The plague that spares no species
It was later reported that the authorities were seeking the assistance of India, which had reported incidents of Covid-19 among lions in the recent past. A total of 255 rectal swabs and 141 faecal samples from different bat species were tested by using the adapted nested PCR protocol for the generic detection of Coronaviruses, and a total of 33 samples had proven positive. It further added: “This supports the assumption that only particular bat species serve as a natural reservoir for harmful human pathogenic viruses like the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, while spill-over events may occur because of environmental impacts and the intrusion of humans to the living areas of the bat species. Being the largest cave in Sri Lanka with as many as five sympatric bat species, numbering over 100,000 individuals, the Wavul Galge Cave provides an excellent natural site for the long term monitoring of bat-borne viruses in Sri Lanka.”Researchers emphasised that this study highlights the need to periodically monitor all bat species and their viruses in the said cave. However, it was only recently that Sri Lanka paid attention to the virus being spread to and among animals.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2021 17:48 UTC
Rajapaksa rollout narrative ignores Mahinda Rajapaksa
Their narrative is that when Mahinda Rajapaksa failed, Gotabaya Rajapaksa was unveiled, and when he failed, the Government is attempting to pull another Rajapaksa from under the hat. It’s basic contour is that Mahinda Rajapaksa failed politically, which forced the family to pull another Rajapaksa – Gotabaya, now President – from their bag of tricks. This storyline is built up on a single plank – the story of then President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s defeat in 2015. Which is, that Mahinda Rajapaksa was the first Rajapaksa failure…No, he is the first Rajapaksa success and so far the only Rajapaksa success, because the story of Gotabaya Rajapaksa is still being written – which makes it by all accounts an unfinished chapter. The Opposition’s greatest miscalculation seems to be in its underestimation of the real force behind the Rajapaksa political drama – Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa, the consummate politician.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2021 17:48 UTC
Finally staring anachronistic nationalism down
The Education Ministry, in a historical step forward, recently decided to give more opportunities for English education in the public school sector. Fearing and encouraging opposition against giving more attention to a foreign language, which is already a link language, is uncalled for, because it is already a part of the country’s education and social systems. The truth is, there are plenty of private education institutions that have been providing English education for years without causing the supposed decline of a sense of nationality that those opposing more attention for English education, fear. This fear and opposition are not justified because they stem from a certain lack of understanding of the specific roles of each language a country has. English, on the other hand, is the language that will help Sri Lanka be a part of global communities.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2021 17:37 UTC
Reddit's Beloved No-Weights Workout Is Famous for a Reason
Once you’re able to do full pushups by the dozens, for example, they’re training your endurance more than building your strength. And while moves like pull-ups provide more of a challenge, they’re often impossible for beginners. But there’s a workout that covers the whole spectrum, and it’s one of Reddit’s best kept fitness secrets: the r/bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine. An important note on equipment: while this routine doesn’t require weights, it does include moves that call for a pull-up bar or a set of dip bars. If you’d like a cheat sheet to help you follow along as you do the exercises, there’s one here.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2021 16:52 UTC
Female criminals labelled the 'undominated' revealed
A secret ledger hidden in the archives of the Parisian police and containing the criminal files of a group of prostitutes labelled 'the Undominated' has been revealed. Under Napoleon, prostitution became legal in France and the booklet arranges the various courtesans in Paris by district for ease for the potential customer. Five years later, Paris alone had 180 officially approved brothels. However the nineteenth century also saw courtesans become extraordinarily wealthy and famous - and opulent brothels such as le Chabanais were built. As 'The Pretty Women of Paris' directory shows, many of the prostitutes listed were professional stage actresses.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2021 16:52 UTC
Nothing ear (1) TWS buds to arrive on July 27
Carl Pei, OnePlus co-founder and the person behind the Nothing tech company, is going to announce the Nothing ear (1) wireless earphones on July 27. The date was confirmed in a press release which gave little hints for the upcoming product. Nothing’s mission is apparently to “remove barriers between people and technology to create a seamless digital future”, whatever that means. They will have nothing for wires and cables but hopefully, the battery and the looks will be something. They will be sold by Smartech at Selfridges’ offline store and website, and it looks like we’ll get nothing for a price until the launch event has finished.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2021 16:07 UTC
UK's daily Covid cases rise above 20,000 for SECOND day in a row
In a clear sign vaccines are working, Covid deaths remained low after another 23 were recorded, down 14 per cent on the 27 last Tuesday. Covid deaths have remained under 30 per day since April 24 and plunged to just three yesterday. There has been fierce debate about what level of Covid deaths would be 'tolerable' when Britain emerges from the shutdown. 'We should consider it a success if we bring it [Covid deaths] down to levels comparable with flu deaths every year. 'We should consider it a success if we bring it [Covid deaths] down to levels comparable with flu deaths every year.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2021 15:56 UTC
Sri Lanka registers 1,709 COVID cases within the day
The Health Ministry says 389 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 today (June 29) increasing the daily count of positive cases to 1,709. All new cases reported within the day have been associated with the New Year cluster, which recorded a total of 249,828 virus infections since mid-April this year. The new development brings Sri Lanka’s confirmed coronavirus cases tally to 257,217. According to official data, as many as 223,471 patients who were infected with the virus have regained health so far. More than 30,000 active cases are currently under medical care at designated hospitals and treatment centres.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2021 15:33 UTC
Euro 2020: Kai Havertz is Germany's understated star primed to down England
The past 10 months have been a whirlwind for the Chelsea star. Kai Havertz is primed to down England on his return to London with Germany later todayBut the circumstances behind Havertz's slow start at Chelsea have been unjustly overlooked. 'To be honest, I couldn't give a f*** because we just won the f***ing Champions League!' Havertz will forever be viewed as Chelsea's Champions League hero but the 22-year-old's aspirations extend further than glory with his club. Muller knows what it takes to beat England and will be looking to pass the baton to young Havertz as Germany bid to establish their dominance over England.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2021 15:00 UTC
Sri Lanka Makes History as Victors of John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition, 2021
2021 Jun 29The Moot Court Bench (MCB) team representing the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo, emerged Champions at the Global Rounds of the 19th John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition, 2021. The John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition is the premier International Moot Court Competition organised annually by the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) focused on International Trade Law (ITL) and based on the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The UoC victors commenced their journey after being selected for the MCB’s International Trade Law Program in July, 2020, alongside a team from the Sri Lanka Law College. The UoC team was assisted by the Moot Court Bench (MCB). The Moot Court Bench is Sri Lanka’s first fully integrated training platform for advocacy in Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) and ITL in partnership with the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) of the United States Department of Commerce.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2021 14:03 UTC
JAT Holdings makes key strides in sustainability and CSR activities
29th June 2021, Colombo: As one of Sri Lanka’s foremost corporate citizens, JAT Holdings has made continuous strides in changing the sustainability landscape of Sri Lanka. After identifying key areas of focus such as business sustainability, sustainability of the society and sustainability of the planet, JAT Holdings has certainly become a catalyst for change in the corporate arena of Sri Lanka. This resulted in a total carbon footprint emission of 4,758.79tCO2e, scope 1 GHG emission – 1,064.84, scope 2 GHG emission – 291.50 tCO2e, scope 3 GHG emission – 3,402.45 tCO2e, 0.00125tCO2e per litre GHG emission 13.60 tCO2e per employee GHG emission for the year 2020/21. JAT Holdings is officially authorised to use the Responsible Care international logo on its products by complying with international standards in relation to the organisation’s commitment to environment and social sustainability. This was apparent when JAT Holdings embarked on its Petal paints project with the goal of restoring murals and ancient paintings in temples.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2021 13:18 UTC
Best Tools To Increase Sales For Your Ecommerce Store
Fortunately, there are tons of ways you can boost sales in your ecommerce store. Here are some of the best tools and strategies to increase sales for your ecommerce store. Steps To Increase Your Ecommerce Store Awareness and SalesHave a social media presenceIt is not possible to build brand awareness without a social media presence. Investing in advanced google ads is also an important part of increasing your ecommerce store sales and awareness. Don’t Forget To Use Offline Marketing for Ecommerce StoreEven when running a successful online marketing campaign for your ecommerce store, you need to leverage your offline store for increased sales.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2021 12:56 UTC
Djibouti Schools to Get 100,000 MyOffice Licenses
The agreement calls for 100,000 Russian software licenses to be supplied to state and municipal schools, kindergartens, colleges, and vocational training institutions in Djibouti. The agreement is between Djibouti’s Minister of National Education and Vocational Training, His Excellency Mr Moustapha Mohamed Mahamoud, and the Russian software vendor INDEPENDENCE.DIGITAL, MyOffice distribution partner in Africa. The Republic of Djibouti will also get early access to new solutions and assistance with local specialist training in the use and administration of MyOffice products. “MyOffice educational products fully satisfy our software requirements for the education system of Djibouti. “The agreement to supply MyOffice software licenses to educational institutions in Djibouti represents an important milestone in bolstering trade and economic cooperation between our countries.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2021 12:56 UTC
Future Of Sri Lankan Businesses Amidst COVID-19
As is the case in many smaller developing nations combating the pandemic around the world, COVID-19 has taken a profoundly heavy toll on Sri Lanka’s economy and its people’s livelihoods. Sustainable DevelopmentDespite the urgent global requirement for businesses to align themselves with the socially responsible corporate planning and renewable energy movements, Sri Lankan businesses have been slow to adapt. ‘Digitalisation’Amidst lockdowns, local businesses in Sri Lanka were forced to turn to ‘digitisation’ to continue their operations, creating a basic digital foundation for local businesses to expand on in the future. Nonetheless, striking an equilibrium between supporting the economy in the thick of COVID-19 whilst ensuring fiscal sustainability remains a key issue. Therefore, how local business leaders and entrepreneurs contribute in navigating this new era will be defining factors in Sri Lanka’s future economic upturn and sustainable growth.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2021 12:11 UTC
How the UK will celebrate the Platinum Jubilee Pageant
The English capital is set to play host to marching bands, a giant dragon puppet and circus acts as part of spectacular pageant to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee next year, it was revealed today. Throughout the year, the Queen and members of the royal family will travel around the country attending a range of events to mark the milestone, culminating with the Platinum Jubilee Weekend. Plans for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations have been released for the first time today as the Queen celebrates her 69th year on the British throne. Nicholas Coleridge, co-chairman of the pageant, said: 'The Platinum Jubilee weekend is an opportunity for the country to emerge re-energised and renewed, expressing optimism and confidence. A live concert will be staged at Buckingham Palace - Platinum Party at the Palace - during the Saturday of the long weekend.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2021 12:00 UTC