Sri Lanka reports highest daily surge of 1,699 new coronavirus cases
May 1, 2021 08:54 pmSri Lanka on Saturday (May 01) hit a record high of 1,699 coronavirus infections as 396 more persons were tested positive for the virus within the day. This marks the highest single-day spike in the country’s infections and it is also the third consecutive day Sri Lanka’s daily cases stayed above 1,500-mark. Daily virus infections in Sri Lanka first crossed the grim milestone of 1,000 on the 27th of April.
Source:The Nation
May 01, 2021 16:06 UTC
Big Lizzie prepares for show of force to China
The HMS Queen Elizabeth - nicknamed 'Big Lizzie' - will travel from the naval base in Hampshire on Saturday ahead of the first deployment of the UK's Carrier Strike Group (CSG) next month. The destroyers HMS Defender and HMS Diamond were photographed departing Portsmouth earlier today, with the Ministry of Defence confirming to MailOnline that 'Big Lizzie' will follow suit later this afternoon. But the Royal Navy will avoid the Taiwan Strait as Big Lizzie sails towards South Korea and Japan in the final leg of the trip to avoid provoking China further. The Royal Navy Astute-class submarine will also be deployed, armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles. Commodore Stephen Moorhouse said: 'This is an amazing capability and pulling that all together with our international partners is a real statement that the Royal Navy is very much in the Premier League.
Source:The Nation
May 01, 2021 15:09 UTC
David Warner is sensationally dropped as captain of his IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad
By Eliza Mcphee For Daily Mail AustraliaPublished: 09:15 EDT, 1 May 2021 | Updated: 10:52 EDT, 1 May 2021Australian cricketer David Warner has been dropped as the captain of his Indian Premier League team as he remains stranded in the Covid-stricken country. The Sunrisers Hyderabad announced the changes on Saturday night and confirmed New Zealander Kane Williamson will be stepping up to replace him. Australian cricketer David Warner (pictured with wife Candice Warner) has been dropped as the captain from his Indian Premier League team the Sunrisers Hyderabad'Sunrisers Hyderabad would like to announce that Kane Williamson will be taking over the captaincy for tomorrow's match and for the remainder of IPL 2021,' the Sunrisers said in a statement. 'This decision has not come lightly as the management respects the enormous impact David Warner has had for the franchise over a number of years. His captaincy stripping comes amid India's worsening Covid-19 crisis with Aussie players including Warner, Steve Smith and Pat Cummins all unable to return home.
Source:The Nation
May 01, 2021 15:00 UTC
Schools will remain closed until May 07 - Online learning continues - Minister of Education
Addressing the media today (01), Minister of Education Prof. G.L Peiris stated that the Ministry of Education has taken the decision to close schools until May 07. The Minister said that this decision was taken considering the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country. He further added that academic activities will be continued online. Moreover, Minister G.L Peiris asserted that educational programs such as e-Thaksalawa and Gurugedara were very useful for school children and that these programs would be continued even after the reopening of schools. He added that the August vacation would have to be shortened to complete the school curriculum.
Source:The Nation
May 01, 2021 14:26 UTC
Brighton vs Leeds - Premier League: Live score, lineups and updates
By Kieran Lynch For MailonlinePublished: 09:00 EDT, 1 May 2021 | Updated: 09:57 EDT, 1 May 2021Brighton are searching for a massive three points in their bid to avoid the Premier League drop as they host Leeds on Saturday. Graham Potter's side sit just above the relegation zone and a victory would pull them ten points clear of 18th-placed Fulham ahead of their match with Chelsea later on Saturday. Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa's men still have an outside chance of qualifying for European football next season to top off a wonderful return to the topflight. Follow Sportsmail's Kieran Lynch for live EPL coverage of Brighton vs Leeds, including scoreline, lineups and build-up.
Source:The Nation
May 01, 2021 14:12 UTC
Jury finds ex-Netflix VP guilty in bribery, kickback scheme
Michael Kail, 49, of Los Gatos, California, is a former Netflix vice president who oversaw the company´s internet technology department. Kail was indicted in 2018 on 19 counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and seven counts of money laundering. In a statement, the the Department of Justice said: 'He used his kickback payments to pay personal expenses and to buy a home in Los Gatos, California in the name of a family trust.' Kail created and controlled a limited liability company, Unix Mercenary LLC, to receive the bribes, fund personal expenses and buy a home in Los Gatos, California, prosecutors said. Kail was indicted in 2018 on 19 counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and seven counts of money laundering.
Source:The Nation
May 01, 2021 14:00 UTC
How to Know Which Insects Are Coming for Your Home and Garden This Summer
Photo: ChinKC (Shutterstock) Photo: ChinKC (Shutterstock)At this point, we know that cicadas will complete their 17-year hibernation period and take over large parts of the United States this spring and summer. To help us navigate the insects coming our way, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has released their bi-annual Bug Barometer. Here are their predictions for the types of bugs coming for homes and gardens in different parts of the country this summer. The 2021 summer insect forecastAccording to a team of entomologists from the NPMA, the warm and wet spring and summer weather predicted for much of the country will likely mean spikes in insect populations nationwide. With much of the country headed towards a hot, rainy spring and summer, disease-transmitting pests like ticks and mosquitoes will be afforded ideal conditions for populations to thrive.
Source:The Nation
May 01, 2021 14:00 UTC
The state of 5G: Hype versus reality two years later
5G networks have been up and running around the world since early 2019, at least in some markets. 5G mmWave: Facts and fictions you should definitely knowDespite its much faster peak speed capabilities, mmWave technology is only available in a comparatively small number of areas. Spotty coverage and a variety of handset capabilities partly explain why some 5G networks have not (yet) lived up to much of the marketing hype. Of course, the problem could be that 5G networks simply aren’t ubiquitous enough yet to make these ideas feasible. At the more affordable end of the market, the Samsung’s Galaxy A32 5G and OnePlus Nord N10 both support 5G speeds for less than $300.
Source:The Nation
May 01, 2021 13:52 UTC
New health regulations to curb Covid-19 spread
With the rapid increase in the number of Covid infections in the country, a new series of health guidelines has been issued under the signature of the Director General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena. According to the new guidelines, opportunities for activities, including public gatherings, have been severely restricted. Instructions issued by the Ministry of Health,On public transportation, trains and buses can only carry passengers according to seating capacity. Other models of taxis can only carry passengers as per seating capacity. Industries, including export-oriented garment factories, must operate within a biological safety bubble, under the supervision of the area health officer.
Source:The Nation
May 01, 2021 13:41 UTC
New COVID guidelines related to public activities issued
The Director-General of Health Services has issued new guidelines pertaining to permitted public activities under ‘Alert Level 3’ amidst the upsurge in virus infections in Sri Lanka. The new guidelines will be in effect from today (May 01) until further notice, the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) said. The guidelines are supported by the previously guidelines and circulars previously issued by the Health Ministry with regard to the relaxation of public activities in response to COVID-19, which include operational details. Health authorities have introduced an ‘Alert Level’ system based on an understanding of public and work settings in Sri Lanka. The new guidelines are as follows:New COVID Guidelines Relate... by Adaderana Online
Source:The Nation
May 01, 2021 13:30 UTC
Bahrain revises entry procedures for inbound passengers from SL
Bahrain’s National Medical Taskforce for Combating Covid-19 announced updated procedures for travellers arriving from Sri Lanka via Bahrain International Airport. Starting from 03 May, all travellers arriving in Bahrain from Sri Lanka, including those in transit who are six years old and above, must present a certificate confirming the result of a negative PCR test containing a QR code within 48 hours of the time of departure from Sri Lanka. Travellers will have to undergo additional PCR tests upon arrival, and on the 5th and 10th day of stay if they intend to reside in Bahrain during that period.
Source:The Nation
May 01, 2021 13:07 UTC
Sri Lanka s economy shrank by 3.6% in 2020 – CBSL
Sri Lanka announced on Friday that its economy shrank by 3.6 per cent last year. The bank also said that central government’s debt also rose to 101 per cent of GDP last year. International rating agencies have expressed fears for Sri Lanka’s ability to service its huge foreign debt as the country’s foreign reserves fell sharply in the past year. The island’s economy was trying to recover from the effects of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 279 people when the pandemic hit in early 2020. Lakshman presented the Annual Report 2020 to PM Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday (April 30).
Source:The Nation
May 01, 2021 06:56 UTC
Travel chaos and rain... it must be a bank holiday!
If the sunny weather has tempted you to make plans to spend this bank holiday weekend in a pub garden or on an outdoor trip, then you may want to think again. It will also be the first weekend when travel to Wales and Scotland for leisure can go ahead, with many staycations expected. Most of England will see a miserable Monday capping off the Bank Holiday weekend, with the north of the country only reaching highs of 10C and the south only 12C. It will be still quite chilly for May - not the hot and sunny Bank Holiday we would hope for. An Avanti West Coast spokesman said: ‘We strongly advise you to travel either side of the bank holiday weekend.'
Source:The Nation
May 01, 2021 06:45 UTC
WHO approves Moderna s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use
The World Health Organization has listed Moderna’s (MRNA.O) COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, the agency said on Friday, the fifth to be given the status meant to expedite countries’ own approval of shots. The WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) already in January had recommended Moderna’s vaccine for all age groups 18 and above. Pfizer (PFN.N) and its German partner BionTech’s (22UAy.DE) shot, also an mRNA vaccine like Moderna’s, was the first vaccine to get a WHO emergency use listing in the final hours of 2020. Since then, the WHO has added vaccines from Astrazeneca-SK Bio, Serum Institute of India and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) vaccines to the list. The Geneva-based health organization is still considering COVID-19 vaccines from Sinopharm (1099.HK) and Sinovac (SVA.O) following an extended review, with decisions due by the end of next week.
Source:The Nation
May 01, 2021 06:33 UTC
First bison hunt at Grand Canyon National Park seeks volunteers to kill HUNDREDS of animals
By Stacy Liberatore For Dailymail.comPublished: 17:43 EDT, 30 April 2021 | Updated: 01:47 EDT, 1 May 2021The National Park Service is holding the first controlled bison hunt inside Grand Canyon National Park that aims to cut the House Rock bison herd by more than half. Scroll down for videoThe National Park Service is holding the first controlled bison hunt inside Grand Canyon National Park that aims to cut the House Rock bison herd by more than a halfThe Grand Canyon National Park says hunters who meet the requirements can apply online in early May. The Grand Canyon bison are descendants of those introduced to northern Arizona in the early 1900s by rancher Charles 'Buffalo' Jones. 'Grazing and wallowing in park meadows, stampeding through dense forests, and occasionally venturing along the rim of the canyon,' the National Park shared in a statement. According to a press release from Grand Canyon National Park, hunters who meet the requirements can apply online in early May.
Source:The Nation
May 01, 2021 06:00 UTC