Italian region offers couples nearly $3K to host their wedding

KYIV, Ukraine - Russia's pledge to scale back some military operations in Ukraine drew skepticism, a bitter reality check in a rare moment of optimism five weeks into what has devolved into a bloody war of attrition.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there was no reason to believe Russia's announcement that it would reduce military activity near Kyiv, the capital, as well as in the northern city of Chernihiv, given what's happening on the ground."We can call those signals that we hear at the negotiations positive," he said in his nightly video address to the Ukrainian people. "But those signals don’t silence the explosions of Russian shells."Still, Tuesday's talks sketched out what could end up being a framework for ending the war that has imposed an increasingly punishing toll, with thousands dead and more than 4 million Ukrainians fleeing the country.

Residents aged 75 and over and at-risk groups across Ayrshire are now being invited for their second Covid-19 booster vaccination.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said the loss of tourism and remittances from expatriate workers, alongside the cost of healthcare programs, and provisions of welfare for those whose lives were affected by the pandemic have combined with rising global inflation, and our historic debt servicing obligation created a challenging situation for Sri Lanka today.President Rajapaksa speaking at the fifth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit in Colombo noted “However, I am confident, together with the remarkable strength and resilience of the people, tried and tested over time, and the cooperation of regional and international partners, Sri Lanka will prevail over these difficulties and engineer rapid economic recovery.”He appreciated the support of several BIMSTEC states in the aforementioned endeavor.“Enhanced cooperation between member states will be necessary not only for economic recovery but also for greater economic prosperity, better public health, and improved regional resilience in the long-term,” said the President noting he is confident of achieving these aspirations.“The signing of the BIMCTEC charter will be a significant step towards increasing the organization’s role, not just within the region, but also as a driving force in global affairs,” he noted.He said that the Bay of Bengal Region is increasingly important for global connectivity and trade, adding that the international shipping lines that navigate through these waters help keep the engines of the global economy running.President Rajapaksa said it is essential for nations to work together to ensure that the threats to these waters and regional states are curtailed.“Such

Today we are reporting 15,918 community cases, 817 hospitalisations and 14 deaths.

Omicron mutation of the novel coronavirus is relatively new to the region.“We know the BA.2 is in Quebec now,” he said in an interview Tuesday, about the subvariant of Omicron, “so I think we provided a fertile ground for the variant.” Quebec public health experts say province has already entered a sixth wave of COVID-19 And while the transmission rate is high, Bonnier-Viger said it represents a fraction of the reality. “We only test 10 per cent of people with PCR tests right now.”He said he supports the decision to lift many restrictions, including the vaccine passport system, which ended in mid-March.

Chornobyl nuclear disaster drove their armored vehicles without radiation protection through a highly toxic zone called the “Red Forest,” kicking up clouds of radioactive dust, workers at the site said.The two sources said soldiers in the convoy did not use any anti-radiation gear. The second Chornobyl employee said that was “suicidal” for the soldiers because the radioactive dust they inhaled was likely to cause internal radiation in their bodies.Ukraine’s state nuclear inspectorate said on Feb.

Ukraine proposed accepting neutral status and floated Canada as a potential security guarantor at peace talks with Russia in Turkey on Tuesday.Talks have been ongoing throughout the conflict, which began on Feb. 24 when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into the country, but have yet to produce any breakthroughs.

COVID-19 and a 38-patient increase Tuesday.The number of people hospitalized with the disease came to a total of 1,153. This comes after 135 patients were admitted in the last day while 97 left.Of pandemic-related hospitalizations, 63 are Quebecers in intensive care units.

Today we are reporting 17,148 community cases, 842 hospitalisations and 34 deaths.

Ground personnel carry NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei after landing of the Soyuz MS-06 space capsule in a remote area outside the town of Dzhezkazgan (Zhezkazgan), Kazakhstan, on February 28, 2018.Two NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut returned t NASA Astronaut Mark Vande Hei is about to feel the weight of Earth's gravity for the first time in nearly a year when he lands in Kazakhstan on Wednesday along with two Russian cosmonauts.Since he arrived in space on April 9, 2021, the veteran NASA astronaut has missed a year of holidays, family gatherings and the second year of a global pandemic as Vande Hei has been working on the International Space Station about 200 miles above Earth.Vande Hei will hold the record for the longest American spaceflight at 355 days by the end of his mission. During his career, he has spent more than 520 days in space.In a recent interview from space, Vande Hei said he promised his wife, whom he has not seen in person since January, that this will be his last spaceflight.

The Mexican presidential jet, a Boeing Co. 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, sits in a hangar in Mexico City, Mexico, Dec.

Hollyoaks after the school bus to the camping trip crashed injuring many of the passengers on board.John Paul' McQueen's (James Suttons) alcohol withdraw symptoms caused the accident following his recent drinking problem.He tried covering this up by claiming that a bird flew towards the windscreen of the vehicle, distracting him from the road and causing him to lose control.The accident has left schoolgirl Freya with life-changing injuries as she waits to find out if she'll ever be able to walk again.Hollyoaks viewers have watched many of their favourites die in tragic circumstances over the years, with many wishing the characters had not been killed off at all.As fans wait to find out more from the fall out of the school bus crash, Daily Star takes a look at some of the Channel 4 soap's most tragic deaths.Sylver McQueen became one of the first deaths of Hollyoaks 2022, after he was caught up in an explosion at Marnie Nightingale's patisserie.Another of Mercedes McQueen's husbands tragically lost their life after he was left to die by stepson Bobby Costello, leaving Hollyoaks viewers in shock and disbelief.Speaking about his exit from the soap, Sylver actor David Tag said he was proud of the way the character was written out of the programme, telling Digital Spy: "When I was told how I was leaving, I thought that was much better. If you go out in a taxi, the option is there for you to go back, but I wanted to go out all guns blazing in an explosion with a big dramatic death as a hero."He also predicted the fan reaction that was to come, adding: "I think people are going to be pretty upset because there isn't much to hate about Sylver.

— ~175,000 nasopharyngeal samples analyzed for viral load— BA.2 nearly twice as much as BA.1 https://t.co/uqY9jkZxXX

Latest updates as of 10:18 p.m. on Sunday:

Ukraine’s Deputy Health Minister Oleksii Iaremenko said on Sunday that the humanitarian aid being sent to the country is beginning to wane, even as Russia’s invasion continues.

Regina Hall is using her time at the Oscars to play doctor.

Regina Hall is shooting her shot with Hollywood’s most eligible bachelors!

Today we are reporting 12,882 community cases, 861 hospitalisations and 11 deaths.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews restaurant sign and logo, Spokane Valley, Washington, headquartered in Greenwood Village Colorado. (Photo by: Don and Melinda Crawford/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) CLACKAMAS, Ore. - An Oregon man alleges that a Red Robin restaurant employee put semen in his salad in retaliation for alleging racism.A lawsuit, seeking $1 million in damages, was recently filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court against manager Jason Fosberg and Red Robin International, Inc. The customer’s name is not listed in the lawsuit but is identified as "C.T."According to court documents obtained by FOX Television Stations, C.T., a Black customer, arrived with family and friends at a Red Robin restaurant in Clackamas, Oregon, in March 2021. C.T.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - A Washington state man who acknowledged organizing a rim-to-rim hike at Grand Canyon National Park for 139 people when the size of such groups is limited pleaded guilty Friday to a misdemeanor charge connected to the October 2020 trip.Joseph Don Mount admitted violating the park’s rule limiting group size and was sentenced to two years of probation.

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 15: U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) walks through the Capitol Building on October 15, 2013 in Washington, DC.

Today we are reporting 10,239 community cases, 848 hospitalisations and 4 deaths.

COLOMBO (News 1st); News 1st, Sri Lanka’s Most Trusted News Brand was awarded the Best News Network at the Raigam Tele’s for 2020.News 1st also bagged many more awards at the colorful awards night held in Colombo on Saturday (26).News 1st’s Purawatha wins Best TV Documentary of the YearNews 1st’s Mawatha wins Best Television Discussion Program (Produced by Lahiru Madushanka)News 1st’s Jayamal Ratnayake wins Best English News Presenter for 2020News 1st’s Riyas Haris wins Best News Report Of The Year (2021)News 1st’s Randhika Sapuarachchi wins Best Sinhala Language News Presenter (2021)News 1st’s Tharusha Nadeera wins Best English News Presenter (2021)News 1st’s Sharlan Benedict wins Best Television Host for 2020News 1st’s NIDAHASA wins Best Discussion Program of the Year,2020.

Moscow signaled on Friday it was scaling back its ambitions in Ukraine to focus on territory claimed by Russian-backed separatists in the East as Ukrainian forces went on the offensive to recapture towns outside the capital Kyiv.

Today we are reporting 14,175 community cases, 841 hospitalisations and 20 deaths.

UKRAINE - Russian forces in Ukraine appear to have shifted their focus from a ground offensive aimed at Kyiv, the capital, to instead prioritizing what Moscow calls liberation of the contested Donbas region in the country's industrial east, officials said Friday, suggesting a new phase of the war.It appeared too early to know whether this meant President Vladimir Putin had scaled back his ambitions in Ukraine, but Russian military moves this week indicate a recognition of the surprisingly stout Ukrainian resistance.Putin's forces are under great strain in many parts of the country, and the United States and other countries are accelerating their transfer of arms and supplies to Ukraine. In recent days, U.S.

Ukrainian officials resumed efforts to evacuate more civilians trapped in Mariupol on Friday, as the United Nations’ human rights team reported growing evidence of mass graves in the besieged city.Thousands remained trapped in the southern port city with little food, water or power, and repeated attempts to arrange safe passage out of Mariupol, which is surrounded by Russian forces, have failed.“We have got increasing information on mass graves that are there,” the UN’s Matilda Bogner told journalists by video link from Ukraine, saying some of the evidence came from satellite images. At least one mass grave appeared to hold 200 bodies.The UN human rights office, which has about 50 staff remaining in Ukraine, has so far counted 1,081 civilian deaths in the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the Russia-Ukraine war during virtually addressing in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 17, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) KHARKIV, Ukraine - President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on Ukrainians to keep up their resistance to Russia’s invading forces, saying "every minute determines our fate, our future, whether we will live."During a nightly video address, Zelenskyy said late Thursday that, "With every day of our defense, we are getting closer to the peace that we need so much.

US President Joe Biden (L) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R) hold a joint press conference in Brussels, Belgium on March 25, 2022. (EU Commission/Pool/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) BRUSSELS - The United States and European Union on Friday announced a new partnership to reduce the continent's reliance on Russian energy, a step top officials characterized as the start of a years-long initiative to further isolate Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine.U.S.

Ukrainian authorities in the besieged ruins of Mariupol said Friday that about 300 people died when a Russian airstrike blew up a theatre where hundreds of civilians were sheltering — a catastrophic loss of civilian life that, if confirmed, is likely to further crank up pressure on western nations to step up military aid.In a vain attempt to protect those inside the grand, columned theatre from missile and airstrikes that Russia has rained down on cities, an enormous inscription reading “CHILDREN” in Russian was posted outside the building and was visible from the air.For days, the government in the battered port city was unable to give a casualty count for the March 16 attack. The post on its Telegram channel Friday cited eyewitnesses.

KHARKIV, Ukraine - About 300 people died in a Russian airstrike last week on a theater being used as a bomb shelter in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, the city's government said Friday, citing eyewitnesses.When the theater was struck March 16, an enormous inscription reading "CHILDREN" was posted outside in Russian, intended to be visible from the skies above.It was not immediately clear whether emergency workers had finished excavating the site or how the eyewitnesses arrived at the horrific death toll. Soon after the airstrike, Ludmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian Parliament’s human rights commissioner, said more than 1,300 people had been sheltering in the building.RELATED: Russia-Ukraine war: Civilian casualties grow amid shellingMariupol has been the scene of some of the worst devastation of the war, which has seen Russia relentlessly besiege and pummel Ukraine's cities.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence said on Thursday a ‘strike on Russian ships was successful’ after CCTV footage showed fire, smoke and explosions at the Ukrainian port of Berdyansk.

Today we are reporting 15,871 community cases, 899 hospitalisations and 13 deaths.

East Ayrshire Council’s chief executive has marked the second anniversary of the Covid lockdown by remembering residents who died having caught the virus.

Astronaut Mark Vande Hei (CREDIT: NASA) U.S. astronaut and Fairfax County native Mark Vande Hei has made it through nearly a year in space, but faces what could be his trickiest assignment yet: riding a Russian capsule back to Earth in the midst of deepening tensions between the countries.Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and WeatherNASA insists Vande Hei’s homecoming plans at the end of the month remain unchanged, even as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in canceled launches, broken contracts and an escalating war of words by the Russian Space Agency’s hardline leader.

Renfrewshire has seen a surge in covid cases taking the area into Scotland's top five virus hotspots.

Ukrainian servicemen carry a fragment of a rocket outside a building in Kyiv after it was destroyed by Russian shelling. (SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images) KYIV, Ukraine - Ukraine’s cities stood under relentless Russian fire as NATO leaders huddled in Brussels Thursday and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged them to provide "effective and unrestricted" support to his country.Four weeks into the deadly Russian onslaught, its forces appear to have stalled in many places in the face of fiercer-than-expected Ukrainian resistance.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Western allies opened the first of three summits Thursday focused on increasing pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin over his war in Ukraine while tending to the economic and security fallout spreading across Europe and the world.Biden and the leaders of other NATO countries met at the alliance's headquarters where they posed for a group photo memorializing the urgent gathering before retreating behind closed doors for their summit, which was expected to last several hours.Over the course of Thursday, the European diplomatic capital is hosting an emergency NATO summit as well as a gathering of the Group of Seven industrialized nations and a summit of the 27 members of the European Union.

Despite surviving the Holocaust, 96-year-old Boris Romanchenko was killed in Russia’s assault on Kharkiv, Ukraine. Mike Armstrong looks at Romanchenko’s remarkable life, and the tributes pouring in.

Weddings, just like life, are like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get.

Today we are reporting 18,423 community cases, 913 hospitalisations and 11 deaths.

Led mainly by surges in Asian hot spots, COVID-19 cases last week increased for the second straight week, though deaths continued to fall, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its weekly pandemic update.

Grubhub is offering special meal deals at some of your favorite restaurants during the NCAA Tournament. (Photo courtesy of Grubhub) WASHINGTON - As the NCAA Tournament heats up for the upcoming Sweet 16 matchups, fans are likely thinking about what to eat during the games.

The United Nations Secretary-General is urging an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine saying its people are “enduring a living hell.” This comes as Russian forces continue their siege of Mariupol, as the Ukrainian military refuses to back down. Kim Smith has the latest.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is warning his country could become Russia’s gateway to Europe. Redmond Shannon reports on Zelenskyy’s new pleas to Italian lawmakers; how Russian forces bombed a psychiatric hospital in Mykolaiv, Ukraine; and how the U.S.

MADRID - Authorities in Gibraltar seized a superyacht belonging to a notorious Russian billionaire on March 21, local media reported. In recent footage obtained by Storyful, the ship, the Axioma was seen arriving at a dock in the British overseas territory. ThE footage shows the Axioma coming in to dock in the British overseas territory. The vessel was reportedly seized for its ties to Dmitry Pumpyansky, owner of Russian steel company TMK.The 240-foot boat has an estimated value of $75 million.

Today we are reporting 20,087 community cases, 960 hospitalisations and 11 deaths.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Tuesday a deal with the federal NDP to govern until 2025 in a decision he says will offer “stability” to Canadians in uncertain times.