Britain's public figures reflect on their memories of 9/11
'I ran to the newsroom and watched the second plane hit. 'Then my wife came down the stairs with our social secretary, telling us there was a second plane. 'I think once the second plane had hit the towers it was very clear that it was no kind of accident. 'The first plane had gone in and I put the television on and witnessed the second plane going in. 'When I saw the second plane hit, it was almost unbelievable.'
Source:The Nation
September 10, 2021 18:56 UTC
Lulu Hypermarkets - Saudi Arabia host “Sri Lanka product promotion Week”
Lulu Hypermarket chain in Saudi Arabia has launched a product promotional week dedicated to Sri Lankan products. The inauguration of this event was marked at the Lulu Hypermarket in the Riyadh Avenue Mall on 08 September together with officials from the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh and Lulu hyper-markets. The Lulu hypermarket chain is playing a lead role in promoting Sri Lankan products in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf markets. ‘Sri Lanka [email protected]’ is another campaign launched by Lulu Saudi Arabia that hosted a number of similar campaigns in 2020 & early 2021. Parallel to this event, the hypermarket chain will introduce more products from Sri Lanka in their product counters.
Source:The Nation
September 10, 2021 18:33 UTC
China mocks US defeat in Afghanistan
Lijian Zhao, a senior official in the Chinese foreign ministry, mocked the United States in a tweet which has been viewed more than 70,000 times. Lijian Zhao, a senior official in the Chinese foreign ministry, mocked the United States in a tweet which has been viewed more than 70,000 timesZhao said: ''The graveyard of EMPIRES and their WAR MACHINES. Talibans have turned their planes into swings and toys'Lijian Zhao, pictured, is a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry. In the weeks before the US withdrawal, the Afghan Air Force was operating 167 aircraft, including 108 helicopters and 59 aircraft. Many were built in the 1980s and will need constant servicing and parts to make sure they are airworthy, let alone capable of combat.
Source:The Nation
September 10, 2021 18:33 UTC
Will Fortnite return to iOS? Probably not any time soon
The judge did not say that Apple would be required to restore the game, and neither Apple nor Epic have indicated that it’ll return any time soon. If apps want to use another payment system, they can send users outside the app, and Apple can’t stop them from doing so. But there’s some ambiguity on whether a full-on in-app payment alternative has to be approved. Even if Epic caves and makes the changes, Apple still needs to restore Epic’s developer account and approve Fortnite for distribution. So the likely result is this: Fortnite won’t return at a minimum until Apple puts new rules into place.
Source:The Nation
September 10, 2021 18:22 UTC
UNHRC should maintain rigorous scrutiny on Sri Lanka – HRW
The United Nations Human Rights Council should maintain its rigorous scrutiny of Sri Lanka’s worsening human rights situation and press for genuine improvements, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said today. Foreign governments should take firm and coordinated action to press the Sri Lankan government to reverse course, the HRW emphasized. “The European Union should insist that Sri Lanka complies with its human rights obligations to maintain tariff free market access under GSP+, as should the United Kingdom under its similar program. “No one should be in any doubt that Sri Lanka’s human rights situation is deeply alarming and getting worse,” Ganguly said. “UN member states should recognize that the government is sensitive to international pressure, and make the protection of human rights in Sri Lanka their priority.”
Source:The Nation
September 10, 2021 18:22 UTC
SA kick-starts the T20 with a win
September 10, 2021 by Ruwani Fonseka No CommentsSouth Africa launched the T20 league against Sri Lanka with a win. Choosing to bat first after winning the toss earlier today, South Africa were 163/5 in 20 overs. Despite Sri Lanka’s desperate efforts to chase the score, Sri Lanka scored 135/6 with Dinesh Chandimal at 66 not out, and Chamika Karunarathne at 22 not out. The next T20 match is to be played on Sunday (12).
Source:The Nation
September 10, 2021 18:02 UTC
WhatsApp will add support for encrypted message backups
The end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) backups can create a randomly generated 64-digit encryption key for any messages that WhatApp users want to save. Then those encrypted messages can be stored on cloud services like Google Drive or iCloud. Read also: The essential WhatsApp tricks and tips you should know
Source:The Nation
September 10, 2021 16:52 UTC
Sports In Brief: Sri Lanka to leave for World Cup on 3 October
Sri Lanka to leave for World Cup on 3 OctoberSri Lanka will leave for Oman on 3 October for a two-match T20I series, to be played on 7 and 9 October. * Sri Lanka squad for World Cup! Here is the speculated squad for the T20I World Cup from Sri Lanka. Women’s Head Coach is Hashan Tillakaratne and Ravindra Pushpakumara is the Fast Bowling Coach; Lanka de Silva is the Fielding Coach, and Dinuk Hettiarachchi is their Spin Bowling Coach. * Under-19 Residential Training CampA Residential Training Camp will be conducted for 26 Under-19 Sri Lanka cricket players, selected focusing on upcoming inbound tours including the Under-19 Asia Cup and the Under-19 World Cup.
Source:The Nation
September 10, 2021 15:56 UTC
Trade Minister explains CBSL s import restrictions on selected goods
Minister of Trade Dr. Bandula Gunawardana has dismissed recent claims which alleged that the government has imposed a ban on the importation of 623 goods. In a statement issued today (Sep. 10), the minister stated that the Opposition is attempting to the mislead the public through such reports. The minister said the Central Bank’s decision came at a time when flawed foreign exchange management policy of the previous government, the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks and COVID-19 pandemic had driven the country to a foreign exchange crisis. Explaining new import restrictions, Minister Gunawardana noted that an import ban has not been imposed on these 623 goods which include air conditioners, electric fans, refrigerators and freezers, nor has the percentage of tax levied on these items been increased. Hence, there will be no increase in the prices of these goods, he added.
Source:The Nation
September 10, 2021 15:56 UTC
SriLankan crew oppose Kimarli’s “callous” request to remove PPEs
In a recent letter addressed to the Chairperson of Sri Lanka Tourism Kimarli Fernando, The President of the Flight Attendants Union (FAU) Sidath Dedigama has requested to recall the suggestion made by Fernando on the removal of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) worn by flight crew. Furthermore, Dedigama emphasised on the responsibility they have as citizens to ensure the safety and security of the country and not jeopardise the citizens with such promotions of tourism. It is mainly inside an aircraft (where we are frontline staff) that new viruses enter our island nation,” Dedigama said. In conclusion, Dedigama requested Fernando to adhere to the Buddhist values of the nation and teachings of Gautama Buddha’s doctrine of being truthful and genuine in the course of action. This letter was in reply to the suggestion made by Kimarli Fernando, addressed to Dr Asela Gunawardena, Director General of Health Services in regards to the relaxation of PPE regulations for crew members enroute from Russia to Sri Lanka to supposedly promote tourism.
Source:The Nation
September 10, 2021 15:33 UTC
WhatsApp is adding encrypted backups
WhatsApp will let its more than 2 billion users fully encrypt the backups of their messages, the Facebook-owned app announced Friday. The plan, which WhatsApp is detailing in a white paper before rolling out to users on iOS and Android in the coming weeks, is meant to secure the backups WhatsApp users already send to either Google Drive or Apple’s iCloud, making them unreadable without an encryption key. WhatsApp users who opt into encrypted backups will be asked to save a 64-digit encryption key or create a password that is tied to the key. He said the goal of letting people create simpler passwords is to make encrypted backups more accessible. Cathcart said WhatsApp has been working on making encrypted backups a reality for the past couple of years, and that while they are opt-in to start, he hopes, over time, to “have this be the way it works for everyone.”
Source:The Nation
September 10, 2021 15:00 UTC
Suicide Prevention: Helplines That Could Save A Life
We have the ability to save lives and share the gift of life with others. Many people are afraid or ashamed to speak about or seek help for their mental health. They host informative sessions on mental health and share tips from professional psychologists via social media to help you care for your mental health. Hotline: 119IG’s Help Desk: 0112 444 480 / 0112 444 483Police Headquarters: 0112 421 111Child & Women Bureau: 0112 444 444Website:https://www.police.lk/Please be kind. These helplines provide mental and emotional support, evaluate suicide risk, and refer callers to counselling, social and emergency services that can save lives!
Source:The Nation
September 10, 2021 15:00 UTC
Britain threatens drone strikes on terrorists in Afghanistan
The UK's 20-year military deployment in Afghanistan concluded at the end of last month with the final RAF evacuation flight. The Protector is first British military drone permitted to fly in airspace used by commercial aircraftThe Taliban has insisted it will not allow Afghanistan to become a base for terror groups again. Pictured, fighters on patrol in Kabul this weekThe Protector is first British military drone permitted to fly in airspace used by commercial aircraft. The Protector can fly a maximum of 5,000 nautical miles for up to 40 hours without carrying weapons - nearly three times longer than the slower Reaper. Mr Wallace played down fears of an immediate surge in terrorism coming from Afghanistan.
Source:The Nation
September 10, 2021 11:03 UTC
Daily Authority: Carbon capture dreaming 🎵
The Orca plant opened on Wednesday, and is capable of capturing 4,000 metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere every year. Currently, Climeworks estimates that each metric ton of CO2 costs $600-800 to capture. Compared to that, costs look a lot more reasonable. Plus, this is an emergent technology, and costs can be expected to go down dramatically over time. TheInternational Energy Agencyestimates that by 2050 we will need to be pulling one billion tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere every year.
Source:The Nation
September 10, 2021 11:03 UTC
Netflix releases trailer for controversial 'Diana' the musical
Netflix have released its first trailer for the controversial musical, named 'Diana: A New Musical', which features a fictitious scene where the Queen labels her a 'tart'. Meanwhile another shot shows Diana triumphantly looking out into the audience while wearing her famous black revenge dress in 1994. Ken Wharfe, 72, Diana's former bodyguard, The Sun: 'The Diana musical, soon to be premiered on Netflix, presents a huge dilemma to them both. Controversial lines in the musical 'Diana' The musical features a number of controversial lines including one in which the Queen says to Diana: 'She's going out dressed up like a tart'. Kristen perfectly embodied Princess Diana in the latest glimpse of the royal biopic Spencer, released on Wednesday.
Source:The Nation
September 10, 2021 10:52 UTC