Surgeries that are not urgent, to be delayed in government hospitals – Health Minister

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka and Japan singed Exchange Notes for a humanitatrian grant of USD 46 Million.Mahinda Siriwardena, the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, and Mizukoshi Hideaki, the Ambassador of Japan, signed an Exchange of Notes to secure a humanitarian grant of USD 46 million. The purpose of the grant is to provide diesel fuel to public hospitals throughout Sri Lanka. The signing ceremony took place at the President's Office, with President Ranil Wickremesinghe in attendance.Under this agreement, the Government of Japan has committed to supplying 20 million litres of diesel fuel.

NORTH PHILADELPHIA - Police are investigating a shooting near Temple’s campus that occurred just blocks from where a Temple University police officer was killed in the line of duty Saturday night.Officers responded to reports shooting near 19th Street and Montgomery Avenue, in North Philadelphia, around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.Police say a 17-year-old boy was shot four times in the leg and a 13-year-old girl was shot once in the right forearm. Both victims were rushed to Temple University Hospital.

NORTHERN LIBERTIES - Philadelphia police say a 34-year-old man is in critical condition after he was struck by a car in Philadelphia's Northern Liberties neighborhood.According to officials, the man was crossing Girard Avenue at Front Street Tuesday afternoon, just before 5 p.m.

Gurugram police has rescued a woman and her son who had locked themselves in a house for three years to avoid the Covid-19 virus. As per the details, the 33-year-old woman locked herself with her minor son in a rented house in Chakkarpur area. A team of police, health department officials, and members of the child welfare department broke open the main door of the house and rescued Munmun Majhi and her 10-year-old son.

WASHINGTON - Proud Boys leaders plotted to violently prevent President Joe Biden from taking office because they were trying to "save the country" from what they feared would be a tyrannical government, a former member of the far-right extremist group told a jury on Wednesday.FILE - Enrique Tarrio (C), leader of the Proud Boys, uses a megaphone while counter-protesting people gathered at the Torch of Friendship to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2021, in Miami, Florida. (Phot Jeremy Bertino, a key government witness in the seditious conspiracy case against former Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio and four associates, said he believed an "all-out revolution" was brewing in the days before a mob of Donald Trump supporters attacked the U.S.

Images of six candidate massive galaxies, seen 500-800 million years after the Big Bang. One of the sources (bottom left) could contain as many stars as our present-day Milky Way, but is 30 times more compact. These images are a composite of separate (NASA, ESA, CSA, I. Labbe (Swinburne University of Technology). Image processing: G. Brammer (Niels Bohr Institute’s Cosmic Dawn Center at the University of Copenhagen)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Astronomers have discovered what appear to be massive galaxies dating back to within 600 million years of the Big Bang, suggesting the early universe may have had a stellar fast-track that produced these "monsters."While the new James Webb Space Telescope has spotted even older galaxies, dating to within a mere 300 million years of the beginning of the universe, it’s the size and maturity of these six apparent mega-galaxies that stun scientists.

CALN TOWNSHIP, Pa. - The Chester County District Attorney's Office is investigating a shooting involving police in Caln Township. According to authorities, the incident began on Wednesday morning just before 2 a.m. when police received information about a stolen vehicle being found in the parking lot of a Wawa in Downingtown.  (Caln Township Police Department)Officials say the suspect, identified as 56-year-old Richard Luminello, of Houtzdale, Pennsylvania, who stole the vehicle, stole another car from the Wawa parking lot and fled from officers attempting to stop him from entering a nearby neighborhood. Police say a Caln Township officer was at the intersection of Westerham and Shelburne Road to put up stop strips when Luminello crashed into the officer's marked police car head on at a high rate of speed. SKYFOX flew over Caln Township, where a suspect was shot by police after crashing a stolen car into a police cruiser.  The stolen car hit the police cruiser so hard that it sent the cruiser backwards about 40 years, according to the District Attorney's Office. Authorities say the officer, who was behind the cruiser, had to dive out of the way to avoid being hit by the impact. As the stolen vehicle eventually came to a stop after the crash, Luminello got out of the car and began walking away from responding officers, per police. Officers shouted commands to Luminello as they approached him, officials say.

The HSE has confirmed it will not publish the full report into the handling of Covid-19 at St Mary's Nursing Home in the Phoenix Park, Dublin in 2020.

A post shared by The Wendy Experience (@thewendyexperiencepodcast)Once a fixture on the New York scene, Wendy has largely stayed out of the public eye since her health issues took hold. Wendy last appeared on her eponymous TV show in July 2021. She then contracted COVID, which complicated her Graves' disease and thyroid condition.

HATAY, Turkey - Rescuers in Hatay, Turkey, successfully pulled a small dog from the rubble of a collapsed building after a deadly earthquake devastated the region earlier this month, and the whole rescue was caught on camera.The video, recorded by Gurcan Ozturk on Feb. 8, shows the dog, named Pambuk, taking sips of water while it waited patiently to be freed from the rubble by rescuers.According to an Instagram post, Pambuk’s owner had been in intensive care in a nearby hospital following the catastrophic earthquakes.

SKYFOX flew over Caln Township, where a suspect was shot by police after crashing a stolen car into a police cruiser.  PHILADELPHIA - The Chester County District Attorney's Office is investigating a shooting involving police in Caln Township. According to authorities, the incident began on Wednesday morning just before 2 a.m. when police received information about a stolen vehicle being found in the parking lot of a Wawa in Downingtown Borough. Officials say the suspect, who stole the vehicle, stole another car from the Wawa parking lot and fled from officers attempting to stop him from entering a nearby neighborhood. Police say a Caln Township officer was at the intersection of Westerham and Shelburne Road to put up stop strips when the suspect crashed into the officer's marked police car head on at a high rate of speed. The stolen car hit the police cruiser so hard that it sent the cruiser backwards about 40 years, according to the District Attorney's Office. Authorities say the officer, who was behind the cruiser, had to dive out of the way to avoid being hit by the impact. As the stolen vehicle eventually came to a stop after the crash, the suspect got out of the car and began walking away from responding officers, per police. Officers shouted commands to the suspect as they approached him, officials say.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - An independent scientific agency that advises the federal government on policies that could impact marine mammals said there is no evidence linking site preparation work for offshore wind farms with a number of whale deaths along the U.S. East Coast.In a statement released Tuesday, the Marine Mammal Commission became the third federal agency to reject a link between the deaths and the offshore wind energy industry, despite a growing narrative among offshore wind opponents that probing the ocean floor to prepare for wind turbine projects is killing whales.Last month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S.

Club Q and the memorial for the victims of the shooting photographed in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Tuesday, November 29, 2022. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - It is no mystery who shot and killed five people at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs last year, but what motivated that person to target a venue that had long been a sanctuary for the LGBTQ community in the mostly conservative city remains unknown.That could change during a hearing that started Wednesday in a courtroom packed with victims and their relatives.

Kate McKenna starts her days much like the other parents on her street. She drives her kids to school and returns to her bungalow on a cul-de-sac south of Vancouver.

Amazon.com Inc. closed a $3.9 billion deal to acquire an operator of primary-care clinics, joining an array of companies betting on physicians and medical services to broaden their reach in healthcare.

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Police Department is investigating a home invasion in the Overbrook section of the city. According to police, the incident occurred Wednesday morning just after 6 a.m. on the 5600 block of Stewart Street. Authorities say two men entered the residence through a front window in the basement. Police say the homeowner, a 56-year-old man, was tied up before the suspects took his black 2012 Nissan Rogue. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESAccording to officials, the homeowner had cuts on his hands and bruises on his face.

Shawn Mendes has opened up about the “healing process” he went through after cancelling his ‘Wonder’ world tour in order to focus on his mental health.The Canadian pop star shelved a run of headline concerts last summer, saying at the time that he “wasn’t prepared for the toll that being back on the road would take” on him.He added: “After speaking with my team and working with an incredible group of health professionals, it has become more clear that I need to take the time I’ve never taken personally, to ground myself and come back stronger.”During a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mendes spoke about stepping back from his live commitments and the subsequent period of recovery.“The process was very difficult,” he recalled. “A lot of doing therapy, a lot of trying to understand how I was feeling and what was making me feel that way.

Despite battling a medical condition, Alan Jackson vows to make more music for his fans.  The 64-year-old country music star revealed his creative gears are always turning as he brainstorms new tracks. "I’m always scribbling down ideas and thinking about melodies… I feel like there’ll be some more music to come, yes," Jackson said during his daughter Mattie Jackson’s "In Joy Life" podcast.

WARSAW - President Joe Biden is wrapping up his whirlwind, four-day visit to Poland and Ukraine by reassuring eastern flank NATO allies that his administration is highly attuned to the looming threats and other impacts spurred by the grinding Russian invasion of Ukraine.Before departing Warsaw on Wednesday, Biden will hold talks with leaders from the Bucharest Nine, a collection of nations on the most eastern parts of the NATO alliance that came together in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.President Joe Biden challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to "end the war" against Ukraine and warned that the U.S. and its allies around the world will continue to support Ukraine and push for new sanctions on the Kremlin.

PHILADELPHIA - Police are investigating a shooting that left a man critically injured early Wednesday morning. According to authorities, a 26-year-old man was driving eastbound on Allegheny Avenue when a car next to him fired seven shots into the car. The man was shot in the abdomen twice and pulled into a nearby Sunoco gas station to turn around and drive in another direction, Chief Inspector Scott Small says. Officials say he was able to flag down police in the area of E Lippincott Street and Kensington Avenue. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESPolice say officers took the man to Temple University Hospital, where he is in critical condition. Investigators say they found seven spent shell casings in the area of Amber Street and E Allegheny Avenue. The shooting remains under investigation. 

COLOMBO (News 1st); If the Local Government Election is not held as planned, all Local Government Bodies will be moved under the control of the Commissioner from the 20th of March, as the tenure of the Local Government Institutions ends on that day.Public Administration & Home Affairs Secretary Neel Bandara Hapuhinna stated that accordingly, the secretaries of local councils and municipal councils as well as municipal commissioners are expected to carry out the administrative activities of those institutions.The petition filed against holding of the local government election is scheduled to be called up at the Supreme Court on Thursday (23).Based on the decision taken by the Supreme Court, the election commission will meet  on Friday (24) and take a decision.As of now, the postal poll related to the election has been postponed indefinitely due to the failure of the government printer to deliver the required ballot papers.The Government Printer took that step due to the non-payment of the required money for printing ballot papers.Recently, Sri Lanka's National Election Commission informed the Supreme Court that obstacles have arisen with regard to conducting the Local Government Election on the 9th of March 2023 as planned. 

found solace in the American consumer. On the surface, Walmart’s fourth-quarter results look like exhibit A for the optimists. The company’s comparable sales in America grew by a faster-than-expected 8.3%, compared with a year earlier.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Trinco Night Navigation Operations Project at the Trincomalee Harbour was launched recently, and is now in operation.Trincomalee Harbour, a natural deep-water harbor, is considered the fifth largest natural harbor in the world. Despite its world-class recognition among industrial and tourist ports, the development and operations of the Port of Trincomalee were hampered due to the rapid development of the Port of Colombo and the lack of potential to perform night operations. Vessels calling at the port at night had to enter the port during the daytime of the following day, after anchoring at the out-harbor waters during the previous night, which caused interruptions to port operations and their efficiency.As a result of fruitful discussions between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Government of Japan in 2017, the two governments entered into an agreement to implement a grant aid under the Japanese Non-Project Grant Aid Program 2017, also known as the Economic & Social Development Program. Accordingly, this grant aid of 01 billion Japanese Yen was provided for the Night Navigation Operations Project at the Port of Trincomalee, which included a state-of-the-art Vessel Traffic Management System, Radar Equipment, Lighthouse Equipment, 16 Navigation Buoys, 02 Mooring Buoys, 02 400KV Generators, 14 Fire Pumps with machinery, and a Pilot Vessel provided by the Japan International Cooperation System (JICS) with the assistance of the Government and the People of Japan.The Trinco Night Navigation Operations Project, which includes all of this equipment and facilities, was handed over for operations on February 17, 2023, at a function held at the Port of Trincomalee.

PHILADELPHIA - The widow of slain Temple University police officer Chris Fitzgerald was among several family members and loved ones who spoke Tuesday at a vigil on campus. Officer Fitzgerald, 31, was shot and killed during a struggle with a suspect Saturday night on the 1700 block of Montgomery Avenue. Less than 24-hours later, authorities tracked down Officer Fitzgerald's alleged killed, 18-year-old Miles Pfeffer, at his mother's house in Buckingham Township. "He was so proud, he was so proud to wear that uniform," Officer Fitzgerald's widow Marissa told a group of mourners during Tuesday's vigil.

Emmerdale, Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles) and Bob Hope (Tony Audenshaw) were preparing for the opening of the B&B. Although, Bob and his daughter Cathy's (Gabrielle Dowling) relationship hit a breaking point after the teenager had another outburst. Cathy was left fuming that Bob didn't want her at the opening of the B&B, and things were made even worse when she knocked over the special cake Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) had baked.

BRISBANE, Australia - British pop star Ed Sheeran treated young patients to a concert when he visited a children's hospital in Brisbane, Australia while he was on tour. Queensland Children’s Hospital posted a video of the singer serenading the crowd and playing his guitar across parts of the hospital. The hospital thanked Sheeran on its Instagram page for dropping in and making some memories for our patients and families."Sheeran played for three nights over the weekend in the Queensland capital’s Suncorp stadium.RELATED: Linkin Park releases previously unheard song featuring late singer Chester BenningtonSheeran has sold more than 150 million records worldwide.

TRENTON - Prosecutors say two brothers are facing charges in a deadly stabbing that erupted during a basketball tournament that was being held at a popular arena in New Jersey's capitol. Investigators say a 23-year-old Khalil Glanton was stabbed multiple times when a large fight broke out in the concourse of CURE Insurance Arena Thursday night. Glanton, a Trenton resident, suffered stab wounds to the upper torso and was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Investigators reviewed video of the fight and interviewed witnesses to determine that two brothers, Kareem Finney, 25, and Kahli Finney, 20, were responsible for the deadly stabbing. Prosecutors say the older Finney brother held Glanton while Kahli "repeatedly stabbed him." The stabbing, according to prosecutors, may have stemmed from an ongoing feud over a woman.Both brothers were charged with first-degree murder and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

NEW YORK - Wishing to remain anonymous, "Sarah" as we'll call her, thought her dream of becoming a registered nurse, just like her mother, had finally been achieved when she received her diploma from the Palm Beach School of Nursing in West Palm Beach, Florida in 2019.That dream became a nightmare last month when she learned that her nursing school had been busted for issuing bogus nursing degrees.She says, "My heart sank. My world just crashed.

LOS ANGELES - A third of U.S. parents are giving their kids fever-reducing medication when it may not be needed, according to a new C.S.

PHILADELPHIA - Police are investigating a shooting near Temple’s campus that occurred just blocks from where a Temple University police officer was killed in the line of duty Saturday night.Officers responded to reports shooting near Uber Street and Montgomery Avenue around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Police say a 17-year-old boy was shot four times in the leg and a 13-year-old girl was shot once in the right forearm. Both victims were rushed to Temple University Hospital.

After making it through a tough pregnancy, Heather Rae Young is opening up about some of the unexpected challenges she’s been dealing with in her first few weeks of motherhood!

Heather Rae El Moussa is opening up about her breastfeeding journey, which started off on a bumpy road when she and husband Tarek El Moussa welcomed their first child together three weeks ago.

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) - Federal environmental regulators on Tuesday took charge of the cleanup from the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment and chemical burn and ordered Norfolk Southern to foot the bill.The Environmental Protection Agency told Norfolk Southern to take all available measures to clean up contaminated air and water, and also said the company would be required to reimburse the federal government for a new program to provide cleaning services for impacted residents and businesses.The EPA warned Norfolk Southern that if the company failed to comply with its order, the agency would perform the work itself and seek triple damages from the company."The Norfolk Southern train derailment has upended the lives of East Palestine families, and EPA’s order will ensure the company is held accountable for jeopardizing the health and safety of this community," EPA Administrator Michael S.

four-day workweek in the U.K. show showed significantly reduced rates of employee stress and illness while maintaining productivity.The six-month trial, billed as the world’s largest of its kind, included 61 companies that committed to a 20% reduction in working hours for all staff — with no drop in wages.

ATLANTA - Former President Jimmy Carter remains in hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia. The Carter Center made the announcement regarding the president's health over the weekend.

.The US and UK currently don't offer this benefit as standard, but we hope that more governments will take inspiration from Spain—as well as Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea, and Zambia—in accommodating the impact of periods on our health.Studies have found that the workplaces ignoring the impact of periods on an employee affects productivity considerably, as well. that people who menstruate tend to work through their period pain, and it makes them less productive.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police are investigating a shooting that left a man critically injured. According to authorities, the shooting occurred on the 700 block of E Hilton Street around 10:09 a.m.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia officials and Temple University leaders held a press conference Tuesday morning to address the fatal shooting of Temple University Police Officer Chris Fitzgerald. Mayor James Kenney was joined by Temple University President Dr. James Wingard, Temple University Public Safety Director Dr.

Patrick Banks, James Angel and Nicole Sawyer were arrested and charged after allegedly kidnapping and torturing a victim in their basement. (Madison County Sheriff’s Office) Three suspects in North Carolina were arrested and charged on Monday in connection with an alleged kidnapping and abuse of a victim.Madison County Sheriff Buddy Harwood described the crime as a "horrific incident." He said an investigation was launched after a resident reported that an unidentified person showed up at their home saying they had been kidnapped. Deputies then responded to the area and discovered the victim with numerous lacerations to the face, body and arms.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) officially announced on Tuesday that she’s running to replace U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein in 2024. "The Senate needs a perspective that I bring with my life experiences, as a progressive Black woman who not only fights for what is right, but also gets the job done," Lee told KTVU in her first TV interview of the campaign.

Emergency personnel respond to an explosion at a metal processing plant operated by I. Schumann & Co. in Oakwood Village, Ohio on Monday, Feb.

Shawn Mendes is opening up about the big changes he’s made in the last year. In a new interview with WSJ magazine, the “Wonder” singer explains the hair transformation that saw him trade his signature curly locks for a buzzed cut.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives for his annual meeting with the Federal Assembly on Feb. 21, 2023, in Moscow, Russia.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has emphasized the importance of having a proper plan to strengthen the country’s economy, during a meeting with businessmen and lawyers in the Kandy district.According to the President's Media Division. the President had noted that the primary issue facing the country is its economic problem, and addressing it should be a top priority.The President has also noted that the upcoming election is not a means to change the government.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Freedom People's Congress in a letter to foreign missions in the country over the delay in holding the Local Government Election, have expressed their deep concern over the present situation surrounding the franchise of the people.The letter notes that the timeframes for the conduct of elections at all levels are defined by the Constitution of Sri Lanka and other applicable statutory regimes. It notes that compliance with these requirements is mandatory, there being no flexibility or scope for  exercise of discretion.The Freedom People's Congress says that for the first time in Sri Lanka's history, the government of the day has adopted the startling position that an election cannot be held because the financial resources required are not available, adding that the implications of this will be apparent upon a moment’s reflection.It warned that at its sole discretion, the government of the day will be entitled to postpone any election on the ground of unavailability or inadequacy of resources – a power which it will no doubt be tempted to exercise in any circumstances where imminent defeat is probable.It requested the Diplomatic Missions to bring this distressing state of affairs to the notice of their respective capitals, with a view to prevailing on the government of Sri Lanka to desist from a course of action gravely detrimental to the nation.

 COLOMBO (News 1st); A group of locals from Kalutara North protested against the hike in electricity tariffs by carrying torches on Monday (20) night.The protestors highlighted the fact that the 66% tariff hike has severely affected the livelihoods of the low-income earners, and it is making matters worse.They demanded the government immediately reduce the tariff or provide concessions to the people who are already suffering from the economic crisis.On the 15th of February 2023, the Public Utilities Commission approved a 66% hike in electricity tariffs.In order to generate an additional income of 287 billion rupees for the Ceylon Electricity Board, the proposal to increase the electricity tariff by 66 percent which was approved by the cabinet was forwarded to the Public Utilities Commission on January 2nd.The proposal was not approved by the Public Utilities Commission, and several members of the commission resigned due to conflict of opinion on the proposal.Three new members were appointed for the vacant positions on two occasions, and yesterday the proposal was taken up again under the chairmanship of Janaka Ratnayake.A 36% increase in electricity tariff was proposed to generate an income of 142 billion rupees based on the suggestions of public consultation and all other parties, but only Chairman Janatha Ratnayake agreed to the proposal.The other members of the commission namely Attorney Chaturika Wijesinghe, Douglas Nanayakkara and SG Senaratne had rejected the proposal.According to the new electricity bill hike proposalThe electricity tariff of Rs 360 paid for 30 electricity units so far can be increased to Rs 1300.That's an increase of 261 percent.This gives an opportunity to increase the electricity tariff of Rs.

Peacekeeping troops of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) on Thursday, the 16th of February 2023, formally presented a military salute and bid farewell to the late Lance Corporal M.G.L Deshapriya (42) of the 6 Sri Lanka Army Service Corps who had passed away on 11 February 2023 following a sudden cardiac arrest upon admission to the MINUSMA Bamako Level – 3 Hospital.                In conformity with UN traditions, MINUSMA troops presented a salute lowering flags and honoured their comrade during the formal military parade before floral tributes were made to the coffin, draped in the UN flag by Ms Daniela Kroslak, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and Deputy Chief of MINUSMA Operations in the presence of a gathering of MINUSMA  Officers and Other Ranks, including the Commanding Officer of the Sri Lankan Combat Convoy Company (CCC) of the MINUSMA.

For Cara Roan, the grief of miscarriage is compounded by the pain of burying the wrong baby’s remains.