Author: Press Room

COLOMBO: Canada has issued a travel ban on former Sri Lankan presidents – and brothers – Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa for human rights abuses committed during the island nation’s civil war. Mahinda Rajapaksa was in office when a no-holds-barred military campaign wiped out the Tamil Tigers separatist movement in 2009, while Gotabaya helmed the defence ministry. International observers estimate that up to 40,000 civilians from the ethnic Tamil minority were killed during the war’s final months in an indiscriminate bombing and clearance campaign. Top Sri Lankan military commanders have since been sanctioned and handed travel bans by Western nations, but…

Nick Kyrgios has hit out at his critics after selling out an Australian Open warm-up match against Novak Djokovic in under an hour.The game – to be held at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Friday – is set to be a thrilling repeat of the pair’s nail-biting face off in last year’s Wimbledon final.It will be the first time “tennis’ most famous frenemies” play against each other since the Wimbledon match, which was eventually won by Djokovic.Stream the news you want, when you want with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer…

Rep. Gary Palmer doubled down on his criticism of the Biden administration after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) said it was considering a potential ban on gas stoves.The idea was sent back to the drawing board following swift criticism from lawmakers and consumers. “As I said yesterday, unelected bureaucrats should not have the type of power to even consider such an action. It is time to rein in the Biden administration and their continual desire to control American’s lives and decisions,” the Republican tweeted Tuesday.The tweet came as Commissioner Rich Trumka Jr. of the USCPSC clarified a potential ban…

Yellow Brick Road Home Loans Executive Chairman Mark Bouris says Sydney and Melbourne are “the only two capital cities that have continued to grow” in terms of rental prices, which will continue to get “worse”.“When people arrive in Australia … they tend to go where the jobs are,” Mr Bouris told Sky News Australia.“As a result of that … we are going to have higher rental increases for 2023.” Source: Sky News

BANGKOK: Thailand plans to start collecting a 300 baht (US$9) fee from foreign tourists arriving in the country beginning in June, with the money raised to support visitors involved in accidents and develop tourist destinations, a minister said on Wednesday (Jan 11). Tourism is a crucial sector in Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy and contributed about 12 per cent of gross domestic product before the pandemic. “Fees won’t be collected from foreigners with work permits and border passes,” said Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, adding that Thailand expects 25 million tourist arrivals this year. The proposal was first considered last year and…

Islanders owner Jon Ledecky has not wavered in his support of Lou Lamoriello. Not one bit. “We have it written on top of the owner’s club: In Lou we trust,” Ledecky said before the Islanders’ 2-1 shootout loss to the Stars. “That’s what you do. You have to support your folks 1,000 percent. You cannot waver. There’s a plan in place. He has to execute the plan.” Lamoriello took over hockey operations for the Islanders ahead of the 2018-19 season and has had more or less absolute power over the team since then. The Hall of Fame executive turned 80…

Nationals Leader David Littleproud says capital cities “don’t understand the burden” that regional Australia bears as a result of ideology from “those that can afford to”.“All this government says is there’s a $600-million fund, well, let me say when we signed up to net zero, the federal government I was part of created over 20 odd billion dollars’ worth of infrastructure funds to make sure there was soft landing for regional communities,” Mr Littleproud told Sky News Australia. “This mob are simply going to put it in the neck of regional Australia and walk away and smile, telling everyone in…

A recent amendment to the Illinois Constitution may provide a loophole for law enforcement to escape some of the SAFE-T Act provisions affecting police officers, according to a local sheriff. “Unintended consequences normally go against law enforcement when legislation comes along,” Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Bullard, a former member of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council, told Fox News. “But now there’s an unintended consequence with the new government union amendment to the state constitution.””It states that language in a collective bargaining agreement now will trump state law,” Bullard said. POLICE UNIONS LOOKING TO EVADE SAFE-T ACT PROVISIONS, SHERIFF SAYS:WATCH…

Prayer is a focus this month as Americans observe Sanctity for Life Month all throughout January — with Jan. 22 specifically observed as Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. The faithful are hoping that their prayers will encourage respect for life at all stages.Intercessors for America (IFA) is a religious organization in the United States that is laser-focused on prayer 365 days a year — for national issues such as the right to life — and for the nation’s elected leaders, too.Located in Northern Virginia and founded in 1973, IFA has “millions of Americans” praying and responding to specific action items as…

At least 10 senior Biden administration officials were hired to their current or former positions after stints at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, the president’s think tank where a trove of classified documents was recently found.The Washington, D.C.-based Penn Biden Center — a foreign policy think tank President Biden opened in 2018 — previously employed current Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl and White House counselor Steven Richetti. Blinken and Richetti both served as managing directors while Kahl was a strategic consultant at the center.In addition, Spencer Boyer, the…