Inmates to use Zoom to contact relatives
A new methodology has been introduced for inmates of 06 prisons including the Welikada and Angunukolapelessa Prisons to contact their relations through Zoom, State Minister of Prison Reforms Lohan Ratwatte said. He said, "With the current situation, we have made it possible for inmates to connect with their relatives through Zoom technology. When an inmate enters their name and number to our website, they will be issued date and a token number. The relative has the opportunity to speak with the prisoner at the specified time.”Meanwhile, all prison officers in the country have been given both doses of the AstraZeneca (Covishield) vaccine, State Minister Ratwatte added. The State Minister said that prison inmates will only be tested and quarantine as vaccinating them is not practical.
Source:The Nation
June 13, 2021 07:07 UTC
Daughter of Thel Bala arrested with drugs
June 13, 2021 11:34 amThe Special Task Force (STF) has arrested an individual in connection to drug-related offenses at the Grandpass area yesterday (June 12). A stash of 50 grams of narcotic drugs has been found on the arrested suspect. The arrestee is a 41 year old female named Karupayya Nirmala, Police said. The suspect has been identified to be the daughter of Karupayya Balan alias ‘Thel Bala’ who fled to India after committing several crimes in Sri Lanka. She has been handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB), Police Media Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana said.
Source:The Nation
June 13, 2021 06:00 UTC
137,067 vaccinated against COVID-19 yesterday, highest within a day
Sri Lanka has vaccinated a total of 137,067 individuals against the COVID-19 virus yesterday (June 12), stated State Minister of Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana. This is by far the highest number of COVID-19 vaccinations administered within a period of 24 hours, the State Minister said. Accordingly, a total of 59,881 persons have been administered the first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine while 76,615 have been administered the second dose. In addition, 390 persons have received the Sputnik V vaccine, Prof. Jayasumana said. The second dose of the AstraZeneca (Covishield) vaccine has been given to 181 persons yesterday.
Source:The Nation
June 13, 2021 04:18 UTC
Weekly poll results: HarmonyOS shows early promise
People are optimistic about having a third smartphone OS on the market – last week’s poll shows that 2 in 3 voters think that Huawei’s new HarmonyOS looks promising. The most common criticism we heard was that HarmonyOS (at least on smartphones and tablets) is a fork of Android. An Android fork isn’t glamorous, but it works – FireOS, Amazon’s Android fork, outlived Windows Phone. Will it stick close to Android or start to diverge HarmonyOS into its own thing? For that approach to succeed, however, it will need a solid user base and an Android fork makes for an easy start.
Source:The Nation
June 13, 2021 03:00 UTC
Meet 'Australia's hottest teacher' Dylan Harris, 28, from Pakenham, Victoria
By Alice Murphy For Daily Mail AustraliaPublished: 22:18 EDT, 12 June 2021 | Updated: 22:18 EDT, 12 June 2021A primary school teacher from the outskirts of Melbourne has been hailed the 'most handsome teacher' in Australia. Dylan, who is happily married to wife Lisa, 28, told Daily Mail Australia the attention is 'all a bit surreal' but said he is trying to accept the compliments with grace. Scroll down for videoDylan Harris (pictured) has been dubbed the 'most handsome teacher' in AustraliaDylan's TikTok stardom has already translated to real life. Some called Dylan the 'most handsome teacher' they have ever seen, while others even begged him to marry them. 'If you were my teacher in school I'd never have been sick,' one woman said.
Source:The Nation
June 13, 2021 03:00 UTC
63 more COVID-19 deaths pushes toll to 2,136
The Director-General of Health Services confirmed that Sri Lanka has reported 63 more deaths related to the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday (June 12). As per the Department of Government Information, the reported deaths had occurred between May 23 and June 11. They are identified as residents of Lunuwatta, Bandarawela, Galle, Thissawewa, Wennappuwa, Aluthmalkaduwawa, Narammala, Wariyapola, Kudagalgamuwa, Boyagane, Rideegama, Madahapola, Pubbogama, Moratuwa, Thannamunai, Bulathsinghala, Wellawatta, Piliyandala, Kotte, Makuldeniya, Mawanella, Nawalapitiya, Panadura, Aranayake, Walachchenei 5, Walachchenei 4, Wallalawita, Poodaluoya, Handessa, Hataraliyadda, Kandy, Ganegoda, Gampola, Neboda, Bollassagama, Bandaragama, Danovita, Katukithula, Pilimathalawa, Dompe, Dodangoda, Mathugama, Meegahathenna, Waskaduwa, Warapitiya, Poruwadanda, Hawa Eliya, Ibbagamuwa, Kalmunai, Dorawaka, Akurana, Biranthirachenai and Warakamuna. Accordingly, the total number of deaths due to Covid-19 infection in Sri Lanka has risen to 2,136.
Source:The Nation
June 13, 2021 02:37 UTC
Multitalented Ammar points out the need for a skate park
Ammar is a skateboard enthusiast and points out the need to have a skate park to practise skateboarding in Sri Lanka. Swimming, football, tennis, skateboarding, roller-skating, rifle shooting, archery, kayaking, and aikido. Sadly, I became second in rifle shooting, missing just two points in becoming the sharpest shooter. I practise rifle shooting at school and archery at the Colombo Archery School. I really wish we had a skate park or a roller-skating wing here so that we can practise skateboarding.
Source:The Nation
June 13, 2021 02:15 UTC
200kg of Heroin seized in the southern seas
COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Navy said that it seized 200kg of Heroin in a multi day fishing trawler in southern seas near Weligama. This was confirmed to News 1st by Navy Spokesperson Captain Indika De Silva. Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana speaking to News 1st said three suspects were arrested in the raid carried out by the Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Coast Guard and the Police Narcotics Bureau on intel received by the State Intelligence Service.
Source:The Nation
June 13, 2021 00:56 UTC
England recall Woakes, Willey, and Dawson for SL white-ball series
Woakes has not played T20 cricket for England since 2015. Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, and Reece Topley all ruled out from Sri Lanka series due to injury. Willey, who became Yorkshire’s T20 Captain last year, last played T20Is in 2019 before losing his place in the England white-ball team to Jofra Archer. Dawson last played for England in 2018, yet he had to undergo a leg surgery later on, which kept him out of contention. Recalling of Woakes, Willey, and Dawson effectively shuts the door for the likes of Saqib Mahmood, Lewis Gregory, and Matt Parkinson who have been on the fringes of England selection for over two years now.
Source:The Nation
June 13, 2021 00:45 UTC
Foreign News in Brief: Krejcikova wins French Open women’s singles title
* Krejcikova wins French Open women’s singles titleBarbora Krejcikova, world no. * Djokovic faces Tsitsipas in finalNovak Djokovic will meet Stefanos Tsitsipas in the French Open men’s single final at 6.30 p.m. Sri Lanka time today. Yet in French Open S/F last year, Djokovic was stretched for five sets by the Greek, who lost 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1. Elsewhere the Philadelphia 76ers moved 2-1 ahead in their Eastern Conference semi-final series. Game four of the five-match semi-final series is tomorrow (14).
Source:The Nation
June 13, 2021 00:33 UTC
Australian swimmer Shayna Jack, 22, skips the Olympic national swimming trials
Australian swimmer Shayna Jack has confirmed she will miss the Tokyo Olympics and sit out the Australian trials this week. Australian swimmer Shayna Jack (pictured) has confirmed her Olympic hopes are over as she skips the national swimming trialsThe World Championships and Commonwealth Games medallist was one of the rising stars of the pool until her world came crashing down in 2019. Jack tested positive to banned muscle-builder Ligandrol, leaving her swimming career and Tokyo Olympics hopes in tatters. Shayna Jack celebrated her return to the pool last month after her two year doping ban ended'The water has never felt so good' Shayna Jack (pictured) wrote after her training session'The water has never felt so good. Shayna Jack arrived at the pool in high spirits on Wednesday morning, despite the 6am start
Source:The Nation
June 13, 2021 00:00 UTC
Medicine can be delivered to home through post by calling the hospital and giving the clinic number and home address - Dr. Champika Wickramasinghe
Deputy Director General of Noncommunicable Diseases Unit, Dr. Champika Wickramasinghe stated that due to the prevailing pandemic situation and travel restrictions, people can get their medicine delivered home by post through calling the hospital they normally receive their medicine and giving the clinic number and home address. She stated this while participating in a media briefing held at the Health Promotion Bureau on the 11th regarding the current COVID situation in the country. The telephone numbers of the hospitals can be gained through the official website of the Ministry of Health, health.gov.lk, and by giving the name, address and clinic number of the relevant hospitals, medicines for at least two months can be delivered to home within a few days. She said that if anyone encounters an inconvenience in calling the hospital, two special hotline numbers have been introduced to gain further details in this regard; 0720720720 for Sinhala and 0720606060 for Tamil. Moreover, people who have received medicines from private pharmacies via online can also access the official website of the Ministry of Health and get WhatsApp, Viber and Emo numbers of all the pharmacies.
Source:The Nation
June 12, 2021 23:48 UTC
Sri Lanka’s solar energy sector: Recycling broken promises or new hope?
In case you do not know what renewable energy is and what it encompasses, it is energy collected from renewable energy sources such as wind, tides, sunlight, geothermal heat, and rain. The then Government launched the “Battle for Solar Energy” or “Sooryabala Sangramaya” programme in 2016 and sent surplus energy to the national grid. Solar power plant in HambanthotaThe CEB is even of the view that solar power alone is sufficient to cater to the national energy demand during the day time. “Under the Paris Agreement, funding is available for developing countries to build renewable energy projects that will save carbon emissions. Current Government’s plansProviding a glimmer of hope in the solar energy sector, the current Government seems somewhat focused on improving the country’s renewable energy sector, thereby increasing its contribution to national energy demand.
Source:The Nation
June 12, 2021 23:03 UTC
Trinco oil tank reclamation at snail’s pace
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila stated that the progress is very slow despite the discussions held with official Indian counterparts to develop the Upper Oil Tank Farm. Nevertheless, Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC) Managing Director Manoj Gupta told The Sunday Morning Business early this year that the discussions held with the Energy Ministry and its Indian counterparts had been very positive. Meanwhile, Gammanpila, when contacted during the same month (February), clarified that both parties were able to come to a consensual agreement to jointly develop the oil tank farm by the LIOC and CPC with majority shares. The development of the Upper Oil Tank Farm in Trincomalee was initially signed by the previous Government with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Co-operation on Economic Projects in order to set up a joint venture between the LIOC and the CPC. The then Sri Lankan Government proposed the idea of developing and running the tanks as a joint venture in 2016 to store the fuel for power generation in an emergency situation.
Source:The Nation
June 12, 2021 23:03 UTC
Pixaraptor.: Recreating reality through passion and design
What sets Pixaraptor. Founder and Art Director Rehan FiyazWhat sets Pixaraptor. This is what sets Pixaraptor. What sets Pixaraptor. Furthermore, the Oceanlust Magazine – the first ocean based e-magazine in Sri Lanka – is one of the clients exclusive to Pixaraptor.
Source:The Nation
June 12, 2021 22:52 UTC