2nd T20I postponed after Indian player tests Covid positive
July 27, 2021 05:47 pmThe second T20I between Sri Lanka and India, originally scheduled to be played today (July 27) has been pushed forward by a day and will now take place on Wednesday (July 28), Sri Lanka Cricket announced. Following the Rapid Antigen Tests conducted ahead of the match on Tuesday morning, Team India all-rounder Krunal Pandya was found to be positive. The Medical Teams have identified eight members as close contacts, the SLC said in a statement. The entire contingent is undergoing RT-PCR tests today to ascertain any further outbreak in the squad.
Source:The Nation
July 27, 2021 12:56 UTC
1,349 patients recover from novel coronavirus
July 27, 2021 05:04 pmThe Ministry of Health says that another 1,349 patients who were being treated for COVID-19 have been discharged after completing their recovery. This increases the country’s coronavirus recoveries to 270,356. Sri Lanka has thus far confirmed a total of 298,181 positive cases of Covid-19 while 23,726 patients infected with the virus are currently under medical care. The death toll due to the virus currently stands at 4,147.
Source:The Nation
July 27, 2021 11:26 UTC
Need for oxygen for Covid patients has increased: Ministry
Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath says that the need for oxygen has increased in the treatment of Covid infections. “We are seeing a higher percentage of patients with symptoms these days than ever before, and the need for oxygen has increased for the most part. Samples make up 20% to 30% of delta infections, and it is more or less the same in other regions,” he said. Meanwhile, Minister of State Prof. Channa Jayasumana stated that an increase in the number of oxygen dependent patients in Sri Lankan hospitals has been observed in the last few days. The Minister of State said that the situation is being reported especially from Colombo and suburbs.
Source:The Nation
July 27, 2021 10:01 UTC
Cheshire Police confirm they ARE probing Wayne Rooney's blackmail complaint
His wife Coleen has refused to cut short her family holiday to Wales after the images were circulated online. Rooney's representatives told MailOnline yesterday they had made a formal complaint of blackmail to police, when social media was flooded with images of the night-out on Sunday. Greater Manchester Police said they had received no reports to them about the incident, but Cheshire Constabulary are actually investigating the claims. It confirmed: 'We have received a complaint of blackmail which we are reviewing.' Speaking from her home in Barrow on Furness, Angie Saunderson, Tayler's 43-year-old mother, said: 'I don't care about the police complaint.
Source:The Nation
July 27, 2021 08:48 UTC
Intel and Qualcomm strike chip manufacturing deal
Qualcomm and Amazon will be the first customers for Intel’s new Foundry Services business. Amazon’s Web Services division (AWS) will rely on Intel’s new IFS packaging solutions though no specific chipsets will actually be produced for Amazon. Yes, Intel will call its next-gen 10nm in-house chipset Intel 7. The version after that will be called Intel 4 based on a 7nm node and is expected to debut sometime in 2023. It will be based on EUV lithography and promises a 20% performance gain over its predecessor.
Source:The Nation
July 27, 2021 08:48 UTC
150 more teachers to assist education reforms
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to obtain the services of 150 teachers to the National Institute of Education to assist in educational reform processes. The National Institute of Education is currently working to introduce educational reforms to create an education system that will endow the country with skillful children who will be able to find successful solutions to the challenges facing the 21st century, the Department of Government Information stated. These reforms are planned to introduce significant changes to syllabi and teaching strategies. However, it has been determined that the staff currently employed in the National Institute of Education is not sufficient for those functions. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal submitted by the Minister of Education to attach 150 experienced teachers with expertise in the relevant subject who work as teachers in government schools to the National Institute of Education.
Source:The Nation
July 27, 2021 07:52 UTC
CID receives complaint against the staging of protests
COLOMBO (News 1st): The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has received a complaint against the conduct of protests across the country in violation of the quarantine regulations, at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is not entirely contained. This complaint was lodged by Dhanushka Dilshan Gamage, the Chairman of the People for Justice Organization. The complaint states that since such protests could endanger public health by causing the further spread of the disease, those responsible should be arrested. The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has launched an investigation in this regard.
Source:The Nation
July 27, 2021 07:41 UTC
150 more teachers to assist reforms
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to obtain the services of 150 teachers to the National Institute of Education to assist in educational reform processes. These reforms are planned to introduce significant changes to syllabi and teaching strategies. The proposed reforms are expected to be introduced in 2023 for grades 1, 2, 6, 8, and 10 and for grades 3, 4, 5, 7, and 11 in 2024. However, it has been determined that the staff currently employed in the National Institute of Education is not sufficient for those functions. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal submitted by the Minister of Education to attach 150 experienced teachers with expertise in the relevant subject who work as teachers in government schools to the National Institute of Education.
Source:The Nation
July 27, 2021 07:41 UTC
World s largest star sapphire cluster found in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan authorities say the world’s largest star sapphire cluster has been found in a backyard - by accident. The cluster weighs around 510 kilograms or 2.5 million carats and has been named the “Serendipity Sapphire”. During the cleaning process, Mr Gamage said some stones fell out of the cluster and they were found to be high quality star sapphires. The find comes as Sri Lanka’s gem industry has suffered losses as a result of pandemic induced lockdowns. “It is a special star sapphire specimen, probably the biggest in the world.
Source:The Nation
July 27, 2021 07:30 UTC
How to Stop Social Media Addiction
With over 3.6 billion people using social media today, social media addiction is something that you can’t easily get rid of. In 2017, a study had estimated about 210 million people suffered from internet and social media addiction. Being too occupied with mobile devices by continuously surfing on the internet will make your and social media addiction worse. Keeping your devices away will limit your interaction with social media whether you’re a social media manager producing creative content, like explainer videos, threads, infographics, etc., or a marketer trying to promote a brand on the social platform. Follow the tips above to beat over your social media addiction and free yourself from the online world.
Source:The Nation
July 27, 2021 06:45 UTC
Hope more countries will be inspired by Sri Lanka s bold approach to organic agriculture - President
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa expressed the hope that more countries would be inspired by Sri Lanka’s bold approach to sustainably transform its agricultural system to organic agriculture in order to ensure food security and nutrition for future generations. The President made these remakes addressing the virtual session of the Pre-Summit of the UN Food System Summit, yesterday (July 26). Transformation of the food system is an essential part of the adaptations that governments must execute for the survival of mankind and the planet. Addressing the summit, President Rajapaksa said that these challenges could not be faced alone and that collective action was needed to overcome them. The full text of the President’s address to the Food Systems Summit:President Gotabaya Rajapaksas address to the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 by Adaderana Online on Scribd
Source:The Nation
July 27, 2021 06:00 UTC
Highest number of vaccinations administered yesterday
The highest number of vaccinations carried out in a single day in the country under the Covid control vaccination program took place yesterday. Accordingly, 437,878 doses were administered yesterday (26), the Ministry of Health said. Sinopharm, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been given. The first dose of Sinopharm was given to 356,628 people and the second dose to 55,722 people. The Ministry of Health stated that the first and second doses of the Sinopharm vaccine were given in 7,427,542 doses.
Source:The Nation
July 27, 2021 05:15 UTC
Sri Lanka pays off USD 01 billion bond debt before deadline
Sri Lanka has settled the scheduled debt of USD 01 billion International Sovereign Bond Issue yesterday (July 26), State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal said. Sri Lanka has transferred funds to repay the $1 billion bond by the Tuesday (July 27) deadline, keeping intact its reputation for honoring debt as concern mounts about the nation’s overseas financing. The money was transferred Monday, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, the state minister for money and capital markets, told Bloomberg by phone. “Those who came last profited most.”The yield on the 6.25% Sri Lanka dollar bond maturing Tuesday slumped to 500% earlier on Monday, from 628% last week. The #bond investors who panicked due to rating actions and analyst reports and sold off at huge discounts, must be regretting.
Source:The Nation
July 27, 2021 04:52 UTC
Child Domestic Labour to be declared under dangerous jobs
COLOMBO (News 1st): The ‘Employment of Women, Young Persons, and Children Act’ will be amended declaring another 20 jobs including the employment of children for domestic aide as dangerous jobs, the Department of Labour said. Furthermore, the employment of children between the age group of 16 to 18-years in 51 types of dangerous jobs, was banned,” Prabath Chandrakeerthi, the Commissioner-General of Labour told News 1st on Tuesday (Jul. According to Prabath Chandrakeerthi, in addition to these 51 dangerous jobs, another list of 20 jobs that includes the employment of children for domestic aide was forwarded to the Legal Draftsman’s Department to be amended as dangerous jobs, with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers. Among others, this new list of 20 dangerous jobs includes the employment of children as domestic aides, employment of children for performances endangering life and other related acts, employment of children in the weapons industry, and the employment of children to serve alcohol at restaurants. According to the Department of Labour, at present, the fine for employing children in such risky jobs is set at Rs.
Source:The Nation
July 27, 2021 04:52 UTC
China donates 1.6 million more Sinopharm vaccines to Sri Lanka
The government of China has donated 1.6 million more doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to Sri Lanka to boost the national inoculation drive. This is reportedly the largest amount of coronavirus vaccines the Chinese government has donated to Sri Lanka on a single occasion. The new development brings the total number of Sinopharm vaccines China has donated to Sri Lanka to 2.7 million. After the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) approved the emergency use of Sinopharm vaccine in the country in March, Sri Lanka received the first donation of 500,000 doses of the China-manufactured vaccine on May 26. Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine, also known as BBIBP-CorV, is produced by China National Biotec Group (CNBG) – a subsidiary of China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation (SINOPHARM).
Source:The Nation
July 27, 2021 04:41 UTC