Legal requirement to self-isolate with Covid will be SCRAPPED in March - or even earlier

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila on Friday (18) announced that a request was made to the Finance Ministry to remove all taxes imposed on fuel or to increase the fuel process.The Minister was speaking to reporters in Colombo while highlighting the losses incurred by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.

Beijing Olympics on Friday.Sharpe — the reigning gold medal champion from the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang — leapt into medal contention right away with her first run, and improved with her second and third runs to secure the silver.Karker also held on to the bronze position throughout the final, where the best score across three runs determined the final rankings.Neither of them could catch China’s Ailing Eileen Gu, however, who won her second gold of the 2022 Winter Games after winning the freeski big air final last week.

Jason Kenney plans to table a motion opposing the invocation of the Emergencies Act when the Alberta Legislature resumes next week.In a video posted to Twitter on Thursday, Kenney said the federal government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act “disturbs (him) greatly.” He also said the Act sets a dangerous precedent because it allows the federal government to freeze people’s bank accounts without a court order.“This is outside of our democratic norms and it’s disproportionate. Yes, the law must be enforced, but we can do that in Canada without resorting to these kinds of extreme measures,” said Kenney in the video.1/ Blockades must end and order must be restored, but invocation of the federal Emergencies Act is disproportionate and unjustified.Freezing people’s bank accounts without due process violates natural justice.This overreach creates a dangerous precedent.

new whip might be on fire in the middle of the ocean right now.The Portuguese Navy has confirmed it has come to the aid of the Felicity Ace, a ship carrying cars across the Atlantic Ocean, after a fire broke out on one of their cargo decks and quickly spread.BREAKING: A giant cargo ship "Felicity Ace" is on fire in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.It's carrying a cargo of Porsche and VW automobiles.The crew safely abandoned ship in lifeboats. Under maritime law the ship is now "finders keepers." pic.twitter.com/gHLqHncrOi— Retro Tech Noir (@RetroTechNoir) February 17, 2022The 22 crew members managed to escape on lifeboats and flee to a nearby Greek tanker ship, reports The Associated Press.

Elon Musk compared Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with Adolf Hitler in a tweet that appeared to support truckers protesting vaccine mandates – and which immediately triggered a storm on Twitter.Musk, the chief executive of Tesla Inc TSLA.O, in late January tweeted support for the Canadian truckers, who have shut down roads and bridges, drawing international attention to their opposition to health policies pushed by Trudeau’s government.Canadian truckers rule— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 27, 2022Responding to a tweet describing how Trudeau’s government had ordered banks to help cut funding to the protesters, Musk posted a meme of a photo of Hitler, with “Stop comparing me to Justin Trudeau” written above his head and “I had a budget” below it.Tesla did not respond to an email requesting further comment.The tweet came as Musk and Tesla on Thursday accused the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of an “endless” investigation to punish Musk for criticism of the U.S.

Houston RCMP said security officials with the company reported “acts of violence” by masked attackers at their work site by the Marten Forest Service Road early Thursday morning.A police news release said about 20 people, “some armed with axes, were attacking security guards and smashing their vehicle windows.” All Coastal GasLink staff were able to leave the area safely, police said.After the call from Coastal GasLink, police officers attended the 41-kilometre mark on the road to find it blocked with trees, tar-covered stumps, wire, spiked boards, and some debris on fire.“As police worked their way through the debris and traps, several people threw smoke bombs and fire-lit sticks at the police, injuring one officer,” Houston RCMP claimed in the release. Mounties investigate as Gidimt’en clan renews effort to stop B.C.

Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!!

It’s a day many industries in the province have been waiting about two years for. Event organizers are now allowed to welcome vaccinated people inside venues. Emad Agahi has more some of the stress that’s finally being lifted.

Towns along the Jersey Shore are preparing for beach season, but erosion is making things difficult.  OCEAN CITY, N.J. - Memorial Day is more than 100 days away, but down the shore, summer is always top of mind. Anytime wind gusts are forecasted to be up to 50 miles per hour, it is another small battle to protect the most valuable asset on the Jersey Shore. In North Wildwood, the summer begins Friday with the annual convoy of trucks hauling sand north where the beaches are closed after another winter storm stole hundreds of feet of the precious beachfront. Red lines show where the sand was last summer and the area is identified as one of the worst eroding beaches in New Jersey. The state is expected to spend another $3.5 million this year to get the beach ready for summer. The same is happening in Ocean City, where beachgoers are navigating six-foot sand cliffs.

With most Americans immune to the omicron COVID-19 variant combined with the number of people vaccinated, many are hopeful things are getting better with COVID-19.  PHILADELPHIA - A new study shows that more than half of Americans are protected against the latest COVID-19 variant, bringing much-needed hope to many. The CDC is now facing increased pressure to revise its own mask guidelines. RELATED: Philadelphia mandates: What you need to know about COVID-19 response levels, metricsThe agency has signaled that it could happen soon, but it said it would take community transmission and hospitalization rates into account before making any changes.Dr. Mike Cirgliano is finally feeling optimistic about where we stand in this pandemic. "I think we are in a very very good place," he said. Research shows that 73% of Americans are immune to the omicron variant because so many people contracted it.

Leroy Brahm (Chester County District Attorney's Office)  SPRING CITY, Pa. - The Chester County District Attorney's Office and the East Vincent Township Police Department announced charges against a man accused of murdering his girlfriend in December. Authorities have charged 31-year-old Leroy Brahm of Spring City with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, strangulation, aggravated assault and other charges relating to the death of his girlfriend, 21-year-old Annabel Meenan. PREVIOUS: Chester County woman found dead inside home; boyfriend charged with assault as investigation continuesOn Dec. 4, 2021, police responded to the 800 block of Buttonwood Avenue in Spring City.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar on Friday (18) is expected to announce the decision on whether Ex-Police Chief Pujith Jayasudara and Ex-Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando will be released from the Easter Attacks cases, without calling for evidence from the Defence.The Attorney General filed the cases against Fernando and Jayasundara on charges of criminal dereliction of duty for failing to take action to prevent the Easter attack despite receiving specific intelligence.The cases will be called up in the presence of Justices Namal Balalle, Aditya Patabendige, and Mohamed Irshadeen.A total of 855 charges of criminal negligence were levelled against Pujith Jayasundera and Hemasiri Fernando, individually.

There has been a change in plans for the COVID-19 vaccination policies for the upcoming 2022 Oscars ceremony, which will take place in Hollywood on March 27.

pic.twitter.com/iWGJPJKd9G

Kate Garraway has revealed that her husband Derek Draper's brain has been "terribly affected" by Covid. The Good Morning Britain presenter has filmed a second documentary called Caring for Derek, as she continues to open up about his recovery from coronavirus.

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Police in Egg Harbor Township said they have arrested a woman and will be charging her with four counts of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a child. According to authorities, 26-year-old Angela Capella of Galloway was seen on surveillance footage "violently handling several children" while working at a childcare facility in December of 2021. Egg Harbor Township police did not release the name of the childcare establishment Capella worked at but said the facility has cooperated with the investigation. Capella has also been fired from her job at the unnamed childcare center. Anyone with additional information on the incident can contact Egg Harbor Township police at 609-926-4051. MORE LOCAL HEADLINES ___DOWNLOAD: FOX 29 NEWS APP | FOX 29 WEATHER AUTHORITY APPSUBSCRIBE: Good Day Digest Newsletter | FOX 29 Philly on YouTubeAdvertisementFOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

FILE - Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks at a press conference after a luncheon with Senate Democrats at the U.S. Capitol Building on Oct. 19, 2021 in Washington, DC.

It appears Kanye West’s feud with Pete Davidson sees no end in sight. On Thursday, the "All of the Lights" emcee, 44, called out the media as well as "SNL" for piling on to banter centered around his mental health in a since-deleted Instagram post.

Plan B measures put in place to slow the spread of Omicron will be lifted completely this week.

The Scottish Government have confirmed 23 people have died from coronavirus in the last 24 hours.

Boris Johnson is facing more backlash after reports emerged of another party being held at Downing Street during the first lockdown.

coronavirus.Covid-19 began spreading rapidly once the new Omicron variant emerged.In early January, cases soared past the 200,000 mark despite Plan B restrictions that were put in place in England.Thankfully, although they are still high, the number of confirmed cases are much lower than they were at the beginning of the year.They are now down to 88,447 as of January 25, up from the previous day's figure of 78,317.Boris Johnson and his Cabinet are hoping this means the variant has now peaked, while some experts feel the changes still present a risk.As a result, restrictions that have affected when we wear a face mask and the way we act in shops, nightclubs and other public places are being lifted.So what are the changes?As the clock ticks down on Plan B restrictions, people can legally stop wearing them in public indoor spaces from Thursday January 27; Plan B expires the day before.The Prime Minister has already announced they no longer had to be worn inside the classroom by secondary school pupils and staff, but now people do not have to wear them in indoor public places if they so choose.People can still wear masks if they want to.Johnson said they now hope to be able to allow Plan B measures to expire and move to 'Plan A' Covid rules.The PM said: "The Cabinet concluded that because of the extraordinary booster campaign together with the way the public have responded to the Plan B measures - we can return to Plan A in England and allow Plan B regulations to expire."This means the end of NHS Covid passes needed for large venues and work-from-home guidance has already been scrapped.Venues can choose to enforce the use of Covid passes on entry to their venue if they wish to do so.People will be able to visit care homes

Nicola Sturgeon will make her weekly statement on coronavirus today as Omicron restrictions in Scotland are finally scrapped.

LONDON :

The Scottish Government have confirmed no people have died from coronavirus in the last 24 hours.

Boris Johnson has confirmed that fully-vaccinated travellers arriving in England will no longer have to take a coronavirus test.

Boris Johnson has scrapped covid tests for vaccinated travellers arriving in the UK signalling a move towards a return to more normal summer holidays.

Boris Johnson has announced coronavirus passports and mandatory face masks are to be scrapped in England as Plan B measures are lifted.

Boris Johnson has announced that Plan B restrictions put in place to tackle Omicron are coming to an end.

Boris Johnson has announced a relaxation of Covid rules, with certain measures set to be dropped over the next week.

Anum Qaisar is calling for Boris Johnson to “resign immediately” after she tackled the latest lockdown party revelations at Prime Minister’s Questions – and accused him of “the ultimate betrayal”.

Dr Hilary Jones has said he is unhappy with the government's decision to change the restrictions on Covid 19 - as he warned people to be cautious.

Spain is leads calls for governments to start tackling Covid-19 as any other endemic respiratory virus like seasonal flu, despite opposition from the World Health Organization and warnings that the approach is premature.

The data shows Omicron is in retreat, but it’s not the end of the road.The best step we can all take is to get vaccinated and I want to thank the staff, volunteers and everyone who’s come forward so far. pic.twitter.com/2zDV3j7hj6

Boris Johnson's daughter Romy was hit "quite badly" by Covid-19 but is now "on the mend", it has been reported. Last week, Downing Street had announced that a member of the 57 year old Prime Minister's family had tested positive for the virus, but did not specify who it was.The PM, who shares a stunning home with wife Carrie after a pricey refurbishment, had pulled out of a visit to Lancashire after Downing Street revealed he'd been in close contact a with relative who had coronavirus. At the time, a No10 spokesperson said he would "follow the guidance for vaccinated close contacts, including daily testing and limiting contact with others".

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the easing of COVID-19 restrictions on Wednesday, saying that face masks will no longer be mandatory in public places and schools in England and COVID-19 passports will be dropped in large parts of the country starting next Thursday.

Face masks will no longer be mandatory in public places and schools in England and COVID-19 passports will be dropped for large events as infections level off in large parts of the country, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday.

Boris Johnson has announced a series of coronavirus rule changes in line with Plan B measures being lifted in England.

A further 8,495 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Scotland with the disease claiming another 29 lives.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid will be hosting a Downing Street press conference later today.

LONDON :

Boris Johnson is expected to announce an easing of England’s coronavirus restrictions tomorrow.

Boris Johnson has claimed that he wasn’t informed that a Downing Street garden gathering that’s been alleged to have been party was against COVID rules at the time.The Prime Minister said in a new interview that he “humbly apologises” to people for “misjudgements” that were made, but that he wouldn’t have attended the gathering on May 20, 2020, if he thought it broke the rules.He told Sky News today (January 18): “I’m saying categorically that nobody told me, nobody said this was something that was against the rules, doing something that wasn’t a work event because frankly, I can’t imagine why it would have gone ahead, or it would have been allowed to go ahead if it was against the rules.”"I carry full responsibility for what took place, but nobody said to me that this was an event that is against the rules."Boris Johnson recalls what he remembers about an alleged party in the Downing Street garden during lockdown.Latest: https://t.co/lE3sSg2vbt pic.twitter.com/k50uWKeYmD— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 18, 2022Under the rules that applied at the time of the alleged party, which dozens of Downing Street staff were invited to in an email sent by principal private secretary Martin Reynolds, people in England were subject to “not meeting up with any more than one person from outside your household” [via FullFact].The law in May 2020 said “no person may participate in a gathering in a public place of more than two people” unless it was for one of a number of stated reasons. These included when the gathering was “essential for work purposes” or “all the persons in the gathering are members of the same household”.

NHS staff absences due to coronavirus are at their highest level since the pandemic began in 2020, according to the latest official statistics.

The Scottish Government has confirmed FIVE coronavirus deaths were reported in Tayside in the last 24 hours.

Boris Johnson's future hangs in the balance today after he admitted attending a party in the Downing Street garden during the first covid lockdown in 2020.

A cleaner who turned up to work at a supermarket while infected with Covid-19 was unfairly sacked, an Employment Tribunal ruled.

Nicola Sturgeon is set to issue an update on the state of the coronavirus pandemic to the Scottish Parliament later today.