Power Cuts for Friday (25); Almost 5 hour outages for many areas

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Ukrainian firefighters on Friday extinguished a blaze at Europe’s biggest nuclear plant that was ignited by a Russian attack and no radiation was released, U.N. and Ukrainian officials said, as Russian forces pressed their campaign to cripple the country despite global condemnation.The head of the United Nations’ atomic agency said that a Russian "projectile" hit a training center at the Zaporizhzhia plant.

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.

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.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Public Utilities Commission said that the 7.5-hour blackout will be imposed for Friday (4) as well.

JetBlue pilot was removed from the cockpit of a Florida-bound plane before departure from New York on Wednesday after Transportation Security Administration agents said they noticed that he appeared impaired.The JetBlue plane was about to depart from Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Wednesday when Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority police removed James Clifton, 52, from the flight after TSA agents alerted them of the possibly impaired pilot, according to The Buffalo News.TSA agents said they noticed that Clifton could have been impaired while he was passing a security checkpoint at the airport.NFTA police gave Clifton a breathalyzer test, and he was recorded with a blood-alcohol level of 0.17%, which is over four times Federal Aviation Administration standards for pilots, according to the report.The flight's scheduled destination was Fort Lauderdale, Fla., according to the report.Following the breathalyzer test, Clifton was taken into police custody before being released to JetBlue security.MORE NEWS: 'It's a nightmare!': Bride's flight to destination wedding canceledClifton could face federal charges after the incident, the NFTA told The Buffalo News.A JetBlue spokesperson told FOX Business that the crew member involved in the incident "has been removed from his duties.""The safety of JetBlue’s customers and crewmembers is our first priority.  We adhere to all DOT rules and requirements concerning alcohol at all times and have a very strict zero tolerance internal alcohol policy. We are aware of the incident that occurred this morning in Buffalo and are cooperating fully with law enforcement.

KYIV, Ukraine - As Day 7 of the Russia-Ukraine conflict dawned, Russia continued its attacks on crowded Ukrainian cities and a lengthy convoy of Russian tanks and other vehicles advanced slowly toward the capital of Kyiv.Russia's escalation Wednesday came as President Joe Biden, in his State of the Union speech to Americans on Tuesday night, warned that if the Russian leader didn’t "pay a price" for the invasion, the aggression wouldn’t stop with one country.Here's a look at key things to know about the conflict:A Kremlin spokesman said a Russian delegation will be ready Wednesday evening to resume talks with Ukrainian officials about the war in Ukraine.Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that "in the second half of the day, closer to evening, our delegation will be in place to await Ukrainian negotiators."There was no immediate word from the Ukrainian authorities about their plans.Police officers stand guard at the site of yesterday's airstrike that hit Kyiv's main television tower in Kyiv on March 2, 2022. (Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images) A 40-mile convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks and other vehicles advanced slowly on Kyiv, a city of nearly 3 million people.

Waterloo Public Health reported Tuesday a COVID-related death in the region.“Today we are reporting one death in our community related to COVID-19,” said Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, medical officer of health, on Tuesday.“The individual was a male in his 70s.

PHILADELPHIA - Locals with close ties to Ukraine have watched from afar as the place they called home continues to fight a fierce and bloody invasion effort from a world super power. Kostyantyn Peredery, a native of Ukraine, moved to Chester County six years ago with his family to work in the field of Information Technology. Now, from Chester Springs, Kostyantyn watches as Vladimir Putin's Russian arm continues to bombard his homeland. "It makes me very angry, it makes me very upset," Kostyantyn said.

New York City schools will lose the masks this week, and the city's vaccine requirements for restaurants, gyms, and movie theaters will likely expire next week and not be reinstated, according to the New York Times, as new not-peer-reviewed data show poor COVID-19 vaccine protection in kids 5 to 11 years old.

Doug Ford said the province isn’t “far away” from lifting its mask mandate.Ford made the comment at an unrelated press conference Monday morning in response to a question from a reporter about the status of masking requirements in the province.“Right from the get-go, I’m listening to the chief medical officer,” Ford said. Mask mandate will likely be lifted in schools when it is removed for wider public: Ontario top doc “It’s his advice when they’re going to come off and we’ll wait for his advice and recommendations and once he gives the recommendations, we’ll be able to move forward.”Ford hinted that the province’s masking requirements could be lifted in the third week of March.“What I’m hearing: over the next few weeks, maybe after March break when the kids get back, but we’ll see.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka said a 3-hour power cut will be imposed between 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM on Tuesday (1), for all groups.However, 30 minutes of unscheduled power shedding may take place, if necessary ONLY during the night peak to manage excess demand, said the PUCSL.Therefore consumers are kindly advised to reduce consumption between 6 pm. to 10 pm.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka has announced power cuts for Monday (28), as the Ceylon Electricity Board has run out of fuel.Power Cuts for Monday (28)Groups A, B, C:4 hrs & 40 MinGroups P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W:5 hrs & 15 Min

PITTSBURGH - A Pennsylvania man who spent nearly 14 years in prison in a deadly 1993 fire before winning a new trial and having the charges against him dropped has filed a federal lawsuit against a prosecutor and two former police officers involved in his case.Daniel Carnevale, 58, alleges malicious prosecution, fabrication of evidence and civil conspiracy on the part of a deputy Allegheny County district attorney and the former Pittsburgh homicide detectives who now work as investigators for the DA's office. The lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S.

Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, including cutting off a number of Russian banks from the SWIFT interbank payments system.SWIFT is the world’s main international payments network. Here is more about what it does and why it matters:SWIFT, or the “Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication”, is a secure messaging system that facilitates rapid cross-border payments, making international trade flow smoothly.Banks which connect to the SWIFT system and establish relationships with other banks can use SWIFT messages to make payments.Kyiv curfew extended as Russian troops pound on Ukrainian capitalThe messages are secure so that payment instructions are typically honoured without question.

After nearly two years of on and off COVID-19 health measures, Premier Jason Kenney said everyone had different levels of comfort when it comes to relaxing restrictions and asked citizens to be patient and compassionate as people make individual choices about things like continuing to wear masks in public.

PHILADELPHIA - The Internal Affairs Headquarters in Northeast Philadelphia was the scene of a shooting Friday night. The incident happened at approximately 10:45 p.m.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Although the country is being ruled by the Government in a manner which ensures the freedom of the people, that freedom is being misused by many, says President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Speaking at the event of distribution of 100,000 Mahaweli Ranbima deeds at the Mahaweli Stadium in Embilipitiya today (26), the President stated that especially today, himself and the present Government is ruling the country in a way which democracy is ensured.President Rajapaksa also said that the cause of the foreign exchange crisis is not his own fault or the fault of the government.The 100,000 Mahaweli Ranbima deed program is being implemented in line with the Government’s policy statement, “Vision of Prosperity”. Under this program, the Government plans to complete the distribution of 100,000 land deeds to farmers in the Mahaweli areas before the end of next year.35,000 deeds settled under the first phase will be handed over to farmers in 10 Mahaweli zones, and deeds were symbolically awarded to 30 persons today.The President further went onto state that although there are many complaints about the lack of power and electricity in the country, the previous Government did not take any action to implement a single power plant in the country after former President Mahinda Rajapaksa established the Norochcholai power plant.President reiterated that he has been able to reaffirm the security of the country.Citing the promises made to implement a green agriculture in the policy statement, the President said that unfortunately the intent was not able to be communicated to the farmers in the correct manner, and many remained misinformed.

PHILADELPHIA - Ukraine immigrants were among a crowd of Philadelphians who gathered near City Hall on Friday to rally support for Ukraine as it continues to fight a Russian invasion from Russia. Russian troops bore down on Ukraine’s capital Friday while the president grimly predicted that the conflict would soon intensify, and fears of wider war in Europe triggered new international efforts to make Moscow stop, including direct sanctions on President Vladimir Putin.Amid reports of hundreds of casualties — including shelling that sliced through a Kyiv apartment building and pummeled bridges and schools — there also were growing signs that Russia may be seeking to overthrow Ukraine’s government, which U.S. officials have described as Putin’s ultimate objective.

Empty spot where Russian vodka was once stocked at Jacob Liquor Exchange in Wichita, Kansas. WICHITA, Kan. - One Kansas liquor store is standing in solidary with Ukraine after it took all Russian vodkas off its shelves Friday, and they hope to inspire others to take a similar stand. After news broke on Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Jacob Liquor Exchange located in Wichita, decided to pull the more than 100 bottles of Russian vodkas and keep them in storage in the event someone specifically asked for one of them, FOX 4 KC reported. "This is obviously a small sanction but it could make ripples and we wanted to show that we are not supporting what’s going on," Jamie Stratton, Jacob Liquor Exchange partner and wine director, told FOX TV Stations.

COVID-19 in Alberta continued to drop slowly Friday as the province announced there were 1,295 people with the virus in the province’s hospitals.Of that number, 88 people are receiving care in the ICU. COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to slowly decline in Alberta That compares to 1,357 in hospital with 92 in the ICU on Thursday.The province also announced an additional 13 COVID-19 deaths had been reported over the past 24 hours.

students in schools, can safely take a break from wearing masks under new U.S. guidelines released Friday.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlined the new set of measures for communities where COVID-19 is easing its grip, with less of a focus on positive test results and more on what’s happening at hospitals.The new system greatly changes the look of the CDC’s risk map and puts more than 70% of the U.S. population in counties where the coronavirus is posing a low or medium threat to hospitals.

More than 5 million children have lost a parent or caregiver during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a modeling study published yesterday in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.The study by an international team used updated excess mortality and fer

COLOMBO (News 1st); Lanka IOC increased its Retail Selling Prices with effect from Friday (25).According Diesel was increased by Rs. 15/- per Liter and Petrol by Rs. 20/- per Liter due to significant rise in international fuel prices.

(Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images) DETROIT - Ford is recalling nearly a quarter-million heavy duty pickup trucks in the U.S. because the drive shafts can fracture and cause a loss of power.The recall covers certain F-250 and F-350 Super Duty pickups from the 2017 through 2022 model years.

moderate to heavy snow was blanketing an area extending from central and eastern New York into New England early Friday morning, while a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain was creating a glaze of ice from central Pennsylvania to the New York City tri-state area and coastal southern New England.A changeover from sleet and freezing rain to plain rain is expected across the New York City tri-state area toward the end of the Friday morning commute, but icy roads could persist even after temperatures nudge above freezing.The National Weather Service has issued various winter weather alerts where additional snow and ice are expected across the Northeast on Friday.The worst travel conditions can generally be expected where Winter Storm Warnings and Ice Storm Warnings are posted. However, areas under Winter Weather Advisories might also encounter slick roadways at times.Various winter weather alerts are in effect across the Northeast on Friday, Feb.

KYIV, Ukraine - Russia pressed its invasion of Ukraine to the outskirts of the capital Friday after unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending in troops and tanks from three sides in an attack that could rewrite the global post-Cold War security order.Explosions sounded before dawn in Kyiv and gunfire was reported in several areas, as Western leaders scheduled an emergency meeting and Ukraine's president pleaded for international help to fend off an attack that could topple his democratically elected government, cause massive casualties and ripple out damage to the global economy.Among the signs that the Ukrainian capital was increasingly threatened, the military said Friday that a group of Russian spies and saboteurs was seen in a district on the outskirts of Kyiv, and police told people not to exit a subway station in the city center because there was gunfire in the area. Elsewhere in the capital, soldiers established defensive positions at bridges, and armored vehicles rolled down the streets, while many residents stood uneasily in doorways of their apartment buildings.U.S.

19 lakh children in India have lost a parent or caregiver to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a study by The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal. 

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka has announced the power cut schedule for the weekend.Groups A, B, C: (Saturday – 26th)Day time power cut will be for 3 hoursAll other groups: (Saturday – 26th)Day time power cut will be for 2 1/2 hoursThere will be no power outages for Sunday (27), except for groups A, B, C which will be 2 1/2 hours during the daytime.Saturday Power Cut Schedule: 26-02-2022-PowerInterruption-ScheduleSunday Power Cut Schedule: 27-02-2022-power-interruption-schedule

A salty situation is unfolding between two giant companies, as Frito-Lay, which is behind beloved snacks like Lay’s, Doritos, and Cheetos, halts shipments to Canadian grocery giant Loblaw’s various retail chains. Heather Yourex-West looks at what started this crispy conflict, and why more than just chips are at stake.

WASHINGTON - The Biden administration will significantly loosen federal mask-wearing guidelines to protect against COVID-19 transmission on Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter, meaning most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public settings.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday will announce a change to the metrics it uses to determine whether to recommend face coverings, shifting from looking at COVID-19 case counts to a more holistic view of risk from the coronavirus to a community. Under current guidelines, masks are recommended for people residing in communities of substantial or high transmission — roughly 95% of U.S.

A new survey of more than 4,000 pregnant women hospitalized in the United Kingdom with COVID-19 during the first 18 months of the pandemic shows severe illness was linked to poor birth outcomes, including pre-labor caesarean birth, very or extreme preterm birth, stillborn birth, and the need for admission to a neonatal unit.

KYIV, Ukraine - A presidential adviser says Ukraine lost control of the Chernobyl nuclear site, where Ukrainian forces had waged a fierce battle with Russian troops.Adviser Myhailo Podolyak told The Associated Press that Ukrainian authorities did not know the current condition of the facilities at Chernobyl, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster."After the absolutely senseless attack of the Russians in this direction, it is impossible to say that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe," he said.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had announced several hours earlier Thursday that Russian forces were trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear plant.SEE ALSO: Russia invades Ukraine as Putin threatens 'consequences you’ve never seen' if West intervenesA nuclear reactor at the plant 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, exploded in April 1986, sending a radioactive cloud across Europe.The exploded reactor was covered by a protective shelter several years ago to prevent radiation leaks.A Ukrainian official said Russian shelling hit a radioactive waste repository and an increase in radiation levels was reported.

PONTIAC, Mich. - New details about the mental state of Ethan Crumbley, the alleged Oxford High School shooter, were revealed in troubling text messages read during the ongoing preliminary hearing for his parents, who are also facing involuntary manslaughter charges.His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, were each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter days after their son was arrested in the Nov. 30 shooting — which left four students dead and seven others seriously hurt.The second day of a preliminary exam on Thursday kicked off with testimony about the thousands of text messages sent between Ethan Crumbley, now 15, and a friend prior to the mass shooting.In an exchange on April 5, 2021, prosecutors described "quite a bit" of discussion about his mental state in which Ethan Crumbley told his friend he was "f----- up," experiencing hallucinations, and had asked his parents for help."Now my mom thinks I take drugs," one text read, according to the prosecutor.

A Calgary man faces dozens of fraud- and theft-related charges stemming from complaints in Alberta and BC. Tomasia DaSilva spoke to some of his alleged victims.

Palo Alto, California, resident Brian Hamachek was looking over a government website listing payouts for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) last year. He immediately noted many businesses listed either didn't exist or greatly exaggerated their number of employees.He said he recognized fraud that an investigator in Washington would have no way of knowing, "such as, a restaurant that went out of business a couple of months before they got their loan, and they've never come back."Hamachek is a software engineer.

Ford government promised it would deliver its budgets by the end of Ontario’s fiscal year, but an amendment quietly added onto its legislation to axe licence plate sticker fees will allow the government to miss the target without penalty, presenting the budget much closer to the provincial election.The Tories introduced a law in 2019, requiring the delivery of budgets by a March 31 deadline. That target has been missed before and the government said it will be missing it again, because it wants more time to take get a clear picture of Ontario’s recovery following the March 1 reopening.

The Ford Government quietly introduced a clause to allow it to miss its self-imposed law surrounding budget deadlines, to allow it to miss the date without penalty. The timing of the move and the means has opposition members crying foul.

PERRY, Fla. - The suspect who was wanted for shooting and critically injuring a north Florida deputy -- setting off a statewide Blue Alert -- was killed in a shootout with a homeowner after he broke into the man's house.The Dixie County Sheriff's Office said 33-year-old Gregory Miedema was shot and killed around 7 a.m. Wednesday at a home near Tennille, Florida.

The World Health Organization (WHO), the Republic of Korea and the WHO Academy today announced the establishment of a global biomanufacturing training hub that will serve all low- and middle-income countries wishing to produce biologicals, such as vaccines, insulin, monoclonal antibodies and cancer treatments. The move comes after the successful establishment of a global mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub in South Africa.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka says that Groups A, B, and C will experience a power cut of 4 hours and 40 minutes on Thursday (24).All other areas will experience a 4 hour and 30-minute power cut, approved by PUCSL. 

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka says that Groups A, B, and C will experience a power cut of 4 hours and 40 minutes on Thursday (24).All other areas will experience a 4 hour and 30-minute power cut, approved by PUCSL.

Alabama man who was arrested last month for littering after he placed a box of flowers at his fiancée’s grave in Auburn, according to reports. Winchester Hagans lost his fiancée, Hannah Ford, in a car crash on January 17th, 2021, the same day the couple visited their future wedding venue in Notasulga, about 12 miles southwest of Auburn.Hagans said he remembered kissing Ford good-bye as she prepared to drive home to Montgomery, about 45 miles away, WRBL-TV reported. Ford, 27, died in a three-vehicle car crash shortly after. It was roughly one month after he popped the question. "The last things I heard her say were, I love you, and I hate leaving you," Hagans told the station.After her death, Hagans built a flower box filled with her favorite flowers and covered it with engagement pictures for placement at Hannah’s grave at Auburn’s Memorial Park Cemetery.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Leader of the House Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has thanked Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for highlighting the fact that power cuts are severely affecting the students sitting for the G. C.

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COLOMBO (News 1st): The supply of electricity will be disrupted for over 4-hours on Wednesday (Feb. 23), as requested by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka.Accordingly, Groups A, B, and C will experience power cuts for 4 hours and 40 minutes.All other groups will experience power cuts for 4 hours and 30 minutes.The PUCSL announced the power cut schedule for today (23)…The Ceylon Electricity Board pointed out that this situation has arisen due to the lack of sufficient fuel stocks for the generation of 541 MW of power at plants.According to the CEB, the Kerawalapitiya Power Plant has been inactive since yesterday afternoon, due to the shortage of Diesel.The Kelanitissa Power Plant also halted operations due to the Diesel shortage, Andrew Navamuni, the spokesperson for the Ceylon Electricity Board told News 1st.Furnace Oil was pumped to the Sapugaskanda Power Station yesterday, adding that this fuel stock will be used to generate electricity today (23), he noted.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka has announced a power cut schedule for Wednesday (23).Groups A, B, and C will experience power cuts for 4 hours and 40 minutes.All other groups will experience power cuts for 4 hours and 30 minutes.Find out what time your local area will experience a power cut following the tables below:

The latest announcement by the Ford Government again focuses on wooing Ontario’s drivers ahead of the election. While conceding people need more money in their pockets, the opposition says the government needs to do more on childcare and housing.