Sri Lanka, USAID, and FAO to boost rice-based ecosystem productivity

London-based BP's disclosure came a day after rival Shell reported a similar multimillion-dollar pay package for its top executive on the heels of both companies posting their highest-ever annual earnings last month.BP said in its annual report that CEO Bernard Looney was paid a total of 10 million pounds ($12 million) in 2022, up from 4.5 million pounds the previous year. Looney's pay package includes a cash bonus of 2.4 million pounds and 6 million pounds in bonus company stock.READ MORE: Gas prices increase, but the tide may change: AAABP reported in February that its profit doubled to $28 billion as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent oil and gas prices soaring.Fat profits at fossil fuel giants and big salaries for top executives have spurred demands for the companies to do more to shield consumers from high energy costs that have fueled decades-high inflation and ratcheted up utility bills.Activist groups such as Global Witness and some opposition lawmakers in Britain have called for expanding taxes on the windfall profits of energy companies and taxing bonuses.The BP company logo is seen outside a petrol station on September 23, 2021 in London, England.

People with Long Covid could suffer from a wider range of symptoms than previously thought, scientists studying the condition have found. 

Colombo, (News 1st) : Several civil society organisations including the Inter-University Students' Federation, civil activists and trade unions staged a protest against state oppression in front of the UN office earlier today. The protest was staged against the use of tear gas to disperse crowds at protests, the cinnamon stick army, the use of tear gas on school students and the forced entry by police into universities. Speaking at the protest, IUSF Convener Wasantha Mudalige blamed the government for using expired tear gas canisters as chemical weapons to oppress people. Protesters claimed that three people have succumbed to tear gas attacks on three occassions including the Jathika Jana Balawegaya protest on February 26, the protest near the Colombo University on March 7 and during a protest near Parliament sometime ago. The protesters therefore demanded the UN to expedite an international investigation into the use of expired tear gas munitions. During the protest Ceylon Teachers' Union General Secretary Joseph Stalin questioned the state on firing tear gas at children. "The UN must look at these gross human rights violations.

COLOMBO (News 1st); A report prepared by the Centre for Society and Religion on the use of tear gas in Sri Lanka has revealed that Sri Lanka Police has not conducted any laboratory test over the contents of tear gas munitions.The report filed based on the information obtained via the Right to Information Act revealed that Sri Lanka Police had used expired tear gas munitions to disperse protests in 2022, and some of those munitions were produced back in 2000.It noted that in 2012, a total of 20,000 tear gas munitions were procured and until 2016 only 2,306 of those units were used.The report adds that the remaining munitions were to expire in 2017, however they were not disposed.It added that from 2012 to 2019 a total of over 40,000 tear gas munitions were to expire, and during that period 8,265 tear gas munitions were used on protests, and another 31,735 expired tear gas munitions remain in service.The report from the Centre for Society and Religion notes that the handling of tear gas munitions by Sri Lanka Police totally violates all instructions given by the manufacturers, including to not deploy the munitions close to live firearms, and not to fire them directly at protestors.It added that from March to July 2022, during the period of the worst economic crisis in the country, Sri Lanka Police deployed 6,722 tear gas munitions on 84 separate occasions at a cost of Rs.

The Human Rights Committee on Thursday (9) concluded its consideration of the sixth periodic report of Sri Lanka on how it implements the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, with Committee Experts commending actions taken to resettle internally displaced persons, and raising issues concerning the effectiveness of constitutional reform and impunity for military officers who had allegedly committed or overseen human rights violations.A Committee Expert noted progress made in settling internally displaced persons. They welcomed that 92 per cent of the private land held by the military had been released to legitimate civilian owners.On internally displaced persons, the delegation said a special unit had been established.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Finance Secretary has informed the country's Election Commission that the request letter for funds for the Local Government Election was directed to the Finance Minister for approval.This was in response to the letter sent to the Finance Secretary by the Election Commission on the 7th of March, seeking funds for the Local Government Election.Election Commission Chairman Attorney Nimal Punchihewa noted that the Finance Secretary had informed him of the fact that given the current situation in the country, the Finance Secretary's approval alone will be sufficient to provide funds for the Local Government Election.However, the Election Commission Chairman said he was hopeful the necessary funds will be delivered in due course.The Local Government Election scheduled for 9th March 2023 was postponed due to the lack of funds, and it was rescheduled to the 25th of April 2023.Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on 3rd March issued an interim order on the country's Finance Secretary, and the Attorney General who represents the Finance Minister preventing them from withholding any funds allocated by the 2023 Budget for the Local Government Poll 2023.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa on Thursday (9) was appointed as the new Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on International Relations of the Sri Lankan Parliament.Moreover, MP Chamal Rajapaksa was unanimously appointed as the Chair to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges for the Fourth Session of the Ninth Parliament on Thursday (08).MP Ali Sabri Raheem proposed the name of Chamal Rajapaksa and State Minister Vijitha Berugoda seconded it.Accordingly, matters taken up during the Third Session of the Ninth Parliament which are in pending status were agreed to be taken into future consideration. Moreover, it was also discussed to hold a workshop for the heads of media organizations with the coordination of this committee.It was also decided in the committee to hold a workshop to educate Members of Parliament regarding ethics and privileges.

COLOMBO – The Government of Japan has contributed an additional US$6.6 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to provide critical food and nutrition assistance to over one million Sri Lankans.Through this funding, WFP will provide families with food baskets comprising rice, pulses and cooking oil, to meet half their monthly food needs for a period of two months. The donation will also be used to procure maize and soybean for the production of Thriposha, a fortified food product, for a period of four months, which will be supplied to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and young children at risk of malnutrition.  Mizukoshi Hideaki, Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka said, “We are pleased to announce that the Government of Japan has decided to provide additional humanitarian support to Sri Lanka in this critical moment.

PHILADELPHIA - Students with autism and other disabilities in the School District of Philadelphia may be eligible to apply for off-site school-to-work transition programs including Project Career Launch."The goal is to set students up for a career pathway where they have the opportunity to learn skills and grow as they transition out of special education services in the school district," said Jackie Abrams, Associate Director of Transition Pathways of the AJ Drexel Autism Institute.Currently, there are two student cohorts, one meeting at Drexel University and the second at the Community College of Philadelphia.Daniel Clark, 19, is currently enrolled in the program and interning in the Tech Lab at the School District of Philadelphia."I am still a student in high school, but I am well-developed to see what is new for me out there," said Clark. "It’s about helping young adults with disabilities to find jobs and what they want in their future."MORE LOCAL HEADLINESStudents who enroll for this additional year will be placed in internships and learn valuable life skills including finances and job placement.Josiah Diaz, 19, is handling various responsibilities since joining Project Career Launch this school year.

Genesis guitarist and bassist Mike Rutherford has updated fans on the state of Phil Collins’ health.Collins has experienced issues with his health since suffering a spinal injury in 2007, which damaged vertebrae in his upper neck and also left him with nerve damage. The injury has impacted his ability to perform, and at Genesis’ last ever show in March 2022, he performed in a wheelchair.Now, Rutherford has spoken about Collins’ health in an interview on BBC Breakfast to promote his upcoming tour with Mike + The Mechanics, in which Collins’ son Nic will be playing drums.Speaking about Collins’ condition, Rutherford said: “As you know, Phil is a bit… He’s much more immobile than he used to be, which is a shame, but at the tour, he was in good spirits.

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India, Milinda Moragoda said that the economic integration is the key to enhancing the exiting relations between India and Sri Lanka to a special relationship. He made these remarks while addressing the officers of the Indian Armed Forces at the prestigious Army War College, Mhow, on the topic ‘Trajectory of Sri Lanka India Relations: 2030’.Speaking to the officers of the Indian Armed Forces who are following the Joint Higher Command Course, High Commissioner Moragoda broadly highlighted the strategic significance of Indo-Lanka relations drawing from the historical ties to the present status of the special relationship between the two countries.  Elaborating on the vibrant Indo-Lanka relations, High Commissioner Moragoda highlighted the key role played by India by way of extending much-needed financial assistance worth nearly USD 4 billion, which served as the lifeline that rescued Sri Lanka’s economy from a total collapse.He also deliberated upon the strong defence cooperation that exists between the two countries and the continued training assistance extended to the members of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces by India, including the training opportunities offered by the Army War College.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Human Rights Commission has decided to summon Public Security Minister Tiran Alles for an inquiry on 13th March 2023, at 10 AM.The inquiry will be held to seek a clarification on the measures adopted by Sri Lanka Police to contain protests in Colombo and Kelaniya on the 7th and 8th of March 2023.The inquiry will take place at the Human Rights Commission premises in Colombo. In addition, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has decided to conduct an inquiry on the measures adopted by Sri Lanka Police and the Armed Forces to control protests that took place close to the University of Colombo on the 7th and 8th of March, and at the Kelaniya University on the 8th of March.HRCSL has informed the country's police chief to submit a list of Senior Police officers who were on the field to control the said protests before the 10th of March. 

(Reuters) – Sri Lanka aims to announce a debt-restructuring strategy in April and step up talks with commercial creditors ahead of an International Monetary Fund review of a bailout package in six months, the nation's central bank governor told Reuters.The crisis-hit island has secured financing assurances from all its major bilateral creditors, including India and China, and so has set the stage for the IMF to give its final approval for a $2.9 billion, four-year bailout package on March 20, the multilateral lender said on Tuesday.The bailout is the culmination of months of negotiations as Sri Lanka looks to emerge from its worst economic crisis in more than seven decades."When you see the staff level agreement published – that will contain our commitment to debt restructuring and that will also reveal medium-term debt targets for us to restore debt sustainability on a long-term basis," central bank Governor P. Nandalal Weerasinghe said on Thursday."So somewhere in April we will announce … how we are going to meet those medium-to-long-term (debt) targets.

A Hong Kong runner has completed Sri Lanka’s 22-day Pekoe Trail in just 58 hours.Sri Lanka holds a special place in Hyun Chang Chung’s heart and with an emotional connection in mind the decided to run the newly minted 300-kilometre Pekoe Trail.When he heard an old acquaintance had designed a multi-day trail route to help promote tourism in Sri Lanka, Chung’s ears pricked up.The trail is split into 22 stages, each designed to take one day. But Hong Kong-based Chung, just 49 year-old, finished it in just 58 hours.The Pekoe Trail is a 300km hiking route that connects tea plantations across the country.

Volleys of Russian missiles struck a series of Ukrainian regions early on Thursday, including the Black Sea port of Odesa and the second city of Kharkiv, knocking out power to several areas, regional officials said.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Six university students who were arrested during Wednesday (8) night's protest at the Kelaniya University will be produced to the Mahara Magistrate on Thursday (9).Sri Lanka Police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse a group of university students at the Kelaniya University premises. This protest commenced at around 9 PM on Wednesday (8).This protest was organized against the arrest of Student Leader Kelum Mudannayake, and Student Activist Dilshan Harshana, and the students demanded their immediate release.Though tear gas and water cannons were used multiple times to disperse the protesting students, they continued to engage in the protest until midnight.One lane along the Colombo – Kandy main road was completely blocked due to the protest, disrupting the movement of traffic.

 Sri Lanka’s rupee, which became the world’s best performing currency this year amid hopes of an International Monetary Fund bailout, may resume declines and lose a fifth of its value against the dollar by end-2023, according to Fitch Solutions.“We are optimistic that Sri Lanka will be able to secure an IMF board approval by early 2Q-2023,” said Seah Wang Ting, country risk analyst at Fitch Solutions. Nevertheless, there’s potential for disruptions after the initial board approval as authorities may find it challenging to stay on track with the IMF program amid a weakening economy and a local election likely on the horizon, he said.Fitch maintained its forecast for the rupee to weaken to a record low of 390 per dollar by year-end.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Criminal Investigations Department arrested a 34-year-old man for fraud.Sri Lanka Police said that the suspect had doctored invoices to defraud approximately Rs.

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.

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) – International Women's Day Special on Face The Nation: Women's Rights in Sri Lanka.

Nurses suffering from Long Covid have told how their lives and careers have been left in ruins after picking up the virus as they cared for others.

travellers from China from 5 January 2023 due to surge of infections. It had stated that all travellers to the US from China will be required to take a COVID-19 test no more than two days before travel and provide a negative test before boarding their flight.  China was battered with a surge in cases after it abruptly abandoned its zero-COVID policy in early December, unleashing the virus on its 1.4 billion population.

oe Biden speaks at the International Association of Fire Fighters legislative conference in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, March 6, 2023. The Biden administration is nearing completion of an executive order that would restrict investments by US compa WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden on Tuesday proposed new taxes on the rich to help fund Medicare, saying the plan would help to extend the insurance program's solvency by 25 years and provide a degree of middle-class stability to millions of older adults.In his plan, Biden is overtly declaring that the wealthy ought to shoulder a heavier tax burden.

Colombo (News 1st) – State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath stated that Sri Lanka is in need of an Online Safety Act to regulate social media.He made these comments during an adjournment motion presented by the ruling faction highlighting the importance of regulating social media and formulating relevant laws in Parliament on Tueday (07)."SLCERT is empowered to regulate this. They will initiate a program in this regard.

Pennsylvania who went missing more than 30 years ago and was legally declared dead has turned up, very much alive, in a nursing home in Puerto Rico.Patricia Kopta, 83, was last seen by her family in Pittsburgh in 1992, according to a missing person flyer posted by the Pennsylvania Emergency Response Center. At the time, she was a well-known street preacher known as “The Sparrow” because of her slight build.Her husband Bob Kopta reported her missing in 1992, noting it wasn’t uncommon for his wife to leave for short periods of time.

Colombo (News 1st) – The International Monetary Fund announced on Tuesday (07) that Sri Lanka has received financial assurances from all its major bilateral creditors. This paves the way for the IMF Board to consider the approval of the Staff Level Agreement for financing under the Extended Fund Facility on March 20.Earlier in the day, China gave assurances that it will support Sri Lanka's debt restructuring, clearing the biggest hurdle for the nation to secure a USD 2.9 billion bailout from the IMF. The IMF approval for a USD 2.9 billion loan depended on financial assurance from all Sri Lankan creditors.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka has now received financing assurances from all major bilateral creditors, said Krishna Srinivasan, Director of Asia and Pacific Department of IMF on Tuesday (7).This paves the way for consideration by the IMF’s Board on March 20th the approval of the Staff Level Agreement reached on September 1st, 2022 for financing under an Extended Fund Facility. Approval by the Board would also catalyze financing from other creditors, including the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, he said in a statement.The arrangement will support the authorities’ program of ambitious reforms, that they have already embarked upon, which will help Sri Lanka emerge from its current crisis and set it on a trajectory of strong and inclusive growth, said Krishna Srinivasan, Director of Asia and Pacific Department of IMF.

TOKYO - Japan’s space agency intentionally destroyed a new H3 rocket minutes after its launch Tuesday because the ignition failed for the second stage of the country's first new rocket series in more than two decades.Coming three weeks after an aborted launch due to a separate glitch, the H3's failure was a setback for Japan’s space program — and possibly for its missile detection program — and a disappointment for space fans who were rooting for Tuesday's retrial.The H3 rocket with a white head blasted off and soared into the blue sky from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan as fans and local residents cheered. It followed its planned trajectory and the second stage separated as designed, but the ignition for it failed, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said.JAXA officials apologized for the failure, and said it sent a command to destroy the rocket about 14 minutes after liftoff as there was no hope for it to complete its mission.Japan's next-generation H3 rocket failed after liftoff on March 7, 2023, with the space agency issuing a destruct command after concluding the mission could not succeed.

Ensitrelvir can shorten symptoms of mild to moderate COVID-19 by about a day Ensitrelvir, a new antiviral drug, has been shown to shorten symptoms of mild to moderate COVID-19 and moreover, it has the potential to prevent long COVID, study has shown. Here's all you need to know about the drug, can it really prevent long COVID and why the experts are still skeptical about it.  Ensitrelvir has been developed by Shionogi in Osaka, Japan and they claim that it shorten symptoms of mild to moderate COVID-19 by about a day and reduce the number of days people test positive for coronavirus.  The trial data was presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.  The trial involved roughly 1,200 people and aimed to determine whether the drug could accelerate recovery.

Hundreds of police officers have been signed off work with long Covid since the start of the pandemic, new date has revealed.

The United States’ list of recently sanctioned entities for alleged support for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine includes two Canadian companies, U.S. and Canadian authorities said on Monday.

If comedian Chris Rock wants people to know one thing about “the slap heard around the world,” it’s that he can take a blow just like Manny Pacquiao.

COLOMBO (News1st) – China has given assurances that it will support Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring, clearing the biggest hurdle for the South Asian nation to secure a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund.According to Bloomberg Sri Lanka’s largest bilateral creditor gave written support for the debt restructuring via the Export-Import Bank of China on March 6. Bloomeberg quoted people familiar with the situation as saying the letter meets the requirements of the IMF.China’s backing completes the support Sri Lanka needs from creditor nations to allow the IMF board to approve the loan that was agreed upon by the Fund staff in September. 

Colombo (News 1st) – State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasooriya says that "Sri Lanka actively participated and contributed to the process," of agreeing upon the historic High Seas Treaty.After more than 20 years of negotiations, over 100 member states of the United Nations on Saturday (4th) finally agreed upon the text of the historic High Seas Treaty, the world's first international treaty aimed at protecting the millions of species that inhabit the world's oceans.The High Seas Treaty places 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030, aiming to safeguard and recuperate marine nature.The agreement was reached on Saturday evening, after 38 hours of talks, at UN headquarters in New York.The negotiations had been held up for years over disagreements on funding and fishing rights.The last international agreement on ocean protection was signed 40 years ago in 1982 – the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.When News 1st reached out to State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasooriya in this regard, he said that "Sri Lanka actively participated and contributed to the process."He added, "An agreement was reached following more than a decade of discussions on the 4th of March 2023 by UN member states to have an internationally legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity beyond areas of natural jurisdiction under the united nations law of the sea."  That agreement established an area called the high seas – international waters where all countries have a right to fish, ship and do research – but only 1.2% of these waters are protected.Marine life living outside of these protected areas has been at risk from climate change, overfishing, and shipping traffic.

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA - 2020/05/27: A slice of pastry made using a ketogenic diet recipe. The sweet food is made with coconut flour and coconut oil.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released a proposed rule with new requirements on "Product of USA" labels in an effort to increase transparency and help ensure consumers understand where their food comes from. Announced Monday, the proposed rule allows the voluntary label "Product of USA or "Made in the USA" claim be used on meat, poultry and egg products only when they are derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the U.S. "American consumers expect that when they buy a meat product at the grocery store, the claims they see on the label mean what they say," agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.

Travelers wait to check-in at the American Airlines counter at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, California, US, on Dec. 27, 2022.

Russia’s Wagner mercenary force has said his troops now tightening their grip on the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut are being deprived of ammunition and that, if they are forced to retreat, the entire front will collapse.Yevgeny Prigozhin had said on Friday that his units had “practically surrounded Bakhmut,” where fighting has intensified in the past week after months of attritional warfare, with Russian forces attacking from three sides. Read more: Battle for Bakhmut rages on as Russian shelling elsewhere kills civilians  Wagner often appears to operate autonomously from the regular army, or even in competition with it – and in a video published over the weekend, Prigozhin complained that the ammunition that Moscow had promised it had not been delivered.“If Wagner retreats from Bakhmut now, the whole front will collapse,” Prigozhin said.

FILE - Victoria's Secret's Angels take to the runway for the 2018 Victoria's Secret Holiday Special. (Jeff Neira via Getty Images) Victoria’s Secret plans to bring back its annual fashion show after a four-year hiatus, CFO Tim Johnson said in the 2022 earnings call on Friday. "We're going to continue to lean into the marketing spend to invest in the business, both at top-of-funnel and also to support the new version of our fashion show, which is to come later this year," Johnson said.The company previously mentioned resurrecting the over-the-top show that often involved lingerie-clad models strutting in extravagant ensembles during their investor day in October. "At VS&Co, we are always innovating and ideating in all spheres of the business to continue to put our customer at the center of all we do and reinforce our commitment to championing women's voices and their unique perspectives," Victoria’s Secret told Fox News Digital in a statement on Saturday, confirming the planned reinvention of the show. VICTORIA'S SECRET SAYS GOODBYE TO ANGELS IN AN ATTEMPT TO REDEFINE ‘SEXY’ "As we've previously shared, our new brand projection and mission will continue to be our guiding principle.

Colombo (News 1st) – State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya was amongst the dignitaries present for the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries taking place in Doha, Qatar The event is being held from the 5th to the 9th of this month.State Minister Tharaka Balasuriya met with counterpart Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Qatar, for a discussion that touched upon many areas including the recognition of the Sri Lankan Engineering degrees by Qatari authorities and Sri Lanka's technical support for Qatari government's attempt to promote cricket in Qatar. Tharaka Balasuriya also expressed Sri Lanka's unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and its people to the President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas.With ongoing progressions and developments on the new establishment of the Office of Overseas Sri Lankans, the State Minister held a side meeting with HE Antonio Vitorino, Director of IOM in Doha, in which HE Vitorino assured IOM support on the digitalization of the Office of Overseas Sri Lankans as well as continuous support of the IOM with matters pertaining to migration. State Minister Balasuriya also met with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Italy Maria Tripodi. Discussions were held, particularly on bilateral relations between the respective countries.

Kyle Busch, who won at Fontana last week to earn his first victory for Richard Childress Racing, returns home to Las Vegas as the favorite to win the Pennzoil 400.  Busch's 61 career victories are the most among active drivers. But he’ll face tough competition from Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, and others competing on the 1.5-mile track.Hamlin has the longest active streak of top-10 finishes on 1.5-mile tracks at six.  Larson has finished in the top 10 in eight of his last 10 starts at Las Vegas, and Chastain finished in the top three in both Las Vegas races in 2022, Nascar.com noted. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A Bombardier Challenger 300 XOJet charter passenger jet heads out to the runway at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport in this aerial photo taken on June 1, 2021, in Santa Rosa, California.

climate change poses a profound, ongoing threat to national security and prosperity, including the possible loss of parts of British Columbia and the Atlantic provinces to rising sea levels.A newly released analysis by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service also foresees an increase in ideologically motivated violent extremism from people who want to speed up climate change solutions and those more interested in preserving their current way of life.

Bakhmut, as residents attempted to flee with help from troops who Western analysts say may be preparing to withdraw from the key eastern stronghold. Read more: Canada’s defence chief makes first trip to Ukraine since Russian invasion A woman was killed and two men were badly wounded by shelling while trying to cross a makeshift bridge out of the city in Donetsk province, according to Ukrainian troops who were assisting them.A Ukrainian army representative who asked not to be named for operational reasons told The Associated Press that it was now too dangerous for civilians to leave Bakhmut by vehicle and that people had to flee on foot instead.Bakhmut has for months been a prime target of Moscow’s grinding eastern offensive in the war, with Russian troops, including forces from the private Wagner Group, inching ever closer.An AP team near Bakhmut on Saturday saw a pontoon bridge set up by Ukrainian soldiers to help the few remaining residents reach the nearby village of Khromove.

Canada’s defence chief has concluded his first trip to Ukraine since the Russian invasion started more than a year ago.

Patricia Kopta (Ross Township Police Department) A Pennsylvania woman who went missing more than 30 years ago in a case that stumped authorities who later declared her legally dead has been found living in a nursing home in Puerto Rico.Patricia Kopta left behind a husband and siblings and meandered through northern Puerto Rico for a while before she was taken as a person "in need" to the adult care home in 1999, according to details announced at a news conference this week in Ross Township, where she once lived.Kopta, once known as a street preacher in her hometown, initially kept her past secret while in Puerto Rico. But she began to divulge details as she suffered progressively from dementia, Ross Township Deputy Police Chief Brian Kohlhepp said.By last year, a social worker at the home had enough information to alert authorities back home about the now-83-year-old woman.