Marine Drive construction nears completion
Construction of the two new sections of Marine Drive from Wellawatte to Dehiwala Railway Station and from Kollupitiya to Steuart Place in Colombo has reached its final stages, stated the Highways Ministry via media release. Chief Government Whip and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando, addressing a progressive review meeting on Monday (16) with engineers and the Project Director at the ministry auditorium, had said that Rs. 220 million has been spent on the 600 m section of the four-lane road from Kollupitiya to Steuart Place, and Rs. 420 million on the 1.2 km section of the four-lane road from Wellawatte to Dehiwala Railway Station.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 18:03 UTC
DAVID HAYE EXCLUSIVE: Comeback fight with Fournier could spark return
Haye joins battle with his businessman-boxer friend Joe Fournier on the undercard of the legendary Oscar De La Hoya’s boxing comeback in Los Angeles on September 11. ‘But as the date draws closer and the excitement grows Haye, is forced to admit: ‘I’m feeling the nostalgia. When Joe first began challenging me I said it was inconceivable I would ever fight again. ‘Well,’ says the former world heavyweight champion, ‘unexpected circumstances are bringing me to the Staples Centre in LA. Haye reveals: ‘I told Joe I’d only do this for the same money I got for my pay-per-view second fight with Bellew.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 18:00 UTC
Foreign Sports Snippets
* Messi presented to fans as PSG winsLionel Messi was introduced to the Paris St-Germain (PSG) fans before Saturday’s (14) 4-2 win over 10-man Strasbourg. Meanwhile PSG Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino proclaimed he is “very happy” with Mbappe following the win as PSG fans whistled at the forward amid transfer speculation. * Formula E: De Vries wins drivers’ c’ship, others crashMercedes-EQ’s Nyck de Vries won the Formula E drivers’ championship after three other contenders crashed out in the early stages of the final race on Sunday. * Muhammad Ali’s grandson Nico Ali Walsh wins first pro boutNico Ali Walsh paid tribute to his grandfather Muhammad Ali as he won his debut professional bout wearing a pair of shorts he had given him. “It’s just an emotional journey, this whole ride,” Ali Walsh had said.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 18:00 UTC
Cricket fan walks 1,400 km across India to meet M.S. Dhoni
Gill’s rare commitment goes on to indicate the kind of unending, unusual, and, perhaps, the frenzied passion of the Indian cricket fan, particularly at an age the country’s cricket is dominating the world stage. Ajay Gill waving the Indian National Flag on Friday (13) during his remarkable journey to see his cricketing idol. One of his biggest fans named Ajay Gill walked over 1,400 km to meet his hero on the (Indian) Independence Day (15 August). “Dhoniji se mil ke hi ghar lautunga” (I will return home only after I meet Dhoni), Ajay Gill had told the Telegraph India. “Dhoni has given many memorable moments to cricket fans by captaining the Indian cricket team to victory in the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 50-overs World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 18:00 UTC
If Square is down for you, you are not alone
TL;DR Square, the popular digital payment service, appears to be down for some users. The service is currently dealing with a ‘502 Bad Gateway’ error when users access the Square dashboard. If you use Square, the popular digital payment system, you might be experiencing some issues accessing the service. Specifically, it says that some users have reported getting a ‘502 Bad Gateway’ error when they access the Square Dashboard. The good news is that while Square is down for some users, the company is currently working to fix the problems.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 17:37 UTC
UNP leader calls on President to discuss pandemic situation
A meeting between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has taken place this morning (Aug. 17). The UNP leader has handed over a set of proposals to the President, pertaining to the mitigation of COVID-19. Wickremesinghe also requested a meeting of party leaders to discuss the prevailing situation and relevant solutions with the participation of the Prime Minister, Speaker of Parliament and the Minister of Health. The attention of the duo has also fallen on launching joint programs to seek remedies for the current pandemic situation. Reportedly, the former Prime Minister’s views on hospital capacity, medicines and vaccination have drawn a positive response from the President.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 17:37 UTC
Staycationers may have 'amplified' the Covid outbreak in Cornwall, experts say
Four of the top 10 parts of England areas with the highest Covid infection rates are in Cornwall, official data shows in a sign that staycations are fuelling the local crisis. Local health chiefs warned that Cornwall attracts a lot of young holidaymakers, many of whom have had one or no vaccines. Experts told MailOnline today the G7 summit in June likely 'seeded' the outbreak, which has since been amplified by staycationers during the school break. Official data shows 1,067 people per 100,000 had Covid in Newquay West in the seven days leading up to August 11. 'However since the G7 summit in early June, case numbers have been increasing at a rate that is amongst the highest in England.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 17:37 UTC
Health Minister defends decision to not lock down the country
New Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella says COVID-19 vaccination and strict adherence to health guidelines are the only ways to deal with the pandemic. Responding to questions raised by journalists during a media briefing held earlier today (Aug. 17), the health minister defended the government’s decision to not lock down the country entirely. Even the countries with a robust economy implemented nationwide lockdown measures in the outset of the novel coronavirus pandemic, however, they were confronted by the pandemic again after reopening, he explained. “Some people call for a two-week lockdown. We already had the country closed down for months, but what happened [after reopening]?”Nearly 1.5 million employees in the public sector receive their monthly salaries without an issue, he added, pointing out that the situation of the self-employed people and daily wage earners must also be taken into consideration.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 17:15 UTC
Quote from a Legend
I just wanted to be them and do that.”– Joe RootJoseph Edward Root, MBE*, born 30 December 1990, is the current Captain of England in Test cricket. Root was part of the England squad that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup and was England’s leading run-scorer in the tournament. Root replaced Alastair Cook as the full-time Test Captain of England in February 2017, following the latter’s resignation, making him England’s 80th Captain. He scored his 22nd Test century at Lord’s on Saturday (14) in the second Test against India. On 16 occasions Root struck a hundred, England had won and on no time had they lost when he passed the three-figure mark.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 16:41 UTC
How to Fix the Alt+Tab Bug in Windows 10
For some reason, the August 2021 update KB5005033 (as well as the July 2021 preview KB5004296) for Windows 10 put Alt+Tab out of commission. Now, that doesn’t mean that Windows will outright ignore you when you press Alt+Tab. Normally when you press Alt+Tab, it moves through your various app windows, then opens the one selected when you release the keys. G/O Media may get a commissionHow to solve Windows 10's Alt+Tab problemLuckily, we do have a workaround for this glitch, albeit a strange one. We don’t recommend this method, however, since you’ll be missing out on the crucial security patches the August 2021 update provides.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 16:41 UTC
Springboks begin title defence with a win against Pumas
The Springboks, coming off a series win over the British and Irish Lions, managed to secure a bonus-point win over Argentina by 32-12 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium at Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Boks led 29-9 in first halfThe Springboks scored two tries in the first half to take a 21-9 lead going into lemons. Los Pumas’ nine points in the first half came through the boot of Nicolas Sanchez. Jantjies adds six moreIn the second half, Argentina tried their best to make a comeback into the game but they only scored a three-pointer through Sanchez. The hosts made 10 changes to the starting line-up that won the decider against the Lions a week ago.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 16:30 UTC
More than 3,600 coronavirus cases detected within the day
A total of 946 more people tested positive for COVID-19 today (August 17), increasing the daily count of positive cases to 3,609. According to the Government Information Department, 3,555 of the latest cases reported today were associated with the New Year cluster. Following the new development, the country’s confirmed coronavirus cases tally now stands at 365,683, the Epidemiology Unit said. Meanwhile, the death toll reached 6,434 after a record high of 171 victims were confirmed by the Director-General of Health Services. More than 45,000 active cases are currently under medical care at hospitals and treatment centres across the country.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 16:18 UTC
2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo
* Host City: Tokyo, Japan* Motto: “United by Emotion”* Number of Athletes: 4,400 (expected)* Events: 540 in 22 sports* Opening Ceremony: On Tuesday, 24 August* Closing Ceremony: On Sunday, 5 September* Opened By: Emperor Naruhito (expected)* Stadium: Japan National Stadium# The 2021 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan is named ‘2020 Paralympic Games’. # The Tokyo Paralympics were originally scheduled to take place between 25 August and 6 September 2020. # The events are still being branded as Tokyo 2020 for marketing purposes. # This will mark the second Summer Paralympics to be hosted by Tokyo since the 1964 Games. As a result of the ban, WADA allows individually cleared Russian athletes to take part in the 2020 Summer Paralympics under a neutral banner, as instigated at the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 16:18 UTC
Taliban deputy leader arrives in Afghanistan from Qatar
By AfpPublished: 10:48 EDT, 17 August 2021 | Updated: 10:58 EDT, 17 August 2021The Taliban's deputy leader and co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar arrived in Kandahar Tuesday, landing in the insurgent group's former capital just days after they took control of the country. A Taliban spokesman said on Twitter that Baradar and a high level delegation 'reached their beloved country in the afternoon' from Qatar.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 15:00 UTC
Twelve parliamentary staff members test positive for Covid-19
Twelve staff members of the Sri Lanka Parliament have been identified as Covid-19 positive following the conducting of random rapid antigen tests at the parliamentary premises today (17). Serjeant-at-Arms of Parliament Narendra Fernando said that a total of 275 persons had been subjected to antigen tests, carried out between 9.00 a.m. and 12 noon today at the premises. This included several Members of Parliament (MPs), parliamentary staff members, security staff and media personnel. Twelve of these staff members have been identified as Covid-19 positive while their close contacts have been quarantined. He added that a decision has been taken to maintain the operations of the Parliament with a minimum staff from tomorrow until further notice.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 14:15 UTC