Monday 17th May, Colombo: Fairfirst’s recent streak of both local & global awards and recognitions is a true testament to their continuous focus on being the best rather than the biggest. Another global recognition for Fairfirst and for the 2nd time in Sri Lanka comes on the heels of 3 distinguished titles in 2021 for ‘Best Motor Insurance Claims Process (Click2Claim), ‘Best Cyber Insurance Company’ and ‘Best Employee Benefits Provider’ at the Global Banking & Finance Awards 2021. Fairfirst also achieved the distinction of being the only Insurer to bring home the ‘Merit Award’ at the CNCI Achiever Awards 2020 for Industrial Excellence. Speaking on these wins Sandeep Gopal – CEO, Fairfirst Insurance states, “These wins show that regardless of trying times, we will always work together to further innovate and revolutionise the insurance industry. Putting innovation, fun and excitement back into the insurance industry, Fairfirst is fast-becoming an industry leader that people turn to and trust.

May 17, 2021 06:45 pmThree police areas in Mullaitivu District are to be isolated with effect from 11.00 p.m. tonight (17). Army Commander General Shavendra Silva said that Mullaitivu, Puthukkudiyiruppu and Mulliyaweli police areas in Mullaitivu District will be isolated until further notice. Please avoid outside hyperlinks inside the comment and avoid typing all capitalized comments. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by flagging them(mouse over a comment and click the flag icon on the right side). Do use these forums to voice your opinions and create healthy discourse.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s main focus is on vaccination and all possible avenues are being explored to secure the vaccine, said Education Minister, Professor G. L. Peiris, on Monday (17). However, the Sri Lankan Government has come under fire for failing to procure vaccines on time, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The President of the Government Nursing Officers Association Saman Ratnapirya speaking to reporters said many countries possess an excess of vaccines because they procured the vaccines early. Sri Lanka’s Deputy Director-General of Public Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath however said it that is not possible to order vaccines before they are manufactured. “After a vaccine is produced it needs to undergo a series of tests,” he said.

By Cindy Tran for Daily Mail AustraliaPublished: 09:49 EDT, 17 May 2021 | Updated: 09:49 EDT, 17 May 2021MasterChef Australia judge Andy Allen has revealed the unusual secret ingredient he uses to bake the perfect potato gratin. The chef said you'll need Dutch cream potatoes, thickened cream, butter, brown onions, rosemary, garlic, cheddar cheese, parmesan, breadcrumbs and surprisingly, a tin of anchovies. While the onions are caramelising, Andy suggested the soaking the sliced potatoes in the cream, season with salt and pepper. To assemble the gratin, he said you need to arrange a layer of potato slices over the base of the dish, overlapping slightly, topped with caramelised onions. Finishing with another layer of potatoes, along with the thickened cream, topped with cheddar and parmesan cheese over the top.

Abu Harbid - whose death has yet to be confirmed by PIJ - came amid continuing attacks by Israel in Gaza today. In Israel, 10 people have been killed in total, including two children, with barrages of rockets fired from Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would share any evidence of Hamas' presence in the targeted building through intelligence channels. Israel's airstrikes have leveled a number of Gaza City´s tallest buildings, which Israel alleges contained Hamas military infrastructure. Sheikh Jarrah has been at the heart of the flareup, seeing weeks of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces.

May 17, 2021 07:19 pmThe Ministry of Health reports that another 1,579 persons have tested positive for coronavirus today (17). All new cases are associated with the New Year Covid-19 cluster. This brings the total number of COVID-19 cases confirmed in the country thus far to 144,325. Presently 23,734 infected patients are being treated at hospitals and treatment centers across the island. Meanwhile, the number of total recoveries has reached 119,629.

Enriches Attidiya Wetlands with one plant for each employee17 May, 2021, Colombo, Sri Lanka – Standard Chartered Sri Lanka undertook to plant a tree for each of the Bank’s employees at the Attidiya Wetlands to commemorate Earth Day 2021 in April, in line with its commitment to sustainability. Commenting on the initiative, Bingumal Thewarathanthri, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka, said “Standard Chartered has always been a socially and environmentally conscious network and over the years, we have dedicated significant resources to ensure we add value to our communities and the environment. All our sustainability efforts and initiatives work towards strengthening our sustainability drive and staying true to our ‘Here for good’ brand promise. Environment is a strategic pillar in the Bank’s overall sustainability agenda, and is viewed as a holistic long-term commitment by employees. Standard Chartered places emphasis on volunteer activities carried out by employees on the sustainability front, and enables their efforts by allowing them paid leave for sustainability-related engagements.

May 17, 2021 by Aazam Ameen No CommentsState Minister of Women and Child Development, Preschools & Primary Education, School Infrastructure & Education Services Piyal Nishantha De Silva met with the High Commissioner of Pakistan Maj. Gen. (Retd) Muhammad Saad Khattak today (17). During the meeting, matters pertaining to higher education scholarships offered by the Government of Pakistan for Sri Lankan students were discussed in detail. Additionally, the potential for tourism development between the two countries was also discussed.

Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga says that the government is not prepared to postpone any project that will contribute to the future of the country and economic growth under the guise of the global Covid pandemic. Responding to questions raised by the media after inspecting the Covid vaccination program at the Minuwangoda Divisional Secretariat, the Minister said that the government is still optimistic about the future of the country and the economy.

By Mark Duell for MailOnlinePublished: 07:19 EDT, 17 May 2021 | Updated: 07:58 EDT, 17 May 2021New Today programme presenter Amol Rajan has revealed he had a 'full-on panic attack' the night before his debut on the Radio 4 current affairs programme. Mr Rajan, 37, tweeted: '10pm last night I had a full-on panic attack. Amol Rajan makes his debut on Radio 4's Today programme with fellow presenter Justin Webb'Had 3 massive rums and a bit else. And a third tweeted: 'Very pleased to hear @AmolRajan on the BBC 4 Today programme as I was out pounding the street today. On March 11, Mr Rajan became the first new Today presenter to be appointed since the departure of John Humphrys in September 2019.

By Adam Shergold for MailOnlinePublished: 07:55 EDT, 17 May 2021 | Updated: 07:55 EDT, 17 May 2021The Government has approved the entry of cricketers from India and Pakistan for tours of England this summer - despite both countries being on the current Covid-19 'red list'. India's men's team are due in England for a five-Test series and also the final of the World Test Championship against New Zealand at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. The World Test Championship will be played over five days between June 18 and 22. Prior to that, England play New Zealand in two Tests commencing on June 2 and name their squad on Tuesday afternoon for that series. The protocols for players from red-listed Pakistan and South Africa arriving to participate in the inaugural The Hundred tournament remains unclear.

And if you want to know how to find the perfect name for your business, then stick with us on this journey. So take the time, find the perfect name that’ll position your business as an authority that delivers outstanding quality. How To Come Up With The Perfect NameYour journey to getting the perfect name must begin with:Understanding Your BusinessHaving a deep understanding of your business is a necessary step that you must take if you must create the perfect name. Knowing your brand element will help point you in the right direction to finding the best name for your business. Know the scale and level you want your business to attain, then make sure the name is consistent with that.

May 17, 2021 by Aazam Ameen No CommentsHigh Commissioner of Bangladesh Tareq Md Ariful Islam paid a courtesy call on Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane at the Speaker’s residence today (17). During the meeting, the duo discussed multiple issues including the Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Further, the Speaker extended his gratitude to the High Commissioner for Bangladesh’s continued support of Sri Lanka, remarking that the two countries have had a longstanding friendship.

May 17, 2021 05:27 pmThe Ministry of Health reports that 1,307 more patients who were being treated for COVID-19 have recovered and have been discharged from hospital within the last 24 hours. This increases the total number of coronavirus recoveries in the country to 119,629. Sri Lanka has so far reported 142,746 positive cases of COVID-19 while presently a total of 22,155 infected patients are being treated at hospitals and treatment centers. The death toll due to the virus has risen to 962.

The Ministry of Health says that it has decided to provide necessary treatment to those infected with the Covid-19 virus by referring them to the nearest treatment and intermediate centers. The Covid-19 Special Action Task Force has met today (17) to take immediate action on the current Covid-19 mitigation efforts. It was also decided to provide necessary medical equipment for the treatment centers being constructed by various governmental and non-governmental organizations in addition to the Ministry of Health. Rapid antigen testing is increasingly being conducted in the field in parallel with PCR tests to identify Covid-19 infected persons. The meeting was chaired by Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi and attended by Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle, Specialist Minister of State for Primary Health Care, Epidemiology and Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health Auditorium.