VP Kamala Harris visits Houston to attend National Baptist Convention, chair National Space Council meeting

Bloomberg – Paris Club creditors reached out to China and India to coordinate Sri Lanka’s debt-restructuring talks, according to a person familiar with the matter, in an attempt to bring major global creditors together to rework the obligations of emerging economies.The club, an informal group of mostly rich, western bilateral creditors, is awaiting a response from both countries after it sent an official request in late August to work together, said an official who declined to be identified because talks are continuing.Coordinating on Sri Lanka may result in the formation of an official creditors committee or simply holding regular meetings to share information on debt treatment, the official said.Sri Lanka’s presidency said it’s unaware of the efforts by the club. An Asian diplomat in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital, confirmed that the Paris Club had been in contact with the country’s non-Paris Club creditors.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Ministry of Health says that nearly 7 Million Pfizer vaccine doses are due to expire on October 31.The Ministry of Health points out that people are not opting to administer themselves with the vaccine as the number of infections, and deaths related to COVID-19 are at a low.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a benefit for people aged over 16 and under State Pension age with a disability, long-term illness or mental health condition who need help completing daily tasks inside their home or getting around.

A health expert has warned that 'powering through' a Covid-19 infection will do you no favours.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A triple homicide was reported from the Gamangedara area in Minuwangoda.Police Spokesperson SSP & Attorney Nihal Thalduwa told News 1st that a 51-year-old man and his two sons 23-years-old, and 24-year-old were brutally gunned down on Thursday (6) morning.He said that multiple shooters had visited their residence on a motorcycle, and a car and carried out the murder.SSP Thalduwa said the three victims were recently released from prison following their incarceration over a separate murder case. It is reported that the murder is in connection to a kite dispute that dates back to 2017, however, these reports are yet to be verified by police.Police suspect the shooting may have been the result of a personal dispute.Further investigations are currently ongoing under the supervision of the SSP in charge of the Gampaha Districts. Unconfirmed reports said that the shooters were impersonating law enforcement personnel, and T-56 assault rifles were used for the murder.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has issued an Extraordinary Gazette placing several state institutions under the Ministry of Public Security.According to the Gazette, the Department of Registration of Persons, the Department of Immigration and Emigration, and the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board have been placed under the purview of the Public Security Ministry.Read Gazette here: 

TUCSON. Ariz. - Officials with the University of Arizona Police Department say a person has died as a result of a shooting that happened on the school's Tucson campus on Oct.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Tourist Fuel Pass, Pre Paid Card system was launched yesterday (5).This will enable the tourist to use a USD Pre Paid Card to Purchase Fuel at 300+ Fuel Stations across the country. The card will be available at Airport Dialog & Sampath Bank Counters & can be topped up at Sampath Bank Branches.Further, Minister of Subject Kanchana Wijesekara thanked the development partners, CPC, LIOC & Ministry of Tourism & Lands, and several other IT institutions for assisting in implementing the Tourist Fuel Pass Pre Paid Card System.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The prices of smartphones in Sri Lanka have increased by 70% to 100% over the past few months.In January this year, an android smartphone was priced from Rs. 20,000/- updates, however, the prices have now increased."The lowest original phone is around Rs.

PHILADELPHIA - A young man is fighting for his life after police say he was gunned down at a Philadelphia recreation center late Wednesday night. Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were called to the 4500 block of North 17th Street around 9:30 p.m.

LOS ANGELES - New details have been released in the stabbing of a Fashion District store owner in downtown Los Angeles – who possibly may have been murdered over a wig.Tommy Lee immigrated to the United States from South Korea and owned a wig shop in the Fashion District for about 20 years.On Saturday, around 1:15 p.m. near the intersection of Wall Street and Olympic Boulevard, two 17-year-olds approached Lee and tried to rob him. The robbery ended with the store owner being stabbed to death.PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Deadly stabbing in Fashion DistrictBoth suspects were eventually arrested following the incident.

PHILADELPHIA - A former Pennsylvania elementary school principal is facing charges after police say he peered into the windows of several South Jersey homes and even tried to force a woman into her bedroom.Danny McEaddy was arrested in August after investigators believe he spent 7 months looking into windows of homes around Sicklerville. The Upper Darby School District confirmed to FOX 29 that McEaddy was the principal at Hillcrest Elementary school. Investigators from the Winslow Township Police Department say in February McEaddy entered a woman's home and tried to force her into her bedroom, but got away before police arrived. In May, police say he returned to the home and peered into the window. McEaddy was arrested in August when police say he was caught peering into a home in Pitman Borough.

NORTH PHILADELPHIA - North Philadelphia glowing bright Wednesday night, with the lights of police cars lining the street outside Shriners Hospital for Children, just to put a smile on the young patients’ faces. The Wednesday evening event also holds special meaning for both the children and officers.Philadelphia police from every district rushed to North Philly, while Broad Street completely shut down. A tactical helicopter flew overhead.But, the police presence had nothing to do with crime.Scores of Philly cops of all ranks stopped by to say good night and give a friendly wave to the patients recovering inside the hospital."Giving them a glimmer of hope, if you will and an opportunity to see that people care for them and care about them," Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner John Stanford said.From the street the smiles, waves and blinking smartphone lights coming right back from patients and staff inside were plainly visible."Just to brighten one day, out of everything these children go through," Philadelphia Police Sgt.

FILE - Southwest Airlines plane. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A Southwest Airlines pilot is suing the company, her union and a former colleague who pleaded guilty last year to dead-bolting the cockpit door during a flight and stripping naked in front of her.Christine Janning alleges that Southwest retaliated by grounding her after she reported Michael Haak to the company and the FBI, that it kept him employed despite an alleged history of sexual misconduct and that managers disparaged her in memos.She also alleges that the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association conspired with the airline and refused to support her.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, at its meeting held on 05 October 2022, decided to maintain the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank at their current levels of 14.50 percent and 15.50 percent, respectively. In arriving at this decision, the Board considered the latest macroeconomic conditions, expected developments, and macroeconomic projections. The Board noted the tight monetary conditions prevailing at present, the decelerating pace of inflation, and the envisaged disinflation path in the near term supported by both domestic and global factors. The Board was of the view that the monetary conditions remain sufficiently tight to achieve the envisaged disinflation path in the period ahead. The contractionary fiscal policies would complement the effects of tight monetary policy measures already in place, helping to mitigate any build-up of aggregate demand pressures, thereby anchoring inflation expectations and bringing down headline inflation to the targeted level of 4-6 percent over the medium term.-Domestic economic activity is expected to remain subdued during 2022, before recovering in 2023 As per the GDP estimates published by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS), the real economy is estimated to have contracted by 4.8 percent in the first half of 2022, on a year-on-year basis. The economy is expected to contract in the second half of 2022 as well, impacted by tighter monetary and fiscal conditions, along with the continuation of supply-side constraints and uncertainty surrounding the business environment amidst shortages of foreign exchange in the domestic foreign exchange market, among

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Department of Meteorology says several spells of showers will occur in Western, Sabaragamuwa, and North-Western provinces and Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle, and Matara districts.Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in Uva, Eastern, and Northern provinces during the evening or night.The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.Condition of Rain:Showers will occur at several places in the sea area off the coast extending from Puttalam to Matara via Colombo.Winds:Winds will be south-westerly and wind speed will be (20-30) kmph.Wind speed may increase up to 50 kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Galle via Colombo. Wind speed may increase up to (50-60) kmph from Galle to Pottuvil via Hambantota.State of Sea:The sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle will be rough at times. The sea areas off the coast extending from Hambantota to Pottuvil will be rough and very rough at times.There is a possibility to increase swell waves by about (2.0 m – 2.5 m) in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Pottuvil via Colombo, Galle, and Hambantota.Therefore, it is advised to be vigilant in fishing and naval activities in the sea areas off the coast extending from Hambanthota to Pottuvil.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Jaffna District MP G. G.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Today is day two of the 6th edition of the Gammadda Door to Door program, which was launched to gather scientific data on the issues faced by average Sri Lankans, analyse them and propose sustainable solutions thereafter. On Thursday (6) Gammadda teams will visit rural Sri Lankan villages in Jaffna, Matale, and the Kalutara District.The University of Peradeniya has joined hands with Gammadda similar to previous years to make this initiative a success. The primary task of this year's campaign is to comprehend the ground reality faced by Sri Lankans across the island owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis that ensued thereafter. 

FILE - A tv screen showing a news program reporting about North Korea's missile launch with file footage, is seen at a railway station in Seoul. North Korea fired a mid-range ballistic missile on Oct.

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 17: People ride their bikes outside of a closed John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on April 17, 2020.

A hand moves a piece across the chess board during the Werner Ott Open of the Kreuzberg Summer at the Berlin Kreuzberg Chess Club. Photo: Andreas Gora/dpa (Photo by Andreas Gora/picture alliance via Getty Images) The American teen chess sensation at the forefront of a cheating scandal in the sport was accused of cheating dozens of more times than he previously admitted.Hans Niemann had been accused in recent weeks of cheating during matches.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Alberta jump to nearly 1,000 The clinician added people of any age taking medication for medical conditions, the very young and the under-vaccinated are at risk of severe disease.Less than a month into the new school year, dozens of schools have been placed on respiratory illness outbreaks and 2022 has seen children hospitalized by COVID at a higher rate than the two previous years of the ongoing pandemic.Saxinger said recent exposure to the virus via booster shot or infection reduces the likelihood of severe disease, hospitalization or death.“But of course, that doesn’t mean that a non-severe illness is a walk in the park,” she said, adding getting a booster shot days before attending a dinner can still help with individual protection.Saxinger said anyone with cold- or flu-like symptoms should avoid social gatherings. And getting a COVID-positive result in a rapid test can confirm if someone is contagious with COVID-19.“If they have symptoms and they test COVID-negative, I don’t necessarily think that that’s as reassuring as people might imagine it is.

Students at the University of North Carolina can continue their lawsuit seeking monetary damages for fees they paid before in-person fall 2020 classes were canceled due to COVID-19, a state appeals court ruled. A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals decided on Tuesday that a trial judge correctly last year refused to dismiss litigation filed by two students against the UNC Board of Governors.The students — Landry Kuehn at UNC-Chapel Hill and the Joseph Lannan at North Carolina State University — also sued on behalf of other students at the two schools who paid similar fees.

Accused Waukesha, Wisconsin, parade killer Darrell Brooks said Wednesday that he is "afraid as hell" of possibly contracting COVID-19 and requested an adjournment during his continued pretrial hearing, in which he is representing himself. "When I was brought in there and they told me they had to test me for COVID, I was immediately, like, what do you mean you have to test me for this? … Immediately, in my head, I started to get afraid that they even had to test for COVID," Brooks said during his hearing livestreamed by FOX 6 Milwaukee of receiving a COVID-19 test in prison.

PHILADELPHIA - Law enforcement sources tell FOX 29 that investigators are exploring the possibility that some of the suspects involved in the deadly shooting near Roxborough High School are linked to two other homicides, including the "unprovoked murder" of a Temple graduate in West Philadelphia. Sources tell FOX 29's Kelly Rule that police are also investigating if the suspects are behind a deadly broad daylight shooting of a 19-year-old man who was ambushed as he sat on the front steps of a home. Police shared video of shooting that showed three people jump out of a Nissan Altima driven by a forth person and unleash over 30 shots. Police believe the dark-colored Nissan Altima was used in a shooting near Temple University's campus four days earlier that left an 8-year-old girl with a non-fatal graze wound to the head.RELATED HEADLINESLaw enforcement sources say at least one of the suspects may also be connected to the murder of 23-year-old Everett Beauregard, a Temple graduate who was shot to death while walking back to his apartment shortly after midnight on Sept.

WILMINGTON, Del. - Nearly a month after a 68-year-old jewelry store owner was brutally attacked during a mid-morning robbery, his family is speaking out about the day that changed all of their lives forever. At around 10:40 a.m., Wilmington police say they responded to the 100 block of West 9th Street for reports of a robbery. In a surveillance video later released by the family, you can see the suspect, later identified as 39-year-old Calvin Ushery, brutally beat the owner of Solid Gold Jewelers, Chang Suh, inside his store.Steven Suh, the victim's son, and members of the Wilmington City Council, spoke about the robbery on Wednesday during a press conference.

AUGUSTA, ME: APRIL 30, 2022: Former Maine governor and gubernatorial candidate Paul LePage speaks during the Maine Republican Convention at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday April 30, 2022. (Photo by Carl D.

Philadelphia Police investigate a fatal shooting on South 19th Street in South Philadelphia. SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - A 51-year-old man is dead after he was shot by four men in South Philadelphia.Officials say the shooting happened on the 1900 block of South 19th Street Wednesday afternoon, around 3:45.The man was shot in the head by four men who jumped out of a car and then took off southbound on 19th Street.MORE HEADLINES: The man died at the scene, according to authorities.Police are actively investigating the shooting.

Since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February, the war-torn country has continued to fight back, reclaiming areas once taken by Russian troops and further working to push out the offensive. Ukrainian forces recently scored significant gains in the south, raising flags over the villages of Arkhanhelske, Myroliubivka, Khreshchenivka, Mykhalivka and Novovorontsovka. Speaking late Tuesday in his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said dozens of settlements had been retaken "from the Russian pseudo-referendum this week alone" in the four annexed regions. In the Kherson region, he listed eight villages that Ukrainian forces reclaimed, "and this is far from a complete list.

WAUKESHA, Wis. - Darrell Brooks requested an adjournment of his trial in the Waukesha Christmas parade attack Wednesday, Oct. 5, telling the court he believes he has COVID and needs to wait until at least Friday for test results to come back.

Maj. Gen. Charles Costanza, the 3rd Infantry Division commanding general, pins U.S Army Veteran Staff Sgt.

Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng (FOX 9)MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Prosecutors and defense attorneys for two former Minneapolis police officers charged in the killing of George Floyd have filed more than 100 motions to limit testimony or evidence at trial — with many requests relying heavily on what happened at the previous two trials in Floyd’s death.J.

COVID-19 has produced multiple mutations as it spread across the world.Many of those variants did not become dominant, but few did including Alpha, Delta and Omicron. Those mutations caught the attention of global health researchers when they emerged, and now another is catching their eye: BQ.1.1.

In its latest weekly update on the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today that global COVID-19 cases declined 6% last week compared to the previous week, though the pace of activity increased in the European region, which experienced an 8% rise compared to the week before.Of more than 2.9 million cases reported to the WHO l

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Never wake a sleeping child, especially an infant tucked in a plastic tub to protect him from drowning in the rage of Hurricane Ian.And while 3-month-old Charlie might not know today what his parents overcame to save his life that frightening afternoon on Sept. 28, his mother’s account of the cataclysmic storm will haunt the Fort Myers, Florida, family forever.Callie Brown remembers as Ian barreled ashore; it was just the winds at first.As a tree in their front yard crashed, strong winds ripped their backyard lanai out of the foundation, catapulting it into their neighbor's yard.Brown could only think this was the worst of the storm, but that's when the water started to flow inside her home.Callie Brown's family did not evacuate, and the storm surge nearly reached the ceiling in their one-story home in Fort Myers, Florida.

Officer-involved shooting determined to be lawful. (Berks County DA)READING, Pa. - A police officer's gunshots that injured a wanted man in the parking lot of a Reading Wawa last month were found to be justified according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.An investigation into the September 14 shooting determined the officer, "discharged their weapon lawfully in self-defense and defense of another."Plain and uniformed officers descended on a Wawa on Lancaster Avenue after reportedly receiving a tip that Emanuel Padilla-Tirado, who was wanted in connection to a shooting, was in the area. Officials say Padilla-Tirado charged the officers when his vehicle got blocked in, striking one of them.The officer then fired three shots at the suspect as he continued to charge, until his vehicle was stopped by a concrete pillar.Padilla-Tirado was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital along with his female passenger.

Steve Burns during "Blue's Big Musical Movie" Premiere at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by SGranitz/WireImage) (Credit: Paramound) The upcoming "Blue’s Clues" film dropped a big clue about the movie when the beloved original show host, Steve Burns, appeared in the recenlty-released trailer. "Blue’s Big City Adventure" is set to be released for streaming on November 18 exclusively on Paramount+.The movie, which started production over the summer, follows Josh, played by Josh Dela Cruz, and Blue as they travel to New York City to audition for a Broadway musical. RELATED: Hilary Swank announces she's pregnant: 'Not just of 1, but 2'"When Josh gets the opportunity of a lifetime to audition for Rainbow Puppy’s Broadway musical, Josh and Blue skidoo to NYC for the very first time where they meet new friends and discover the magic of music, dance, and following one’s dreams! " Paramount said on its YouTube channel. Burns then appears to join the cast later in the movie. "Blue’s Clues" originally debuted on Sept.

Complex state COVID-19 vaccine eligibility guidelines lead to confusion about eligibility and may contribute to low uptake, according to a population-based study of US adults published yesterday in JAMA Network Open.

Tahjeir Thompson PHILADELPHIA - A 16-year-old has been arrested and charged for the death of another teen, who police say was killed innocently walking down a Philadelphia street last month.Tahjeir Thompson, 16, is charged with murder, criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault and related offenses.

PALM COAST, Fla. - Bodycam video shows the shocking moments an armed Florida man allegedly used a 1-year-old child as a human shield during a standoff with Flagler County deputies. WARNING: The video contains sensitive content that may be difficult to watch.Deputies say 27-year-old Brandon Matthew Douglas Leohner kidnapped his girlfriend's child and then led deputies on a chase that ended at a McDonald's in Palm Coast. On Sept.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Concerns were raised in Parliament on Wednesday (5) concerning the protection of Wasantha Mudalige, the Inter-University Student's Federation Convener, who is currently being detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.However, the ruling faction stressed the need to take immediate action to control certain actions committed by the IUSF.Sri Lanka's Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa expressed alarm over reports that Wasantha Mudalige was being moved out of the Tangalle Terrorism Detention Center under the guise of darkness to various locations in Malwana, Kadawatha, Gampaha, and Nawagamuwa.He questioned why detectives cannot escort Mudalige to the said location during the day, and why the secrecy."They will assassinate Wasantha Mudalige and tell us, he tried to escape so we shot him," he said.

Nia Long is prioritizing her mental health.

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida deputy is recovering after accidentally being shot by a fellow deputy who was trying to stop a dog from attacking them.The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office says the two were executing a search warrant when the homeowner's dog charged at them and attacked one of the deputies.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 25: A New York University (NYU) flag flies outside a Covid-19 test tent outside of the NYU business school on August 25, 2020 in New York City. All students arriving back to the campus are required to get tested for the vi NEW YORK - Maitland Jones Jr., a chemistry professor at New York University who also taught for four decades at Princeton, was fired in August after undergraduate students circulated a petition complaining that his course was too difficult. Dozens of the college students, many of them aspiring doctors, signed on to the petition in the spring. "We are very concerned about our scores, and find that they are not an accurate reflection of the time and effort put into this class," the petition read, according to the New York Times. "We urge you to realize… that a class with such a high percentage of withdrawals and low grades has failed to make students’ learning and well-being a priority and reflects poorly on the chemistry department as well as the institution as a whole."Jones, 84, told the New York Times that he started seeing a loss of focus among students about a decade ago, but the problem was exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. "They weren’t coming to class, that’s for sure, because I can count the house," Jones told the newspaper.

Another wave of Covid-19 is set to hit Northern Ireland, chief scientific adviser Professor Ian Young has said.

RELATED: LA County, Orange County gas prices reach record high - againThe impact of the production cut on oil prices — and thus the price of gasoline made from crude — will be limited somewhat because OPEC+ members are already unable to meet the quotas set by the group.The alliance also said it was renewing its cooperation between members of the OPEC cartel and non-members, the most significant of which is Russia. The deal was to expire at year's end.A man walks past OPEC headquarters on October 4, 2022 on the eve of the 45th Meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee and the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting held on October 05, in Vienna, Austria.

EXTON, Pa. - Investigators with the West Whiteland Police Department are searching for three people wanted for installing a skimming device inside a store. Authorities say the individuals sought entered the 7-Eleven located at 103 N.