Auditor General commences audit into ITUKAMA Covid-19 Fund
COLOMBO (News 1st): The Itukama COVID-19 fund has been submitted to the Auditor General for an Audit. This was confirmed to News1st by Auditor General W.P.C. Wickremerathne. He added that the audit of the Itukama COVID-19 Fund has already begun. Auditor General commences audit into ITUKAMA Covid-19 Fund
Source:The Nation
May 16, 2021 17:02 UTC
Police beat Covid rule breakers in India as villagers are urged not to bury dead in rivers
Meanwhile, villagers in northern India are being urged by officers not to bury their dead in rivers after scores of bodies washed up on the shore of the Ganges. The two-hour extension of the curfew came after the state recorded 5,347 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday. The two-hour extension of the curfew came after the state recorded 5,347 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday. He said the impoverished state's government was 'pained at both the tragedy as well as harm to the river Ganges'. Hinduja National Hospital and a member of the state's Covid-19 taskforce.
Source:The Nation
May 16, 2021 16:52 UTC
Kamala Harris congratulates stepdaughter Ella Emhoff, 22, following her college graduation
Kamala Harris has shared a heartfelt message congratulating her stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, who graduated from the Parsons School of Design this week. She signed off the note with the words 'Love, Momala' - the affectionate name that Ella and her older brother, Cole, call their stepmom. Ella and Cole, 26, are the children of Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and his first wife, Kerstin. They have been Harris' step-children since 2014 when she tied the knot with Doug in Santa Barbara. She signed with IMG Models earlier this year after she turned heads attending Harris' Inauguration in Washington DC.
Source:The Nation
May 16, 2021 15:00 UTC
Daily COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka hit 2,212
The Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry reported that 480 more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Sri Lanka on Sunday (May 16), as the daily count of new cases moved to 2,212. This brings the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus reported in the country to 142,683.
Source:The Nation
May 16, 2021 14:48 UTC
Special trains for essential service employees
Special trains have been scheduled to operate from tomorrow (May 17) for essential service workers who commute to work, the Department of Railways stated. These trains will operate from Kandy, Mahawa, Rambukkana, Chilaw, and Beliatta to Colombo. These special trains will be in operation in addition to the usual train operations as per scheduled on Thursday (May 13), he said. He added that 51 trains are scheduled to operate tomorrow. Chairman of SLTB Kingsley Ranawaka said measures have been taken to deploy enough buses to cater to the needs of passengers.
Source:The Nation
May 16, 2021 14:48 UTC
Covid-19 vaccination drive is corrupt: GMOA
According to Dr. Jayantha Bandara, General Secretary of the All Ceylon Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), the COVID-19 vaccination drive in Sri Lanka has become a highly corrupt operation with various interventions. As a result, the GMOA stated that a letter has been sent to Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi urging her to put an end to all political influence that violates the priorities in administering the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Bandara also stated that politicians and high officials are using their powers to vaccinate their relatives and friends outside the priority lists. He also added that all family members of health staff who share the same household should be given priority in the vaccination process as they should be considered as a risk group.
Source:The Nation
May 16, 2021 14:05 UTC
Olympic champion Torah Bright sparks an online debate after breastfeeding her 10-month-old son
By Bryant Hevesi For Daily Mail AustraliaPublished: 10:02 EDT, 16 May 2021 | Updated: 10:24 EDT, 16 May 2021Olympic champion Torah Bright has urged mothers to 'embrace our quirkiness' after a photo of her breastfeeding her 10-month-old son while in a headstand sparked an online debate. The image of her breastfeeding son Flow was part of a series of photos she uploaded alongside the caption 'becoming a mother has unleashed something inside of me'. The breastfeeding photo attracted thousands of comments, including one that read 'now that's a balanced meal'. But Bright was also criticised for her breastfeeding approach, with one commenting 'I'm not saying it's not beautiful. 'Growing up with this as one of my favourite mantras... no wonder I play around with the jobs of motherhood, all in the name of fun,' Bright said.
Source:The Nation
May 16, 2021 14:03 UTC
The best and worst smartphone branding partnerships
The HTC-Beats partnership definitely goes down as one of the biggest smartphone partnerships fails. Superhero SamsungMovies are certainly no strangers to branding partnerships and superhero tie-ins have found a popular home in the smartphone market. OnePlus emblazoned a limited edition OnePlus 6 with the Avengers logo, alongside a custom Iron Man case and one of six medallions. Huawei bundled the limited edition phone with 10,000 digital K dollars to be used in China’s KFC stores. Do you have any particular favorite smartphone partnerships?
Source:The Nation
May 16, 2021 12:56 UTC
Matt Hancock warns British tourists to avoid amber list countries like Spain, Italy and Greece
British holidaymakers planning a desperate bolt for the sun from Monday should avoid countries on the UK's amber list even though they can visit them, Matt Hancock said today. This requires them to quarantine for 14 days at home upon return, but they avoid the expensive hotel quarantine required for people visiting red list states. Speaking to Tom Newton Dunn and Daisy McAndrew on Times Radio today, Mr Hancock said: 'We have a green list where it's okay to go and that's why we've brought the green list in. 'But what I would say is that people should not travel to amber or red list countries unless it's absolutely necessary. And then we have the amber list and the red list for the type of isolation you need to go into when you come home.
Source:The Nation
May 16, 2021 12:02 UTC
Foreign tourists allowed to travel under bio bubble system
Foreign tourists who are currently visiting or planning to visit Sri Lanka will be allowed to travel under the ‘bio bubble’ system while strictly adhering to the health guidelines, the Sri LankaTourist Development Authority (SLTDA) said. Its Director-General Dhammika Wijesinghe stated that the Director-General of Health Services and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) have been informed in this regard. The relevant institutions and stakeholders have been instructed to follow the health guidelines when transporting tourists under the ‘bio bubble’ system, the Director-General said. She also pointed out that stern action will be taken against individuals and institutions that do not follow these regulations.
Source:The Nation
May 16, 2021 12:00 UTC
PlayStation history: From console neophyte to all-conquering veteran
Sony PlayStation consoles have generally been the go-to platform for many gamers since the mid-1990s, with the exception of one or two generations. Sony PlayStation fast factsPlayStation 2: Sony’s greatest console? This wouldn’t be the last time a PlayStation console underwent a controller change during its time on the market.Sony also released a special developer-focused console dubbed the Net Yaroze PlayStation, allowing users to develop their own games. Between the PS2 and PS3 launches, Sony decided to launch the first handheld in PlayStation history with the PlayStation Portable (PSP) back in 2004. And give us your pick for your favorite PlayStation console via the poll.
Source:The Nation
May 16, 2021 11:15 UTC
Coronavirus- 1,102 more recoveries reported in Sri Lanka
May 16, 2021 04:29 pmThe Ministry of Health reports that 1,102 more patients who were being treated for COVID-19 have recovered and have been discharged from hospital within the last 24 hours. This increases the total number of coronavirus recoveries in the country to 118,322. Sri Lanka has so far reported 140,471 positive cases of COVID-19 while presently a total of 21,208 infected patients are being treated at hospitals and treatment centers. The death toll due to the virus has risen to 941.
Source:The Nation
May 16, 2021 10:52 UTC
No legal barrier inhibiting Bathiudeen from attending parliamentary sittings: Speaker
May 16, 2021 by Aazam Ameen No CommentsThe Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene stated today (16) that MP Rishad Bathiudeen may attend parliamentary sittings next week if he seeks to do so. “There is no legal barrier which will inhibit this from taking place,” the Speaker told The Morning. Sergeant-at-Arms Narendra Fernando also confirmed to The Morning that he has requested the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to facilitate the arrival of MP Rishad Bathiudeen at the Parliament next week.
Source:The Nation
May 16, 2021 10:30 UTC
New Maldivian tax law spells trouble for Lankan firms
If this is not changed, Col. Wijeratne fears that Sri Lankan construction companies will have to pack up and shut down their operations in the Maldives. Amza stated that the Sri Lankan High Commission in the Maldives was also advised on how to follow up on the matter on the ground. “The last conversation we had with the Maldivian High Commissioner and the CCI took place virtually around one-and-a-half months ago. Additionally, it was revealed that to date, Sri Lankan construction companies operating in the Maldives have not been asked to pay the WHT. The Morning also tried to reach the Maldivian High Commission in Sri Lanka for comment, but these attempts proved to be futile.
Source:The Nation
May 16, 2021 07:52 UTC
Model, TikTok star, and psychiatrist to be: Nathalie Ranchamarage
My sister and I love thrift shopping. You are also a mental health advocate. What is your opinion on the current status of mental health support in Sri Lanka? I think individuals need to be educated on mental health just like they are educated on physical health, because it is just as important. What would you say to those struggling with their mental health during these times?
Source:The Nation
May 16, 2021 07:30 UTC