Sri Lanka deeply concerned over Ukraine violence

Homes in Edmonton are being sold almost as soon as they are listed, sometimes way over the listing price with no conditions amid bidding wars. Sarah Reid has more on the red-hot real estate market.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court decided to dismiss all the petitions filed seeking to quash the Cabinet’s decision to transfer 40% of the government-owned shares of the Kerawalapitiya Yugadanavi Power Plant to U.S. Company New Fortress Energy.The Supreme Court had made the decision to dismiss all the petitions without taking them up for examination as well.The petitions were dismissed by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and comprising Justices Buwaneka Aluvihare, Priyantha Jayawardena, Vijith Malalgoda, LTB Dehideniya.Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya had noted that the five-judge bench had no intention to examine these applications, and the decision to dismiss them was made after considering all the facts that were presented in favor and against the applications.Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thero, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, General-Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Sunil Handunnetti and Wasantha Samarasinghe from the JPV, Trade Unions, and multiple other groups filed the five petitions with the Supreme Court.Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Cabinet of Ministers, West Coast Power Pvt.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former Sri Lankan Minister Udaya Gammanpila on Friday (3) announced that the battle to free Sri Lanka from the US has begun.Speaking to reporters for the first time since he was stripped of his ministerial position by the President on Thursday (3), Gammanpila said that the country is moving towards an abyss as the economy is managed by a person who has no understanding of economics.Udaya Gammanpila and Wimal Weerwansa were removed from their ministerial portfolios with effect from Thursday (3) evening, said the President’s Media Division.Gammanpila said calls were made to solve the crisis from within and outside of the cabinet of ministers, however, as those calls fell on deaf ears, the launch of a resolution ‘Taking The Nation On The Correct Path’ to solve the economic crisis suffered by Sri Lanka, was implemented.He said rather the looking at this resolution as a solution to the crisis, the administration decided to move out both him and Wimal Weerawansa.Gammanpila said while in government there were restrictions when it came to criticizing the government, however, today he has the freedom to reveal those who are responsible for the destruction caused to the economy.He also went on to note that ‘The Ugly American’, 1958 political novel by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer that depicts the failures of the U.S.

A devastating milestone has been reached in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The United Nations says more than one million people have been displaced by the war.

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.

The war in Ukraine comes with a horrific toll on the people involved: emotional and financial. It’s costing Russia an estimated $20 million a day to continue the invasion.

Transport Canada says.The department didn’t say why or for how long the aircraft — that was grounded on Tuesday — would be restricted to the airport but told Global News in an email Thursday that Transport Canada is working with Canada’s Border Services Agency to “assess the matter.” Cryptocurrency a ‘double-edged sword’ in Ukraine-Russia war, experts say They said they are trying to find out if there has been any violation of the recently announced Notice to Airman (NOTAM) that prohibits Russian aircraft from operating in Canadian airspace.Ottawa officially closed up the nation’s airspace on Feb. 24 while announcing a set of sanctions against Russia as the war against Ukraine rages on.

Chrystia Freeland was photographed holding a scarf bearing colours associated with a far-right Ukrainian paramilitary group from the Second World War this past weekend.Both her office and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress suggest the questions and criticism she has received about it online is linked to a pattern of Russian-backed disinformation targeting members of the Ukrainian community.The Twitter account for Freeland shared photos of the federal finance minister at a Ukrainian solidarity march in Toronto on Sunday holding a black-and-red scarf with the Ukrainian phrase “Slava Ukraini,” which translates to “Glory to Ukraine,” written in Cyrillic. Canada targets Russia and Belarus with tariffs, sends more lethal aid to Ukraine Toronto Mayor John Tory was in the group and his account also shared photos of the moment, including one that showed the other side of the scarf, which had the phrase “Heroyam Slava,” or “Glory to heroes.” Neither Tory nor Freeland are touching the scarf in that photo.Both accounts deleted the photos the next day. Freeland then issued an identical tweet about her presence at the march organized to show solidarity with Ukraine after Russia launched a multi-pronged attack on the sovereign country.

WARSAW - The ongoing war in Ukraine has led to one of the largest humanitarian crises in a century, with many fleeing Ukrainians searching for refuge in neighboring countries. The United Nations said Thursday that 1 million people have now fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion less than a week ago, an exodus without precedent in this century for its speed.The tally from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees amounts to more than 2% of Ukraine’s population — which the World Bank counted at 44 million at the end of 2020 — on the move across borders in just seven days.

PHILADELPHIA - Gas prices continue to skyrocket across the country as the war in Ukraine intensifies, and some believe prices will continue to balloon in the weeks ahead.According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, the average cost of a gallon of regular gas in Philadelphia is just below $4.

Ukraine, the largest of its kind in Europe, was under attack by Russian troops and shelling, officials said, sparking a fire at a nearby administrative building.There has been fierce fighting between local forces and Russian troops, the mayor of the nearby town of Energodar  Dmytro Orlov said in an online post, adding that there had been casualties without giving details.Orlov and other Ukrainian officials said earlier that a fire had broken out at the nuclear plant itself, but the state emergency services agency later confirmed the fire had broken out at a training building outside the plant perimeter.The agency said the third power unit of six at the station was disconnected, adding only one power unit was currently operating. It added constant shelling was preventing firefighters from accessing the fire, which continued to burn on one floor after covering the three top floors of the building.

CHICAGO - A lawsuit was filed against the City of Chicago and Mayor Lori Lightfoot Wednesday, claiming she used obscene language and defamed a former Chicago Park District lawyer who was involved in the Christopher Columbus statue controversy in 2021.George Smyrniotis, who served as First Deputy General Counsel for the district, alleged that Lightfoot berated him over a Zoom call, damaging his reputation and leading to the loss of his job as well as causing him emotional distress.The Columbus statue was removed from Arrigo Park in Little Italy in the summer of 2020 after it had become the target of protests and unrest after the murder of George Floyd.DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 NEWS APPOn behalf of the Chicago Park District, Smyrniotis penned a letter of agreement with the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA), allowing them to briefly display the statue at the 2021 Christopher Columbus Day parade.Lightfoot allegedly took umbrage to the agreement, telling an Italian-American leader she would pull the permit for the parade if the statue made an appearance, according to the lawsuit.An Italian American group is suing the city of Chicago to restore the Christopher Columbus statue that was removed during protests last year.She then berated Smyrniotis and his General Counsel Timothy King in a Zoom call on the night of the parade, the lawsuit claims."You d****, what the f*** were you thinking? You make some kind of secret agreement with Italians, what you are doing, you are out there measuring your d**** with the Italians seeing whose got the biggest d***, you are out there stroking your d**** over the Columbus statue, I am trying to keep Chicago Police officers from being shot and you are trying to get them shot.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has delivered 8 key points to the government to be considered to overcome the present economic challenges.These measures are as follows:a) introducing measures to discourage non-essential and non-urgent imports urgently based on the previous recommendation made by the Central Bankb) increasing fuel prices and electricity tariffs immediately, to reflect the costc) incentivising foreign remittances and investments furtherd) implementing energy conservation measures, while accelerating the move towards renewable energye) increasing government revenue through suitable tax increases on a sustained basisf) mobilising foreign financing and non-debt forex inflows on an urgent basisg) monetising the non-strategic and underutilised assets, andh) postponing non-essential and non-urgent capital projects.The above measures would ensure that a coordinated approach is adopted to overcome the challenging economic circumstances faced by the country and to prudently exit the COVID-relatedpolicy accommodation, said the Central Bank.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Minister of Power Gamini Lokuge told News 1st that he was sworn in as the Minister of Energy.He replaces Udaya Gammanpila as the country’s energy minister.Lokuge made the confirmation to News 1st when exiting the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday (3) evening following a meeting, while adding that Pavithra Wanniarachchi would be taking oaths as the Minister of Power.

AUSTIN, Texas - Aleksei Nikolin attempts to hold a crying, wiggling toddler inside his cramped car as he video chats with a FOX 7 reporter.  "Yes. You see that they are crying because we are tired.

Russian artillery fire is blasting Ukraine's largest nuclear plant, sparking a fire, hours after international atomic regulators warned combat at the facility could wreak havoc, according to Ukraine authorities.Video posted to Telegram, an encrypted messaging app, early Friday local time appeared to show a projectile landing outside the facility, creating a large fireball.Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, tweeted that Russian forces were "firing from all sides" on the facility."Fire has already broken out," he wrote – a claim that appears to be supported by grainy livestream video. "If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chernobyl.""We demand that they stop the heavy weapons fire," Andriy Tuz, spokesperson for the plant in Enerhodar, said in another video posted on Telegram.

It’s estimated that 1 million Ukranians have now fled the country. Mike Armstrong reports from Poland detailing the refugee situation unfolding there.

PHILADELPHIA - Several Ukrainian communities around Philadelphia have organized relief efforts to help their homeland that continues to valiantly defend itself against an invasion from Russia. The Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center is collecting thousands of boxes of supplies, community leaders are coming together to help, and businesses are holding fundraisers.Craft Hall in Old City held a fundraiser Thursday where every dollar donated was doubled for Voices of Children.Adam Hornik, Craft Hall Owner, partnered with Ukrainian-born DJ Irene Whoo for the event."This organization provides them both psychological and financial and logistical support to help them deal with this tragedy that they are going through," Hornik said.Whoo accompanied the fundraising effort by playing traditional Ukrainian music that she fell in love with as a youth. "We grew up listening to traditional dance, fun, Ukrainian music," Whoo said. "Lots of instruments lots of horns, violins.  It’s drinking music, my people they are rambunctious and fun and happy."Her family fled Ukraine in the early 90’s during the Russian Occupation. The daily rhythms of life that play in her head have been overshadowed by the sounds of war that are breaking her heart."I really just wanted to put something together for everyone to not even talk about anything but positive things," Whoo said. "Hugging each other, be happy, dance."Local pastry chefs are coming together to 'Bake for Ukraine' and there's ways that you can help their cause!Volunteers at the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center in Jenkintown worked tirelessly to process, package, and ship thousands of boxes of donations to support families in Ukraine.

As Russia continues to wage war in Ukraine, Latvian President Egils Levits tells Global’s Mercedes Stephenson that he fears Russia could also invade his nation as a former member of the USSR.

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Auto Show returns this weekend and prospective car buyers have never had so many options to choose from, but inflated gas prices worsened by the war in Ukraine seem to have pushed electric and hybrid vehicles to the forefront.According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.57, up five cents from last week. Drivers were paying $2.67 a gallon on average a year ago at this time.The auto show, which runs from Mar.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to sit down for talks while urging the West to offer a stronger military assistance to Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion.In a sarcastic reference to a long table Putin used for his recent meetings with foreign leaders and Russian officials, Zelenskyy said: "Sit down with me to negotiate, just not at 30 meters," adding, "I don’t bite. What are you afraid of?"During Thursday's news conference, Zelenskyy said that prospects for another round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiations don’t seem promising, but emphasized the need to negotiate, adding that "any words are more important than shots."RELATED: Who is Volodymyr Zelenskyy?: How this comedian became a wartime presidentHe said the world was too slow to offer support for Ukraine and prodded Western leaders to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine to deny access to the Russian warplanes.

Authorities in Germany this week seized a lavish $600 million yacht belonging to a Russian oligarch, according to reports.The Dilbar, a 512-foot vessel belonging to billionaire Alisher Usmanov, was taken over by authorities while it was being refitted in a German shipyard, Forbes reported.The business magazine learned about the move Wednesday, just two days after Usmanov was sanctioned by the European Union as part of its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the report said.The EU has accused Usmanov of being a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a supporter of Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea, the Washington Examiner reported.Usmanov on Tuesday confirmed that financial actions had been taken against him."On 28 February 2022 I became the target of restrictive measures imposed by the European Union I believe that such decision is unfair, and the reasons employed to justify the sanctions are a set of false and defamatory allegations damaging my honor, dignity, and business reputation," he wrote Tuesday.The statement was posted on the website of the International Fencing Federation, where the former professional fencer served as president since 2008 until stepping down Monday, the Examiner reported.The Dilbar had been undergoing work at a shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, since October, according to Forbes. Employees of Blohm+Voss, the shipbuilding firm overseeing the project, were not at work Wednesday, the report said.German shipbuilder Lurssen, which built the Dilbar, claims it’s the world’s largest motor yacht by gross tonnage, weighing nearly 16,000 tons, according to Forbes.When operating, the ship has a crew of 96 people.

Operatic soprano Anna Netrebko performs in a concert at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 18, 2021.

Most of the Thompson family members are shown on the left; on the right is "M," whom they're trying to rescue and adopt from Ukraine. (Colleen Thompson) As Russia continues its attack against Ukraine, Colleen Thompson of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday about her family's desperate efforts to help orphans in Ukraine get out of the country safely.One orphan in particular, "M," is a future member of their family — a teenage girl whom the family had begun the process of adopting about three years ago.

Bryson Woolsey is trading in his chef’s apron and the luxury of home for ammunition and danger to help people in Ukraine during their time of crisis.

A new poll suggests almost two-thirds of Canadians believe the Russian invasion of Ukraine has the potential to develop into a world war.

Russia has been accused of using thermobaric vacuum bombs during its invasion of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials."They used the vacuum bomb today," Ukraine's ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova told reporters after meeting with U.S. lawmakers Monday. "...The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large."Thermobaric explosives, also called fuel-air explosives (FAE), use oxygen around them to generate a high-temperature blast.

People who have fled from war in Ukraine arrive at a temporary shelter set up in a former shopping center in Przemysl, Poland. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) WASHINGTON - Airbnb says they are working to offer free temporary housing for up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine during the Russian invasion.

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The devastation mounts in Ukraine as Russian forces tighten their grip and ramp up attacks. Jeff Semple reports on the carnage, where some people have been forced to hide, and how others are standing up to Russian troops.

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

Ukrainians are feeling the weight of war, as Russia closes in on some of the country’s most populated areas. But despite bombings from above and attacks on the ground, Ukrainians and those fighting for them are still battling back, trying to block Russian advances.

KYIV, Ukraine - Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are expected to hold talks in Belarus on Thursday, a second round of face-to-face discussions since the Russian invasion eight days ago.In a video address to the nation early Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Ukrainians to keep up their resistance, but didn’t comment on whether the Russians have seized any cities."They will have no peace here," Zelenskyy said, calling on the Russian soldiers to "go home" and describing them as "confused children who have been used."His comments come as Russia acknowledged for the first time since the start of the invasion that nearly 500 Russian troops have been killed in the fighting and around 1,600 wounded. Ukraine has not released a similar casualty figure for its armed forces.The U.N.

Ukraine to assist in the country's defense against the invading Russian military.Childress, speaking on FOX & Friends, said he was moved by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's spirit to defend his country."I heard Zelenskyy say he didn't want out, he needed ammunition," Childress said.The NASCAR legend said he called Fred Wagenhals, the CEO of AMMO Inc., about how they could make it happen. Childress told co-host Brian Kilmeade that Wagenhals immediately offered to begin production on ammunition for Ukrainian fighters. "To see people in Ukraine fighting, it's terrible to see the lives being lost over there," Childress said.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Public Utilities Commission said that the 7.5-hour blackout will be imposed for Friday (4) as well.

Seventy-three percent of the United Nations General Assembly has voted to condemn Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Jackson Proskow reports on which Russian allies withheld support for Moscow, and the sanctions aimed at the richest oligarchs.

As the invasion in Ukraine closes in on one week, people here are trying to figure out how they can help those who have been forced to flee.

Brace yourselves, folks. This might just be the most frustrating two minutes of television game show play you’ve ever seen.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Tuesday that it would impose additional economic measures against Russia, saying it would be announced in the coming days, but did not elaborate on what steps would be taken.

Hundreds of Canadian soldiers are Latvia, training to defend against a possible attack in case Russia extends its aggression beyond Ukraine.

MONTERREY, MEXICO - MARCH 01: Elina Svitolina of Ukraine celebrates a point during a match between Anastasia Potapova of Russia and Elina Svitolina of Ukraine as part of Day 4 of the GNP Seguros WTA Monterrey Open 2022 at Estadio GNP Seguros on March MEXICO CITY - Elina Svitolina put on the yellow and blue colors of Ukraine and beat Anastasia Potapova of Russia 6-2, 6-1 on Tuesday in the opening round of the Monterrey Open, deciding she could do more for her country by playing than boycotting the match.Top-seeded Svitolina earlier said she wouldn’t play against Potapova in Mexico or against any Russian or Belarusian opponents until the International Tennis Federation and the men’s and women’s tennis tours barred competitors from those countries using any national symbols, flags or anthems.The tennis governing bodies issued a statement Tuesday confirming that Russian and Belarusian players will still be allowed to compete at the top level, but without national flags.RUSSIAN MILITARY CONTINUES ATTACKS ON CROWDED CITIES IN UKRIANE"Today it was a very special match for me," the 27-year-old Svitolina said. "I’m in a very sad mood, but I’m happy that I´m playing tennis here."I was focused.

The European Union has approved new sanctions against Belarus for its supporting role in Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine, effectively banning about 70 per cent of all imports from that country, the EU said on Wednesday.

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

Ordinary Russians faced the prospect of higher prices and crimped foreign travel as Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine sent the ruble plummeting, leading uneasy depositors to line up at banks and ATMs on Monday in a country that has seen more than one currency disaster in the post-Soviet era.

PHILADELPHIA - A Montgomery County couple is returning to their homeland of Ukraine to help defend against Russia's ongoing invasion which has intensified over the last week.The husband and wife, who wished to remain anonymous for safety reasons, have watched in disbelief as Vladimir Putin's army continues to bombard their former home."For myself, I knew from the beginning that I'm going to go. I want to do something.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The International Monetary Fund says that due to Sri Lanka’s persistent external debt service burden, international reserves would remain inadequate, despite the authorities’ ongoing efforts to secure FX financing from external sources.In a statement, the IMF adds that unless the fiscal and balance-of-payments financing needs are met, the country could experience significant contractions in imports and private credit growth, or monetary instability in case of further central bank financing of fiscal deficits.The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with Sri Lanka on February 25, 2022.The IMF Executive Directors have called for continued improvements to expenditure rationalization, budget formulation and execution, and the fiscal rule.They also encouraged the authorities to reform state-owned enterprises and adopt cost-recovery energy pricing.Directors called for renewed efforts on growth-enhancing structural reforms.They stressed the importance of increasing female labor force participation and reducing youth unemployment. Further efforts are needed to diversify the economy, phase out import restrictions, and improve the business and investment climate in general.Directors also called for prudent management of the Colombo Port City project and continued efforts to strengthen governance and fight corruption.FULL STATEMENT:The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with Sri Lanka on February 25, 2022.Sri Lanka has been hit hard by COVID-19.