Afghanistan war ends as last US plane leaves Kabul airport, officials say

Senior civil servants will meet tomorrow ahead of NPHET's review on Thursday of mask wearing requirements in schools and other settings.

New Zealand Covid-19 infections reached a record high as anti-vaccine protesters claimed victory after police failed to clear vehicles blocking the streets around parliament.

After 18 days of disrupting a Canada-U.S. border crossing, anti-COVID mandate protesters have dispersed their blockade near Coutts, Alberta.

A B.C. woman who claims she was sexually assaulted on a North Vancouver trail is criticizing RCMP for their delayed response to her report. Rumina Daya reports.

For the first time in Canadian history, Ottawa granted itself extraordinary powers. Invoking the Emergencies Act, Monday, in a move designed to choke off the money keeping protesters across the country fueled and fed. Aaron McArthur reports.

COVID.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), Janaka Rathnayake states that its new methodology will lead to NO scheduled power cuts in the near future. However, he stated that electricity generation from hydro will reduced by 50% from Wednesday (16).

COLOMBO (News 1st); Wednesday (16) is the 2nd day of the 43rd Annual Navam Perahera of the Hunupitiya Gangarama Temple in Colombo.The Navam Perahera of the Hunupitiya Gangaramaya Temple has a special place among the Buddhist festivals in the country.This year’s procession has been organized with the blessings of Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thero, the Chief Incumbent of the Gangarama Temple, and the Maha Sangha.The casket with sacred relics was placed on the main Tusker by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, following religious observances on the first day of the procession.The Nawam Maha Perahera will parade the streets at 7:00 tonight.A special traffic plan will be in place in view of the Navam Perahera of the Hunupitiya Gangaramaya Temple.Traffic will be restricted on several roads from 5pm until the conclusion of the Perahera.1. Entry to James Peiris Mawatha from Piththala Junction2.

Eleven people involved in the Coutts border blockade were before a court Tuesday facing various weapons and mischief charges — and three among them were also charged with conspiracy to murder.

Anti-hate experts are raising concerns after a picture of weapons, ammunition and body armour seized at the border protest at Coutts, Alta. showed patches belonging to a neo-nazi group in Canada.

Bringing children to the antigovernment blockades that have immobilized downtown Ottawa and shuttered border crossings is among the activities that could net protesters a $5,000 fine or five years in prison while Canada is under the national Emergencies Act.

Coachella and Stagecoach just made some big announcements about their upcoming music festivals.

Microsoft will give its employees 30 days to shift to a new stage of hybrid working which will bring more people onto its campuses. Who is required in the office and when will be decided by each team, said Chris Capossela, Microsoft’s chief marketing officer, in a blog post.

caseload.

Officials in Ambler have backed off after planning to take an 80-year-old business owner's property through eminent domain.  AMBLER, Pa. - A business owner in Ambler is celebrating after the borough backed off from trying to take his business property through eminent domain.Pasquall Riccardi was already struggling after his auto repair shop on South Main Street burned down on Feb. 3. After the fire, the 80-year-old owner was close to being forced to sell the property to the borough.RELATED: 1 hurt in fire that torched Ambler auto repair shopThe local government wanted his property to expand a parking lot at the nearby SEPTA rail station.

A local mother is looking for a group of heroes who saved her daughter from being mauled by a dog at Madison Park in Pennsauken.  PENNSAUKEN, N.J. - A group of strangers quickly became heroes to Erika Rivera and her nine-year-old daughter Toni after saving the child from being mauled by a dog.  Rivera spoke to FOX 29’s Jennifer Joyce via Zoom as she sat by her daughter’s bedside at Cooper University Hospital. She said her daughter was attacked by a neighborhood dog on Monday in Pennsauken’s Madison Park.The Good Samaritans saw the attack and rushed in to help. "They’re the ones who called the police," Rivera said.

NEW YORK (AP) - For the first time in two years for many people, the American workplace is transforming into something that resembles pre-pandemic days.Tyson Foods said Tuesday it was ending mask requirements for its vaccinated workers in some facilities. Walmart and Amazon — the nation’s No. 1 and 2 largest private employers respectively — will no longer require fully vaccinated workers to don masks in stores or warehouses unless required under local or state laws.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 15: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics shoots over Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter shoots over at Wells Fargo Center on February 15, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE PHILADELPHIA - Jaylen Brown scored 26 of his 29 points in the first half and the Boston Celtics won their ninth in a row, dominating the Philadelphia 76ers 135-87 on Tuesday night.Jayson Tatum added 28 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for the Celtics, who have closed ground in the Eastern Conference with their stellar play of late. Boston entered sixth in the East, 4 ½ back of first-place Miami.

Global’s Keith Baldrey looks at how we got to Tuesday’s easing of COVID-19 restrictions in B.C.

Tyrese Gibson is mourning after the death of his beloved mother, Priscilla Murray Gibson.

PHOENIX - In a unique situation for people of the Roman Catholic faith, a priest is resigning after the church's Phoenix Diocese determined the words he was using during baptisms are wrong, meaning those baptisms are now rendered invalid.Here's what you should know about the mix-up.In a statement released by officials with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, it was announced that all baptisms performed by a priest named Andres Arango until June 17, 2021 are presumed to be invalid due to the words that were used.At the center of the mix-up are the words "we" and "I." Diocesan officials say Arango should have used the following words during baptism:I baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.Instead, diocesan officials say Arango used the following words:We baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.Diocesan officials said baptisms performed by Arango after June 17, 2021 are presumed to be valid.In a letter to faithfuls, Phoenix Catholic Bishop Thomas Olmsted said the determination that baptisms performed by Arango are invalid was made "after careful study by diocesan officials and through consultation with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome."Diocesan officials say the word change made a big difference for them."It is not the community that baptizes a person and incorporates them into the Church of Christ; rather, it is Christ, and Christ alone, who presides at all sacraments; therefore, it is Christ who baptizes," diocesan officials said, on their website.

An American Airlines employee stabbed a co-worker at Boston Logan International Airport following a dispute between the pair, authorities said Tuesday. Kenrick Smith, 34, of Leominster, was arraigned hours later at the East Boston District Court, Massachusetts State Police spokesman David Procopio said in a statement. The incident occurred just before 1:30 p.m.

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 03: Bob Saget attends the Women's Guild Cedars-Sinai Annual Gala at The Maybourne Beverly Hills on November 03, 2021 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images) ORLANDO, Fla. - The family of comedian Bob Saget has filed a lawsuit to prevent the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office from releasing additional records related to his death investigation.The lawsuit filed by Kelly Rizzo, Saget’s wife, and daughters Aubrey Saget, Lara Saget, and Jennifer Saget, claims the "plaintiffs will suffer irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress" if additional records are released.Saget was found dead last month at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Orlando.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The average daily maximum demand for electricity in the country is around 2650 MW, and a significant portion of this is generated to the national grid from the Mahaweli, Laxapana and Samanala hydropower plants.In addition, the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant is the power plant that adds the most amount of power to the national grid.The country has been facing two major issues ever since the beginning of last December with regard to the energy sector. These include the country facing a dollar crisis which made it impossible to purchase even the most basic necessities, including fuel. Several other issues caused electrical engineers to take trade union action over the New Fortress LNG deal, the process of LNG tenders being suspended, the suspension of amending the Electricity Board Act No.

As Canada’s COVID-19 situation stabilizes, the federal government is easing some testing and quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travellers. That includes removing the requirement for expensive and lengthy PCR tests before arriving in Canada.

Delhi registered 756 new Covid-19 cases at a positivity rate of 1.5%. At least 97% of beds for Covid patients are vacant in the national capital at present. The city added more recoveries (830) than new infections on Tuesday, as per the daily health bulletin. The total active case tally in the national capital went up to 3337 after Tuesday's addition.

British Columbians have been dealing with COVID-19 restrictions for the past two years and today we’re turning a corner. The provincial health officer announcing an end to some restrictions and offering a glimmer of hope to those eager to get back to a normal way of life.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced charges against five out-of-state residents accused of attempting to illegally get Pandemic Unemployment Assistance through funds from the CARES Act.Shapiro announced the charges against the five people on Tuesday in coordination with federal and local law enforcement agencies. A total of nine people conspired to illegally take PUA funds totaling $925,000. According to the Attorney General’s office, investigators learned seven of those people claimed to work for the same trucking company from January 2020 to March 2020. They then claimed their employment ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canada is entering uncharted territory, as Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act. Abigail Bimman explains what that means, and how it could impact police and protesters.

Canada will eliminate its pre-arrival COVID-19 PCR test requirements for fully vaccinated travellers at the end of the month, Federal Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos announced on Tuesday. As of Feb.

V is the latest member of BTS to test positive for coronavirus.

The Big Boost Week continues to see tens of thousands of people going out to get their booster dose each day. Yesterday, 46,156  booster doses were administered across the motu and brings the total so far to more than two million doses.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Walt Disney World will no longer require face coverings for fully vaccinated guests in both outdoor and indoor locations starting Feb. 17. The company website was updated on Tuesday. However, face coverings will still be required by all guests (ages 2 and up) on enclosed Disney transportation, including Disney buses, monorails, and Disney Skyliner. ORLANDO, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - 2019/07/17: Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statue inside of the Magic Kingdom theme park .

Virgin Galactic logo. Virgin Galactic, an aerospace and space travel company, announced it will open up ticket sales to the public beginning Feb.

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Tuesday following the departure of the last remaining troops from the Kabul airport, marking the United States’ complete withdrawal from Afghanistan and ending America’s longest war. Biden is under heavy criticism, particularly from Republicans, for his handling of the final evacuation, which successfully airlifted thousands of people from Kabul airport but left more than 100 Americans behind.In his remarks from the White House about the U.S.

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden will address the nation on Tuesday following the departure of remaining troops from the Kabul airport, marking the United States’ complete withdrawal from Afghanistan and ending America’s longest war. House ahead of Biden’s Aug. 31 deadline for shutting down a final airlift, Air Force transport planes carried a remaining contingent of troops from the airport. Thousands of troops had spent a harrowing two weeks protecting the evacuation of tens of thousands of Afghans, Americans and others seeking to escape the country following the Taliban’s takeover.

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden met Sunday with the families of the 13 U.S. troops killed in Thursday’s suicide attack near the Kabul Airport.Their remains returned to U.S.

Joe Biden says military commanders have informed him that an attack on soldiers still stationed in Afghanistan is “highly likely” within the next 24 to 36 hours.The news comes as America’s military begins its final pullout, following a deadly U.S.

Afghanistan‘s mass evacuations, the Taliban‘s rapid takeover and a suicide bombing that left more than 180 dead — including American soldiers — all eyes are on the U.S. now that the deadline for their final military withdrawal rapidly approaches.

WASHINGTON - The United States used a drone strike Saturday to retaliate against the Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan for conducting an attack Thursday that killed 169 Afghans and 13 American troops.The strike killed two ISIS-K targets. President Joe Biden said Saturday’s drone strike won’t be the last.

killed two members of the Islamic State group. President Joe Biden said in a statement Saturday that the 13 service members whose lives were lost "were heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice." "Their bravery and selflessness has enabled more than 117,000 people at risk to reach safety thus far. May God protect our troops and all those standing watch in these dangerous days." Although most other countries have finished their evacuation flights, the U.S.

Joe Biden’s promise to retaliate for the deadly suicide bombing at Kabul airport, the U.S. military said it used a drone strike to kill a member of the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate Saturday.The strike came amid what the White House called indications that IS planned to strike again as the U.S.-led evacuation from Kabul airport moved into its final days.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday that diplomacy was his first option, but he would consider other options if his effort to revive the Iran nuclear deal fails.Biden made the comments as the two sat down for their first face-to-face meeting since Bennett was sworn-in as prime minister in June."We're putting diplomacy first and seeing where that takes us," Biden said during an Oval Office meeting that was delayed by the suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan.

President Joe Biden told those responsible for an attack at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan that the U.S. “will hunt you down and make you pay” after explosions killed multiple people including members of the U.S. military.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked crowds of Afghans flocking to Kabul's airport Thursday, transforming a scene of desperation into one of horror in the waning days of an airlift for those fleeing the Taliban takeover. The attacks killed at least 60 Afghans and 13 U.S.

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the terror attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport, and the US service members and Afghan victims killed and wounded, in the East Room of the White House, Washington, DC on August 26, 2021. - The 12 US WASHINGTON - President Biden reiterated his administration’s effort to get U.S.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked crowds of Afghans flocking to Kabul's airport Thursday, transforming a scene of desperation into one of horror in the waning days of an airlift for those fleeing the Taliban takeover. The attacks killed at least 60 Afghans and 12 U.S.