7.3 magnitude earthquake rocks Japan; tsunami advisory issued

Ukraine is being warned Russia plans to ramp up its offensive in the coming days. Crystal Goomansingh looks at which regions Russian forces are expected to target, how those who can get out are scrambling to leave, and why some people can’t escape.

Following Health Minister Andrew Little’s announcement yesterday, the Ministry of Health is gearing up to consider applicaitons for the newly available funding to support research into future pandemic responses, as well as the ongoing impacts of COVID-19.  

CENTER CITY - The jury in the corruption trial of Philadelphia Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, his wife and two others deliberated until 4:30 Wednesday afternoon and broke for the day. They’ll be back in the morning.Johnson, his wife, Dawn Chovous and two former executives with a city non-profit are all charged with two counts of honest services wire fraud.The government alleges the former executives bribed Johnson with nearly $67,000 in payments to his wife’s consulting firm.In return, the government alleges Johnson helped the non-profit, Universal Companies, with two troubled real estate holdings.All four defendants have pled not guilty.

PHILADELPHIA - Authorities say they are investigating reports of a possible explosive device found inside a car in West Philadelphia. Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department and the bomb squad responded to the area of North 63rd and Media streets just after 4 p.m. Police said they received word of a grenade found inside a silver Chevy Trailblazer. A police staging area has been set up at the intersection of North Felton and Media streets. Police say Homeland Security has been notified of the ongoing investigation. ___DOWNLOAD: FOX 29 NEWS APP | FOX 29 WEATHER AUTHORITY APPSUBSCRIBE: Good Day Digest Newsletter | FOX 29 Philly on YouTubeAdvertisementFOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (FOX 2) - Patrick Lyoya was shot to death on April 4 by a Grand Rapids Police Officer after the two fought following a traffic stop.

The man arrested in the shooting of 10 people on a Brooklyn subway has been charged with a federal terrorism offense.

Cuba Gooding Jr. arrives at court in lower Manhattan on January 22, 2020 in New York City.

A young deer between two sequoias in Giant Forest. (NPS)Nature-lovers rejoice! All national parks are allowing free admission on April 16 to kick off the start of National Park Week. Maybe take a trip to the United States’ first national park, Yellowstone, which turned 150 on March 1. Park officials hope a fee-free day will encourage locals to visit a national park near them and "sPark" an interest in discovering nature close to home.Yellowstone National Park: rapids on the Gibbon River; Jim Peaco; June 2015; Catalog #20135d; Original #IMG_1127 (NPS/Jim Peaco)"National Park Week kicks off with a fee-free day to encourage everyone to find something new by visiting a national park, especially one that may be close to home, a park you haven't considered visiting, or one you never realized is a national park," the national park website read. RELATED: Inheritance Pass offers entry to Yellowstone National Park in 150 years Acadia National Park view from Cadillac Mountain of Frenchman Bay and the Porcupine Islands.

DARBY, Pa. - An employee of St. Francis Country House is facing charges after they were accused of assaulting an elderly resident earlier this week. On Monday at around 5 p.m., Darby Borough police say they were dispatched to the nursing home on Lansdowne Ave. Upon arrival, officers say they met with an employee of the nursing home who told them that a nurse witnessed a nursing assistant, later identified as Ednise Dulcio, strike a resident. Police say the incident was caught on video, and that Dulcio can be seen striking a 92-year-old resident with an open hand while the resident was sitting in their wheelchair. After speaking with the witness, police say they learned that Dulcio struck the resident prior to the incident that was captured on video. Authorities say Dulcio was arrested in her home on Tuesday around 3:30 p.m.

QUINTANA BEACH, Texas - Officials say a dolphin on a Texas beach passed away after she was stranded alive over the weekend and reportedly "harassed by a crowd of people." Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network (TMMSN) shared shocking photos on Facebook, saying a dolphin on Quintana Beach, Texas located in Brazoria County, was "pushed back to sea, where beachgoers tried to swim with and ride the sick animal."We're told the dolphin was ultimately stranded and "further harassed by a crowd of people on the beach, where she later died before rescuers could arrive on scene." Officials warned, that as a result, any interactions with dolphins (other than a professional) can only cause more stress on the mammal, but is also illegal. "This type of harassment causes undue stress to wild dolphins, is dangerous for the people who interact with them, and is illegal - punishable by fines and jail time if convicted," TMMSN said in their Facebook post. "If a live dolphin or whale strands in Texas, please DO NOT PUSH the animal back to sea, do not attempt to swim or interact with them, do not crowd them, and immediately call 1-800-9MAMMAL for guidance on how to help support the animal until the TMMSN rescue response arrives!"MORE STORIES RELATED TO BRAZORIA COUNTYQuintana Park officials condemned the incident as well, calling it a tragedy. "Park staff was called to assist in keeping the public away from the dolphin until rescuers could arrive from Galveston," officials said in their Facebook post.

Global COVID-19 cases have declined for the third week in a row, with deaths easing off to levels seen early in the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest assessments of the pandemic.

world is potentially on track to keep global warming at, or a shade below, 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than pre-industrial times, a goal that once seemed out of reach, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature.That will only happen if countries not only fulfill their specific pledged national targets for curbing carbon emissions by 2030, but also come through on more distant promises of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by mid-century, the study says.This 2 degree warmer world still represents what scientists characterize as a profoundly disrupted climate with fiercer storms, higher seas, animal and plant extinctions, disappearing coral, melting ice and more people dying from heat, smog and infectious disease. It's not the goal that world leaders say they really want: 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska are pictured days before the Russian invasion during an event to honor the memory of the activists who died in 2014 during the Revolution of Dignity on the Day of the Heroes of the H KYIV, Ukraine - The first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, said she hasn’t seen her husband President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in over a month due to the danger presented by Russia’s war on the country. Zelenska, who shares two children with the Ukrainian president, told CNN in an interview published on Wednesday that the family has had to separate since the Russian invasion, which first occurred on Feb. 24. "Volodymyr and his team actually live in the President's office," Zelenska told the news outlet.

SOUTH OGDEN, Utah - Max Togisala was a very active teenager and avid golfer, but a ski accident unexpectedly and suddenly turned him into a paraplegic, paralyzing him from the waist down. In February, the 18-year-old went on a ski trip with friends at Sun Valley Resort in Idaho. He tumbled on his skis when coming down a slope on his first run on the first day of the trip. "I lost control, and it was pretty icy," he told FOX Television Stations.

(Miami-Dade Corrections) MIAMI - Police in South Florida arrested a mother accused of murdering her two young children in their apartment after officers responded to repeated 911 hang-up calls coming from the home and found the bodies of both children tied up on a bed."Come get them, I don't want them anymore," 41-year-old Odette Lysse Joassaint told officers who responded to the scene on Tuesday night, according to the arrest report. Police said she appeared to be irrational.The officers entered the apartment and found a 3-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl.

Life expectancy in the United States declined 1.87 years from 2019 to after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, more than any of 21 other high-income countries—with greater losses in Hispanic and Black populations, according to a modeling study published today in JAMA Network Open.

Two new studies describe benefits of the monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment casirivimab-imdevimab in adult COVID-19 outpatients, both suggesting lower rates of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death in an era dominated by the Delta variant.University of Pittsburgh researchers led the first study, published

Actor Johnny Depp is suing ex-wife Amber Heard for defamation in connection with Heard’s 2018 Washington Post op-ed, in which she spoke out about being the victim of domestic violence.

The Mysterious Girl singer offered a health update on ITV Lorraine today as he addressed his mum's health with stand in host Christine Lampard. “I’ve made no secret that Mum is not very well at the moment,” he said.

A Conservative peer has quit as justice minister over the breaches of Covid rules in Downing Street It comes after Boris Johnson was fined on Tuesday for attending a lockdown party.

Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is asking that all students and staff wear a “well-fitting mask” when indoors, as Canada grapples with the sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.In a letter posted to its website on Wednesday, the TDSB said it takes direction from the province, which does not require masks.However, the TDSB said “given the increase in COVID-19 cases and the high number of absences, we as a system, are asking that all staff and students please wear a well-fitting mask when indoors in schools to limit the spread of COVID-19 and help minimize disruption from COVID-related absences.”The board said “to be clear this remains a personal decision” and will not be mandated.“Thank you for your consideration of this important measure,” the letter reads. “We know that it is not where we expected or hoped to be, but our collective actions can make a difference.”The TDSB said, though, that masks are “required” in certain situations, including for those in days six to 10 after a self isolation period of five days after a COVID-19 diagnosis, for those who are identified as a close contact for someone with the virus, and in public spaces, including in school and childcare centres for 14 days after travel outside of Canada.Tonight, the Board of Trustees passed a motion requiring mask use in all OCDSB buildings.

health Dr. Deena Hinshaw will provide an update on COVID-19 at 3:30 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA - As inflation and rising costs of goods make things more difficult for American consumers, one local church is doing its part to help those facing financial strain. Dare to Imagine Church in Philadelphia is hosting a free gas giveaway on Wednesday. In a post on the church's website, leaders said "As the war in Ukraine continues, we continue to feel its impact, as gas prices continue to climb. Dare to Imagine Church wants to relieve some of that financial strain for our neighbors by hosting this Free Gas Giveaway." The Dare to Imagine Church in Philadelphia is giving away free gas on Wednesday afternoon.RELATED: Biden to allow higher ethanol fuel blend this summer in bid to lower gas pricesThe event will be from 12 pm - 3 pm at the Sunoco gas station at 5801 E Roosevelt Boulevard in Oxford Circle. Each car will get up to $30 worth of free gas, according to the church. An undated file photo of a gas pump.

An expert has warned that there may be a number of ' Deltacrons ' in circulation across the globe.

PHILADELPHIA - The so-called ‘great resignation’ has left a lot of industries without proper staffing and the field of education has not been immune to shortages. While the pandemic has played a role, some believe the writing was on the blackboard before COVID-19. The Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) says they have seen a decline in available teachers over the last decade.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Advisory Committee appointed to assist the National Economic Council had submitted 5 proposals to the NEC.The Advisory Committee met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the first time on Monday (21), and made the submissions.The five proposals are as follows:1. Immediately appoint a Technical Committee with Central Bank, and Treasury representation to propose on International Financial facilities.2.

Ukraine becomes increasingly brutal, with Russian attacks killing and displacing civilians, experts say the international community is shifting its focus from sanctions to helping the Ukrainian military.That’s partly because the few remaining options that could have a significant impact on Russia’s economy — namely, a European ban on Russian oil and gas — are not feasible in the short term. It’s also becoming clearer that the sanctions, while devastating, are not swaying Russian President Vladimir Putin.“It’s not hurting (Russia) enough to make them stop,” said James Brander, a professor in international business and public policy at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business.“It’s hard to get to that level, whereas what’s really hurting the Russians right now is on the ground in Ukraine, where they’re running into a lot of military trouble.

There is a scandal brewing over on the set of Grey’s Anatomy!

A US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft lands during a joint exercise with Japanese Self Defense Forces members at the Higashifuji training area in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture on March 15, 2022. (Photo by Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo b HELSINKI (AP) - Four U.S. soldiers were killed when their Osprey aircraft crashed in a Norwegian town in the Arctic Circle during a NATO exercise unrelated to the Ukraine war, Norway's prime minister and defense officials said Saturday.Jonas Gahr Stoere tweeted that they were killed in the crash on Friday night.

Scientists have sounded the alarm on Long Covid's impact on concentration and memory.

Western rivals are keeping an eye on Vladimir Putin as the Russian president talks about his desire for a “purge” of society.

Altajier Kyell Robinson (Northampton County District Attorney's Office)  EASTON, Pa. - Authorities in Northampton County have issued an arrest warrant for a 20-year-old man in connection with the shooting deaths of two teens on Monday. Altajier Kyell Robinson is wanted in connection with the deaths of 17-year-old D’Andre Snipes and 18-year-old Kavan Figueroa. He faces multiple charges including criminal homicide, attempted criminal homicide, and related charges. Around 4 p.m.

Lily Allen has moved to share how she has been struck down with norovirus. Lily spoke out after detailing her plans to build a house with husband David Harbour. Lily also shared a snap of her temperature reading 100.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The President has appointed a 16-member advisory committee to assist the National Economic Council.The list of appointed officials is as follows;Meanwhile, the composition of the Economic Council is as follows.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cited Pearl Harbor and the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 on Wednesday as he appealed to the U.S. Congress to do more to help Ukraine’s fight against Russia, but acknowledged the no-fly zone he has sought to “close the sky” over his country may not happen.

Trafford’s public health bosses have issued guidance on how best to live with covid. The team and Trafford council held their final covid-19 public engagement board meeting on Wednesday (March 16) at a time when the borough’s infection rates are increasing.

Holly Willoughby has been unable to join her co-star Phillip Schofield on This Morning this week after a positive Covid-19 test. Josie Gibson has appeared on the ITV show to cover Holly after the star was forced to step away after she was left feeling unwell.Prior to Wednesday's This Morning, Lorraine welcomed Phillip and Josie on her screen via a video link as they spoke about what would be coming up on the ITV show schedule throughout the day.Lorraine had previously mentioned Holly having Covid as Phil opened up on the show and said that Holly was at home and looking after herself.Phil said: "She [Holly] is still taking care of herself, looking after herself; Josie's here," before sharing an update on what was coming up on the show.It's unclear when Holly will be back on screens, but Josie will be unable to join Phil on the sofa tomorrow as it has already been confirmed that she's covering the races with Alison Hammond.Josie, who has stepped in for Holly, often appears on the show for the segments away from the studios, but this week she's been firmly sat on the sofa.She's stepped in often over the last few months if either Phil or Holly have been off ill, with both the hosts contracting Covid-19 this year.Josie has become increasingly popular with viewers, with many fans calling for her to become a more regular fixture on the popular ITV show.Throughout the week many fans have taken to Twitter to share their love for the stand-in host.One user wrote: "Love Josie on This Morning, a breath of fresh air.

SPANAWAY, Wash. - The Pierce County Sheriff's Department said two deputies were shot in Spanaway on Tuesday and rushed to a nearby hospital.Deputies said on Twitter just after 12:00 p.m. that the public should avoid the area of Pacific Ave. S.

SEATTLE - Starbucks lovers may soon see less of an iconic symbol: the white Starbucks paper cup.The Seattle-based coffee chained announced it will phase out its single-use cups bearing the company's logo and other plastics in an effort to reduce landfill waste. While the products may not go away completely, the company plans to make them less attractive and promote reusable mugs. "We set a bold aspiration to become a resource positive company – to store more carbon than we emit, to eliminate waste and to conserve and replenish more freshwater than we use," Michael Kobori, Starbucks chief sustainability officer, said on the company’s website.

Greater Manchester’s public health chief has warned that 'we're seeing another Covid-19 wave' as cases rise in the wake of the removal of safety measures by the government.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The President has appointed a 14-member advisory committee to assist the National Economic Council.The list of appointed officials is as follows;Meanwhile, the composition of the Economic Council is as follows.

Russian social media influencers could be heard across the internet before going dark when Instagram was banned in the country on Monday.Russian state media regulators followed through on the promise to ban Instagram after alleging the platform is being used to call for violence against Russian citizens and military personnel.Russia has already blocked access to Facebook (owned by Meta Platforms, which also owns Instagram), limited access to Twitter and criminalized the intentional spreading of what Moscow deems to be “fake” reports, as part of President Vladimir Putin’s crackdown on social media and news outlets like the BBC. Over 2.8 million refugees have fled Ukraine amid Russian invasion, UN says Many Russian influencers said tearful goodbyes to their followers before asking fans to migrate to other platforms like Telegram and VK, both of which are still permitted in Russia.NEXTA, a Belarusian media outlet, shared a video of an unnamed Russian influencer claiming to be in the “first stages of grief” over the Instagram ban.

FILE - Wrestler Scott Hall from "The Resurrection of Jake The Snake Roberts" poses for a portrait at the Village at the Lift Presented by McDonald's McCafe during the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 23, 2015 in Park City, Utah.