Organized criminal Pradeep Kumar arrested
May 7, 2021 by Mihi Perera No CommentsThe Police Special Task Force (STF) has arrested a follower of Suresh “Kimbula Ale Guna”, who is believed to be one of the masterminds behind the drug trafficking, an organized criminal. He is 21 year old Pradeep Kumar. The suspect was arrested during a raid carried out in the Bloemendal area yesterday (06). The raid was carried out by the Special Task Force Organized Crime Unit. Two kilograms and 22 grams of ice, 4 kilograms and 527 grams of hashish, Rs.
Source:The Nation
May 07, 2021 05:06 UTC
Acting Solicitor General Sanjay Rajaratnam tipped to become next AG
The name of Acting Solicitor General Sanjay Rajaratnam will be taken into consideration by the Parliamentary Council for the post of Attorney General, says Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. The Parliamentary Council is scheduled to meet next week, according to reports. Sanjay Rajaratnam was appointed as the Acting Solicitor General in October 2019, after then-Solicitor General Dilrukshi Dias Wickremasinghe was interdicted, pending an inquiry into her alleged phone conversation with Avant-Garde chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi. Meanwhile, the tenure of current Attorney General Dappula de Livera, who was sworn in on May 10, 2019, is set to come to an end this month. However, the Attorney General, turning down the post, conveyed to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that he wishes to remain in Sri Lanka to serve its people.
Source:The Nation
May 07, 2021 04:41 UTC
18,000 PCR tests conducted yesterday
May 7, 2021 by Mihi Perera No CommentsThe Ministry of Health stated that over 18,000 PCR tests had been conducted island wide yesterday. A total of 18,608 PCR samples had been obtained yesterday. Among them, 1,939 samples were positive Covid cases. A remainder of 170 tests are pending results.
Source:The Nation
May 07, 2021 04:41 UTC
SL prohibits entry for passengers with Indian travel history
May 7, 2021 by Aazam Ameen No CommentsThe Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) stated yesterday (6) that passengers with a travel history to India within the last 14 days will not be allowed to disembark in Sri Lanka due to Covid-19 concerns. The authority has communicated this to all airlines serving Sri Lanka. According to the Director General of the CAASL Themiya Abeywickrama, this will continue until further notice. This decision was made following the instructions of the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation.
Source:The Nation
May 07, 2021 03:56 UTC
Sony Xperia Pro reaches Europe, pre-orders start
Sony's phone-that-is-mainly-a-pro-camera-accessory, the Xperia Pro, was announced way back in February of last year, and it finally launched in the US and Japan this January with a hard to swallow price of $2,500. Today the company is announcing that the Xperia Pro is making it across the pond and over to Europe, where it will be offered in the UK, Germany, and Nordic countries. While Sony has refrained from providing an actual release date for the phone, it has announced that pre-orders have started today in the UK, and will be available until May 13. Furthermore, no pre-order information was provided for the other countries, so it looks like the UK may get the Xperia Pro ahead of them. Otherwise, just think of this as a toughened-up version of the Xperia 1 II.
Source:The Nation
May 07, 2021 00:45 UTC
‘DFCC Bank stands firm amidst challenges’
DFCC Bank concluded the quarter ended 31March 2021 with sound performance and growth. DFCC Bank really swung into full gear as a full-service Commercial Bank marking 65 years of being a pioneer in Sri Lanka’s banking sector. Financial Performance ProfitabilityThe DFCC Group comprises of DFCC Bank PLC (DFCC), and its subsidiaries – Lanka Industrial Estates Limited (LINDEL), DFCC Consulting (Pvt) Limited (DCPL) and Synapsys Limited (SL), the joint venture company – Acuity Partners (Pvt) Limited (APL) and associate company – National Asset Management Limited (NAMAL). The Bank’s Return on Equity (ROE) improved to 6% during the quarter ended 31 March 2021 from 4.93% recorded for the year ended 31 December 2020. (DFCC Bank)
Source:The Nation
May 07, 2021 00:00 UTC
Flaw exposed on NHS Covid jab website that allows users to work out another person's vaccine status
By Georgia Simcox For Mailonline and PaPublished: 13:26 EDT, 6 May 2021 | Updated: 18:54 EDT, 6 May 2021An apparent flaw has been uncovered on the coronavirus vaccine booking website that allows anyone to work out another person's status using basic personal information. Using such simple details, the responses on the subsequent screen can be used to deduce whether a person has been vaccinated. According to The Guardian, using the information of a person who has not had any jabs goes through to a standard screening page. It was reported that details can also be abused to make a second vaccine booking for people who have only had their first jab through a GP so far. 'This online system has left the population's Covid vaccine statuses exposed to absolutely anyone to pry into.
Source:The Nation
May 06, 2021 23:01 UTC
DIG Bimshani removed from assigned duties
Wickramaratne, requesting that Jasin Arachchi be assigned duties suitable for her DIG position or that she be reassigned as the DIG of the Police Ombudsman Range. Thereafter, on 13 December 2020, duties of the Police Ombudsman Range were transferred to her. A petition was filed by 33 Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) seeking an order staying the National Police Commission’s (NPC) decision to appoint Jasin Arachchi as a DIG. The petitioners maintain that the decision to appoint Jasin Arachchi to the post of DIG is illegal and unlawful. The Police appointed SSP Jasin Arachchi as its first woman DIG in 2020.
Source:The Nation
May 06, 2021 22:41 UTC
Cricket’s flawed contracts
Nimal Gurusinghe FSCAfter several setbacks in cricket in recent years, the national cricket team is looking to regain past glories. It is also the tenth best figures by a player on debut in the history of Test cricket. One of the modern trends that I have seen in Sri Lankan cricket is our tail is too long. Sri Lankan teams of the past were on par with teams like Australia and South Africa when it came to fielding. I wish Pramodaya and his team good luck and look forward to see them transforming Sri Lankan cricket.
Source:The Nation
May 06, 2021 22:41 UTC
'Super Thursday' polls close as UK braces for results
Sir Keir is sounding out high-profile figures, including former work and pensions secretary Yvette Cooper, about a possible return to the Labour frontbench. In a sign that Sir Keir is expecting a difficult set of results, a Labour source said: 'These were always going to be tough elections for Labour. That means that two years' worth of polls took place across the UK today, making for a bumper crop of results. Whichever way the by-election goes, it will have significant ramifications for Sir Keir and Mr Johnson. Sir Keir's allies tonight said they were expecting civil war to break out in the party if election results are as gloomy as forecast by some opinion polls.
Source:The Nation
May 06, 2021 22:00 UTC
A Beginner's Guide to Gym Terminology
We’ve collected a list of the lifting-related words that most often confuse beginners, so read on to learn what you might be missing. RepsWe don’t usually lift a weight just once; we pick it up and set it down multiple times. 1RM, 3RM, 5RMThese are a one rep max, a three rep max, and a five rep max, respectively. On bench press, you spot by standing at the head end of the person’s bench. Instead of grabbing another weight, ask a spotter to help you lift the last few reps of your set.
Source:The Nation
May 06, 2021 21:22 UTC
Pfizer hits out at Biden administration over vaccine patent waivers
The scientist who developed Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine has hit out at the Biden administration's support for waiving intellectual property protections for coronavirus shots. Advocates say that letting poorer nations make their own cheaper generics as soon as possible could be a critical boon to global vaccine supply. These proposed measures included 'the temporary suspension of intellectual property and extraordinary global public-private collaboration resulting in wider transfer of technology and know-how.' In theory, that's a problem that waiving patents could help solve, but in practice freeing up intellectual property alone may not do much. Waiving intellectual property protections could cut into profits for vaccine makers like Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, for whom business has boomed amid the pandemic.
Source:The Nation
May 06, 2021 19:52 UTC
These Pharmacy Chains Are Offering Walk-In COVID Vaccines
As of a few weeks ago, all adults in the U.S. are eligible to make vaccine appointments, no matter what state you live in. And now, several pharmacy chains are offering walk-ins and same-day appointments at most of their locations. President Biden announced this week that he is ordering pharmacies that get their vaccines from the federal government to start offering walk-in appointments. Not every location will be offering walk-ins every day, but when you check your local pharmacy’s availability, you may very well notice that walk-ins are available. Alllocations now offer walk-ins.
Source:The Nation
May 06, 2021 19:30 UTC
Coronavirus: Britain records 2,613 more coronavirus cases and 13 deaths
Britain today confirmed 2,613 Covid cases and 13 deaths, as an array of studies showed the number of people getting sick with the virus is continuing to fall. In England the number of people developing symptoms each day remained the same as last week's estimate at 756. But data from both Public Health England and NHS Test & Trace showed the number of cases being spotted is still falling. Outbreaks are still shrinking in three quarters of local authorities, data also showedDespite every region seeing Covid cases decrease overall, some councils saw an increase in cases in the week ending April 25. Figures breaking down Covid rates among different age groups showed the only slight spike was among five to nine year olds (14.7 to 16.1).
Source:The Nation
May 06, 2021 17:37 UTC
Sri Lanka s Covid-19 death toll moves to 745
May 6, 2021 11:22 pmThe Director General of Health Services confirmed eleven more Covid-19 related deaths today (06). Sri Lanka’s death toll due to the virus pandemic rises to 745 with this. Meanwhile the total Covid-19 cases count in Sri Lanka climbed to 119,424 today while total recoveries stands at 100,885. According to the Health Ministry, currently 17,805 patients infected with the virus are under medical care.
Source:The Nation
May 06, 2021 16:41 UTC