Colombo Mayoress urges public vigilance on health safety
Colombo Mayoress Rosy Senanayake issued an urgent message to Colombo’s residents and visitors, recommending increased caution regarding the prevailing Covid-19 situation. “I am appealing to you all to be extremely vigilant and cautious in your activities. Sanitise often and maintain social distancing at all timesDo not leave home unless absolutely necessary. It is incumbent on the employer not to create that work environmentShe concluded: “Once again, I appeal to all individuals and business establishments to strictly adhere to the health guidelines that are in place. In fact, I suggest that they use the official guidelines as a base and create their own set of even more stringent guidelines to ensure their safety.”
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 19:18 UTC
Google Pixel 5a leak reveals the largest-ever Pixel battery
TL;DR The Pixel 5a may ship with the biggest battery ever put in a Pixel phone. The phone otherwise appears identical to the Pixel 4a 5G. Few other new details are available, but the back is said to feel somewhat more “rubbery” than the Pixel 4a 5G, which the 5a otherwise closely resembles. Other Pixel 5a rumors have pointed to a dual-lens camera — seen in one of the photos — and a $450 pricetag. It could, however, use the same Snapdragon 765G processor as the Pixel 4a 5G, which would be disappointing for people hoping it could stay more competitive as the Pixel 6 approaches this fall.
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 19:07 UTC
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G in for review
Despite the premium price tag, the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G comes with a single cable and SIM eject tool. Samsung is running a pre-order promotion where you get the phone, a €200 instant discount and a year of Samsung Care+ for free with the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G. What's in the box and what's missingThe Galaxy Z Flip3 5G we have at the office is the Cream color. It's considerably brighter than the Galaxy Z Flip 5G and it's twice as smooth, thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate. Using the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G opened and closedWe'll cover all of the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G's quirks and charms in our full review so stay tuned for that.
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 19:07 UTC
The Single Tumbler
At this very moment, the International Film Festival of South Asia (IFFSA) Toronto is featuring the Tamil language film The Single Tumbler by award-winning Sri Lankan filmmaker Sumathy Sivamohan. The Single Tumbler runs on day five of the festival (today, in SL time) and can be viewed through registration on their website, https://www.iffsavirtual.com/. “I’m really thrilled because The Single Tumbler captures a slice of our history, and it’s not easy for that to translate to a universal issue,” Sivamohan said, adding that while she is a fan of universalising Sri Lankan issues because they lose detail, intimacy, and specificity, The Single Tumbler being part of the IFFSA means that it will reach a wider audience. Set post-war, but not specifically in the present day, The Single Tumbler is about a woman coming back from Canada to visit her family in Mannar after almost 20 years. To watch “The Single Tumbler”, visit https://www.iffsavirtual.com/film/the-single-tumbler/
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 18:56 UTC
Co-Operative Insurance to go public
“Co-Operative Insurance has yet again delivered a strong year of financial performance the past year with revenue (Gross Written Premium) of Rs. Compared to the industry GWP growth, which was (2.24%) during the past year, the company recorded GWP growth of 2%. Co-Operative Insurance also noted that its contribution to increasing insurance penetration in the country has increased during the period in review, with 916,682 policies issued by CICL. Established in 1999 Co-Operative Insurance operates the third largest branch network amongst all local insurance companies today. 1 billion in 2015, an undertaking Co-Operative Insurance led with the creation of its subsidiaries Co-Operative Insurance Company and Co-op Life Insurance – a historic benchmark within the organisation.
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 18:56 UTC
ICTA to raise digital tech awareness in the South
This Southern Province forum is the second of the five regional cluster development programmes planned in the Western Province, Southern Province, Eastern Province, Central Province, and Northern Province. Relevant and timely topics such as the Vision for Digital Sri Lanka, the ICTA strategy in driving digital transformation, digital economy and the role of the Southern cluster, and the way forward in driving digital transformation are among the many other topics planned for discussion. The main objective of the forum is to create awareness about the country’s national digital transformation plan and engage with regional stakeholders to create a conducive environment in the Southern province for digital technology development. Ministry of Technology Secretary Jayatha De Silva, ICTA Chairman Oshada Senanayake, ICTA CEO Mahinda B. Herath, senior representatives from Dialog Axiata PLC, SLT Mobitel (Pvt.) Additionally, senior representatives from the technology industry representing SLASSCOM, FITIS, BCS, CSSL, SLINTECH, and SLIBTECH will be sharing their insights at the forum.
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 18:56 UTC
Basil sets Tourism $ 500 m target
Tourism Ministry Secretary S. Hettiarachchi stated that in order to meet said target, the Ministry, together with the tourism authorities, is planning to implement a number of measures. He noted that the Tourism Ministry is working towards the sustenance of the tourism industry. The Tourism Ministry Secretary noted that the highest number of tourists who come to Sri Lanka are Indian nationals. On the contrary, Hettiarachchi highlighted the possibility that Sri Lanka would be declared a red listed country amidst the rising confirmed cases in Sri Lanka by European and other countries. A number of European and Middle Eastern countries have already red listed Sri Lanka at the moment.
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 18:56 UTC
Nurses to protest for ‘scientific’ lockdown
By Dinitha RathnayakeHealthcare staff attached to the nursing service, who are urging a scientific lockdown in the face of the alarming Covid-19 pandemic situation in the country, are to stage a silent protest tomorrow (18) in selected teaching hospitals. “We urge the Government to go for a scientific lockdown since the B.1.617.2 Delta variant of Indian origin is spreading widely in the country. This includes four deaths from the health sector, while 1,000 nurses and 5,000 health staffers also became Covid-19-positive,” Rathnapriya stressed. “There should be a proper plan, and if there is a lockdown, it should be done in a proper manner. Home quarantine is encouraged by the proposal, where the GNOA believes that this scientific lockdown would be able to find 70% of Covid-19-positive persons in the country, while a second lockdown should be implemented after three days.
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 18:56 UTC
Colombo’s short kerosene shortage ends
The main reason for this was the spread of rumours among the people that there was a shortage of kerosene and that the supply of kerosene to fuel stations had been disrupted on 14 August. As a result, there were long queues at fuel stations to buy kerosene on 15 August as well. Olga said there was a shortage of kerosene in only one area in the Colombo District on 14 and 15 August. At present, there is no shortage of kerosene in the area that was affected either,” she added. However, even though the supply of kerosene was back to normal yesterday, there were long queues at several places in Colombo to buy kerosene, since the supply had been disrupted for two days.
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 18:56 UTC
8 Reasons Your Weight Fluctuates From Day to Day
Your weight isn’t static, but rather something that fluctuates during the course of the day depending on things like what you ate and your daily activity. Ideally, to get a sense of your weight, it’s best to weigh yourself at a standard time, wearing standard clothing. However, given that this is all water weight, cutting back on the salt will result in the scale going back to normal. The average person will lose between 0.8 to 1.4 liters of water weight during an hour-long workout, which equates to about one to three pounds of water weight. This loss is all water weight, which means that you will need to replace the fluid that you’ve lost, or else risk getting dehydrated.
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 18:56 UTC
ZTE’s gigantic Axon 30 will launch globally on Sept. 9
TL;DR The Axon 30 is launching globally on Sept. 9 for $499, €499, or £429. The phone is a less expensive mainstream edition of the Axon 30 Ultra and Pro. ZTE‘s Axon 30 is going on worldwide sale Sept. 9, with prices starting at $499, €499, or £429, depending on the market. The Axon 30 shouldn’t be confused with the Axon 30 Ultra or Pro, both of which are already available. The Axon 30 shipped in ZTE’s native Chinese market earlier in August, excluding Hong Kong and Macao.
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 18:45 UTC
Eight killed at Kabul airport trying to flee the Taliban
Outside the walls of the airport, shots from Taliban fighters rang out. Scroll down for videoA US soldier points his gun towards and bellows at an Afghan civilian at the Kabul airport on Monday. Pictured: Taliban fighters stand guard along a roadside near the Zanbaq Square in Kabul on August 16, 2021. Please do not rush to the airport,' the Kabul airport authority said in a message sent to reporters. Britain has relocated its embassy to Kabul airport from the city.
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 18:00 UTC
Biden RETURNS to DC from his Camp David 'vacation'
President Joe Biden cut his trip to Camp David short and returned to the White House Monday afternoon to deliver remarks on Afghanistan. Biden was originally supposed to stay at Camp David until Wednesday as part of an August vacation. The burden of shame falls on President Joe Biden.' New York Post editorial 'President Biden says he 'inherited' President Trump's withdrawal plans, but that is a lie. The burden of shame falls on President Joe Biden.'
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 18:00 UTC
This week s parliamentary sittings held only for Tuesday
Considering the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic situation in the country, the Committee on Parliamentary Business chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardhane today (August 16) decided to hold this week’s sittings only for tomorrow August (17). Accordingly, Parliament will convene tomorrow at 10.00 am and time will be allotted from 10.00 am to 11.00 am for ‘Questions for Oral Answers’ of the Members of Parliament. Subsequently, from 11.00 am to 4.30 pm Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) (Temporary Provisions) Bill, 02 Orders under the Excise (Special Provisions) Act, 02 Resolutions under the Section 10 of the Customs Ordinance (Chapter 235) will be taken up for debate. Thereafter, time has been allotted for Questions at the Adjournment Time from 4.30 pm to 4.50 pm and Motion at the Adjournment Time moved by the government will be taken up for debate from 4.50 pm to 5.30 pm. Meanwhile, Monday, September 06 was set aside as the next Sitting Day and that day had been allotted for the Questions for Oral Answers at the previous meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business.
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 17:15 UTC
Intel’s plan for new high-performance graphics: everything we know
TL;DR Intel Arc is the newly announced brand name for the Intel’s upcoming high-end graphics chips. Intel Arc GPUs will go up against Nvidia’s GeForce and AMD’s Radeon products. For years Intel has been teasing us with its intentions to compete with Nvidia and AMD in the high-end PC graphics chip business. The first-gen Arc chips will use Intel’s Xe HPG microarchitecture. It even shows footage from the Crysis Remastered Trilogy, answering whether Intel Arc chips can indeed run Crysis (an early PC gaming meme).
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 17:15 UTC