Iran rattled over suspected poisoning of hundreds of schoolgirls

CAIC via Storyful. (March 18) Right-click to download.

COVID-19 from spreading out of control.“We’ve gone so far, and we just have to go along for the next few weeks and months. And it is distressing to see what is happening in our ICUs and hospitals,” Shahab said, as he suppressed sobs.He apologized for crying before continuing, but still struggled to stay calm.“To see young lives lost through a vaccine-prevented disease – how can we accept this?”Shahab is the province’s top doctor.

La Niña periods in recent history is finally over, NOAA declared Wednesday.The climate phenomenon is a by-product of a years-long cycle of water temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and has been in its cool phase for the past three winters -- a rare feat for an event that typically lasts for one winter, maybe two.WHAT ARE EL NINO AND LA NINA CLIMATE PATTERNS?But ocean temperatures have finally warmed to the point where the La Niña threshold is no longer met, NOAA forecasters said in their monthly update on the La Nina/El Nino status. In fact, temperatures are now a little above average.Forecasters now say we've entered the "neutral" phase of the cycle, where tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures are within a half degree of the long-term average.

More than 11,000 health workers are still waiting to receive the €1,000 pandemic bonus which the Government promised to give to those who worked on the frontline during the Covid-19 crisis.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Human Rights Commission has decided to summon Public Security Minister Tiran Alles for an inquiry on 13th March 2023, at 10 AM.The inquiry will be held to seek a clarification on the measures adopted by Sri Lanka Police to contain protests in Colombo and Kelaniya on the 7th and 8th of March 2023.The inquiry will take place at the Human Rights Commission premises in Colombo. In addition, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has decided to conduct an inquiry on the measures adopted by Sri Lanka Police and the Armed Forces to control protests that took place close to the University of Colombo on the 7th and 8th of March, and at the Kelaniya University on the 8th of March.HRCSL has informed the country's police chief to submit a list of Senior Police officers who were on the field to control the said protests before the 10th of March. 

The 29% who thought it was over at that time gave way to a less optimistic 18% by the fall, as a spike in infections from the delta variant heightened public worry. Since then, optimism has mostly only inched higher, rising to 34% last spring and to 44% in October before reaching 49% today.Yet, a quarter of Americans still report they are very (3%) or somewhat (22%) worried they could catch the virus.

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

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.

MaeDell Taylor Hawkins, 98, got to hold her 7-week-old great-great-great-granddaughter Zhavia Whitaker on Feb. 18, 2023.

PHILADELPHIA - An apartment in Philadelphia's Northern Liberties was burglarized last month when police say three men got away with $75,000 in stolen cash.Two of the suspects were let into the lobby of an apartment building on Brown Street by another suspect on February 24.All three took an elevator up, then used a key to get into the victim's apartment, according to police who have yet to say how they acquired a key.Cash totaling $75,000, as well as clothing and accessories, were stolen from inside. MORE HEADLINES:Video released by police appears to show one suspect tucking a handgun into his waistband before entering the building. No injuries were reported, however it is unknown if anyone was home at the time of the crime.Police say the suspects, ranging in age from 25 to 40 years old, arrived and fled in a dark-colored, late model Dodge Charger.Anyone with information is asked to contact police.

Colombo (News 1st) – The Election Commission says the secure envelopes containing the postal ballots for the local government election will be handed over to the post offices on the 21st of March.Commissioner General of elections Saman Sri Ratnayake says that postal voting will take place in March.The Election Commission says that the extradordinary gazette regarding the holding of the local government election on the 25th of April is due to be issued by the District reterning Officers.Meanwhile, the Government printer says that they are to send a letter to the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday (8) requesting funds for the preliminary printing of ballot papers and other preperations for the election.The Government Printer says that it is estimated over 400 million Rupees will be required for printing purposes.She further added that the printing of ballot papers will resume based on the response of the Finance Ministry.The Government Printer says that they will request the Inspector General of Police today to provide additional security for the printing of ballot papers.They also noted that ballot papers for postal voting have been printed in 17 districts so far. 

Canada’s chief of the defence staff said Tuesday he wanted Canadian fighter jets to shoot down the unidentified object that flew over Yukon last month, but they were prevented from reaching the area first due to weather slowing their takeoff.

A B.C. father is making a tearful plea to help find his missing daughter, whom he believes is being detained in an Iranian prison.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A Polk State College student and a flight instructor were among four killed after two small planes collided mid-air in Winter Haven Tuesday afternoon. The crash prompted a large response from local first responders. The scene began unfolding on Lake Hartridge near Winter Haven Regional Airport.

Christine Taylor has opened up about reconciling with Ben Stiller over the pandemic.

FILE - In this photo illustration lie two asthma inhalers in a handbag on Feb. 3, 2021 in Bonn, Germany.

TOKYO - Japan’s space agency intentionally destroyed a new H3 rocket minutes after its launch Tuesday because the ignition failed for the second stage of the country's first new rocket series in more than two decades.Coming three weeks after an aborted launch due to a separate glitch, the H3's failure was a setback for Japan’s space program — and possibly for its missile detection program — and a disappointment for space fans who were rooting for Tuesday's retrial.The H3 rocket with a white head blasted off and soared into the blue sky from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan as fans and local residents cheered. It followed its planned trajectory and the second stage separated as designed, but the ignition for it failed, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said.JAXA officials apologized for the failure, and said it sent a command to destroy the rocket about 14 minutes after liftoff as there was no hope for it to complete its mission.Japan's next-generation H3 rocket failed after liftoff on March 7, 2023, with the space agency issuing a destruct command after concluding the mission could not succeed.

Hundreds of police officers have been signed off work with long Covid since the start of the pandemic, new date has revealed.

Ontario’s largest youth group home operators alleging that kids were treated in an “abusive” manner and the company’s key figures “enriched” themselves at the expense of vulnerable children in their care.The Ontario-based law firm Siskinds LLP has launched the suit and is seeking $50 million in general and special damages and an additional $10 million in punitive damages on behalf of children or young persons who have received residential care from Hatts Off.The lead plaintiff is Jamar Morrison, who was 12 years old when he was placed in a Hamilton-area group home operated by Hatts Off.Morrison said he is still traumatized from his time as a resident and often wakes from “night terrors” with images of kids being physically restrained and screams still echoing in his mind.The proposed legal action, he hopes, will be a “wake up” call for all for-profit group home companies across Ontario’s child-welfare system.“Children before money,” Morrison said. “That’s what the overall message is.

A Bombardier Challenger 300 XOJet charter passenger jet heads out to the runway at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport in this aerial photo taken on June 1, 2021, in Santa Rosa, California.

Mexico in the suspected femicide of a woman who has been identified by family members as Kiara Agnew of Dawson Creek, B.C.Agnew was with her boyfriend on what was supposed to be a dream trip to Mexico when her family said the Mayan Riviera vacation turned into a nightmare just days shy of her 24th birthday.“She didn’t want to lose her life at 23,” Agnew’s aunt Katlyn Levesque told Global News from New Brunswick Saturday.“It doesn’t feel like it’s real yet, I don’t want it to be real. I’ve never wanted something to be more false in my entire life.”Policías de la SSPyT de Solidaridad aseguraron a una persona de origen extranjero por el posible delito de feminicidio, tras ser encontrada una mujer sin vida con posibles marcas de violencia en un hotel ubicado en la colonia Xcalacoco.

Matt Hancock expressed concern that a flagship Rishi Sunak policy was contributing to the spread of Covid-19 as the latest set of leaked messages reveal how the pair were at odds during the pandemic.

Maharashtra in the last 24 hours and one reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. The country's infection tally stands at 4.46 crore (4,46,87,496).

EGG HARBOR TWP. N.J. - There’s a battle over pigs and chickens going on in Egg Harbor Township. A family with four rescued pigs and several chickens has been given a notice to get rid of them because they are a violation of township ordinances.

General views of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, celebrating '100 Years of Wonder' celebration on January 28, 2023 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) ANAHEIM, Calif. - Do the crime, do the time - even at Disneyland apparently! Actress Rebel Wilson recently revealed she was banned from the Happiest Place on Earth for 30 days over a selfie she took in a "secret bathroom," which of course is prohibited.Wilson spilled the tea on The Daily Show with comedian Hasan Minhaj, recalling how the Anaheim theme park has "Met Gala rules.""They called me up and said, ‘Rebel what 30 days did you not want to come to Disneyland because you’ll be filming a movie or something?'" she explained to Minhaj, who was guest hosting the show. Ramona Agruma and Rebel Wilson on January 21, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

foreign interference efforts, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.Trudeau made the comments to reporters in Winnipeg on Friday as pressure grows on the federal government to call a public inquiry over reports of attempted Chinese interference in Canadian elections and society.“We know that Chinese Canadian parliamentarians, and Chinese Canadians in general, are greater targets for interference by China than others,” he said.“We know the same goes for Iranian Canadians, who are more subject to interference from the Iranian government. Russian speakers in Canada are more vulnerable to Russian misinformation and disinformation, and we get updated regularly on how we can make sure that our integrity and that the work that Canadians do to serve in politics is done with full protections.” Read more: Most Canadians believe China did try to interfere in elections - poll Trudeau had been asked a question regarding a Global News investigative report that cited information from intelligence officials who allegedly provided Trudeau’s party with an urgent, classified briefing in late September 2019 regarding Toronto-area Liberal candidate Han Dong.The sources said that over the summer, CSIS had been tracking Dong — a former Ontario Liberal MPP — because they were concerned he had replaced Don Valley North Liberal incumbent Geng Tan under what they thought were suspicious circumstances.They were concerned that Dong was believed to be the favoured candidate of officials in the Toronto Chinese consulate, according to an official with direct awareness of the alleged threat brief about Dong.Responding to questions from Global News for the story, Dong has denied the allegations and on Monday stated he would defend himself.

PHILADELPHIA - A 71-year-old man is in stable condition after police say he fought back against two suspects during a robbery attempt.The incident happened late Thursday night on the 2400 block of North 10th Street in North Philadelphia. The victim told police was walking home from a takeout restaurant when two suspects emerged from an alley and attempted to rob him.According to police, the victim pulled out a revolver and exchanged gunfire with the suspects. He was struck once in the leg and later transported to Temple University Hospital.MORE HEADLINES: The suspects were last seen fleeing on foot through an alley.

a study published in 2022, more than a billion young people are at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices. That can include being in loud bars, at concerts or sporting events, or even just listening to music in headphones or earbuds that are turned up too loud."We need our physicians to be talking about it.

An investigation into over 20 Covid-19 related deaths at a HSE-run nursing home in Dublin during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020 has outlined "significant concerns" regarding the management of preparations and the initial response to the outbreak of the virus at St Mary's Hospital in Phoenix Park.

FILE - A view of shipping containers at Port Newark–Elizabeth Marine Terminal, a major component of the Port of New York and New Jersey, on Feb. 17, 2023.

PHILADELPHIA - A minor car crash in North Philadelphia escalated into a shooting, and now a search for suspects and their vehicle.A 38-year-old man stopped on the 300 block of North Broad Street after getting into a minor accident with another vehicle on February 26.Police say two suspects, a driver and passenger, got out of the car and started assaulting the man.MORE HEADLINES:The passenger then pulled out a gun and fired two shots as the victim tried to escape in his vehicle. He was not injured.Police are asking for the public's help to locate the suspects and the suspected vehicle.The suspects are described as being two men in their 20:, one with tattoos on the left side of his face, and the other with a short-trimmed beard.

The Batch No. H29 of Artificial Eye Ointment, distributed by Delsam Pharma, is pictured in a provided photo.

With the release of the provincial budget on Tuesday, B.C. will become the first province in Canada to make prescription contraception free for all residents.

NHS campaigners will today hand a coronavirus dossier to police on Nicola Sturgeon, calling for her to be investigated for corporate homicide.

Harrelson said. “The biggest drug cartels in the world get together and buy up all the media and all the politicians and force all the people in the world to stay locked in their homes, and people can only come out if they take the cartel’s drugs and keep taking them over and over.”He added, “I threw the script away. I mean, who was going to believe that crazy idea? Being forced to do drugs? I do that voluntarily all day long.”Predictably, the blowback was swift, with nearly every ensuing news story proclaiming Harrelson was spreading anti-vax conspiracy theories.

recalling more than 65,000 vehicles for an issue that may cause seat belt pretensioners to explode in a crash, potentially injuring occupants of the car, U.S. transportation officials said.A seat belt pretensioner is a part of the seat belt system that locks the seat belt in place during a crash. Over-pressurization of the pretensioner could cause them to explode in certain crashes.

DETROIT - Nissan is recalling more than 809,000 small SUVs in the U.S. and Canada because a key problem can cause the ignition to shut off while they're being driven.The recall covers certain Rogues from the 2014 through 2020 model years, as well as Rogue Sports from 2017 through 2022.Nissan says the SUVs have jackknife folding keys that may not stay fully open.

NEW DELHI : Over 25 crore health records of individuals have been linked to their Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.  This is another milestone for the National Health Authority (NHA) under its flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) in building a digitally connected healthcare ecosystem.  “These records can be easily accessed and managed by the individuals using any of the ABDM-enabled health apps. The digitally available health records will enable the ABHA holders in availing paper-less health services across the ABDM network," the ministry added.  Individuals can use their Personal Health Records (PHR) apps to access their records across different health facilities like hospitals, clinics, diagnostic labs etc.

New figures from the Health Service Executive show the number of deaths from or with Covid-19 in nursing homes, in hospitals linked to outbreaks and in disability residential centres, since the start of the pandemic.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Application are called for the scholarship program offered by the Government of India for 2023/2024.The Indian High Commission in Colombo said Sri Lankan students can register for the program until the 8th of March 2023.The Government of India is offering more than 150 fully-paid scholarships to students from Sri Lanka.The Nehru Memorial Scholarship Scheme will be offering 75 undergraduate scholarships, 10 postgraduate scholarships, and 5 PhD scholarships.The Moulana Azad Scholarship Scheme will be offering 45 postgraduate scholarships in Engineering, Science, and Agriculture.The Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship Scheme will be offering 20 undergraduate scholarships in IT, Engineering, and Technology.Details can be obtained by emailing [email protected]  

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Police Department's Central Detective Division is investigating a shooting in the North Philadelphia section of the city. According to police, On Friday around 7:30 p.m., suspects got out of a dark colored SUV and fired several shots on the 1500 block of Croskey Way. Authorities say no one was reported injured, but the gunfire struck several homes in the area. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESPolice say the suspects arrived and fled the scene in a dark-colored, late model SUV that is believed to be an Accura. Philadelphia Police released surveillance video of the shooting in hopes that someone could identify the shooters or share information about the incident. Anyone with information is urged to contact Philadelphia Police at 215-686-8477 or submit an anonymous tip online. 

WILMINGTON, Del. - A 7-Eleven in the Wilmington area became the scene of an armed robbery over weekend, and police are asking for the public's help to find the culprits.The two men, ages 25-30, entered the 7-Eleven convenience store located at 4865 Governor Printz Boulevard around 10:30 p.m.

TikTok on all government-issued mobile devices, Treasury Board President Mona Fortier announced on Monday.Effective Tuesday, TikTok “will be removed from government-issued mobile devices,” Fortier said in a statement.“Following a review of TikTok, the Chief Information Officer of Canada determined that it presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security,” she added.“The decision to remove and block TikTok from government mobile devices is being taken as a precaution, particularly given concerns about the legal regime that governs the information collected from mobile devices, and is in line with the approach of our international partners.” Read more: TikTok on government devices under assessment in Canada TikTok’s data collection methods on mobile devices provide “considerable access” to the contents of the phone, Fortier explained.“While the risks of using this application are clear, we have no evidence at this point that government information has been compromised,” she added.When pressed on the announcement during a press conference on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government is “looking carefully at how to ensure Canadians are kept safe online.”“We’re making the decision for government employees, for government equipment, it is better to not have them access TikTok because of the concerns that people have in terms of safety,” Trudeau said.“This may be a first step.

Woody Harrelson's fifth time as host on isn't being met with a lot of warmth. Many viewers are slamming the actor for his monologue that they felt spread COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories.Fans took to Twitter following Saturday's new episode to call out Harrelson, and e, for his remarks — in which he seemingly compared pharmaceutical companies to drug cartels.In his monologue, Harrelson told a long, intentionally rambling story about how, after he last hosted in September 2019, he was given a script to read over.The bulk of Harrelson's story seemed to revolve around how high he likes to get, but also how he quit smoking pot for a while, and how his manager smuggled pot illegally from Los Angeles to New York.

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 25: An entrance sign near the main gate at Howard University October 25, 2021 in Washington, DC. Students have complained about mold and poor conditions in some dorm rooms and over 100 students have been staging a weeks-long WASHINGTON - A White student at Howard University’s law school is suing the institution for racial discrimination, alleging the school created a "hostile education environment."Michael Newman, the plaintiff, attended Howard University School of Law starting in the fall semester of 2020 and remained there for just two years until he was expelled in September 2022.

NEW DELHI : Consumer-tech major Apple will continue to focus on the consumers’ personal health and fitness features on Apple Watch and iPhone, instead of tapping into governments’ health information infrastructure, and medical records, worldwide. In an interview, Sumbul Desai, vice president, Health, Apple said it is not looking to transform medical records but yearns to help consumers gain more insights into their own health. It is also looking to work with researchers and startups in India to further its health efforts.

PHILADELPHIA - A shooting in West Philadelphia has left a victim and suspect injured early Saturday morning.Police say a 34-year-old man was shot in the torso just blocks from Saint Joseph's University City Campus on the 1300 block of South Melville Street just before 8 a.m. He was transported to a local hospital, where he is said to be in stable condition.At one point during the incident, police say the victim hit the suspect over head with a bat.

Also Read: Higher heart rate and increased palpitations post covid? Here is what doctors say He further added. "India under the leadership of honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji adopted a 'Whole of Government' and 'Whole of Society' approach in a proactive, preemptive and graded manner, thus adopting a holistic response strategy for effective management of COVID-19."Take a look at how various initiatives of PM @NarendraModi Ji's Govt during COVID-19 helped greatly in saving both lives & livelihoods.According to a @Stanford report, COVID-19 vaccination prevented the loss of ₹1.29 lakh crore in 2021 and saved lakhs of precious lives.