Online liquor final approval likely today
Kumarasinghe said that after obtaining the approval of the NOCPCO, the F.L 4 retail liquor licence holders including supermarket chains will be allowed to sell liquor online. He also said that the system of selling liquor online was being implemented in several countries around the world, including India, given the current situation. Furthermore, when questioned as to whether mobile delivery services companies such as Uber and PickMe would be allowed to sell liquor online, Kumarasinghe said: “It’s too early to say that. The continued prohibition on liquor sales due to the existing travel restrictions in the country has resulted in Rs. “We have observed that the production and the demand for illicit liquor and drugs have increased.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 18:56 UTC
59 more COVID deaths, tally at 2,374
June 16, 2021 10:40 pmSri Lanka has registered 59 more victims of COVID-19, the Director-General of Health Services confirmed today. The latest fatalities have moved the death toll from the virus infection to 2,374, according to Government Information Department’s data. Reportedly, the victims have succumbed to the virus infection on Tuesday (June 15). As per official data, 38 victims were aged 60 years and above and 20 were aged between 30-59 years with one male aged below 30 years.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 18:00 UTC
Quarantine fatigue: How to overcome
QuarantineThe term “quarantine” was not very familiar among Sri Lankans until the onset of the current pandemic. Quarantine fatigue and cabin feverThough not categorised as a disorder, quarantine fatigue, conceptually similar to cabin fever, is a distressing feeling as a result of strict isolation. Physical exerciseRegular physical activities reduce one’s stress hormones and release endorphins. Having a routine consisting of daily activities, projects, physical activities, leisure activities, chill out time, etc. It is a good solution for quarantine fatigue, and one will feel that the time passes faster.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 17:48 UTC
The TNA and ethnic realities
However, what was raised by the UNHRC and the EU Parliament is quite unique and straightforward, and constitutes more or less, warnings for Sri Lanka. They are also opportunities Sri Lanka received to pay more attention to its internal issues; more specifically, they were human rights related matters Sri Lanka should not ignore. However, the TNA is still one of the prominent North based political alliances and one of the political Parties that focused on political and policy decisions, including the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. What is more concerning is the fact that Sri Lanka keeps showing a rather lackadaisical approach as far as the worsening inter-ethnic and post-war reconciliation concerns are concerned. Listening to them is sometimes a necessary evil, which can help Sri Lanka deal with longstanding and deep rooted problems and improve as a nation.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 17:26 UTC
Sri Lanka signs USD 100 mn LoC with India for solar energy projects
India became the first country to partner with Sri Lanka in fulfilling the vision of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to ensure that 70% of Sri Lanka’s national power requirements are fulfilled by renewable energy sources by 2030, as reiterated during his address at the recently concluded Sri Lanka Investment Forum. In this context, an agreement extending a USD 100 million Line of Credit (LOC) to Sri Lanka for projects in the Solar Energy Sector, signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Export-Import Bank of India, was exchanged by the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay and Secretary to the Treasury S.R. This USD 100 million LOC will help finance various projects in the solar energy sector in Sri Lanka, including those announced during the Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) held in March 2018, such as rooftop solar photovoltaic systems for households and government buildings. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the High Commissioner of India discussed the striking similarity in the national objectives outlined by India and Sri Lanka in connection with solar energy. The National Solar Mission of India aims to increase it further to 100 GW and beyond, the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka stated, issuing a press release.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 17:00 UTC
Fitch affirms Sri Lanka at CCC amid debt service challenges
Fitch Ratings has affirmed Sri Lanka’s long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating at CCC. It said the island nation’s CCC rating reflects a challenging foreign-currency sovereign external debt repayment burden over the medium term, low foreign exchange reserves and rising government debt that gives rise to sustainability risks. Nevertheless, said Fitch, Sri Lanka’s medium-term debt service challenges are substantial and pose risks to the sovereign’s debt repayment capacity. A total of about USD29 billion in foreign currency debt obligations are due between now and 2026 against foreign exchange reserves of USD4.5 billion as of end-April. Fitch projected Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange reserves to remain at about USD 4.5 billion by end-2021 before declining to USD3.9 billion by end-2022.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 16:30 UTC
Daily coronavirus case count moves to 2,419
June 16, 2021 08:43 pmThe Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry reports that another 788 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Sri Lanka, moving the daily total of new cases to 2,419. This brings the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus reported in the country to 230,675. As many as 194,145 recoveries and 2,315 deaths have been confirmed in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of the pandemic. The Epidemiology Unit’s data showed that 34,215 active cases are currently under medical care.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 15:11 UTC
Prof. Mohan Munasinghe to receive prestigious Blue Planet Prize
Sri Lankan physicist, academic and economist Professor Mohan Munasinghe has been selected to receive the 2021 Blue Planet Prize, the international environmental award sponsored by Japan’s Asahi Glass Foundation. Each year, the Foundation selects two winners, individuals or organizations that have made a significant contribution to solving global environmental problems. This year, the winners of the 2021 Blue Planet Prize were Mohan Munasinghe (Sri Lanka) and Veerabhadran Ramanathan (USA). Prof. Munasinghe said he was “deeply grateful and honored” to receive the Blue Planet Prize 2021, the premier global environmental sustainability award, which symbolizes Japan’s Asabi Glass Foundation’s commitment to a better future. This year’s fellow recipient of the Blue Planet Prize, Veerabhadran Ramanathan is a renowned climate and atmospheric scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 15:01 UTC
Indian fishermen oppose Sri Lanka dumping discarded vehicles in sea
The move was termed by Sri Lanka as one ‘to help create artificial reef conducive to the marine environment’. Sri Lanka has been dropping discarded vehicles for a while. Trawling continues to the primary fishing practice for Tamil Nadu fishers, whereas it is banned in Sri Lanka. Tamil Nadu fishers trawl in Coramandel Waters, Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar, which Sri Lanka also shares. But, the bodies of vehicles Sri Lanka is dumping are made of corrosive metal materials.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 14:37 UTC
Here’s a sneak peek at Google’s first permanent retail store
Google will officially open the doors of the Google Store NYC tomorrow, June 17, 2021. The store is the company’s very first permanent physical retail location. One thing Google has never had, though, is a permanent physical retail space. At 10:00 AM ET on June 17, 2021, Google will officially open the Google Store NYC, a new permanent home. Google Store NYC photos
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 14:26 UTC
Sri Lanka reports 1,631 new cases of COVID-19
June 16, 2021 06:39 pmThe Ministry of Health reports that another 1,631 persons have tested positive for coronavirus today (June 16). All new cases are associated with the New Year Covid-19 cluster. This brings the total number of COVID-19 cases confirmed in the country thus far to 229,887. Presently 33,427 infected patients are being treated at hospitals and treatment centers across the island. Meanwhile, the number of total recoveries has reached 194,145.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 13:07 UTC
More discounts & offers from ComBank for cardholders shopping online
This offer will run till the end of July 2021 and will enable shoppers to enjoy discounts up to a maximum of Rs 1,500. Furthermore, Commercial Bank is also offering a 20% discount, subject to a maximum of Rs 2,000, on the entire bill between 10am and 6pm, every Wednesday to Credit Card holders shopping online at Glomark. Commercial Bank Credit and Debit Cards offer year-round promotions covering a wide variety of services. The Bank was also a pioneer in extending promotional discount offers which were traditionally only offered for Credit Cards to its Debit Cards. Commercial Bank cards are the fastest growing cards in Sri Lanka and enjoy market leadership in Credit and Debit Card cumulative point-of-sale usage.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 12:11 UTC
SampathCards Launches New Sampath Visa Corporate Credit Card
Colombo, June 16, 2021: Sampath Bank recently announced the launch of its new Sampath Corporate Visa Credit Card in partnership with Visa, the leader in digital payments, to facilitate better financial management for corporates. Enabling businesses to gain complete control over their corporate expenses, this card helps them minimize administrative costs and avoid the hassle of unnecessary paperwork. Along with this, Sampath Bank is also offering free e-statements and SMS Alert facilities for the card. To give them more control over their finances, we are delighted to extend our partnership with Sampath Bank to offer corporate credit cards to all eligible businesses. Sampath Bank is a 100% local bank that has deeply rooted itself in the lives of the people of Sri Lanka.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 12:11 UTC
Biden and Putin meet in Geneva for historic summit
Shaking hands in front of a grand Geneva villa, U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday began their first summit since Biden took office, with deep disagreements likely and expectations of solving them low. Putin and Biden exchanged a few words before going inside. They sank further in March when Biden said he thought Putin was a “killer”, prompting Russia to recall its ambassador to Washington for consultations. The United States recalled its ambassador in April. In contrast to Trump, whose 2018 summit with Putin in Helsinki included a meeting accompanied only by interpreters, Biden and Putin are not expected to have any solo dealings.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 11:48 UTC
Over-21s are now invited to book their Covid vaccine
Meanwhile, England's Covid vaccination drive has opened to people aged 21 and 22, as ministers race to get every adult jabbed by the country's new 'Freedom Day' on July 19. Jabs for care home staff WILL be compulsory Care home staff will be forced to have Covid vaccinations, ministers will announce this week. Ministers are concerned about low take-up of the coronavirus vaccine among care workers, who include care home staff plus home helps. Latest figures show that, as of June 6, 89 per cent of NHS staff had had their first dose of Covid vaccine and 82 per cent had had both. If the UK Government does push on for a vaccine roll-out for children, it will most likely use the Pfizer vaccine.
Source:The Nation
June 16, 2021 10:52 UTC