The Taliban has defeated, co-opted or sent Afghan security forces fleeing from wide swaths of the country, even though they had some air support from the U.S. military. Taliban negotiators headed to the presidential palace Sunday to discuss the transfer, said an Afghan official who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. At Kabul International Airport, Afghan forces abandoned the field to Western militaries, said a pilot who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters. The militants also took Maidan Shar, the capital of Maidan Wardak, on Sunday, Afghan lawmaker Hamida Akbari and the Taliban said. Later, Afghan forces at Bagram air base, home to a prison housing 5,000 inmates, surrendered to the Taliban, according to Bagram district chief Darwaish Raufi.

By Monica Greep For MailonlinePublished: 05:56 EDT, 15 August 2021 | Updated: 05:56 EDT, 15 August 2021Supermodel Lily Cole has come out as 'queer' as she said she wants to break the 'rigid' boundaries of sexuality. Cole - who was signed by Storm model agency in 2003 -welcomed her first child with Ferreira in 2015. Cole opened up about her sexuality in her new book, referring to 'my queerness' and stating that 'none of us choose the cultural norms and laws we inherit'. Cole is pictured in 2016Describing how she would bring her daughter up to be fearless, she said: 'Definitely. Lily pursued a modelling career as a teenager, landing her first British Vogue cover at the age of 16.

The government is prepared to lockdown the country if doctors recommend doing so, State Minister of Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana says. The State Minister, speaking to the media in Anuradhapura, pointed out that the government makes all decisions based on the advice of medical experts. However, doctors have not yet recommended that the country should be shut down to control the COVID-19 epidemic, he added. If we receive official advice and recommendations from the health sector to lockdown the country, we will not hesitate to implement it. “State Minister Prof. Jayasumana further stated that the people should impose self-travel restrictions in the face of the pandemic.

Two Public Health Inspectors attached to the Dickwella MOH office have been assaulted while carrying out their duties. Police spokesman Senior DIG Ajith Rohana notes that the two PHIs had visited a location where a Covid death had occurred. However, they were obstructed and assaulted by two people. Senior DIG Rohana also stated that several accounts of hostilities towards PHIs have been observed in the past. Accordingly, Sri Lanka Police is to take stern action against such perpetrators.

A hotel on Mallorca that left me spellbound. I knew the biggest island of the Balearic archipelago could throw a party, but I didn't realise it could enchant. Not, that is, until we rolled into the grand courtyard of Zoetry Mallorca, a stunning step-back-in-time country estate hotel that mesmerises with tranquil courtyards, charming service, a pool or two and luxurious, serene bedrooms. Lads on tour, move along to Magaluf, which lies about 50km (31 miles) to the west, the other side of the capital, Palma. Zoetry Mallorca, pictured, is a stunning step-back-in-time country estate hotelThe hotel 'mesmerises with tranquil courtyards, charming service, a pool or two and luxurious, serene bedrooms', says Ted.

Attorney at Law (AAL) Upul Kumarapperuma has written to the President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka over an alleged threat to the life of his client, the recently arrested Ex-Air Force officer Keerthi Rathanayake. It also noted that he would be accompanied by an officer attached to the High Commission. “However at one point my client was arrested by the officers attached to the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) and he was brought there. Thereafter Mr. Amila Egodamahawatta AAL visited the CCD upon my instructions and met my client in the presence of the OIC and several other officers of the CCD,” Kumarapperuma details. “In the aforesaid circumstances, I humbly request you to intervene in this matter and inform the relevant authorities to safeguard his life,” Kumarapperuma urged the President of the BASL.

Whatever the causes, the consequences of filming bad horror movies plagued by even worse production problems can provide unintended entertainment, albeit probably not for those who were directly involved in the filmmaking. Let’s go backstage to see how directors, actors, and film crews have dealt with the production problems that plagued their low-budget films. 10 Beast from Haunted CaveTrailer – Beast From Haunted Cave (1959)The title of Beast from Haunted Cave announces the 1959 movie’s premise. One of the movie’s production problems resulted from mixed signals, as the movie’s screenwriter, Charles B. Griffith, who also directed the filming of the undersea scenes, explained in an interview with Aaron W. Graham. 3 Plan 9 from Outer SpacePlan 9 from Outer Space Ed Wood (full movie)The resourcefulness of “B” horror movie production crews is also demonstrated by Ed Wood’s 1957 cult classic Plan 9 from Outer Space.

August 15, 2021 11:15 amThe blood reserves at the National Blood Transfusion Service have reportedly depleted due to the COVID-19 epidemic. At the present, there is a daily requirement of 950 to 1000 units of blood, according to the Director of the National Blood Center Dr. Lakshman Edirisinghe. The National Blood Center requests blood donors to donate blood as it is difficult to obtain the required amount on a daily basis. Willing donors can make an appointment by calling 011-5 332 153 or 011-5 332 154 to visit any blood transfusion center on the island, Dr. Edirisinghe said.

Do you have any favourite animals? I draw a lot of animals and I like to draw prehistoric animals the most. Were these prehistoric animals similar to the animals we see in the movie series Ice Age? But they haven’t been found in Sri Lanka because Sri Lanka is not very sandy and sandy spots are the best places to dig up. I’m sure there have been prehistoric animals here in Sri Lanka.

Those in support of this view Mr Premadasa as a weak opposition leader. While they offer no proof of how he has floundered, they claim that Ranil Wickremesinghe is more suitable for the post than Mr Premadasa. Sri Lanka’s liberals have, for the most, never been able to distinguish between different kinds of political formations. If Sinhala ultra-nationalists are stuck in 2009, somewhere in Nandikadal, Sri Lanka’s (classical) liberals are stuck in 1973, somewhere in Santiago. It tells us a lot about the depths academic standards have been lowered to that Sri Lanka’s nationalist and liberal circles remain intellectually obdurate and politically untenable.

by Emme HaddonNootropics, from Greek, meaning “mind-turning”, promote both brain function and brain health, protecting against cognitive decline, whilst boosting mental and physical performance. Often referred to as ‘smart drugs’, they can either be synthetic or natural herbal extracts which improve concentration, memory, motivation, attention and promote creativity. Bacopa is known to improve spatial learning, the ability to process information, the ability to retain information, the speed of processing of visual information, memory, learning rate and attention. Bacopa, known as lunuwila in Sinhala, is a perennial creeping herb that grows in damp soils and marshes in Sri Lanka, India and many other warm, tropical parts of the world. The bacopa market size was valued at $315 million in 2019, and is forecast to reach USD 1.08 billion by 2028.

It follows an admission by the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) origins study that Patient Zero may have been linked to research or sample collection by Wuhan scientists – as suggested by the US State Department in January. ‘We need an open investigation into the cause of the Covid outbreak to prevent a repeat of the disaster of these past two years,’ said Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Commons foreign affair select committee. ‘We haven’t even started to learn the truth.’He added that the Communist regime was trying to control and frustrate inquiries. ‘Even famous scientists are afraid of Beijing’s dictators and feel they have to cover up the failures of the state,’ he added. The Mail on Sunday has led the way exposing China’s cover-up over the pandemic outbreak with a series of global scoops.

by Randima AttygalleSri Lanka could soon face a health crisis of unprecedented proportions, showing a rapid increase in daily reported number of cases and deaths, point out WHO experts. The joint study also projects that ICU admission will peak around 275 by early October with around 30,000 cumulative deaths by January, 2022. ‘Sri Lanka will avert about 18,000 deaths by January, 2022 ‘if the level of stringency is immediately increased similar to May 2021 for four weeks,’ the report recommends. This time frame will enable accelerated vaccination and achieve a level of protection following the second dose, the WHO experts recommend. Moreover, it will also give time for the health system to recover from the overwhelming case load, they note.

by Randima AttygalleSri Lanka could soon face a health crisis of unprecedented proportions, showing a rapid increase in daily reported number of cases and deaths, point out WHO experts. The joint study also projects that ICU admission will peak around 275 by early October with around 30,000 cumulative deaths by January, 2022. ‘Sri Lanka will avert about 18,000 deaths by January, 2022 ‘if the level of stringency is immediately increased similar to May 2021 for four weeks,’ the report recommends. This time frame will enable accelerated vaccination and achieve a level of protection following the second dose, the WHO experts recommend. Moreover, it will also give time for the health system to recover from the overwhelming case load, they note.

21.54 million a year earlier and it paid shareholders a dividend of 35 cents a share against eight cents the previous year. “Last year’s output was the lowest since 276.86 million kilos (produced) in in 1997,” he said. Perera noted that over the last seven years, Sri Lanka’s tea production has been steadily declining and with total production almost 60 million kilos behind 2014. The low grown segment was the biggest loser with a 40 million kilo loss in this period. The smallholder dominated low grown teas – accounting for nearly 75% of the green leaf harvest – is the most productive elevationally, strongly outpacing both high and mid-grown teas.