360 persons in railway service infected with COVID-19
COLOMBO (News 1st): General Manager of Railways Dhammika Jayasundara says that 360 persons in the Railway Department have been infected with COVID-19. He further said that three railway workers who were infected with COVID-19 passed away. Moreover, the Department of Railways has decided to operate 82 train services in between the Provinces today (19). The General Manager of Railways also mentioned that 10 railway stations have been temporarily closed due to the staff, including the station masters being infected with COVID-19.
Source:The Nation
August 19, 2021 05:26 UTC
Single dose of Sputnik vaccine reports 88.7% efficacy: Dr. Jeewandara
COLOMBO (News 1st): Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, the head of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology at Sri Jayewardenepura University, University of Sri Jayewardenepura says that one dose of the Russian-made Sputnik vaccine has recorded very good efficacy levels. This conclusion was reached during a study of persons who received only one dose of the Russian-manufactured Sputnik vaccine. According to a study of 327 people who received only one dose of the Sputnik vaccine, 88.7 percent were found to have developed immunity against COVID-19. According to a report released by the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, the first dose of Sputnik was found to have developed an immunity of 82.6% in people over 60 years of age. The research team included Dr. Nilika Malavige, Professor, Department of Allergy, Immunology and Cell Biology, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, Professors Graham Ogg and Alan Townsend of the Oxford University.
Source:The Nation
August 19, 2021 05:26 UTC
New procedure to triage COVID patients in WP for hospitalization
August 19, 2021 09:27 amA new procedure has been introduced on triaging the virus-infected patients in the Western Province for hospitalization or home-based care. The National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) stated that the procedure will be implemented from today (August 19). Accordingly, those who tested positive for novel coronavirus in Western Province and are undergoing treatment at home are urged to send a text message informing their current health status to the hotline 1904.
Source:The Nation
August 19, 2021 03:56 UTC
CBSL tightens its Monetary Policy Stance – Increases SDFR & SLFR
COLOMBO (News 1st); The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, at its meeting held on 18 August 2021, decided to increase the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank by 50 basis points each, to 5.00 per cent and 6.00 per cent, respectively. In addition, the Monetary Board decided to increase the Statutory Reserve Ratio (SRR) applicable on all rupee deposit liabilities of licensed commercial banks (LCBs) by 2.0 percentage points to 4.00 per cent, with effect from the reserve maintenance period commencing on 01 September 2021. These decisions were made with a view to addressing the imbalances on the external sector of the economy and to preempt the buildup of any excessive inflationary pressures over the medium term, amidst improved growth prospects. FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
Source:The Nation
August 19, 2021 03:00 UTC
WhatsApp is working on messages disappearing after 90 days
Last November, WhatsApp introduced messages that disappear after 7 days. A couple of months ago it also started work on "view once" messages, that are gone forever after you viewed them once, as the name handily implies. Now it turns out that WhatsApp is also going to add another option for message expiry, and that's 90 days. So whenever all of these features make it out of beta, you'll be presented with a menu similar to the one you can see in the screenshot below, where you'll be able to pick between "Off" (so messages never disappear), or choose to have your chats disappear after 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days. That's a lot of flexibility, but the "90 days" option has only now made it to the WhatsApp Android beta (spotted in the latest version, 2.21.9.6).
Source:The Nation
August 18, 2021 23:48 UTC
Only 5% of children's yoghurts contain 'healthy' sugar levels
Just one in 20 yoghurts aimed at children have healthy levels of sugar, campaigners have warned. Healthy eating experts say claims about calcium and vitamin D levels on sugar-laden yoghurts 'distract parents from scrutinising nutrition labels'. And they want a 'complete ban' on using child-friendly packaging on yoghurts which have medium or high sugar levels. Meanwhile, just five options had healthy sugar levels — defined as fewer than 5g per every 100g. 'Ideally we want children to get used to the taste of lower sugar yogurts in their early years.
Source:The Nation
August 18, 2021 23:03 UTC
Paralympics dream of ‘first Afghan woman’ shattered!
But her dream has been shattered amid her country’s ongoing volatile situation, the international media said Tuesday (17). The Afghanistan Paralympic Committee’s London-based Chef de Mission Arian Sadiqi had told Reuters on Monday (16) that the country’s two athletes, including Khudadadi, would not be able to attend the Games. Two taekwondo playersAfghanistan was due to be represented by two taekwondo players at the Tokyo Paralympics, where the sport is making its Games’ debut. Airports closed“Regrettably NPC (National Paralympics Committee) of Afghanistan will no longer participate in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games,” an International Paralympic Committee (IPC) spokesperson had said. Afghanistan sent one athlete to the Rio 2016 Paralympics and had appeared at each of the last four Summer Paralympic Games.
Source:The Nation
August 18, 2021 21:56 UTC
How to Get Rid of Grass Stains
Here’s how to get rid of stubborn grass stains for good. Soak your clothes to remove grass stainsIdeally, you want to treat the stain as soon as possible. How to keep grass stains from getting worseOnce you’ve spot treated or soaked the area, it’s important to not rub the stain in. Scrubbing regular dirt off of clothing may be effective, but rubbing stains like grass will only dig the particles and chlorophyll into the fabric even deeper. G/O Media may get a commissionHow to wash your clothes to get rid of grass stainsDetergent with enzymes is perfect for breaking down organic material.
Source:The Nation
August 18, 2021 20:37 UTC
Shammi Silva, Dharmadasa intervene to sort out player-contract dispute
As a result, SLC has agreed to offer contracts to 21 players for five months from August on a tour-by-tour basis. Reassessment of players and new player categorisation will be made again in December before the two parties enter an agreement for contracts for the next year. “The undue intervention of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC, under Aravinda de Silva) by formulating a new player assessment scheme and payment structure created a messy situation. Both the President and the Vice President had to do a lot of talking with the senior players to sort out the issues amicably and come to this solution,” a senior SLC official told the Morning Sports on Monday. Avishka Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, and Asitha Fernando have allegedly been added to the new list owing to their improved performance in the recent series.
Source:The Nation
August 18, 2021 19:41 UTC
Central Bank to intervene in LCB forex rate fiasco
Despite the rate that has been provided by the CBSL, Hatton National Bank (HNB) indicated the buying rate as Rs. 205.03 and the selling rate Rs. 203 and the selling rate Rs. 203.75 and selling rate Rs. Accordingly, it has been observed that the US dollar rate spike has sparked confusion among importers and exporters alike.
Source:The Nation
August 18, 2021 18:56 UTC
Commemorating the victims of religious violence
The webinar will be held on 22 August to address intolerance, discrimination, and violence against persons based on religion or belief. The panellists will seek to explore the past, present, and future of the freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka. Saroor will be focusing on the Muslim community, “particularly on the Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiments in the country and the challenges the Muslim community faces right now”. She explained that Covid-19 has also paved way for the majoritarian community to hate on the Muslim community. “To date, the Muslim community has not got over it.
Source:The Nation
August 18, 2021 18:56 UTC
Among Us creators say Fortnite’s “Impostors” mode is wholesale copying
TL;DR Members of Innersloth say Fortnite’s “Impostors” mode is almost a direct copy of Among Us. A new, temporary “Impostors” mode in Epic Games’ Fortnite is causing frustration among the developers of Among Us, Innersloth, who argue that it’s an uninventive copy of their own social deduction game. 😕Programmer Gary Porter accused Epic of copying Among Us’ most famous map, Skeld, simply flipping around a few elements to make it different. Innersloth co-founder Marcus Bromander echoed Tran by suggesting that Epic should’ve “put 10% more effort” into its spin on the gameplay model. Is it fair to copy a game to this level or was Epic out of line?
Source:The Nation
August 18, 2021 18:56 UTC
ICC MEN’S T20 WORLD CUP 2021 – SCHEDULE
PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS & FACTSSri Lanka won the T20 World Cup in 2014 beating India in the final# This year’s International Cricket Council (ICC) Twenty20 (T20) World Cup will be held from 17 October to 14 November in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman with the participation of 16 countries. There will be a total number of 45 matches# The previous champions are India (Year 2007 / Hosts South Africa / Runner-up Pakistan), Pakistan (Year 2009 / Hosts England / Runner-up Sri Lanka), England (Year 2010 / Hosts West Indies / Runner-up Australia), West Indies (Year 2012 / Hosts Sri Lanka / Runner-up Sri Lanka), Sri Lanka (Year 2014 / Hosts Bangladesh / Runner-up India), West Indies (Year 2016 / Hosts India / Runner-up England)# The event has generally been held every two years# In May 2016, the ICC put forward the idea of having a tournament in 2018, with South Africa being the possible host# But at the conclusion of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, the ICC dropped the idea of the 2018 edition# The seventh edition of the ICC T20 World Cup was to be held in Australia last year (2020) but was postponed till 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic# Now in next year (2022), the eighth edition of the T20 World Cup is scheduled to be hosted by Australia# The idea of having the tournament in 2021, after a lapse of five year, emerged last year with the hosts being India# However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic in India, the matches were later relocated to the UAE and Oman# The tournament will now be played at four venues in the Middle East – Dubai International Stadium in Dubai, Oman Cricket Academy in Muscat, Oman, Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah, and Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi# Hosts India and seven other top teams in the MRF Tyres-sponsored ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings as of 31 December 2018 got direct entries# The top eight in those rankings were placed directly in the Super 12s and the next two – Sri Lanka and Bangladesh – are to join six other teams coming through a Qualifier event in the group stage# Two teams each from the group stage, consisting of four teams each, will join the eight direct entrants to complete the Super 12s line-up# If Sri Lanka and Bangladesh qualify from the first round, they will retain the seedings of A1 and B1 respectively for the Super 12s# The top two teams from each group of six, from the Super 12s, will make the knockouts or semi-finals, the match-ups being – A1 v B2 and B2 v A1Sri Lanka before the 2012 final in Colombo where they lost the second back-to-back T20 World Cup final, this time against West IndiesHIGHLIGHTS# Australia will open their campaign in the T20 World Cup 2021 against South Africa in the first game of the Super 12 stage at the Abu Dhabi Stadium on Saturday, 23 October# Australia, who have won the ICC Men’s Cricket (50-over) World Cup five times out of 12, but are yet to win a T20 World Cup title, are grouped with England, South Africa, and the West Indies along with two yet-to-be-determined qualifiers this time# Australia will play archrivals England on Saturday, 30 October at the Dubai International Stadium followed by West Indies on 6 November at the Abu Dhabi International Stadium# In the third edition of the tournament held in 2010, England defeated Australia in the final in Barbados, winning their first ICC global event# Australia last played England in the T20I format almost 12 months ago, losing a three-game series 2-1 in the UK# The two teams have met each other on 20 occasions before, since June 2005# England have won eight times whilst Australia won on 10 times. One match was abandoned and another one ended without a result, both in 2009# India will take on their archrivals Pakistan on Sunday, 24 October in Dubai# The two countries last met each other in March 2016 in Kolkata, when India won by six wickets# The two teams have met so far on eight times, with India winning on six times and Pakistan only once, with their first meeting in T20Is in 2007 ending in a tie# Abu Dhabi will be the venue of the first semi-final on Wednesday, 10 November while the other semi-final will be on Thursday, 11 November# All day-matches are scheduled for 2 p.m. local time or 3.30 p.m. Sri Lanka Time (Middle East Time is minus one-and-half hours of Sri Lanka Time) and the day-night matches are slated for 6 p.m. local time, or 7.30 p.m. Sri Lanka Time# The grand finals of the tournament will be played at the Dubai International Stadium at 6 p.m. local time, or 7.30 p.m. Sri Lanka Time, on Sunday, 14 November 2021THE GROUPINGS:Round 1Group A: Sri Lanka, Ireland, the Netherlands, and NamibiaGroup B: Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, and Oman(Top two teams from each group advance to Super 12s)Super 12sGroup 1: England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, A1 and B2. Group 2: India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan, A2 and B1. (Top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals)COMPLETE SCHEDULE:Round 1(All times in Sri Lanka Time)* Sunday, 17 Oct: Oman v Papua Ne
Source:The Nation
August 18, 2021 18:56 UTC
A perfect pair!
By Venessa AnthonyPaired, a social media-based handmade shoe business, has given new meaning to comfort. The founder has always been a massive footwear fanatic, so she had always been interested in the latest trends. Quality, comfort, and style are three things Paired doesn’t compromise on. All of the footwear in Paired are handmade with love and handcrafted to detail. Additionally, she also sees to it that their staff is treated well and fairly, thus ensuring that they do want to put in their hard work into a perfect product.
Source:The Nation
August 18, 2021 18:56 UTC
Central Bank denies rupee devaluation claims
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) yesterday (18) noted that it has observed messages being circulated, that claimed licensed banks have been officially asked to devalue the Sri Lankan rupee with immediate effect. “The general public is hereby informed that there is no basis whatsoever for such claims, and the CBSL has not made any change to its stance or the operational arrangements on the determination of the exchange rate,” a statement released by the CBSL said. The public is also advised not to rely on false and misleading information that is being circulated through social and conventional media, and any official statement issued by the CBSL will be made by the Governor, Deputy Governor, or any other authorised official of the CBSL, identified by name and designation, the Central Bank statement further noted.
Source:The Nation
August 18, 2021 18:33 UTC