Tequila could become America’s favorite liquor, data trends show

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka will again impose power cuts on Thursday (10), and the schedule announced by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka is as follows:Groups P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W:1 hour from 5 PM to 9 PMGroups A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L:2 1/2 hours from 8 AM to 6 PM1 hour & 15 min from 6 PM to 11 PM

COLOMBO (News 1st); Lohan Ratwatte was sworn in as the State Minister of Warehouse Facilities, Container Yards, Ports Supply Facilities, and Boats and Shipping Industry Development on Thursday (10).The position was left vacant following the resignation of Jayantha Samaraweera from the National Freedom Front.

PHILADELPHIA - A viewing was held Wednesday night for a 12-year-old boy who investigators say was shot and killed by a Philadelphia police officer after their car was fired on. Family and loved ones of Thomas Siderio gathered at Lighthouse Baptist Church on South Broad Street to mourn his death that happened a week ago in South Philadelphia.Investigators say four plain-clothed officers assigned to the South Task Force were in the area in an unmarked car as part of an ongoing investigation.Authorities have said the officers saw Siderio and a 17-year-old boy on the corner of 18th and Barbara and recognized one of them as someone wanted for questioning in another investigation.Police say the officers were approaching the boys and activated their emergency lights when they heard gunfire and a bullet shattered the rear passenger window and came to a stop in the passenger headrest. An officer in the back seat suffered injuries from the shattered glass to his face and eyes.

Senior meteorologist Kristi Gordon has the Wednesday, March 9, 2022 forecast for Metro Vancouver and British Columbia.

COVID-related expenditures, according to a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).The report, Disappearing Act: The state of provincial deficits in Canada, that CCPA senior economist David Macdonald released Thursday, finds that the provinces overall are in better fiscal shape than after the last recession.Nine out of 10 provinces are paying less interest now, as a proportion of GDP, compared to after the Great Recession in 2009-10, the report showed.As a result, paying less interest is saving the provinces a combined $6 billion in 2021-22 alone, the report showed. Canada’s Q4 GDP beats estimates, showing Omicron resilience “The important thing to take away from this is that these deficits are no longer being caused by COVID-19.

Ottawa argued in court Wednesday that GiveSendGo may be in breach of a freezing order on funds raised for the convoy on the website.Monique Jilesen, a lawyer representing the proposed class and who obtained an injunction that froze convoy funds, said the order is meant to secure funds so the legal issue of how they should be used can be dealt with in court.Parties in the case have agreed to move some donated funds and cryptocurrency into escrow, which could be redistributed to affected Ottawa residents and business owners should the class action succeed.Jacob Wells, co-founder of American crowdfunding site GiveSendGo, told an Ontario Superior Court judge that the platform’s terms of service give it discretion to return funds to donors. ‘Freedom convoy’ forums find new focus: disinformation about Russia-Ukraine war Police cleared the convoy protest last month.

Covid-19 has ended in the country and also predicted that the chances of country being hit by another wave is also highly unlikely unless a new variant comes up which behaves differently.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Supreme Court Justice Yasantha Kodagoda on Thursday (10) recused himself considering the application filed by Ex-Director of the Criminal Investigations Department, Shani Abeysekera.Former director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Shani Abeysekera had filed a Fundamental Rights petition in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka requesting an interim injunction preventing his arrest or detention again by the CID.Abeysekera, the Former Director of the Criminal Investigations Department, in his application sought an interim order preventing any attempt to arrest him based on the content of the B report produced to the Kuliyapitiya Magistrate’s Court on charges that include the failure to properly investigate Zaharan Hashim, who led the suicide bomb attacks on 21st April 2019.This application was called up in the presence of Supreme Court Justices S.

Wairarapa has become the seventh DHB area to reach 90% fully vaccinated for Māori. This milestone is another opportunity to celebrate the mahi of staff at vaccine clinics, health providers and iwi who are working to ensure Māori are well protected against COVID-19.

Officials in B.C. are expected to make a significant announcement Thursday.

Christa Steele, a firefighter and paramedic for the City of Leduc, speaks about the sexual assault and harassment she alleges she and another employee have experienced in the two decades she’s worked for the municipality south of Edmonton. The two are now suing the city, and while speaking to Global News she encouraged other people to report inappropriate behaviour instead of staying silent.

The rules around visiting loved ones in long-term care have changed many times throughout the pandemic. The provincial government made the most recent change in February and announced every resident would be allowed two approved visitors.

DARBY TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Nearly a month after the Briarcliffe Fire Company was suspended for the alleged use of racial slurs on a recent virtual meeting, community members gathered to discuss the future of the department. The Darby Township Board of Commissioners on Wednesday held a special meeting that included many vocal community members who said they no longer trust the department. There was a call to remove the department's certification, but the board decided that they will not make any final decision until the District Attorney's Office is done with its investigation.Briarcliffe Fire Company was suspended after a Jan. 27 virtual meeting between township fire companies and commissioners about a potential consolidation. According to a letter from the Goodwill Fire Company obtained by FOX 29, following the end of the meeting, a group of people remained on the call. The letter says there was then a group of people that could be heard discussing the meeting using foul language, and identifies those involved in the conversation as members of the Briarcliffe Fire Company. A Delaware County fire company has been suspended for 30 days after members of the company allegedly uttered racist and derogatory comments following a virtual meeting late last month.The conversation, which lasted an hour and 45 minutes, allegedly included racial slurs when discussing members of other fire companies and township residents.One of the Briarcliffe Fire Company members was also accused of making a joke about, Fanta Bility, a young girl who was killed in a shooting in Sharon Hill last fall."It’s outright racism,", NAACP Local Chapter President Sheila Carter said.

UPPER MAKEFIELD TWP, Pa. - ‘Why did the swan cross the road?’ isn't the opening line to a snappy joke, it's a question people in one Bucks County community have been wondering for weeks. The Upper Makefield Police Department shared photos on their Facebook page this week of an officer following closely behind a large swan as it strutted down the middle of Taylorsville Road. Police say the large bird blocked traffic on the two-lane road. Locals have also reported seeing the swan stymie traffic. "I haven’t even really seen much of it, but all of my clients are saying they can’t get here," Crystal Class of Simply Stunning hair studio told FOX 29.

PHILADELPHIA - As gas prices continue to rise at a historic pace, a local Wawa unveiled a new bank of charging stations for electric cars that many experts believe is the wave of the future. Electric vehicles amounted to less than 3% of U.S. new auto sales last year, but forecasters expect big increases in the next decade.

KENSINGTON - Investigators say officers who responded to reports of a shooting Wednesday night in Kensington found a burning property then came under fire. Philadelphia Police Captain John Walker told reporters that officers responded to the 600 block of Clementine Street around 8 p.m. for reports of gunshots. The responding officers saw the two-story building on fire and bullet holes in a metal sheet that covered a window, Walker said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will be sending “highly specialized equipment” to Ukraine during a news conference in Berlin, Germany on Wednesday. Among the equipment, Canada will send drone cameras to Ukraine in the new shipment of aid for surveillance.

WARNING: This video contains disturbing content. Russia’s assault on Ukraine keeps getting worse, as a maternity and children’s hospital in Mariupol is bombed.

READING, Pa. - Authorities in Berks County are searching for a woman and an infant who police believe could be in harm's way. The Pennsylvania State Police on Wednesday night issued a missing endangered person advisory for 33-year-old Mary Elizabeth Caraballo and her 1-year-old Williany Caraballo. Authorities said the mother and her child were last seen in the area of Spruce Street in Reading around 11 a.m.

Covid-19 update: Registering a consistent drop in Covid-19 cases in the country, India on Thursday reported 4,184 fresh Covid-19 cases in last 24 hours, taking the total Covid-19 cases to 42.98 million, as per the updated Union Health Ministry data. Additionally, the Covid-19 death cases dropped further, with 104 cases recorded in the last 24 hours. This took the total death toll in the country to 515,459, the Health Ministry data revealed.  

Two men are sought in a gunpoint robbery of a UPS driver in North Philadelphia. PHILADELPHIA - Authorities are searching for two men who they say robbed a UPS driver at gunpoint last week in North Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Police Department shared surveillance video of the alleged robbery that happened Mar.

FILE - Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones looks over warm ups before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome on Dec. 02, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Global’s Keith Baldrey on why B.C. is in a good position for more COVID-19 restrictions to be lifted.

Covid-19 treatment methods primarily focus solely on preventing the virus from replicating. However, scientists have claimed that the new treatment inhibits replication but also protects or repairs tissue, which is important because COVID-19 can cause symptoms that affect patients long after the viral infection has been cleared.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 24: Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on during the first half against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center on February 24, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by d PHILADELPHIA - Ben Simmons will be on the bench, boos raining down from all corners of his old home.James Harden and Kyrie Irving will go head-to-head on the court, their explosive partnership having flamed out in just 13 months.A month after Harden and Simmons were swapped in a blockbuster NBA trade, Brooklyn visits Philadelphia on Thursday in what’s more than just perhaps the most-hyped game of the stretch run.This one is personal."It’s going to be loud," Nets All-Star Kevin Durant said.

Wairarapa has become the seventh DHB area to reach 90% fully vaccinated for Māori. This milestone is another opportunity to celebrate the mahi of staff at vaccine clinics, health providers and iwi who are working to ensure Māori are well protected against COVID-19.

Wearing a protective face covering has been a tool in the pandemic, and also a symbol of the COVID-19 divide. As the mask mandate is lifted in Edmonton, Morgan Black explores the mask divide and how to move past it.

COVID-19 has been declining in Saskatchewan over previous weeks, but Dr. Alyson Kelvin doesn’t believe the pandemic is over yet.“I can’t predict anything other than expecting that we’ll see new variants and they… (will have) various degrees of severity,” she said, in an interview with Global News.“It’s something that keeps me up at night.”Kelvin is a vaccinologist and virologist at the University of Saskatchewan’s VIDO-InterVac lab, where she’s developing a new COVID-19 vaccine.

Ukraine as Russia wages war, and some U.S. citizens are ready to ship off to join the battle.Fox News correspondent Douglas Kennedy spoke with New Yorkers like former Marine Dennis Diaz who’s prepared to channel his military background in Iraq and Afghanistan."We’re going to go out there, and we’re going to straighten it out," he said. "There’s a lot of similarities between what we did in Iraq and Ukraine."Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a plea last month, offering up citizenship to foreign fighters who are willing to defend Ukraine from Russian attacks.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at The Rosen Shingle Creek on February 26, 2022 in Orlando, Florida.

WASHINGTON (AP) - With gas prices at record highs across the U.S., an increasing number of governors and state lawmakers are calling for the suspension of gas taxes to provide relief to motorists who are facing the prospect of even higher pump prices as the country cuts off Russian oil imports.Proposals for a "gas tax holiday" to counter inflation had been moving slowly in Congress and state capitols before Russia invaded Ukraine, but they have gained momentum this week amid surging prices that averaged $4.25 a gallon on Wednesday, according to AAA.Republican legislative leaders in Michigan and Pennsylvania announced proposals Wednesday to suspend or reduce state gas taxes. That came after the Republican governor of Georgia and Democratic governor of California both called for relief from state gas taxes Tuesday, when President Joe Biden ordered a ban on Russian oil imports.Meanwhile, the Democratic governors of Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin sent a joint letter to congressional leaders urging them to support legislation suspending the federal government's 18.4-cent-a-gallon gas tax through 2022.Critics of the proposals say there is no guarantee the savings would get passed on to consumers and worry that suspending gas taxes could hurt funding for road projects.

Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver faced a tough crowd in Edmonton Wednesday, when he spoke to the Alberta Municipalities spring caucus one day after introducing Bill 4 — legislation to limit their authority to impose COVID-19 mask and proof of vaccine rules. Tom Vernon reports.

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - As the Major League Baseball lockout continues, it is having an impact on regular season games, as the league has announced the cancellation of all games until at least April 14.Here's what you should know about the situation, as it stands now.Currently, there is a player lockout amid a labor dispute.In a statement released on March 9, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred provided updates on the ongoing negotiations."In a last-ditch effort to preserve a 162-game season, this week we have made good-faith proposals that address the specific concerns voiced by the MLBPA and would have allowed the players to return to the field immediately," Manfred wrote. "The Clubs went to extraordinary lengths to meet the substantial demands of the MLBPA.

Ontario will no longer mandate face mask use in schools as of March 21, also bringing an end to COVID-19 cohorting and physical distancing requirements.“As we continue to ease public health measures, we are also working with the Ministry of Education to align measures in schools and child care with those in the community as much as possible,” said Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore.

COVID-19 mask policy following Ontario’s decision to lift the provincial mandate after the March Break.In a release on Wednesday afternoon, Hamilton Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) chair Dawn Danko says their governors will be meeting Thursday to review the province’s move and assess the future of a local mask measure for its younger students.“At HWDSB, the Board of Trustees previously approved a motion that includes mask-wearing for students in Kindergarten to Grade 3,” Danko said.“Trustees will review the motion, the direction from the province and share further details as soon as possible.” Ontario lifts mask mandate in most settings March 21, all directives to drop by April 27 Currently both of Hamilton’s public school systems require masking for all students up to Grade 12 inside their facilities, unless exempt for medical or human rights causes."We know that there are mixed reactions to this change. At HWDSB, we have remained committed to taking a cautious gradual approach to removing safety protocols, along with clear communication with our community when there are changes."Full statement: https://t.co/qOZJ4LW8WZ— HWDSB (@HWDSB) March 9, 2022Dr.

Award-winning Toronto filmmaker, Domee Shi is blazing the trail in the world of animation. The Chinese-Canadian’s latest film, ‘Turning Red’ is already generating plenty of buzz–and on the heels of the film’s Toronto premier, Shi returned to her roots to inspire the next generation of animators.

COVID-19 hospitalization numbers continued to slowly decline Wednesday with 1,087 people in hospital with the virus.Of that number, 78 people were receiving care in the ICU.That’s compared to 1,106 people with COVID-19 in hospital — with 77 in the ICU — on Tuesday. Alberta municipalities will need province’s OK for face mask or COVID-19 vaccine passport bylaws Over the past 24 hours, seven additional COVID-19 deaths have been reported to the province, bringing Alberta’s pandemic death toll to 3,986.During the same time frame, the province identified 552 new lab-confirmed cases from 3,069 tests.

Ukraine accused Russia on Wednesday of bombing a children’s hospital in the besieged port of Mariupol during an agreed ceasefire to enable civilians trapped in the city to escape.

Match Group, whose brands include Tinder, Match, Meetic, OkCupid, Hinge, Pairs, PlentyOfFish, OurTime and many more, will now allow Tinder users and the general public to have access to a low-cost background check option, the company announced on Wednesday. In a continued partnership with Garbo, "a female-founded, first-of-its-kind, non-profit background check platform," the Match Group will allow users access to Garbo’s database at $2.50 per search, according to a company news release. Tinder users will be given two free searches upon launch which can amount to up to 500,000 free searches in total. "We know that the biggest indicator of future abuse or violence is a history of these types of behaviors. Whether it's online dating or the dozens of other ways we meet strangers in today's digital age, we should know if we're potentially putting our safety at risk," said Kathryn Kosmides, founder of Garbo.

EXTON, Pa. - A bizarre social media challenge led to the arrest of a man and woman after police say they hid inside a Chester County Target overnight and filmed for their YouTube channel.West Whiteland Township Police were dispatched to the Target in Exton off Route 100 for a tripped alarm on Feb. 21.

A Newmarket senior admits she fell for a fraudulent Facebook pitch and lost almost $200,000. But, she says her bank did nothing to prevent her loss.

After the March break, students and staff in Ontario schools will no longer be required to wear masks. Caryn Lieberman reports.

Ontario lifts mask mandate in most settings March 21, all directives to drop by April 27 With the masking rule for schools lifting right after March break, Dr. Summers urged parents to still encourage their children to wear the masks.“Recognizing that masks are not the perfect solution, they can still be of great help, and so for parents and guardians out there, if you’ve got a kid who’s happily wearing a mask, I would continue to strongly encourage them to do so,” he said.Dr.

Ontario is about to make some major changes with its approach to the pandemic. The biggest changes you will notice – will be the dropping of mask mandates in most settings.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Quebec are expected to plateau after weeks of steady declines.“For the first time since the peak of the fifth wave, which took place in mid-January, projections show a stabilization in the number of new hospitalizations,” the Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux said in a statement. As Quebec continues to reopen, what to do if you have COVID-19 The number of new hospitalizations is projected to remain relatively steady over the next two weeks at around 68 cases daily.

homelessness.Luke Thiessen, communications manager at Siloam Mission, says as COVID-19 restrictions lift, they’re getting a clearer picture of the impact the pandemic has had on the homeless population.“For a while, the challenges around social distancing and some of those health measures made it hard to tell exactly where things were going,” Thiessen told Global News.“As we’re lifting (restrictions), we’re seeing very tangibly the difficulties in more people needing services, mental health challenges that have come out of this, and overall health challenges. There’s just lots of ways we’re seeing that come together.” Winnipeg’s Siloam Mission takes next step in relationship with Indigenous community Siloam Mission expanded its bed capacity just a few months into the pandemic, and Thiessen says this winter brought about the most demand they’ve seen yet.“For awhile we had extra space, and this winter is when that headroom – we lost that completely,” he said.“We filled right up this winter in a way that we didn’t last winter.

Tempe Diablo Stadium SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - On March 1, Baseball players have rejected a final offer by Major League Baseball to end the ongoing lockout.The offer was made by MLB officials about 90 minutes before a self-imposed 5 p.m. deadline for a labor deal to avoid canceled games.