(PICTURES) Farmers protests rage across Sri Lanka
COLOMBO (News 1st); Farmers across many areas in Sri Lanka for the second consecutive week protested against the shortage of fertilizer in the country. On Monday (27) protests took place in Diyathalawa, Sapugolla, Pahalakadurugama, Dambagolla, Bandarawela, and Nochchiyagama among other areas. ‘The farmer is now forced to protest in the streets because this government does not understand what the farmers are going through,’ said one farmer. Over the past two weeks, farmers have been lining up at agrarian centers across Sri Lanka to obtain fertilizer and in many instances, they are forced to turn back empty-handed due to low stocks. Farmers have claimed that if this situation continues, they will be forced to abandon their cultivations.
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2021 15:00 UTC
Sri Lanka confirms 41 new COVID deaths
June 28, 2021 08:03 pmThe Director-General of Health Services has confirmed 41 more COVID-19 related fatalities that have occurred yesterday (June 27). The new development has pushed the official death toll due to the virus in Sri Lanka to 2,985. According to the data released by the Department of Government Information, the new victims confirmed today include 17 females and 24 males. Two of them are aged below 30 years, six victims are between 30-59 years and the remaining 33 are aged 60 and above.
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2021 14:26 UTC
London fire: Huge FIREBALL 'explodes' under Elephant & Castle station
By Jack Wright For MailonlinePublished: 09:02 EDT, 28 June 2021 | Updated: 09:53 EDT, 28 June 2021AdvertisementThis is the extraordinary moment a huge fireball exploded from under Elephant and Castle station today and sent onlookers dashing for cover as enormous plumes of black smoke envelope south London. Ten fire engines and 70 firefighters are tackling the blaze, London Fire Brigade said. Thameslink said all lines through Elephant and Castle are currently blocked due to the fire, with services between St Albans and Sutton and London Blackfriars and Sevenoaks affected. This is the extraordinary moment a huge fireball breaks out near Elephant and Castle station and sends onlookers dashing for cover as enormous plumes of black smoke enveloping south LondonLondon Fire Brigade received a report of a fire in a garage near Elephant and Castle station at 1.43pm and have sent 10 fire engines and 70 firefighters to tackle the blaze. 'To help keep you on the move, you can use your ticket on: London buses between London Blackfriars, Denmark Hill and Loughborough Junction, London Underground and Southeastern trains between London Victoria, Peckham Rye, Nunhead and London Bridge to Sevenoaks.'
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2021 13:52 UTC
Clogard Helps Safeguard the River Roots at Sri Paada
Clogard came forward to minimize the adverse impact caused during the Sri Paada pilgrimage season starting in April 2021 under the theme of River Roots Preservation (Jala Mula Rakimu Samanola Gira). Introducing one of the best substitutes for plastic bottles, the Clogard team went on to distribute clay bottles to pilgrims on their climb. It has been identified that pilgrims who climb Sri Paada face difficulties in finding safe drinking water along the route. All of these are integral aspects of Sri Lankan heritage and the very roots of Sri Lankan life. With these initiatives, the brand further enhanced its core values of Strong Bonds and Strong Roots.
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2021 12:56 UTC
10 Ways To Stay Calm And Carry On During Isolation
To help you stay motivated, calm, and productive, here are 10 strategies you can implement. A simple routine can serve as a guideline for your day and help you stay busy and motivated. JournalingGratitude journaling or just writing in a journal about your feelings on a regular basis can really help you stay calm and happy. This will help you stay connected and happy, as well as calm you down when you’re having a rough day. Implement these practices to make your life easier and feel calm!
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2021 12:56 UTC
Queen watches Prince William try Scotland's national drink Irn Bru
Her Majesty, 95, was introduced to Scotland's national drink Irn Bru before being given a tour of AG Barr's factory in Cumbernauld, where the iconic soft drink is manufactured. Irn Bru is popular among Scots and wider afield and the soft drink - known for its catchy slogans - has entered folklore north of the border as the perfect hangover cure. William was intrigued when Colin Reilly, upstream manager, brought over a small jar containing the clear essence of Irn Bru - with the recipe a secret only known to three people. Irn Bru was launched in 1901 and has become a key brand in Scotland, rivalling whisky as the country's national tipple. Holyrood Week, also known as Royal Week, was cancelled last year because of the pandemic.
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2021 12:56 UTC
SLASSCOM signs MoU with the Northern Chamber of Information Technology to boost regional collaboration
“This milestone is an important moment for SLASSCOM,” remarked SLASSCOM Chairman Channa Manoharan. Commenting on the importance of the inter-chamber partnership, Managing Director at SimCentric Technologies Sri Lanka and SLASSCOM Board Director – Regional Forum Haridhu Abeygoonaratne highlighted that this was SLASSCOM’s first signing with a regional chamber. SLASSCOM Chairman Channa Manoharan and NCIT Chairman Thangarajah Thavaruban signed the MoU online and then preceded to discuss how the two bodies could collaborate. “This milestone is an important moment for SLASSCOM,” remarked SLASSCOM Chairman Channa Manoharan. SLASSCOM Chairman Channa Manoharan and NCIT Chairman Thangarajah Thavaruban signed the MoU online and then preceded to discuss how the two bodies could collaborate.
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2021 12:45 UTC
Pumpkin Soup | Cooking with Aunty D
Next, add garlic, big onions, celery, mixed herbs, pumpkin, chicken stock, salt, mix well and cover the pot with a lid. Next, add Maggi organic coconut milk into the pumpkin soup and let it rest over the heat for a while and serve. Aunty D. is a full-time mom working a little magic in the kitchen whenever she’s got time on her hands. She brings to you easy and fast recipes with a twist of Sri Lankan spices and cooking techniques. Get Cooking!
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2021 12:45 UTC
Arriving passenger ban for eight African countries: CAA
Arriving passengers from eight countries in the African continent have been banned from disembarking in Sri Lanka, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka stated today (28). Accordingly, passengers with a 14 day travel history including transit to Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe will not be allowed to enter the country. Themiya Abeywickrama, Director General and CEO of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAA) stated that these restrictions will be in effect from 01 July to 31 July. He also noted that this decision was made following instructions received from the Ministry of Health, given the Covid-19 situation in those respective countries.
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2021 12:11 UTC
2,251 more patients recover from coronavirus
June 28, 2021 04:33 pmThe Ministry of Health says that another 2,251 patients who were being treated for COVID-19 have been discharged after completing their recovery. This increases the country’s coronavirus recoveries to 221,249. Sri Lanka has thus far confirmed a total of 258,618 positive cases of Covid-19 while 29,464 patients infected with the virus are currently under medical care. The death toll due to the virus currently stands at 2,944.
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2021 11:03 UTC
Snapdragon 888 Plus announced and more from Qualcomm’s MWC keynote
TL;DR Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 888 Plus mobile platform The new chipset is essentially a Snapdragon 888 with a clock speed improvement and faster AI capabilities. For us smartphone aficionados, the big news is the announcement of the Snapdragon 888 Plus mobile platform. As the name suggests, the Snapdragon 888 Plus sits just above the current Snapdragon 888 flagship chip. Snapdragon 888 Plus – need to know There are really only two minor changes to the Snapdragon 888 Plus compared to the standard Snapdragon 888. As for actual products, Asus, Honor’s Magic3 series, Motorola, Vivo, and Xiaomi are lined up to launch Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Plus smartphones in the second half of 2021.
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2021 10:30 UTC
World Vision donates dry rations to over 4,000 families
World Vision has come forward to help 4,750 families of Wattala and Ja-Ela areas in Gampaha District who have been affected by multiple disasters, providing them LKR 14 million worth of dry rations. They stated that there are nearly 8,000 children in these families and 675 families headed by women. Gampaha district recorded the highest number of affected families with over 20,500 displaced. But whatever the disaster, World Vision has always been there to support. Kithsiri, the Additional District Secretary of Gampaha, said: “World Vision is very different from other organisations in that they work in coordination with the government authorities at different levels.
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2021 09:45 UTC
Vaccines to be made MANDATORY for thousands of Australians by national cabinet
Later in the day Prime Minister Scott Morrison brought together state and territory leaders for a national cabinet meeting. Vaccination of aged care workers is expected to be made mandatory under a move endorsed by the national cabinet. Pictured: Staff are seen leaving Arcare Aged Care facility in Melbourne last monthIt is understood the leaders are expected to endorse mandatory vaccination for aged care workers. Despite aged care workers and residents being in the initial Phase 1a rollout, many are still not vaccinated. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said it would be appropriate for national cabinet to discuss further limiting passenger arrivals given breaches were leading to lockdowns.
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2021 09:00 UTC
10 Strange Ways Insects Have Evolved To Survive
Most of us are used to house flies and wasps, perhaps the widely recognisable ladybug beetle, but few are aware of just how distinct and strange insects can be. Evolved in incredible ways to ward off predators, source nourishment, and efficiently reproduce, there are myriads of examples we can look at. Not a unique mechanism, as strange as it is, skunks infamously resort to a similar defence and some other insects have such a mechanism as well. Scientists believe that this strange species mimics the bioluminescent click beetle, a poisonous insect. While they’re small and only live weeks, hopefully not due to this daring technique, they’re truly incredible insects.
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2021 07:07 UTC
Waking up to reality! – #unfollowcricketers
Fans were also sharing memes asking each other not to watch the national team on television. “Don’t let them have the social media attention if they can’t perform for the national team. “I have been watching cricket matches since 1993 but I have never seen such a weak Sri Lankan cricket team,” sports reporter Manjula Basnayake said on Twitter. What we saw then in Southampton was NOT the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team! At least belatedly, not the old folks, but their own contemporaries in this high-tech age have came to understand the reality.
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2021 06:56 UTC