Operation to rescue 14 beached pilot whales in Kalpitiya

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office has announced charges against several police and public safety officers involved in sexual violence cases.In a Wednesday afternoon press conference, DAO officials detailed three cases.Pointing out similarities to the case of former Philadelphia detective Phillip Nordo, who was sentenced to 24.5 to 49 years in prison on rape, stalking and attempted sexual assault charges, District Attorney Larry Krasner called the allegations "very serious." He also urged individuals who may have information to come forward with details.Assistant District Attorney Lyandra Retacco released new information about a case against Howard Rubin, a former resource officer for the Philadelphia School District.Officials say Rubin was arrested in January 2021 and later sentenced to 10 - 20 years on charges relating to the sexual assault of minors.According to authorities, in 2010, Rubin was fired from a Philadelphia high school for inappropriate relations with students. Years later, he was separated from a charter school in the city for fraternizing with students.Rubin, who referred to himself as the "Philly Hip Hop Cop" on social media profiles, was well known at events where children would gather, Retacco said.The DAO's office says he often served as an armed security guard at many of the events and claimed to mentor city youth. Officials are asking anyone with information or who may have been a victim of Rubin's to come forward.

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.

Ingersoll, Ont., is frustrated with Tim Hortons after the coffee and donut chain mistakenly informed him he won a $10,000 American Express prepaid gift card for the Roll up the Rim contest.Jeremy McDougall says he received a notification Monday morning on the Tim Hortons app telling him we won the daily jackpot prize after digitally participating in Roll up the Rim. Read more: Tim Hortons’ profit slipped amid high inflation, commodity costs in latest quarter  After the initial high of winning the major prize wore off, McDougall told Global News he became a little concerned that he had yet to receive a confirmation through email after more than 24 hours had passed.A message from Tim Hortons finally arrived Tuesday evening, but it was not the message McDougall was hoping to see.The letter, signed by Markus Sturm, senior vice president and head of digital, loyalty and consumer goods with Tim Hortons, outlines that a technical error had caused an incorrect award message to be sent to him and other customers.“I felt gutted,” said McDougall.

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.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - Adidas is still wrestling with how to dispose of 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) worth of Yeezy shoes after its breakup with the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, forcing the German sportswear maker into a big loss at the end of last year and expectations of more pain ahead.CEO Bjorn Gulden said selling the popular line of shoes would mean paying royalties to Ye, who was dropped by Adidas five months ago after making antisemitic remarks on social media and in interviews. During an earnings call Wednesday, he pointed to "many variables" about what to do with the shoes now stacked in warehouses.Destroying them could "raise sustainability issues," though some companies have offered recycling solutions, said Gulden, who was named CEO after the blowup over Ye’s remarks.

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.

TJX Companies recalls nearly 82,000 office chairs over a potential fall hazard. (Consumer Product Safety Commission) TJX Companies has recalled nearly 82,000 office chairs that were sold at its company owned stores nationwide because they can break and cause injuries, according to safety regulators. The back of the office chairs, which were sold at Marshalls, T.J.

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

LOS ANGELES - Modern anxieties with new names including "bankxiety," "climanxiety," "scamxiety," and more are plaguing more Americans than ever, according to a recent poll by anxiety tracking app AQ.According to the poll, published on Feb. 28, "Banxiety," impacts 36% of U.S.

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

Colombo (News 1st) – The All Ceylon Bakery Owners Association announced that the price of a 450g loaf of bread has been reduced by Rs. 10 with effect from midnight on Wednesday (8).In the meantime, the Pettah Essential Goods Importers Association and Wholesalers Association decided to lower the wholesale price of a kilo of sugar by Rs.

fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor.The announcement was made Wednesday by Attorney General Merrick Garland. A Justice Department report found the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government and Louisville Metro Police Department "engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law."The report said the Louisville police department "discriminates against Black people in its enforcement activities," uses excessive force and conducts searches based on invalid warrants.

The Chinese government represents an “existential threat” to Canada, a Liberal MP says amid a new Global News report into Beijing’s suspected foreign interference efforts.

Depression increases after COVID-19 pandemic even if you are… According to the details of the survey, one in five employees across the globe believe that their job has a negative impact on their mental health - with the numbers further skewed against women.  “At the end of the workday, 43% of employees are ‘often’ or ‘always’ exhausted, and 78% say that stress negatively impacts their work performance. That stress from work carries into our personal lives, too, as employees say work negatively impacts their home life (71%), wellbeing (64%), and relationships (62%)" the report adds.  But even as 40% of employees remain stressed about work, many of the surveyed individuals also admitted that they had ‘rarely or never talked with their manager about it’.

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.

Chester County teen Matthew Hauser survived cancer, but chemotherapy treatments have damaged his heart.  (Bill Hauser)PHILADELPHIA - A local teen who survived cancer is now raising funds to help other patients avoid devastating outcomes after treatment. Matthew Hauser of Chester County was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, when he was two years old. Chemotherapy treatments helped him beat cancer, but they also caused damage to his heart. Matthew had no problems keeping up with his family's active lifestyle until the summer of 2022, when he began to experience heart failure. Doctors put in a heart pump to help, but later said the teen would need a heart transplant. Despite his personal battles, Matthew is on a mission to help others. The teen is one of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Student Visionaries of the Year for the Greater Philadelphia area. He aims to raise $200,000 to create less toxic treatments for childhood cancer. Matthew and his dad joined Good Day Philadelphia to discuss his mission. He told FOX 29's Karen Hepp that his goal is to find therapies that will allow cancer patients "live a safer and more normal and controlled life" FOX 29's Karen Hepp speaks with Matthew Hauser, a local cancer survivor who is suffering from heart failure as a result of cancer treatment. The teen is now raising money to help find less toxic therapies to treat childhood cancer.Hauser's fundraiser ends on Thursday night at 7 p.m.

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.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police say an attempted robbery took a turn when the victim took action and fought back.The 28-year-old man was on 27th and Cambria streets when he was approached by a man with a knife around 10:40 p.m. Tuesday.A physical fight broke out when the armed suspect demanded undisclosed items from the victim, according to authorities.MORE HEADLINES:The victim suffered a stab wound to the left arm, and was placed in stable condition at a local hospital.Police say the suspect fled the scene without any stolen items.No arrest has been made, and no weapon recovered.

PHILADELPHIA - A night in front of the television quickly escalated into a stabbing incident involving two men in Philadelphia's Tioga section, according to police.Officers responded to the 2100 block of West Tioga Street after a man was stabbed around 8:45 p.m. Tuesday.The victim, a 37-year-old man, suffered a stab wound to the head.

Read more: Anything less than a public inquiry on foreign interference is not enough: Poilievre, Singh This document was derived from 100 Canada Security and Intelligence Service reports and was produced by the Intelligence Assessment Secretariat.

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.

PHILADELPHIA - An apartment in Philadelphia's Northern Liberties was burglarized last month when police say three men got away with $75,000 in stolen cash.Two of the suspects were let into the lobby of an apartment building on Brown Street by another suspect on February 24.All three took an elevator up, then used a key to get into the victim's apartment, according to police who have yet to say how they acquired a key.Cash totaling $75,000, as well as clothing and accessories, were stolen from inside. MORE HEADLINES:Video released by police appears to show one suspect tucking a handgun into his waistband before entering the building. No injuries were reported, however it is unknown if anyone was home at the time of the crime.Police say the suspects, ranging in age from 25 to 40 years old, arrived and fled in a dark-colored, late model Dodge Charger.Anyone with information is asked to contact police.

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.

Colombo (News 1st) – The Election Commission says the secure envelopes containing the postal ballots for the local government election will be handed over to the post offices on the 21st of March.Commissioner General of elections Saman Sri Ratnayake says that postal voting will take place in March.The Election Commission says that the extradordinary gazette regarding the holding of the local government election on the 25th of April is due to be issued by the District reterning Officers.Meanwhile, the Government printer says that they are to send a letter to the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday (8) requesting funds for the preliminary printing of ballot papers and other preperations for the election.The Government Printer says that it is estimated over 400 million Rupees will be required for printing purposes.She further added that the printing of ballot papers will resume based on the response of the Finance Ministry.The Government Printer says that they will request the Inspector General of Police today to provide additional security for the printing of ballot papers.They also noted that ballot papers for postal voting have been printed in 17 districts so far. 

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.

WASHINGTON - Those melancholy tunes sung by humpback whales may really be a sign of loneliness.Scientists who tracked humpback whales in Australia noticed that fewer whales wailed to find mates as their population grew."Humpback whale song is loud and travels far in the ocean," said marine biologist Rebecca Dunlop, who has studied humpback whales that breed near the Great Barrier Reef for more than two decades.As whale numbers dramatically rebounded following the end of commercial whaling — one of the world’s great conservation success stories — she noticed something unexpected.(Credit: The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies Gulf Port Mississippi)"It was getting more difficult to actually find singers," said Dunlop, who is based at the University of Queensland in Brisbane. "When there were fewer of them, there was a lot of singing — now that there are lots of them, no need to be singing so much."Scientists first began to hear and study the elaborate songs of humpback whales in the 1970s, thanks to new underwater microphones.

Boardwalk game store, Wildwood, New Jersey; ca. 1978..

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - More than half a dozen whales have washed up dead on Jersey beaches since last fall and, according to NOAA. Skeptical shore residents are calling into question the underwater surveying going on in preparation for the offshore wind farm.

rescued from a cave in Thailand in 2018, has died while attending school in the U.K. He was just 17 years old.Promthep was found unconscious in his dorm room in Leicestershire on Sunday, the BBC reported.

File: Duangpetch Promthep, 13, a forward and captain of the Wild Boars football team, attends a Buddhist ceremony at the entrance of Tham Luang cave on August 3, 2018. (Photo by Thierry Falise/LightRocket via Getty Images) The captain of the boys’ soccer team that was dramatically rescued from a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018 has died in England while attending a sports academy, reports say. Duangpetch "Dom" Promthep of the "Wild Boars" team was one of 12 players who along with their coach became trapped in the Tham Luang cave during an unexpected rainstorm in June that year. Faced with tremendous challenges, a team of the world’s most experienced divers navigated the maze of flooded, narrow cave tunnels.

The Manitoba government is temporarily halting any new connections of cryptocurrency operations to the hydroelectric grid, citing a potential for overwhelming energy demands and low economic return.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC said that the country is ready to deploy a contingent of 300 military personnel for relief efforts in Turkiye.The contingent will include personnel from the Sri Lanka Engineers Corps and the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps.Minister Ali Sabry said that on the instructions of the President he contacted the Foreign Minister of Turkiye and offered assistance for search & rescue"We recall when the Tsunami struck us in 2004,Türkiye provided immediate humanitarian assistance & built a housing complex for those who lost their houses," tweeted the Minister.The Sri Lankan Embassy in Turkiye said that it has not been able to access information with regard to the Sri Lankan woman who was reported missing following the devastating earthquakes.A Senior Officer attached to the mission said that the mobile device of the Sri Lankan woman was traced.The Officer also noted that earlier it was reported that the building in which was living had collapsed, however, reports later suggested that she had vacated the premises before the earthquakes.Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC said that a contingent of 300 military personnel are ready to be deployed to Turkiye, as soon as a request for help is made.The contingent will include Sri Lanka Army Engineers and personnel from the Medical Corps.On Monday (6)  Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said 9 Sri Lankans were residing in the region. 8 people have been contacted.