Freedom of expression, right to information, media freedom, vociferous opinions, half-baked solutIons are now a “free-for -all” in the name of the much “prostituted ‘ democracy, which is much cherished. This disaster, of course, is a very special case, where legal proceedings as well as insurance companies get fully involved, finally. In that particular situation, talking out of turn can damage the entire process, prejudicing the claim for damages / compensation. Perhaps, unknowingly or innocently, in the process of loose talk and open discussion, ammunition can be provided to the respondents. On the face of the calamity itself it appears as if the disaster had occurred in the normal course of events.

The former Chelsea star has been credited with helping bring peace to the Ivory Coast. Drogba famously helped enact a ceasefire in 2005 after securing qualification for the World Cup. Drogba's outstanding work has now been recognised by the Réseau des Universités des Sciences et Technologies (RUSTA), and the Chelsea legend was seen beaming as he accepted his honorary degree on a proud day for the former striker. In 2020, Drogba was awarded the UEFA President's Award, with Aleksander Ceferin labelling the former Blues marksman a 'pioneer'. 'Didier is a hero to millions of football fans for his achievements throughout his glittering playing career,' said Ceferin.

People who have had the Pfizer vaccine have lower antibody levels targeting the Indian coronavirus variant than those against previously circulating strains in the UK, new data has found. But it could also fuel concern that the Pfizer vaccine is less effective in preventing serious illness from the more-transmissible Indian variant, known as Delta. The Indian variant is now believed to be dominant in the UK, with early evidence suggesting it may lead to an increased risk of being admitted to hospital compared with the Kent variant. According to the research, in people who had received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, levels of neutralising antibodies were more than five times lower against the Indian variant when compared to the original strain, upon which current vaccines are based. PHE said it was concerned that a single dose could be up to 20 per cent less effective than it was against the Kent variant.

Earlier that week Labor had named members of the prime minister's staff accused of 'back-grounding' journalists about Mr Sharaz during a feisty Senate estimates hearing. 'I do not make a finding that negative briefing against Mr Sharaz of the sort alleged has taken place,' he wrote. 'My conclusion, based on the evidence presented to me, should in no way be taken as a reflection upon the honesty or sincerity of Ms Higgins.' She questioned why Dr Kunkel would ask the victim of an alleged rape at Parliament House in March 2019 to now demonstrate that the backgrounding occurred. 'This looks like an attempt to push back on Ms Higgins very strongly and it seems extremely unfair to me,' Senator Gallagher said.

Image: Mozilla Image: MozillaThe recent Firefox 89 update overhauls the browser’s desktop interface and introduces several welcome quality of life tweaks and expanded data privacy protections. To help you with the transition, we’ll go over all the updates in Firefox 89 you need to know about. To try these new features yourself, install the latest Firefox update by going to Settings > General > Firefox Updates > Check for updates on desktop, or you can download the latest installer from the official Firefox downloads page. Open tabs now “float” about the URL bar, each one its own individual rectangle. Other UI changes in Firefox 89Mozilla has also streamlined Firefox’s main toolbar.

Then Tillakaratne took two runs which took him to 100 with Sri Lanka requiring to score five runs in four balls. “A West Indies victory looked a formality when they reduced Sri Lanka to 103 for five, but Tillakaratne hadn’t had his say yet,” remembered Isam. Within the Sri Lanka playing ranks, the victory-hungry combination was being finalised. It was the very first moment where Sri Lanka tasted victory of such magnitude away from their shores. Sri Lanka knocked out the Windies and reached the best-of-three finals only to lose a fierce battle with uncompromising belligerence against the Aussies.

By Pamodi WaravitaThe fundamental rights (FR) petition against the alleged coercion of two moulavis by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to frame detained attorney Hejaaz Hizbullah, will likely be heard before the Supreme Court (SC) next week as an urgent matter, The Morning learnt. The two moulavis alleged that they had been instructed to say that they witnessed the meeting take place at a school in Batticaloa run by the “Save the Pearls” organisation, to which Hizbullah is affiliated. However, Balasooriya said that the moulavis have claimed that they were not aware of any such meetings between Hizbullah and Zahran. The two moulavis were arrested in March 2021 under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA) for their alleged involvement in the Easter Sunday bombings of 21 April 2019. Last week, the BASL wrote to Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana D. Wickramaratne regarding these alleged rights violations that lawyers face when gaining access to their clients in detention.

Research findings have clearly demonstrated that vaccination reduces deaths and complications in patients infected with Covid-19. Research evidence does not support benefits of vaccination to reduce transmission of infection unless a large majority of the population is vaccinated. An equal amount of vaccines could also be given to hospitals to immunise high-risk people with comorbidities. Along with vaccinating high-risk persons, people working in larger numbers in enclosed areas on longer shifts in economic hubs and other essential congregate settings could also be prioritised, it added. They have requested the President for an appointment to be granted to discuss this issue further.

Importing organic fertilisers in whatever form is not a good idea. This is the reason why other countries do not allow the import of organic fertilisers,” he added. Meanwhile, the All Ceylon Peasants Federation National Organiser Namal Karunaratne also noted that bringing down organic fertilisers could be dangerous. Accordingly, the Ministry of Agriculture has identified the need to take immediate action to supply the required organic fertilisers for the 2021/2022 Maha Season. “Imported organic fertilisers also pose a high risk of contaminating our soils and water resources.

A bit of background about what happenedThe vessel MV X-Press Pearl was sailing under the flag of Singapore when the unfortunate incident took place. The tremendous harm caused to the environment by this unfortunate incident can be discussed in detail under three different sections. Since it is reported that the Pearl has started sinking, there is the dreadful possibility of an oil spill. Apart from these, burnt metal scraps, containers, and plastic and polythene waste were also found abundantly in the shorelines. The MV X-Press Pearl is not the first ship that caught fire and was destroyed and it is not going to be the last.

'UNDENIABLE ASSET': White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday that Dr. Anthony Fauci (pictured) had been an undeniable asset to the administrationPressed again on Fauci, Psaki gushed: 'The president and the administration feel that Dr. Fauci has played an incredible role in getting the pandemic under control.' Many emails were redacted, and Fauci was asked during the Thursday morning interview on CNN if he remembers what was said. Fauci also shared a scholar's conclusion in April that there was 'no evidence' the virus emerged from a lab. In response to a Feb. 5 email, Fauci counseled former Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell not to wear a mask on a trip. As the Post noted, there do not appear to emails providing Fauci with concrete evidence of a lab leak theory that he dismissed.

The Department of Meteorology says that the prevailing showery condition in the South-western parts of the country, particularly in Western, Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces and in Galle and Matara districts, is expected to continue further. Very heavy falls above 150 mm will occur at some places in above areas tonight (03) and tomorrow, it said issuing a ‘Red’ warning for heavy rain. Following rainfalls were recorded from 08.30 a.m. on 03.06.2021 to 10.00 p.m. on 03.06.2021. Automatic rainfall station RainfallHorana- NBRO (Kaluthara district) - 145.5mmMinuwangoda (Gampaha district) - 141.5mmBandaragama (Kaluthara district) - 139.5mmYakkala (Gampaha district) - 136.5mmKatunayake (Gampaha district) - 133.6mmEheliyagoda (Rathnapura district) - 112.0mm

Britain added seven countries, including Egypt and Sri Lanka, to its “red list” of destinations that require hotel quarantine on return to England on Thursday, in a review that also saw Portugal move from “green” to “amber”. Britain added seven countries — Afghanistan, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Trinidad and Tobago — to its “red list” of places with severe COVID-19 outbreaks. All but essential travel to red list countries is barred, and U.K. residents returning from any of them must spend 10 days in a government-approved quarantine hotel. No countries were added to the quarantine-free green list. The full list of countries added to the “red list” is: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Trinidad & Tobago.

The United States announced Wednesday that it plans to send 25 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to countries around the world, including Sri Lanka, by the end of June. “We are sharing these doses not to secure favors or extract concessions. The Biden administration has pledged to share at least 80 million COVID-19 vaccine doses globally by the end of June. Sri Lankan state minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana confirmed that Sri Lanka has been included in the first tranche of the US global vaccine sharing programme. The much-awaited vaccine sharing plan comes as demand for COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. dipped significantly with over 63 per cent of adults having received at least one shot.

A number of programmes are being planned to expedite the production of organic fertilizers required for the Maha season, the President’s Media Division said today (03). “The raw material required for the production of organic fertilizer can be conveniently obtained from the rural environment. Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage stated that the full quantity of organic fertilizer required for this purpose is expected to be produced locally and in case of any shortage, the required shortfall will be imported and stored by the Government. State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa said that steps are being taken to provide the necessary technical knowledge to the farmers to produce organic fertilizer. The President officially handed over the soil testing equipment to the Commissioner General of Agrarian Services and the Director General of Agriculture.