BIMSTEC Member States must address the region’s challenges: Prez
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Member States must continue to deepen cooperation to address the region’s challenges and seize the opportunities for shared progress, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa stated in his BIMSTEC Day message. The President made this statement due to the fact that even though BIMSTEC represents 22% of the world population, it only contributes to 4% of the World GDP. As one of the founding members of the BIMSTEC initiative, the President also remarked that Sri Lanka takes great pride in being a part of this initiative. He also stated that as the current Chair of BIMSTEC, Sri Lanka convened eight core BIMSTEC Meetings including the 17th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting during which Member States collectively finalised the BIMSTEC charter, Rationalisation of Sectors and Sub Sectors of BIMSTEC, MoU on Mutual Cooperation between Diplomatic Academies/Training Institutions of BIMSTEC Member States with a view to adopt them at the 5th BIMSTEC Summit. The President also reassured that Sri Lanka would remain committed to all BIMSTEC initiatives as done in the past and urged all Member States of BIMSTEC to harmoniously work towards achieving shared prosperity and peace for the people.
Source:The Nation
June 07, 2021 10:04 UTC
One of Britain's youngest Lotto winners dies suddenly aged 23
One of Britain's youngest ever National Lottery winners has died suddenly aged 23, less than seven years after he scooped a £390,000 jackpot at just 16 years old. Callum Fitzpatrick, of Ballymartin, County Down, had been working at his parents 'grocery store when he won the prize in October 2014. The sports fan, who played for local Gaelic team Ballymartin GAC, was a Manchester United supporter and had also wanted to spend his winnings on visiting Old Trafford. Callum was a good friend, pleasure to work alongside in the Harbour Inn. The Manchester Unite fan played for local Gaelic team Ballymartin GAC, who paid tributeHe added: 'I really couldn't believe it as the first five numbers that were drawn out were all mine.
Source:The Nation
June 07, 2021 10:04 UTC
SLAF Cessna makes emergency landing
A Cessna 150 aircraft belonging to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) made an emergency landing in the Irakkandi area in Nilaveli, Trincomalee, SLAF Media Spokesman, Group Captain Dushan Wijesinghe stated today (07). Elaborating further, Captain Wijesinghe stated that the aircraft experienced a technical difficulty and therefore had to perform an emergency landing. He noted that both pilots on onboard are safe. The aircraft had taken off from the Trincomalee Air Force Base at around 10.22 am and made the emergency landing at around 10.48 am. Cessna 150 aircrafts are used for basic training of pilots of the Sri Lanka Air Force.
Source:The Nation
June 07, 2021 10:01 UTC
Relief offered to pregnant Health Officers
A new circular has lifted the barrier to leave for expectant mothers who work in the health sector and report to work amidst the Covid-19 risk. Accordingly, the Ministry of Health informs that the directives of Public Administration Circular No. 02/2021 (11) and 1021.05.10 should be applied for pregnant women who are health staff. The new circular has been issued with the signature of the Secretary to the Ministry of Health Maj. Gen. This letter requested for leave for the pregnant nurses and health officers as pregnant women in the public sector workforce had been granted leave and allowed to work from home.
Source:The Nation
June 07, 2021 09:45 UTC
THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF SRI LANKA Conducts 12 Blood Donation Camps Island Wide, in a Month
Five of the donation camps have already been completed and steps are being taken to host the remaining camps within this month. The PUCSL held its first blood donation camps in the Kurunegala, Puttalam, Anuradhapura and Ratnapura districts where blood was urgently needed, and more than 800 blood donors were registered for these camps. Commenting on the rapid blood donation camps host by the PUCSL, Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka, Mr Janaka Ratnayake said,“At the end of May, the National Blood Transfusion Center requested our assistance in obtaining blood for national need. We were able to donate nearly 500 pints of blood to those camps, depending on the needs of the blood transfusion centers in each district. Our goal is to donate 2,500 pints of blood to the blood bank,”“We have scheduled to host 7 more special blood donation camps in Ratnapura, Kandy, Polonnaruwa, Gampaha, Jaffna and Mullaitivu districts to meet the blood needs, during this month.
Source:The Nation
June 07, 2021 09:45 UTC
Special CID team against fake news on social media
June 7, 2021 02:10 pmThe Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has put together a special team of officers to take action against the propagation of false news on social media platforms. This pertains to misinformation regarding COVID-19 or any other sensitive issue, Police Media Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana said. The team will identify and take stern action against those who create and share such false information.
Source:The Nation
June 07, 2021 09:08 UTC
50 killed, 70 injured as passenger trains collide in Pakistan
At least 50 people have lost their lives and 70 others sustained injuries, ARY News quoted Ghotki Deputy Commissioner Usman Abdullah as saying. Reacting to the train accident, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that he was “shocked by the horrific train accident”. “Shocked by the horrific train accident at Ghotki early this morning leaving 30 passengers dead. He said that the train was running at its normal speed when he suddenly saw the derailed bogies of Millat Express train at the track. “Machinery should be arranged to rescue passengers that are still stuck.
Source:The Nation
June 07, 2021 09:00 UTC
Sri Lanka calls on US House Foreign Affairs Committee not to proceed with resolution on Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, through its Ambassador in Washington Ravinatha Aryasinha, formally called on the US House Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) not to proceed with H. RES. 413 on Sri Lanka moved by Congresswoman Deborah Ross (Democrat/North Carolina) on 18 May 2021, the Foreign Ministry stated. The Resolution encourages separatism and questions even the nature of the Sri Lanka State, by references to ‘Traditional Tamil Homelands’. This would undermine the US Administration’s own foreign policy foundation of being rooted in democratic values, and negatively impact the warm bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and the USA”. The reports on Sri Lanka cited in the Resolution, including the OISL Report of 2015, constituted a mere subjective narrative of events including “desk-reviewed” information, which failed to reveal sources and were not verifiable.
Source:The Nation
June 07, 2021 08:26 UTC
Parliamentary sittings limited to one day due to pandemic situ
Due to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic situation, it was decided at today’s (07) Committee on Parliamentary Business chaired by the Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to hold this week’s sitting only tomorrow (June 08). Accordingly, the sitting of Parliament will be held tomorrow (08) from 10.00 am to 4.30 pm, said the Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake. The second reading of the Financial Management (Responsibility Amendment) Bill, the Regulations under Section 8 of the Appropriation Act No. 6 of 2020 and the Regulations under the Import and Export (Control) Act will be taken up for debate tomorrow from 10.00 am to 12.00 noon. Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Ali Sabri, Prasanna Ranatunga as well as MPs Mano Ganeshan, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, M. Sumanthiran, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka and Dr. Harsha de Silva were also present.
Source:The Nation
June 07, 2021 08:26 UTC
OnePlus Nord CE render leaks, price pops up as well
The OnePlus Nord CE 5G will be unveiled on June 10 and will start selling on June 16, but we already know how much it will cost. The new Nord phone will be offered for INR22,999 (about $315) and will have some discounts as well, bringing the price even lower. We expect the Nord Core Edition to be a slightly scaled down version of the original Nord, and that’s why we’ll see a triple-camera phone. Now a document from HDFC Bank on the OnePlus India website revealed users will be eligible to get a discount of INR1,000 from the INR23,000 price if they purchase the “OnePlus Nord N1” smartphone. We are confident the price will be INR22,999 since the OnePlus Nord is a tad more expensive in India right now - INR24,999.
Source:The Nation
June 07, 2021 07:07 UTC
Air Force deploys reconnaissance mission concerning X-Press Pearl
June 7, 2021 by Mihi Perera No CommentsSri Lanka Air Force deployed its Bell 212 Helicopter on a reconnaissance mission in order to evaluate the situation surrounding the X-Press Pearl wreck on Sunday (06). Sri Lanka Air Force Spokesperson Group Captain Dushan Wijesinghe said the Sri Lanka Air Force dropped a total of 1,830 kg of Dry Chemical Power in efforts to douse the fire on board the X-Press Pearl. In total, the Bell 212 completed 9.55 flying hours in dropping DCP and carrying out reconnaissance missions. In addition, a Beech Craft 200 airplane was used in reconnaissance missions by the Sri Lanka Air Force.
Source:The Nation
June 07, 2021 06:56 UTC
Three Sri Lankan Students awarded the Global Swede 2021
Three Sri Lankan Students studying at Postgraduate level in Swedish Universities have been awarded the Globe Swede Award 2021 for excellence in their fields as nominated by the respective universities. Accordingly, Chamika Porage has been awarded the Global Swede for her studies in Applied Statistics, Salinda Hettiarachchi for Computer Engineering and Ravinath Herath for Strategic Entrepreneurship. The Global Swede award is presented to active, committed and enthusiastic students who have excelled in areas closely related to innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship and have demonstrated as being good representatives of their own country, Sri Lanka, as well as Sweden. The Swedish Minister for Foreign Trade & Nordic Affairs Anna Hallberg was the key note speaker at the virtual Event. Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Sweden Dharshana M. Perera participated in the virtual Award Ceremony.
Source:The Nation
June 07, 2021 05:37 UTC
Seventeen dead due to adverse weather conditions
Seventeen people have died due to the adverse weather conditions prevailing in several parts of the island, the Disaster Management Center stated today. Two persons are still missing and five persons have been injured in accidents. 88 Divisional Secretariat Divisions in 10 districts of the country have been affected due to adverse weather conditions. The Disaster Management Center stated that 271,110 people belonging to more than 67,000 families have been affected so far. In addition, the Disaster Management Center stated that 22,932 persons belonging to 5,700 families are staying at relatives’ houses.
Source:The Nation
June 07, 2021 05:05 UTC
Forty six Covid deaths reported yesterday
June 7, 2021 by Mihi Perera No CommentsForty six deaths due to Covid infection have been reported yesterday (06), stated the Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardene today. Accordingly, the total number of Covid deaths in Sri Lanka has risen to 1,742.
Source:The Nation
June 07, 2021 05:05 UTC
PUCSL organizes 12 blood donation camps in a month
The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has organized twelve blood transfusion camps island wide within a month, the Commission said today. Five of the donation camps have already been completed and steps are being taken to host the remaining camps within this month. The PUCSL held its first blood donation camps in the Kurunegala, Puttalam, Anuradhapura and Ratnapura district, while 800 donors were registered for these camps. They stated that their goal was to donate 2,500 pints of blood to the Blood Bank. There are also plans to execute the camps in Ratnapura, Kandy, Polonnaruwa, Gampaha, Jaffna and Mullaitivu districts.
Source:The Nation
June 07, 2021 04:52 UTC