Provident: Latest News

COLOMBO (News 1st); 32 Sri Lankans who were in Ukraine, have been moved out of the country via four separate borders.This was confirmed to News 1st by the Sri Lankan Ambassador accredited to Ukraine.Earlier, the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said that it continues to closely monitor developments in Ukraine.On Monday (28) the Ministry said it was engaged in the evacuation of approximately forty (40) Sri Lankan nationals, including two (02) students in Ukraine via the Ukraine – Polish border.The process is facilitated by the Sri Lanka Embassies in Warsaw and Ankara, the latter being concurrently accredited to Ukraine.The Ministry has strengthened the provision of resources to the Sri Lanka Embassy in Warsaw in order to ensure the effective facilitation of the evacuation process.The Ambassadors of Sri Lanka in Ankara and Warsaw continue to maintain close contact with the Sri Lankan nationals leaving Ukraine, in order to enable their safe passage and return to Sri Lanka.The Foreign Ministry is also engaged in monitoring the status of Sri Lankan nationals in countries which share land borders with Ukraine.Sri Lanka’s accredited missions are in contact with the relevant Honorary Consuls and Sri Lankan nationals in the respective countries.The Sri Lanka Embassy in Moscow which is concurrently accredited to Belarus continues to be in close communication with the approximately 1,600 Sri Lankan nationals, including 1,556 students studying in over eight (08) universities / higher education institutes in Belarus.Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Moscow is in direct contact with the relevant university authorities, student and parent groups, as well as other concerned institutions in Belarus, with regard to the safety and welfare of the Sri

COLOMBO (News 1st); The proposed Surcharge Tax Bill that was presented to Parliament, will be amended in a manner that will not include 13 funds, including the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and the Employees’ Trust Fund (ETF), Sri Lanka’s Attorney General told the Supreme Court on Wednesday (2).Additional Solicitor General Viveka Siriwardena told the Supreme Court that the Finance Secretary had informed the Attorney General in this regard in writing.The Samagi Jana Balavegaya, one of the main opposition factions in Sri Lanka has filed a special petition with the Supreme Court challenging the proposed Surcharge Tax Bill that was presented to Parliament, on the 23rd of February.The Government on 22nd February presented the proposed Surcharge Tax Bill to Parliament.The special application challenging the Bill seeks a Supreme Court ruling to term the Bill as inconsistent with the constitution.The Bill, which imposes a retrospective one-time surcharge tax of 25% on persons and companies with a taxable income over Rs. 2 billion for the year 2020/2021, was presented by Leader of the House Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on 22nd February.The Bill was drafted in keeping with the proposal in the 2022 Budget to impose a one-off 25% surcharge tax on individuals or companies earning taxable income more than Rs.

New Brunswick schools see high case counts as province prepares to lift restrictions Saint Thomas University has taken a similar stance, with most precautions remaining in place until the end of the semester.In an interview on Tuesday, student union president Tyler MaGee said he believes this will provide some much-needed stability to students as they enter exam season.“I think it makes sense to have it stable throughout the rest of the academic term, especially since the rest of the term is so short of a time period, I agree with the university’s assessment that it’s best to just not rock the boat and keep this…normal until the end of the semester when we can reevaluate.”In a message sent to students last Friday, President and Vice-Chancellor Dawn Russell said stability for students was a factor in the university’s decision.“From March 14 until the end of the semester and exams is six weeks, which is a relatively short period of time; so at this late stage of the academic year, it is important to focus on continuity and stability rather than launch a series of changes.”A spokesperson for Mount Allison University said that the university will be maintaining most of their current pandemic-related health and safety measures until April 30th. New Brunswick lifting all COVID-19 restrictions March 14, proof of vaccination ending Feb.

LOS ANGELES - Novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $20 million to Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles, it was announced Tuesday.Charles R. Drew University is making a big difference for the underserved in South Los Angeles.The one-time gift represents the largest private donation in the history of the university, which was founded in 1966 in the wake of the Watts riots to address inequities in health care.

This week’s stories, gathered from our regional offices, show ways that WHO is using donor contributions to safeguard the health of women around the world.

Wastewater data has provided some key insight into COVID-19 decision making over the past two years and while still important, it may not offer the insight it once did.

PHILADELPHIA - Authorities say a woman was driving on one of Philadelphia's busiest streets Monday night when she was grazed in the back of the head by gunfire.Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters that officers found a 35-year-old woman pulled over of Roosevelt Boulevard around 7 p.m. with a graze wound to the back of the head. She was rushed by police to Albert Einstein Medical Center and placed in stable condition, Small said. The shooting victim told police she was driving on the southbound side of Roosevelt Boulevard near 5th Street when she heard a loud bang and noticed her head was bleeding.

Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has received its first shipment of medical masks for students, as schools continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.In an email to Global News Monday evening, Ryan Bird a spokesperson for TDSB, confirmed the board has received its first shipment of level 3 medical masks.According to Bird, the board has received two sizes of the masks.He said “they’ll begin being delivered to schools” on Tuesday.

ATLANTIC CITY - A development company has its sights set on Atlantic City's Bader Field for a flashy new multi-million dollar project that local leadership believes could be a shot in the arm to its economy. Bader Field, once the site of one of the nation's first airports, has been deserted since 2006. Atlantic City Mayor called the plot of land "our last asset" and said local leadership needs to manage the property responsibly to "get a win-win-win for the taxpayers."The latest proposal from DEEM Enterprises has the Small and others excited: a $2.7M project that features hundreds of condos, surrounding a Motorsports facility and a technology hub.

PHILADELPHIA - Authorities on Monday identified burned remains that were found a week ago on a pathway near a busy Philadelphia thoroughfare. Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department on Feb. 20 were called to the 32nd and Thompson streets for reports of a person screaming. Police were lead to charred remains in the middle of a pathway near Kelly Drive and Brewery Hill Drive.

PHILADELPHIA - Locals with close ties to Ukraine have watched from afar as the place they called home continues to fight a fierce and bloody invasion effort from a world super power. Kostyantyn Peredery, a native of Ukraine, moved to Chester County six years ago with his family to work in the field of Information Technology. Now, from Chester Springs, Kostyantyn watches as Vladimir Putin's Russian arm continues to bombard his homeland. "It makes me very angry, it makes me very upset," Kostyantyn said.

The European Union took a historic step on Sunday, announcing it would finance the purchase and delivery of weapons and other equipment to Ukraine. In addition, Germany ended its post-Second World War pacifist policy, saying it also would send weapons.

FILE-A photo of a nuclear bomb explosion. (Photo by Lambert/Getty Images) WASHINGTON - The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has entered its fifth day and, amid speculation of the use of nuclear weapons by Russia, the government website Ready.gov has refreshed its list of guidelines on ways to prepare and protect yourself during a nuclear explosion. Over the weekend, President Putin ordered Russian nuclear weapons to be prepared for increased readiness to launch, ratcheting up tensions with Europe and the United States over the conflict that is dangerously poised to expand beyond the former frontiers of the defunct U.S.S.R.The practical meaning of Putin’s order was not immediately clear.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield leads a briefing for media organisations to provide updates on the response to the Omicron outbreak.

Dianne Feinstein, U.S.Senator and Richard Blum arrive at the State Dinner for China's President President Xi and Madame Peng Liyuan at the White House in Washington, DC for an official State Visit Friday, September 25, 2015. Credit: Chris Kleponis / WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Monday announced that her husband, Richard Blum, has died after a long battle with cancer.He died at home on Sunday.

the country’s military assault on Ukraine, a conflict that entered its fifth day on Monday. The U.S.-based shipping companies had previously suspended all shipping services to and from Ukraine. Later updates shared online noted how both have temporarily stopped delivering all shipments bound for Russia, as well. UPS noted in a service alert that packages already en route to Russia or Ukraine will be returned free of charge to the sender if possible. "Our focus is on the safety of our people, providing continued service and minimizing disruption to our customers," the Atlanta-based company said in a notice.

FILE IMAGE - Celebrated Chef Jose Andres talks to journalists about why he was converting Zaytinya into a grab-and-go meal restaurant in response to the novel coronavirus March 17, 2020, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) As thousands of refugees from Ukraine continue to flee Russia’s military assault on the country, many sought opportunities to help those caught in the chaos — including famed Chef José Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen."It is below freezing tonight & I am meeting so many refugees, families who are escaping & don’t know what’s next…We will do our best not to let them down," Andrés wrote in a tweet on Sunday. The celebrity chef with two James Beard awards, nearly three dozen restaurants and four Michelin stars, founded World Central Kitchen in 2010 and has served millions of meals on the front line of emergencies.

Ukraine has been pushing international allies to provide more support and it appears financial assistance will be coming soon, as well as pressure on Russia to end the war with Ukraine. As Jennifer Johnson reports, the move comes as people globally call for more aid from countries as the death toll for both countries climbs.

PERKASIE, Pa. - Officials have released the identities of the two men killed in when a single-engine plane crashed in a Perkasie neighborhood.The men were identified as 74-year-old Alfred George Piranian, of Chalfont, and 55-year-old Brian Fillippini, of Philadelphia. Both men died as a result of injuries sustained during the crash. It was revealed Friday that a report from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), the small plane with the two men aboard took off from Doylestown Airport with a destination of Gunden Airstrip. An NTSB investigator told reporters Thursday that the plane was a commercial instructional flight with one person onboard training for their commercial pilot's license. No one on the ground was hurt, but the crash sent flying debris through the wall of a home and into a second-floor bedroom. Hilltown Township Police Officer Christopher Englehart called the pilot a hero for managing to avoid homes that dotted the residential neighborhood. Residents recalled hearing the plane's engine cut out as it made its deadly descent.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - FEBRUARY 26: A protester holds a banner calling for imminent help for Ukraine during a demonstration against Russia's invasion of Ukraine held in front the building of the Permanent Mission of Russia to the E.U. on February 26, 20 The Rev.

Russian forces pressed on with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many Americans are wondering how they can help the Ukrainian people in their time of suffering. Charity Navigator has put together a list of some of the top-rated nonprofits that are aiding in relief and recovery efforts in Ukraine. These charities have earned high ratings for their financial efficiency and for clarity and transparency about their operations. Charity Navigator helps charitable givers make "intelligent giving decisions" by providing objective ratings and analysis of the financial health and accountability of America's largest charities. The following nonprofits are "engaged in relief and recovery efforts in Ukraine and the surrounding region," according to Charity Navigator. While any decision to give should be carefully considered, the groups below earned three or more stars from Charity Navigator.Ukrainian refugees and a child seen at a train station in Przemysl, Poland on Feb. 24, 2022.

PERKASIE, Pa. - The owner of a small, rarely used airstrip just south of where a single-engine plane crashed in a Perkasie neighborhood killing both aboard said he was not aware of the pilot's plan to land. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continued to survey the crash site hours after a Beech 35-C33 plane crashed near the intersection of Victoria Lane and Brittany Lane around 5 p.m. Thursday. According to a report from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), the small plane with two aboard took off from Doylestown Airport with a destination of Gunden Airstrip. Gunden is a bumpy plot of land that happens to have an FAA-certified landing strip.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A key tool that helps meteorologists predict weather conditions will soon be limited due to a nationwide helium shortage.The National Weather Service in Tallahassee, Florida, said they will be switching from twice-daily weather balloon launches to once per day in the morning beginning March 1. However, if significant weather conditions develop, they will have the ability to launch additional weather balloons.The reduction of launches will have no impact on severe weather operations, the NWS said, or their ability to warn on dangerous storms.NWS offices across the country typically launch weather balloons twice a day, once around 7-8 a.m.

Women's Cricket World Cup becomes its latest victim.Teams have been told that in the event of an outbreak, they'll be allowed to use backroom staff as fielders, providing they're female of course.According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), teams will be expected to fulfil their fixtures even if they have as little as nine fit players.The tournament, which is taking place in New Zealand, has some of the world's strictest Covid protocols.The eight teams involved have squads of 15 players, with a maximum of three travelling reserves.If a game is not played and cannot be rescheduled, it will be abandoned and the points shared.Given that all persons entering New Zealand must quarantine for a week in a hotel, there's little point in sending for reinforcements in the event of an outbreak.As such, the ICC have decided to allow staff members to get involved instead, potentially making for a bizarre spectacle - though teams do have the option of rejecting to play a match if they have fewer than 11 players available.Which Premier League team would benefit the most from fielding members of their backroom staff? Let us know in the comments section..."From a Covid perspective, we need to be a little bit flexible, as far as the way in which we manage the game to take into account these unique circumstances," said ICC head of events Chris Tetley."It's important that we do everything we can to try and maximise opportunities for the best players in the world to show their skills at a World Cup."The tournament on March 4 and will run for one month, with the final taking place on April 3.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Electricity generation from hydropower plants has been limited to 750 MW as water levels in the reservoirs have dropped by 40%.The Ceylon Electricity Board said 1,341 MW of power can be obtained from Thermal Power plants, with renewable energy contributing 80 MW.The power plant in Baththala is inactive as it has run out of furnace oil.Power plants in Kelanitisssa, Thulhiriya, Matugama, and several other plants are also inactive.The national grid has lost 574 MW of electricity to the National Grid.The energy ministry had said it would provide 10,200 metric tonnes of diesel to the CEB from a consignment that was unloaded yesterday.But the CEB’s spokesperson said the diesel has not been given to the CEB since the 02nd of this month.He added that fuel has only been provided to privately run power plants.

PHILADELPHIA - The second of two men wanted for an attempted robbery turned shootout at a Northeast Philadelphia corner store was arrested on Wednesday, the District Attorney's Office said.William McIntyre, 25, was charged with aggravated assault, robbery, weapons offenses and other crimes in connection to the Feb. 1 armed robbery of Big A LLC on the 5500 block of Torresdale Avenue.According to investigators, McIntyre and Resean Lewis attempted to rob the store at gunpoint around 4 a.m.

Dr. Brent Roussin, who will participate virtually.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has said that necessary measures have been taken to ensure there is no shortage in the supply of essential goods to the country.Speaking at the meeting with state officials at the Presidential Secretariat chaired by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday (23), the Finance Minister said a mechanism is also in place to inquire into the shortcomings at the regional level and obtain information via the Divisional Secretariats.The meet was held to raise awareness on the government’s forward plans, and speaking at the meeting President Gotabaya Rajapaksa noted that it is his aspiration that all state institutions commit to serving the general public.“A majority of the public servants wish to work. What is required is supervision, guidance, and encouragement and that will lead to a productive service,” the President told the meeting.He stressed the need for Governors, and the Secretaries of Ministries, Provinces, and Districts, as well as all high-ranking state officials, to personally intervene to provide leadership in this effort.The President recalled the fact that he personally visits state offices and supervises them, called on the Governors and state officials to also visit all institutions under their purview and conduct inspections, whilst encouraging the staff.“We are here to ensure the people survive and the proper environment for that needs to be created.

As negotiations continue, educators in St. Paul and Minneapolis school district's largest teachers' unions say they intend to strike. (FOX 9) - As negotiations continue, educators in St.

PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - For almost three months, Ethan Crumbley has been housed in the Oakland County Jail after the Oxford High School shooting. On Tuesday, he was in court for a hearing on a request to transfer the teen out of Oakland County jail and into a juvenile detention center.

BRENTWOOD, Calif. - A woman had her scalp torn off by a Brentwood police dog after she shoplifted some perfume and makeup from a nearby mall, video obtained by KTVU shows, raising serious questions about when and why K-9 units are deployed. Talmika Bates, then 24, is seen in the video provided by her lawyers screaming and wailing in pain. The skin on top of her head was ripped off exposing blood and bone. "Help me! The dog is biting me," she screams.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania's highest court broke a partisan deadlock Wednesday over a new map of congressional districts by selecting new boundaries that broadly adhere to the outlines of current districts, even as the state loses one seat because of sluggish population growth.The Democratic-majority state Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision picked a 17-district map that had been proposed by a group of Democratic-aligned voters who sued last year in an effort to get the court involved.It is unlikely to create a big shift in the makeup of the congressional delegation, as the state loses a seat, going from 18 to 17, to account for relatively stagnant population growth in census findings over the past decade, particularly in rural white areas predominantly represented by Republicans.The map provides eight Republican-leaning districts, six Democratic-leaning districts and three closely divided districts, according to an analysis by FiveThirtyEight, a website that focuses on opinion poll analysis, politics and other topics.Pennsylvania's delegation is currently split evenly, nine Republicans and nine Democrats, in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by 4 million to 3.4 million.It lumps two Republican incumbents — U.S. Reps.

The damage from the explosion and subsequent flooding is shown in provided images. (Credit: Brigham Young University Police) PROVO, Utah - Authorities at Utah’s Brigham Young University said 22 college students had to be relocated after someone attempted to make rocket fuel on the stove in their dorm, which led to a "fireball" explosion.Campus police subsequently reminded students to "keep your experiments in the lab."Firefighters first responded to the incident around 4:30 p.m.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Samagi Jana Balavegaya, one of the main opposition factions in Sri Lanka has filed a special petition with the Supreme Court challenging the proposed Surcharge Tax Bill that was presented to Parliament.The Government on Tuesday (22) presented the proposed Surcharge Tax Bill to Parliament.The special application challenging the Bill was submitted by the General Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya and it seeks a Supreme Court ruling to term the Bill as inconsistent with the constitution.The Bill, which imposes a retrospective one-time surcharge tax of 25% on persons and companies with a taxable income over Rs. 2 billion for the year 2020/2021, was presented by Leader of the House Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Tuesday (22).The Bill was drafted in keeping with the proposal in the 2022 Budget to impose a one-off 25% surcharge tax on individuals or companies earning taxable income more than Rs.

Cell Tower PHOENIX - For a number of Americans, their current smartphones will stop working this year, as major cell service providers say they will switch off their 3G network, also referred to on some websites as the 3G sunset.Here's what you need to know to plan ahead.According to officials with the FCC, mobile carriers "periodically shut down older services, such as 3G, to free up spectrum and infrastructure to support new services, such as 5G.""Mobile carriers have the flexibility to choose the types of technologies and services they deploy, including when they decommission older services in favor of newer services to meet consumer demands," read a portion of the FCC website dedicated to the pending 3G shutoff.FCC officials say similar network transitions have happened before, such as the switchoff of 2G networks by some mobile carriers when their networks were being upgraded to support 4G services.Officials with AT&T say their 3G network has been phased out, effective Feb. 22.T-Mobile has a more complicated schedule in their 3G network switchoff.

Isabelle Jacques, the Assistant Deputy Minister, Financial Sector Policy Branch at the Department of Finance, said Tuesday during a finance committee meeting on the trucker protests that the invocation of the Emergencies Act allowed the federal government to capture funds from crowdfunding platforms and payment service providers which previously didn’t fall under current proceeds of crime or terrorism laws.

Isabelle Jacques, the Assistant Deputy Minister, Financial Sector Policy Branch at the Department of Finance, said Tuesday during a finance committee meeting on the trucker protests that anyone who donated to the trucker convoy protests after Feb. 15 could have their bank accounts frozen, but those who may have donated prior will not have their accounts frozen.

The Social Security full retirement age increased again in 2022 for some individuals – but it marks the last year that the age will change. The full retirement age – the age at which individuals are eligible to claim their full Social Security benefit – rose to 67 this year for those who were born in 1960 (and who will turn 62 this year). From this year forward, the full retirement age will remain 67 for anyone born after 1960, barring any future changes by Congress.Congress mandated the changes to the full retirement age in 1983 as part of a law that strengthened the program's finances.

Alberta’s largest and most northern county says it is no longer working with local businesses that have a mandatory vaccination policy.Mackenzie County says businesses that require employees, contractors or subcontractors to show proof of vaccination in workplaces or on work sites will not be hired to provide goods or services.The county’s council approved the policy on Feb.

Melittin and honeybee venom were studied for their anti-cancer properties and showed they decreased the viability of triple-negative breast cancer cells and HER2-enriched breast cancer cells, Dr.Ciara Duffy said in her study. (iStock) WOODLAND, Calif. - For a few frenzied weeks, beekeepers from around the United States truck billions of honeybees to California to rent them to almond growers who need the insects to pollinate the state’s most valuable crop.But as almond trees start to bloom, blanketing entire valleys in white and pink flowers, so begin beehive thefts that have become so prevalent that beekeepers are now turning to GPS tracking devices, surveillance cameras and other anti-theft technology to protect their precious colonies.Hive thefts have been reported elsewhere in the country, most recently three hives containing about 60,000 bees taken from a grocery chain’s garden in central Pennsylvania.

known as 5G — AT&T and other telecom companies are also moving to shut down old networks in an effort to free up bandwidth for newer, and potentially more profitable, services. This week, AT&T becomes the first carrier to shut down its 3G network. T-Mobile will shut down its 3G network by summer and Verizon in December.The years-in-the-works process has also prompted calls for a delay because many products still rely on the old 3G standard.

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 26: Co-host Bob Beckel attends FOX News' "The Five" at FOX Studios on February 26, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images) Bob Beckel, a Democratic strategist and former co-host of "The Five," has died at age 73.Beckel first joined Fox News in 2000 as a contributor providing political analysis and rejoined the network in 2011 as one of the original hosts of "The Five."Columnist Cal Thomas posted on Facebook about Beckel's death. Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.When "The Five" premiered in July 2011, it was only supposed to have a five-week run to temporarily fill the timeslot.

PHILADELPHIA - A new safe space for North Philadelphia teens held its soft opening on Monday in hopes to provide an educational alternative for youths often swallowed up by the city's scourge of crime. The center occupies a storefront on the 2200 block of North Broad Street and is open to youths between 12-17-years-old, according to the non-profit group Frontline Dads. "We want to provide some hope, we want to provide an oasis of light for people to point to and say ‘this is a place I can go and be supported’," Executive Director Ruben Jones said. The center, which will be open until 7 p.m.

Ontario says it is providing more stand-alone HEPA filter units for schools and child-care centres to offer more children greater protection against COVID-19.A Monday statement says up to 40,000 more air purifiers will be made available to school boards and up to 9,000 will go to child-care settings.Education Minister Stephen Lecce says ventilation improvements are a critical priority, after the government previously announced that it would provide 73,000 of the filters and other ventilation devices.

FILE - Members of the Police and the Mexican Army patrol the center of Playa Del Carmen. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Two men were killed and a third was injured Saturday night after members of suspected rival drug cartels opened fire at a popular Mexican beach resort, officials say. Shots were reported around 8:30 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA - The spike in gun violence during the pandemic has unnerved residents, elected officials and community leaders alike, but the concern is growing over firearms described as ghosts."Ghost guns are essentially a firearm that comes in two separate parts with a couple of screws to drill the gun together and you have a firearm in just a few minutes," Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro told FOX 29.Shapiro is concerned about the growing threat because ghost guns are untraceable and sold online in kits that do not require a criminal background check to purchase.For him, the main point of the issue is that people with criminal backgrounds, who cannot own a gun legally, can obtain one this way. Ghost guns do not have serial numbers etched on them that provide the gun's make, model and history.Critics argue ghost guns flow in the underground stream of crime guns and vanish when subjected to the tracking and tracing investigators use to combat gun crime."Typically, people are buying them at gun shows by the duffle bags, taking them back to a facility, putting them together and selling them on the streets," Shapiro said.The numbers show a startling rise in ghost guns, also referred to as privately made firearms.MORE LOCAL HEADLINESThe Philadelphia Police Department reported recovering 95 ghost guns in 2019 and 250 in 2020.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - SpaceX launched another batch of 46 Starlink satellites into orbit on President's Day.The launch was supposed to happen on Sunday, but weather conditions in the recovery zone pushed it back. The Falcon 9 rocket successfully lifted off at 9:44 a.m.

In Rwanda, the ‘land of a thousand hills’, reaching the nearest health facility usually means a long walk that, until recently, took an average of 95 minutes. Although the walking time was halved to 47 minutes in 2020, it is still a challenge for many people to access health care in a timely manner. Through an innovative approach that brings greater numbers of health posts close to communities, the Government aims to further reduce walking time to under 25 minutes by 2024. The health posts serve as an interface between community health workers and health centres. Here, health workers provide essential primary care services and make referrals to hospitals for specialized services, ultimately strengthening the foundation of the health system and improving the way people receive the care they need. The health posts have also contributed to an effective national response to COVID-19, with communities still able to access basic care despite the crisis.