‘Teachers using own resources for online teaching’
Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) Secretary Joseph Stalin, speaking to The Morning, claimed that though teaching using online technology is voluntary, principals and officials of zonal education offices in various areas have begun to monitor online teaching by imposing various regulations. He further claimed that if principals and zonal education offices continue to exert undue influence on teachers in this manner, online teaching will have to be discontinued in the future. “Some school principals have instructed teachers to conduct Vesak-related programmes using the Zoom technology, in addition to conducting online education activities and classes throughout the day, but the teachers or students have not been given anything needed for online activities,” he alleged. Noting that it was difficult for teachers as well as children to access online education, Stalin observed that about 60% of educational activities have been disrupted at present. Meanwhile, when queried as to whether they had discussed the matter with Minister of Education Prof. G.L.
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2021 18:56 UTC
‘Fuel prices hike only solution to forex crisis’
“If there is an increase in fuel prices, it is not to inconvenience the public, but to control the local demand for fuel. “During the tenure of the United National Front-led Government, a fuel pricing formula was implemented to determine the fuel prices. So the only solution left is to increase fuel prices,” Olga added. However, she added that no final decision has been taken regarding any increase in the fuel prices yet. Attempts to contact Gammanpila to inquire about the current situation with regard to any hike in fuel prices were not successful.
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2021 18:56 UTC
Private hospitals keen to restart drive-through PCR
On 23 May, the Ministry of Health issued guidelines stating that no walk-in or drive-through PCR or Rapid Antigen testing would be permitted, which shut down the drive-through PCR facilities that had been set up by several private hospitals. On 24 and 25 May, Sri Lanka reported only having done 17,159 and 17,263 PCR tests, respectively. In addition to the barring of drive-through testing, the Ministry introduced four other guidelines for the private health sector when conducting PCR tests. “During a pandemic, we cannot discriminate between private health care workers and public health care workers. Despite these issues, Dr. Peiris noted that it firmly stands by the Government’s stance on ensuring that private hospitals only conduct PCR tests within their capacity.
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2021 18:56 UTC
MV X-Press Pearl inferno ravages on
Pictured here are some images captured by Sri Lanka Airforce during this morning’s (26) assessment of the MV X-Press Pearl inferno situation. Following an explosion that happened onboard the vessel this morning, the Marine Protection Environment Authority (MEPA) strongly advised people not to collect debris that washes onto the shores as it could pose a severe health risk. However, images prove that some have disregarded these warnings. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had instructed the MEPA, Security Forces and other stakeholders to launch an operation to take measures to prevent marine environment destruction caused by the blazing ship. As seen in the pictures, damage to parts of Sri Lanka’s Western coastline has already taken place.
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2021 18:01 UTC
Coronavirus: Behaviour scientists hit back at Dominic Cummings criticism
Mr Cummings today said the assumption that people would tire of obeying the rules was 'obviously completely wrong'. Members of SPI-B today hit back at Cummings's claim and said he 'does not appear to understand the role of SPI-B not the contribution of behavioural scientists'. In a rollercoaster appearance in front of MPs today Mr Cummings outlined a series of failings by Mr Hancock and the Department of Health and Social Care. Pushed on why he didn't, Mr Cummings said: 'That would be speculation on my part. 'We absolutely reject Mr Cummings' claims about the Health Secretary.'
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2021 18:00 UTC
COVID- 29 new victims confirmed in Sri Lanka
May 26, 2021 10:51 pmSri Lanka’s COVID-19 death toll saw an uptick today (May 26) as Director-General of Health Services confirmed 29 more victims. The latest fatalities have moved the country’s death toll to 1,298, according to official data. Please avoid outside hyperlinks inside the comment and avoid typing all capitalized comments. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by flagging them(mouse over a comment and click the flag icon on the right side). Do use these forums to voice your opinions and create healthy discourse.
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2021 17:15 UTC
Asus ROG Phone 5 now available in the US
If you live in the US, you can now pick up the ROG Phone 5 straight from Asus online store (linked below) for $1,000. Asus is only selling the 16/256GB trim for now. The ROG Phone is the latest iteration in the Asus gaming lineup and features a massive 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, the flagship Snapdragon 888 chipset and a 6,000 mAh battery with 65W charging. You also get mappable pressure sensitive Air Triggers touch areas and an RGB light panel on the back. If you need to refresh yourself on what the ROG Phone 5 brings to the table, head on over to our written review or check out our video breakdown here.
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2021 17:06 UTC
2,325 coronavirus cases in total registered today
Daily COVID-19 cases count moved to 2,325 on Wednesday (May 26) as 744 more people were tested positive for the virus in Sri Lanka. The new development brings the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus reported in the country to 172,275.
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2021 16:41 UTC
Cyclone Yaas - Severe storm hits India s eastern coast
“Landfall process of Cyclone Yaas is complete. Between 10.30am (05:00 GMT) to 11.30am (06:00 GMT), it crossed 20km (12 miles) south from the Balasore coast,” IMD director-general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told Al Jazeera. Storm surges have been forecast in the low lying areas of Odisha and West Bengal states. His West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee told reporters that about 20,000 mud houses and temporary shelters had been damaged in the state. We are trying to maintain the communication system too,” NDRF official Arun Devgam told Al Jazeera.
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2021 16:41 UTC
OnePlus is offering Stadia Premiere Edition free with these smartphones
OnePlus has announced that it is offering Stadia Premiere Edition free to customers who purchase a new OnePlus smartphone from its official website. The Stadia Premiere Edition is a bundle that includes a Stadia Controller and a Chromecast Ultra, but the offer isn't applicable on all OnePlus smartphones. Only those who buy the OnePlus Nord, 8 Pro, 8T, 9, or 9 Pro are eligible for a free Stadia Premier Edition. Besides, this offer is currently only available in three countries - France, Germany, and the UK. If you live in any of these countries and buy one of the eligible smartphones, you'll receive a promo code within 15 days in Germany and France and 30 days in the UK to claim your free Stadia Premiere Edition.
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2021 16:01 UTC
Bridgerton season two begins filming at Greenwich's Old Naval College
Fans of Bridgerton are set to be thrilled as season two filming resumed in the heart of London on Tuesday. Stars including Jessica Madsen (pictured) were seen donning their period attire once again as they arrived at the historic Old Naval College to record the scenesThat's colourful! Bridgerton has been renewed for a second, third and fourth season with Netflix, and the next season is based on Julia Quinn's second Bridgerton novel The Viscount Who Loved Me. In February, Jonathan promised the show's second season will feature plenty of steamy sex scenes because they are 'at the heart' of the showRead all about it! In February, star Jonathan promised the show's second season will feature plenty of steamy sex scenes because they are 'at the heart' of the show in an interview with The Mirror.
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2021 15:03 UTC
COVID vaccination to continue in three more districts tomorrow
People living in areas selected by the Epidemiology Unit in Galle, Matara and Kurunegala districts will be vaccinated against COVID-19 tomorrow (May 27), says Commander of Sri Lanka Army, General Shavendra Silva. The decision has been taken on the directives of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka today (May 26) received the second batch of Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine donated by the government of China. SriLankan Airlines flight UL-869 carrying 500,000 doses of vaccines that had departed from Beijing on Tuesday touched down at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake early this morning. Thereby, the President had instructed the relevant officials to carry on the inoculation drive using the new batch of Sinopharm jabs.
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2021 14:26 UTC
British and Irish Lions squad receive their first Covid jabs
By Will Kelleher For MailonlinePublished: 09:50 EDT, 26 May 2021 | Updated: 09:54 EDT, 26 May 2021The Lions squad received their first Covid vaccines on Wednesday in London as the tourists met for the first time before the South Africa tour. The British & Irish touring party were given Government clearance to have their jabs early, like the British Olympians will before the Tokyo Games this summer. Warren Gatland's Lions squad received their first Covid vaccines on Wednesday in LondonThe British & Irish touring party were given Government clearance to have their jabs earlyHowever it is understood he received his first vaccine in France last week – so will be covered like the rest of the squad. In April the head coach said: 'It would be a brilliant message if we were able to vaccinate all the touring party, the players and all the staff. At the London gathering on Wednesday the Lions all received their mountains of kit – from suits to face-masks, underwear to playing gear – and had their head-shot photos taken for the trip.
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2021 13:41 UTC
Indian High Commissioner delivers special message for Vesak
Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay, delivering a special statement in Sinhala language, has wished all Sri Lankans a peaceful Vesak. The Vesak festival is of immense importance to both Sri Lanka and India, the High Commissioner said, noting that Buddhism is not just a religion for the two nations, but also a philosophy and a way of life. Sri Lanka and India are rich Buddhist culture and spiritual heritage, Mr. Baglay said further. He recalled Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s declaration of a grant assistance of USD 15 million to Sri Lanka in order to promote Buddhist ties between the island nation and India. Indian High Commissioner also recalled the time when PM Narendra Modi attended as the chief guest of the 14th International Vesak Day held in Sri Lanka in 2017.
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2021 13:41 UTC
What would Liz Cambage say about this picture?
The Opals squad was announced on Wednesday with its most high-profile member, Cambage, the biggest star. The Tokyo Olympic Games will be her third after appearances at London 2012 and Rio 2016. In Liz Cambage’s own words, nope can’t be cheering on a team that doesn’t represent me...' wrote another on the Facebook page of the Australian Olympic team. In Instagram posts in early May, Cambage threatened to withdraw from representing Australia in Tokyo because of photos promoting the Australian Olympic team. Opals squad for Olympics: Rebecca Allen, Liz Cambage, Katie Ebzery, Cayla George, Tessa Lavey, Tess Madgen, Ezi Magbegor, Leilani Mitchell, Jenna O'Hea, Alanna Smith, Stephanie Talbot, Marianna Tolo.
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2021 13:02 UTC