Russia-Ukraine conflict: Canada will impose more measures on Russia in coming days

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

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B.C. municipalities have begun to receive bills for millions of dollars to cover back pay for RCMP members under the police force’s new collective agreement — and are warning of tax increases or other budget impacts unless Ottawa helps shoulder the load.

On today’s episode of The Morning Show: How to talk to your kids about what happened at the Oscars. Plus, our Hometown Hero is a third generation Ukrainian-Canadian making donuts in support of Ukraine.

Red Velvet member Seulgi has been diagnosed with COVID-19.SM Entertainment shared in an announcement to TenAsia earlier today (March 30) that the K-pop idol has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, but noted that the singer is showing no symptoms. The company also assured that Seulgi has already been double-vaccinated against the virus prior.The agency also said that, in light of her diagnosis, Seulgi will “immediately halt all schedules and self-quarantine” in line with local health guidelines, as translated by Koreaboo.

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COVID-19 wave, experts say, as cases and hospitalizations have started to creep back up again across the country.While average daily case counts have levelled off nationally, there continues to be regional variability across the country with several jurisdictions reporting increases, said Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer in her latest weekly update on Friday.

Will Smith‘s slap seen around the world at the Oscars was clearly a crime, legal experts say, but the chances of prosecution are slim and even if convicted he’d likely face little more than a slap of his own – on the wrist.Smith left millions of witnesses stunned Sunday when he marched onto the stage of the Dolby Theatre and smacked Chris Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who was sitting with the actor in the front row. Will Smith says he was ‘out of line’ for slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars The Los Angeles Police Department has said it was aware of the incident but was not investigating because Rock declined to file a police report.While police could technically open an investigation based on the Academy Awards broadcast, they wouldn’t do so without Rock’s participation, said defense lawyer Alan Jackson, a former Los Angeles County prosecutor who oversaw high-profile cases.“Would they ever in a practical world do that when Chris Rock is saying, ‘I won’t cooperate with a criminal investigation?’ Not in a million years,” Jackson said.

A trip from Edmonton to Calgary in just 45 minutes on a high-tech line that’s three times faster than a bullet train has been a concept for years. Now, the reality of the hyperloop project is beginning to take shape.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Economists have raised concerns whether the Sri Lankan government’s decision to award Rs. 10,000/- as allowances for low-income families will ease the economic burden on the people, in the long term.Professor Aminda Methsila Perera, from the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, says that according to government calculations there are 3.1 million low-income families in the island nation, and it would require Rs.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka has pushed aside China and given the nod to India to develop three Sri Lankan wind farms on islets between the countries.This can be seen as a victory for New Delhi after the project was taken away from a Chinese firm.Sri Lanka and India have signed six Memorandums of Understanding on Monday (28) when Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka is hosting the fifth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit in Colombo.The BIMSTEC Summit is underway in Colombo, with the participation of seven-member nations.The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said on Sunday (27) that the event will be held in hybrid mode and that Foreign Ministers and senior officials of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Thailand arrived in Sri Lanka over the weekend.On March 30, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will chair the BIMSTEC Summit. Leaders of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Thailand will participate virtually, the Foreign Ministry said.

PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia church is ready to welcome the first Ukrainian refuges to the city after a treacherous journey to escape their war-torn homeland. St. Nicholas Patriarchal Orthodox Church in North Philadelphia will welcome Alla and Veronika Tuesday night. The woman walked 450 miles from Kiev to Warsaw, Poland to escape the war. Vice President and Choir Director Susan Guz, and Bishop Luke traveled to JFK Airport to pick up the women.

PHILADELPHIA - Authorities say a driver wanted for a road rage incident who lead police on a pursuit through Philadelphia was behind the wheel of a carjacked vehicle wanted in connection to a robbery and kidnapping in Pittsburgh. Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters that the 24-year-old driver allegedly pointed a gun at a couple while driving a Toyota Camry on the 200 block of Ann Street around 9 p.m. The couple retained the vehicle's information, including its license plate, and contacted police about the incident. Small said officers later pulled over the car on Jasper Street in Kensington. During the traffic stop, Small said the driver got out of the vehicle, then got back into the driver's seat and sped away.

Covid vaccine doses administered in the country so far has exceeded 183.82 crore.

slapped Chris Rock during an Oscars presentation but then received applause for winning best actor for his role in "King Richard.""I was sickened," Carrey told Gayle King of "CBS Mornings" in an interview that aired Tuesday. "I was sickened by the standing ovation.""I felt like Hollywood is just spineless en masse and it really felt like this is a really clear indication that we aren’t the cool club anymore," he continued. WESTWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 12: Jim Carrey attends the LA special screening of Paramount's "Sonic The Hedgehog" at Regency Village Theatre on February 12, 2020 in Westwood, California.

Authorities said the tracked the carjacked vehicle for about an hour before officers caught up to it. PHILADELPHIA - Authorities said two teens were found in a carjacked vehicle Tuesday afternoon that police later found guns and suspected cocaine inside. Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters that a woman was carjacked by an armed young man around 4 p.m. on 11th and Stiles streets in North Philadelphia.Police used a tracking device inside the car to follow its location to several neighborhoods over an hour period, Small said. Officers finally caught up to the carjacked Kia sedan on 13th and Lehigh streets, then followed it onto the 1100 block of Silver Street, according to investigators. Small said the stolen vehicle was slammed into by a passing vehicle at the intersection of 11th and Silver streets. A boy and girl, both 17, were taken into custody by trailing officers, according to police.

most recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding COVID-19 booster shots.Effective immediately, people who received their first booster shot at least four months ago may receive a second booster shot of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) if:“Additional booster shots allow people in these select populations to get extra protection against severe illness. A second booster can be especially beneficial for people 65 and older and those 50 and older with underlying medical conditions,” said State Health Director Dr.

Infectious diseases expert Dr. Isaac Bogoch talks about the rise of the BA.2 subvariant across Canada and why he suggests Canadians should still be wearing masks.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he might have contracted the COVID-19 virus again. And while the billionaire says he has experienced “almost no symptoms,” he is known for stating skepticism over the COVID vaccine, opposing to a second dose.“You are taking a risk, but people do risky things all the time,” Musk previously said, sharing his thoughts on why he chose to oppose vaccine mandates.“Covid-19 is the virus of Theseus.

(Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images) HARRISBURG - A Republican proposal to prevent transgender girls from competing in girls' school sports passed the Pennsylvania House Education Committee on Tuesday, over Democratic opposition.The 15-9 party-line vote advanced the "Save Women's Sports Act" bill so it can be considered by the GOP-majority chamber. It would restrict players to male or female teams based on their reproductive organs, biology or genetics at birth.The bill says athletic teams designated for women or girls may not be open to "students of the male sex," and would give students and schools a route to sue, including against athletic organizations.

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

Canadian health experts say the sixth COVID-19 wave is just getting started, as public health restrictions disappear, and the number of hospitalizations rises.

FILE - Jamie Lee Curtis speaks onstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California. LOS ANGELES - It was a paw-fect match. A rescue puppy that actress Jamie Lee Curtis advocated for in honor of Betty White, a staunch animal activist, during the Oscars on Sunday was adopted by none other than actor John Travolta’s son. Curtis was slated to be the presenter for a tribute dedicated to the late and legendary White who died in December last year. During the tribute, Curtis advocated for rescue animals while holding a puppy from Paw Works, a Southern California nonprofit dedicated to partnering with county and city shelters to give abandoned animals a second chance, according to the rescue’s Facebook page. The puppy, named Mac and Cheese, was chosen by Curtis ahead of the pup’s TV debut. During the awards ceremony, Curtis posted on her Instagram that she ran into her fellow "PERFECT" co-star, Travolta, who took a picture with Mac and Cheese. The next day, Travolta posted on his Instagram sharing that his son, Ben, officially adopted the rescue pup. "Ben adopted this dog from last nights Oscar tribute to Betty White.

A stressed police response officer who has seen five dead bodies in the past four weeks has spoken out about the grim reality of the job - after an application for two days off "for a break from it all" was rejected.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.The study, comprised of researchers from New York, Georgia, and China, was published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics. Scientists gathered archived data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey involving more than 6,500 youths between 12 and 19 years old from 1999 to 2018.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Parkgoers heading over to Disneyland Resort in California may notice something slightly different during their next visit.According to Disney, the company is taking out all the "gendered greetings" in the theme park's recorded messages to promote a more welcoming environment for guests who do not identify with traditional gender roles, including male or female.In a video conference call recorded by City Journal's Christopher Rufo, Disney's diversity and inclusion manager Vivian Ware was heard explaining that parkgoers will no longer hear "ladies and gentlemen" or "boys and girls" in the park's greetings.Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android."We trained – we provided training for all of our cast members in relationship to that.

The province has introduced new legislation which it says will help put Ontario in a place to avoid future pandemic problems. But the opposition and business advocates say more detail is needed. Matthew Bingley reports.

BANKS, Ore. - An 11-year-old girl was presented with an award for her efforts to save her mom’s life while she suffered a medical emergency. Two weeks ago, Felicia Hansel had a seizure at her home in Banks, Oregon."The last thing I remember was walking into the kitchen," Hansel said. Her daughter, 11-year-old Nevaeh Jimenez, was outside playing with a friend when she ran inside to grab her phone charger. "I saw my mom on the ground, and I just, like, asked her, ‘Why are you on the ground?’ And she said, ‘I don’t know,’" Jimenez recalled. "And after she said ‘I don’t know,’ she got really scared and told me to call 911.""I am grateful for my kids," Felicia Hansel said.

Police say a 17-year-old was wounded in a shootout Tuesday evening. PHILADELPHIA - A teenager is recovering from gunshot wounds after police say a fight escalated to a street shooting Tuesday afternoon in West Philadelphia.Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were called to the intersection of Media and Frazier streets around 4:30 p.m.

WICHITA, Kan. - One of two flamingos that escaped from a Kansas zoo during a storm 17 years ago has been spotted on the coast of Texas, wildlife officials said.The Coastal Fisheries division of Texas Parks and Wildlife confirmed Tuesday to The Associated Press that the African flamingo — known as No. 492 because of the number on its leg band — was captured on video shot March 10 by an environmental activist near Port Lavaca, Texas, at Rhodes Point in Cox Bay.

Fire officials are urging Ontarians to practice better fire safety in the wake of a fatal house fire in Brampton. Caryn Lieberman reports.

RALEIGH, N.C. - A Vietnamese automaker announced plans Tuesday to build a plant in North Carolina to manufacture electric vehicles, promising to bring 7,500 jobs and ending the state's streak of near-misses for landing carmakers.VinFast will build its first North American plant in Chatham County southwest of Raleigh, with production expected to start in 2024. It expects to employ 7,500 by 2027 with average salaries of $51,000, according to the state Commerce Department."VinFast’s transformative project will bring many good jobs to our state, along with a healthier environment as more electric vehicles take to the road to help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Gov.

PHILADELPHIA - The family of a Philadelphia man whose body was found wrapped in a tarp and dumped in a vacant lot in Kensington is searching for answers. According to investigators, the body of 34-year-old Sirius Star was found Friday in the vacant lot on the 2800 block of Ruth Street. Police say Star's hands and feet were bound, and the medical examiner's office determined that he died from a gunshot wound to the forehead. A short video clip obtained by FOX 29 shows two people pushing the body in a shopping cart and trying to move it. In the days following the gruesome discovery, Star's family told FOX 29's Kelly Rule that he split time between Philadelphia and Las Vegas. He worked odd jobs while in Philadelphia and sold solar panels while in Las Vegas. According to investigators, the body of 34-year-old Sirius Star was found Friday in the vacant lot on the 2800 block of Ruth Street.  Family members say Starr was working at a home construction project on Rorer Street, which isn't far from the vacant lot where his body was found.

Whether we use them to help us relax or to simply fill our homes with nice scents, most of us use scented candles at least once in a while. They make the perfect addition to any relaxing bath, and they easily create ambience in our living rooms, all the while adding to our home decor.

PHILADELPHIA - Authorities believe a man was intoxicated when he jumped the curb of a Philadelphia street and fatally struck a 3-year-old Monday morning. Timothy Robinson, 62, was charged with Involuntary Manslaughter, Homicide by Vehicle, Homicide by Vehicle while DUI, DUI, Reckless Endangerment of Another Person, and Reckless Driving. According to the District Attorney's Office, Robinson was driving on the 3000 block of West Girard Avenue around 11 a.m. Monday when he hopped the curb and struck a mother and her 3-year-old child. Authorities said the mother was not injured, but the 3-year-old was taken to Temple University Hospital where the child died. "Intoxicated driving is never okay, and this tragedy is why," Krasner said in a statement.

Canadian actor Jim Carrey had several choice words about the now-infamous Oscars moment when Will Smith walked onstage to slap Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife’s hair during the broadcast.

The curtain is set to rise for Typecastress — a one-act musical production about self-discovery.

Today the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized a second booster shot for Americans over 50 and for those 12 years and older who are immunocompromised.

Metropolitan Police officer who headbutted a cocktail bar manager after flouting the Covid "rule of six" has been spared jail.PC Luke Wilson, 28, attacked Johnny White while on a boozy night out in the City of London with colleagues from the Lewisham emergency response unit on July 2 last year.Wilson denied the offence but CCTV footage shows him headbutting the victim at Be At One cocktail bar in Monument.Mr White allowed the officers entry to the venue but told them they would have to be seated across different tables in line with the restrictions.Bar staff confronted the group of up to 25 off-duty colleagues for flouting the rules but were told to "lighten up", Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.CCTV shows that by 8pm, some of the group have started moving between tables which resulted in ten people sitting at one of the tables.The bar manager speaks to Wilson and explains that this isn't allowed.He then approaches the group of ten and explains four of them will have to move to another table.Wilson follows Mr White to the table but remains standing up.The footage shows Wilson squaring up to the victim and putting his face within a few inches of the victim's.Mr White steps backwards but the officer moves forward to close the gap between them, then headbutts him.The victim suffered minor injuries and Wilson denied the offence when he was interviewed the next day, claiming he had felt threatened.Wilson was shown CCTV footage of the victim standing with his hands in his back pockets and not appearing to be behaving aggressively towards him.The PC, of Gravesend, Kent, was convicted of common assault following an investigation by the City of London Police.He was sentenced to ten weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months,

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.

Comedian Jim Carrey criticized Hollywood on Tuesday, saying he was “sickened” by the audience at the Academy Awards for giving Will Smith a standing ovation following his acceptance speech for Best Actor, which occurred shortly after he slapped Chris Rock on stage.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announced on Thursday that Canada will become the first country to revoke Russia and Belarus’ status as a most-favoured-nation trade partner under law. This includes the imposition of 35 per cent tariffs on goods from both countries as Moscow’s war in Ukraine rages on.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was in agreement with Interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen on Monday during question period in the House of Commons as the two sides found solidarity with Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

Mike Bradley is among 15 Canadian mayors calling for the federal government to scrap all COVID-19 testing requirements for land border travellers who are double- or triple-vaccinated.In an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the border city mayors, including Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, ask for an end to the testing guidelines, which they say are out of line with public health mandates and unjustified by current science.The letter, also cc’d to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, public safety minister Marco Mendocino, and health minister Jean-Yves Duclos, cites the “heavy price” pandemic travel measures have had on border communities, including through the lengthy closure of the land border to all but essential travel. Feds scrapping pre-arrival COVID PCR test requirement for fully vaccinated travellers The letter comes days after the federal government lifted its pre-arrival PCR test requirements for double- and triple-vaccinated travellers.As of Monday, a negative rapid antigen or PCR test result will be accepted to meet entry requirements, provided the tests are administered by a lab or health care entity.

Canada is imposing a 35-per-cent tariff on goods from Russia and Belarus as Moscow’s war in Ukraine rages on.

Canada is going after Russia‘s energy sector, as it imposed additional economic measures Wednesday against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.