Indian Naval Ship ‘Sukanya’ reaches Sri Lanka; The 101m long Offshore Patrol Vessel will stay until 1st March

A Hong Kong runner has completed Sri Lanka’s 22-day Pekoe Trail in just 58 hours.Sri Lanka holds a special place in Hyun Chang Chung’s heart and with an emotional connection in mind the decided to run the newly minted 300-kilometre Pekoe Trail.When he heard an old acquaintance had designed a multi-day trail route to help promote tourism in Sri Lanka, Chung’s ears pricked up.The trail is split into 22 stages, each designed to take one day. But Hong Kong-based Chung, just 49 year-old, finished it in just 58 hours.The Pekoe Trail is a 300km hiking route that connects tea plantations across the country.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Six university students who were arrested during Wednesday (8) night's protest at the Kelaniya University will be produced to the Mahara Magistrate on Thursday (9).Sri Lanka Police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse a group of university students at the Kelaniya University premises. This protest commenced at around 9 PM on Wednesday (8).This protest was organized against the arrest of Student Leader Kelum Mudannayake, and Student Activist Dilshan Harshana, and the students demanded their immediate release.Though tear gas and water cannons were used multiple times to disperse the protesting students, they continued to engage in the protest until midnight.One lane along the Colombo – Kandy main road was completely blocked due to the protest, disrupting the movement of traffic.

The children of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will now be referred to as prince and princess after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made public that they are claiming the royal titles.

 Sri Lanka’s rupee, which became the world’s best performing currency this year amid hopes of an International Monetary Fund bailout, may resume declines and lose a fifth of its value against the dollar by end-2023, according to Fitch Solutions.“We are optimistic that Sri Lanka will be able to secure an IMF board approval by early 2Q-2023,” said Seah Wang Ting, country risk analyst at Fitch Solutions. Nevertheless, there’s potential for disruptions after the initial board approval as authorities may find it challenging to stay on track with the IMF program amid a weakening economy and a local election likely on the horizon, he said.Fitch maintained its forecast for the rupee to weaken to a record low of 390 per dollar by year-end.

PHILADELPHIA - A mother and daughter are injured after police say they were shot inside a Holmesburg pizza shop Wednesday night. Just before 9 p.m.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Criminal Investigations Department arrested a 34-year-old man for fraud.Sri Lanka Police said that the suspect had doctored invoices to defraud approximately Rs.

Idaho student murders suspect Bryan Kohberger with gloves on, stuffing his trash into Ziploc bags, according to a local prosecutor.Investigators also noted in recently unsealed search warrants that they took a pair of Ziploc bags from Kohberger's car the same night.One had a pink zipper. The other was green.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The major freight railroads announced a number of steps Wednesday that they are taking to improve safety in the wake of last month’s fiery Ohio derailment, but it’s not clear if their actions will be enough to satisfy regulators and members of Congress who are pushing for changes.Many of the proposals from the Association of American Railroads trade group focus on strengthening the network of trackside detectors that railroads use to spot problems before they can cause derailments.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California Gov. Gavin Newsom is delivering on his word to cut ties with Walgreens over the drugstore chain's stance on distributing abortion pills.On Wednesday, California officials announced the Golden State won't renew its $54 million contract with Walgreens because the company said it won't dispense the abortion medication, mifepristone in 20 states. "California will not stand by as corporations cave to extremists and cut off critical access to reproductive care and freedom," said Newsom.

EAST GERMANTOWN - Students at Imhotep Charter High School are changing lives through their stem program. Through the use of 3D printers, they are bringing clean water everywhere from Mississippi to Ghana."I am one of the first people in my family to be doing something this big," student JaNiece Watters said.Five months ago, STEM ambassadors from Imhotep Institute Charter High School traveled to Jackson, Mississippi to aid in the city’s water crisis.RELATED COVERAGE:Student Musa Wilson stated, "Knowing that we changed lives down in Jackson, Mississippi is really monumental for us, especially as young, Black kids."Now the students will be taking 3D printed water filters overseas to a town in Ghana, called Kheta, where the water can’t even be used to wash hands."We’re going to be helping over 3,000 students across 10 different schools in Ghana," Watters continued.From water filter design and 3D printing, to product testing and research, each of the students has a fundamental role in the life-changing project."We’re trying to produce 200 and it probably takes around seven to eight hours to make one, so we’re getting ahead early," student Cyril Woodland said.Shirley Posey is the director of STEM at Imhotep and says being proud is an understatement."We’re trying to cultivate our scholars to be critical thinkers, to be problem solvers.

NASA officials Tuesday provided post-flight updates on Artemis I mission’s technical performance, along with any impacts the mission may have on the timeline of Artemis II.Artemis I launched on Nov. 16, 2022 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center near Orlando, Florida and then returned on Dec.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Call it divine intervention. Call it being in the right place at the right time. Call it whatever you want, but Minnesota Vikings receiver KJ Osborn is being called a hero after helping save a man’s life Sunday night in Texas.Osborn, who just finished his fourth season with the Vikings, was on his way home in an Uber after a workout with his trainer.

A 65-year-old man from Maui has been cited for harassing wildlife after videos emerged of him swimming close to a humpback whale and pursuing a pod of dolphins on March 5 and 6, (Credit: Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources) A Hawaiian man known as "Dolphin Dave" is facing charges after he allegedly harassed wildlife in a state park.The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said 65-year-old David Jiménez of Maui was cited Monday morning at Kealakekua Bay on Hawai‘i Island.This comes after the department's Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement received numerous calls reporting alleged wildlife harassment. Kealakekua Whale & Dolphin Incidents, March 6, 2023.mov from Hawaii DLNR on Vimeo.Wildlife officials said Jiménez was allegedly actively pursuing an adolescent humpback whale and dolphins inside Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park.A video recording of a man snorkeling close enough to the adolescent humpback whale to almost touch the whale’s fin was given to authorities Sunday. ‘DISTURBING’ AMOUNT OF PLASTICS, DEBRIS FOUND INSIDE DEAD WHALE IN HAWAIIWhen officers arrived at shore Monday, they recorded Jiménez "actively pursuing a pod of spinner dolphins." They say Jiménez was leading a group chasing the dolphins. Both whales and dolphins are protected by state and federal laws.According to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources,Jiménez refers to himself as "Dolphin Dave," on Facebook, and told their officers he’s not going to stop swimming with whales and dolphins, "because it’s magical and others do much worse things."Jiménez was cited with the harassing wildlife in a state park and performing prohibited acts in regard to endangered whale species.

FILE-St. Louis Metropolitan police and Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms officers investigate a shooting in 2022.

DETROIT - U.S. auto safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla's Model Y SUV after getting two complaints that the steering wheels can come off while being driven.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the probe covers an estimated 120,000 vehicles from the 2023 model year.The agency says in both cases the Model Ys were delivered to customers with a missing bolt that holds the wheel to the steering column.

PHILADELPHIA - It is certainly a happy Hump Day for one lucky winner - and lucky shop - in Philadelphia!A $3 million Snow Bank Scratch-Off was sold at the Sunny Cigarette shop at 6447 Sackett Street.The winning ticket earned the top prize for the Pennsylvania Lottery game, which costs $30.Sunny Cigarette will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the $3 million ticket.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - A Pennsylvania state lawmaker submitted his resignation letter Wednesday, a week after a union lobbyist accused him by name of having sexually harassed her four years ago.Democratic Rep. Mike Zabel of Delaware County said in the letter to Democratic Speaker Joanna McClinton that his resignation will take effect March 16, leaving enough time for her to order that the vacancy be filled during the May primary."The toll is just too great on my family, and was too detrimental to my well-being.

Lori Lee Malloy was found dead in her Providence, Rhode Island, apartment 30 years ago on March 7, 1993. (Lauren Lee Malloy) Rhode Island authorities found 30-year-old Lori Lee Malloy dead, naked and bruised in her Providence apartment exactly 30 years ago Tuesday.Her daughter, 31-year-old Lauren Lee Malloy, is expecting more answers in her mother's case "any day now" as officials reexamine Lori's cause of death after the original medical examiner assigned to her case botched it and concluded that she died naturally."Any day now, we should have the results from her forensic exam," Lauren, who founded a local cold case organization called Unsolved R.I., told Fox News Digital.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Pennsylvania Legislature's spending, including on lawmaker and staff salaries, rose last year, and its surplus also grew to a record $261 million, according to a report made public Wednesday.The Legislative Audit Advisory Commission's annual statement of the General Assembly's financial affairs showed overall spending reached $392 million for the year that ended last June. That's a jump from $380 million in the previous year's report and is about equal to spending during the 2019-20 year.The budgetary reserve is defended by leaders as a way to insulate the legislative branch during a potential budgetary impasse with the governor.

PHILADELPHIA - Upon entering the Philadelphia Flower Show space at the Pennsylvania Convention Center last week, I was entranced by a forest of stunning orchids suspended from the ceiling above the color-changing entrance garden. The display, titled "FLORASTRUCK," greeted visitors back indoors after two pandemic years at the city’s FDR Park.The nine-day event, billed as the world’s oldest and largest indoor garden show, typically draws some 250,000 attendees from around the globe.This year, the show’s display gardens are arranged in a winding promenade that allows for leisurely, self-guided meandering.

Andie Rosafort, 31, a lunch lady in the New Fairfield school district, was charged with second-degree sexual assault, enticing a minor by computer and risk of injury to a minor. (Connecticut State Police) A married Connecticut school employee allegedly had sex with a student, sent him "several" nude photos and videos for months, and asked him to send her sexually explicit videos, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital.Andie Rosafort, 31, was arrested in February and charged with second-degree sexual assault, enticing a minor by computer and risk of injury to a minor after a month-long police investigation while she was working for New Fairfield Public Schools.Rosafort had worked in the cafeteria at New Fairfield Middle School.

Colombo (News 1st) – International Women's Day Special on Newsline: Sri Lanka – Women Fighting for Equity in Challenging Circumstances

The Bank of Canada decided to hold its key interest rate steady Wednesday but made clear it’s still prepared to raise rates further depending on how inflation and the economy progress.

(Daniel Botelho / Barcroft Media / Barcroft Media) JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A massive great white shark pinged off the coast of Florida this week ahead of what is expected to be a very busy spring break at the beaches. According to OCEARCH's Global Shark Tracker, great white shark Maple pinged on Monday morning southeast of St. George Island, Florida in the Gulf Of Mexico.

PHILADELPHIA - A local YouTube star has been sentenced to prison for his role in what prosecutors have called one of the largest illegal TV pirating rings they’ve ever seen.Bill Omar Carrasquillo - a 36-year-old known online as ‘Omi in a Hellcat’ - was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison after a years-long investigation concluded with a 62-count federal indictment accusing him of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, tax evasion, and fraud.In addition to his 66-month sentence, Carrasquillo was also ordered to forfeit $30 million in assets and pay $15 million in restitution to the cable companies involved and the IRS. The indictment claimed that from 2016 to 2019, Carrasquillo and two partners created an illegal multi-million dollar TV streaming empire.It claimed his company stole and retransmitted cable signals from companies like Comcast and Verizon FIOS. Subscribers would pay a $15 a month subscription for access to premium cable channels, on-demand movies, and pay-per-view events, according to the indictment.RELATED HEADLINES: Carrasquillo, a former drug dealer from North Philly turned millionaire, gained internet fame by showing off his collection of high-end cars and expensive jewelry to hundreds of thousands of followers. Following his arrest in Sept.

The full lineup of women being honored with one-of-a-kind Barbie dolls made in their likeness. (Photo credit: Mattel via Business Wire) EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - On International Women’s Day, Barbie is honoring several notable leaders in the STEM field with one-of-a-kind dolls made in their likeness – including the longtime CEO of YouTube and the co-founder and CEO of genetic testing company 23andMe.Careers in STEM, an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and math, have increased in recent decades and make up nearly half of the U.S.

bobcat in southern Arizona found a comfy and warm place to rest – but it was inside someone's home – and in their dog's bed.The Arizona Game and Fish Department posted two photos of the bobcat on Twitter, saying it's suspected to have come in through an unlocked doggie door at a home in San Manuel, just outside of Tucson.The big cat was seen lounging on a fluffy dog bed surrounded by toys. By time help arrived, the bobcat was gone.The department warns to not handle entrapped or injured wildlife.

PHILADELPHIA - An investigative report conducted by the Philadelphia Inquirer discovered the presence of dangerous chemicals in the turf at the old Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. The report was sparked by the deaths of six Philadelphia Phillies players who died from an aggressive form of brain cancer before 60, according to the Inquirer. Their deaths led to investigations of the artificial turf at Veterans Stadium, where they all played. An investigative report by the Philadelphia Inquirer found PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, in the turf from the old Veterans Stadium.  (Jessica Griffin / The Philadelphia Inquirer)Investigative reporter Barbara Laker from the Philadelphia Inquirer joined Good Day Philadelphia to discuss the investigation and its implications. The Inquirer team purchased samples of the old turf sold when the stadium closed and sent them to a lab in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for testing. Lab results revealed the presence of PFAS in the turf. RELATED HEADLINESLaker says an investigative team spent months talking to experts about the dangers of PFAS, also known as forever chemicals and linked to several forms of cancer. "They call these chemicals forever chemicals because they stay in the environment forever. They stay in your body for years.

MaeDell Taylor Hawkins, 98, got to hold her 7-week-old great-great-great-granddaughter Zhavia Whitaker on Feb. 18, 2023.

BURLINGTON COUNTY, N.J. - A blaze broke out inside a home in Burlington County Wednesday morning, sending at least one person to the hospital.Emergency crews responded to the fire on Whitlow Drive in Westhampton around 6 a.m.SkyFOX was live over the scene of the torched home, where at least one window appeared to be blown out.MORE HEADLINES:Officials say one person was hurt and transported to a local hospital after a search of the home.

Colombo (News 1st) – International Women's Day Special on Face The Nation: Women's Rights in Sri Lanka.

CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico - A road trip to Mexico for cosmetic surgery veered violently off course when four Americans were caught in a drug cartel shootout, leaving two dead and two held captive for days in a remote region of the Gulf coast before they were rescued from a wood shack, officials said Tuesday.Their minivan crashed and was fired on shortly after they crossed into the border city of Matamoros on Friday as drug cartel factions tore through the streets, the region’s governor said. A stray bullet also killed a Mexican woman about a block and a half away.RELATED: FBI says not to travel to parts of Mexico for spring break after 4 Americans are reportedly kidnappedThe four Americans were hauled off in a pickup truck, and Mexican authorities frantically searched as the cartel moved them around — even taking them to a medical clinic — "to create confusion and avoid efforts to rescue them," Tamaulipas Gov.

North Carolina were caught on video stealing a Maserati and several BMWs valued over $300,000 from the showroom floor of a car dealership last month.The theft occurred around 2 a.m. at Adams Auto Group in Charlotte on Feb.

9/26/06 photo Ryan McFadden 200602159 Pennsylvania State Capitol, a look at the building on it's 100th anniversary; floor of the house (Photo By Ryan McFadden/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images) HARRISBURG, Pa. - A special election to fill a state House vacancy in a Republican-leaning district was scheduled on Tuesday to take place during the May primary.Democratic Speaker Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia announced that the vote to succeed former Rep. Lynda Schlegel Culver will take place on May 16.Schlegel Culver, a Republican, resigned from the House after winning a special election in January to fill a state Senate vacancy.The House district includes parts of Montour and Northumberland counties in central Pennsylvania.Democrats currently hold a one-seat state House majority, although the open Schlegel Culver seat means the effective margin is temporarily 102-100.Rep.

BANGKOK, THAILAND - 2022/09/03: A close up view of a marijuana plant at a local Thai market. Thailand is the first nation in Asia to decriminalize marijuana for medical and personal use.

Canada’s chief of the defence staff said Tuesday he wanted Canadian fighter jets to shoot down the unidentified object that flew over Yukon last month, but they were prevented from reaching the area first due to weather slowing their takeoff.

WEST WHITELAND TWP, Pa. - Authorities in Pennsylvania are searching for a group of credit card thieves who they say used distraction techniques to swipe wallets from unsuspecting shoppers at local stores and restaurants. Jasmine Greene, 33, is the only suspect authorities have been able to identify thus far. Greene, according to court records, out on bail for similar charges in Montgomery County.The West Whiteland Police Department shared surveillance video from inside a Whole Foods Market that they say shows two people reach into a woman's purse as she's scrolling on her phone.One suspect is seen looking at a menu, while the other suspect squats down directly behind the victim and rummages through her person.

Nurses suffering from Long Covid have told how their lives and careers have been left in ruins after picking up the virus as they cared for others.

PHILADELPHIA - A woman accused of shooting another woman several times in the bathroom of a Philadelphia bar has been taken into custody, according to police. Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were called to the 4700 block of Rising Sun Avenue around 9 p.m. for reports of a shooting inside the bar. Witnesses told responding officers that they heard gunshots shortly after two women entered the bar's bathroom, and one woman exited the bathroom and left the bar. Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters that the shooting victim was driven to Temple University Hospital with three gunshot wounds and immediately taken to surgery. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESBar patrons provided police a description of the alleged shooter which helped officers find the 39-year-old suspect about two blocks away.

PAOLI, Pa. - A Pennsylvania teenager is turning his passion for fixing bicycles into a charitable effort to donate bikes to less fortunate children. Dom Pecora, a 14-year-old 8th grader at Valley Forge Middle School, started fixing bikes when he was just 10. What started as a way to make money for a $2,500 mountain bike that his mom was not willing to buy soon blossomed into an obsessive hobby -- even after he saved up enough for his dream-bike."I still wanted to fix bikes, it was a passion," Dom told FOX 29's Dawn Timmeny.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A Polk State College student and a flight instructor were among four killed after two small planes collided mid-air in Winter Haven Tuesday afternoon. The crash prompted a large response from local first responders. The scene began unfolding on Lake Hartridge near Winter Haven Regional Airport.

BATON ROUGE, Ga. - Investigators in Baton Rouge want to talk to the person who may have been the last to see a 42-year-old Georgia man alive.The body of Nathan Millard, a Covington resident, was found Monday behind a shuttered funeral home wrapped in a rug and plastic, according to several Louisiana news sources.The Baton Rouge Police Department held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon to give an update in the case.Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy J. Paul, Jr.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - A subway rider is grateful to be alive and well after escaping harm when a ceiling panel fell inside a train station. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shared video of the March 1 incident at the Harvard Station in Cambridge.The video showed the panel narrowly missing the commuter as it plummeted to the ground. It's estimated the piece weighed approximately 25 pounds. RELATED: Southwest passengers say plane shook 'like crazy' causing some to vomitThe MBTA said its findings suggested that water had built up in the panel insulation, which was installed around 1980.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police are investigating a shooting that they say happened at the basketball courts inside a Mayfair park Monday night. Just after 6 p.m., police responded to Russo Playground, located on the 7300 block of Torresdale Avenue, for reports of a shooting. When officers arrived, they located a man who had been shot one time in the leg. The victim was transported to Jeanes Hospital where authorities say he was placed in stable condition. Authorities say no arrest was made, and no weapon was recovered. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Philadelphia Police Department. 

Miocene Astoria Sandstone at Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area, Oregon. Cape Lookout forms the peninsula in the background.

An American Airlines jet is seen in the air preparing to land September 3, 2004 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in Rosemont, Illinois. American Airlines announced December 10, 2004 that they will be raising domestic airfares $10 for round-t WASHINGTON - The Department of Transportation has announced a new online dashboard that will allow travelers to identify which airlines in the United States will seat children under 14 years old next to an accompanying adult at no additional cost. According to the department, a parent who purchases airline tickets for a family should receive a guarantee from the airline that it will seat the parent and child together "without fees or a last-minute scramble at the gate or having to ask other passengers to give up their seat to allow the parent and child to sit together." Currently American, Alaska and Frontier are the only airlines that offer fee-free family seating.United Airlines also announced in February that it changed its policy, which takes effect this month, to allow families to be seated together more easily and free of charge.

LOS ANGELES - During the pandemic, some 25.9% of parents lied about their kids’ COVID test results to prevent their kids from having to miss school and other activities, a new study has found.The survey, titled "Parental Nonadherence to Health Policy Recommendations for Prevention of COVID-19 Transmission Among Children," was published in the Jama Network Open. A team of researchers from universities in Iowa, Utah, Colorado, Connecticut and the U.K. conducted the study.Of the 580 U.S.

PHOENIX - As spring break travel gets underway, U.S. authorities are warning against traveling to parts of Mexico after news came down that four Americans went missing in the country – leaving two dead.The FBI office in San Antonio, Texas sounded the alarm, saying the Americans were fired upon, held at gunpoint, and appeared to be the victims of a kidnapping.Two of four Americans abducted in Mexico are dead.