Shehan Semasinghe to head Lankan delegation to IMF & WB summit

TRENTON, N.J. - In Trenton, deadly shootings are 62 percent lower this year compared to last year. There were also no deadly shootings for a 90-day period over the summer. Meanwhile, Philadelphia saw a record year of homicides and shootings in 2021.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – International slavery continues to be a modern day curse that plagues our world.News 1st has for many years battled against international slavery, with a particular focus on Sri Lankan Domestic Workers who are all too often held captive in the Middle East.In the recent past, News 1st has warned that Sri Lanka's current economic crisis would result in increasing numbers of Sri Lankan women being trapped into slavery as thousands more venture overseas to escape poverty.  Now our worst fears have been realised.News 1st brings to you the shocking revelation that more than 50 women have been sent into slavery in Dubai by two job agencies in the central cities of Anuradhapura and Kurunegala, in a report filed by News 1st's Nisal Sooriyarachchi, and Naveksha Gunasekera.A foreign employment agency in Anuradhapura has trafficked more than 50 women to work as virtual slave labour in the state of Dubai where most of them are currently been held against their will in atrocious conditions. Several women who who fell victim to this scam have revealed that the agency headed by 3 women living in Dubai. Thushara Nilmini, a resident of Anuradhapura, who finally made her way back to Sri Lanka after falling victim to the scam, said that between 50 and 60 women who went abroad for domestic work are being held captive in various areas of Dubai. Chandrika, who asked that her full name not be revealed, has gone to work as a domestic worker in Dubai and is currently in a destitute state there. News 1st managed to obtain a telephone interview while she is in Dubai.She said that they stayed at the agency for about a month, and barely got anything to eat. "Then they stationed us at this safe house.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The International Monetary Fund says it is deeply concerned, but committed to support Sri Lanka.Peter Breuer, Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka, and Masahiro Nozaki, Mission Chief for Sri Lanka in an exclusive comment to News 1st said that the International Monetary Fund is deeply concerned about the impact of the crisis on the people of Sri Lanka.They said deep concern is particularly on the poor and vulnerable grous.Both the Senior Mission Chief of Sri Lanka and the Mission Chief noted that the IMF is committed to support Sri Lanka at this difficult time in line with the IMF’s policies.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Moscow secured a long-term Credit Line from the Government of the Russian FederationThe Embassy of Sri Lanka in Moscow announced that on the 17th October 2022, a productive discussion was held with the Russian Government on the possibility of obtaining a long term credit line in order to procure fuel to Sri Lanka. Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, Prof. Janitha A.

COLOMBO (News 1st) –  Sri Lanka's State Finance Minister says that the IMF is committed to working with Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka's State Minister for Finance Shehan Semasinghe tweeted that he, and the delegation concluded their visit to the IMF annual meeting with a bilateral discussion with Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the IMF.He said the IMF Managing Director commended the government on the difficult, yet essential, reforms that it had undertaken to restore economic stability,He also said that Kristalina Georgieva assured the IMF’s commitment to  work with Sri Lanka to place the country on a stable and sustained growth path as early as possible.

(The Hindu) – Close on the heels of the project that translocated cheetahs from Namibia, the Indian government is considering a proposal from Colombo to export a number of gaurs, or Indian bisons, to Sri Lanka to revive the population of gavaras that have been extinct in the island since the end of the 17th century.If the project is cleared, it would be the first such agreement between India and Sri Lanka, and part of a global trend of “wildlife or zoological diplomacy”, say experts.Sources said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which received the request in August, has now forwarded it to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), “seeking comments” on the proposal to transport at least six specimens, including a bull and three to five cows. According to the written proposal, the Sri Lankan Department of Zoological Gardens would then carry out “captive breeding a herd of about a dozen specimens over a five-year period before trial reintroduction to the wild could take place in accordance with [internationally mandated] guidelines for reintroductions”.S.P.

COLOMBO (News 1st) –  The Paris Club has assured its fullest support to Sri Lanka in its ongoing efforts to find an early resolution to its debt crisis.Paris Club is a group of officials from major creditor countries whose role is to find co-ordinated and sustainable solutions to the payment difficulties experienced by debtor countries.State Minister Shehan Semasinghe said that he meet with William Roos, Co-Chairman of the Paris Club during the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings."Mr. Roos assured The Paris Club’s fullest support for Sri Lanka’s ongoing efforts to find an early resolution to its debt crisis," he tweeted.What Is the Paris Club?The Paris Club is an informal group of creditor nations whose objective is to find workable solutions to payment problems faced by debtor nations.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: General view during Toys"R"Us Grand Opening at Macy's Herald Square on October 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Macy's, Inc.) Toys R Us has found second life as new in-store locations have opened in select Macy’s department stores across the country and celebrating with nine days of free events. The toy store giant filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and closed all locations in 2018 as the brick-and-mortar locations suffered declining sales.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A delegation from Sri Lanka, including the State Minister of Finance, Shehan Semasinghe, met with the Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kenji Okamura.The State Minister met with the IMF Director at the annual summit of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which is currently underway at the United States.The necessary next steps to get the approval of the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund for the proposed Extended Fund Facility have been discussed between the State Minister and the IMF Director at the meeting.Recent economic trends in Sri Lanka were also discussed at length during the meeting.The alternative Executive Director of International Monetary Fund Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara, Central Bank Governor Dr.

Will Mellor choked back tears after an emotional rumba on Strictly Come Dancing with his professional dance partner Nancy Xu.It comes as Strictly fans have been left worried for the actor's health as he's been left bed-bound all week after contracting a virus, which threw his training into chaos.Will and Nancy performed a touching rumba routine to The Joker and the Queen by Ed Sheeran and taylor Swift on Saturday night (October 15).READ MORE: Strictly Will Mellor's life - Sheridan Smith snub, tragic death and Jeremy Clarkson threatThe dance aimed to shed a light on the importance of men's mental health and Will dedicated it to those who "put on a brave face" amid their mental health struggles.Will broke down in tears on the dancefloor after the music stopped, which prompted Nancy to hug him tightly in a bid to console him.The former Corrie star, 46, seemed to fight back tears when talking to host Claudia Winkleman about the routine.He said: "It's the story of men who don't speak out when they're not facing their problems, and you know, it's okay not to be okay.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Deputy Director of the Asia and Pacific Department of the International Monetary Fund, Anne-Marie Gulde-Wolf has said that Sri Lanka will remain a middle-income country despite the decline in GDP.Speaking at an IMF press conference on the Asia and Pacific Region’s Economic Outlook, the Deputy Director of the Asia and Pacific Department of the IMF responded to questions raised about Sri Lanka's progress toward debt restructuring negotiation, the IMF's program timeline, and whether Sri Lanka could be downgraded to low-income status.She pointed out that it is difficult to predict a timeline because the process of debt negotiations takes time, and mentioned that timelines differ depending on who the creditors are and what is involved. "We certainly are supporting the process as much as we can. And we hope that everybody can work expeditiously to get a process underway, and discussions have started, including with support of all bilateral creditors that are involved," she said. Anne-Marie Gulde-Wolf further speaking noted that with regard to the other multilateral lenders, the IMF is working very closely with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Investment Bank, on programs for Sri Lanka, which would assist in closing the financing gap. "But I want to say also very importantly that the policies under the other multilateral lenders in their areas of expertise will be important to resolve Sri Lanka's longer term growth problems," Anne-Marie Gulde-Wolf emphasized.

Dublin, CA - October 07: A recent social media trend has caused some children to vomit, sweat profusely and their tongues turn blue after participating in the One Chip Challenge. After several students conducted the challenge at Bay Area schools, mul EDINA, Minn. (FOX 9) - Several students at a middle school in Edina, Minnesota had to be treated by school staff and paramedics Friday after attempting the "One Chip Challenge," a social media trend in which participants film their reactions after eating an extremely spicy tortilla chip. School officials at South View Middle School called an ambulance after several students complained of having difficulty breathing, while others had eye pain from exposure to the chip dust, according to an email sent by the school to parents. The email said the paramedics who treated the students found no indication that any of them had any severe allergic reaction or injuries.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – MTV Channel (Pvt) Ltd, the Network that owns and operates Sirasa TV, Shakthi TV, TV-1, News 1st, and Stein Studios has been appointed as the Official Television Rights Holders in Sri Lanka for the long-awaited ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, to be held in Australia from October 16 to November 13.Every one of the 45 exciting matches will be telecast live on Sirasa TV, along with special telecasts on Shakthi TV and TV-1, for the benefit of cricket lovers in Sri Lanka where hopes are high that the island nation’s team will bring home the trophy.The world’s most coveted T20 title has been won twice by West Indies and once each by India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England and current defending champions Australia. The eighth edition of the tournament will be played out across seven cities – Adelaide, Brisbane, Geelong, Hobart,  Perth, Sydney and Melbourne which will host the final.“We are delighted to be able to offer all Sri Lankans the opportunity to enjoy the World Cup on Sirasa TV. CMG has a deep history of strengthening cricket in Sri Lanka, led by our late Chairman Mr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva says that the IMF is pressing for a more effective debt resolution mechanism. "We want the Common Framework to become more predictable with guidelines and able to bring equality of treatment for all creditors, public and private," she told a news briefing.She said that the IMF is also looking for ways in which it can expand that kind of donor coordination to middle-income countries, such as Sri Lanka."So, we have a lot to do during this week.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – In late September it was reported that a Brisbane-based company that invented a smartphone app it says can diagnose COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses by listening to someone cough was purchased by Pfizer for nearly $180 million.ResApp Health Limited uses diagnostic technology developed by Associate Professor Udantha Abeyratne and his research team at the University of Queensland (UQ) to record and analyse a patient's coughs on a smartphone.The app also considers the self-reporting of simple symptoms like a runny nose or fever to diagnose and measure the severity of a range of pulmonary diseases, including asthma and pneumonia.Dr Abeyratne, from the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, said the research that led to the breakthrough began more than a decade ago with grant funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.“When I open up my lungs, open up the airway, that is what I call an ‘information super highway’, so I wondered whether it’s possible to use cough sounds, advanced signal processing and AI technology to pick out features,” he said.“From the very beginning, I had a big vision to develop scalable, cheap technologies to diagnose pulmonary diseases all over the world – not only in remote sub-Saharan Africa, but even in developed urban cities like New York and Brisbane.”Dr Abeyratne said the smartphone technology, which was developed in consultation with medical practitioners, operates similarly to a doctor using a stethoscope to listen for sounds produced by a patient’s body.“The diagnosis comes immediately, within a minute or so, telling the patient whether they have a particular disease, using only their smartphone – nothing else – and there’s no need for

PHILADELPHIA - Homicide detectives with the Philadelphia Police Department are investigating a fatal shooting. Police say the shooting occurred on the 200 block of East Sharpnack Street at 12:39 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESAccording to officials, a 53-year-old man was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the head and he was pronounced dead on scene at 12:48 p.m. Police say no weapons were recovered and no arrests were made. This is a developing story.

 COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan State Minister Sanath Nishantha was given a strong warning by the country's Court of Appeal on Thursday (13).On Thursday (13) morning, the Court of Appeal ordered the IGP to immediately arrest State Minister Sanath Nishantha and produce him in court as he failed to appear in court as ordered.However, moment later the State Minister appeared in court, and the warrant for his arrest was recalled by the Court of Appeal.Justices of the Court of Appeal Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne, and Ratnapriya Gurusinghe strongly warned the State Minister noting that insulting the judiciary, and challenging the powers of the judges is a serious offense, and stressed that the State Minister as a Public Representative and Member of Parliament must bear that in mind at all times. Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne inquired from the State Minister as to whether he was aware of the consequences faced by those who had previously committed contempt of court, and considering the fact that the State Minister appeared in court moment after the warrant was issued, decided to recall the warrant.Justice Karunaratne strong warned the State Minister to ensure that he appears in court on time, and postponed the matter to the 10th of November.He also pointed out to the State Minister that the Judicial Services Commission, of which all of Sri Lanka's Magistrate's and District Judges hold membership, had filed a complaint seeking proper punishment on the State Minister as his comments during a media briefing on the 23rd of August 2022 at the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna after very serious.Earlier in the day, Counsel Shantha Jayawardena requested court for the case to be postponed to another date, as his client, the

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Appeal Court recalled the arrest warrant issued on State Minister Sanath Nishantha on Thursday (13) evening.Sri Lankan State Minister Sanath Nishantha appeared in court on Thursday (13) after the Court of Appeal ordered his immediate arrest for failing to appear in court.The Judicial Services Commission and multiple Counsel had filed petitions with the Court of Appeal claiming that State Minister Sanath Nishantha has made comments that bring disrepute to the Judiciary and the Magistrates, during a press conference convened at the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Head Office.The Court of Appeal had ordered the State Minister to appear in court on Thursday (13) to provide reasons as to why the court should not impose any punishment on him for the contempt of court allegations mentioned in the petitions.The application was called up in the presence of Court of Appeal Justices Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne, and R.

Health worker Nizam ud din (above) vaccinates a baby in a partly submerged village. ©WHO

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan State Minister Sanath Nishantha appeared in court on Thursday (13) after the Court of Appeal ordered for his immediate arrest for failing to appear in court.The Judicial Services Commission and multiple Counsel had filed petitions with the Court of Appeal claiming that State Minister Sanath Nishantha has made comments that bring disrepute to the Judiciary and the Magistrates, during a press conference convened at the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Head Office.The Court of Appeal had ordered the State Minister to appear in court on Thursday (13) to provide reasons as to why the court should not impose any punishment on him for the contempt of court allegations mentioned in the petitions.The application was called up in the presence of Court of Appeal Justices Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne, and R.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Court of Appeal has ordered the IGP to immediately arrest State Minister Sanath Nishantha and produce him in court.The order was issued as State Minister Nishantha failed to appear in court on Thursday (13).The Judicial Services Commission and multiple Counsel had filed petitions with the Court of Appeal claiming that State Minister Sanath Nishantha has made comments that bring disrepute to the Judiciary and the Magistrates, during a press conference convened at the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Head Office.The Court of Appeal had ordered the State Minister to appear in court on Thursday (13) to provide reasons as to why the court should not impose any punishment on him for the contempt of court allegations mentioned in the petitions.The application was called up in the presence of Court of Appeal Justices Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne, and R.

‘Most discriminated against group’: Alberta premier pledges to protect unvaccinated “Yesterday, I made comments regarding the discrimination unvaccinated individuals have suffered through over during the past two years. My intention was to underline the mistreatment of individuals who chose not to be vaccinated and were punished by not being able to work, travel or, in some cases, see loved ones.“I want to be clear that I did not intend to trivialize in any way the discrimination faced by minority communities and other persecuted groups both here in Canada and around the world or to create any false equivalencies to the terrible historical discrimination and persecution suffered by so many minority groups over the last decades and centuries.“We need to actively work together as Albertans and Canadians to end all discrimination against all minority communities,” Smith said.“I am committed to listening, learning and addressing the issues affecting minority communities.

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.

Canada will fare better in the year ahead than some other global economies amid dire warnings Tuesday from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about a looming downturn, according to economists who spoke to Global News.

Hockey Canada’s CEO and entire board of directors will leave the organization after facing fierce criticism for its handling of alleged sexual assaults.

(Reuters) – The annual IMF/World Bank meetings in Washington D.C. from Monday (10) to Saturday will include talks on several emerging markets squeezed by rising inflation and borrowing costs against a backdrop of slowing global growth.The economic hit from Russia's invasion of Ukraine has added to pressures that surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic and have led many smaller developing economies to turn to the International Monetary Fund in recent months for help.The IMF has approved programs or financing facilities for 10 countries since the start of the Ukraine war on Feb.

PHILADELPHIA - After a beautiful Sunday, another cold night is on tap, with overnight lows dipping into the upper 30s in the colder suburbs and into the 40s across the city.Monday should be another beautiful day, with sunny skies and highs right around average, in the mid to upper 60s.High pressure off the coast is in control, which sets up Tuesday and Wednesday as nice days, as well.The next chance of rain could be Thursday, as a cold front makes its way into the region.For the latest forecasts and conditions, download the FOX 29 Weather Authority app.___SUNDAY NIGHT: Clear. Low: 43MONDAY: Sunny, pleasant.

Police say two men are injured after a double shooting in Olney where one man was shot inside his vehicle with a toddler in the back seat. PHILADELPHIA - Police are investigating a shooting that left two men injured, one of which was sitting inside his vehicle with a toddler as he was shot in Olney on Monday night. Just after 5 p.m., police responded to reports of a shooting at Rising Sun Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez called Monday for freezing all U.S. cooperation with Saudi Arabia, delivering one of the strongest expressions yet of U.S.

TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Police Department has arrested a man they say shot a pregnant woman in the head as she slept in a car with four other members of her family, including three children.Christopher Stamat Jr., 21, was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with six felonies, including attempted first-degree murder. According to TPD, the homeless family of five was sleeping in their car on October 5 around 4:30 a.m. near 2200 North Oregon Avenue when the suspect opened fire, striking the woman in the head. Witnesses said they spotted a dark-colored car leaving the scene and surveillance video captured a black 2-door 300 series 2012 BMW in the area at the time of the shooting. In addition to obtaining the license tag, detectives say the car they were looking for has unique identifiers such as stickers and black rims.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The 2022 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) will take place today (10) and will go on to October 16 at the IMF and World Bank Group headquarters, in Washington DC.Sri Lanka decided to send eight representatives for the annual summit of the IMF and the World Bank.Sri Lanka's delegation will be led by State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe.Also, the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the Finance Secretary, and several others will accompany to the State Minister.

ST. CLOUD, Fla. - A St.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Three teens found an easy vehicle to steal when they discovered an unlocked Maserati with the keys inside in a driveway in northeast Pinellas County early Sunday morning, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.One of the teens ended up dying after crashing the car, and another may not survive, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said during a press conference near the scene of the crash.Three boys, 15-year-old Keondrick Lang, Mario Bonilla, 15, and Malachi Daniels, 16, were checking door handles for unlocked cars in the neighborhood of 29th Street N and 58th Avenue N.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – An Iranian fishing vessel with around 200 kg of heroin worth over ₹ 1,200 crore has been seized in a joint operation by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Indian Navy, the NCB said on Friday (7).Sanjay Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (operations) of the NCB, who met reporters, said the agency has arrested six Iran nationals and the boat, along with the heroin, was brought to Mattancherry wharf."The NCB has now seized the vessel and 200 kg of heroin. The six Iranian crew members have also been arrested under relevant sections of the NDPS Act, 1985," Singh said, adding that interrogation was on.He said the drug was found in 200 packets each of which has markings and packing specialties unique to Afghanistan- and Pakistan-based drug cartels."While some of the drug packets had 'Scorpion' seal markings, the others had 'dragon' seal markings.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Minister of Justice Dr.Wijayadasa Rajapaksa says the latest resolution adopted on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council would have an effect on the proposed IMF bailout as well as the GSP+ concession. The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Reforms attributes the change of stances Sri Lanka as a nation adopted from time to time and the breakdown of the general public's trust in its leaders to the UNHRC resolution being passed.The Minister warned that this development has pushed Sri Lanka into a perilous situation. The resolution presented at the 51st Session of the UNHRC by the core group on Sri Lanka was passed yesterday.9 out of the 19 facts presented in the resolution concerned the economic crisis in the country and recent violations of human rights.20 countries voted in favour of the resolution while 7 opposed it. 20 countries including India, Japan and Nepal abstained from voting. The Minister of Justice pointed out that he will continue to hand in hand with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to expedite steps to introduce democratic reforms while working with the international community through a mutual understanding.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – About 140 organizations worldwide asked the International Monetary Fund to issue at least $650 billion more in reserves to help its member nations grapple with “multiple historic, overlapping, and generally worsening crises.”Allocating more IMF reserve assets known as special drawing rights, or SDRs, “would immediately make hundreds of billions of dollars available to nearly all low- and middle-income IMF member countries without debt or conditions and only requires political will on the part of the fund’s board” the organizations said in a letter to the IMF’s board of governors and its executive board Thursday.Pressure is mounting on the IMF to act as the world’s most financially fragile countries, from Argentina to Ukraine, have burned through the extra IMF reserves they got last year, raising calls for a fresh injection to help them weather higher interest rates, food and fuel costs. In July, key Democratic congressional allies urged President Joe Biden’s administration to support a new injection of resources for countries at the IMF to help them deal with the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.With 345 million people facing acute food insecurity — more than double the number in 2019 — and rising interest rates making it more expensive for nations to pay back their dollar-denominated debt as the greenback strengthens, mass anger is triggering instability in many countries and has even led to the ouster of leaders in nations such as Sri Lanka.Signatories to the Thursday letter include the International Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO, the largest US labor federation.

Albertans will learn later Thursday who the new premier of the province will be.Voting is wrapping up by members of the United Conservative Party (UCP) to select a successor to Premier Jason Kenney. How Alberta’s UCP leadership race works Kenney announced in the spring he was leaving after receiving 51 per cent in a party leadership review.“I’m feeling great.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka will meet with the International Monetary Fund next week for another round of talks, said Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe on Thursday (6)."Next week, the State Finance Minister, Treasury Secretary and CBSL staff will meet the IMF for talks and we hope to continue with the discussions with creditor nations, and commercial creditors.

EastEnders star Samantha Womack has shared a health update with fans after her breast cancer diagnosis.The 49-year-old actress, who played Ronnie Mitchell in the BBC soap, logged into her Instagram on Thursday (October 6) to thank her 87,000 followers for their support.She announced her news to the world in August as she shared a touching tribute to late Grease star Olivia Newton-John, who passed away from breast cancer.READ MORE: EastEnders' Samantha Womack reveals she has cancer as she pays tribute to late starChatting to the camera, Samatha explained: "Hey, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has been sending me love after I shared my story about battling breast cancer."So, just to tell you, I’ve had my operation, I had a lumpectomy and lymph node removal and I am now going to start my first session of chemotherapy tomorrow."She concluded: "I have read all your stories and messages, they’ve blown me away, genuinely. "I just wanted to say thank you, I am very humbled by the fact that everyone has reached out and yea so, I’ll keep you posted."Just a huge thank you, sending you all lots of love."In addition to her fans, Samantha's famous friends rushed to the comments to extend their support.Ex-EastEnders actress Tamzin Outhwaite wrote: "Oh darling.

PHILADELPHIA - Police are investigating a shooting in West Philadelphia that left a woman in critical condition on Thursday morning, according to police. Authorities say police responded to the 700 block of South 60th Street at 1:18 a.m. According to officials, a woman was found lying on the steps of a friend's home, bleeding heavily from her head. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESChief Inspector Scott Small says the woman is undergoing surgery at Presbyterian Hospital and is in extremely critical condition. Investigators believe the woman was shot by someone across the street as she was walking up the stairs, but are unsure if she was targeted, police say. This is a developing story.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the IMF staff-level agreement cannot be released until the IMF Executive Board ratifies it and until Sri Lanka reaches agreements with its main creditors.He told Parliament that the Minister of Justice is in the process of introducing a new corruption law that will include the provisions of the United Nations that have been referred to in the IMF Staff Level Agreement.He was responding to Opposition Legislator M. A.

PHILADELPHIA - A young man is fighting for his life after police say he was gunned down at a Philadelphia recreation center late Wednesday night. Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were called to the 4500 block of North 17th Street around 9:30 p.m.

fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the film set of "Rust," Alec Baldwin has reached a settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Hutchins’ family, according to reports. Hutchins’ family had filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Feb. 15 over the shooting on Oct.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Court of Appeal on Wednesday (5) issued summons on State Minister Sanath Nishantha, requesting him to submit reasons for him to not to be punished with regard to contempt of court allegations, on 13th October 2022.The Appellate Court issued summons after considering a petition submitted by the Sri Lanka Judicial Service Officers Association.Nishantha was issued a summons by the Appellate Court bench consisting of Justices Nishanka Bandula Karunaratne and R.

PHILADELPHIA - Homicide detectives with the Philadelphia Police department are investigating a double shooting that left a woman dead and a man hospitalized Monday morning, police say. According to authorities, the shooting occurred on the 5800 block of Angora Terrace in Southwest Philadelphia around 5:17 a.m. Officials say officers responded to a residence and found a woman, 48, unresponsive on the floor of a second-floor hallway with a gunshot wound to the back. Medics pronounced the woman dead on scene at 7:30 a.m., according to police. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESAnother man, who is listed as a John Doe, was found in a middle bedroom on the second floor with a gunshot wound to the head and left eye, authorities say. According to officials, he was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he is listed in critical condition. Police say two firearms were recovered from the scene and no arrests have been made at this time This is a developing story.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry will be traveling to Geneva for the concluding segment of the 51st Session of the Council. The 51st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council is currently ongoing in Geneva and is scheduled to conclude on 07 October 2022.

Police officer injured in Spring Garden crash. PHILADELPHIA - An officer was involved in a crash in the Spring Garden section of the city Sunday morning, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.The crash occurred at the intersection of North 22nd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue around 6 a.m.The officer reportedly suffered minor injuries due to the crash.

CHICAGO - Chicago police said a little boy was killed in West Lawn on Friday night in what was apparently a road rage incident.The gunman brazenly shot into a car with four children inside, with Mateo Zastro, 3, becoming yet another victim of Chicago’s senseless violence. "We will not rest until those responsible for this senseless and cowardly act of violence are brought to justice," 8th District Commander Bryan Spreyne said. The attack happened around 8:30 p.m. Friday. Police said Mateo was riding with his mom and three siblings near 44th & West Marquette Road.