Progressive: Latest News

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - APRIL 12: President Joe Biden is pictured at Ulster University on April 12, 2023 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. US President Joe Biden spends the day in Belfast meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and delivering a sp BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) - President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Northern Ireland must "not go back" to the violence that scarred it for years before a U.S.-brokered peace deal 25 years ago, nudging politicians to resolve a political crisis that has left this part of the United Kingdom without a functioning government.Speaking of the economic growth Northern Ireland has experienced since the Good Friday Agreement ended 30 years of sectarian bloodshed, Biden said: "It’s up to us to keep this going."On his first presidential visit to Northern Ireland, Biden dangled the prospect of more American investment to help fuel economic growth — especially if Belfast’s fractious politicians resolve a stalemate that has put their government on pause."The simple truth is that peace and economic opportunity go together," Biden said during a speech at Ulster University’s new campus in Belfast.

NEW DELHI : Every citizen must dedicate one hour of the day towards his/her own health, for healthy individuals are key to ensuring the progress of the nation, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Monday. During the inauguration of the Scientific Convention on World Homoepathy Day at Vigyan Bhawan, the vice president noted that homoepathy, with its rich history spanning two centuries, is being nurtured in our country and has become a significant factor to our health apparatus in recent years.  “Homoeopathy is connected to nature, and the World Health Organisation has recognised it as the second largest and fastest growing system of medicine in the world," he added.

Pope Francis delivers his Easter Urbi et Orbi blessing from the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square on April 09, 2023 in Vatican City, Vatican.

The minister said that the need of the hour is using diverse Indian data to develop indigenous solutions to India’s medical health issues. New Delhi: Union minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing ‘preventive health care‘ into focus. “It is under the leadership of PM Modi that in just a span of two years, India could produce two DNA vaccines and one nasal vaccine," he said while addressing the delegates participating in the Thyrocon, as Chief Guest at GMC Jammu.

MARBLE HILL, Mo. - Multiple injuries and fatalities have been reported in rural Missouri after an apparent strong tornado caused significant damage early Wednesday morning, troopers said.NOAA's Storm Prediction Center said Doppler radar indicated an EF-2 to EF-3 tornado was likely in progress along the border between southeastern Missouri and far southern Illinois, near the communities of Glenallen and Marble Hill in Missouri, at about 3:45 a.m. CDT.Live Storms Media storm tracker Brandon Clement provided a first look at damage from Glenallen after the apparent tornado destroyed homes and businesses."The whole area has a lot of trees down, power lines down, a lot roofs off, a lot of trailers destroyed," Clement said.

NEW YORK - A New York grand jury that voted to indict former President Donald Trump on charges involving payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter has refocused attention on the Manhattan district attorney steering the case. Alvin Bragg's decision to convene the grand jury early this year led to the first criminal charge against a former U.S.

Louise Thompson has shared a heartbreaking update on her mental health journey as she revealed that last week “something bad happened” which set back her PTSD recovery. The former Made In Chelsea star, 32, has openly shared her ongoing struggle with her mental health following the birth of her son Leo, in November 2021. During the little one’s birth, both Louise and Leo were extremely unwell, with medics fearing the pair may even die during the traumatic birth.Thankfully both survived the ordeal, with Leo receiving specialist care in the NICU for several weeks before he was healthy enough to come home.

Ajay Banga's New Delhi visit on 23-24 March is the final stop on his three-week global tour that began in Africa before progressing to Europe, Latin America and Asia. World Bank presidential nominee Ajay Banga has tested positive for COVID-19 during a routine testing in New Delhi. Banga was travelling on the last leg of his world tour, and is currently quarantining in isolation, the Department of Treasury said on Thursday.

The High Commission of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Pakistani community based in Sri Lanka celebrated the 84th National Day of Pakistan to make Pakistan a strong, vibrant and progressive state.On the occasion, the High Commissioner, Maj. General (Retd) Umar Farooq Burki HI (M), added that Pakistan greatly values its relations with Sri Lanka which are based on mutual trust and understanding.

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. - Predicting exactly where a tornado might strike is no easy feat, but meteorologists can typically pick out areas in which the environment will be favorable for the development of tornadoes, sometimes up to a week in advance.However, until Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma was struck by an unusual pair of twisters in less than a week in March 1948, no such forecast indicating the potential for tornadoes had ever been made in America.HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHERThat's when two Air Force meteorologists, Maj. Ernest Fawbush and Capt.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The International Monetary Fund has emphasized the importance of anti-corruption and governance reforms as a central pillar of the EFF-supported program as they are indispensable to ensure the hard-won gains from the reforms benefit the Sri Lankan people.In a statement issued ahead of the IMF press briefing on Tuesday (21) morning, Peter Breuer, Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka & Masahiro Nozaki, Mission Chief for Sri Lanka noted that Sri Lankan authorities have committed to fundamentally improve public financial management and strengthen the anti-corruption legal framework in line with the United Nations Convention against Corruption.The reform program supported under the EFF arrangement is built on strong policy measures and prioritizes:(i) an ambitious revenue-based fiscal consolidation, accompanied by stronger social safety nets, fiscal institutional reforms, and cost-recovery based energy pricing to ensure the state’s ability to support all its essential expenditures;(ii) restoration of public debt sustainability, including through a debt restructuring to ensure stable financing of the government’s operations;(iii) a multi-pronged strategy to restore price stability and rebuild reserves under greater exchange rate flexibility in order to alleviate the burden of inflation, particularly on the poor, to foster an environment of investment and growth, and to ensure Sri Lanka's ability to purchase essential goods from abroad;(iv) policies to safeguard financial sector stability to ensure that the financial sector can play its key role in supporting economic growth; and(v) structural reforms to address corruption vulnerabilities and enhance growth. It is now essential to continue the reform momentum

COLOMBO (News 1st); The United States of America has welcomed the approval of Sri Lanka’s IMF package."Great news & an important step on the road toward economic recovery," tweeted US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung on Monday (20).She said that the Sri Lankan government will need to continue reforms and conclude debt restructuring agreements to ensure the program – and the economy – stay on track.She noted that structural & lasting reforms that address good governance & transparency are critical to ensure all citizens of Sri Lanka can prosper.IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva also noted that she was very pleased the Executive Board of the IMF had approved about $3 bn of IMF support for Sri Lanka’s economic policies & reforms. She said that it was an important milestone with International Creditors coming together to help to restore debt sustainability. "Crucial to unlock Sri Lanka's growth potential," she added.The International Monetary Fund said that it will enable an immediate disbursement equivalent to about US $ 333 million for Sri Lanka under EFF program, following Executive Board approval on Monday (20).The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved today a 48‑month extended arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with an amount of SDR 2.286 billion (395 percent of quota or about US$3 billion).Sri Lanka has been hit hard by a catastrophic economic and humanitarian crisis.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 01: Protesters away from tear gas after a march through Center City on June 1, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Demonstrations have erupted all across the country in response to George Floyds death in Minneapolis, Minnesota PHILADELPHIA - The City of Philadelphia has reached a record-breaking settlement with protesters who were hit with tear gas and pepper spray during protests against police brutality in the summer of 2020.Philadelphia law firm Mincey Fitzpatrick Ross, LLC announced the settlement in the federal lawsuit filed on behalf of 237 people injured in protests against the murder of George Floyd held in Philadelphia on May 31 and June 1, 2020.

COLOMBO (News 1st); At least five people were injured after heavy rains caused a landslide in the Kabargala Estate in Punagala, Bandarawela.According to reports from News 1st correspondents, the landslide occurred at approximately 9 pm on Sunday (19) near the Kabaragala Estate hospital.Over 30 homes have been damaged, leaving around 200 residents of 60 families without shelter. The Assistant Director of the Disaster Management Center for Badulla District, E.L.E.M.

COLOMBO (News 1st);Sri Lanka's Agriculture Ministry said that 1.2 million local farmers will be given Triple Super Phosphate or TSP Fertilizer free of charge from Monday (20), after three harvesting seasons.The shipment of 36,000 metric tons  Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and procured by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for distribution free-of-charge to farmers.Accordingly, 11,537 MT of TSP fertilizer will be issued to farmers in the Northern, and Eastern Provinces.TSP Fertilizer will be issued via all Agrarian Services Centers in the country.The Ministry of Agriculture said that TSP Fertilizer will be issued to other areas to commence harvesting.According to the ministry, 55 kg of fertilizer is recommended for one hectare of paddy cultivation.More than a million Sri Lankan paddy farmers in all 25 districts will get vital assistance through a shipment of over 36,000 metric tons of fertilizer handed over by the United States to the Ministry of Agriculture. This second shipment of USAID-supported fertilizer is delivered on a promise USAID Administrator Samantha Power made last September in response to Sri Lanka’s food security challenges. It brings the total of USAID-supported TSP and urea fertilizer to more than 45,000MT over the last year.U.S.

Robert Smith of The Cure performs at OVO Arena Wembley on December 12, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Shlomi Pinto/Getty Images) The Cure's lead vocalist Robert Smith is fighting back against Ticketmaster and its excessively high concert fees.After Ticketmaster received much criticism for the hefty price tag on their concert fees, Smith took to Twitter to share an update with his fans and expressed his resentment towards the company."I am as sickened as you all are by today's Ticketmaster 'fees' debacle.

pic.twitter.com/HvaLtE7nTh The guidelines also urges patients to 'consider Remdesivir for up to 5 days) in moderate or severe cases that have a high risk of progression. "Consider Tocilizumab preferably within 24-48 hours of onset of severe disease or ICU admission," the guidelines urge for those with rapidly progressing moderate or severe disease.

Justin Bieber has shared a positive health update with fans, after revealing he has Ramsay Hunt Syndrome last year. The singer, 29, announced his diagnosis in June as he said he was suffering with “full paralysis” on one side of his face, and was forced to cancel a series of shows at the time. Ramsay Hunt Syndrome occurs when a shingles outbreak affects facial nerves near the ear, and can cause deafness as well as immobility in the face.

BENSALEM, Pa. - A young girl awoke to a terrifying nightmare when police say she found a grown man beside her in her own bed.Police were responding to a burglary in progress on the 300 block of Thunder Circle in Bensalem when they were alerted to the incident.The 9-year-old victim ran out of her room when she woke up next to a burglary suspect wearing just underwear, according to authorities. She told police that the man touched her inappropriately.MORE HEADLINES:She ran to tell her father, who says he found the man sitting on his daughter's bed wrapped in a blanket.The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Paddy Patrick Purcell, fled before police arrived.

Kate Garraway has shared the last holiday she had with her husband Derek Draper and the now-poignant passing conversation they had before their lives were changed by Covid. Fans of the Good Morning Britain presenter are well aware of the fact that former Labour lobbyist suffered severe complications after contracting the virus early into the pandemic in March 2020.

Kate Garraway has given an update on her family life as well as her husband Derek Draper's progress as he continues to battle the devastating effects contracting coronavirus had on his body. Many fans are aware that Derek Draper suffered severe complications after contracting coronavirus in March 2020.

PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia police officer shot and injured on the job last month is finally heading home after weeks of recovering in the hospital.Officer Giovanni Maysonet was attempting to stop two suspects fleeing a traffic stop on 60th Street on February 8 when a physical struggle ensued.Police say one suspect allegedly fired at least two shots at the officer, hitting him in the chest of his bulletproof vest and an unprotected part of his abdomen. In an audio recording of the incident obtained by FOX 29, Officer Maysonet is heard saying, "I think I'm shot twice.

Kate Garraway has opened up about the reason she decided to draft in cameras to capture every aspect of her husband Derek Draper's health battle after he was hospitalised due to contracting coronavirus.

A patient with severe physical and mental health problems died in hospital two months after she had been sectioned under the mental health act, an inquest has heard.

Ruth Langsford has publically shown her support for her husband Eamonn Holmes as he offered a small update in his progress following surgery on his back. The former This Morning star underwent an operation in September last year after years of battling chronic pain as a result of slipped discs.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on his confirmation for a third term and praised China's progress under his leadership. The President's Media Division said that Wickremesinghe expressed appreciation for China's support in Sri Lanka's economic challenges, especially in the IMF process & expressed confidence that the two countries' robust cooperation will continue to flourish during Prez. Xi Jinping's new term.Chinese leader Xi Jinping was awarded a third five-year term as president on 10th March, putting him on track to stay in power for life at a time of severe economic challenges and rising tensions with the U.S.

Shannen Doherty has some questions for SAG-AFTRA president and "The Nanny" star Fran Drescher about their union’s health care plan. The "Charmed" star put her concerns on Instagram in a post accompanying a photo of her with an IV in her arm. In the caption she wrote, "@officialfrandrescher im curious for people like me who have worked since they were 10 and paid dues to @sagaftra how when we aren’t able to work for health reasons why our union abandons us.

HARRISBURG, PA - JANUARY 17: Adam Shapiro arrives before his brother, Josh Shapiro, was sworn in as Governor of Pennsylvania at the State Capitol Building on January 17, 2023 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Shapiro defeated Republican nominee Doug Mastr HARRISBURG, Pa. - Lawyers for the districts that won a landmark school funding court case in Pennsylvania say that Gov.

A full moon sets behind Rocca Calascio castle and village (LAquila), Italy, on March 7, 2023. (Photo by Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto via Getty Images) The time has come for March’s full moon to light up the night’s sky, and if conditions are clear, it could be visible for several nights.The full worm moon is slated to peak in illumination on Tuesday morning, at 7:40 A.M.

FILE - Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during an interview by David Rubenstein, Chairman of the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., at the Renaissance Hotel on Feb. 7, 2023 in Washington, D.C.

A researcher performs a CRISPR/Cas9 process at the Max-Delbrueck-Centre for Molecular Medicine. Photo: Gregor Fischer/dpa (Photo by Gregor Fischer/picture alliance via Getty Images) COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y. - A new technology is making it possible to modify specific cells to help fight cancer.Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, located on Long Island, have been applying CRISPR, short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, to the discovery of new cancer targets to develop medicine to fight the deadly disease.This molecular tool has been recognized in the medical community for its work in editing the DNA cells of people, plants and animals. "CRISPR is, simply put, the ultimate tool for manipulating life," Dr.

HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 05: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after striking out against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning in Game Six of the 2022 World Series at Minute Maid Park on November 05, 2022 in Houston, Texas. ( PHILADELPHIA - Wearing a tan suit and flanked by two Las Vegas showgirls, Bryce Harper raised a microphone to his mouth with his left hand and issued the command, "Drivers, start your engines!"He raised his right index finger and mimicked turning a car key.

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.

SELMA, Ala. (AP) - President Joe Biden used the searing memories of Selma's "Bloody Sunday" to recommit to a cornerstone of democracy, lionizing a seminal moment from the civil rights movement at a time when he has been unable to push enhanced voting protections through Congress and a conservative Supreme Court has undermined a landmark voting law."Selma is a reckoning.

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.

vlogger and social media influencer lost a majority of her vision when she was 14 years old to retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Now, through social media, she is on a mission to educate people about the common misconceptions about blindness, advocate for universal and accessible design and normalize and humanize disability.She has the personality and pizzazz to be a TikTok trendsetter. But at 14 years old, Burke turned to social media at her darkest point. "When I was 14 years old.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (top C) walks past Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (lower) during the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi on March 2, 2023. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) NEW DELHI - U.S.

During a discussion held at the President’s Office today, President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized the timely amendment of the Agricultural Development Act and the Paddy Land Act to enable the replanting of cultivable paddy lands and the cultivation of other crops on non-paddy lands.

PHILADELPHIA - Mayor Jim Kenney and other city leaders announced the progress of their gun violence intervention program on Tuesday. City workers, law enforcement officials, and volunteers came up with a program that targets gang and group violence. The program, which launched in August 2020, is an evidence-based approach to gun violence.The program's creation is based on the premise that only about 0.5 of one percent of the city’s population may be linked to 60 to 70 percent of shootings and homicides.Program Director, Deion Sumpter, says they track social media activity and meet weekly with law enforcement and other partners to discuss those very individuals and how to approach them.

Phil Murphy, governor of New Jersey, speaks during the 2023 State of the State Address at the New Jersey State House in Trenton, New Jersey, US, on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 15: Sen.-elect John Fetterman (D-PA) heads to a lunch meeting with Senate Democrats at the U.S. Capitol on November 15, 2022 in Washington, DC.

PHILADELPHIA - A South Philadelphia attempted robbery ended with at least one shot fired and a suspect on the loose early Monday morning.Police responded to a robbery in progress at a 7-Eleven on the 1000 block of Washington Avenue just before 3 a.m.A woman armed with a handgun fired a shot at a 30-year-old employee after telling them not to move, according to authorities. MORE HEADLINES:The female suspect then fled in a white van without any stolen items or money.No injuries were reported., and no arrests made.

COLOMBO (News 1st); US Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen said that the Group of 20 countries need to work together to ease the debt overhang that is holding back too many countries, including Sri Lanka."The IMF estimates that around 55 percent of low-income countries are close to or in debt distress.

FILE - The low tide today in Venice has reached -62 centimeters above mean sea level, causing problems to the navigation on Feb. 06, 2023, in Venice, Italy.

MOSCOW, Idaho - Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger has a small but active following among sympathetic social media users.There are a handful of social media groups sympathetic to Kohberger, who is accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death for no publicly known reason. He could face the death penalty if convicted.Bryan Kohberger enters a courtroom in Moscow, Idaho, Jan.

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.

COLOMBO (News 1st); JICA is set to resume its ongoing projects in Sri Lanka no sooner the IMF package on debt restructuring finalized, said the Prime Minister's Media Division.Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena urged the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to recommence all the ongoing projects that are temporarily halted due to fiscal issues.He made this request when Director General of the South Asia Department of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Teruyuki Ito met him on Monday (20).Teruyuki Ito assured the Prime Minister that JICA projects would be resumed no sooner the debt restructuring programme is finalized by the International Monetary Fund.12 JAICA projects worth US$ 2.5 billion have been temporarily halted due to the fiscal crisis. The JICA delegation had expressed satisfaction over the progress in debt restructuring plans, in which Japan also played a major role.The Prime Minister thanked JICA Director General for the continuous assistance provided to Sri Lanka for several decades for water treatment, sewerage, sanitation and solid waste treatment projects in several cities and towns. He also requested JICA to provide assistance in new areas such as renewable energy and electrification of public transport and railways.Prime Minister Gunawardena also briefed the JICA delegation about the steps taken to improve transparency and accountability in project implementation by enacting required legislations as recommended by the Committee appointed by the President. He added that a Budget Act would be passed to ensure continuation of nationally important projects and policies despite change of governments in power.

TOKYO/MUMBAI — Japanese companies like Mitsubishi Corp. and Taisei Corp.