Jaw bombs: Yet another inhumane animal management tool?
Beyond this, snaring, electrical fences, and poaching are big problems, and, as can be seen now, jaw bombs. The inhumanity of these jaw bombs is not hard to illustrate. For example, plenty of dogs have been killed by jaw bombs. On several other occasions, children playing with jaw bombs laid for animals suffered injuries when the devices exploded. On how to move away from the use of jaw bombs, Thudugala of SCAR explained that this is down mostly to education.
Source:The Nation
July 19, 2021 19:18 UTC
On This Day – 20 July
1963 – Birth of New Zealand women’s cricketer Catherine Campbell. Catherine made her debut for New Zealand at the 1988 World Cup in Australia. She has played 73 One Day Internationals, taking 69 wickets at an economy rate of 2.6, and has played nine Test matches. Harmanpreet Kaur thundered a 115-ball 171 not out in the World Cup semi-final in Derby, against defending champions Australia. Zimbabwe folded for 155, handing Pakistan their fourth straight win of the series, which they sealed 5-0 a couple of days later.
Source:The Nation
July 19, 2021 19:18 UTC
Latest news from Tokyo 2020
* Two test positive in Tokyo Olympic VillageSouth African footballers Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi have become the first athletes to test positive for Covid-19 at the Olympic Village for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Monyane and Mahlatsi have not been formally identified by Tokyo 2020, but organisers had confirmed the infected competitors were from the same country and same sport. Another unnamed athlete has also tested positive upon arrival in the Japanese capital, Tokyo 2020 said, but they are not a resident of the Village. * IOC member Ryu tests positive on arrival in JapanSouth Korea’s Ryu Seung-min has become the first IOC member to test positive for Covid-19 in Japan prior to the start of Tokyo 2020. * Tokyo 2020 to use piped-in crowd noiseThe Tokyo 2020 Olympics is to follow the example of other sport during the pandemic by using piped-in crowd noise to compensate for the lack of spectators.
Source:The Nation
July 19, 2021 19:18 UTC
500-1,000 tourists daily after Aug.
BY Dinitha RathnayakeThe Tourism Ministry expects anywhere between 500 and 1,000 tourists to visit Sri Lanka daily from 1 August. According to Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, discussions are underway with newly-appointed Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa regarding the development of the tourism sector. He said that the only way to solve the problems of those employed in the tourism industry, which has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, is to open the country and restore the tourism sector. The US relaxed its travel ban on Sri Lanka from “Level Four: Do Not Travel” to “Level Three: Reconsider Travel” effective from 6 July, and this travel advisory on Sri Lanka is a periodical revision published by the US State Department under the Level Three category. Accordingly, Ranatunga has submitted a Cabinet memorandum to obtain approval for the construction of water circuit houses and water bungalows to develop the tourism industry.
Source:The Nation
July 19, 2021 18:56 UTC
Moody’s places SL under review for downgrade
Moody’s Investors Service yesterday (19) announced that it has placed the Government of Sri Lanka’s foreign currency long-term issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings of Caa1 under review for downgrade. In September last year, Moody’s downgraded Sri Lanka’s foreign currency long-term issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings to Caa1 from B2, after placing it under review in April 2020. It noted that the decision to place the ratings under review for downgrade is driven by Moody’s assessment that Sri Lanka’s increasingly fragile external liquidity position raises the risk of default. Sri Lanka’s foreign currency country ceiling has been lowered to Caa1 from B3, while the local currency country ceiling remains unchanged at B1. Meanwhile, Moody’s expects the coverage by foreign exchange reserves of external repayments to continue falling from already low levels.
Source:The Nation
July 19, 2021 18:56 UTC
Should Mathews retire from Test cricket now?
FernandoIt is sad to hear that Angelo Mathews had decided to take a break from national duties. Should the long-serving Sri Lanka batting all-rounder retire from Tests in his present age of 34? Angelo Mathews / SL / 83 / 2012 to 2017Mathews celebrates dismissing Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq during a Test match at SSC on 22 July 2009, in Mathews’ debut Test series for Sri Lanka. He was 22 years of age thenIt was sad to hear that Angelo Mathews had decided to take a break from national duties. Mathews has represented Sri Lanka in 90 Tests, 218 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 78 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).
Source:The Nation
July 19, 2021 18:45 UTC
SL can benefit from pandemic experience to craft social protection strategy
Social protection includes social assistance (welfare programmes for the poorest), social insurance (for unemployment, disability, illness, and old age), and programmes to enhance opportunities to help people find better jobs. At the heart of these efforts is the development of a national social protection strategy. Sri Lanka’s social protection programmes have been introduced sporadically. “In Sri Lanka, social protection spending has not had a big impact on reducing poverty. A coherent strategy aimed at delivering a long-term vision for social protection for all Sri Lankans could benefit and improve the lives of millions.
Source:The Nation
July 19, 2021 18:33 UTC
HRCSL seeks explanation from Air Force Chief
BY Pamodi WaravitaThe Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has requested Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana to submit a report to the HRCSL by today (20) as to why HRCSL officers were not allowed to inspect the Mullaitivu Quarantine Centre (QC) on 13 July. However, the officers at the quarantine centre had not assisted Kanagaraj with the details required for the initial investigation. Although HRCSL Commissioner Dr. Nimal Karunasiri had informed the SLAF Commander about this incident, following which HRCSL officers had visited the Mullaitivu QC on 13 July again, the officers had been denied entry for the second time as well. “Not providing the due assistance to HRCSL investigations is a form of disrespect to the HRCSL and its officers,” the letter has noted. Section 11 of the HRCSL Act No.
Source:The Nation
July 19, 2021 18:33 UTC
Plantations sector discusses child labour
BY Pamodi WaravitaThe Malayaha Organisation for Democracy (MOD) yesterday (19) had a wide-ranging discussion about the issue of child labour in the plantations sector and the role of brokers in this regard, following the death of a 16-year-old girl who was allegedly working as a maid at MP Rishad Bathiudeen’s residence. Speaking to The Morning, Movement for Plantation People’s Land Rights (MPPLR) Convenor and Plantation Workers’ Wage Rights Movement (PWWRM) Co-ordinator S.T. “We have to understand that some of these families have no choice other than to send their children to work. The girl was from Dayagama and was allegedly working as a maid in the house of MP Bathiudeen in the Bauddhaloka Mawatha area in the Borella Police Division. She was admitted to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka on 3 July with burn injuries and died on 15 July.
Source:The Nation
July 19, 2021 18:11 UTC
Be green or be gone: Why we can no longer ignore climate change
Unfortunately, being an island, we are at risk from the rising water levels and other issues caused by climate change. A bigger issueSo what is the extent of the threat posed to Sri Lanka by climate change? Adding that Sri Lanka has mentioned what it can do to reduce climate change at the local level under the NDCs, Prakash opined that being a small country, Sri Lanka is not a major contributor to climate change, including global warming. People’s health, the agriculture sector, developmental activities, and even basic services such as transport services, are also facing difficulties due to climate change and factors contributing to climate change. We usually fail to identify climate refugees or even the fact that they are forced to migrate because of the indirect impacts of climate change.
Source:The Nation
July 19, 2021 18:00 UTC
Unsurprising report: Government spyware allegedly misused to spy on citizens
TL;DR A bombshell report from The Guardian alleges that governments around the world could be misusing a popular type of spy software. It does this to ensure the spy software is only used to apprehend criminals and terrorists. Instead, it creates the spy software and then sells it. What does this leaked spy software list mean? It is very unlikely a user would know the spy software is on their device.
Source:The Nation
July 19, 2021 18:00 UTC
SJB urges probe into Catholic statue vandalism
BY Buddhika SamaraweeraThe main Parliamentary Opposition the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has pointed out that an impartial investigation should be carried out into the recent incident where several glass enclosures containing Catholic statues in Mannar were damaged. Meanwhile, Dr. Jayawardhana had also recently visited the sites of the damaged enclosures. “About six such enclosures were damaged, including two in two Catholic churches. The Police should conduct a fair investigation and confirm with evidence that the person currently under arrest is actually a mentally ill person. Also, the authorities should not just give up the matter claiming that the suspect is mentally ill,” he added.
Source:The Nation
July 19, 2021 17:03 UTC
Electoral reforms Select Committee meeting next week
BY Buddhika SamaraweeraThe Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) appointed to identify appropriate reforms to election laws and the electoral system, and recommend necessary amendments to such, has received proposals from 21 recognised political parties, and said proposals will be taken up at the forthcoming PSC sessions. The deadline for the submission of views and proposals to the PSC ended on 15 July. Ali Sabry, the State Minister Jeevan Thondaman, and Parliamentarians Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Kabir Hashim, Ranjith Maddumabandara, Mano Ganesan, M.A. The next Committee meeting is scheduled to convene on 28 July in the Parliament. Attempts to contact Gunawardena and several other PSC members to inquire as to how these proposals would be dealt with proved futile.
Source:The Nation
July 19, 2021 16:52 UTC
Improve police treatment of women: NPP
We have been paying special attention to the conduct of the Police when women are engaged in protests. Speaking further, Dr. Amarasuriya claimed that there were reports of the harassment of women in certain Police stations, adding that it was a very serious situation. Women or children go there hoping for safety. Meanwhile, when contacted by The Morning to inquire about the allegations made by Dr. Amarasuriya, Public Security Ministry Secretary Maj. Gen. “If the number of people who attend protests is reduced as a result of that, that is good,” he noted.
Source:The Nation
July 19, 2021 16:52 UTC
Are the Rajapaksas losing the rural folk?
There has been far less trickle down from the urban economy to the rural, and that’s obvious. But the rural voter has seen his ups and downs and is less likely to abandon the Government they voted into power because of what they know as the impact of a contagious disease. It’s too early days, then, to say that the rural vote base has been completely alienated from the Government. Any voter, rural or urban, could be put off by the GR Government’s elementary misreading of these realities. There is in fact no need to talk about the rural voter in particular, in this context.
Source:The Nation
July 19, 2021 16:41 UTC