Voters consolidating around NPP/JVP and SJB nationally, reveals IHP Poll

The UK Government recently published the Health and Disability White Paper, which lays out proposed reforms to the benefits system. As part of its shake-up, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced plans to end the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) to encourage people who need to claim benefits back into work.

Researchers also found that patients with preexisting conditions like asthma, diabetes and even anxiety or depression were more likely to develop long-lasting Covid-19 symptoms. Those who were previously hospitalized or admitted to intensive care for Covid also were at higher risk Women, overweight people and those above age 40 are among the groups that have a greater risk of developing long Covid, according to a report published Thursday that makes the case for better pandemic treatment and support. Researchers also found that patients with preexisting conditions like asthma, diabetes and even anxiety or depression were more likely to develop long-lasting Covid-19 symptoms.

Lea Michele has a message for fans hoping to see her on Broadway.

Police investigate at Denvers East High School after a shooting there on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post) DENVER - A 17-year-old student was found dead in a wooded mountain area outside Denver late Wednesday after authorities say he wounded two administrators in a shooting at his Denver high school where students and parents were already fed up about a rash of recent violence and lack of action by officials.The shooting occurred earlier Wednesday at East High School in Denver, not far from downtown, while two administrators searched Austin Lyle for weapons, a daily requirement because of the boy’s behavioral issues, authorities said.

WASHINGTON - The CEO of TikTok made a rare public appearance Thursday before a U.S. Congressional committee, where he faced a grilling on data security and user safety while he makes his own case for why the hugely popular video-sharing app shouldn't be banned.Shou Zi Chew's testimony comes at a crucial time for the company, which has acquired 150 million American users but is under increasing pressure from U.S.

PHILADELPHIA - Officials say the search for a shooting suspect is ongoing after the individual evaded police and SWAT outside of a West Philadelphia residence. According to police, officers responded to a residence on the 200 block of Farson Street just after 1 a.m.

PHILADELPHIA - A caiman discovered at FDR Park in Philadelphia in early March has been euthanized, according to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The caiman was found abandoned in the park on March 5 and the Animal Care & Control Team of Philadelphia (ACCT Philly) came to take the reptile to safety. Agency officials were able to recover the reptile with no injuries and warned against abandoning animals, especially ones not native to the United States. The commission says they were unable to find a home for the reptile, forcing them to put it down. Caimans are not native to North America and can grow up to five feet long. Lisa Cephas told FOX 29 she was on her normal Sunday morning when she saw a Issac Peyton, a fisherman from Delaware County, reel in the 3-foot reptile.

A Private Member’s Bill from Premnath Dolawatte, SLPP MP representing Colombo District, was gazetted and published in the order book of Parliament on Wednesday, which seeks to amend sections 365 and 365A of the Penal Code.

PHILADELPHIA - The fire siren at Langhorne-Middletown Fire Station doesn't sound often, but when it does, the whole community knows. The volunteer fire station located in a rural Bucks County suburb averages less than two calls per day, and received less than 650 last year. "The only time that siren blows is when somebody calls 911, so we're not blowing it for the heck of it," Fire Chief Frank Ferry told FOX 29's Hank Flynn. Still, a growing number of community members have called for the "disruptive" siren to be removed in favor of a more advanced alert platform. "It's a quiet town, it's like Mayberry here, and the siren is disruptive," Councilmember Scott Haldeman said. "I took a couple of years to investigate all these other fire departments and spoke with them, and they shut it off because they say it's not needed, so why is it needed here?" MORE LOCAL HEADLINESA 2019 report found that 60% of firehouses in Bucks County still used sirens.

An eye is pictured in a file image dated Jan. 27, 2019.

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Police Department is asking for the public's help to identify four suspects wanted in connection with a triple shooting in West Philadelphia that left teens injured. According to authorities, the shooting occurred on the 1500 block of N Frazier Street on Monday around 4 p.m. Police say a 13-year-old and two 16-year-olds were injured in the brazen broad daylight shooting. Officials say that the 13-year-old, who was shot in the abdomen, was transported to LankenauMedical Center and placed in critical condition. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESOne 16-year-old was shot five times throughout his body and transported to the hospital in extremely critical condition, according to police. Authorities say the other 16-year-old was shot in the abdomen and taken to a local hospital, where he was placed in stable condition. On Thursday, police released surveillance video of the shooting, showing four masked suspects they say were armed with rifles and semi-automatic pistols.According to investigators, the suspects fired more than 60 shots before fleeing the area on Lansdowne Avenue. Anyone with information on this is urged to contact Philadelphia police or submit an anonymous tip online. Police say a 13-year-old and two 16-year-olds were all injured during a triple shooting in broad daylight on the streets of West Philadelphia.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Postal Voting for the 2023 Local Government Election has been further delayed.The Election Commission in a statement on Thursday (23) announced that postal voting scheduled for the 28th, 29th, 30th  and 31st of March, and the 3rd of April 2023, will not go ahead as planned. 

Lea Michele had a terrifying experience on Wednesday as she was forced to rush her two year old son Ever to the hospital.The former Glee star, 36, took to Instagram to ask for "love and strength" revealing that Ever had been taken to hospital over a "scary health issue". Posting on her Instagram Story, Lea explained that she wouldn't be appearing in Wednesday night's performance of Funny Girl, as she wrote: "I’m so sorry but unfortunately I will be out of @FunnyGirlBwy today.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Several leaders of opposition political parties in Sri Lanka led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa met with Ambassadors and Delegates representing 12 countries in Colombo on Wednesday (22) evening.According to reports, the objective of the meeting was to discuss the current state of affairs in Sri Lanka.The discussion was mainly focused on Sri Lanka's Democracy, Constitution, and the Local Government Election.The Opposition Leader had requested the foreign missions to extend support to Sri Lanka Internationally.The foreign diplomats who attended the meeting, according to the office of the opposition leader, were:– Sarah Hulton, High Commissioner, High Commission of the United Kingdom in Sri Lanka– Denis Chaibi, Ambassador, Delegation of the European Union in Sri Lanka– Michael Appleton, High Commissioner, New Zealand High Commission in Sri Lanka– Julie J Chung, Ambassador, Embassy of the United States of America in Sri Lanka– Anouk Baron, Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Sri Lanka– Dr Francesco Perale, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Italy in Sri Lanka  – Vinod Jacob, Deputy High Commissioner, High Commission of the Republic of India in Sri Lanka– Katsuki Kotaro, Minister/Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka– Lalita Kapur, Deputy High Commissioner, Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka– Aurélien MAILLET, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of France in Sri Lanka– Daniel Blood, Counsellor (Political), High Commission of Canada in Sri Lanka– Ozaki Takeshi, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka.However, in Parliament on Thursday (23), Government Minister Prasanna Ranatunga alleged that the opposition had met with the foreign diplomats to

Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and Covid Appropriate Behaviour are the five-fold strategies to fight Covid-19 as cases go up across the country The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Thursday advised all the states to continue focusing on the 5-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and Covid Appropriate Behaviour to fight Covid-19. The notification stated, "We will do another mock drill to see the COVID-19 preparations.

The first batch of women de-miners of the Army who have completed the internationally-acclaimed Humanitarian De-mining Course of high standards had the privilege of getting their insignia pinned from the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage after they were invited to the Army HQ on Wednesday (22).Extending his best wishes to those women soldiers, now fully-fledged to undertake overseas UN Peacekeeping Missions, the Army Chief highlighted the significance of their achievement to the Army and the motherland.A group of 3 Lady Officers and 51 female Other Ranks, having undergone the De-mining Course for women soldiers which began in December 2021 under two batches at both Engineers' Brigade Headquarters in Boo Oya and 10 Field Engineers HQ in Mailaddy, Jaffna thus received their insignia from the Commander of the Army during the brief occasion.The De-mining Course, inclusive of field operations drew to a close early this year after they sat for the final examination phase under the close supervision of Major General MK Jayawardena RSP USP ndu, Chief Field Engineer and Colonel Commandant, Sri Lanka Engineers.The Commander of the Army in his brief talk commended their sustained courage for completion of the Humanitarian De-mining Course in keeping with scheduled time frame, and congratulated them for undertaking such a challenge with determination and fearlessness. He also reminded the gathering that their contribution in the future for world peace as women de-miners of Sri Lanka would go into the Army history and keep the national flag flying bringing international admiration.Three Lady Officers and 51 Other Ranks who had graduated in the De-mining Course for women de-miners are currently performing de-

The Sri Lanka Navy conducted a special operation to chase away Indian poaching trawlers from Sri Lankan waters this morning (23rd March 2023).The operation led to the seizure of 2 Indian trawlers with 12 Indian nationals poaching in the Sea of Sri Lanka off Analaitivu and Kovilan, Jaffna.The Navy continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing trawlers.As an extension of these operations, the Northern Naval Command deployed Fast Attack Craft of the 04th Fast Attack Flotilla to chase away a cluster of Indian poaching trawlers, having spotted they were engaging in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters off Analaitivu and Kovilan. In this operation, the Navy held 02 Indian poaching trawlers with 12 Indian fishers continuing to remain in Sri Lankan waters.The seized trawlers together with 12 Indian fishermen were brought to the Kankesanthurai harbour and they will be handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for onward legal proceedings.In this backdrop, the Sri Lanka Navy is conducting operations to stop illegal fishing by foreign fishermen in the island waters.

The High Commission of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Pakistani community based in Sri Lanka celebrated the 84th National Day of Pakistan to make Pakistan a strong, vibrant and progressive state.On the occasion, the High Commissioner, Maj. General (Retd) Umar Farooq Burki HI (M), added that Pakistan greatly values its relations with Sri Lanka which are based on mutual trust and understanding.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Milk Powder importers have decided to reduce the price of imported milk powder products.This decision was taken due to the drop in prices in the Global Market.Accordingly, the price of a 1 Kg packet of imported milk powder will be reduced by Rs. 200/-.The price of a 400 g packet of imported milk power will be reduced by Rs.

A delegation of 19 Indian Armed Forces officers led by Group Captain Yunus Syed Muzaffar from the 46th Indian Higher Air Command Course conducted at College of Air Warfare, Secunderabad arrived in Sri Lanka as part of Strategic Study Tour from 20-24 March 2023.The visit is focused on interactions with senior defence hierarchy as well as visits to military establishments and industrial organizations to broaden the vision of the trainees.The delegation started their visit by paying homage to the martyrs of Indian Peace Keeping Force at the memorial in Battaramulla followed by interactions with High Commissioner of India,Gopal Baglay, Chief of Defence Staff, General Shavendra Silva, and Air Marshal S.K Pathirana, Commander of Sri Lanka Air Force. The delegation is also scheduled to visit Galle, Hambantota, Diyatalawa, Kandy and Katunayake and interact with various agencies to get deeper insights about Sri Lanka. India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy seeks to promote institutional linkages between the Armed Forces of India and Sri Lanka.  Such Study Tours help strengthen the existing bonds of camaraderie and enhance people to people connect to achieve regional peace, security and stability. A few members of the delegation, including the head of the delegation, called on the Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana and symbolic mementos were exchanged to mark the event.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that due to the public sector engaging in business activities, the money that was available for the construction of 100 projects similar to the Mahaweli during the past decades, was destroyed.He noted that in the future, the public sector will stop engaging in business and open it to the private sector to create a free and productive economy.President Wickremesinghe mentioned this at the 71st commemoration ceremony of the late Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake at Independence Square on Wednesday (22).Recalling that D.S.

XBB 1.16 variant could be behind it. However, the country has started taking precautionary measures to prevent a further increase in Covid-19 cases. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held a meeting to review the situation.  Former AIIMS director Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st); United State is partnering with Sri Lanka to improve water management to support communities that are facing challenges in accessing clean drinking water.US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung, joined Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Minister Jeewan Thondaman in celebrating World Water Day on Wednesday (22), where she made these remarks."It seems a little ironic to talk about water conservation in a country that annually averages benefits from about 2,000 millimeters of rain. But the reality is this generous gift from nature doesn’t benefit all Sri Lankans as much as it could, with less than half of rural Sri Lankans having access to piped water," said the Ambassdor."That is why I’m so proud that the United States is partnering with Sri Lanka to improve water management.

Covid-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.79 per cent, the ministry said. A total 92.06 crore tests for detection of Covid has been conducted so far with 89,078 tests being conducted in the last 24 hours.

Spain captured footage of fin whale with a severely bent spine struggling to swim off the Mediterranean coast.The Spanish aquarium Oceanografic Valencia shared video of the whale on social media and said the animal was spotted on March 4 by a beach in Cullera, near Valencia. A team of biologists and veterinarians from the aquarium were called to view the whale after a boat captain reported that the creature was trapped in a fishing net.

A Lanarkshire local is set to play the Hard Rock Cafe in Glasgow this weekend to wrap up a month of promoting women’s mental health.

Pastor Moses Borjas of Por La Creación speaks as Castner Range activists deliver over 137,000 petitions calling on President Biden to designate Castner Range the next national monument at the Department of Interior on July 19, 2022 in Washington, DC. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Joe Biden is establishing national monuments in Nevada and Texas and creating a marine sanctuary in U.S.

Last week, Janey Godley's Not Dead Yet tour came to an end after an extremely successful run of 27 dates - all of which she performed whilst undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

Kerry Katona has revealed how she has spent months walking around with a broken foot after a fall last year. The former Atomic Kitten star has told how she suffered a fall while filming a TV show last year but despite being in pain, didn't get her foot checked out.

FILE IMAGE - People celebrate Midsummer eve at Kaivopuisto Park in Helsinki, Finland, on June 24, 2022. Midsummer Festival is an important festival and also one of the national holidays in Finland.

PHILADELPHIA - The $1.3 billion Philadelphia 76ers arena proposal was brought to the congregation at the Church Of Christian Compassion in West Philadelphia on Sunday.This has been a controversial proposal for a while now. A lot of the opposition coming from business owners, and people who live in Chinatown.The Church of Christian Compassion was celebrating 42 years, and church leader Brandon Mclean said their focus is to build up the community."We have a compassion connect building that we’re currently building right now," Mclean said.  "We have a food distribution center that we’re currently building right next to the church."David Gould, the Chief Diversity & Impact Officer for the 76ers, talked about an even bigger project - the proposed construction of a new arena for the Sixers on Market Street."What I’m very grateful for and what I’m grateful for the position God has put me in is I have a seat at the table now, Amen," Gould said.

Gogglebox star Ellie Warner has given her fans a pregnancy update, revealing she's been diagnosed with a health condition. The Channel 4 star, 32, is expecting her first child with boyfriend Nat and has been keeping Gogglebox viewers updated with her pregnancy journey on the hit TV show. During Friday evening's episode, Ellie sat down with older sister Izzi to watch a new instalment of The Apprentice and shared that she'd been diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

EASTON, Wash. - A Yakima man, his cousin and 10-year-old daughter died after troopers say a semi crossed the median and crashed head-on into their sedan Thursday on Interstate 90 east of Snoqualmie Pass. His wife and son were critically injured.A verified GoFundMe post identified the victims as Justin Poole, 40, his cousin Michaela Buckholt, 27, and his daughter, 10-year-old Chelsea, all of Yakima.Justin's wife, Nikki, and 6-year-old son, Maddox, were taken to Seattle's Harborview Medical Center for treatment of severe injuries. Maddox was intubated and required brain surgery, according to the GoFundMe."Nikki needs as much support as she can possibly get right now," JoeyLynne Stanelle Perry, a friend of the family wrote on GoFundMe.

he drug Paxlovid against Covid-19 from the manufacturer Pfizer is lying on a table. Photo: Fabian Sommer/dpa (Photo by Fabian Sommer/picture alliance via Getty Images) Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill Paxlovid won another vote of confidence from U.S.

Mifepristone, the abortion pill known as RU 486. (Photo by James Leynse/Corbis via Getty Images) AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge in Texas will hear arguments Wednesday in a high-stakes court case that could threaten access to abortion medication and blunt the authority of U.S.

PHILADELPHIA - A man has been hospitalized after he was shot on Tuesday night. Authorities say officers responded to the 4700 block of Bingham Street in the Crescentville section of the city just before 9 p.m.According to police, three armed suspects pulled a 42-year-old man from his car in a driveway. The man was shot in the neck before the suspects fled north from the driveway in a dark-colored vehicle, officials say. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESPolice transported the victim to Temple University Hospital, where he was placed in critical condition, according to authorities. Officials say the scene was held and no arrests have been made.

FILE - Over 300 protesters gathered on Portage Road in front of Niagara Fall's Marineland Saturday August 18, 2012. (Tara Walton/Toronto Star via Getty Images)The killer whale named Kiska at Canada’s Marineland theme park, the country’s last captive orca who swam alone in her tank for more than a decade, has died.Brent Ross, a spokesman for the Ministry of the Solicitor General in Ontario that oversees animal welfare in the province, said Monday that the theme park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, informed the province of the death last week.Kiska was believed to be 47 years old and had lived at Marineland since being captured in Icelandic waters in 1979.

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. - It's a competition no one asked for – how would a metal fence fair against an alligator? Easy answer – it doesn't, and the alligator definitely wins! But, the video is awesome to watch.Eric Dagg told Storyful that he works at the Coral Creek Club golf course in Charlotte County, Florida, which is northwest of Fort Myers, where he recently saw a massive alligator making its way along a cart path. At some point, the alligator tried to make its way through a fence along the golf course.At first, it appears the alligator considers his options, meticulously deciding out which sent of bars to go between.

Sarah Polley has won her first Academy Award. The Canadian filmmaker, who hails from Toronto, Ont., was awarded the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar Sunday night for her movie, Women Talking.

drinking habits despite recent national guidelines warning that more than two alcoholic drinks a week can increase risks of cancer, stroke and heart disease.That’s according to a new Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News, which also found that more than half of the respondents believed the recommended number of drinks was so low that “it lacked credibility” and was nothing but “fear-mongering” tactics. This belief was higher among men (61 per cent) than women (53 per cent).

PHILADELPHIA - A man getting off a SEPTA bus was attempting to cross the street when he was struck by a car, leaving him in critical condition Friday night.Police say the 33-year-old victim stepped off a SEPTA bus at Germantown Ave and Butler Street in Nicetown around 7:30 p.m.When the man tried to cross the street in front of the bus, police say a car drove around the bus and hit him. He was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.MORE HEADLINES:The driver of the vehicle, a 78-year-old man, stayed on scene and is said to be cooperating with police.

FILE - A laptop with a laughing emoji face displayed is seen in this photo illustration on Oct. 15, 2018.

NEW ORLEANS - You can still barely make out the words ‘Six Flags’ on the sign outside what used to be Six Flags New Orleans. But besides being used for a few movies like ‘Jurassic World,’ the gates have been shuttered since August 21, 2005 – eight days before Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. New drone video from inside the park shows the abandoned rides sitting untouched for years, along with graffiti covering the old buildings. The park sits in a low-lying area just a few miles from the largest lake in the state, so a lot of those floodwaters from Katrina pooled there when the deadly storm hit. File: Six Flags New Orleans amusement park underwater in New Orleans, Louisiana, September 13, 2005.

Epoch Everlasting Play LLC recalled all of its Calico Critters flocked animal figures and sets that were sold with bottle and pacifier accessories from 2000 to 2021 on March 9 due to a choking hazard. (U.S.

TACOMA, Wash. - Former NBA star Shawn Kemp was released from jail on Thursday after a drive-by shooting investigation in Tacoma. Prosecutors say right now they are not filing charges against the former SuperSonic.Kemp was booked into jail in connection with a drive-by shooting outside the Tacoma Mall, but was released a day later after no charges were filed. The shooting call came into police just before 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

PHILADELPHIA - Students with autism and other disabilities in the School District of Philadelphia may be eligible to apply for off-site school-to-work transition programs including Project Career Launch."The goal is to set students up for a career pathway where they have the opportunity to learn skills and grow as they transition out of special education services in the school district," said Jackie Abrams, Associate Director of Transition Pathways of the AJ Drexel Autism Institute.Currently, there are two student cohorts, one meeting at Drexel University and the second at the Community College of Philadelphia.Daniel Clark, 19, is currently enrolled in the program and interning in the Tech Lab at the School District of Philadelphia."I am still a student in high school, but I am well-developed to see what is new for me out there," said Clark. "It’s about helping young adults with disabilities to find jobs and what they want in their future."MORE LOCAL HEADLINESStudents who enroll for this additional year will be placed in internships and learn valuable life skills including finances and job placement.Josiah Diaz, 19, is handling various responsibilities since joining Project Career Launch this school year.

BERLIN (AP) - Women in Berlin will soon be allowed to go topless at the city's public swimming pools, like men, the Berlin state government said Thursday.The new bathing rules allowing everyone to go swimming without covering their torsos followed a discrimination complaint by a woman who was not allowed to go topless in a swimming pool in the capital.The woman, whose identity was not revealed, had turned to the senate's ombudsperson's office for equal treatment to demand that women, like men, can swim topless, the Berlin senate for justice, diversity and anti-discrimination said in a written statement.In reaction to the complaint and the ombudsman's involvement in the case, the Berliner Baederbetriebe, which runs the city's public pools, decided to change its clothing rules, the statement said."The ombudsperson’s office very much welcomes the decision of the Baederbetriebe, because it establishes equal rights for all Berliners, whether male, female or non-binary, and because it also creates legal certainty for the staff at the Baederbetriebe," said Doris Liebscher, the head of the ombudsperson's office.PRODUCTION - 05 June 2022, Berlin: ILLUSTRATION - A child stands at the edge of a swimming pool.

Genesis guitarist and bassist Mike Rutherford has updated fans on the state of Phil Collins’ health.Collins has experienced issues with his health since suffering a spinal injury in 2007, which damaged vertebrae in his upper neck and also left him with nerve damage. The injury has impacted his ability to perform, and at Genesis’ last ever show in March 2022, he performed in a wheelchair.Now, Rutherford has spoken about Collins’ health in an interview on BBC Breakfast to promote his upcoming tour with Mike + The Mechanics, in which Collins’ son Nic will be playing drums.Speaking about Collins’ condition, Rutherford said: “As you know, Phil is a bit… He’s much more immobile than he used to be, which is a shame, but at the tour, he was in good spirits.