Abeysekara was arrested in July 2020, following his interdiction from the Police service in January 2020. He was arrested on allegations of the fabrication of evidence to allegedly frame a false case against former Deputy Inspector General of Police Vaas Gunawardena. Following the hearing of a petition in the Court of Appeal, Abeysekara was enlarged on bail on 16 June after being detained for nearly a year in prison. The legal representation for Abeysekara had pointed out that no credible evidence had been brought before the Court to substantiate these charges. CID Sub-Inspector Sugath Mendis, who initially made the allegations against Abeysekara, later claimed that Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) officers had coerced him into making the statement.

By Buddhika SamaraweeraAbout five patients infected with Covid-19 have been diagnosed with the Indian Delta B.1.617.2 variant, while three other patients too are suspected to have been infected with the same strain, according to the Ministry of Health. He said the Health Ministry, as of last evening, had not received any information regarding the three suspected patients. The Delta variant had also been detected from a resident in Jayaliyagama in Kahathuduwa on 28 June. After genetic sequencing, the said patient was found to have been infected with the Delta variant and he is currently receiving treatment at the Covid-19 treatment centre in Polonnaruwa. The Delta variant, which is said to be 50% more transmissible than the currently spreading UK Alpha B.1.1.7 variant, was, for the first time in Sri Lanka, detected from a community sample on 17 June.

By Buddhika SamaraweeraThe Ministry of Health has planned to commence the administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines as the second dose for those who were administered the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine as the first dose, as soon as the necessary vaccine doses are brought to Sri Lanka. State Minister of Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana announced on 28 June that approval was granted for the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines as the second dose for individuals who received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as their first dose. “Given the current situation, there is no way to start it very soon as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have not yet arrived in the country,” he said. He added that the circular would state as to how to proceed with the replacement of the second dose of the AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, with all related matters being considered. As soon as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are available in the country, the programme will be implemented,” he mentioned.

Jill Biden has only been First Lady for a matter of months but she has already achieved a coveted honor that her predecessor Melania Trump was never afforded: a glamorous Vogue cover shoot. The East Wing won't detail the designer of the clothes Jill Biden wears and the first lady barely discussed fashion in the piece. And Jill Biden said of their marriage: 'We have to, I think, try a little harder to make time for one another. In that pic, Jill Biden wears a $1,390 green Michael Kors skirt with a $695 green Michael Kors sweater. Jill Biden, in response, noted the multitude of roses that blossomed and said of Trump: 'Apparently she put in these walkways.

It was later reported that the authorities were seeking the assistance of India, which had reported incidents of Covid-19 among lions in the recent past. A total of 255 rectal swabs and 141 faecal samples from different bat species were tested by using the adapted nested PCR protocol for the generic detection of Coronaviruses, and a total of 33 samples had proven positive. It further added: “This supports the assumption that only particular bat species serve as a natural reservoir for harmful human pathogenic viruses like the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, while spill-over events may occur because of environmental impacts and the intrusion of humans to the living areas of the bat species. Being the largest cave in Sri Lanka with as many as five sympatric bat species, numbering over 100,000 individuals, the Wavul Galge Cave provides an excellent natural site for the long term monitoring of bat-borne viruses in Sri Lanka.”Researchers emphasised that this study highlights the need to periodically monitor all bat species and their viruses in the said cave. However, it was only recently that Sri Lanka paid attention to the virus being spread to and among animals.

Their narrative is that when Mahinda Rajapaksa failed, Gotabaya Rajapaksa was unveiled, and when he failed, the Government is attempting to pull another Rajapaksa from under the hat. It’s basic contour is that Mahinda Rajapaksa failed politically, which forced the family to pull another Rajapaksa – Gotabaya, now President – from their bag of tricks. This storyline is built up on a single plank – the story of then President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s defeat in 2015. Which is, that Mahinda Rajapaksa was the first Rajapaksa failure…No, he is the first Rajapaksa success and so far the only Rajapaksa success, because the story of Gotabaya Rajapaksa is still being written – which makes it by all accounts an unfinished chapter. The Opposition’s greatest miscalculation seems to be in its underestimation of the real force behind the Rajapaksa political drama – Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa, the consummate politician.

The Education Ministry, in a historical step forward, recently decided to give more opportunities for English education in the public school sector. Fearing and encouraging opposition against giving more attention to a foreign language, which is already a link language, is uncalled for, because it is already a part of the country’s education and social systems. The truth is, there are plenty of private education institutions that have been providing English education for years without causing the supposed decline of a sense of nationality that those opposing more attention for English education, fear. This fear and opposition are not justified because they stem from a certain lack of understanding of the specific roles of each language a country has. English, on the other hand, is the language that will help Sri Lanka be a part of global communities.

Once you’re able to do full pushups by the dozens, for example, they’re training your endurance more than building your strength. And while moves like pull-ups provide more of a challenge, they’re often impossible for beginners. But there’s a workout that covers the whole spectrum, and it’s one of Reddit’s best kept fitness secrets: the r/bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine. An important note on equipment: while this routine doesn’t require weights, it does include moves that call for a pull-up bar or a set of dip bars. If you’d like a cheat sheet to help you follow along as you do the exercises, there’s one here.

A secret ledger hidden in the archives of the Parisian police and containing the criminal files of a group of prostitutes labelled 'the Undominated' has been revealed. Under Napoleon, prostitution became legal in France and the booklet arranges the various courtesans in Paris by district for ease for the potential customer. Five years later, Paris alone had 180 officially approved brothels. However the nineteenth century also saw courtesans become extraordinarily wealthy and famous - and opulent brothels such as le Chabanais were built. As 'The Pretty Women of Paris' directory shows, many of the prostitutes listed were professional stage actresses.

Carl Pei, OnePlus co-founder and the person behind the Nothing tech company, is going to announce the Nothing ear (1) wireless earphones on July 27. The date was confirmed in a press release which gave little hints for the upcoming product. Nothing’s mission is apparently to “remove barriers between people and technology to create a seamless digital future”, whatever that means. They will have nothing for wires and cables but hopefully, the battery and the looks will be something. They will be sold by Smartech at Selfridges’ offline store and website, and it looks like we’ll get nothing for a price until the launch event has finished.

In a clear sign vaccines are working, Covid deaths remained low after another 23 were recorded, down 14 per cent on the 27 last Tuesday. Covid deaths have remained under 30 per day since April 24 and plunged to just three yesterday. There has been fierce debate about what level of Covid deaths would be 'tolerable' when Britain emerges from the shutdown. 'We should consider it a success if we bring it [Covid deaths] down to levels comparable with flu deaths every year. 'We should consider it a success if we bring it [Covid deaths] down to levels comparable with flu deaths every year.

The Health Ministry says 389 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today (June 29) increasing the daily count of positive cases to 1,709. All new cases reported within the day have been associated with the New Year cluster, which recorded a total of 249,828 virus infections since mid-April this year. The new development brings Sri Lanka’s confirmed coronavirus cases tally to 257,217. According to official data, as many as 223,471 patients who were infected with the virus have regained health so far. More than 30,000 active cases are currently under medical care at designated hospitals and treatment centres.

The past 10 months have been a whirlwind for the Chelsea star. Kai Havertz is primed to down England on his return to London with Germany later todayBut the circumstances behind Havertz's slow start at Chelsea have been unjustly overlooked. 'To be honest, I couldn't give a f*** because we just won the f***ing Champions League!' Havertz will forever be viewed as Chelsea's Champions League hero but the 22-year-old's aspirations extend further than glory with his club. Muller knows what it takes to beat England and will be looking to pass the baton to young Havertz as Germany bid to establish their dominance over England.

2021 Jun 29The Moot Court Bench (MCB) team representing the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo, emerged Champions at the Global Rounds of the 19th John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition, 2021. The John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition is the premier International Moot Court Competition organised annually by the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) focused on International Trade Law (ITL) and based on the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The UoC victors commenced their journey after being selected for the MCB’s International Trade Law Program in July, 2020, alongside a team from the Sri Lanka Law College. The UoC team was assisted by the Moot Court Bench (MCB). The Moot Court Bench is Sri Lanka’s first fully integrated training platform for advocacy in Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) and ITL in partnership with the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) of the United States Department of Commerce.

29th June 2021, Colombo: As one of Sri Lanka’s foremost corporate citizens, JAT Holdings has made continuous strides in changing the sustainability landscape of Sri Lanka. After identifying key areas of focus such as business sustainability, sustainability of the society and sustainability of the planet, JAT Holdings has certainly become a catalyst for change in the corporate arena of Sri Lanka. This resulted in a total carbon footprint emission of 4,758.79tCO2e, scope 1 GHG emission – 1,064.84, scope 2 GHG emission – 291.50 tCO2e, scope 3 GHG emission – 3,402.45 tCO2e, 0.00125tCO2e per litre GHG emission 13.60 tCO2e per employee GHG emission for the year 2020/21. JAT Holdings is officially authorised to use the Responsible Care international logo on its products by complying with international standards in relation to the organisation’s commitment to environment and social sustainability. This was apparent when JAT Holdings embarked on its Petal paints project with the goal of restoring murals and ancient paintings in temples.