English may miss out on new drug for bladder cancer
A drug that can give terminal bladder cancer patients months more good quality life is being prescribed on the NHS in Scotland but not England. In May, the body issued draft guidance saying it would not recommend avelumab – also known under brand name Bavencio – for advanced bladder cancer patients as it wasn't deemed cost effective. About 10,000 Britons are diagnosed with bladder cancer each year – roughly 28 a day. Prof Birtle said: 'Advanced bladder cancer often causes pain, difficulties urinating and serious kidney problems, meaning patients can feel very unwell. Merck and Pfizer have now submitted an appeal to NICE to try to ensure UK patients have equitable access to it, which is backed by Fight Bladder Cancer and Action Bladder Cancer UK.
Source:The Nation
August 14, 2021 21:00 UTC
Domestic extremist chatter online is similar to just before Jan.6 DHS chief says
Cohen said that the calls for violence online did not revolve around a specific date. Online threats have also been 'also exacerbated by impacts of the ongoing global pandemic,' according to the DHS bulletin. 'There are also continued, non-specific calls for violence on multiple online platforms associated with DVE ideologies or conspiracy theories on perceived election fraud and alleged reinstatement.' Like the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, these threats are being circulated, amplified and tracked online. Following the attack on the US Capitol, many social media platforms announced crackdowns on the spread of baseless or false information, a decision sparked by the flood of false information regarding the election and the pandemic.
Source:The Nation
August 14, 2021 19:00 UTC
The fine art of playing office politics
The first rule of the game of office politics is simply to avoid it, for as long as you can. As you go up the corporate ladder and you change companies, you will see the game of office politics rearing its ugly head. If you got this crown by playing this game of office politics and not by your capabilities and talent, are you safe in your role? I have spoken to many people and learnt from them about the prevalence of office politics in companies in Sri Lanka. What I have tried to do is give some very broad guidelines on what one can do whilst explaining the concept of office politics.
Source:The Nation
August 14, 2021 19:00 UTC
Hell-bent on progression, but struggling to stay afloat
The subject of milk powder too has taken precedence due to a shortage being experienced in the market. Supermarket shelves are devoid of the usual milk powder brands, while wholesale shops allow just one milk powder packet per bill. At present, the price of one kilogramme of milk powder is a little less that Rs. In large, middle, to lower-income households, milk powder is considered a necessity while fresh milk is considered a luxury good. This has been the case for quite a long time, resulting in the majority of the consumers being dependent on imported milk powder as opposed to domestically sourced fresh milk.
Source:The Nation
August 14, 2021 18:56 UTC
IoT is the new definition of connectivity
Harvard Business Review recently did an open-source analysis of IoT user behaviour, looking at 1,000 IoT technology platforms and services and more than 279,000 early adopter interactions with IoT devices. People using IoT increasingly prefer more natural interfaces, less visible and attention-sapping than screens. People strive to be safe and secure above all, and for this purpose, IoT provides many solutions to curb our insecurities. IoT provides services that optimise our machines. People like IoT services that automatically do what they would otherwise have to do manually.
Source:The Nation
August 14, 2021 18:56 UTC
SL-B’desh customs corporation deal soon
All attempts to contact Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardana for further clarification proved futile at the time of going to print. As per the information revealed by the Cabinet, the agreement will foster mutual co-operation and administrative assistance on customs activities between both the countries. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is also expected to sign the proposed Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with Bangladesh by early 2022. According to local reports, the bilateral discussions involved a variety of sectors including agriculture, trade, defence, investment, maritime connectivity, education, health, and tourism, among others. Becoming a sovereign nation in 1971, Bangladesh established formal diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka the following year.
Source:The Nation
August 14, 2021 18:56 UTC
Transforming Sri Lanka into a start-up nation
By Prajeeth BalasubramaniamPost Covid-19, Sri Lanka will be in an ideal position for a major pivot away from its old safety net of traditional investments. And with the correct mix fueling its start-up sector, Sri Lanka may not be too far behind its northern neighbour. “We recouped around 30% of our fund from just that one exit alone, so the start-up sector in Sri Lanka is undoubtedly ripe for huge rewards. Another key point of interest is that Sri Lanka in many ways is a largely untapped marketplace. Young Sri Lankan talent too is keen on returning to the country, and this brain gain has led to many successful start-ups in Sri Lanka being founded by returnees.
Source:The Nation
August 14, 2021 18:56 UTC
An alternative for Light Railway Transit
By Imesh RanasingheThe Western Region Light Railway Transit (LRT) is a public-private partnership (PPP) project adopted by the Government of Sri Lanka to address the increasing traffic congestion in the Colombo metropolitan region. However, with the termination of the Japanese-funded LRT project and the current economic crisis faced by Sri Lanka, the dream for a LRT remains impossible. In 2016, the former Government under President Maithripala Sirisena requested financing assistance from Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) for the LRT project. According to the Transport Development Project Report, 3,350,991 passengers in 888,215 vehicles travelled to the Colombo metropolitan region in 2019. Costs and benefitsConsidering the cost of the LRT project, this proposed plan will only take about 2% of that entire cost.
Source:The Nation
August 14, 2021 18:56 UTC
Fresh bans in CEA bucket list
Speaking to us, CEA Director General P.B. “Once the list is approved by the Minister, it will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval of finalising the list. We will have to give a grace period to stakeholders involved; however, it will be hopefully implemented by January 2022,” Jayasinghe explained. Strict action will be taken on violators who are caught manufacturing and selling the banned items,” Jayasinghe added. The Ministry of Environment took the decision to impose a ban on single-use plastics and gazetted it on 31 March 2021, with the ban coming into effect from 1 April 2021, according to the CEA.
Source:The Nation
August 14, 2021 18:56 UTC
Hundreds of anti-vaxxer protestors march through London
A huge anti vaccine passports march took over central London today as demonstrators waved large placards protesting against the documentation. Meanwhile hundreds descended on Glasgow City Centre for a Scottish independence march that was hijacked by anti-vaxxers. Pictured: London todayHundreds had earlier turned out for a Scottish independence demonstration with Saltire and Yes flags streamed across George Square. Pictured: London todayIt comes as Piers Corbyn took a weekend off protesting in London and headed to Scotland where he marched on Glasgow city centre. Pictured: London todayIt claims to report on 'Natural Rights, Civil Liberties, Police Abuses and Government Criminality' and live streamed the march online.
Source:The Nation
August 14, 2021 18:22 UTC
Joe Root hits brilliant century as he lifts England yet again against India
By Rory Dollard, Pa Cricket CorrespondentPublished: 08:41 EDT, 14 August 2021 | Updated: 13:55 EDT, 14 August 2021England captain Joe Root reeled off his fifth Test century of the year as he once again carried his side's batting hopes against India at Lord's. Bairstow was bounced out by Mohammed Siraj for 57 in the afternoon but Root ploughed on as he continued his single-handed mission to drag English batting to a higher plane. Neither batsman allowed India to settle into a groove outside off, with a reliable stream of runs in the arc around third man. India used Siraj as a battering ram at the start of the afternoon, with Root coping calmly with a diet of short stuff while Bairstow succumbed. A familiar celebration unfolded and he was soon chalking up another landmark, with Ishant's stiff footwork giving him the boundary that took him past 9,000 Test runs.
Source:The Nation
August 14, 2021 18:00 UTC
Sunny Side Up: Maithri’s controversial post
A social media post by Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Leader and former President Maithripala Sirisena, was last week subjected to much discussion in political circles. “Some chapters are sad and some chapters are action packed. The well-experienced writer would write the suitable book at the appropriate time. The final chapter of an experienced writer is astounding,” Sirisena had stated in a post on his Facebook page. Many were left to wonder about the “book” and “chapters” referred to by the former President and most of all, the “book with the astounding final chapter”.
Source:The Nation
August 14, 2021 18:00 UTC
Sunny Side Up: Udaya to reveal all?
Gammanpila had explained that he started writing the book while being in quarantine and the book will be on the lines of, “The No-faith Motion Faced by Me – The Untold Story”. The dinner was first scheduled to be held on 5 August at the Grand Monarch in Thalawathugoda. Given the current surge in Covid-19 cases in the country and the revised health guidelines prohibiting large gatherings, Gammanpila has once again had to postpone the dinner. “Dear colleague, I am reluctantly compelled to postpone the party to be held on 19 August, indefinitely due to the pandemic. Udaya Gammanpila,” the message sent to the governing party MPs read.
Source:The Nation
August 14, 2021 17:48 UTC
SunnySide Up: Getting dollars
Governing Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Premanath C. Dolawatta had last week sent a letter to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, proposing a solution to the issue of the ban imposed on importing vehicles. Dolawatte had proposed that Sri Lankan expatriates living overseas be permitted to send vehicles to Sri Lanka which they have purchased in those respective countries while paying the necessary taxes in US dollars. According to the MP, the proposal will fulfil a long-standing request of the expatriates to permit them to send vehicles to Sri Lanka, since they can buy vehicles for much lower prices in the country they currently reside in. This move, Dolawatte has pointed out, will also provide the country with much-needed foreign remittances by getting them to pay the necessary import taxes in foreign currency. The MP had added that such a move would also reduce the prices of used vehicles in the country.
Source:The Nation
August 14, 2021 17:48 UTC
Sunny Side Up: New appointment
Prof. Bandara’s new appointment was revealed recently by Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardana. The recently formed National Trade Policy Committee had held discussions via Zoom. “Because of the current situation, we held Zoom meetings and discussed the new National Trade Policy Committee and the other relevant details. During this meeting, we decided to appoint Prof. Ranjith Bandara as the Chairperson,” Gunawardana had said. Gunawardana had earlier made a proposal to the Cabinet to appoint an expert committee representing all relevant parties to formulate a new national trade policy.
Source:The Nation
August 14, 2021 17:48 UTC