Air Quality in Colombo at unhealthy levels – Central Environmental Authority

Former Love Island star Laura Anderson has slammed online trolls who have set out to attack her on social media, as she thanks the "normal" loyal fleet of fans for keeping her sane.

LOS ANGELES - A rare planetary alignment has arrived, and all you have to do to enjoy it is to know where and when to look.Five planets – plus the moon – will all be visible in almost an arc shape as seen from Earth. A planetary alignment is the term for when several planets appear form a line or cluster in the sky as seen from Earth. Even though the planets could appear close, they are actually millions of miles away from each other. Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, is about 484 million miles from the giant star and just over 400 million miles away from Mercury.Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will all be visible during this planetary alignment period, according to Starwalk.space.The best day to see these planets and the moon will be on March 28, but if you’ve got the right equipment, you’ll actually get to enjoy this celestial event after that, according to Rick Fienberg, senior contributing editor for Sky & Telescope and senior advisor to the American Astronomical Society. FILE - The Milky Way's Galactic Centre and Jupiter (brightest spot at center top) are seen from the countryside near the small town of Reboledo, department of Florida, Uruguay, early on August 24, 2020.

Al Sitarski, left, and Fred Fonda, right, shortly after enlisting in the Navy in 1942. (Susan Sitarski Sturm) Most people never have the opportunity to gain insight into what their parents were like during their younger days, but two sisters in New Jersey did after discovering letters written to their Navy veteran father from his best friend during World War II.Susan Sturm and Cindy Sommer were tasked with the responsibility of cleaning out their parents' home following the death of their 96-year-old mother in January 2021.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 18: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks at the Republican Jewish Coalition annual leadership meeting on November 19, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A man who is accused of "randomly" attacking a person at a laundromat in Tennessee and is a suspect in a series of other similar attacks was arrested, according to authorities. Khadree Renfro, 30, was taken into custody last week by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and booked on three counts of attempted criminal homicide, officials said. The police department previously shared footage from inside a laundromat in the Nashville area which showed a man "who randomly, and without provocation," attacked a 45-year-old patron on March 22. "He is a suspect in 3 other similar attacks on 3/16, 18 and 19. He may be driving a small silver SUV," Nashville police said in a post. The video showed the suspect, dressed in dark clothing, assaulting the victim with some type of pipe or cane while an apparent child onlooker stands nearby. The male victim suffered facial fractures and extensive swelling from the attack, according to WSMV-TV, citing the arrest report.A screengrab from video shared by police shows the suspect in all black during the attack, reported on March 22, 2023, at a laundromat in Nashville, Tennessee.

PHILADELPHIA - A tow truck driver was just trying to do their job when police say a vehicle owner opened fire from a West Philadelphia apartment.The shooting erupted near 49th and Chestnut streets around 4 a.m.

PHILADELPHIA - A 16-year-old student of Simon Gratz High School is dead after a shooting erupted near the school Monday morning, according to law enforcement sources.The shooting happened on North 16th Street and Hunting Park Avenue, which is across from the school's athletic field.FOX 29's Steve Keeley reports that the victim is a 16-year-old student of Simon Gratz High School.MORE HEADLINES:SkyFOX was live over the scene as police blocked off a corner near the busy road.Police have yet to release details about what led to the deadly shooting.This is a developing story.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The two police officers who fatally shot the suspect of the Covenant School shooting in Nashville on Monday have been identified.Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said Officer Rex Englebert and Officer Michael Collazo fired at the 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale "and fatally wounded her," bringing an end to a shooting that left six victims, including three children, dead.Officer Englebert is a four-year MNPD veteran and Officer Collazo is a nine-year MNPD veteran."Chief John Drake and the men and women of the MNPD join all of Nashville in mourning today’s deaths of six innocent persons, three nine-year-olds and three adults, at the hands of an active shooter at Covenant Church/School on Burton Hills Drive," a statement from the Nashville Police read.TENNESSEE SHOOTING: NASHVILLE POLICE RELEASE SECURITY CAMERA FOOTAGE OF COVENANT SCHOOL ATTACK THAT KILLED 6Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake identified the two officers who fatally shot suspected school shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale on March 27, 2023. (Metro Nashville Police Department) According to the police chief, Hale fired at the officers who were arriving at the scene from windows on the second floor before they swept the building and found her in a common room."The first call to 911 about shots being fired in the building came in at 10:13 a.m.

police officer and a suspect are dead following an attack in Louiseville, northeast of Montreal in the Mauricie region.According to provincial police, at around 8:30 p.m. Monday night, police were called to intervene in a dispute in an apartment building near Saint-Laurent Avenue, where the suspect was allegedly uttering threats.At the scene, the suspect allegedly attacked the female police officer, identified as Sgt.

AI for health, to a large extent, depends on data obtained from human participants and invokes additional concerns related to potential biases, data handling, interpretation, autonomy, risk minimization, professional competence, data sharing, and confidentiality. "It is therefore imperative to have an ethical framework that addresses issues specific to AI for biomedical research and healthcare," the guidelines stated.

Officials said at least nine people were still missing hours after the explosion that leveled a building in West Reading. PHILADELPHIA - Investigators looking for the cause of a deadly explosion that leveled part of a Pennsylvania chocolate factory faced an even more difficult task Monday as they combed through wreckage that was extensively picked apart and moved around during the intensive weekend search for victims and survivors.Seven people were killed and several others wounded in the powerful blast at the R.M Palmer Co. plant in West Reading, Pennsylvania, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Police in Tennessee have released surveillance video taken at the school where a deadly shooting took place on Mar. 27.The shooting, according to officials, killed three nine-year-olds and three adults, all of whom were in their 60s.

VINELAND, N.J. - Three-time American League MVP Mike Trout always wanted a golf course, and he picked 18-time major champion Tiger Woods to build it for him.Trout, the 10-time All-Star centerfielder for the Los Angeles Angels, and a business partner in New Jersey are building a golf club called "Trout National — The Reserve" not far from where Trout grew up in southern New Jersey.They have hired Woods' architecture firm, TGR Design, to create the 18-hole course, a practice range and short-game area."I love south Jersey and I love golf, so creating Trout National — The Reserve is a dream come true," Trout said. "And then to add to that we’ll have a golf course designed by Tiger? It’s just incredible to think that this project has grown to where we’re going to be working with someone many consider the greatest and most influential golfer of all time."Construction is set to begin this year with plans for the private club about 45 minutes south of Philadelphia to open for member play in 2025."I’ve always enjoyed watching Mike on the diamond so when the opportunity arose to work with him on Trout National — The Reserve, I couldn’t pass it up," Woods said.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police are searching for the driver of a car that hit a pedestrian who later died in Southwest Philadelphia. Authorities say officers with the 12th District responded to the intersection of Island and Woodland Avenues just after 2 a.m. According to police, when officers and medics arrived on scene, they found a 27-year-old man lying on Island Avenue with severe trauma to his body. Chief Inspector Scott Small said that Medics pronounced him dead on the scene at 2:13 a.m.MORE LOCAL HEADLINESWitnesses told investigators the man was crossing Island Avenue when the driver of a Nissan struck him.

Scientists said people in India have developed hybrid immunity, therefore the present covid-19 variant will not lead to hospitlaistaion and severity New Delhi: India reported 1,573 new covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours with daily positivity rate at 1.30%, the union health ministry said on Tuesday. The country has recorded more than 44.8 million covid cases, and over 530,841 deaths so far. Covid cases have been increasing across the country with Karnataka reporting 812 active cases, and Kerala 2,662 cases.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 07: Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) behind home plate during the Major League Baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals on July 7, 2022 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, DUNEDIN, Fla. - Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T.

An Alberta woman said online retail giant Amazon Canada made her feel like a criminal after she sent back a defective product earlier this year.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Election Commission will meet on Thursday (16) for talks on the upcoming Local Government Election.Chairman of the Election Commission Attorney Nimal Punchihewa said the meeting is scheduled for 10:30 AM at the Election Secretariat. It is reported that the meeting will focus on the delay in releasing funds for the Local Government Election on the part of the Ministry of Finance, and the relevant measures that need to be taken on the matter.The Government Printer said that a second letter was sent to the Treasury seeking funds for the printing process related to the Local Government Election.In the meantime, the Collective of Election Monitoring Organizations has decided to inform international agencies including the International Monetary Fund over the delay in securing funds for the Local Government Election, and the obstacles put forth by the government in delaying the election.Executive Director of PAFFREL Rohana Hettiarachchi said that all international missions in the country would also be informed of the same in the coming days. 

PHILADELPHIA - A devastating fire claimed the lives of 12 people, including nine children, in Philadelphia last year; and now the victims' families are taking legal action.The families of five people killed in the Fairmount rowhome fire are suing building owner the Philadelphia Housing Authority, the city’s public housing agency and the state’s biggest landlord."This terrible tragedy resulting in precious loss of life could and should have been avoided… we are now prepared to move forward, seeking not only compensation, but accountability," Tom Kline, of Kline & Specter, announced in a statement Tuesday.The lawsuit claims the Housing Authority knew the 4-bedroom apartment was overcrowded with 14 people, and that the building had no fire escape or hardwired smoke detectors.RELATED COVERAGE: Philadelphia fire: Lighter, Christmas tree started fire that killed 12 in FairmountNine children were among the 12 people who died in the January 2022 blaze, which officials later said was caused by a Christmas tree ignited by a lighter."We believe with certainty - so 99 to 100% confidence - that the first item ignited in this blaze was a Christmas tree," Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel said after an investigation last year. "We believe with near certainty, based on the evidence, the ignition source for this tree was a lighter that was located nearby."Fourteen people were authorized to live in the four-bedroom upper apartment that "suffered the tragedy," Kelvin Jeremiah, the housing authority's president and CEO, said last year.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Tensions boiled over during a protest at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority in Colombo during a strike launched by the dockworkers at the Colombo Harbour.Dock Workers withdrew from services on Wedensday(15), in line with the nation wide strike by professionals against the government's tax policy.A heated situation arose within the port between the employees who were on strike and the governing authority.Niroshan Gorakanage, Chairman of the All Ceylon General Port Employees Union said that the SLPA chairman and a group of other officials attempted to deploy port workers for shipping operations.Following the incident port employees engaged in a motorcycle parade which was obstructed by officers from the Sri Lanka Navy.  

PHILADELPHIA - Strong wind gusts will continue to whip across the region on Wednesday and influence temperatures that will start to turn milder as the week continues. Forecasters picked up wind gusts that reached over 50 MPH in Philadelphia and areas along the New Jersey shore on Tuesday, as a powerful nor'easter scraped past the Delaware Valley. FOX 29's Kathy Orr says those strong wind gusts will continue overnight Tuesday and make temperatures in the 30s and 20s feel like the teens by morning. Daytime temperature in Philadelphia and surrounding areas will stay below 50 degrees with wind gusts of 40 MPH to make conditions feel colder. Winds will die down on Thursday and temperatures will approach the 60s with a mix of sunshine and clouds. A pleasant St. Patrick's Day is in store for the Delaware Valley on Friday as temperatures will reach the low 60s with cloudy skies. An early look at the weekend shows a round of showers on Saturday, followed by sunshine and cooler temperatures in the 40s and 50s. ___ WEDNESDAY: Windy, cool.

Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is recalling more of its prescription dog food over potentially elevated levels of vitamin D. (Credit: FDA) Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is recalling more of its prescription dog food over potentially elevated levels of vitamin D, according to federal health officials.Two more lots of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EL Elemental prescription dry dog food has been voluntarily recalled after Purina discovered a supplier error, according to a recall notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). "The expansion comes following an investigation prompted by Purina that uncovered new information about a production error from a U.S.

An overdue book was returned to an Oregon library nearly 45 years after being checked out. (Credit: Deschutes Public Library) BEND, Ore. - It's better late than never for an overdue library book that was returned nearly 45 years after being checked out. The Deschutes Public Library in Bend, Oregon, said it received a package earlier this month.Inside was a 1974 copy of "The Hockey Trick" by Scott Corbett. RELATED: 'My heart completely melted': 2nd grader dresses like teacher for Superhero DayBut the book also came with an apology note, possibly from the borrower. "Many apologies," the note read.

Zellers has confirmed its comeback date at select locations starting in Ontario and Alberta.

City of Madison Fire Department noted. On March 12, the agency released footage of a home explosion obtained by the social news platform Storyful. According to local media reports, no one was home, and there were no injuries in the incident. In a Facebook post, the Madison Fire Department wrote "large amounts of snow can put heavy weight and pressure on the pipes which ultimately causes them to break and fail.  "In both home explosions, there was 10+ ft or more of snow on the gas meter."Officials concluded writing "another issue is snow clogging the vent on the regulator which can cause a build up of pressure which can cause gas to leak into a home," the fire department wrote.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Top delegations from the Sinopec Group (Ranking 5th in the Fortune Global 500 list of 2022) and the China Merchants Group (152nd) are currently visiting Sri Lanka.The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka tweeted that the delegates are in the country to enhance cooperation and further investment on petroleum & chemicals, trade, and port & industrial park operation.China Merchants Group: China Merchants Group (CMG) is a state-owned backbone enterprise headquartered in Hong Kong. CMG was founded in the Self-strengthening Movement in the late Qing Dynasty in 1872. As the first joint-stock company in modern China, it established the first merchant fleet, the first bank and the first insurance company in China, pioneering China's modern national shipping industry and driving the development of many other modern industries, and occupying an important position in the history of China's modern economic and social development. China Merchants Group is also the parent company of the Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG).Sinopec Corp:China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec Corp) is a listed company on domestic and international stock exchanges with integrated upstream, midstream and downstream operations, strong oil & petrochemical core businesses and a complete marketing network. Sinopec Corp.

PHILADELPHIA - A coastal storm moving across the Delaware Valley will lead to two days of wet weather in the area. FOX 29's Sue Serio says the storm is dumping rain on most of the area Monday morning as the mountains are getting hit with some snow. By the late morning, the rain will continue and linger into the afternoon. Overnight into Tuesday, wet weather will stop due to the storm's rotation over the area.

There is still a need to remain vigilant and focus on five-fold strategy of test-track-treat-vaccination and adherence to the covid appropriate behaviour By Livemint New Delhi: India recorded 444 fresh covid infections in the last 24 hours, pushing up active cases to 3,890, according to Union health ministry’s update on Monday. There has been an uptick in daily cases over the past few weeks. Total reported cases stand at 4.46 crore, with death toll at 5,30,782.

Colombo (News 1st) – Sri Lanka is likely to be rocked by severe strike actions in many crucial sectors nationwide which will bring the country to a standstill, as the public buckles under the financial strain of multiple price hikes and heavy taxation.The Professionals Trade Union Collective and several other trade unions representing government and semi-government sectors have planned to launch trade union actions from Monday, March 13. More than 40 trade unions including health, education, water, electricity, nurses, teachers, government and semi-government sectors have expressed their support.Trade unions said one of the main reasons for the trade union action is the failure to provide solutions to the burdens caused by the unfair tax policy, while salaries have not been increased and the economic crisis continues.Through the protests, the trade unions will also highlight several other matters including skyrocketing interest rates and issues related to salaries and increments.Dr.

Most Canadians will wind their clocks forward an hour tonight, but legislation in the United States that could put an end to the seasonal time change is also moving ahead.

COLOMBO (News1st):  The quality of the air in Colombo has dropped to unhealthy levels The Central Enviroment Authority says. The value of the air quality indicators has increased to 124 units says Deputy Director General of the Central Environmental Authority Sanjaya Ratnayake. However, as of 11 AM on Saturday (11) the AQI has increased to 155 units. These units represent the amount of dust particles present per cubic meter of the atmosphere explained Ratnayake. He also says they believe that a change in the wind pattern blowing into the country from India has given rise to this situation.

PHILADELPHIA - Winter-like conditions will make a return Friday due to a storm system bringing precipitation to the Delaware Valley. Most areas near Philadelphia will see rain, while areas in the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos will get 1 - 5 inches of snow. Forecasters say the precipitation will begin to move into the area around lunchtime and last until Saturday. There is a chance the Philadelphia area could see snow showers Saturday morning before the storm system moves out around noon. >> Download the FOX 29 Weather Authority App to get updates and alerts in your area. Carbon and Northampton Counties are under a Winter Weather Advisory, while Monroe County is under a Winter Storm Warning from Friday afternoon until Saturday around 10 a.m. Conditions will dry out in time for Daylight Savings on Sunday when conditions will be sunny and mild. Rain will return to the forecast on Monday ahead of cooler temps and another chance of snow. _______SEVEN-DAY FORECASTFRIDAY: P.m. rain, snow.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Attorneys for Alex Murdaugh on Thursday filed a notice to appeal his convictions for the murder of his wife and son along with his life sentence.The trial in rural South Carolina lasted six weeks and included more than 75 witnesses, but culminated in a jury taking less than three hours to find the 54-year-old Murdaugh guilty last week.Murdaugh called 911 on the evening of June 7, 2021, saying he found his son and wife dead when he returned home from a one-hour visit with his mother, who has dementia.Authorities said Paul Murdaugh, 22, was shot twice with a shotgun, each round loaded with different sized shot, while Maggie Murdaugh, 52, was struck with four or five bullets from a rifle. A crime scene report suggested that both victims were shot in the head after initially being wounded near dog kennels on the Murdaughs’ sprawling rural property.Alex Murdaugh is taken to the Colleton County Courthouse for sentencing on March 3, 2023, in Walterboro, South Carolina.

John Butler won a $100,000 lottery prize claiming it days before it was going to expire. (Massachusetts State Lottery) A Massachusetts man is $100,000 richer now thanks to the help of his significant other. John Butler bought lottery tickets before traveling to Florida last year.  He put them in a drawer but never checked them. RELATED: Massachusetts man wins $25K for life lottery prize — six timesLast week, Butler’s wife told him about a news story she watched about a lottery prize, and this prompted him to look around his home for the winning ticket, which he found, according to the Massachusetts State Lottery. RELATED: 18-year-old wins $48 million with her very first lottery ticketButler won the state’s $100,000 cash prize claiming his winnings 11 days before it was about to expire.

₹84,790 crore by 2027 from ₹37,630 crore in 2021, according to market research firm IMARC Group. In the letter, Inoshi Sharma, executive director, regulatory compliance at FSSAI said that these supplements are being marketed with false, misleading and exaggerated health labels claims.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Human Rights Commission has decided to summon Public Security Minister Tiran Alles for an inquiry on 13th March 2023, at 10 AM.The inquiry will be held to seek a clarification on the measures adopted by Sri Lanka Police to contain protests in Colombo and Kelaniya on the 7th and 8th of March 2023.The inquiry will take place at the Human Rights Commission premises in Colombo. In addition, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has decided to conduct an inquiry on the measures adopted by Sri Lanka Police and the Armed Forces to control protests that took place close to the University of Colombo on the 7th and 8th of March, and at the Kelaniya University on the 8th of March.HRCSL has informed the country's police chief to submit a list of Senior Police officers who were on the field to control the said protests before the 10th of March. 

FILE - Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) arrives for a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on March 7, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) WASHINGTON - Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was hospitalized after tripping at a local hotel, a spokesman for the senator said.The Kentucky senator, who's 81, was attending a private dinner in Washington on Wednesday when he tripped.