277 more people arrested for flouting quarantine regulations
Sri Lanka Police has arrested 277 more people within the last 24 hours for failing to follow health protocols including wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing while in public. Reportedly, a total of 54,889 arrests with regard to the aforementioned offences have been made since October 30, last year. After the interprovincial travel restrictions were tightened last week, the police have beefed up monitoring at the 12 road blocks set up at entry and exit points of the Western Province. As many as 1,784 vehicles and 3,222 people have been inspected by the police at the Western Province borders. However, 635 individuals and 330 vehicles have been sent back for attempting to cross the provincial borders without permission.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 04:07 UTC
CSE Trading Sessions on 16th August 2021
The Delivery Versus Payment (DVP) Settlement mechanism was implemented as scheduled yesterday 16th August 2021. The Open Auction call session of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) yesterday was from 12.15 P.M to 1.00 P.M. The pre -open was extended in order to provide more time for order entry in view of the transition to the upgraded systems. The commencement of the preopen session was delayed due to one Broker system vendor having technical difficulties in connecting to the exchange. The CSE continues to investigate into the vendor’s issues and will take all necessary actions to prevent a recurrence of the situation.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 04:07 UTC
Xiaomi publishes official Mix 4 unboxing video
It was last week that Xiaomi unveiled the Mix 4 smartphone, also marking the first flagship smartphone that dropped the “Mi” naming for western markets. Over the weekend, Xiaomi published the official unboxing video for the Mix 4. The unboxing video shows the Mix 4 comes in a considerably large box. The Xiaomi Mix 4 has a curved 6.67-inch AMOLED screen with a 20MP selfie camera embedded behind the display panel. The Mix 4 has a 108MP main camera with OIS, an optically stabilized 8MP periscope zoom, and a 13MP ultrawide camera.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 03:45 UTC
Scan that can predict how well chemotherapy will work
A hi-tech scan that takes just five seconds to perform can tell if chemotherapy is working in patients with breast cancer. Up to 55,000 women a year in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer, with one in seven women developing it in their lifetime. But it is also routinely used after surgery to ‘mop up’ any lingering cancer cells. Scientists who developed the scan at Washington University in St Louis and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, both in the U.S., tested it on 38 women with breast cancer. The results, published recently in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, showed it was highly accurate in predicting which tumours would respond well to chemo.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 00:56 UTC
Present status of construction contractors and construction industry in SL
Then we were taught not to steal or acquire wealth the wrong way, and that it will not last. From the young days, we were told not to attempt to pass examinations the wrong way, and if that was found, such scars will remain till you die. I am grateful to them and have in turn inculcated such noble values in my children, and emphasised that wealth accumulated the wrong way will make their children suffer. Perhaps politicians are unaware of or choose to ignore that the unaffordable salary bill was largely due to irresponsible politicians, who bloated the public service. It is an acknowledged fact that the public service can function and serve society well, with a little over half the number of the workers.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 00:33 UTC
The State of emergency and emergences: Democratising education
I focus on the salient concerns besetting education as a whole and higher education in particular. Gramsci’s name today is synonymous with hegemony while Althusser famously formulated the two-part constitution of the political state: the ideological state apparatus (ISA) and the repressive state apparatus (RSA). The military, as Althusser would say, is the repressive apparatus of the state, while the ideological apparatus is made up foremost of education. I draw upon these theories in exploring the connections between militarisation and privatisation, and militarisation as a state of emergency. A state of emergency impinges on public and private life, raising the spectre of a semi-totalitarian state in its crudest form, the military state.
Source:The Nation
August 17, 2021 00:11 UTC
Pregnant Princess Beatrice speaks movingly about her experience of dyslexia
But while she had support from an early age, Beatrice says many children struggle undiagnosed. Royal mother-to-be Princess Beatrice (pictured with husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi last week) has spoken movingly about her experience of dyslexiaThe princess – seen at a lunch with friends in a floral jacket with her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi last week – revealed in an interview with Hello! Beatrice was talking to author Giovanna Fletcher for Hello!’s Back to School digital issue, online now. The Princess said that if her unborn child is ‘lucky enough’ to be diagnosed with it, then she will see that as a ‘gift’. Beatrice also spoke openly about her passion to increase understanding of dyslexia and de-stigmatise any negative associations with it.
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 23:48 UTC
Milk allergy that can make a bubble bath lethal
Being super-vigilant is a way of life for Emelia Brain and her family after she was diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening milk allergy as a baby. ‘Most people have heard of nut allergies but tend to think milk allergy is mild, perhaps because most children outgrow it,’ he says. This was despite telling a staff member that he had a milk allergy. As Dr Turner warns: ‘Milk protein is very hard to avoid as it’s added to so many different foods. ‘That’s why children with persisting milk allergy deserve to be given an EpiPen self-injectable adrenaline device once they pass the age of four.
Source:The Nation
August 16, 2021 22:18 UTC
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
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
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
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
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