RMV to extend validity period of driving licenses

The New York State Department of Health has discovered more evidence of polio in NYC wastewater.  Officials noted that 63 of 70 wastewater samples discovered last week were linked to a polio case of a 20-year-old male from Rockland County.The individual has since developed paralysis in his legs, according to the state health department.  Most of the samples were found in Rockland. Still, officials also collected others all over the state, including Orange County, Sullivan County, and Nassau County, and one sample was found in Brooklyn.

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. - A Missouri woman was held captive in a basement room for about a month and was raped repeatedly before she was able to escape, according to charging documents filed Tuesday.The suspect, 39-year-old Timothy M. Haslett of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, was arrested Friday and appeared in court by video Tuesday from the Clay County jail.Judge Louis Angles entered a not guilty plea on Haslett's behalf on charges of first-degree rape or attempted rape, first-degree kidnapping and second-degree assault.

Freeport, N.Y.: Close-up photo of gloved hands holding a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster shot (Photo by Steve Pfost/Newsday RM via Getty Images) The U.S. on Wednesday authorized updated COVID-19 boosters for children as young as 5, seeking to expand protection ahead of an expected winter wave.Tweaked boosters rolled out for Americans 12 and older last month, doses modified to target today’s most common and contagious omicron relative.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Member of the Economic Center of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Dr. Harsha de Silva says that the Government's recent tax revision has a risk of being backfired, and alleged that the proposal was not brought before the Parliament and neither the Parliament Finance Committe for approval beforehand. Speaking at a press conference held on Wednesday (12), the MP alleged that the tax revsion is one of the moved which are stipulated in the IMF agreement, that was hidden from the public. Speaking further, the SJB MP said that these proposed 'dictatorial' tax amendments should be discussed more, and should be implemented gradually, in a step-by-step fashion rather than in a matter of a week or two. If these tax revisions are implemented without consulting with the public, it would result in disastrous circumstances, including being backfired, Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The 2022 Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index, a report released by OXFAM highlights that the pandemic alone has increased Sri Lanka's poverty by 27%.The report, which is the first detailed analysis looking at Governments' policies and actions to fight inequality during the first two years of the pandemic, presents an analysis of spending, tax and labour policies and actions of 161 governments during 2020–2022.In comparison with neighbouring countries, Sri Lanka has placed 111th in the report, while other countries include Nepal (112th), Bhutan (116th), India (123rd), Pakistan (126th), and Afghanistan (138th) out of the total 161.Two years ago, Sri Lanka ranked in 94th position among 158 countries in the 2020 Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index, and in comparison with this year, has gone down 17 places.The report highlights that Sri Lanka is the sixth lowest public services spender out of 161 countries and has been cutting the already low health and education budget shares by one-fifth each since 2019, due to a growing debt crisis which is absorbing 60% of the country's budget.The other countries that have ranked as low as Sri Lanka in public spending includes South Sudan, Timor Leste, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Uganda, Nepal and Yemen.

FILE - A farmer stands next to a row of newly planted organic tomatoes on April 23, 2015, in Firebaugh, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) California's ongoing drought is expected to impact the prices of key crops, driving food inflation even higher for consumers.The U.S.

It’s going to be a girl for Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey!

South Simcoe Police say two of their officers have died in the line of duty following a shooting in Innisfil, Ont. on Tuesday night.

This picture taken on October 12, 2022 shows a view of a mosaic floor dating to the Roman era being excavated in the city of al-Rastan in Syria's west-central province of Homs, after its discovery was announced by Syria's General Directorate of Antiq RASTAN, Syria - Syria uncovered a large intact mosaic that dates back to the Roman era, describing it Wednesday as the most important archaeological discovery since the country's conflict began 11 years ago.Journalists were shown the mosaic in the central town of Rastan near Homs, Syria’s third-largest city.The mosaic, at 120 square meters (around 1,300 square feet), was found in an old building that Syria's General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums had been excavating. Lebanese and Syrian businessmen from the neighboring country's Nabu Museum bought the property that dates back to the 4th century and donated it to the Syrian state.

The stranded pilot whales are pictured on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, on the west coast of the Chatham Islands, located about 500 miles east of New Zealand's main islands.

FILE IMAGE - The breakfast cereal aisle is pictured at a grocery store in Florida in an undated file image. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) WASHINGTON - The U.S.

Europe. "Although we are not where we were one year ago, it is clear that the Covid-19 pandemic is still not over," WHO's Europe director, Hans Kluge, and ECDC's director, Andrea Ammon, said in a joint statement. "We are unfortunately seeing indicators rising again in Europe, suggesting that another wave of infections has begun." According to reports from WHO's region-wise data, Europe recorded a rise in Covid-19 cases in the week ended 2 October, clocking an increase of 8% from the prior week.

Ofcom has launched an investigation into television channel GB News after a guest likened the Covid-19 vaccine to "mass murder".The comments were made during an episode of Mark Steyn's programme which featured author and journalist Dr Naomi Wolf.After her appearance on the show, Ofcom received a staggering 411 complaints, following Dr Wolf's description of the coronavirus vaccine rollout strategy.READ MORE: Eamonn Holmes 'felt cheated' as 'beautiful' moment at Queen's funeral was 'ruined'A spokesperson for Ofcom said: "We are investigating whether this programme broke our rules designed to protect viewers from harmful material."Ofcom's investigation will examine whether the programme broke their rules which are designed to protect viewers from material that could be considered harmful.Dr Wolf was previously suspended from Twitter in June 2021 for spreading vaccine misinformation. In addition to this, she also caused controversy when she compared Dr Anthony Fauci, the top Covid adviser in the United States, to Satan.As a result of her actions, Dr Wolf was denounced as a conspiracy theorist.While speaking to presenter Mark on his programme she said: "It's sad that it takes a year for the rest of the world to catch up with what used to be called journalism."I'm not a contrarian, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I'm a journalist and I did a year ago what I've done for 35 years and which until 2020 led me to be a darling of the established media," she expressed.She continued: "But in 2020 and in 2021, when I was reporting accurately on women's health problems that women were reporting subsequent to the Moderna Covid-19 injection, specifically menstrual problems, I was denounced, smeared.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police are investigating after a man was struck twice during a shooting in Philadelphia's Olney section Wednesday morning.The 48-year-old was reportedly found shot twice in the back after driving his SUV to North 2nd Street around 2 a.m.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – As many Sri Lankans have cut down on their meals, the demand for staples has also seen a drop.Usually, more than 200 to 300 Sri Lankan fishing boats set out to sea, however after the economic crisis hit, coupled with an acute shortage of fuel most of the Sri Lankan fishermen have been forced to tie up their boats to the piers, hoping for better days."The demand for fish had slumped. The main reason for this is the high cost of fuel and the rising cost of living. A liter of fuel that cost only Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – On the sidelines of the poppy flower campaign launched to commemorate war veterans, the President of Sri Lanka Naval Association, Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne (Rtd) pinned a poppy flower on Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne at the Navy Headquarters today (12). The poppy flower campaign was originally adopted to commemorate those war veterans who perished for their country during World War I and II. Presently, the exchange of poppies symbolizes honoring the supreme sacrifice made by the veterans of the armed forces for the Motherland. As such, in commemoration of all naval war veterans, the President of the Sri Lanka Naval Association pinned this poppy flower on the Commander of the Navy today.The Vice President of the Sri Lanka Naval Association, Rear Admiral Manil Mendis (Rtd) and several members of the association were also present on this occasion.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Court of Appeal on Wednesday (12) set a date to issue the order with regard to the writ petition filed by former President Maithripala Sirisena requesting to annul the notice issued on him to appear at the Fort Magistrate's Court on 14th October where he is named as a suspect in the Easter Sunday Terror Attacks case. Accordingly, the Court of Appeal will issue the relevant order at 9:30 in the morning on 14th October.A bench comprising of Justices Sobitha Rajakaruna and Dhammika Ganepola issued the order after the petition was taken up in Court today.Additional Solicitor General Rohantha Abeysuriya appeared on behalf of the Attorney General while President's Counsel Rienzi Arsecularatne represented the plaintiffs including Rev. Fr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe pointed out that using children as shields in demonstrations is a serious offence according to the law of the country and advised the Sri Lanka Police to take immediate measures to prevent the perpetuation of such conduct.President Wickremesinghe issued these instructions during the special discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday (12) on the protection of children’s rights.Highlighting sub-section 13 of Article 27 of the Constitution, “The State shall promote with special care the interests of children and youth, to ensure their full development, physical, mental, moral, religious and social, and to protect them from exploitation and discrimination,” the President emphasized that protecting children is the prime responsibility of a government.Steps were also taken to assign the responsibilities of child protection to the Sri Lanka Police and related government institutions.The President upheld the need for an Act to protect children’s rights to prevent them from being used for sexual activities and protect their fundamental rights. He also advised the officials to discuss this issue with the Attorney General to take necessary steps in this regard.The President drew attention to the detention of the children, who were among the people who were arrested for illegally migrating to India, and therefore separated from their parents. He said that this situation needs to be rectified immediately and arrangements made to return the children to their parents.The President also requested special attention to be paid to the education of children in orphanages and the protection of their rights and advised the officials to submit a report on those with special

no one matched all six numbers on Tuesday. The current jackpot, which also comes with a $248.7 million cash option, would be the 11th-largest prize in the 20-year history of the game, according to lottery officials. The current Mega Millions prize began Aug. 2 after a $1.337 billion ticket was won in Illinois on July 29.The winning numbers are drawn for the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot in history, $1,28B, took place on Friday, July 29, 2022.In addition to the massive jackpot in July, four other top prizes have been awarded so far this year — beginning with $426 million in California on Jan. 28, officials said.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne today (12) formally handed over the letter of appointment to Rear Admiral Jayantha Kularatne, who was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy, and expressed his best wishes.Rear Admiral Jayantha Kularatne is a proud product of Mahanama College, Colombo. He joined the Sri Lanka Navy in 1987 as an Officer Cadet of the 16th intake, in the Executive branch. On successful completion of his basic training at the Naval and Maritime Academy, Trincomalee, he was commissioned as a Sub Lieutenant in 1989.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Welfare Benefit Fast Track Program ‘Leave No One Behind’ targeting low-income families, which was initiated as per the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, has so far received 2.3 million applications, according to the Welfare Benefit Board.The applications are being promptly entered into the system through Welfare Benefit Information Units established in 341 Divisional Secretariats throughout the country and as of today (12), 624,714 applications have been entered into the system.It is expected that the 600,000 families that have been downgraded to the low-income category, in the face of the second COVID-19 wave and the economic crisis faced by the country, as reported by the United Nations Development Program, are also eligible to apply for this Welfare Benefit Fast Track Program. This is in addition to the 3.3 million families that are currently receiving welfare benefits or those who are already on the waiting list.Accordingly, it is estimated that 3.9 million families would apply for this social welfare program.

PHILADELPHIA - A vehicle was left riddled with bullet holes after police say a shooting erupted in Germantown Wednesday morning.Police say a 38-year-old man was shot multiple times on the 100 block of East Duval Street around 3 a.m.He reportedly drove himself to a local hospital, where he is said to be in critical condition.MORE HEADLINES:The vehicle he was driving was shot at about 20 times, according to police.

PHILADELPHIA - Emergency crews are on the scene after police say three SWAT officers were shot as a barricade situation unfolded in North Philadlphia Wednesday morning.Police say shots rang out while officers were serving a homicide arrest warrant on the 800 block of 10th Street.Three SWAT officers were reportedly shot and injured, and transported to a local hospital.MORE HEADLINES:SkyFOX was live over the emergency situation where police say a barricade situation unfolded following the shooting.Three people were handcuffed by police as FOX 29 arrived at scene.The circumstances surrounding the shooting are unclear at this time, and the condition of the officers is unknown.This is a developing story.

Only Fools and Horses star Sir David Jason has revealed he recently collapsed after contracting "seriously bad" Covid-19.The TV legend, 82, was speaking to BBC Breakfast presenter Jon Kay about his new book, when he revealed that he recently collapsed while getting out of bed one night when he had covid-19 during the Summer.The Open All Hours star said: "I got it seriously bad."Because all the muscles weren't working, I collapsed and I fell against the radiator... I was so weak, I couldn't get up."READ NEXT: Only Fools, Skins and Gavin and Stacey - British TV remakes that flopped in the USSaying that he tried to get out of bed to go to the toilet, Sir David explained that he had to use the bed to try and stand up as his muscles "weren't working.""I crawled to the bed.

Chloe Ferry recently found herself in a state of confusion after she mistook the reading on her negative coronavirus test as a positive one. On Tuesday evening (Oct 11), the 27-year-old Geordie Shore star took to Instagram to inform her followers that she and her mother Liz were feeling under the weather.After being advised to take a Covid test, Chloe was left distraught when she thought she had contracted the virus due to one line being present on her results.READ MORE: Chloe Ferry branded 'most beautiful' as she wows in nude bodysuit following splitHowever the TV personality quickly returned to her platform to share that she read the test incorrectly.Speaking directly to the camera she said: "If I do not laugh, I'm going to scream."She continued: "So obviously me and mum got the same bug, so we just done a Covid test, but we started panicking thinking 'oh my God like what if we've got Covid, I've been around my friends' like we just started thinking the worst."So we've done the Covid test, we're both as thick as each other honestly.

PHILADELPHIA - A pedestrian was injured after police say a driver caused a crash while under the influence early Wednesday morning.Police say the driver slammed into a parked car, then hit a woman walking on the 3300 block of Kensington Avenue around midnight.MORE HEADLINES:The driver was reportedly under the influence at the time, and arrested on the scene.The woman broke her leg, and is said to be in stable condition at a local hospital.

PHILADELPHIA - Today is the day to take part in all those outdoor fall activities!A cool morning will make way for some beautiful weather as temperatures are set to reach a high of 72 degrees. Sun will take over the skies for most of the day, until clouds start to increase later this evening.However, in Atlanta, a chance of thunderstorms could mean a rain delay for the Phillies game today!Back in Philadelphia, Wednesday's clouds will turn to storms with heavy rain expected throughout the day.

Also Read: Be prepared for a more dangerous Covid that beats vaccines BF.7 can escape the antibodies from earlier illnesses or vaccinations better than the many other omicron sub-variants, according to two studies. The new variation known as the "Omicron spawn" is growing quickly and might take over within a few weeks, researchers warn. The prevalence of BF.7 has doubled in the United States over the past two weeks, rising from 0.8% to 1.7%.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Railways said that steps have been taken to increase the security of trains that are in operation.Railways General Manager W. A.

Shanghai reported 38 new infections, all of which were found in its quarantine system. The country that first reported Covid-19 cases in December 2019, now remains the only major government that is still grappling to control the spread of the fatal virus.  Several schools across the city have suspended in-person classes as the fear of Covid-19 infection spread grows.  At least five districts have closed entertainment venues, including cinemas, bars and gyms, in an effort to stamp out transmission, according to statements issued by Covid prevention offices.

NORTH PHILADELPHIA - Relief efforts are underway, both in Puerto Rico and in Philadelphia and, as passengers arrive in Philadelphia from the island, grassroots members meet to announce plans to help those in need, after Hurricane Fiona flamed the island earlier in the week."We decided to go to San Juan for a last two days before we flew back on Sunday morning, but Saturday night they told us our flight was cancelled," John Paul said.Paul has a home in northeast Puerto Rico and said he lost power and running water. He said people in south and southwest Puerto Rico were hit the hardest, including a friend whose home was devastated by flooding.RELATED HEADLINES:"Her whole house got flooded," said Paul.

Environment Canada said Fiona is now expected to impact the eastern shore on Friday, as it transforms into a strong post-tropical storm.The weather agency said there are indications of a deep hybrid low-pressure system, which possesses both tropical and intense winter storm-type properties. Fiona could bring very heavy rainfall and severe winds.“We’ll see some very strong, possibly damaging winds, probably a lot of heavy rainfall over some areas,” said Canadian Hurricane Centre meteorologist Ian Hubbard on Tuesday.“And we are expecting to see some coastal flooding, in terms of large waves and storm surge at some point.“ Tropical cyclone statement issued for Atlantic Canada as Fiona tracks north Hubbard said there was still a large cone of uncertainty on Tuesday, meaning there wasn’t enough detail about where Fiona would go.

producing heavy rainfall and gusty winds on the islands in the southwest Atlantic. Fiona became the first major hurricane of the Atlantic season Wednesday and the already-deadly storm is forecast to intensify even more as it tracks toward Bermuda.Fiona has been steadily strengthening and could reach Category 4 intensity by late Wednesday as it eyes Bermuda later this week.Even with Hurricane Fiona pulling farther away from the Caribbean, its outer bands will continue to produce heavy rain over isolated portions of the Dominican Republic.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva gave instructions to the relevant officials in Parliament, to expand the operations of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and other institutions under the ministry to increase efficiency. The Minister said that like in many countries of the world, in Sri Lanka too, women are already working as crane operators in the port and steps will be taken to recruit more in the future.The Minister stated the above at the first meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Ports, Shipping and Aviation held on Tuesday (20).The committee also agreed to the regulation under Civil Aviation to be submitted to Parliament for approval on the 22nd. The purpose of this is to correct a printing error in the Civil Aviation Services (Issue of Licenses to Personnel and Training Institutions) orders published by Extraordinary Gazette.

PHILADELPHIA - As recovery efforts resume in Puerto Rico after a direct hit from Hurricane Fiona, natives in Philadelphia are nervously awaiting to hear from family and loved ones. Hurricane Fiona dumped nearly 30 inches of rain on Puerto Rico over a two-day period. Over the weekend, the storm knocked out power and water to most of the island, and National Guard troops rescued hundreds of people who got stranded."I was watching the news and see the one bridge they just fixed, and it washed away," Joe Jarvis, a North Philadelphia resident with family in Puerto Rico, said.

PHILADELPHIA - Two Philadelphia business owners woke up shocked on Sunday morning when they realized their three-week-old food truck had vanished. Philadelphia police say at around 5:30 Sunday morning, someone drove a U-Haul truck onto a private lot in Bridesburg and left with the Lui's Kitchen Food Truck attached to its trailer. Kris and Trisha Dogiewicz, owners of the food truck, say they poured money, time, and energy into their mobile restaurant for months until it came to fruition just three weeks ago. "We're trying to make some good Philly food with a southern twist," said Kris Dogiewicz.Lui's Kitchen Food Truck, named after Kris and Trisha's one-year-old daughter, is a popular stop among locals as the couple says they sold out of all their food at an event the day before it was stolen. "It was very, very promising. We were on a high on Saturday night, and we were like, 'This is great." Then, Sunday morning it came crashing down on us," said Trisha Dogiewicz.MORE HEADLINES: Gloucester County man, 51, arrested for animal cruelty, police sayPennsylvania man caught selling baby kangaroo for $5,000 on Facebook, officials sayPolice: Wawa offering $5,000 reward after armed robberies in Philadelphia neighborhoodsA surveillance video obtained by FOX 29 shows the U-Haul truck drive onto the private lot of the Arsenal Campus on Tacony Street.

FOX Forecast Center warns that these rains could produce additional localized life-threatening flash flooding.HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER ON TVHurricane Fiona first crashed into the extreme southwestern coast of Puerto Rico on Sunday afternoon, leaving catastrophic flooding and most of the island in the dark, and then hit the eastern Dominican Republic about 12 hours later n the pre-dawn hours of Monday.Maximum sustained winds for Hurricane Fiona's first landfall in Puerto Rico were estimated at about 85 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. High winds were reported across the island on Sunday, including a 103-mph wind gust in the city of Ponce.Downed power lines on road PR-743 in Cayey, Puerto Rico as the island awoke to a general power outage on September 19, 2022 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

DOVER, Del. - The company that privatized operations at the port of Wilmington several years ago owes more than $21 million in damages for breaching an agreement to buy the port’s former stevedoring firm, a Delaware judge ruled Monday.Vice Chancellor Lori Will also found GT USA Wilmington in contempt for violating a court confidentiality order by using materials it obtained in defending itself in a 2018 lawsuit filed by Murphy Marine Services to negotiate a deal with one of Murphy Marine’s largest customers.Monday’s ruling came more than a year after a different Chancery Court judge ruled that GT was bound by the terms of a 2018 letter agreement regarding the purchase and sale of 100% of the equity interest of Murphy Marine.Will ruled Monday that GT violated the binding letter agreement by refusing to negotiate a definitive purchase agreement with Murphy Marine. She also said GT improperly used information obtained from Murphy Marine during the lawsuit to negotiate its own stevedoring contract with Dole Fresh Fruit Company.Officials with GT USA Wilmington did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.GT USA Wilmington is a subsidiary of port management company Gulftainer, which is based in the United Arab Emirates.

Canadian Hurricane Centre said it is monitoring Hurricane Fiona, although it’s too early to predict any detailed impacts.Fiona’s track shows it could affect Nova Scotia and Newfoundland by this weekend. Hurricane Fiona rips through Puerto Rico, unleashes landslides, knocks out power Yesterday, the hurricane struck Puerto Rico’s southwest coast — unleashing landslides, knocking out power, and ripping up asphalt from roads.Forecasters said the storm would cause massive flooding and threatened to dump “historic” levels of rain, with up to 76 centimeters possible in some areas.A state of emergency was declared in the U.S.

FILE - Downtown Denver skyline, photographed from the Jacquard Hotel rooftop in Denver, Colo., on Nov. 14, 2018.

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. High winds were reported across the island on Sunday, including a 103-mph wind gust in the city of Ponce.Hurricane Fiona was slightly stronger for its second landfall in the Dominican Republic, with maximum sustained winds estimated at about 90 mph – still a Category 1 hurricane. The Punta Cana International Airport clocked a 79-mph wind gust near the time of landfall in the pre-dawn hours of Monday.Hurricane Fiona made its first landfall in Puerto Rico on Sunday, Sept.

HAVANA (AP) - Hurricane Fiona struck Puerto Rico’s southwest coast on Sunday as it unleashed landslides, knocked the power grid out and ripped up asphalt from roads and flung the pieces around.Forecasters said the storm would cause catastrophic flooding and threatened to dump "historic" levels of rain, with up to 25 inches (64 centimeters) possible in isolated areas."I urge people to stay in their homes," said William Miranda Torres, mayor of the northern town of Caguas, where at least one large landslide was reported, with water rushing down a big slab of broken asphalt and into a gully.RELATED: Hurricane Fiona makes landfall over Puerto Rico as category 1 hurricaneThe storm also washed away a bridge in the central mountain town of Utuado that police say was installed by the National Guard after Hurricane Maria hit in 2017.Fiona hit about 15 miles (25 kilometers) south-southeast of Mayaguez with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The administration of the University of Peradeniya has planned to provide part-time job opportunities to students within the university premises.Vice-Chancellor Professor M.D. Lamawansa says plans are in place to provide part-time jobs to around 300 students.He told News 1st that 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-year students will be prioritized for part-time jobs adding that if any 1st-year student requires a part-time job, it would also be considered. Such a part-time job program is being implemented for the first time in the country's state university system at Peradeniya University.Prof.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka will NOT participate in any military alliance, and certainly does not want the problems of the pacific coming in to the Indian Ocean, said President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo on Wednesday (14).Wickremesinghe speaking on Sri Lanka's position in the geo-political stage said the country's importance has appreciated and depreciated.However, he said that the geo-politics of the Indian ocean has unfortunately made Sri Lanka the punching bag for Hambantota. "It is not a military port. Though we are a commercial port it shows our strategic importance that many people come to conclusions which are unwarranted," he said.The President said that he hopes the next agreement Sri Lanka come to with China will not cause such speculation and such agreements will only be about debt reduction for Sri Lanka. "We don't participate in military alliance, and we certainly do not want the problems of the pacific coming in to the Indian Ocean.

PennDOT announces newly-designed driver's license and ID cards. HARRISBURG, Pa. - Hope you don't like your ID photo too much, because it's almost time for a new one!The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced Monday that newly-designed driver licenses and identification cards are being rolled out this year.The new cards will feature updated designs and security features to protect against fraud, counterfeiting and alteration:"The update is an important component of PennDOT’s ongoing work to enhance and protect the integrity of the driver license and identification card issuance process," said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian.Summerdale Driver License Center in Enola is piloting the new cards beginning Monday, with all centers transitioning by mid-November.PennDOT says the new cards will be phased in over a four-year renewal cycle to replace existing cards.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Railways informs that the period for reserving train seats has been extended to 30 days.Sri Lanka Railways said that passengers can make reservations for train seats one month in advance from the 13th of September. Accordingly from 13th September 10.00 AM passengers can reserve seats for all trains that will operate until midnight on 13th October.Earlier the period for reserving train seats was 14 days.

FILE PHOTO - State Attorney General Letitia James leaves the podium after announcing a lawsuit against e-cigarette giant Juul on November 19, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Electronic cigarette maker Juul Labs will pay nearly $440 million to settle a two-year investigation by 33 states into the marketing of its high-nicotine vaping products, which have long been blamed for sparking a national surge in teen vaping.Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced the deal Tuesday on behalf of the states plus Puerto Rico, which joined together in 2020 to probe Juul's early promotions and claims about the safety and benefits of its technology as a smoking alternative.The settlement resolves one of the biggest legal threats facing the beleaguered company, which still faces nine separate lawsuits from other states that are suing the company.

OCEAN CITY, N.J. - Imagine sailing peacefully along the coast, taking your brand-new boat for a spin, when suddenly you find yourself on dry land - and reality sets in.That's the case for Chesapeake Bay resident Steve Strictland, whose Labor Day just became anything but a holiday!Strictland says he was sailing home by himself after buying the rare Coronado 30 sailboat about three weeks ago.The 4-year mariner set the boat to autopilot Sunday night when things took a turn, and he ended up on the rocks around 3:30 a.m. Monday."It's my happiest place," he said.