Hong Kong leader rules out China-style lockdown as virus spreads

Jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi freed, but hurdles remain to join family in Quebec “These individuals, totalling 81, were convicted of various crimes including murdering innocent men, women and children,” the statement read.“Crimes committed by these individuals also include pledging allegiance to foreign terrorist organizations, such as ISIS (Islamic State), al-Qaeda and the Houthis,” it added.The ministry did not say how the executions were carried out.The men included 37 Saudi nationals who were found guilty in a single case for attempting to assassinate security officers and targeting police stations and convoys, the statement added.The mass execution is likely to bring back attention to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record at a time when world powers have been focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Rights groups have accused Saudi Arabia of enforcing restrictive laws on political and religious expression, and criticized it for using the death penalty, including for defendants arrested when they were minors.Read full story“There are prisoners of conscience on Saudi death row, and others arrested as children or charged with non-violent crimes,” Soraya Bauwens, deputy director of anti-death penalty charity Reprieve, said in a statement.Saudi women can now get a passport without male consent“We fear for every one of them following this brutal display of impunity,” she added.Saudi Arabia denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.The state SPA news agency said the accused were provided with the right to an attorney and were guaranteed their full rights under Saudi law during the judicial process.The kingdom executed 63 people in one day in 1980, a year after

daylight time.Yukon and most of Saskatchewan observe permanent daylight time and the premiers of Ontario, B.C. and Quebec have said they’re receptive to ditching the time change.

It was another deadly day in Ukraine on Saturday, as Russian forces inched closer to the capital of Kyiv and claimed new territory in the south. Ukraine’s president says some 1,300 Ukrainian troops have died.

Police tape surrounded Ertale Lounge on 118 Avenue Saturday as Edmonton police investigated a shooting that left six people injured and one man dead. As Chris Chacon explains, the homicide unit has taken over the case.

After 10 years in a Saudi prison, blogger and activist Raif Badawi has been released, says his wife Ensaf Haidar. But as Gloria Henriquez reports, hurdles remain for Badawi to be reunited with his wife and three children now living in Quebec.

Challenge to appeal B.C.’s 90-day roadside impaired driving suspension fails again “VPD officers conducted an impaired driving investigation, which resulted in the driver failing a roadside sobriety test and being issued an automatic 90-day driving suspension,” Vancouver police spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison said in an email.“The vehicle was impounded for 30 days.

Covid-19 cases, India on Sunday reported 3,116 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hour period, according to updated data shared by the Union Health Ministry. The active caseload in the country stands at 38,069 on Sunday, the data further revealed.

Costco members have to shell out even more money to gain access to coveted items like its in-house rotisserie chicken, Kirkland bacon and big cheese wheels. That five-year mark is coming up this June, according to Costco Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti, who hinted to investors that another fee increase could hit this summer. "On average, they [membership fee increases] were done about every five — a little over every five and a half years, about five years and seven months," Galanti told investors during the last earnings call. "So five years from the anniversary of the June of '17 would be this June." Galanti did not offer further specifics. In 2017, the company's annual membership fee increase impacted around 35 million members, half of whom were executive members, according to its March 2017 earnings report. At the time, fees increased by $5 for all personal and business memberships in North America.

OCALA, Fla. - Lines of severe storms with damaging winds and tornadoes moved through the Southeast during the early morning Saturday toppling trees and damaging homes.Damage reports stretched from North Carolina to Florida with strong winds being the main culprit for the damage.One of the hardest hit areas was Ocala, Florida where emergency management said at least one tornado moved through.Photos show snapped trees, roof damage to homes and at least on 18-wheeler that was knocked over by a severe storm.Multiple buildings and vehicles near the 3900 block of State Route 200 are damaged due to a tornado, the Ocala, Florida, Police Department said Saturday morning. No injuries reported at this time.

David Gilmour said he and Pink Floyd are protesting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by removing a large portion of their music catalog from streaming properties in Russia and Belarus."To stand with the world in strongly condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the works of Pink Floyd, from 1987 onwards, and all of David Gilmour's solo recordings are being removed from all digital music providers in Russia and Belarus from today," an announcement shared Friday to the band’s Twitter account states.The included works that are set to be leaving Russian and Belarusian streaming platforms are Pink Floyd studio albums "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" (1987), "The Division Bell" (1994) as well as 2014’s "The Endless River." Gilmour has released four solo studio albums in his career, the most recent being "Rattle That Lock" in 2015. His entire solo discography is also being removed from streamers.Last week, Gilmour tweeted in support of Ukraine, writing, "Russian soldiers, stop killing your brothers.

China reported 3,393 new Covid-19 cases, the National Health Commission said, more than double the previous day, as the country faces its gravest virus outbreak in two years.

Today we are reporting 14,494 new community cases, 896 people in hospital with the virus, and eight COVID-19 related deaths.

Boards cover broken windows at the Russia House restaurant and lounge in Washington, DC, on March 8, 2022.  "We’re getting some hate phone calls," owner Aaron McGovern told the Washington Post.McGovern said he thinks that "people just shouldn’t start vandalizing property" for hostile assumptions of what they believe to be the political views of the business owners.Beloved Los Angeles-based independent record store Stellar Remnant announced on Instagram that they were served an eviction notice from their landlords following a stream of threats and hateful messages. RELATED: List of Russian goods that are banned, boycotted in US"As the violence escalates in Ukraine so is hatred towards Russian-speaking immigrants around the globe, we believe we became targeted individuals and businesses. With our cry out for Love we still receive threats and hate and people are asking us to take down and do not sell any Russian artists regardless of their political views just by simply being or associated with Russia," The store wrote on its Instagram page. They believe they have been targeted for being a Russian-immigrant-owned business.Sveta, a New York City restaurant also told Business Insider that they’ve been forced to remove any mention of Russian food from their online presences including their website, social media, Yelp, and changing it to "European."The assault on small Russian-owned businesses comes as President Joe Biden announced Friday the U.S.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police say a 17-year-old is in critical condition with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.According to police, officers responded to the 300 block of E Ashmead Street in East Germantown on Saturday. The 17-year-old was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the right side of his head, police say. According to authorities, officers transported to teen to the hospital where he was placed in critical condition. Police also say a 7-year-old received a foot injury at the location while running. She was also transported to the hospital and placed in stable condition. No additional information was released. This is a developing story.

March 9 Reddit post that the snake didn’t bite him."It definitely went for me," Malcolm’s comment said.

NEW YORK - The NYPD says that two female employees were stabbed inside the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan on Saturday afternoon by a 60-year-old man who had recently had his membership revoked.The man had gone into the museum to see a film but was denied entry due to his membership having been revoked because of previous incidents, the NYPD said at a news conference.The man proceeded to jump over a counter and attacked the two employees, police said.The museum was evacuated after the incident.  Due to the investigation 53rd St.

BUCKS COUNTY, Pa - Girls wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in Pennsylvania and a Bucks County high school is finishing its first season competing. Kristin Swartley and Jamie Harner are volunteer wrestling coaches for the girls wrestling team at Exeter Township High School. "Did you ever see yourself being a wrestling coach?" FOX 29 photojournalist Bill Roher asked the coaches. "No, never," Swartley said. "I am a wrestling mom and now I'm a wrestling coach." Last August, Exeter became the 14th school in Pennsylvania to begin a girls' wrestling team and Swartley and Harner are the first coaches. "I think in the beginning, Jamie and I were like ‘It’s going to be just us'" Swartley said. The coaches posted messages on Facebook asking athletes from other sports to join.

Following the announcement of further sanctions against Russian oligarchs for the war in Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that sanctions imposed against Roman Abramovich won’t impact Canadian jobs at steel maker Evraz PLC.

More than 70 cars were involved in a crash on Rt. 581 in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, state police say.  (FOX 43)CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. - More than 70 cars were involved in a crash in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, during Saturday afternoon's winter storm, state police say. RELATED: Winter storm will blast East Coast as powerful ‘bomb cyclone’ after bringing snow to Midwest, SouthAccording to State Trooper Megan Ammerman, 73 cars were involved in the crash. Multiple people were injured, but none of the injuries are life-threatening, police say. The road is expected to be closed for several more hours. Drivers trapped on the highway were transported to the New Cumberland Borough Fire Department by buses, according to police. AdvertisementThis is a developing story.

Philadelphia police are investigating after a woman's body was left near a hospital in Kensington.  PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police are conducting a homicide investigation after the body of a woman was left outside near a hospital in Kensington before fleeing the area. Police say officers with the 24th District responded to a call for a hospital case on the 300 block of E. Tusculum Street at 3:35 a.m.

COVID-19 restrictions across the province on Saturday, with only mask mandates remaining in effect for the time being.Restaurants, bars, casinos and other large entertainment venues can open without capacity limits, and dancing and karaoke is permitted once more.As well, the Bell Centre is allowed to have a full house tonight for the Montreal Canadiens hockey game — the first time the venue has been permitted to be full in three months.The vaccine passport, brought in last September, is also officially suspended.Private seniors residences no longer need to keep a registry of visitors.Quebec has said it would maintain masking rules for public spaces until mid-April at the latest, but it has said it would likely keep them for public transportation until May.

Fuel prices have continued to soar across the country over the past few weeks, impacting everyday lives of Canadians.

Crews with the Wilmington Fire Department responded to a fire at a two-story home in Wilmington, Delaware.  WILMINGTON, Del. - Units with the Wilmington Fire Department responded to a fatal fire Saturday morning. According to the department, the incident happened just after midnight on Saturday on E. 17th Street. Crews said the fire spread through the walls to the second floor.  When crews arrived, there was heavy fire and smoke on the first floor of a two-story single-family home, fire officials say. One person was found inside as crews began searching inside, according to the fire department.

daylight saving time is observed in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 13. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends testing your smoke alarms once a month using the test button and changing the batteries twice a year, which can conveniently be done when we change our clocks for daylight saving time in the spring and fall. In today’s day and age, not all smoke alarms are designed the same, so ensuring your smoke alarm works properly may take more than replacing a battery. The following is information from the NFPA to ensure all smoke alarms have working batteries: Kidde smoke and carbon monoxide detector on light wooden surface, Lafayette, California, February 23, 2022. Photo courtesy Tech Trends.

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PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police say a death investigation is underway after a man was found unresponsive in Mantua on Saturday morning. According to police, officers with the 16th district responded to the 800 block of Union Street around 9:51 a.m. Authorities say a 62-year-old man was found unresponsive in a car. Medics pronounced him dead at 9:58, according to police. No further details were released at this time. ___MORE LOCAL HEADLINES ___DOWNLOAD: FOX 29 NEWS APP | FOX 29 WEATHER AUTHORITY APPSUBSCRIBE: Good Day Digest Newsletter | FOX 29 Philly on YouTubeAdvertisementFOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police are conducting a homicide investigation after the body of a woman was left outside near a hospital in Kensington before fleeing the area. Police say officers with the 24th District responded to a call for a hospital case on the 300 block of E. Tusculum Street at 3:35 a.m.

Personal finance expert Rubina Ahmed-Haq gives insight on the staggering gas prices and shares a few tips to save money at the pumps.

Scientists in France are studying a new 'hybrid' Covid variant containing elements of both the Omicron and Delta strains.

HAILEY Bieber was hospitalized due to a brain condition which could be linked to Covid-19, reports say. She is believed to have been admitted to a Palm Springs area hospital a few days ago after suffering a "medical emergency." Doctors are still trying to determine what caused the problem but she has now been released from hospital, TMZ reports.

(Staff photo by Brianna Soukup/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images) PHOENIX - As gas prices continue to rise across the country amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there are more people who are showing interest in electric cars as an answer to higher gas prices.According to the website MarketWatch, searches for new and used EVs jumped 112% from Feb. 24 to March 8 on cars.com, at around the same time as the Russian invasion began. Here's what you should know about electric cars, as well as some of the terms that are unique to this category of cars.According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, which is part of the U.S.

will intensify into a powerful "bomb cyclone" as it blasts the East Coast with heavy snow and high winds on Saturday.As a strong upper-level jet stream plunges out of the West, it will spawn the development of a surface low-pressure system along a cold front in the lower Mississippi Valley. That low will then rapidly strengthen as it tracks into the Northeast by Saturday and Atlantic Canada on Sunday.Meteorologists use the term bomb cyclone to describe a low-pressure system that undergoes "bombogenesis" – defined as a rapid pressure drop of at least 24 millibars in 24 hours or less – indicative of a very intense storm system.

A Ukranian serviceman walks towards the front line in the city of Irpin, northern Ukraine, on March 12, 2022. - Russian forces are positioned around Kiev on March 12, 2022 and are "blocking" Mariupol, where thousands of people are suffering a devasta The West has ramped up economic pressure on Russia, as the U.S.

The sun rises behind the Empire State Building in New York City on March 2, 2022, as seen from Hoboken, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images) Every year, renewed calls to permanently get rid of the more-than-100-year-old practice surface in the weeks leading up to the change. Here is a look at daylight saving time’s history:The "Spring Forward" clock shift occurs each year at 2 a.m.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - U.S. soldiers continued to deploy Friday to Europe, joining thousands already sent overseas to support NATO allies amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.About 130 soldiers from the 87th Division Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Division Sustainment Brigade, lined up with rucksacks inside a terminal at Hunter Airfield in Savannah before marching outside and boarding their chartered flight.

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Millions of wild pigs are eating and destroying their way through Canada and the United States, causing billions in crop and ecological damage every year. Another concern is their ability to spread disease.

There has been a reduction in the number of people with Covid-19 in hospital, after the figure hit the highest level in more than seven weeks yesterday.

What’s the secret to a happy relationship? More and more Canadian couples are choosing commitment, but not to share it under the same roof. It’s called Living Apart Together and statistics show it’s on the rise.

There is a growing phenomenon among Canadians in the way love is being lived. It has a lot to do with the need for couples of all ages to keep their independence but still remain in a loving committed relationship.

COVID-19 Saturday, with 232 patients in intensive care.The latest number of hospitalizations is an increase of five from Friday’s data.However, this is a drop of over 70 hospitalizations in comparison to last Saturday’s hospitalizations which stood at 795.Of the 722 people hospitalized, around 47 per cent of them were admitted because of the virus, while about 53 per cent were admitted for other reasons but then tested positive for COVID-19. School boards ‘expected’ to follow province in lifting mask mandate: Ontario government There are now 232 patients in intensive care units due to the virus (down by six from the previous day).Last Saturday, 253 people were reported in intensive care units.

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Wearing a mask has been part of a daily routine for nearly two years now.

Hong Kong's coronavirus battle has intensified as authorities reported new cases had multiplied by 60 times so far this month.