Learning through play
What is learning through play and what is the landscape of play-based learning in Sri Lanka? Play-based learning and its importanceAccording to the encyclopaedia on early childhood development, play-based learning is learning that occurs while you play. Play-based learning involves the following elements:Self-direction: The child chooses what they play and how they play. Learning through play requires resources, therefore children must be provided access to play materials needed for different types of play such as water play, sand play, sensory play, musical play, art play and digital play. Creating awareness about the importance of play and how it benefits learning is profound in overcoming pertinent challenges to play-based learning.
Source:The Nation
September 19, 2021 18:56 UTC
‘We are struggling to pay our staff’
Harpo’s Hotels, Cafés, and Restaurants CEO and Founder, and CCRC President Harpo GooneratneIt’s been 18 months since Covid-19 came into our lives. Gooneratne urges the Government to permit SLTDA-registered restaurants to open during the lockdown at least at a minimum capacity of 25%. “The CCRC have vaccinated all of our staff; they are required to wear masks as well when serving customers,” he informed us, adding that they have over 60 members of the CRC with over 3000 employees. He also informed us that their staff have been given badges stating that they are vaccinated to assure the customers that their safety is their priority. Staff rendered helplessGooneratne also added that they have gone through 18 months of loss with no hand-offs from the Government whatsoever with their staff left high and dry.
Source:The Nation
September 19, 2021 18:33 UTC
Sagging morale of our cricket curved further by Proteas’ whitewash
Thereafter Sri Lanka beat a more formidable South African team to gain a series win, after an eight-year drought, in a bilateral One-Day International (ODI) series. Until the beginning of that series, the tally stood at about 20 losses to only five wins. With that series win, Sri Lanka added 10 more International Cricket Council (ICC) Super League World Cup 2023 pathway points as well. Theekshana debuted as the only Sri Lankan cricketer born in the 21st Century to play for Sri Lanka, too. Quinton de Kock’s featsQuinto de Kock (on left) and Reeza Hendricks (right) shared impressive opening partnerships of 73, 62, and an unbeaten 121 in the three-match T20I series.
Source:The Nation
September 19, 2021 18:11 UTC
You are not men, Ramiz Raja tells New Zealanders
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appears heartbroken by the development and the cricket fans in the country are incensed. Pakistanis are also coming up with bizarre arguments to shame the New Zealand cricket team for apparently withdrawing due to Indian influence. “New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is puppet of BCCI. Sri Lanka are placed among Ireland, Namibia, and Netherlands in their World Cup Round-1 Group-A. Only the top two countries from each Group in the Super-12 will enter straight into the World Cup semi-finals.
Source:The Nation
September 19, 2021 18:11 UTC
Alcohol queues and relief queues
The news that liquor stores were reopened on Friday (17) came as a surprise to both those who consume alcohol and those who do not. 2,000 allowance to survive during the travel restrictions before flocking to liquor stores in what he called were queues that extended 1.5 km. Data from different sources indicates that alcohol consumption among Sri Lankans is actually fluctuating, with no significant increase or decrease. While alcohol consumption had increased from 2.6 litres per annum in 2005 to 4.3 litres per annum in 2016, it had declined to 4.1 litres per annum by 2018. It is also a fallacy that people have sufficient disposable income and hence need no additional allowance or relief from the Government simply because the queues outside liquor stores on one day were lengthy.
Source:The Nation
September 19, 2021 18:00 UTC
Government’s drama has boomeranged on itself: Patali Champika Ranawaka
The above matter was a political witch-hunt against some priests, he charged. “I was the first to author a book in 2001 warning that religious extremism was occurring through Wahabism. Actually, certain politicians in the Eastern Province who had supported Zahran are voting in Parliament together with the Government. The Attorney General said that this was a conspiracy; then he should be the first to be questioned. It is extremely ugly how they summon different other people for interrogations from time to time without doing that.
Source:The Nation
September 19, 2021 18:00 UTC
Healthy eating during the Covid-19 pandemic
By Dr. Charuni KohombangeIn the battle with Covid-19, nutrition plays a key role, but unfortunately, this particular aspect is often overlooked in discussions regarding Covid-19 management. This habit should be stopped immediately in order to prevent obesity, which aggravates the “syndemic”; the synergistic pandemic of Covid-19 and non-communicable diseases. Covid-19 and consumption of fatIn relation to Covid-19 infection, fats or oils do not play a major role. Therefore, most of the Covid-19 patients, as well as the people confined to their homes during the lockdown period, may have vitamin D deficiencies. Thus, it is vital to improve nutrition by adopting healthy eating habits during the pandemic.
Source:The Nation
September 19, 2021 18:00 UTC
Covid infections rise by just 1.5% in a week
By Henry Martin For MailonlinePublished: 11:51 EDT, 19 September 2021 | Updated: 11:52 EDT, 19 September 2021Britain recorded another 29,612 coronavirus cases today - a 1.5 per cent increase from last Sunday's 29,173. The figures come as booster jab invites are being sent out to more than a million people to 'strengthen the wall of defence' against coronavirus created by vaccines. Britain recorded another 29,612 coronavirus cases today - a 1.5 per cent increase from last Sunday's 29,173. Those eligible for boosters include anyone aged 50 and over, people living and working in care homes for the elderly, and frontline health and social care workers. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has said people should receive their booster dose at least six months after they received their second coronavirus jab.
Source:The Nation
September 19, 2021 15:45 UTC
Emmys 2021: How to watch online, and who’s nominated
The 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony is tonight at 8PM ET (5PM PT), and streaming platforms like Apple TV Plus, Netflix and HBO Max are poised to win big. This year, CBS will broadcast the Emmys, so you can watch on your local CBS affiliate. HOW DO I WATCH THE EMMYS ONLINEThere are plenty of options for watching the Emmys if you don’t have cable TV. You can watch in your internet browser, or through a streaming device (Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku) connected to your television using Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, or SlingTV. The Apple TV Plus comedy Ted Lasso got 20 nominations for its freshman season, and HBO’s (unfortunately canceled) Lovecraft Country received 18 nominations.
Source:The Nation
September 19, 2021 15:00 UTC
Second doses of Sputnik V vaccine rolled out from tomorrow
The recipients of the first dose of Sputnik V vaccine will receive their second dose from tomorrow (Sep. 20), says the State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals, Prof. Channa Jayasumana. Sri Lanka received a new batch of Russia-made COVID-19 vaccine containing a total of 120,000 doses this morning. Accordingly, this batch of Sputnik V second doses is expected to be rolled out in the Kandy District. Following the completion of this vaccination program, all Sputnik V recipients in Sri Lanka will remain fully vaccinated against novel coronavirus. Commenting further on the national inoculation drive, the state minister revealed that Sri Lanka is expected to 4 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine within the next few months.
Source:The Nation
September 19, 2021 13:52 UTC
Men with prostate cancer could be cured in ONE WEEK
By Henry Martin For MailonlinePublished: 08:40 EDT, 19 September 2021 | Updated: 08:40 EDT, 19 September 2021Prostate cancer patients could be cured in just one week instead of a month with targeted high-dose radiotherapy sessions. There are nearly 50,000 diagnoses of prostate cancer each year, making it the most common form of cancer among British men. One option for patients is surgery to remove the prostate, but it leaves many men with erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Another treatment is radiotherapy, which involves blasting the prostate with X-ray beams that can destroy tumour cells – but there are trade-offs. Nearly 900 patients were recruited for the trial, funded by The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
Source:The Nation
September 19, 2021 12:56 UTC
COVID- 103 new victims move death toll to 12,125
The total number people who fell victim to COVID-19 infection in Sri Lanka moved up as 103 more fatalities were confirmed by the Director-General of Health Services on Saturday (Sep. 18). The new development has pushed the official death toll from the virus outbreak in Sri Lanka to 12,125. As per the data released by the Department of Government Information, the latest victims include 56 males and 47 females. As many as 77 deaths were reported among the elderly people aged above 60 years. In addition, 24 individuals aged between 30-59 years and two youths below 30 years have also succumbed to the virus infection.
Source:The Nation
September 19, 2021 12:33 UTC
Nine Pakistani suspects seized with heroin, detained
COLOMBO (News 1st): The Police Narcotics Bureau has taken steps to detain and question nine Pakistani nationals who were taken into custody by the Navy with heroin in the international waters south of Sri Lanka. Steps have also been taken to obtain the assistance of a translator to obtain statements from the suspects. The heroin seized by the Navy weighed 170 kilograms and 866 grams, with a value of over 1,575 million rupees. The Navy arrested the vessel along with the 9 foreign suspects on 10 September. The suspects and the vessel were brought to the Port of Colombo yesterday (18) morning under the protection of the Sri Lanka Navy.
Source:The Nation
September 19, 2021 12:02 UTC
Govt. attempting to disrupt education: Sajith
COLOMBO (News 1st): Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa alleges that the Government is trying to disrupt the education of children through its reluctance to solve problems in the field of education. Issuing a statement, the Opposition Leader said that the entire education sector in Sri Lanka is currently facing the darkest period in its history. Premadasa points out that the Government does not understand the consequences of its actions during this dark period in history, and has not taken action to ensure that the children can enjoy the benefits of the school system. The statement further underlines that the Government has not yet taken any successful action regarding the issue of teacher-principal salary anomalies as well as the issue of universities and other public and private educational institutions remaining closed for a period of over one and half years. The Leader of the Opposition calls on the Government to provide a solution to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue and to immediately reopen schools and universities by providing a suitable COVID-19 vaccine for school and university students.
Source:The Nation
September 19, 2021 12:00 UTC
Sri Lanka confirms 1,297 new COVID-19 cases
The Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health says 1,297 more people were tested positive for the novel coronavirus so far today (September 19). This brings the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in the country to 504,055. Reportedly, more than 59,900 virus-infected patients are undergoing treatment at the moment at hospitals, treatment centres, and undergoing home-based care. The total number of coronavirus recoveries climbed to 432,038 after 1,002 more patients were discharged from medical care earlier today. Meanwhile, the official death toll from COVID-19 now stands over 12,022.
Source:The Nation
September 19, 2021 12:00 UTC