Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev dead at 91, Russian media reports

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - Southwestern Florida was slammed by a historic Hurricane Ian Wednesday afternoon, making landfall with 150 mph winds and a record-setting storm surge.Ian came ashore as a Category 4 hurricane near Cayo Costa in Lee County just after 3 p.m. EDT, according to the National Hurricane Center, knocking out power to over 2 million customers across Florida as of early Thursday morning and triggering dozens of water rescues in the southwestern part of the state.President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Florida and ordered his team to mobilize additional federal resources to help with recovering, including assistance for temporary housing and home repairs, the White House said.FOX WEATHER WIRE FOR SEPT. 28: HURRICANE IAN MAKES LANDFALLSo far there are no reports of injuries or deaths for the storm that tied for the fourth-strongest hurricane on record to strike Florida.Video from Joel Franco shows storm chasers and weather reporters on the street in Punta Gorda as "the full fury" of Hurricane Ian arrives.Videos and images from south Naples and Marco Island in Collier County painted a dangerous picture of how serious the storm surge would become as Ian’s eye wall came ashore, forcing 2.5 million to flee.HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER ON TVHurricane Ian's winds whipping through Naples knocked down trees and storm surge reached an all-time record hours before landfall.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka said that two fuel dispensers at a Colombo 7 filling station were sealed.These fuel dispensers were used to dispense 92 Octane Fuel, and the PUCSL uncovered a short delivery of 1.2% per litre of 92 Octane Petrol which is Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Colombo District Secretary Pradeep Yasaratne told News 1st on Thursday (29) that the people who were displaced following the blaze that ripped through over 80 houses in Kajimawatte are being provided with relief.At the same time, LOLC Holdings also provided these families with essential relief packages via its Divi Saviya social welfare program.Eighty houses were completely destroyed following a fire that broke out in a series of houses in Kajimawatte, Grandpass on Tuesday (27) night.Sri Lanka Police said the fire was contained by over fifty firefighters who battled the blaze for several hours.Sri Lanka Police added that 300 plus people were displaced by the fire, and they were moved to a community hall and a temple temporarily until the area is cleared.The area that was burnt to the ground is a place where people were housed temporarily until they can be moved to a housing complex owned by the Urban Development Authority.President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was on an official visit to Japan, had instructed the President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake to take steps to provide immediate relief to all the residents affected by the fire that broke out at the Kajimawatta, Colombo.The President had instructed Secretary Saman Ekanayake to intervene immediately and direct the Colombo GA, Tri Forces Commanders, the Fire Brigade, the Health Department, the Urban Development Authority and all other relevant government agencies to look into the needs of the people who were residing in the apartment complex and provide them the required facilities immediately.

ALSO READ: Covid update: India sees rise in infections; active cases further decline "These findings are important because they show that, while COVID-19 vaccines are successful at reducing the risk of hospitalisation, people who are vaccinated and exposed to polluted air are still at increased risk for worse outcomes than vaccinated people not exposed to air pollution," senior research scientist at KPSC Anny Xiang said. Published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the study estimated air pollution exposure levels for each participant based on their residential addresses.

STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 24: A view of the Penn State Nittany Lions logo on the sidelines before the game against the Central Michigan Chippewas at Beaver Stadium on September 24, 2022 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Gett STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Beer will be available for sale to the general public at Penn State's Beaver Stadium beginning Saturday when the Nittany Lions host Northwestern, the school announced Wednesday.Penn State will be the ninth Big Ten school to sell beer to the general public at football games.

CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 26: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers poses at 76ers Training Complex on September 26, 2022 in Camden, New Jersey. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this phot CHARLESTON, S.C. - Doc Rivers was not expecting guests one day this summer when members of his staff turned up uninvited at his house with a direct demand of the Philadelphia 76ers coach: Tyrese Maxey needed an intervention.It was true.Maxey needed help getting out of the gym.

A West Lothian author who shared his experiences around mental health, drug addiction, trauma and social deprivation has been hailed as “brave” by those who listened to him.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Twenty Three Police OICs have been transferred with immediate effect, said Sri Lanka Police.Police Spokesperson Attorney SSP Nihal Thalduwa says the OICs in question were assigned for other duties at different Police stations. The transfers were made as per a directive issued by the Inspector General of Police. 

(Nikkei) Sri Lanka's government appears increasingly upbeat about its chances of receiving International Monetary Fund board approval for a $2.9 billion bailout by December, but the multilateral lender has cautioned that the time frame remains uncertain, and much depends on discussions with the heavily indebted country's creditors.Peter Breuer, senior mission chief for Sri Lanka, and Masahiro Nozaki, mission chief for Sri Lanka, in written comments to Nikkei Asia, said, "It is difficult to predict the timeline, as the process of debt relief discussions takes time. All parties who are involved in the process should move expeditiously, so that Sri Lanka can emerge from the crisis as quickly as possible."On Sept.

COLOMBO (News 1st) –  Sri Lanka secured a resounding win against the Maldives in Game 5 of the 2022 South Asian Basketball Association Women's Championship 2022.Match 5 of the South Asian Basketball Association Women's Championship 2022 between Sri Lanka and the Maldives took place on Wednesday (28) evening in Male, Maldives in front of a packed crowd including the Maldives President, and Vice President.Sri Lanka took the lead at end of the first half with a score 46 – 22 .Sri Lanka continued to dominate the game and won 72 – 59.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Former Indian Minister of Commerce, Law & Justice Subramanian Swamy met with Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo on Wednesday (28).He was accompanied by several Indian lawyers and businessmen.Subramanian Swamy is in Sri Lanka for the 15th International Research Conference on “Economic Revival National Security & Sustainability through Advancement of Technology & Innovation" organized by the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University in Colombo.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – EU released €1.5 million in humanitarian aid to respond to the ongoing socio-economic crisis affecting millions of people in Sri Lanka.The new EU funding will mainly focus on multipurpose cash interventions to respond to the basic needs of the population, among which are food, health, education, and protection.Humanitarian assistance will target the most vulnerable households that require immediate support.Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said, “The people of Sri Lanka are suffering the hardship of a protracted socio-economic crisis that is increasingly exhausting resources and threatening the food security of millions of people.

The country’s active caseload has declined to 40,750, and the total number of covid cases has been recorded at 4.45 crores so far New Delhi: India has reported nearly 4,272 covid cases in the last 24 hours, the union health ministry data said on Thursday. The country’s active caseload has declined to 40,750, and the total number of covid cases has been recorded at 4.45 crores so far. As many as 528611 deaths have been reported in the last two years due to covid.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – SLPP State Minister Sanath Nishantha who is alleged to have made a statement that was in contempt of court, was issued a summons by the Court of Appeal to be present in Court on 13th October 2022.Justices of the Court of Appeal Nissanka Karunaratne, and R.

Coolio, the rapper who was among hip-hop’s biggest names of the 1990s with hits including “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage,” died Wednesday at age 59, his manager said.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A Sri Lanka Police officer was injured after he was struck with a bottle by a suspect at the Bastian Mawatha Bus Station in Pettah, Colombo.The Police said that a Police officer of Keselwatta Police Station's traffic Division was injured in the attack, and admitted to the Colombo National Hospital.The police have also arrested a 40-year-old woman who was seen with the suspect.

The purpose of this article is to fully examine the roots and emotional motivations of Putin's cataclysmic decision to invade Ukraine. Whilst there is little to no justification for the declaration of a military conflict or the invasion of foreign territory, there is nostalgia and extreme patriotism driving Putin's decision to annex Ukraine and the Crimea.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka customs arrested a 43-year-old Ugandan man on Wednesday (28) morning at the Katunayake Airport's arrival terminal for the possession of cocaine.Investigations revealed that the suspect, a farmer in Uganda, had flown to Guinea in West Africa, and then to Casablanca in Morocco.Thereafter he had flown to Qatar and reached Sri Lanka aboard Qatar Airways flight QR-664.Customs officials had become suspicious following the suspect's arrival and has taken him away for an inspection, and an airport scanner revealed the presence of small packets in his abdomen and interrogation revealed that he was smuggling cocaine.The suspect was arrested and during questioning, he revealed that he had swallowed 80 packets of cocaine valued at over Rs. 50 Million.17 cocaine packets valued at over Rs.

Project Cobra confiscated an estimated $55 million worth of methamphetamine and cocaine as part of a cross-border investigation.“We’ve heard the saying ‘cutting the head off the snake’ in order to cripple a criminal network, well, Project Cobra didn’t just cut off the head of the snake; these dedicated men and women took (out) the whole damn snake,” ALERT Supt. Marc Cochlin said at a news conference on Wednesday.The investigation included numerous police and specialized agencies including the Calgary Police Service, Edmonton Police Service, U.S.

B.C. couple puts deposit on electric truck only to learn it would be $10,700 more when it arrives Consumer Matters reached out to TD Bank on Daem’s behalf.TD has since issued Daem an apology along with a cheque for $12,305.44.TD stating:“Like cheques, bank drafts can also be forged.

Also Read: Coronavirus variant Khosta-2 could infect humans, warns scientists. Read here The death toll has reached 5,28,611 with 27 more deaths, including 16 fatalities reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara says to secure the short-term requirement of Coal Supply, a Spot Tender has been advertised following the International Competitive Bidding method.He said the process has been opened for registered suppliers & any other supplier capable of supplying the requirement with a minimum 180-day credit facility. Further, he added that a long Term Tender for Coal Procurement will be advertised by next week.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has met with Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) -HOPE worldwide, a leading international humanitarian organization in the United States, has facilitated a generous in-kind donation of urgent medicinal supplies worth $2,740,498.32, an estimate of Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, the Governor of the Central Bank research collaborations between academia and policymakers to address various issues faced by the economies amidst the prevailing high volatility in the global economic landscape is of paramount importance.The Governor highlighted that although the applicability and validity of findings of certain models and theories presented in theoretical academic research could be somewhat limited amidst crises like the one Sri Lanka is facing at present, ongoing effort to study the dynamics of emerging market economies is an essential element in the recovery process. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka co-hosted the CBSL-ADBI-APAEA Online Macroeconomics Conference for the third consecutive year, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and the Asia-Pacific Applied Economics Association (APAEA), on 23 September 2022. This year’s theme remained the same as the previous year; 'Emerging Issues for Macroeconomic Stability'.Inaugurating the Conference, Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara says that tariff rates, generation cost & energy management were discussed at a meeting held with religious leaders, officials of the Religious Affairs Ministry & Power & Energy Ministry yesterday (28). "Technical assistance will be extended by Ministry of Power and Energy to expedite Roof Top Solar Initiatives", MinisterWijesekara tweeted.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Navy handed over a distressed Indian fishing trawler, found in Sri Lanka’s waters due to a mechanical failure, to the Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Annie Besant at the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) on Thursday (28th September 2022). The distressed fishing trawler with a ceased engine was spotted by the Sri Lanka Navy about 26 nautical miles (48 Km) off Point Pedro in northern waters.Reportedly, the fishing trawler ‘Bairavakali’ was on a fishing voyage from Nagapattinam, India on 25th September. As the Indian trawler was reported to have swept towards Sri Lanka’s waters due to a mechanical failure on 27th September, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Chennai has disseminated a distress signal to MRCC Colombo in the Navy Headquarters, requesting assistance to locate the trawler.In response to the request for assistance, the Navy made arrangements to rush P 484 Fast Attack Craft of the 4th Fast Attack Flotilla (4 FAF) in the Northern Naval Command to the sea area where the trawler was.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A meeting between Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and officials of the National Elections Commission (NEC) will be held today (29) at at the Prime Minister's Office. Chairman of the Election Commission Attorney-at-Law Nimal Punchihewa says the discussions with the Prime Minister will concentrate on the upcoming election and its proceedings. Further, he added that discussions will be carried out according to a request made by PM Dinesh Gunewadana.The National Elections Commission expects to hold the Provincial Council Elections before the 20th of March 2023.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The inaugural meeting of the National Council is scheduled to be held on the 29th Thursday under the patronage of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, at 10.30 am in Parliament.The Speaker announced to the Parliament on 23rd September the list of members of Parliament who have been nominated for the National Council which was established as per the proposal of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, consisting of members representing Parliament from the respective political parties.Members of Parliament nominated to the 'National Council' established are as below;Douglas Devananda Hon. Naseer Ahamed Tiran Alles Sisira Jayakody Sivanesathurai Santhirakanthan Johnston Fernando Rauff Hakeem Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi Wajira Abeywardana A.

PHILADELPHIA - Law enforcement sources tell FOX 29 that an SUV believed to have been used in a deadly ambush shooting near Roxborough High School has been found. Police have not reported any arrests in the shooting that erupted after a joint high school football scrimmage Tuesday afternoon, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four others.SkyFOX flew over a police impound lot in Southwest Philadelphia where a light-colored SUV matching the description of the one connected to the shooting was spotted.The discovery comes hours after the Philadelphia Police Department shared video that shows five shooters emerge from a "light-colored SUV," firing more than 60 shots at a group of teens as they walked down Pechin Street following a football scrimmage.Authorities have released surveillance footage that shows five suspects running down as they fired more than 60 shots at the group of teens.According to police, one of the shooters stood over a victim and continued to fire his weapon, but the gun had run out of bullets. The victims in the shooting range in age from 14-17-years-old. Police on Wednesday identified Nicholas Elizalde, 14, as the only victim in the shooting who died from his gunshot wounds.

ROXBOROUGH - The Roxborough neighborhood is shaken, after the shooting of five teens at Roxborough High School, one of whom died."We just put a candle out, a blue candle, because blue and white is for the football team," Jerome Rockeymore said.Rockeymore doesn’t live in Roxborough, where the five teens were ambushed following a football scrimmage. He didn’t even know the 14-year-old boy who died, but he and his friends still wanted to come pay their respects.RELATED COVERAGE:"I was just giving my condolences in the neighborhood. I lost a lot of people.

Also Read: Heart dysfunction, COVID-19 booster vaccines in India have no links, say experts The public service honour went to Lauren Gardner, an engineer who studies the spread of diseases. Her lab team developed the COVID-19 tracker when the coronavirus began to spread internationally in January 2020. The dashboard evolved into a useful tool that today tracks cases, deaths, immunizations, and other things on a global scale.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill September 20, 2022 in Washington, DC. Greene discussed her legislation named the Protect Childrens Innocence Act, which would prohibit gender-affirming healthcare to t ROME, Ga. - Perry Greene, the husband of Rep.

New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge (99) hits his 61st home run of the season in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays play at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, Sept. 28, 2022. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images) NEW YORK - All rise! Slugger Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees has tied the American League season home run record.Judge hit his 61st home run of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday evening, tying him with fellow Yankee great Roger Maris, who set the record in 1961.

Jeremy Mackenzie, a far-right livestreamer and founder of the de-facto group “Diagolon,” has been arrested on a Canada-wide warrant, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia RCMP have confirmed to Global News.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Department of Meteorology says that showers will occur at times in Sabaragamuwa province and in Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts.Several spells of showers will occur in Western and North-Western provinces and Galle and Matara districts.Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in Uva province and Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the evening or night.The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.Condition of Rain:Showers will occur at times in the sea area off the coast extending from Puttalam to Matara via Colombo.Winds:Winds will be south-westerly and wind speed will be (30-40) kmph.Wind speed may increase up to (50-60) kmph at times the sea area off the coast extends from Puttalam to Kankasanturai via Mannar and from Galle to Pottuvil via Hambantota. Wind speed may increase up to (45-50) kmph at times in the other sea areas around the Island.State of Sea:The sea area off the coast extending from Matara to Pottuvil via Hambantota will be rough. The sea area off the coast extending from Kankasanturai to Matara via Mannar, Colombo, and Galle will be rough at times and the other sea areas around the Island may be fairly rough at times.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Six people were injured in a shooting on an Oakland school campus. Oakland police said the shooting happened on the King Estate campus, which is comprised a cluster of schools — Rudsdale Continuation School, Newcomer high schools, BayTech Charter School, and the headquarters of Sojourner Truth Independent Study.Authorities said two of the victims were found inside Rudsdale Continuation School.According to a spokesman for Highland Hospital, three of the shooting victims were brought to the trauma center. The other three victims were taken to other local hospitals.Authorities said two of the victims sustained life-threatening injuries, a third had non-life-threatening injuries.

CRESCENTVILLE - A 17-year-old girl was killed after she was struck by a vehicle while trying to run from a disturbance, in Philadelphia's Crescentville section.Officials said the victim was at the 4600 block of Roosevelt Boulevard, on the grounds of Excel Academy South, Wednesday afternoon, just before 2 p.m., when the accident took place.The girl was reportedly trying to run away from an assault when she was struck by the driver of a gray Chrysler.Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Small stated police received numerous 911 calls for a large fight and accident at the scene.Fire crews and medics responded to the calls and found the 17-year-old victim laying in the parking lot, unresponsive.Medics rushed her to Einstein Medical Center, but she succumbed to her injuries and died a short time later.The driver of the vehicle, an 18-year-old female, did remain at the scene and is talking with police.Inspector Small said police believe the 17-year-old and 18-year-old did attend the school.Detectives are investigating the accident.

President Joe Biden speaks during the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC, Sept. 28, 2022.

Covid-19 cases seem to be on the rise in Russia with its tally rising by 40,017 over the past day, according to the anti-coronavirus crisis centre.On Wednesday (September 28) it was reported that Russia is now tackling over 20million Covid cases as the numbers rack up, as over 36,000 cases were recorded the previous day.Despite the high cases, there are less people hospitalised with the virus, as an estimated 3,300 people were admitted to hospital with Covid-19 over the past day, down 9.6% from a day earlier.READ MORE:Conspiracy lover pundit Matt Le Tissier insists his views are actually 'very moderate'While the number of hospitalised patients has increased in 34 regions of the country, that figure has decreased in 49 other regions.The anti-coronavirus crisis centre reported that the nation's capital's Covid cases had risen by 4,041 over the past day, compared to the 2,089 cases a day earlier, reaching a total of over 3million cases in Moscow.While in St.

COVID-19 hospitalizations increased by 137 to 980 total. The last time Alberta hospitals were this full of COVID-19 patients was May 27.COVID ICU numbers saw a 50 per cent increase from the week prior, up 13 to 39 – matching mid-May numbers.A total of 4,905 Albertans have had their death attributed to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, a number that increased by 33 over the past week.

UPPER DARBY, Pa. - A middle school in Upper Darby that was briefly placed on lock-in is now in the clear, according to police. Authorities say the Beverly Hills Middle School on Garrett Road in Upper Darby was in a "lock-in" status due to an ongoing police investigation. According to officials, no one was allowed to exit or enter the school grounds. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESAfter less than one hour, the lock-in was lifted.

PHILADELPHIA - An armed carjacker accused of ambushing a mother and her teenage daughter in the driveway of their Northeast Philadelphia home has been captured, according to a source. Investigators say the pair were leaving their home on the 8900 block of Maxwell Place around 6 a.m. Monday morning when the suspect ran up to them armed with a gun. "It appears he was laying in wait," Captain John Ryan told FOX 29's Dawn Timmeny. The disturbing video of the carjacking to posted Instagram shows the mother pleading with the suspect as he threatens her and her daughter with a gun.The suspect took the woman's purse and drove off in the family's Hyundai Santa Fe, according to police.

NEW YORK - Have you ever experienced meeting someone who is unaware of either a popular song or food dish? Their ignorance is palpable. It’s a feeling that leaves those in the know both infuriated and jealous at the same time. The internet is experiencing that right now, after excerpts from a local New York City news article went viral in which the reporter, who writes about the opening of a new Panda Express location, makes it seem through their writing, that they’ve never actually heard of Panda Express before. The article was so baffling to one Twitter user, Alex Lasker who tweeted snippets of the piece on Twitter writing the caption "absolutely losing my mind at this article about the new east village Panda Express written by someone who has never heard of Panda Express in their life."The screenshots show an article from local Manhattan newspaper The Village Sun, in which the reporter describes their interest in a new restaurant they describe as "a self-described ‘fast-casual’ Chinese restaurant.""As for Panda Express, it describes its fare as ‘Chinese Flavors With American Tastes,’ if that makes sense.

Hurricane Ian plowed into Florida’s Gulf Coast with catastrophic force on Wednesday, unleashing howling winds, torrential rains and a treacherous surge of ocean surf that made it one of the most powerful U.S. storms in recent years.

PHILADELPHIA - Less than a day after a teen was killed and four others were hurt in an ambush shooting that erupted after a high school football scrimmage, Philadelphia's top brass met with reporters to discuss the ongoing efforts to stem gun violence. According to the latest data provided by the Philadelphia Police Department, there have been more than 400 homicides in the city this year. That staggering figure follows a historically bloody 2021 in which 562 people were murdered, many by gun violence. The data paints a grim picture of the city's efforts to halt the flow of deadly violence.

Mikhail Gorbachev, who ended the Cold War without bloodshed but failed to prevent the collapse of the Soviet Union, died on Tuesday at the age of 91, hospital officials in Moscow said.Gorbachev, the last Soviet president, forged arms reduction deals with the United States and partnerships with Western powers to remove the Iron Curtain that had divided Europe since World War Two and bring about the reunification of Germany.“Mikhail Gorbachev passed away tonight after a serious and protracted disease,” Russia’s Central Clinical Hospital said in a statement.Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed “his deepest condolences” on Gorbachev’s death, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Interfax news agency.“Tomorrow he will send a telegram of condolences to his family and friends,” he said.