile device of the Sri Lankan woman was traced.The Officer also noted that earlier it was reported that the building in which was living had collapsed, however, reports later suggested that she had vacated the premises before the earthquakes.Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC said that a contingent of 300 military personnel are ready to be deployed to Turkiye, as soon as a request for help is made.The contingent will include Sri Lanka Army Engineers and personnel from the Medical Corps.On Monday (6)  Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said 9 Sri Lankans were residing in the region. 8 people have been contacted.

NEW DELHI : In a major relief to small suppliers, the Centre on Monday asked various ministries to refund the performance security, bid security and liquidated damages forfeited or deducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The move gives effect to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcement on 1 February in her budget speech that in cases of failure by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to execute contracts during the Covid period, 95% of the forfeited amount relating to bid or performance security, will be returned to them by the government and state-owned companies. The minister said in her speech that this would provide relief to MSMEs.

The level of homelessness in Dumfries and Galloway is higher than it was before the pandemic.

Scientists believe that there are less chances of another wave given that a large number of India’s population has been exposed to the virus and vaccinated and have thus developed hybrid immunity. New Delhi: India reported 91 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, while the country’s active caseload remained unchanged at 1,817, according to an update by the health ministry on Monday. Total reported cases climbed to 4.46 crore (4,46,83,454), while death toll stands at 5,30,745.

A doctor is being probed over the alleged theft of thousands of pounds of protective equipment at the height of the Covid pandemic.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka says that a special probe has been launched into the firing of water cannons and tear gas on silent protestors who led a Satyagraha opposite the Elphinstone hall in Maradana on Friday (03).The HRCSL says that the preliminary investigations have begun in this regard as teams from the commission had visited the scene on the day of the incident and on Saturday (04).The Commission added that a preliminary report is to be submitted to them on Monday (06).The Satyagraha was organized by social and civil rights activists who were engaging in a silent protest against the 75th Independence Day celebrations that were held at huge public expense.During this silent protest, it was reported that another group had arrived and had created a heated situation with those engaged in the silent protest.It was following this that the police intervened in removing the protestors from the site of the Satyagraha using water cannons and tear gas.03 individuals who were arrested following the incident were granted bail after being produced before the Maligakanda Magistrate Court, yesterday (04).Meanwhile, the 75th Independence Day celebrations were held in Colombo on Saturday (04) at Galle Face Green.

Under the Covid vaccination drive, more than 220.56 crore vaccine doses have been administered to people across the country so far. In the last 24 hours, around 1,60,769 vaccine doses were administered New Delhi India has reported 128 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours, according to the union health ministry data. The total number of Covid cases reached 4.47 crore, with 530,745 Covid-related deaths since the onset of the Covid pandemic.

An expert has outlined the potential problems that can arise as a result of going to the toilet when you don't really need.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The car that belonged to millionaire businessman Roshan Wanninayake, the owner of a retail clothing chain, who was found dead in a rooftop swimming pool at a house in Pelawatte, Battaramulla was located from St.