Sri Lanka, India to sign power grid linking pact within two months – envoy

Colombo (News 1st) – The Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena informed the Parliament that he has received MP Mayantha Dissanayake's letter of resignation from the post of Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF).He made the announcement when Parliament convened on Tuesday (7).

Colombo (News 1st) – State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasooriya says that "Sri Lanka actively participated and contributed to the process," of agreeing upon the historic High Seas Treaty.After more than 20 years of negotiations, over 100 member states of the United Nations on Saturday (4th) finally agreed upon the text of the historic High Seas Treaty, the world's first international treaty aimed at protecting the millions of species that inhabit the world's oceans.The High Seas Treaty places 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030, aiming to safeguard and recuperate marine nature.The agreement was reached on Saturday evening, after 38 hours of talks, at UN headquarters in New York.The negotiations had been held up for years over disagreements on funding and fishing rights.The last international agreement on ocean protection was signed 40 years ago in 1982 – the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.When News 1st reached out to State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasooriya in this regard, he said that "Sri Lanka actively participated and contributed to the process."He added, "An agreement was reached following more than a decade of discussions on the 4th of March 2023 by UN member states to have an internationally legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity beyond areas of natural jurisdiction under the united nations law of the sea."  That agreement established an area called the high seas – international waters where all countries have a right to fish, ship and do research – but only 1.2% of these waters are protected.Marine life living outside of these protected areas has been at risk from climate change, overfishing, and shipping traffic.

WILMINGTON, De. - A man is dead and a woman is hurt after being shot by police outside a Wilmington 7-Eleven, authorities say.Investigators from the New Castle County Division of Police say officers were conducting a drug investigation in the area of Maryland Avenue and West Champlain Avenue around 7:40 p.m. During their investigation, authorities say an officer discharged their weapon, striking a man and woman. Both shooting victims were taken to Christiania Hospital where the man later died, police said. The woman is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.No officers were hurt during the incident.

LITTLE EGG HARBOR, N.J. - Investigators are working to determine what sparked a deadly house fire in a South Jersey town on Monday. The New Jersey State Fire Marshall and crews from several fire companies were dispatched to Harvest Way in Little Egg Harbor where they found a house fully engulfed in flames. FOX 29's Eddie Kadhim was on scene of the blaze when fire officials pulled a victim’s body out of the rubble. Neighboring homes were also damaged in the fire that was, at its peak, shooting from the roof and through the windows.A neighbor took video of the heavily-involved fire after she says she noticed smoke nearby. "I was on the parkway and I could see the black smoke.

TV personality Kerry Katona has told of her ‘awful’ family holiday after her daughter DJ suffered a health scare. The mum-of-five took her family to Turkey before her youngest child became seriously unwell, according to the Mirror. Opening up about the ordeal, Kerry said she got a nasty scare when brushing her daughter’s hair.

A social media influencer has pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining more than $1m in COVID-19 pandemic-related loans from the US government used to fund a lavish lifestyle which she flaunted on Instagram. Danielle Miller, a self-proclaimed con artist whose scams have been chronicled in a New York Magazine profile last year, appeared before a general judge in Boston by video from a prison cell to plead guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday committed to new steps his government will take to combat foreign interference, including additional independent investigations and further steps toward establishing a foreign agents registry.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 06: U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the International Association of Fire Fighters' legislative conference at the Hyatt Capitol Hill on March 06, 2023 in Washington, DC.

NEW YORK - Mayor Eric Adams has been tapped to spread the Democratic Party’s message across the country.First reported by the Washington Post, Adams along with around 20 other Democrats, will sit on a national advisory board convened by President Joe Biden’s team. With the 2024 presidential election looming closer, Adams will also appear on national TV to stump for President Biden once he officially announces his re-election campaign.As Lawrence Levy, executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University explained, Adams poses as a unique pick to spread the democratic party’s message."The Democratic Party's problem is not with the left, it's with the center," Levy said.New York City Democratic Mayor-elect Eric Adams gestures to supporters during his 2021 election victory night party at the Brooklyn Marriott on November 2, 2021 in New York City.

BUCKEYE, Ariz. - The adoptive mother of a boy who went missing in 2016 and was later found dead in 2018 in Buckeye has been arrested, police said.On Dec. 13, Buckeye Police announced that 54-year-old Crystal Wilson was arrested at her home in Gainesville, Georgia in connection to the death of Jesse Wilson.Crystal Wilson was extradited to Maricopa County in March and is jailed on a $50,000 cash bond.Buckeye Police Chief Larry Hall said at a news conference that there wasn’t enough evidence to charge Crystal Wilson with homicide, but she was the main "person of interest" all along."We never gave up hope that justice was going to be served," said Jesse's grandmother at the news conference.As Crystal Wilson returns to Arizona, a criminal defense attorney says the case of Jesse Wilson's death shares some similarities with another high-profile murder case."This case has a lot of similarities to the Casey Anthony case.

PALISADES, Idaho - A snowmobiler in Idaho leapt from his vehicle and escaped being crushed by a moose when the animal charged at him in Idaho, and the whole thing was caught on camera.The dramatic incident occurred over the weekend near the town of Palisades, Idaho.Jeremiah Bigelow posted the video to social media and said that had his brother been just one second slower when jumping off the snowmobile, catastrophe could have occurred.Bigelow said he, his son, his brother and two of his friends were out enjoying the snowy landscape when the brother pulled farther ahead of the group.That's when the moose got between them and began to charge, stopping about 20 feet from them."My brother saw what happened and was trying to draw the moose's attention away from us," Bigelow said in a Facebook post.That plan worked, but maybe a little too well.READ ALSO: Bryan Kohberger lawyer blasts 'grotesquely twisted' media coverage of stabbing that killed 4 Idaho studentsBigelow said it appeared as though the moose was going to saunter off into the woods, but it changed its mind and started to charge at his brother."My brother thought he could hit the throttle and get out of there, but the engine died when he did," Bigelow added. "Had my brother not jumped when he did, he would have been crushed under the full weight of the moose against the handlebars."The brother jumped off the snowmobile in the nick of time and avoided being crushed by the moose.

Jackson Mahomes, the brother of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, seen before a playoff game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs on January 21, 2023. (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Jackson Mahomes, the younger brother of Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes, is being investigated by police for allegedly assaulting a waiter and the owner of a bar and restaurant, the Kansas City Star reported Saturday.Authorities are probing two incidents involving Jackson Mahomes, 22, on Feb.

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA - 2020/05/27: A slice of pastry made using a ketogenic diet recipe. The sweet food is made with coconut flour and coconut oil.

Norristown police are investigating two skimmer devices that were found attached to ATMs inside two separate 7-Eleven stores.  NORRISTOWN, Pa. - Norristown police are investigating two skimmer devices that were found attached to ATMs inside two separate 7-Eleven stores. On Monday, police say ATM skimmers were found attached to two ATMs, one inside the 7-Eleven located at 708 East Johnson Highway, and the other at 1335 Sandy Hill Road. Authorities say the devices were located internally and included a small camera above the keypad to capture users' pins. Police are advising anyone who used these ATM machines to check with their banks for unauthorized withdrawals and follow the bank's security protocols. 

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Police Department hopes to hire hundreds of new officers over the next year with the help of a revamped recruitment process. Commanding Officer of the Recruitment and Background Investigation Unit Captain John Walker called the need for more officers "dire" and touted the upward mobility the department offers. "We are in dire need right now we want to hire over 1,000 people over the next few years, and we want to hire diverse groups of people from all over," Walker told FOX 29's Kelly Rule. There are immediate areas where the city can improve, especially in neighborhoods that deal with less crime and some districts that offer a higher starting salary. "If you want to have daily interaction and a lot of opportunity, the chance of promotion in a big city where you have 1 year in rank and you can promote up is unheard of in smaller departments," Walker said.The department's desperate need to find more officers isn't unique to only Philadelphia, cities across the country are also finding their police forces severely depleted. The biggest challenge seems to be trying to convince people to become police officers amid rampant gun violence and issues with community relations. In Philadelphia, the department is offering full benefits and a salary of almost $64k after six months in the academy.

NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 3: United Airlines airplanes sit parked at a gate at Terminal C at Newark Liberty Airport as the sun sets on February 3, 2023, in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images) Two flights scheduled to depart from Boston Logan International Airport on Monday morning made contact with each other near the gate area, federal aviation and airport officials said.United Airlines Flight 515 was being pushed back from the gate by a tow tug when its right wing struck the tail of United Airlines Flight 267 parked at a neighboring gate around 8:30 a.m., according to preliminary information released by the Federal Aviation Administration.Both jets were Boeing 737s.RELATED: Man on LA-Boston flight tried stabbing flight attendant: DOJNo injuries were reported.Flight 515 was heading to Newark, and Flight 267 was scheduled to fly to Denver, airport officials said.Both jets were taken out of service, United said in an emailed statement.The flight was heading to Newark from San Diego when it had to turn back around.

MILWAUKEE - The competency of a Neenah man accused of killing Milwaukee transgender woman Cashay Henderson was questioned in court Sunday, March 5. Cordell Howze, 33, was in court Sunday when a competency examination was ordered. He was remanded into custody pending the return of the doctor's evaluation.Howze faces one count of first-degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, habitual criminality repeater and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, habitual criminality repeater. Firefighters found Henderson, 31, inside her apartment near 29th and Villard on Feb. 26 with a gunshot wound while they were responding to a fire.Henderson's friends said the outcome of this exam concerns them."Like why did he even do this? Why?" said Ladi Ananna.Ananna said she spoke with Henderson the day she was killed."She was vibrant," said Ananna.

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Parking Authority says it's cracking down on parked vehicles that are missing license plates to avoid outstanding tickets in a trend that's becoming more popular around the city. The authority twice sent out a graphic on Twitter about the vehicles known as ‘ghost cars’ and warned that violators could have their vehicles towed. Executive Director Rich Lazer said many times the vehicles are illegally parked or otherwise parked unsafe."Everyone has to have a plate on their car to register the vehicle, and we are seeing folks take them off to avoid enforcement," Lazer told FOX 29's Hank Flynn. The Philadelphia Parking Authority is often at odds with those who live and work in the city, but they have garnered praise for their work cracking down on ghost cars clogging streets.

United Airlines Boeing 787-9 takes off from Los Angeles international Airport on July 30, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) LOS ANGELES - A Massachusetts man has been arrested and charged for allegedly trying to stab a United Airlines flight attendant in the neck and attempting to open an emergency exit door midflight, according to the U.S District Attorney's Office. The alleged incident happened Sunday on a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston, officials said.The suspect, 33-year-old Francisco Severo Torres of Leominster, Mass., allegedly tampered with the door, moving the door's locking handle from fully locked to the "disarmed" position, officials said.

A researcher performs a CRISPR/Cas9 process at the Max-Delbrueck-Centre for Molecular Medicine. Photo: Gregor Fischer/dpa (Photo by Gregor Fischer/picture alliance via Getty Images) COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y. - A new technology is making it possible to modify specific cells to help fight cancer.Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, located on Long Island, have been applying CRISPR, short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, to the discovery of new cancer targets to develop medicine to fight the deadly disease.This molecular tool has been recognized in the medical community for its work in editing the DNA cells of people, plants and animals. "CRISPR is, simply put, the ultimate tool for manipulating life," Dr.

CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. - A federal jury awarded a mother and two sisters $8.25 million after they were unlawfully searched and handcuffed by Alameda County sheriff's deputies at a Castro Valley Starbucks on their way to taking one of the young women to a college test in Berkeley. The women were not physically harmed by law enforcement but the dollar amount of the award signals that jurors felt the family's constitutional rights had been stripped from them because of the color of their skin. "I think that everybody recognizes we all have implicit bias," their attorney, Craig Peters of San Francisco, said in an interview on Monday. "I have it.

Chinese interference in Canadian elections and society amid calls for a public inquiry, the leaders of the federal Conservative and New Democratic parties say.Their calls come as the RCMP says it has opened an investigation into possible violations of the Security of Information Act concerning recent media reports about alleged foreign interference, and that its probe is not focused on any one security agency.Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh made the comments to reporters on Monday as the House of Commons resumes following a two-week hiatus, and as suspected Chinese foreign interference in Canada is expected to be a hot topic this week.

KINGMAN, Ariz. - The investigation into the death of a 16-year-old Arizona boy has led to the arrests of three people, including the teen's parents.The Mohave County Sheriff's Office says 41-year-old Jon Imes and Amber-Leah Valentine, 41, reported to deputies on Feb. 25 that their 16-year-old son had run away from their Kingman home.

Alex Murdaugh murder case told Fox News Digital that faith got the jury panel through an extremely difficult trial and called the dog kennel video a "crucial piece of evidence" as they deliberated the case.James, who asked that his last name be withheld, said the panel prayed together before entering the courtroom Thursday evening to deliver a verdict of guilty on all counts, sending Murdaugh to prison for the rest of his life."We prayed together. We prayed before we went in, we prayed before we came out to give the verdict," said James, who was known as juror No.

PHILADELPHIA - A Pennsylvania man who was involved in a fight-turned-deadly shooting outside a popular Philadelphia cheesesteak shop over a year ago pleaded guilty to charges. Paul Burkert, 37, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and weapons charges related to the shooting death of 22-year-old David Padro Jr. outside Pat's King of Steaks in July 2021. According to police, Burkert fatally shot Padro in the back outside the popular Philadelphia cheesesteak location on East Passyunk Avenue just before 1 a.m.

Emma Heming Willis, the wife of actor Bruce Willis, has asked the paparazzi to leave him alone in public following his recently announced dementia diagnosis.

Sam Bankman-Fried should be allowed while on bail to have a flip phone with no internet capability and a basic laptop with limited functions, but be forbidden from using other electronic communication devices, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

A South Carolina woman was arrested after nine puppies were found abandoned inside of a trash bag. (Credit: Spartanburg County) PAULINE, S.C. - South Carolina authorities have arrested a woman after finding nine puppies abandoned inside a trash bag. Officials said on Feb.

Carnival Sunshine (Credit: Carnival Corp.) CHARLESTON, S.C. - The FBI is investigating the death of a female guest onboard a Carnival cruise ship. "The FBI joined Carnival Sunshine upon its return to Charleston on Saturday to conduct an investigation into the death of a guest," Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson Matt Lupoli said in a statement to FOX Television Stations. The company said the deceased guest and her husband were debarked in Nassau, Bahamas. RELATED: Southwest passengers say plane shook 'like crazy' causing some to vomitLocal authorities are also investigating the death and will conduct an autopsy. According to the company, the Carnival Sunshine sails from either Charleston, South Carolina, or Norfolk, Virginia, destined for the Bahamas.

Hoda Kotb is back on Today after a two-week hiatus — and she’s ready to talk about why she was out…

Southwest Airlines planes are seen at the AustinBergstrom International Airport (AUS) in Austin, Texas on January 22, 2023. (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images) MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Southwest passengers endured a terrifying ordeal last week after bad weather forced the plane to divert and land at a different location.The airline said last Friday a flight was leaving Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and was expected to arrive at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina. However, bad weather forced the pilots to land at Myrtle Beach International Airport in South Carolina. RELATED: Southwest flight returns to Cuba after smoke fills cabin from bird strikes"It was quite a horrifying experience — we go to land in Raleigh and the plane starts shaking like crazy — then they decide to tell us 15 minutes later we are going to Myrtle Beach," Nicholas Reed told CBS 17. FOX Weather's Jason Frazer spoke with LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow about how a new special hopes to help calm fears over turbulence on an airplane."Two people were vomiting pretty close to us.

PARIS - The reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is going fast enough to allow its reopening to visitors and faithful at the end of 2024, less than six years after a fire ravaged its roof, French officials said Monday.The cathedral's iconic spire, which collapsed in the blaze, will gradually start reappearing above the monument this year in a powerful signal of its revival, the army general in charge of the colossal project, Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin, said."The return of the spire in Paris’ sky will in my opinion be the symbol that we are winning the battle of Notre Dame," he told the Associated Press.The reconstruction itself started last year, after more than two years of work to make the monument stable and secure enough for artisans to start rebuilding it.RELATED: Notre Dame Cathedral to get expanded park, underground entrywayAuthorities have made the choice to rebuild the 12th century monument, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, the way it was before.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released a proposed rule with new requirements on "Product of USA" labels in an effort to increase transparency and help ensure consumers understand where their food comes from. Announced Monday, the proposed rule allows the voluntary label "Product of USA or "Made in the USA" claim be used on meat, poultry and egg products only when they are derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the U.S. "American consumers expect that when they buy a meat product at the grocery store, the claims they see on the label mean what they say," agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.

FILE - The logo of TikTok App is seen on a smartphone. (Photo by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images) The University of Massachusetts is sounding the alarm about a TikTok drinking trend after nearly 30 college students were reportedly brought to the hospital from off-campus parties ahead of St.

Susan Lucci is in good health following her second emergency heart surgery last year. Speaking with People at the 75th Annual Writers Guild Awards this past weekend, the "All My Children" star had an update on her recovery. "I'm doing really well," Lucci told the outlet.

Moderna Inc. Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel pushed back against criticism of the company’s pricing plans for its Covid-19 vaccine at Monday’s Wall Street Journal Health Forum.

NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA - After 53 years, Nick’s Roast Beef on Cottman is closing permanently in Northeast Philadelphia.Most people know it as the ideal spot for a roast beef sandwich, but for Peter Kurtz, it’s a second home."It started out at as a little bar, I started out as a bartender there when I was 19-years-old," he says.Kurtz bartended at its first location a few doors down and stuck around as a frequent customer for decades to follow. 52 years later, he says he wouldn’t miss the last hurrah."I could’ve gone to other places, I live right down the street, but this is, I keep calling it my bar," says Kurtz.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY - The discovery of a man's body on a local trail has sparked a homicide investigation in Montgomery County, according to the District Attorney's Office.A bicyclist spotted the body between the Schuylkill River Trail and the river at the border of West Norriton Township and Norristown Friday morning.Police responded to find a deceased man in a wooded area about 100 feet from the trail down a steep embankment. MORE HEADLINES:The man, identified as 25-year-old Daquan Tucker, of Audubon, died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the coroner's office.

A mum says her daughter who died at a mental health clinic 120 miles from home was 'badly let down' by the staff who were meant to protect her. Laura Davis, 22, took her own life after being given a plastic bag and allowed access to a ligature at a psychiatric intensive care facility in Warrington.

Californians continue to dig out from a series of rare winter snowfalls over the past week that has seen millions of cubic yards of snow fall in the state, the governor’s office says.

PHILADELPHIA - An investigation is underway after a man was found deceased in Philadelphia, according to police. On Monday, just after 12: 45 a.m., police responded to the 200 block of Cobbs Creek Parkway in West Philadelphia for reports of an unresponsive male, authorities say. Officials say a man, believed to be in his mid-to-upper 60s, was found in the area unresponsive and pronounced dead by medics at 2:59 a.m. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESAccording to authorities, the man's body was then transported to the Medical Examiner's Office. Police say the investigation is ongoing and active. 

(ACCT Philly )PHILADELPHIA - Animal control authorities in Philadelphia are warning residents about the dangers of abandoning animals & pets after a caiman was discovered in a local park. According to the Animal Care & Control Team of Philadelphia (ACCT Philly), police called the agency on Sunday morning around 10:30 a.m. to report the reptile, which was abandoned in FDR Park. Agency officials were able to recover the reptile from the park with no injuries. "If you are struggling to keep your pet, or have decided that having an animal who will grow to be 5 feet long, live up to 40 years, and requires a minimum small studio apartment that is half water (kept at a minimum of 70 degrees) was not the wisest decision you made, please DO NOT simply release them," ACCT Philly wrote on Facebook.

BUDA, Texas - Texas Game Wardens and zoo staff captured and removed a 7-foot-long alligator from a Texas home. The woman raised it as a pet.A neighbor of the Buda, Texas "pet" owner reported the illegal animal, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.

New Delhi: As India grapples with a surge in H3N2 influenza cases, health officials are raising concerns about the troubling trend of co-infections with covid-19 New Delhi: As India grapples with a surge in H3N2 influenza cases, health officials are raising concerns about the troubling trend of co-infections with covid-19. Scientists tracking the spread of the influenza virus said there is a need for increased testing amid a sharp rise in ICU admissions, underscoring the severity of the situation. The symptoms of influenza cases are similar to covid-19 and may last two to three weeks.

Travelers wait to check-in at the American Airlines counter at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, California, US, on Dec. 27, 2022.

Twitter logo is displayed on a mobile phone screen for illustration photo. Krakow, Poland on February 9, 2023.

Russia’s Wagner mercenary force has said his troops now tightening their grip on the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut are being deprived of ammunition and that, if they are forced to retreat, the entire front will collapse.Yevgeny Prigozhin had said on Friday that his units had “practically surrounded Bakhmut,” where fighting has intensified in the past week after months of attritional warfare, with Russian forces attacking from three sides. Read more: Battle for Bakhmut rages on as Russian shelling elsewhere kills civilians  Wagner often appears to operate autonomously from the regular army, or even in competition with it – and in a video published over the weekend, Prigozhin complained that the ammunition that Moscow had promised it had not been delivered.“If Wagner retreats from Bakhmut now, the whole front will collapse,” Prigozhin said.

Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal on Tuesday (14) met Sri Lanka's High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda and discussed support for economic recovery through bilateral trade expansion.During the discussion between Minister Goyal and High Commissioner Moragoda, which was held in a very cordial manner, a wide range of issues pertaining to the areas of bilateral trade and commerce, particularly aiming at the economic recovery in Sri Lanka, was discussed, read High Commission of Sri Lanka press release.Mechanisms relating to the expansion of bilateral trade, the ways to establish and promote rupee trade between Sri Lanka and India as a means of economic recovery in Sri Lanka, and the possibility of further bilateral integration in the textiles and garment sector were among the key issues discussed between the Indian Commerce Minister and the Sri Lankan High Commissioner.Moragoda thanked India for the unprecedented support that it has extended to Sri Lanka to mitigate the negative impact of the economic crisis.Recalling India's timely issuance of financial assurances to the IMF, the first creditor to do so, High Commissioner Moragoda emphasized the key role that India could play in the recovery phase of the Sri Lankan economy, added the press release.India sent financing assurances to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), becoming the first of Sri Lanka's creditors to officially back the crisis-hit island nation's debt restructuring programme.This takes Sri Lanka one step closer to getting a crucial USD 2.9-billion package from the IMF, made contingent on "receiving financing assurances from Sri Lanka's official creditors and making a good faith effort to reach a collaborative agreement with private