Massive Strikes planned for Wednesday (15); Govt. warns of strict action – Here’s a list of services that will likely be affected

Also Read: Curiosity intensifies as unidentified flying objects frequent North American sky The researchers found that while UFO reports did increase in 2020 compared to the previous year, there was no association between the number of reports and social factors such as the pandemic. However, they did identify the regular launch of Starlink satellites, which often get reported as UFOs, as a complicating factor.

COLOMBO (News 1st); University activities have been crippled due to the strike action launched by the Federation of University Teachers' Associations against the new tax policy of the government.The strike is on for the 12th consecutive day.Chairman of the Federation of University Teachers' Association Professor Shyama Banneheka told News 1st that the strike will go ahead until solutions are provided to their issues.In addition, the Trade Unions attached to the Ceylon Electricity Board and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board also launched a continuous strike against the government's new tag regime.The Professionals Trade Union Collective said that they hope to discuss their demands with the President this week.Dr.

Ikea logos (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) If you’ve shopped at IKEA in recent years, you may be eligible for payment in a class-action lawsuit.According to the settlement’s website, the Swedish furniture retailer has agreed to pay $24.25 million for reportedly printing receipts that included more than the last five digits of customers’ credit or debit card numbers – a violation of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act.Lawyers say the class action suit hasn’t been decided in court yet, but IKEA has agreed to the settlement while still denying liability or wrongdoing.To qualify, you had to use a debit or credit card at any U.S. IKEA store and receive a printed receipt that displayed the first six and last four digits of the card number.

pic.twitter.com/HvaLtE7nTh The guidelines also urges patients to 'consider Remdesivir for up to 5 days) in moderate or severe cases that have a high risk of progression. "Consider Tocilizumab preferably within 24-48 hours of onset of severe disease or ICU admission," the guidelines urge for those with rapidly progressing moderate or severe disease.

PHILADELPHIA - Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 31 points and Tobias Harris added 24 as the Philadelphia 76ers routed the Indiana Pacers 141-121 on Saturday night to match their season high with an eighth consecutive victory.In a matchup of teams missing All-Stars — Philadelphia’s James Harden and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton — the 76ers shot 61% from the field, led by as many as 24 points and never looked back after overcoming an early eight-point deficit.Embiid, who set a franchise record with his ninth straight outing of at least 30 points, chipped in seven assists and seven rebounds. Philadelphia legends Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain each had eight-game runs of 30 points or more."Embiid is right now probably the (NBA) MVP with what their team is doing and how he’s just elevated his game," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "He’s as a difficult a guy to plan for as there is in the game.

IPL will no longer need to operate out of a biosecure bubble, which had been mandatory for the three years since the pandemic. However, the IPL has said it wants to be careful and players testing positive will not be allowed to participate in a match or in training until they return consecutive negative tests, the earliest of which can be taken on day five of recovery. According to the IPL's medical guidelines, distributed to franchises recently, positive cases must be isolated for a maximum of seven days.

Firefighters rescue lab who fell down a drain. (Credit: Portland Fire and Rescue) PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland firefighters kicked into action after a 14-year-old dog fell down a nearly 25-foot manhole.First responders said the incident happened Thursday morning near the intersection of Southeast 9th Avenue and Lambert Street.The lab, named Tess, fell down the hole after the cover was removed because city workers were inspecting storm drains. RELATED: Overdue library book returned 4 decades later, comes with apology letterThe manhole was 23 feet deep."She just walked up expecting a treat and just went over the edge and disappeared," witness Larry Beutler told KGW.

Last week, the largest capacity crawler crane in Sri Lanka was unloaded at Hambantota International Port. The crane, with a 750-ton lifting capacity, will be initially used for Hiruras Wind Power Project in Mannar. The German built Liebherr brand crane was being used in Japan and has now been imported to Sri Lanka for civil projects.“HIP has earned itself a name for its RORO capabilities and currently we are aggressively promoting the port’s ability to handle all types of vehicles in the international market. The way this heavy equipment was unloaded at the port is a fine example of HIP’s capability.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The National Building Research Organization (NBRO) has issued landslide warnings for the districts of Badulla, Kegalle and Kurunegala. There is a high risk of landslides occurring in these areas, with the possibility of mounds of rock and earth falling onto roads, homes, and other buildings.The NBRO has urged residents of these areas to take immediate safety precautions.

View of a destroyed car after the cornice and terrace of a building located in Cuencas historic center fell, leaving one dead and one person injured, after an earthquake in Cuenca, Ecuador on March 18, 2023. (Photo by FERNANDO MACHADO/AFP via Getty I A strong earthquake shook southern Ecuador and northern Peru on Saturday, killing at least four people, trapping others under rubble, and sending rescue teams out into streets littered with debris and fallen power lines.The U.S.

Volunteers shovel a new buffalo snow corridor by hand. (Buffalo Field Campaign) WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. - Volunteers have created a wildlife corridor by hand shoveling a path through the deep snow at Yellowstone National Park to help bison get off a nearby highway quicker.Nearly five feet of snow fell this winter in West Yellowstone, resulting in giant berms created by snowplows along Highway 191, according to the Buffalo Field Campaign, a nonprofit that works to create permanent year-round protection for bison.YELLOWSTONE UNDERGOES CLOSURES TO PREPARE FOR SPRING TOURISM INFLUXConcern has been growing for as many as 500 bison from Yellowstone’s central herd who are expected to begin migrating to their calving grounds when park officials begin plowing this month.In an effort to protect the species, the Buffalo Field Campaign decided to take action to help Yellowstone's declining wild bison population which is expected to be reduced by at least 30% this winter.

This illustration image shows tablets of opioid painkiller Oxycodone delivered on medical prescription taken on September 18, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images) MEXICO CITY (AP) - The U.S.

Firefighters rescue lab who fell down a drain. (Credit: Portland Fire and Rescue) PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland firefighters kicked into action after a 14-year-old dog fell down a nearly 25-inch manhole.First responders said the incident happened Thursday morning near the intersection of Southeast 9th Avenue and Lambert Street.The lab, named Tess, fell down the hole after the cover was removed because city workers were inspecting storm drains. RELATED: Overdue library book returned 4 decades later, comes with apology letterThe manhole was 23 inches deep."She just walked up expecting a treat and just went over the edge and disappeared," witness Larry Beutler told KGW.

Former television personality on "19 Kids And Counting" Josh Duggar poses for a booking photo after his arrest April 29, 2021 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by Washington County Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images) Josh Duggar's 12 ½ year prison sentence has been extended for almost two additional months, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.The 35-year-old disgraced reality star, who was convicted on child pornography charges in 2021, originally had a release date of Aug. 12, 2032.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Crimea to mark the ninth anniversary of the Black Sea peninsula’s annexation from Ukraine on Saturday, the day after the International Criminal Court’ issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader accusing him of war crimes.Putin visited an art school and a children’s center, locations that appeared to have been chosen in response to the court's action on Friday.The court specifically accused him Friday of bearing personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine during Russia's full-scale invasion of the neighboring country that started almost 13 months ago.Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move that most of the world denounced as illegal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has demanded that Russia withdraw from the peninsula as well as the areas it has occupied since last year.Putin has shown no intention of relinquishing the Kremlin’s gains.

PHILADELPHIA - The woman charged in the deaths of two Pennsylvania State Troopers and a pedestrian on I-95 in March 2022 is set to stand trial after she turned down a plea deal, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office confirmed to FOX 29. Jayana Tanae Webb was charged with third-degree murder, a charge that was dropped and later reinstated, homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, DUI and related charges in connection with the crash on March 21, 2022. Officials say the crash occurred just after 12:30 a.m. on I-95 in Philadelphia when Pennsylvania State Troopers Martin F.

THE HAGUE - The International Criminal Court said on Friday it issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes because of his alleged involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine.The court said in a statement that Putin "is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation."It also issued a warrant Friday for the arrest of Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, on similar allegations.Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during the congress of Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), March,16,2023, in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images) The court’s president, Piotr Hofmanski, said in a video statement that while the ICC’s judges have issued the warrants, it will be up to the international community to enforce them.

FILE-Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose during their meeting in Beijing, on February 4, 2022. (ALEXEI DRUZHININ/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Russia from Monday to Wednesday, in an apparent show of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin amid sharpening East-West tensions over the war in Ukraine.Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine is expected to dominate Putin and Xi's discussions.

Clawing back unspent COVID-19 relief funds may not improve the US fiscal picture and could negatively impact specific programs, vulnerable populations, and the long-term economic recovery. Republicans at the US House of representatives are eyeing unspent COVID-19 relief funds as a target to rein in federal spending. However, a review of federal spending figures by Reuters suggests that clawing back the remaining $80 billion of unspent aid may not significantly improve the US fiscal picture, but could instead have real-world repercussions.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Professionals Trade Union Collective will meet with the President's Secretary on Friday (17) morning. The PTCU is a collective of over forty trade unions that is against the government's new tax regime.Friday's (17) meeting is to be held ahead of the meeting the Professionals Trade Union Collective will have with the President.Spokesperson for the Government Medical Officers Association Dr.

PHILADELPHIA - A volunteer discovered vandalism at the African American History Trail at Iron Hill in Newark, Delaware earlier this week."We had tremendous vandalism over the weekend. We had someone destroy all of the signage that we had along the trail," said Robin Broomall, President of the Board of Directors for the Delaware Academy of Science.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kari Lake and Rep.

KYIV, Ukraine - The Pentagon has released footage of what it says is a Russian aircraft conducting an unsafe intercept of a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone in international airspace over the Black Sea.The 42-second video, released Thursday, shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel as it passes, the Pentagon said.The U.S.

PHILADELPHIA - The son of Philadelphia Flyers interim general manager Danny Briere has been suspended from his college hockey team pending an investigation launched after a video posted on social media showed him pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down a staircase.Mercyhurst University's athletic department Wednesday night said Carson Briere and two other athletes involved in the incident had been placed on interim suspension. A spokesperson for Mercyhurst, a school of about 3,000 students in Erie, Pennsylvania, said earlier in the day the process of looking into Briere's conduct had just begun.PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 14: Danny Briere #48 of the Philadelphia Flyers Alumni reacts following his second period goal against Bryan Trottier #19 of the Pittsburgh Penguins Alumni on January 14, 2017 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Penn Carson Briere apologized in a statement released through the NHL's Flyers."I am deeply sorry for my behavior on Saturday," he said.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Federation of University Teachers Associations said that its members will continue to strike against the conduct of the government.Activities across state universities were crippled on Thursday (16), and FUTA said it would refrain from taking part in evaluating the answer scripts of the G. C.

The woman who went on stage topless at the Juno Awards in Edmonton on Monday said she did it to bring attention to the loss of natural carbon-capturing areas across Canada.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Professionals Trade Union Collective says that the on-going strike will be called off at 8 AM on Thursday (16), as the President had noted that their demands will be taken into consideration. Spokesperson for the Government Medical Officers' Association Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe told reporters on Wednesday (15) that the strike will be temporarily called off at 8 AM on Thursday (16), and it does not mean the GMOA has withdrawn from the trade union action. The Professionals Trade Union Collective had declared a nation-wide day of strikes and protests with effect from midnight on Tuesday (14).Government, Semi-Government and Private Trade Unions supportrf the strikes.Government Medical Officers, Specialist Doctors, University Teachers, Faculty of Medicine Teachers, CEB Engineers, Bankers, Petroleum Workers, Water Supply Workers, Road Development Officers, Education Administrative Officers, Surveyors, Inland Revenue Officers are among the 40 Trade Unions that support this move.Their main demand is to amend the unjust tax policy implemented by the government.The PAYE tax between 6% to 36% imposed on monthly earnings over Rs.

Canada’s housing market showed signs of life in February following a year of cooling off, but experts are watching the typically busy spring season to determine whether the correction has hit its bottom.

Mifepristone, the abortion pill known as RU 486. (Photo by James Leynse/Corbis via Getty Images) AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge in Texas will hear arguments Wednesday in a high-stakes court case that could threaten access to abortion medication and blunt the authority of U.S.

The Last of Us reached its heart-wrenching conclusion, leaving viewers in awe of the show’s acting, storyline and special effects.And while Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey’s characters, Joel and Ellie, steal the spotlight in each episode while trying to evade deadly fungus-ridden creatures, cannibals and rogue gangs, there’s been a lot of attention given to the stunning Alberta backdrops, which fill in as post-apocalyptic U.S. cities and states.The show was shot exclusively in Alberta starting in 2021 and used an astonishing 180 locations around the province, from Edmonton all the way down to Waterton Lakes National Park.

Kate Garraway has shared the last holiday she had with her husband Derek Draper and the now-poignant passing conversation they had before their lives were changed by Covid. Fans of the Good Morning Britain presenter are well aware of the fact that former Labour lobbyist suffered severe complications after contracting the virus early into the pandemic in March 2020.

Doctor Hilary has issued Good Morning Britain viewers advice following the recall of a number of cough medicines.

Digit Infinity Wallet Plan: The plan will help take care of the rising medical costs with an option of unlimited back-up sum insured (SI) being offered to customers. This will allow people to make multiple claims within the same policy year. However, any single claim cannot exceed the SI under the policy and the backup SI will only get triggered after the SI is exhausted.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The President's Media Division operating from the Sri Lankan President's Office released a series of statements on the nation-wide strikes that were launched on Wednesday (15).The statements by the PMD are as follows:– The Railway Department GM confirmed that as a result of the committed service of Railway employees, 20 trains had operated by 8.00 this morning for the convenience of commuters despite the union action.– CPC/CPSTL Chairman Mr. M.U.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The teachers and principals unions in Sri Lanka went on a one-day strike on Wednesday (15).Teachers and Principals went on strike in support of the action taken by the Professionals Trade Union Collective and several other issues.News 1st correspondents reported that student turnout across schools in the country was at a low as a result of the strike.The Professionals Trade Union Collective had declared a nation-wide day of strikes and protests.Government, Semi-Government and Private Trade Unions are geared up to support the strikes.Government Medical Officers, Specialist Doctors, University Teachers, Faculty of Medicine Teachers, CEB Engineers, Bankers, Petroleum Workers, Water Supply Workers, Road Development Officers, Education Administrative Officers, Surveyors, Inland Revenue Officers are among the 40 Trade Unions that will support this move.Their main demand is to amend the unjust tax policy implemented by the government.The PAYE tax between 6% to 36% imposed on monthly earnings over Rs. 100,000/- had placed professionals across many sectors in a tough position.Public, Semi-Public and Private Trade Unions have joined their cause with several more demands.These include a demand to reduce bank interest rates, provide a Cost of Living Allowance of Rs.

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

BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. - Several credit card skimmers discovered at local gas stations has prompted a police department to take further action to protect their citizens.Police say the skimmers were found on several gas station pumps at two separate locations in Penndel, a borough in Bucks County:No devices were found at a third location in town, according to authorities.MORE HEADLINES:Police say the source of the skimmers is not known at this time. However, an investigation has been launched, and additional checks are being added."We have been frequently checking the pumps for skimmers and working with the business owners to prevent them in the first place.

FILE-Security personnel check the health codes of travelers on smartphones at an entrance to Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, China, on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has expressed gratitude to the Paris Club, Japan, India, and China for enabling cooperation required to reach an IMF facility for the country.In an open letter to Sri Lanka's Official Bilateral Creditors, President Wickremesinghe noted that the government deployed all efforts to demonstrate our commitment to the EFF program and relentlessly engage on the path to reforms. He said the administration has already implemented major reforms by way of prior actions agreed with the IMF.The President said his government introduced a robust  reform agenda aimed at achieving debt sustainability, strengthening governance, widening the social safety nets supporting the most vulnerable and ensuring we can grow an inclusive  economy attractive to international business. He said this is how Sri Lanka will improve the lives of its people and ensure they are first in line to benefit from improvements in our economic conditions.The President has requested creditors to maintain and even enlarge and strengthen official bilateral creditor coordination in the context of Sri Lanka's forthcoming engagement. He called on the Paris Club  bilateral partners, in particular Japan, together with all our other official bilateral partners,  including India and China, to garner and foster coordination as you best see fit.The Presidnet noted that Sri Lanka is committed to communicate transparently with all on any debt treatment terms that are agreed with any creditor or group of creditors, before being formalized. The President in his letter has also committed not to resume debt service to any creditor unless that creditor agrees on a comprehensive debt treatment in line with IMF-supported

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego, California, on March, 13, 2023.

SHERMAN, Texas - Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin has dropped his $100 million dollar defamation lawsuit against Marriott and a hotel employee.Irvin's attorney Levi McCathern filed a notice of dismissal in US District Court on Monday, court records show.It is not clear if dropping the lawsuit means both sides have reached a settlement.Irvin filed the lawsuit last month after a Phoenix hotel employee reported misconduct against him, which later led to him be taken off NFL Network coverage leading up to the Super Bowl. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Michael Irvin pulled from Super Bowl coverage after woman’s complaintIn a news conference last Wednesday the ex-Cowboy passionately defended himself, denying any wrongdoing and comparing the accusations to a modern lynching.In a court filing Friday, Marriott said Irvin made unwelcome sexual advances toward a female employee.The documents say on Feb. 5 at the Renaissance Phoenix Hotel, Irvin "appeared to be visibly intoxicated," and in conversation with the female staffer, asked a lewd question about intercourse with a Black man.Marriott went to say another employee walked over to Irvin after the victim walked away, and that "After Irvin finished leering at the Victim and turned back to Employee 1, he said aloud ‘she bad,’ ‘she bad…’" followed by a sexual remark.He then "slapped himself in the face three times, saying ‘keep it together Mike.’"Irvin’s attorney, Levi McCathern, said Friday that the allegations were "hogwash" and not supported by witnesses.Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin claims he did nothing wrong as he faces accusations of misconduct by an Arizona hotel employee from an incident during Super Bowl week.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to go ahead with a pilot project to install Floating Solar Panel Power Plants on the surface of Kiriibban Wewa reservoir and Chandrika Wewa reservoir in the Ratnapura District.Under the Framework Convention on Grant Aid signed between the Republic of Korea and Sri Lanka in 2009, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea has agreed to provide a grant amounting 6.83 Billion Korean Won for the implementation of a pilot project to install floating solar panel power plant with 1 MW capacity on the surface of reservoirs. Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology is acting as the monitoring agency for the pilot project on behalf of the Korean government, said the Department of Government Information.Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Power and Energy to sign the documents between the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology, the Ministry of Power and Energy and the Department of External Resources to start and implement this pilot project according to the agreement reached.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Professionals Trade Union Collective says that the ongoing trade union action will continue on Tuesday (14).According to Trade Union representatives, discussions with the President's Secretary on Monday (13) night ended without any decision being reached.The Professionals Trade Union Collective is currently engaged in protests, strikes, and work to rule campaigns against the government's tax regime.Their primary demand is that the tax policy be amended to a reasonable level.Over 40 trade unions from multiple sectors are engaged in the trade union action.Doctors in The North Western, Uva, Sabaragamuwa, Northern, and North Central provinces are on strike on Tuesday (14).

FILE - Over 300 protesters gathered on Portage Road in front of Niagara Fall's Marineland Saturday August 18, 2012. (Tara Walton/Toronto Star via Getty Images)The killer whale named Kiska at Canada’s Marineland theme park, the country’s last captive orca who swam alone in her tank for more than a decade, has died.Brent Ross, a spokesman for the Ministry of the Solicitor General in Ontario that oversees animal welfare in the province, said Monday that the theme park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, informed the province of the death last week.Kiska was believed to be 47 years old and had lived at Marineland since being captured in Icelandic waters in 1979.

Tilda Swinton is making it clear that she is done with the pandemic.

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. - It's a competition no one asked for – how would a metal fence fair against an alligator? Easy answer – it doesn't, and the alligator definitely wins! But, the video is awesome to watch.Eric Dagg told Storyful that he works at the Coral Creek Club golf course in Charlotte County, Florida, which is northwest of Fort Myers, where he recently saw a massive alligator making its way along a cart path. At some point, the alligator tried to make its way through a fence along the golf course.At first, it appears the alligator considers his options, meticulously deciding out which sent of bars to go between.

JACKSONVILLE, FL - FEBRUARY 01: Buffalo Wild Wings exterior on February 1, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Buffalo Wild Wings) CHICAGO - Buffalo Wild Wings is admitting something most customers knew along: their boneless wings are not made from actual chicken wings."It’s true," the restaurant chain tweeted Monday.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The U.S. government took extraordinary steps Sunday to stop a potential banking crisis after the historic failure of Silicon Valley Bank, assuring all depositors at the failed institution that they could access all their money quickly, even as another major bank was shut down.The announcement came amid fears that the factors that caused the Santa Clara, California-based bank to fail could spread. Regulators had worked all weekend to try to find a buyer for the bank, which was the second-largest bank failure in history.