Vehicle prices surge by over 50%
By Dinitha RathnayakeThe prices of reconditioned vehicles have increased substantially – in some cases by over 50% – according to the Vehicle Importers’ Association of Sri Lanka (VIASL). Speaking to The Morning, VIASL President Indika Sampath Merenchige confirmed a massive rise in the prices of reconditioned vehicles. All non-popular vehicle prices have increased by 25%”. This rapid increase of vehicle prices has a bad impact on the economy as well. 2171/5, dated 16 April 2020, strict restrictions were placed on vehicle imports, in a bid to curb foreign exchange outflows amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
Source:The Nation
August 15, 2021 17:48 UTC
Teachers’ salary committee to discuss with Finance Ministry
By Dinitha RathnayakeThe Cabinet Sub-Committee appointed to resolve the teacher-principal salary anomaly, after discussions with the relevant teachers’ and principals’ trade unions, will discuss their demands and proposals with the Ministry of Finance. Cabinet Sub-Committee Member and Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga confirmed to The Morning yesterday (15) that the trade unions’ demands would be discussed with the Finance Ministry, while the Sub-Committee’s recommendations would be presented to the Cabinet soon. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed the four-member Cabinet Sub-Committee, comprising Ministers Dullas Alahapperuma, Wimal Weerawansa, Mahinda Amaraweera, and Prasanna Ranatunga, to make recommendations regarding the issue of teacher-principal salary anomalies. The Sub-Committee obtained information from the Ministry of Education on the steps taken so far to resolve the issue, and decided to meet the relevant trade unions separately. The Minister further stated that steps will be taken to complete the responsibilities assigned to the Cabinet Sub-Committee as soon as possible and submit its recommendations to the Cabinet.
Source:The Nation
August 15, 2021 17:48 UTC
Quarantine centres at railway stations
BY Buddhika SamaraweeraIn response to trade union action by railway station masters, the Railways Department has planned to set up three centres in the Colombo District for its employees, who have been identified as the associates of Covid-19-infected patients, to undergo quarantine. However, Jayasundara said that if any of the employees who would be undergoing quarantine at these centres is found to be infected with Covid-19, they would be referred for treatment. “It is not possible to keep the infected at these centres, so if any worker becomes infected, they would be referred for treatment,” he said. He further noted that the relevant officials have been instructed to provide the required hand sanitising liquid, facemasks, and other hygienic equipment to all the railway stations without any delay or shortage. He also claimed that in some railway stations where Covid-19-infected staff members have been reported, it has been instructed by the Department to direct the infected staff member for treatments, and use the remaining employees, who have associated the infected, to continue the service.
Source:The Nation
August 15, 2021 17:48 UTC
Daily COVID cases count hits 3,435 today
A total of 859 more people tested positive for COVID-19 today (August 15), increasing the daily count of positive cases to 3,435. According to the Government Information Department, all new cases reported today were associated with the New Year cluster. Following the new development, the country’s confirmed coronavirus cases tally now stands at 354,968, the Epidemiology Unit said. Meanwhile, the death toll reached 6,096 after a record high of 161 victims were confirmed by the Director-General of Health Services. More than 39,000 active cases are currently under medical care at hospitals and treatment centres across the country.
Source:The Nation
August 15, 2021 16:30 UTC
Afghanistan- President Ghani flees country as Taliban surrounds Kabul
Afghanistan’s embattled president has left the country, joining his fellow citizens and foreigners in a stampede fleeing the advancing Taliban and signalling the end of a 20-year Western experiment aimed at remaking Afghanistan. Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council, confirmed in an online video that President Ghani had left on Sunday. “The former president of Afghanistan left Afghanistan, leaving the country in this difficult situation,” Abdullah said. Local media reported that Ghani left for Tajikistan. Abdullah said he wants security forces to continue providing security for Kabul and asked the Taliban to wait for talks before entering the city.
Source:The Nation
August 15, 2021 16:30 UTC
Covid cases and deaths fall
The all-settings figures - which covers cases in care homes, hospitals and the wider community across the home nations - come as No10's top scientific advisers claimed England's R rate has dipped below one for the first time in three months. Last week's figure was thought to be as high as 1.1. But it is a lagging indicator and reflects the situation the country faced three weeks ago, when Covid cases began to shrink naturally. UKHSA's estimate of the R rate suggested the figure may be as low as 0.8 in every region of the country. Ministers once put the R rate at the heart of their Covid battle plan.
Source:The Nation
August 15, 2021 15:33 UTC
Incel killer's hate-filled rants against women: How gunman Jake Davison raged at teenage girl online
Incel killer Jake Davison launched a hate-filled tirade at a 16-year-old girl in some of the last online posts he penned before killing five people. Meanwhile more evidence of Davison's misogyny emerged, with him yelling 'I f***ing hate women' after fighting a group of teenagers. The fight last autumn saw him put on the police wanted list as CCTV showed him leaving the clash. The last post Davison wrote was on August 10, just two days before the Plymouth killings, where he moaned about no one liking his Facebook pictures. He hit her and spat at her and said, ''I f***ing hate women''.'
Source:The Nation
August 15, 2021 12:56 UTC
Is Netflix still worth subscribing to?
So is Netflix still worth subscribing to? Netflix Netflix is still the leading premium streaming service, with over 200 million worldwide subscribers. In the pro-Netflix cornerJust on the basis of Netflix Originals, there’s a lot to watch exclusively on Netflix. Is Netflix still worth subscribing to? Edgar Cervantes / Android AuthorityIs Netflix still worth subscribing to?
Source:The Nation
August 15, 2021 11:15 UTC
All wedding functions banned from Tuesday midnight
All weddings functions, irrespective of the venue, will not be allowed to be held from Tuesday (August 17) midnight, the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) stated. Accordingly, weddings, whether held at home or at a reception hall, will not be permitted until further notice. Further, no activity that amasses the public will be allowed to be carried out from midnight today (August 15), Head of NOCPCO General Shavendra Silva stated. Meanwhile, restaurants can allow dine-in customers only up to 50 percent of their capacity, the NOCPCO further said. However, the government requests the public to avoid gathering in crowded places as much as possible, General Silva said.
Source:The Nation
August 15, 2021 11:06 UTC
Taliban enters Afghan capital Kabul, awaits peaceful transfer of power
The Taliban has defeated, co-opted or sent Afghan security forces fleeing from wide swaths of the country, even though they had some air support from the U.S. military. Taliban negotiators headed to the presidential palace Sunday to discuss the transfer, said an Afghan official who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. At Kabul International Airport, Afghan forces abandoned the field to Western militaries, said a pilot who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters. The militants also took Maidan Shar, the capital of Maidan Wardak, on Sunday, Afghan lawmaker Hamida Akbari and the Taliban said. Later, Afghan forces at Bagram air base, home to a prison housing 5,000 inmates, surrendered to the Taliban, according to Bagram district chief Darwaish Raufi.
Source:The Nation
August 15, 2021 10:41 UTC
Lily Cole says wants to break 'rigid' boundaries of sexuality as she comes out as queer
By Monica Greep For MailonlinePublished: 05:56 EDT, 15 August 2021 | Updated: 05:56 EDT, 15 August 2021Supermodel Lily Cole has come out as 'queer' as she said she wants to break the 'rigid' boundaries of sexuality. Cole - who was signed by Storm model agency in 2003 -welcomed her first child with Ferreira in 2015. Cole opened up about her sexuality in her new book, referring to 'my queerness' and stating that 'none of us choose the cultural norms and laws we inherit'. Cole is pictured in 2016Describing how she would bring her daughter up to be fearless, she said: 'Definitely. Lily pursued a modelling career as a teenager, landing her first British Vogue cover at the age of 16.
Source:The Nation
August 15, 2021 09:56 UTC
Ready to lockdown country if doctors recommend it - Channa Jayasumana
The government is prepared to lockdown the country if doctors recommend doing so, State Minister of Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana says. The State Minister, speaking to the media in Anuradhapura, pointed out that the government makes all decisions based on the advice of medical experts. However, doctors have not yet recommended that the country should be shut down to control the COVID-19 epidemic, he added. If we receive official advice and recommendations from the health sector to lockdown the country, we will not hesitate to implement it. “State Minister Prof. Jayasumana further stated that the people should impose self-travel restrictions in the face of the pandemic.
Source:The Nation
August 15, 2021 09:11 UTC
Two PHIs assaulted while carrying out duties
Two Public Health Inspectors attached to the Dickwella MOH office have been assaulted while carrying out their duties. Police spokesman Senior DIG Ajith Rohana notes that the two PHIs had visited a location where a Covid death had occurred. However, they were obstructed and assaulted by two people. Senior DIG Rohana also stated that several accounts of hostilities towards PHIs have been observed in the past. Accordingly, Sri Lanka Police is to take stern action against such perpetrators.
Source:The Nation
August 15, 2021 07:52 UTC
Lawyer of arrested Ex-Air Force officer claims threat to client’s life
Attorney at Law (AAL) Upul Kumarapperuma has written to the President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka over an alleged threat to the life of his client, the recently arrested Ex-Air Force officer Keerthi Rathanayake. It also noted that he would be accompanied by an officer attached to the High Commission. “However at one point my client was arrested by the officers attached to the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) and he was brought there. Thereafter Mr. Amila Egodamahawatta AAL visited the CCD upon my instructions and met my client in the presence of the OIC and several other officers of the CCD,” Kumarapperuma details. “In the aforesaid circumstances, I humbly request you to intervene in this matter and inform the relevant authorities to safeguard his life,” Kumarapperuma urged the President of the BASL.
Source:The Nation
August 15, 2021 07:41 UTC
Mallorca hotel review: Rustic country-estate Zoetry Mallorca is enchanting
A hotel on Mallorca that left me spellbound. I knew the biggest island of the Balearic archipelago could throw a party, but I didn't realise it could enchant. Not, that is, until we rolled into the grand courtyard of Zoetry Mallorca, a stunning step-back-in-time country estate hotel that mesmerises with tranquil courtyards, charming service, a pool or two and luxurious, serene bedrooms. Lads on tour, move along to Magaluf, which lies about 50km (31 miles) to the west, the other side of the capital, Palma. Zoetry Mallorca, pictured, is a stunning step-back-in-time country estate hotelThe hotel 'mesmerises with tranquil courtyards, charming service, a pool or two and luxurious, serene bedrooms', says Ted.
Source:The Nation
August 15, 2021 07:41 UTC