Northern leaders including Andy Burnham reject new coronavirus furlough measures - they won't 'surrender residents to hardship'

Tamil Nadu government has announced to ease restrictions imposed across the state including lifting the ban on political and cultural gatherings. Meanwhile, as many as 500 people will be now allowed to attend weddings and funerals. The relaxations come into effect from Thursday.

Ukrainians are standing firm as Russia bolsters attacks on major cities. Global National’s Dawna Friesen speaks with Retired U.S.

Maharashtra government announced on Wednesday.

TRENTON, N.J. - The old debate about whether drivers in New Jersey should be able to pump their own gas has returned. On Monday, a group of bipartisan legislators introduced a new bill that would allow drivers in the state to have the option for self-service stations. RELATED: Rising gas prices: Ways to maximize your fuel economyThis comes as gas station owners say they are struggling with staff shortages and lack of business fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and rising gas prices. The Motorist Fueling Choice and Convenience Act, sponsored by Democratic Assemblywoman Carol A. Murphy and Republican Assemblymen Edward H.

COLOMBO (News 1st); 32 Sri Lankans who were in Ukraine, have been moved out of the country via four separate borders.This was confirmed to News 1st by the Sri Lankan Ambassador accredited to Ukraine.Earlier, the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said that it continues to closely monitor developments in Ukraine.On Monday (28) the Ministry said it was engaged in the evacuation of approximately forty (40) Sri Lankan nationals, including two (02) students in Ukraine via the Ukraine – Polish border.The process is facilitated by the Sri Lanka Embassies in Warsaw and Ankara, the latter being concurrently accredited to Ukraine.The Ministry has strengthened the provision of resources to the Sri Lanka Embassy in Warsaw in order to ensure the effective facilitation of the evacuation process.The Ambassadors of Sri Lanka in Ankara and Warsaw continue to maintain close contact with the Sri Lankan nationals leaving Ukraine, in order to enable their safe passage and return to Sri Lanka.The Foreign Ministry is also engaged in monitoring the status of Sri Lankan nationals in countries which share land borders with Ukraine.Sri Lanka’s accredited missions are in contact with the relevant Honorary Consuls and Sri Lankan nationals in the respective countries.The Sri Lanka Embassy in Moscow which is concurrently accredited to Belarus continues to be in close communication with the approximately 1,600 Sri Lankan nationals, including 1,556 students studying in over eight (08) universities / higher education institutes in Belarus.Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Moscow is in direct contact with the relevant university authorities, student and parent groups, as well as other concerned institutions in Belarus, with regard to the safety and welfare of the Sri

The unemployment rate was 5.2% in February when adjusted for seasonal factors, unchanged from January, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.

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COLOMBO (News 1st); The Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith on Wednesday (3) met with Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Public Utilities Commission said that the 7.5 hour blackout will continue for Thursday (3) as well.“Power shedding for all areas will be 5 hours between 8 am to 6 pm. And further 2 and half hours between 6 pm to 11 pm.”, said the Chairman of the PUCSL.

PHILADELPHIA - February's temperatures were warmer than average and the first day of March will bring in similar weather with mild conditions. Tuesday will be cloudy due to high pressure bringing air off the coast. Temperatures will begin chilly in the morning before warming up for a mild and dry day with highs in the 50s. Storms seen on radar will stay north and out of the area, but windy conditions will move in on Thursday. Looking ahead, the weekend will bring cloudy conditions with a chance for rain on Sunday. ___SEVEN-DAY FORECAST TUESDAY: In like a lamb. High: 55WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy.

Spain has changed its travel rules for holidaymakers that are yet to be fully vaccinated against Covid.

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Robert Pattinson in 'The Batman.' Photo: Warner Bros. CHICAGO - With two notably cartoony exceptions, the last 30-some years of live-action Batman storytelling have been an experiment in increasing grimness. Tim Burton brought gothic gravitas to a character best known for kitschy ‘60s excess.

COLOMBO (News 1st); A Fundamental Rights application was filed with the Supreme Court on Wednesday (2) challenging the gazette issued with the regulation stating that only FULLY VACCINATED people will be allowed to enter public places from the 30th of April 2022.The application filed by Professor F. M.

The burning cargo ship Felicity Ace was floating south of the Azores off the coast of Portugal, as seen in footage posted by the Portuguese Navy on February 18.

The Russian ruble sank to an historic low against the U.S. dollar on Monday, with analysts saying it was on the verge of a total collapse, forcing the central bank to step in, doubling its interest rate to 20 per cent. Anne Gaviola reports.

Union J recently delighted fans by announcing the original four members are getting back together after a six-year hiatus. But Josh Cuthbert says their comeback wasn’t a simple decision, admitting he thought it could affect his mental health. “If you had told me two years ago there would be a Union J reunion and I’d be part of it, I would have thought that would make my mental health worse,” the 29 year old said.

The United States has advised citizens against travelling to Hong Kong, citing strict coronavirus curbs and the risk of children being separated from parents as the Chinese city battles a wave of infections.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The proposed Surcharge Tax Bill that was presented to Parliament, will be amended in a manner that will not include 13 funds, including the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and the Employees’ Trust Fund (ETF), Sri Lanka’s Attorney General told the Supreme Court on Wednesday (2).Additional Solicitor General Viveka Siriwardena told the Supreme Court that the Finance Secretary had informed the Attorney General in this regard in writing.The Samagi Jana Balavegaya, one of the main opposition factions in Sri Lanka has filed a special petition with the Supreme Court challenging the proposed Surcharge Tax Bill that was presented to Parliament, on the 23rd of February.The Government on 22nd February presented the proposed Surcharge Tax Bill to Parliament.The special application challenging the Bill seeks a Supreme Court ruling to term the Bill as inconsistent with the constitution.The Bill, which imposes a retrospective one-time surcharge tax of 25% on persons and companies with a taxable income over Rs. 2 billion for the year 2020/2021, was presented by Leader of the House Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on 22nd February.The Bill was drafted in keeping with the proposal in the 2022 Budget to impose a one-off 25% surcharge tax on individuals or companies earning taxable income more than Rs.

New Zealand anti-vaccination demonstrators set alight their own protest camp outside parliament after riot police moved to end their weeks-long occupation of the legislative precinct.

was so stirring that it caused the official translator to choke up with emotion.In footage from Euronews, the unnamed English language interpreter can be heard becoming emotional as he repeats Zelenskyy’s promise that the people of Ukraine would not be broken by the Russian invasion. Biden announces new measures against Russia as Ukrainian cities combat sieges “We are fighting just for our land.

Bank of Canada is likely to forge ahead with its first interest rate increase in years on Wednesday, economists predict, though uncertainty tied to the war in Ukraine could put the pace of future rate hikes into question.The central bank said in January that its special guidance around the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept its key overnight rate at 0.25 per cent for much of the past two years, has ended.Senior bank officials strongly signalled rates need to rise in an effort to tamp down on inflation, which hit 5.1 per cent in Canada last month a high not seen in 30 years.

An Alberta father is calling for more accountability from parents and corporations after getting hit with a huge bill for what was supposed to be a free online video game. Tomasia DaSilva reports.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that the U.S. would become the latest country to ban Russian planes from its airspace, joining Canada, the European Union and others in doing so amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

A number of other provinces have dropped COVID-19 restrictions including the vaccine passport program and indoor mask mandate. Both are still in place here in B.C.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia on Monday said it will move forward with a repaving project that will make one of the city's most dangerous thoroughfares safer by reconfiguring lanes to allow for better traffic flow.According to a release from the city, Washington Avenue will change its five-lane layout to a mixed lane format between 4th Street to Grays Ferry Avenue. The project is set to begin later this year. Washington Avenue has more crashes than the average Philadelphia street and has not been repaved since 2003, according to the city.

During an emergency session of the European Parliament on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the EU by video link to “prove that you are with us.” His comments come a day after Kyiv officially asked to join the bloc.

PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia non-profit has received an outpouring of donations from locals who were inspired to help the Ukrainian people during the ongoing Russian invasion. The United Ukrainian-American Relief Committee said its building on Cottman Avenue is overflowing with donations including medical supplies, clothing, sleeping bags and hygiene items. "I mean it's amazing how people are coming in who have no ties to Ukraine, but responding in a humanitarian way," Executive Director Motraj Watters said. The donations will be packaged and shipped in two large box trucks, then airlifted overseas to Poland where they will cross over into Ukraine for distribution. Iryna Mazur, the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Philadelphia, watched hopefully as President Biden promised more relief in his first State of the Union address."I just want to help any way I can," Ustyna Danylovych said. "My parents immigrated from Ukraine in the late 90s and my entire family is still there.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) ships ‘URAGA’ and ‘HIRADO’ which belong to the Minesweeper Division One arrived at the port of Colombo on a formal visit on 01st and 02nd March 2022 respectively.Upon their arrival, the two ships were welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval tradition.The Minesweeper Division One to which both these ships belong is commanded by Captain NOGUCHI Yasushi.Meanwhile, the 141m long Minesweeper Tender ‘URAGA’ is commanded by Commander KONDO Koji and the ship is manned by a crew of 130.The Minesweeper Ocean ‘HIRADO’ is a 67m long ship where 55 crew members serve under the command of Lieutenant Commander ITO Akira, the ship’s Commanding Officer.Before their arrival at the port of Colombo, the duo of JMSDF ships conducted a successful naval exercise with the Sri Lanka Navy Ship (SLNS) Sindurala off Colombo on 28th February.Among the exercises worked off, Divisional Tactics (DIVTACS), Maneuvering Exercises and Photo Exercise (PHOTOEX) were chief.The proceedings of the visit of the ships will be conducted adhering to COVID-19 protocols owing to the pandemic concerns. Meanwhile, the ships are scheduled to depart the island on 03rd March.

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Andy Burnham has accused Boris Johnson of exaggerating the severity of the Covid-19 situation in Greater Manchester.The Prime Minster said that the number of intensive care admissions with the virus were currently at around 40% of the April numbers in the region.Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Mr Burnham slammed the claims, stating that as of Sunday morning there were around 62 people in the regions ICUs with coronavirus - compared with around 200-220 at the previous peak.He added that there have been a total of four patients admitted to Greater Manchester hospitals with the disease on Saturday.He said: “It’s a serious situation but I don’t think it was the situation that was described by the Prime Minister on Friday evening.“I

Young people who are not in full-time education or employment are facing a job crisis when the furlough scheme ends this month, an expert has claimed.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he will intervene with further localised restrictions to fight a rapidly growing second wave of the coronavirus pandemic after more of northwest England was put on the highest Covid-19 alert level.

Coronavirus deaths in England are "likely" to hit between 240 and 690 a day in just 10 days' time, experts predict.

Lily Allen has made her feelings about London's new Covid rules crystal clear.

The Government is reportedly on the verge of toughening lockdown rules for swathes of England under its new three-tier system.

Andy Burnham says he is due to hold a meeting with the country's deputy chief medical officer today with regards to the new local lockdown system. The government have said they would like to see Greater Manchester - which was placed into tier 2 of the new Covid Alert system on Monday - moved into the third and highest tier, which would see pubs ordered to close.It was reported last night that escalating the alert levels in Greater Manchester and Lancashire was to be discussed at a 'gold command' meeting at the top of government today.

Government borrowing spiralling out of control, a leading economic think tank has warned.The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said borrowing this year was already set to hit levels not seen outside the two world wars due to the coronavirus pandemic.As unemployment continues to rise, the IFS said the jobless total could approach three million which is the highest it has been since the early 1990s.The £40 billion would have to be found just to keep the national debt at a standstill.In its “green budget” report, the IFS said that it would be “unwise” for ministers to try to balance the books while the economy still needed support.The warning came after Chancellor Rishi Sunak said last week in his speech to the virtual Conservative Party

coronavirus on Monday, Downing Street has confirmed. Boris Johnson will first chair a meeting of the Government's emergency COBRA committee in the morning to hash out the final details of the new measures, which MPs will debate and vote on later in the week.

Millions of people will tomorrow learn of fresh coronavirus curbs with a three-tier system putting regions on medium, high, or very high alert as cases continue to soar.

Government criticizedStill, the government’s approach is coming under criticism from lawmakers in the north of England, with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham bemoaning a lack of communication from officials.“To be called to a meeting with 10 Downing Street on a Friday evening, to be effectively presented with proposals that needed to be agreed over the weekend, I mean that isn’t adequate or acceptable consultation to me," he said on Times Radio on Sunday. “That is being railroaded into a position.

Northern leaders have threatened legal action against new Covid-19 wage support measures and called on MPs to reject the plan in a Commons vote.

The government's new coronavirus furlough package will lead to 'multiple business failure', Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has warned.He criticised the financial measures proposed to come in alongside impending lockdown measures during a northern leaders press conference on Saturday afternoon (October 10).Greater Manchester and many other areas face new tougher restrictions as early as next week, included reported plans for the closure of pubs and restaurants.Despite no official announcement being made on the new tiered system, the Chancellor announced that under the new measures, the government will fund businesses that are legally forced to close during the winter by paying two thirds of workers' wages.Eligible businesses will be

Northern leaders have rejected the Government's new local furlough scheme - saying it would put thousands in "severe hardship" - as a tougher lockdown looms.

coronavirus.The new scheme was set out by Chancellor Rishi Sunak today (October 9) in addition to the government’s new Winter Economy Plan that was announced last month.Under the new scheme, which will begin on November 1 (the day after Sunak’s current furlough scheme ends) and run for six months, premises that are legally required to remain shut will be able to receive grants to cover up to 67% of their employees’ salaries.The grant will be able to cover up to a maximum of £2,100 a month per employee.Sunak said: “Throughout the crisis, the driving force of our economic policy has not changed.

LONDON : Britain's economy struggled to grow in August, setting back its recovery from the coronavirus lockdown, and finance minister Rishi Sunak was due to announce more help to slow a rise in jobs losses as a second wave of COVID-19 infections hits.Gross domestic product rose by 2.1% from July, official data showed, not even half the median forecast in a Reuters poll of economists and the slowest increase since the economy began to recover in May from a record slump.Much of what growth there was in August was down to a one-off government restaurant subsidy programme.Finance minister Rishi Sunak was due to announce later on Friday a plan to support jobs in businesses that may be ordered to close to slow a resurgence of COVID-19 infections.

LONDON – The British government is on Friday set to announce further support for firms to retain staff in the coming months if they are forced to close as a result of the imposition of further lockdown restrictions.With the government expected to tighten restrictions over the coming days to deal with a sharp spike in new coronavirus infections, there are growing concerns that the economy will suffer during the winter and that hundreds of thousands of jobs may be lost.Treasury chief Rishi Sunak said he understood how “people are worried about the coming winter months.” He is being urged by businesses, politicians and unions to accompany any lockdown restrictions with a financial support package to prevent mass unemployment.

coronavirus restrictions – including the possible closure of hospitality – amid fears the disease is spiralling out of control. Ministers are said to be considering the new measures, which could come as early as Monday, according to reports, as infection rates continue to soar in cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle.The move, if confirmed, would be another severe blow for hard-pressed pubs and restaurants in the regions already reeling from the imposition of the controversial 10pm curfew.