The need for new security in the new normal
However, there is another very important thing businesses need to address to be truly future-ready in this digital world: cybersecurity. Brunch chatted with TekSek Cyber Security Director Imesh Liyanage for a little more on businesses and cybersecurity in the new normal. Sharing a bit about how hackers work, Imesh explained that there are two kinds of hackers – white-hat hackers and black-hat hackers. Imesh shared that cybersecurity is a constantly moving target with frequent, proactive revision of controls needed to prevent data and security from being compromised. Another very important step that needs to be taken for Sri Lankan cybersecurity is the development of Sri Lankan cybersecurity talent.
Source:The Nation
July 18, 2021 20:48 UTC
MarCom Collective requests to refrain from competitive quotations
In the event a pitch is unavoidable, the Collective has proposed a series of steps for companies to consider:1. 5 million per event in respect of event companies, a spend of Rs. In the case of event companies and outdoor companies, it requests clients to ask for cost proposals only. Commenting on the appeal that is being made to clients, Event Management Association of Sri Lanka and MarCom Collective President Roshan Wijeyaratne said: “The marketing communications industry has been quite challenged due to the prevailing global health and financial crisis. If clients are compelled to call for a pitch for their business, I hope clients will respect agencies and at least pay for their efforts through the proposed pitch fee.”
Source:The Nation
July 18, 2021 20:26 UTC
Citihealth extends its agreement with Axienta
Citihealth Imports (Pvt.) With the aim of further strengthening its sales and distribution operations, Citihealth recently reinforced its partnership with Axienta, a leading software solutions company specialising in sales force management with footprints in Sri Lanka, Vietnam, the Philippines, Africa (Malawi), the US, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Malaysia. “The partnership with Axienta will support us to redefine our sales and distribution operations to ensure even better accessibility of our products at the relevant pharmacies and hospitals across the country,” stated Citihealth Managing Director Sanjaya Jayaratne. With a long history of having worked together in the past, Axienta will help Citihealth reinforce their existing relationship by working closely on product vision and strategy roll-out, with joint teams from both companies collaborating to work on making Citihealth operations become more agile and flexible and enhance time to market, by using Axienta’s trusted VANTAGE solution. The agreement with Axienta will also support Citihealth’s key priorities over the coming year that will include an increase in top line and market share.
Source:The Nation
July 18, 2021 20:15 UTC
Seylan Bank Partners with PayHere
Seylan Bank has joined hands with PayHere to empower Sri Lankan small businesses with online payments. The strategic partnership with Seylan Bank removes the bottleneck PayHere merchants had of needing to have a specific bank’s account, by enabling the use of their preferred business bank account to start accepting online payments via PayHere. Seylan Bank contributed towards the growth of the PayHere merchant base, by mobilising over 300 merchants to date. This partnership with Seylan Bank has strengthened PayHere’s journey to realise its vision to digitise payments of every Sri Lankan business. The PayHere platform is built on a Central Bank-approved payment and merchant acquiring model, and the strategic partnership with Seylan Bank further enhances the bank-backed security standards as well.
Source:The Nation
July 18, 2021 20:15 UTC
GoSL must gear up for V-Shaped Rebound
The post-Covid-19 era is happening now and Sri Lanka needs to plan for its different phases. IntroductionThe coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) hit the coast of Sri Lanka just as Sri Lanka was recovering from terrorist strikes. The ADB plans for economic growth in Sri Lanka to surge in 2021 to 4.1% and in 2022 to moderate to 3.6%. Active labour market policy should play an essential role in helping the labour force adapt to various economic sectors and adapt to changes in labour market demand. Sri Lanka is looking at massively decreased harvests of everything from paddy to tea and coconut, due to this nonsensical decision.
Source:The Nation
July 18, 2021 20:03 UTC
Freedom Day changes: Social distancing, working from home, and masks
People in England will tomorrow emerge from lockdown with the government's final major easing of restrictions - but so called 'Freedom Day' will come with a note of caution. For the much-touted end to face masks and scrapping of social distancing has given way under reports of over 50,000 new Covid cases a day - a result of the rapidly spreading Delta variant - and rising hospitalisations. Guidance published last night said: 'Government expects and recommends that people wear face coverings in crowded areas such as public transport.' An ONS survey this week found that nearly two thirds of adults will continue to wear masks in shops and on public transport. SOCIAL DISTANCING RULESThe one-metre rule will be scrapped in law – meaning fewer Perspex screens in offices.
Source:The Nation
July 18, 2021 20:03 UTC
Iconic Galaxy positioned as an ideal location for homeowners
Iconic Developments announced that the rapid infrastructure drive persisting in Rajagiriya, despite the obstacles brought on by the pandemic, positioned its highly coveted self-contained luxury apartment complex, Iconic Galaxy, as the prime location for incoming investors and homeowners. The commencement of construction of the elevated New Kelani Bridge to Athurugiriya, connecting Rajagiriya to the Southern and Outer Circular Expressways, marks the area’s potential as an economic hub enhancing its appeal as an ideal location for suburban homeowners. The project is due to be completed in a mere two years, with construction work aimed to conclude by 2023. “The onset of the pandemic has shifted the requirements and expectations of home ownership. This boost in infrastructure only improves accessibility and security for homeowners in Rajagiriya, who are now well connected to the rest of the island, continuing to attract investment.”
Source:The Nation
July 18, 2021 19:52 UTC
Deaths from Covid-19 ‘incredibly rare’ among children: Study
By Heidi LedfordA comprehensive analysis of hospital admissions and reported deaths across England suggests that Covid-19 carries a lower risk of dying or requiring intensive care among children and young people than was previously thought. The studies found that Covid-19 caused 25 deaths in that age group between March 2020 and February 2021. “The low rate of severe acute disease is important news, but this does not have to mean that Covid-19 does not matter to children,” said paediatrician Danilo Buonsenso at the Gemelli University Hospital in Rome. The team found that, of 6,338 hospital admissions for Covid-19, 259 children and young people required treatment in paediatric intensive-care units. Black children were more likely than their white counterparts to require intensive care, both for Covid-19 and for paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, a rare syndrome associated with coronavirus infection.
Source:The Nation
July 18, 2021 19:41 UTC
Editorial: Covid-19 no match for global warming
Global warming is a much bigger threat than an 18-month pandemic, because it has been brewing for decades and decades. However, when every member of the global community is not on the same page, it is difficult to change a global threat. When it comes to global warming – even though not every country causes it considerably, the consequences have no boundaries. Large-scale initiatives such as the Paris Agreement which encourages countries to limit global warming are good initiatives. Pollution and deforestation among others are issues themselves and are factors that lead to global warming.
Source:The Nation
July 18, 2021 19:07 UTC
Why this great hurry to vaccinate?
But in Sri Lanka it appears to be the other way round. Why then is this great hurry to vaccinate? There were campaigns in the US questioning the safety and efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccines. There is no such emergency situation in Sri Lanka. This is what we are seeing in many countries worldwide, and here in Sri Lanka too.
Source:The Nation
July 18, 2021 19:07 UTC
JVP calls for withdrawal of Selendiva proposals
By Pamodi WaravitaJanatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) politburo member Wasantha Samarasinghe yesterday (18) called for the withdrawal of Selendiva Investments’ proposals to privatise and develop State-owned land, threatening collective trade union action otherwise. Speaking to The Morning, Samarasinghe said that over 400 lands and buildings are going to be brought under Selendiva Investments for sale to private investors. “The public did not give the country to this Government for five years to put it on sale. The Government said they would take back what was sold during the previous regime as well. If not, trade unions and civil society will start large-scale movements against this as well,” said Samarasinghe.
Source:The Nation
July 18, 2021 18:45 UTC
Only small portion of Pfizer for those going abroad
Studies have found the Pfizer vaccine to be effective against the Delta Variant. “Those who go abroad and need the Pfizer vaccine have to submit the required documents. Among them may be those who are going to study abroad and those who are going to work,” he said. The first consignment of 26,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine purchased by the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) arrived in Sri Lanka on 5 July, while another consignment of 26,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in the country on 12 July. The Pfizer–BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is an mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine jointly developed by an American pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, and a German biotechnology company, BioNTech.
Source:The Nation
July 18, 2021 18:33 UTC
TNA issues ultimatum to opposition
“During the discussion yesterday, I proposed that the Tamil national question should also be included in the movement’s core issues as I consider it to be the most important problem in the country. If the rest of the opposition involved in the NMJS movement is not willing to see that, then we would be continuing forward by ourselves. We do not have to be dependent on anyone else,” TNA spokesperson and parliamentarian President’s Counsel (PC) M.A. Sumanthiran PC said that when the movement was first convened under the late Most Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero, a power-sharing solution to the Tamil national question was identified. The NMJS met on 17 Saturday, attended by representatives of the country’s main opposition parties, including the SJB, the UNP, the TPA, the TNA, and the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC).
Source:The Nation
July 18, 2021 18:33 UTC
Motion against slaughter ban at mosques today
By Dinitha RathnayakeMuslim councilors of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) are set to table a motion today (19) against the ban on the slaughter of Qurbani animals within mosque premises announced last week. A. Rahuman said this motion would seek to permit animal slaughter during the forthcoming Haj festival. All trustees were directed not to permit any slaughter of Qurbani animals within any mosque premises in Sri Lanka by A.B.M. Ashraff, Director of Wakfs (MMCT), Director, Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs announced in a Circular dated July 13. Attempts to reach the Director, Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs was not successful.
Source:The Nation
July 18, 2021 18:22 UTC
Brazil's Bolsonaro leaves hospital after treatment for hiccups
'I'll be back in the presidency tomorrow,' Bolsonaro told the media as he left the Vila Nova Star hospital, where he had been since Wednesday. 'I'll be back in the presidency tomorrow,' Bolsonaro told the media as he left the Vila Nova Star hospital, where he had been since WednesdayThe hospital said in an earlier statement that Bolsonaro will remain under observation as an outpatient. His medical team also advised him to go on a diet, but Bolsonaro said he may not comply. The 66-year-old president was taken to the Sao Paulo hospital for treatment relating to an obstructed intestine following a knife attack on him in 2018. 'I can't wait to get back to work, see friends, and really get Brazil moving,' Bolsonaro said on Sunday.
Source:The Nation
July 18, 2021 18:00 UTC