Getting our housework in order
Sri Lanka has, for many years, been skirting around the formalisation of domestic work and recognising the contribution of domestic workers to the labour force. There has been little progress made on creating a similar policy framework and protections for those employed as domestic workers on our own soil. Internationally, Domestic Work is addressed by the International Labour Organisation’s Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. But C189 has seen little enthusiasm; adopted in 2011, it has so far been ratified only by 33 countries while Sri Lanka is among the many countries that are yet to ratify. Domestic work tends to be invisible, but is critical to the smooth functioning of households, especially dual income households where both the male and female heads pursue careers.
Source:The Nation
July 31, 2021 18:33 UTC
Human-elephant conflict: Seeking a new approach
By Yumiko PereraThe human-elephant conflict (HEC) has long plagued the country and is widespread across the island. According to authorities, the conflict between people and elephants has seen a dramatic escalation over the past few decades. The main method of limiting elephants to protected areas is conducting “elephant drives” and establishing electric fences on their boundaries. 490 million had been spent on electric fences in the last couple of years. 275,447,639 on building electric fences, and a sum of Rs.
Source:The Nation
July 31, 2021 18:00 UTC
Both doses key to combat severe symptoms
“The studies we conduct also focus on how different vaccines compare to each other, with regard to the immune responses they generate,” Prof. Malavige further noted. According to Prof. Malavige, the studies had initially started with the AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine when it had been administered to healthcare workers in the country. However, even after 16 weeks, nearly 93.7% had antibodies, but neutralising antibodies had declined in the elderly,” Prof. Malavige noted. Furthermore, he also added that a single dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine would give approximately 33% protection, especially against the Delta variant. A single dose of any vaccine is likely to be less effective against the Delta variant, Prof. Malavige told The Sunday Morning.
Source:The Nation
July 31, 2021 18:00 UTC
Govt. actions harm the economy, not TUs: K.D. Lalkantha
In an interview with The Sunday Morning, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) politburo member and National Trade Union Centre (NTUC) Chairman K.D. Are all trade union actions from now on being carried out as a coalition? When the Government abolishes the oil monopoly of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), its trade unions are struggling, and it cannot be prevented. Then, the actions of the people and the actions of the trade unions cannot be prevented. At a time when the economy is collapsing, the trade unions are rallying against such actions taken through legislation.
Source:The Nation
July 31, 2021 18:00 UTC
Continued trade union action: Adverse impact on school education
In that sense, we are losing a lot in education,” Dr. Gamage explained. This has resulted in the country losing focus on school education and school teachers,” Dr. Gamage noted. This will make it simpler to identify the children’s learning outcomes,” Dr. Gamage added. Dr. Gamage suggested that the teachers can align their lessons to the education programmes broadcast on the TV and radio. “I hope the challenges presented by Covid-19 and the trade union action carried out by the education sector trade unions would create an opportunity to look at the much-needed reforms in the country’s education,” Dr. Gamage concluded.
Source:The Nation
July 31, 2021 18:00 UTC
Politics of decision-making
He went a step further and promised “Sinhala Only” if he were elected at the polls that followed. It seems nothing has been learnt over the years with today’s leaders, just as their predecessors, resorting to impulsive decision-making, oblivious to the far-reaching implications of such decisions. To think that a government policy decision will pave the way for such an eventuality is nothing short of sacrilegious. Sri Lanka needs tea and tea needs Sri Lanka to get its act together in order to maintain the status quo. Upsetting this delicate equilibrium at a time when the country is desperate for export revenue is nothing short of political harakiri.
Source:The Nation
July 31, 2021 17:48 UTC
Tea industry: Continuing concerns over fertiliser issue
Sri Lanka’s tea industry stakeholders have expressed a collective concern for the industry due to the potential impact on the yield and pricing of the crop. He said that the nitrogen required by tea plants comes from urea and is a byproduct of fossil fuels like petroleum. He explained that using organic fertilisers can increase the price of Sri Lankan tea, leading to the country losing its price advantage. Speaking for local tea exporters, Tea Exporters’ Association of Sri Lanka (TEA) Chairman Sanjaya Herath agreed with Bulumulla, noting that a loss in production will also mean a loss in revenue. “The world tea production is increasing and we need to be competitive.
Source:The Nation
July 31, 2021 17:26 UTC
Health guidelines and vaccines only way out
They urged the public to strictly adhere to the Covid-19 health guidelines. Sri Lanka, over the past week, surpassed the 300,000 mark in Covid-19 cases. Although the vaccines provide immunity, that alone does not suffice in protecting one from the virus, said Dr. Ginige, adding that strengthening basic preventive measures are an absolute necessity. Meanwhile, at a media briefing held at the President’s Media Division (PMD), Covid-19 Vaccine Committee Chairman and Senior Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga stated that a census is to be carried out on people who have not obtained Covid-19 vaccines. He further noted that measures are underway to administer vaccines for those between the ages of 12 to 30 as well.
Source:The Nation
July 31, 2021 17:03 UTC
Kerawalapitiya garbage yard: Increasing organic fertiliser production
By Uwin LugodaFollowing through with its attempts to promote the use of organic fertiliser within the country’s agricultural community, the Sri Lankan Government is now working on increasing the organic fertiliser production capacity of the Kerawalapitiya Garbage Yard. The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) is the main garbage supplier to the garbage yard, with more garbage suppliers also coming from the Wattala, Ja-Ela, Dompe, and Attanagalla local and municipal councils. In addition, a number of private sector suppliers are also engaged in supplying the garbage to the Kerawalapitiya Garbage Yard. According to this plan, the Commercial Fertiliser Company has placed an order for 4,000 tonnes of organic compost at the Kerawalapitiya Garbage Yard, which the garbage yard is currently in the process of delivering. “The Kerawalapitiya Garbage Yard already receives 500 MT of garbage per day, which is then piled up for about six months and left to decompose.
Source:The Nation
July 31, 2021 16:41 UTC
Are we entering the fourth Covid-19 wave?
In this context, some experts predict that we are entering the fourth wave of the pandemic. As a result, the wave of deaths follows the wave of cases by about three to four weeks. Mobility data, number of reported cases, and test positivity rate, when analysed together, show a positive impact. Change of mobility, for example, at retail and recreational spots, grocery, and pharmacy as well as the use of public transport shows an inverse proportion with the incidence of Covid-19 cases. With analysis of the current data, how do you foresee the country’s situation during the next few months?
Source:The Nation
July 31, 2021 16:41 UTC
Sri Lanka reports 61 more COVID-19 deaths
July 31, 2021 09:11 pmThe Director-General of Health Services has confirmed 61 more COVID-19 related fatalities that have occurred yesterday (July 30). The new development has pushed the official death toll due to the virus in Sri Lanka to 4,441. According to the data released by the Department of Government Information, the new victims confirmed today include 36 females and 25 males. None of them are aged below 30 years, nineteen victims are between 30-59 years and the remaining 42 are aged 60 and above.
Source:The Nation
July 31, 2021 15:33 UTC
Vaccination clinics where AstraZeneca shots will be rolled out
July 31, 2021 08:17 pmHealth Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi has announced the vaccinations clinics that will roll out newly-received Oxford-AstraZeneca jabs from tomorrow (August 01). Accordingly, these vaccines will be administered in 18 MOH offices – 05 in Kalutara District and 15 in Gampaha District as well as 13 hospitals and 08 selected locations in Colombo District. Those who are arriving to receive their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine are required to bring their National Identity Cards (NICs) and vaccination card. The vaccination clinics are as follows:Colombo District
Source:The Nation
July 31, 2021 14:48 UTC
Data shows it's NOT just Republicans refusing the COVID vaccine
Meanwhile, CDC data shows that senior citizens - who are more likely to be Republican than Democrat - are the group with the highest vaccination rate. Many young people either do not fear the virus or do fear the vaccineMeanwhile, CDC data has found white Americans are more likely to have had a COVID vaccine than their black or Hispanic counterparts. Many rural areas also have lower vaccination rates than their urban peers, though the reason may not only be based in vaccine hesitancy. Official data shows that 45 percent of people in urban areas have received at least one shot of a vaccine, compared to only 39 percent of people who live in rural areas, according to CDC data. Rural Americans often have to travel further than their urban counterparts to receive the vaccine, and access to vaccine information is harder in areas that may not have full internet access.
Source:The Nation
July 31, 2021 14:37 UTC
Azlan Sharifdeen: Taking Local Talent to Hollywood
2021 Jul 31We dare you to find us a person who is more passionate about music than Azlan Sharifdeen. His recent success involves composing the track for Morrocan film “Night Walk”, the first of its kind to get Hollywood distribution in history. The producers wanted some music for the film, and Alston contacted me for the job and the rest was history! How does it feel to be a part of the first Moroccan film to get Hollywood distribution in history? We are full of talented musicians, but we are still stuck making music the same way that our idols did.
Source:The Nation
July 31, 2021 14:03 UTC
Samsung Galaxy S21 series is receiving the August 2021 Android security patch
Samsung released the August 2021 Android security patch for the Galaxy A52 a few days ago, followed by the A72 and A8 (2018). Now, the company has rolled out the latest security patch to three more smartphones - Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra. Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 UltraThe new build carrying the August 2021 security patch comes with firmware version G99x0ZCU2AUGE, and the update for the S21 Ultra requires a download of about 300MB. The update is currently seeding in China and should begin rolling in Hong Kong and Taiwan in a few days, with the rollout expected to expand to more countries in a couple of weeks. If you live in China and haven't received the new firmware on your S21/S21+/S21 Ultra yet, you can try checking it manually by going to your device's Settings > Software update menu.
Source:The Nation
July 31, 2021 14:03 UTC