News Pictures of the Week
News Pictures of the WeekNewsElection Day saw a buzz of activity across Sri Lanka, with voters from Colombo, Southern, and Puttalam districts turning out early to cast their ballots. From urban lines in Colombo to rural gatherings in the South, and diverse communities in Puttalam, the images below capture a shared commitment to democracy as citizens cast their votes. You can share this post!
Source:Sunday Times
November 14, 2024 20:14 UTC
Rains to continue overnight
Rains to continue overnightNewsThe Meteorology Department said that rains would continue overnight. They said that heavy rains along with severe lightning occurred during the evening hours. Duty Forecaster Shanika Dissanayake sad according to the available data Awissawella had received the highest amount of rainfall which is 87 millimeters. She said that even though rain would continue the strength of the rains would reduce over time. She explained that showers and thunder showers are also expected during tomorrow evening hours in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Wayamba provinces and Galle, Matara and Badulla districts, yet they expected a slight reduction of rains.
Source:Sunday Times
November 14, 2024 20:14 UTC
Enniskillen crash death victim named by police
A motorcyclist who sadly died at the scene of a two-vehicle collision in Co Fermanagh on Friday has been named by the PSNI. The crash victim was 42-year-old Yevhenii Ivanenko. The collision happened on the Derrylin Road, Enniskillen, on Friday night. The PSNI statement added: "Officers from the Collision Investigation Unit are continuing to examining the circumstances of the collision. For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
Source:The Nation
November 14, 2024 17:30 UTC
Arson attack on 5G mast in West Belfast slammed by councillor
A West Belfast councillor has called for an end to attacks on 5Gs masts following an arson attack on Thursday evening. The emergency services were called to the Andersonstown Road area on Wednesday, November 13, following reports of a 5G mast being on fire. Read more: PSNI apologises after Ombudsman highlights failures in investigationRead more: West Belfast 5G mast attack accused changed name to Judah and follows God's law, court toldSDLP West Belfast councillor Paul Doherty has now called for an end to attacks on 5G masts in the area saying that they have a significant impact on the local community. Councillor Doherty said: “This is the latest in a long line of attacks like this in the wider west Belfast area and people need to realise how serious this situation is. For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
Source:The Nation
November 14, 2024 16:30 UTC
Less voter turnout across the country in first three hours of polling
Less voter turnout across the country in first three hours of pollingNewsDespite three hours passed since polling opened early this morning, less voter turnout was witnessed across the country, according to the voter turnout data from the Election Secretariat. As of 9:00 a.m, district-level voter turnout for the polls has exceeded 10 per cent in several districts with Colombo recording a turnout of 20 per cent, while Kalutara followed with 15 per cent. In other districts, lower voter turnouts were recorded: 7 per cent in Nuwara-Eliya, 5 per cent in Jaffna, 6 per cent in Kilinochchi, and 10 per cent in Trincomalee. Fairly heavy showers of about 75 mm are likely in other areas. Manjula Gajanayake, Executive Director at the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) told Times Online that the voter turnout will improve later in the day considering the past voting pattern of Sri Lankan voters.
Source:Sunday Times
November 14, 2024 05:04 UTC
Jim Chalmers has provided an extra $900 million to boost productivity. But this ‘high priority’ problem is going to need an across the board effort
Chalmers told Wednesday’s gathering:Our productivity problem didn’t show up two years ago, it showed up two decades ago. Stalled productivity growth has translated into real wage stagnation and a prolonged cost-of-living crisis. Causes of lower growth and productivityMuch of the drop in productivity growth occurred during the commodity boom, when a high Australian dollar made our trade-exposed industries less competitive. The government’s major effort to diversify our narrow trade and industrial structure, and in so doing reinvigorate productivity growth, is its new industrial policy framework. Restoring Australia’s productivity growth is a huge task.
Source:The Nation
November 13, 2024 19:02 UTC
Mandatory paid leave for private sector employees to vote tomorrow
Mandatory paid leave for private sector employees to vote tomorrowNewsAll private-sector companies are required to provide employees with leave to vote in the 2024 General Election, scheduled for tomorrow. This mandate was communicated through a circular from the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, Local Government, and Labour. According to the circular, private companies must grant paid special leave to employees who submit a written request to vote. The duration of leave is to be determined based on the distance employees need to travel to reach their polling stations. If the travel distance is 40 kilometers or less, employees are to be granted a minimum of half a day off.
Source:Sunday Times
November 13, 2024 12:00 UTC
Line of Duty's Adrian Dunbar fuels rumours of BBC show return after three years
Adrian Dunbar has seemingly given a significant nod towards the eagerly awaited comeback of Line of Duty, almost three years after the acclaimed series' explosive finale. Now, Adrian, aged 66, has hinted that a BBC return for the show is in the cards, with only a completed script needed. In his Monday, November 11 interview with Times Radio, Adrian expressed hope for Line Of Duty's future, stating: "I hope so. MAIN - Line Of Duty star ‘confirms’ return of huge BBC drama after weeks of rumours and cluesThis isn't the first time Adrian has teased Line Of Duty enthusiasts. That prompted Adrian's response: "I think so, Vicky [McClure] thinks so, Martin [Compston] thinks so.
Source:The Nation
November 13, 2024 09:32 UTC
Online games should not be included in Australia’s social media ban – they are crucial for kids’ social lives
The Australian government has announced a plan to ban children under the age of 16 from social media. A government spokesperson told Australian Community Media that a new, robust definition of “social media” would be forthcoming in the legislation. As experts in children’s online play, we argue it would be a mistake to ban children from social games. Games are crucial to children’s social lives and learning, and for their personal growth and identity development. A ban can’t make children’s online lives betterJust as all internet use isn’t bad, all games aren’t bad either.
Source:The Nation
November 13, 2024 08:31 UTC
India Deserves To Be In List Of Global Superpowers: Vladimir Putin
India deserves to be included in the list of global superpowers as its economy is currently growing faster than in any other country, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. Calling India a great country, Putin said: "We are developing relations with India in all directions. India is a great country, now the largest in terms of population: 1.5 billion people, plus 10 million every year. " The volume of our cooperation is increasing many times over, every year," Putin was quoted by Russian news agency Tass as saying. Putin added that the contacts between India and Russia in the security and defence sphere are developing.
Source:The Nation
November 08, 2024 15:33 UTC
Changing student patterns
During that time, I noticed a striking trend among Korean students studying abroad: their numbers have dropped sharply. There used to be at least a couple of Korean students in almost every class I attended, and many U.S. college campuses boasted lively Korean student associations. These days, I need to look carefully to spot a Korean student on campus. Multiple factors seem to be contributing to this decline in Korean students studying abroad. In an interesting reversal, the decrease in Korean students going abroad is mirrored by a growing influx of foreign students into Korean universities.
Source:The Nation
November 08, 2024 06:34 UTC
How informing shoppers can help fight inequality
Source: phys.orgRecent elections, G20 summits, and CEO pay scandals have brought inequality to the forefront of the news. Economists often point out that decisions on, say, tax policy in this arena depend on society's—and individuals'—attitudes to inequality and fairness. But how you feel about a given inequality depends on how it affects you. Behavioral economics has traditionally examined two perspectives: stakeholders who are directly affected and spectators who view the issue impartially. While research has shown how people react to injustices they experience, studies of spectators reveal how people's principles drive their support for inequality-mitigating actions.
Source:The Nation
November 08, 2024 06:31 UTC
Monk Remanded for Attempted Ivory Sale
Monk Remanded for Attempted Ivory SaleNewsA monk from Galagedara was remanded until November 8 after being arrested on November 5 by wildlife officers for attempting to sell two ivory pieces crafted from elephant tusk fragments, valued at 300,000 rupees. Acting on a tip-off, the Department of Wildlife Conservation’s Central Zone Office devised a strategic operation to apprehend the suspect. The monk had planned to conduct the sale at his temple in Galagedara. Wildlife officers, disguised as potential buyers, arranged to meet him at the location. The monk was produced in Magistrate Court and remanded.
Source:Sunday Times
November 07, 2024 16:02 UTC
'Mad cow 3.0' elections
What happened with mad cow protests was especially interesting to me since I had just studied the characteristics of the emerging social media phenomenon in school and learned that the No. This was mad cow 1.0. The influence of social media platforms on presidential elections became undeniable in 2016. This was mad cow 2.0. If mad cow 1.0 was an open agora waiting for people to seek it out, then mad cow 2.0 was the agora itself seeking you out.
Source:The Nation
November 07, 2024 06:01 UTC
Sri Lanka’s upgraded online passport appointment system eliminates -month-long queues and mafia
Sri Lanka’s upgraded online passport appointment system eliminates -month-long queues and mafiaNewsSri Lanka’s upgraded online passport appointment system that went live early Wednesday morning has garnered over 7,500 token applications (by Wednesday), managing to beat the months-long queues and the online passport token mafia, top officials said. The previous online token system was designed to issue only a limited number of tokens daily without any transparency in the process, leading to a mini mafia in the area dealing in the token business, the officials noted further. Photo studios and communication shops in the area had logged into the system very early to secure almost all the tokens and resell them to the applicants. The public was rarely able to get a token online,” one official said. He added the business was so lucrative for them that the rent in the area had also risen, creating a separate ecosystem.
Source:Sunday Times
November 07, 2024 05:17 UTC