SLBFE training courses to resume online soon
COLOMBO (News 1st): Measures are in place to resume the training courses conducted by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) online. “The foreign employment courses at 12 training centers of the Foreign Employment Bureau, will resume in this manner,” Mangala Ranandeniya, Deputy General-Manager of the Bureau of Foreign Employment told News 1st on Tuesday (Jun. According to Randeniya, measures have been taken to resume both language and vocational training courses online. Further information in this regard will be available on the website of the Foreign Employment Bureau starting from next week. “The details of the officers who should be contacted in this regard will be displayed on the official website of the Foreign Employment Bureau.
Source:The Nation
June 22, 2021 01:18 UTC
Selected tourist hotspots to be re-opened for foreigners
COLOMBO (News 1st): The foreign tourists visiting Sri Lanka will be granted the opportunity to travel to selected locations following the relaxation of the Travel Restriction, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Board hopes to grant the opportunity to visit tourist attractions such as Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa based on the bio-bubble concept, Dhammika Wijayasinghe, the Director-General at the SLTDA told News 1st on Tuesday (Jun. According to Dhammika Wijayasinghe, discussions have been held with the Central Cultural Fund and the Department of Wildlife Conservation for this purpose.
Source:The Nation
June 22, 2021 01:18 UTC
JAT plans new plants in Bangladesh, Africa post IPO
‘It is important to point out that the local courts will have jurisdiction in the Port City. “Of principal importance is the supply chain impact the Port City project would have on Sri Lanka. Local enterprises dealing with the Port City will be paid in dollars and not local currency. “At present there are some 4000 employment opportunities for locals in the Port City. Our graduates could now work for a multinational company if the opportunities offered by the Port City project are availed of.”
Source:The Nation
June 22, 2021 00:11 UTC
Euro 2020 Roundup: Wales and Italy enter quarter-finals
After a few early scares by Federico Chiesa, Matteo Pessina put Italy in the lead when he guided the ball in, from a set piece. Wales had to do the bulk of the defence in the second half as Italy pushed for the second. Wales’ best chance came in the 72nd minute when Gareth Bale was offered a ball on the full which he slammed over the crossbar. * Switzerland 3 – 1 TurkeyThe Swiss finished third in Group A with a convincing win over Turkey by 3-1 on Sunday. This win was not enough for the Swiss, though, to go over Wales.
Source:The Nation
June 22, 2021 00:04 UTC
OnePlus Nord N200 will get only one major Android update
The OnePlus Nord N200 is in a weird state right now having been semi-announced by T-Mobile last week, but not being up on OnePlus' own website. However, if you were more concerned with OnePlus' update policy for the new device, especially given the iffy history the Nord line has had with that, we now have an official confirmation from the company that the Nord N200 will only get one major Android update. Since the handset launches with Android 11 on board, that probably means it will receive an update to Android 12 at some point. This policy is identical to the one that OnePlus got some flack for last year when the Nord N10 and N100 made their debut with the same measly one update promise. Maybe the Nord N200's $239 price will make all of this easier to swallow if you're interested in the device.
Source:The Nation
June 22, 2021 00:04 UTC
SLC withhold pressure from Aravinda committee
By Revatha S. SilvaIn what can be termed a developing tug-o-war behind the screen in local cricket administration, between Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) executive committee and the Aravinda de Silva-led Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), SLC last week decided to stand firmly on its stance to hold the next edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) on time, from 30 July. “Sri Lanka Cricket is an entity where you have 21 executive committee members at present. “They have been adamant that the LPL should have a separate entity, under a separate governing body, and under a separate staff. On Sunday (20), SLC officially announced the commencement of player registration process for the event will begin from yesterday (21). There were media reports earlier that the LPL second edition may get off only later this year.
Source:The Nation
June 21, 2021 22:41 UTC
On This Day – 21 June
The trophy was awarded from 1930-70 and was permanently awarded in 1970 to the then three-time winner Brazil (1958, 1962, and 1970). Then came the replacement, the FIFA World Cup1975 – The first World Cup cricket final took place today. West Indies were always in control against Australia once their captain Clive Lloyd belted 102 off only 85 balls. Shahid Afridi led the 139-run chase with a masterful unbeaten 542019 – It took more than three weeks for the 2019 cricket World Cup to produce its first genuinely exciting game. Old dog Lasith Malinga starred with 4/30 becoming only the fourth bowler after Glenn McGrath, Wasim Akram, and Muttiah Muralitharan to take over 50 wickets in World Cup competitions
Source:The Nation
June 21, 2021 19:05 UTC
Regional centres to facilitate online learning
Designed to benefit students with tech difficultiesSignal coverage issues, lack of facilities to be addressedBy Buddhika SamaraweeraThe Ministry of Education has planned to set up regional learning centres to enable students around Sri Lanka to pursue their education online, taking into account the various difficulties faced by them in learning remotely at present. Peiris said the said centres would be open five days a week from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Considering these issues, it was decided to set up these learning centres with the aim of facilitating such students to pursue their studies without any hindrance,” he added. Meanwhile, he said that the E-Thaksalawa and Gurugedara websites were currently in operation to facilitate online education activities. At present, the E-Thaksalawa website contains about 65,000 lessons and is accessed by nearly 250,000 students and teachers daily.”
Source:The Nation
June 21, 2021 19:03 UTC
Catholic Church wants CID to question ex-AG
When contacted by The Morning, National Catholic Centre for Social Communications Director and Parish Priest of St. Anne’s Church, Kurana, Negombo Rev. “Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith was given only one volume of the PCoI report, but there are several volumes. The then AG de Livera PC made that statement regarding a grand conspiracy as the AG, after studying all that material,” he added. In addition, the CID and the TID would carry out investigations into the findings of the discussions, it also read. He also said that some police officers named as responsible for the bombings in the PCoI report have even been given promotions.
Source:The Nation
June 21, 2021 19:03 UTC
Indian, Sri Lankan foreign ministers review bilateral agenda
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday spoke to his Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena, covering bilateral issues as well as regional cooperation under seven-nation grouping BIMSTEC. The conversation came amid growing concern in India about the China-backed Colombo Port City project in Sri Lanka, Indian media reported. India has been pushing for expanding regional cooperation under the framework of BIMSTEC. The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) is an inter-governmental organisation aimed at strengthening regional cooperation. Noted the continuing progress in our bilateral cooperation,” the external affairs minister tweeted.
Source:The Nation
June 21, 2021 18:56 UTC
Fishers back artificial reef despite Indian protest
By Dinitha RathnayakeThe National Fisheries Solidarity Organisation (NAFSO) has welcomed the decision of the Ministry of Fisheries to build artificial reefs and fish-spawning habitats with old buses and concrete structures, despite protests from fishermen in the South Indian State of Tamil Nadu. The Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, with the assistance of the Navy, launched this project to create artificial reefs off Delft Island. “We have urged the Indian Government to follow the same practice, but there has been no positive response. We hope the Indian Government will take necessary steps to ban the destructive method,” Wijesekera noted in his Twitter account. A total of 20 discarded buses have been submerged off the island in the Jaffna seas to help create artificial reefs conducive for the marine environment.
Source:The Nation
June 21, 2021 18:22 UTC
Amazon removes another major accessory maker (Update: Amazon response)
Amazon confirmed that it has pulled all of RavPower’s products from its store. Update, June 16, 2021 (04:45 PM ET): Amazon responded to Android Authority’s request for a comment on this story. Additionally, it posted a new blog post detailing its strict policy towards companies soliciting paid Amazon reviews. The Verge reports that Amazon has removed all RavPower products from its shop days after the Wall Street Journal revealed that the battery and charger company was offering incentives for reviews. The WSJ‘s Nicole Nguyen ordered a RavPower charger only to discover an offer for a $35 gift card if she left a review.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 21:03 UTC
What's the Deal With Ranked-Choice Voting?
For these reasons and others, a new form of ranked-choice voting is becoming more popular in many U.S. cities, with the country’s most populous—New York City—primed to adopt the format in its upcoming June 22 mayoral contest (early voting has already begun). What is ranked-choice voting? On the surface, the premise is simple: In an election with multiple candidates, voters rank their preferred choices from favorite to least favorite. That combination can allow the most broadly popular candidate to win the election, while also making clear the full spectrum of voters’ views. What are the advantages of ranked-choice voting?
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 19:30 UTC
‘Uncommon manifestations of mental health conditions require customised treatment’
This advice was given in the case report on “Successful treatment of coprophagia in resistant schizophrenia”, authored by D. Jayakodi (attached to the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital’s Psychiatry Unit) and S.R. In addition to its rare association with schizophrenia (only a few cases have been reported, according to “Coprophagia in a schizophrenic patient: Case report” by S.K. Valmaggia, and F. Smit, and “The treatment of hallucinations in schizophrenia spectrum disorders” by I.E. Jayakodi and Perera presented a case of the successful management of coprophagia in a patient with resistant schizophrenia. He had been on treatment for schizophrenia for the past 15 years.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 19:09 UTC
Notable progress by Sri Lanka on Sustainable Development Goals
Sri Lanka has shown significant progress in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) according to the 2021 Global Sustainable Development Report, the Director General (DG) of the Sustainable Development Council of Sri Lanka stated yesterday (16). Accordingly, Sri Lanka has improved its global ranking by seven positions and is placed at 87th out of 165 countries in 2021. It was also revealed by the DG that Sri Lanka’s Overall Country Score has increased to 68.1, which is well above the regional average. In 2019 and 2020, Sri Lanka ranked at 93rd and 94th place, respectively, with scores of 65.8 and 66.9, respectively. The Global Sustainable Development Report is compiled by Jeffrey Sachs, Christian Kroll, Guillaume Lafortune, Grayson Fuller, and Finn Woelm, and published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the Cambridge University Press.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 19:04 UTC