National gender equality policy to be drafted
The Parliament Select Committee (PSC) appointed to report to Parliament its recommendations to ensure gender equity and equality, with special emphasis on looking into gender-based discriminations and violations of women’s rights in Sri Lanka, said that a committee will be appointed to draft a national policy to ensure gender equality in Sri Lanka and to formulate an action plan to implement it. “Chairperson of this PSC, Primary Healthcare, Epidemics, and Covid-19 Disease Control State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, stated that the participation of women in the field of employment and politics is at a minimum. Therefore, Dr. Fernandopulle said that it is necessary to formulate and implement this policy at the draft level. Furthermore, she explained that the views of all parties should be obtained and that all parties should be informed in writing for the purpose of formulating the national policy as soon as possible,” a parliamentary press release noted. Meanwhile, National People’s Power (NPP) Parliamentarian Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has urged that the policy and plan be formulated within modern concepts, outside of the initial traditional framework.
Source:The Nation
September 23, 2021 18:45 UTC
PM briefs govt s allied parties of LNG terminal contract
The party leadership meeting of the Sri Lanka People’s Freedom Alliance was held under the patronage of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees this afternoon (September 23). The LNG terminal is expected to begin operations in 2023. Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, in a statement issued today, expressed his objection to the selling of 40% stakes of the WCP. None of the shareholders involved in selling of the stakes can escape their responsibility for this major mistake, he stressed. Further, Premadasa noted that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) aims to stand against the government’s move.
Source:The Nation
September 23, 2021 18:00 UTC
SPENCER trailer released! Kristen Stewart perfectly portrays tortured Princess Diana
The eagerly-anticipated full-length trailer for Spencer has been released, with Kristen Stewart depicting a tortured Princess Diana as she battles life behind-the-scenes with the Royals. A full trailer for upcoming film Spencer has been released - and sees Kristen Stewart in the role of Princess Diana as she contends with a frosty Queen Elizabeth, navigates a terse marriage to Prince Charles and has desperate chats with her sons. 'Then she's late', the Queen replies, curtly. To which Diana replies: 'They don't!' It comes after Kristen said she believes the spirit of Princess Diana gave her a 'sign-off' for her performance in Spencer.
Source:The Nation
September 23, 2021 18:00 UTC
12 Better Ways to Browse the Internet on Your iPhone
We’re here to fill the gap though—by the time you’re done reading, you’ll know the best Safari extensions available on your iPhone and iPad. Before you get started, be sure to check out how to download and install Safari extensions on iPhone and iPad. Also, be sure to review the permissions page for all Safari extensions by going to Settings > Safari > Extensions, and tapping each extension’s name manually. StopTheMadness has a lot of useful features; you should give it a shot for better browsing. 12 / 13 Add useful features to GitHubAdd useful features to GitHub
Source:The Nation
September 23, 2021 17:03 UTC
Most dermatology algorithms don’t have transparent data
Most algorithms designed to help people identify skin problems don’t let experts see the datasets they were developed with and don’t share information on the skin tone or ethnicity of the patients in those datasets, according to a new review. These types of tools use pictures of skin conditions to teach a system to recognize those same conditions in new images. Of the studies included, 56 claimed to identify those conditions, but only 36 of those met the gold standard. The review included an algorithm from Google, which developed a tool designed to help people identify skin conditions. The limitations don’t mean most dermatology algorithms are useless, wrote Philipp Tschandl, a researcher at the Medical University of Vienna, wrote in an accompanying editorial.
Source:The Nation
September 23, 2021 16:52 UTC
Premier League stars heading to red list nations 'will only face a five-day Covid-19 quarantine'
By Adam Shergold for MailOnlinePublished: 09:56 EDT, 23 September 2021 | Updated: 10:54 EDT, 23 September 2021Premier League players returning from red list countries will reportedly receive special treatment and have their Covid-19 quarantines relaxed under new Government plans. Earlier this month, Premier League clubs refused to release any of their players bound for red list countries because the 10-day hotel quarantine afterwards would keep them out of too many games. African internationals such as Liverpool forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were also prevented from travelling to red list countries. Countries that remain on the UK Government’s Covid red list include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Talks began between DCMS, the Premier League and the Football Association to find a solution for the October and November international games and now those plans have been circulated.
Source:The Nation
September 23, 2021 15:00 UTC
SLIM launches South Asian Journal of Marketing (SAJM): Volume 2
Colombo, 24th September 2021:The SLIM Research Bureau (SRB), the research arm of SLIM, recently launched the first issue of the second volume of the South Asian Journal of Marketing (SAJM) together with the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka and Emerald Publishing, UK. The South Asian Journal of Marketing is the first-ever Emerald Journal established in Sri Lanka in association with Emerald Publishing, UK. Professor Uditha Liyanage was an Honorary Fellow Member of the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM), a past member of the Board of Study at SLIM, a Chartered Marketer and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). This issue is dedicated in his memory with extreme regard and aims at honouring his dedication to the marketing arena. The South Asian Journal of Marketing (SAJM) features an open-access format, which ensures enhanced visibility and global exposure.
Source:The Nation
September 23, 2021 14:48 UTC
Leading Liyo – Roaring for Female Empowerment
Following this objective, the Leading Liyo Development Programme was launched in March, 2021 in collaboration with International Women’s Day. SLIM extended the scope of Leading Liyo through mentoring a batch of corporate females to elevate their managerial skills, leadership development skills and knowledge through a proposed blueprint. Leading Liyo had a positive impact on the women who participated, with many coming forward to express their gratitude and indicating how much the programme had inspired them, as reflected in the following testimonials. It has positively impacted the empowerment of women internally and has encouraged women to come forward to apply for higher positions. Leading Liyo has further created equal respect towards all staff members within the working environment regardless of gender barriers”.
Source:The Nation
September 23, 2021 14:48 UTC
When Is Your Credit Score 'Good Enough'?
Photo: SuperOhMo (Shutterstock)While having a low credit score definitely affects your ability to qualify for loans at reasonable rates, the upper range of your credit score doesn’t really matter as much. Anything above a credit score of 760 doesn’t really matterIt’s easy to obsess over your credit score, but you only really use it when you’re applying for credit, like when you want to finance a house or a new vehicle. But it’s important to keep your credit score in perspective, especially if you already have good credit habits and pay your debts on time. A single late payment can knock your credit down score by 100 pointsYour credit mix determines 10% of your credit score, so various open credit accounts—credit cards, installment loans, and mortgages—can help improve your score.Super-primeborrowers only use. The less you use, the better, as credit utilization accounts for 30% of your credit score.Your credit history—the length of time you’ve had open lines of credit—accounts for 15% of your credit score.
Source:The Nation
September 23, 2021 14:03 UTC
Ronaldo overtakes Messi in riches
Cristiano Ronaldo is back on top of Lionel Messi in terms of yearly income, as his personal portfolio is up and Messi’s down following Barcelona’s cost-cutting at the Camp Nou. Ronaldo is bringing in $125 million this year, $70 million from his Manchester United contract and $55 million more from endorsements and his many businesses. The 36-year-old moves in front of Messi, 34, who makes $5 million more in salary but $20 million less in the other areas after he slashed his salary by moving from Barca to PSG. Neymar is third on the list, getting essentially the same PSG pay packet as Messi and only $20 million from endorsements, with Kylian Mbappe posting $28 million in salary and $15 million elsewhere to give Paris Saint-Germain three of the best-paid players in the world. There’s seventh-place Andres Iniesta, who is being well-compensated by Japanese club Vissel Kobe, and ninth-place Gareth Bale, whose contract continues to haunt Real Madrid’s books.
Source:Sunday Observer
September 23, 2021 12:00 UTC
Free to Flow
Free to Flow Founder Malsha KumaranatungeWhen something as natural as a period puts women in the position of dealing with financial strain, something needs to be done, and this is what spurred Malsha Kumaranatunge into action to form the initiative Free to Flow. What inspired Free to Flow? I was initially going to launch Free to Flow on 3 October, but with Covid-19, quarantine being extended, and factories having difficulty sourcing materials at this time, I postponed it to the end of October. A lot of people wanted to have a gala event to mark the launch of Free to Flow, but I feel that money would be better spent on making more pads for Free to Flow to distribute. What’s the next step for Free to Flow?
Source:The Nation
September 22, 2021 18:45 UTC
Steve Ballmer: ‘Toilets, toilets, toilets’
Since leaving Microsoft, ex-CEO Steve Ballmer has devoted his life to the Los Angeles Clippers, transferring his enthusiastic, often scary keynote energy into pure, sport-oriented hype. What’s replaced Windows “developers, developers, developers” in the heart of the man who’s spending around $1.8 billion to build the new Intuit Dome arena in Inglewood? “I’ve become a real obsessive about toilets,” Ballmer shared at the groundbreaking for the new arena. Ballmer’s new dome sounds like a predictably over-the-top affair. “We’re putting a whole lot more toilets than anyone else in the NBA.”
Source:The Nation
September 22, 2021 18:11 UTC
IT COST US MILLIONS, AFFECTED OUR CREDIBILITY
security agencies, stating that there was a threat on the New Zealand (NZ) team and that threat was direct and imminent on that particular day. We then met with local security agencies and intelligence of Pakistan to ascertain if there was any threat. No travel advisories changedNew Zealand Cricket CEO David WhiteWe gave fans notice to expect two-and-a half to three hours’ delay to get into the ground so that everything could be checked out. Cost us millions of dollarsHad that information been shared we may have been able to enlighten the NZ Govt. This is going to cost us millions of dollars and this has severely affected us from a cricket-credibility perspective and has set us back.
Source:The Nation
September 22, 2021 17:26 UTC
Workhorse suspends delivery, recalls dozens of its flagship electric vans
Ohio-based electric vehicle startup Workhorse is suspending deliveries of its C-1000 electric delivery vans and recalling 41 vehicles that have already been sent to customers, telling regulators the vans need “additional testing and modifications” in order to comply with federal safety standards. It was the latest setback for the company, which recently abandoned its effort to overturn the US Postal Service’s decision to let a different company build the next-generation mail truck. The C-1000 is meant to be Workhorse’s flagship vehicle, with 1,000 cubic feet of cargo space. The company said it was continuing to tinker with the design, even as it finally got the vehicle into production this past quarter following years of struggles. “Importantly, we remain on track to communicate our new, long-term strategic roadmap to enhance our trucks and operational capabilities on our third quarter earnings call.
Source:The Nation
September 22, 2021 17:15 UTC
PSG remain on top despite ‘Messi drama’
Neymar slotted in a penalty after the hour mark to equalise after Lucas Paqueta put Lyon ahead in the game. PSG found the winner in the last minute of injury time through Mauro Icardi. However, there was tension between Lionel Messi and Mauricio Pochettino, when the latter chose to substitute the former. Messi, who was making his home debut, looked frustrated when he was hauled off after 75 minutes having failed to score. The game was level at 1-1 at that stage, but Mauro Icardi popped up with a last-minute winner to earn PSG all three points.
Source:The Nation
September 22, 2021 17:15 UTC