Time to get rid of the rag
She garnered many accounts from students about their horrible experiences with ragging, but of course, change never happens without backlash. “They need to be given an idea of why ragging happens and what they should do if it happens,” commented Dayarathna. What a lot of people don’t realise is that ragging is an exploitation of how vulnerable university students have to feel in order to force themselves into getting into the ragging culture. In the last three months that Break the Chain has been operating, they have done some significant campaigns against ragging. Another thing that Dayarathna observed during her years in uni was that some students don’t know they are being ragged.
Source:The Nation
August 25, 2021 18:45 UTC
Magicbit: A new frontier in innovation
Their innovative product, Magicbit, is the result of two years of continuous prototyping and experimentation. Magicbit itselfAnswering the question of what exactly Magicbit is, Amithodana explained that Magicbit is a tiny computer (about the size of your palm) that has been designed by Magicbit to be an accessible tool for people to innovate and create new uses for their technology. Using Magicbit, people can drag and drop different blocks of software and code to develop applications that can create solutions specific to their needs. Prior to going on Kickstarter, Magicbit had already developed a user base of 400 people within Sri Lanka who had tested Magicbit and seen what it could do. Through Kickstarter, over 500 more people have taken a chance on Magicbit, raising over $ 30,000 for Magicbit in sales and capital and allowing them to keep Magicbit going.
Source:The Nation
August 25, 2021 18:45 UTC
Unvaccinated mobile vendors not allowed trading in Colombo
August 26, 2021 12:09 amIt has been decided that only the mobile vendors who have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be permitted to carry out their trade in the Colombo District during the curfew period, District Secretary Pradeep Yasaratne said. He added that mobile vendors who have not taken both doses of the vaccine would be subject to quarantine laws if they engage in trading. District Secretary Yasaratne mentioned this at a press conference held at the Department of Government Information today (August 24).
Source:The Nation
August 25, 2021 18:33 UTC
Plus size influencer gets mocked and shamed at the gym
The influencer turned around to look at the accuser and simply said 'Yes' before the woman aggressively shot back: 'You are? However, the onlooker refused to let Bethy continue to workout in peace, instead wondering: 'For your own documentation or what?' In the second clip she outlined her gratitude but begged her followers to stop the witch-hunt for the woman. Meanwhile, in the comment section for the TikTok of Bethy being laughed at, social media users were quick to offer their support. Many shared what they thought of the woman and highlighted the reasons why Bethy was above her.
Source:The Nation
August 25, 2021 18:00 UTC
Rishad’s alleged threat to go before prison tribunal
BY Buddhika SamaraweeraThe Prisons Department has taken steps to refer the incident where Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Opposition Parliamentarian Rishad Bathiudeen has allegedly made a death threat to a prison hospital doctor on 15 August, to a prison tribunal which will be headed by a magistrate. “A preliminary investigation was carried out under an Assistant Superintendent of Prisons into the allegations of insulting a doctor, making death threats and the obstruction of duty inside the Welikada Magazine Prison. According to the report of that investigation, in accordance with the provisions of the Prisons Ordinance, it was decided to refer the relevant case to a prison tribunal,” he added. Ekanayaka further said that a person who has committed an offence in prison can be brought before a prison tribunal of which the legal proceedings would be conducted by a magistrate. Accordingly, this case is to be referred to such a tribunal to conduct an independent inquiry and to take an independent decision, he noted.
Source:The Nation
August 25, 2021 17:37 UTC
‘No harm in cops airing grievances to clergy’
Jagath Alwis told The Morning yesterday (25) that anyone is free to meet the religious leaders and express their grievances, and added that it should therefore not be seen as an issue by any party. “Police officials are not connected to the terror attacks and they are being held accountable simply because they were on duty. In such a situation, it is not at all acceptable for Police officials to go to religious leaders and try to thereby evade the allegations levelled against them,” he claimed. When queried regarding the statement made by Fernando, Alwis said: “Fernando may have expressed his opinion. “We strongly condemn such statements as it has the intent to push the investigation and legal action with regard to the terror attacks to a racist and religious level.
Source:The Nation
August 25, 2021 17:37 UTC
Realme Narzo 50A renders surface revealing unique back design
On Monday, we got our first set of info for Realme’s upcoming Narzo 50A handset. Now @OnLeaks and 91mobiles are back with the first set of renders for the yet to be released device and the back design is certainly polarizing. Realme Narzo 50A (source: 91mobiles)We can see a spacious rectangular camera cutout with three lenses and an LED flash and a fingerprint scanner below them. Narzo 50A will be a budget offering said to feature a 6.5-inch HD+ display, MediaTek Helio G85 chipset and a 6,000mAh battery with 18W charging. We’ll be on the lookout for more info surrounding the Narzo 50A and will update you accordingly.
Source:The Nation
August 25, 2021 17:03 UTC
Catholic Church alleges attempt to suppress truth about Easter attacks
Commenting on this to The Morning, National Catholic Social Communication Centre Director and Kurana St. Anne’s Church Parish Priest Rev. Cyril Gamini Fernando said that a group had removed several black flags that had been hoisted in the Mattumagala area in Wattala. He charged that the incident indicated an attempt to suppress the truth about the Easter attacks. We asked the Government to expedite the investigations into the terror attacks and to prosecute the perpetrators,” he added. Fernando also said the protest was supported by the Catholic community as well as all other communities.
Source:The Nation
August 25, 2021 17:01 UTC
Doctors form collective after deaths cross 6,000 mark
By Sanjaya NallaperumaDue to the rapidly increasing number of deaths due to Covid-19 complications, doctors have banded together to form the Collective to Prevent Covid-19 Deaths. Collective Member Dr. Udara Sampath Gunawardena, addressing a press conference held in Galle recently, stated the Collective was established after Covid-19 deaths in Sri Lanka crossed the 6,000 mark and it is ready to fully support the President to address this crisis. He added that the Collective has come up with a food supplement called “Mega Parami”, of which a large number of packs have already been distributed among the people for free. Collective Member Chandana Jayalath said that the Army and its Commander must be commended for the rapid vaccination of people. He further said that the “Mega Parami” food supplement has shown great promise, and that he had distributed many packs of the supplement among people.
Source:The Nation
August 25, 2021 17:01 UTC
The Kiwi misstep
As the famous saying goes, “we see what we want to see, and we hear what we want to hear”, the same goes for the current state of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government might point out facts to substantiate their stance that Sri Lanka has succeeded in managing the pandemic, while the Opposition might present reasons to say that Sri Lanka has failed. New Zealand also has the lowest vaccination rate among the 38 members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The criteria we employ to gauge the success of the country’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic are sometimes incomplete. Only then would the world as a whole, ultimately, be able to win this long and grueling war.
Source:The Nation
August 25, 2021 17:01 UTC
Teachers seek audience with Dinesh G.
BY Buddhika SamaraweeraThe teachers’ and principals’ trade unions have emphasised that Minister of Education Dinesh Gunawardena should consult them before making his scheduled observations at the forthcoming cabinet meeting regarding the salary anomaly issue of teachers and principals. He added that the trade unions should be made aware as to how the Government is going to solve their issues. Accordingly, he said that during a discussion held between trade unions yesterday, it was decided that Gunawardena should discuss the matter with the trade unions. Attempts to contact Gunawardena to inquire into his response to the trade unions were not successful. Cabinet Spokesman Alahapperuma recently stated that the Government’s stance on the salary anomaly issue would be announced at the forthcoming cabinet media briefing.
Source:The Nation
August 25, 2021 17:01 UTC
National Environmental Policy before year-end
BY Pamodi WaravitaThe Policy Division of the Ministry of Environment has taken steps to formulate the country’s first National Environmental Policy with the aim of ensuring the country’s environmental policies remain consistent despite regime changes, Environment Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe stated. In a statement to the press, Dr. Jasinghe assured that the National Environmental Policy will be drafted based on multi-party consultations, including with all MPs, environmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), experts, environmentalists, and journalists. “If we formulate a national environmental policy based on the views of all, then no one can oppose that policy. Many allege that environmental damage is caused when obtaining the necessary resources for national development projects as well as in the implementation of development projects. Various incidents in recent years have caused environmentalists to be concerned about the nature of development-related projects, including alleged incidents within the Sinharaja Rainforest.
Source:The Nation
August 25, 2021 17:01 UTC
18 Black-led Horror Movies as Terrifying as 'Candyman'
More importantly, the film helped to remind studios that there does indeed exist an audience for horror movies with Black leads. The history of major horror movies with Black folx in front of and behind the camera has its peaks and valleys, but they’ve always been there. Roughly half of them showcase Black artists in front of and behind the camera, while the others have Black actors at the forefront. Where to stream: Digital rentalCandyman (1992)Actors: Tony Todd, Kasi Lemmons The arrival of Candyman was a key moment in Black horror. This Spiral, rather, sits at the intersection of queer and black horror, two sub-genres with similarly fraught histories.
Source:The Nation
August 25, 2021 16:30 UTC
Over 05 million people in Sri Lanka are fully vaccinated
COLOMBO (News 1st): The number of persons who are fully vaccinated has exceeded 5 million in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, 5,124,185 persons have obtained both doses of the vaccine so far. Moreover, the second dose of AstraZeneca was administered to 665 persons yesterday (18), while the Sinopharm second dose was administered to 95,533 persons. The second dose of Moderna was administered to 27,320 persons as well. The total number of vaccines that have been administered, including the first and second doses adds up to 17,143,378.
Source:The Nation
August 19, 2021 06:33 UTC
Kuwait resumes direct flights to Sri Lanka
COLOMBO (News 1st): The Government of Kuwait said that the country will resume commercial flights with India and Sri Lanka, among other countries, while adhering to the COVID-19 measures set by a ministerial committee. The decision was announced via a cabinet statement. According to the statement, the nation will resume flights with Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Egypt, and Nepal.
Source:The Nation
August 19, 2021 06:22 UTC