Home Blog Page 2420

12 Rameswaram fishermen held, two boats seized by Sri Lankan Navy

CN
-
0
12 Rameswaram fishermen held, two boats seized by Sri Lankan Navy

The Sri Lankan Navy on Saturday arrested 12 Rameswaram fishermen and seized two of their mechanised boats on the charge of poaching.

According to information available with the fishermen here, over 400 mechanised boats had put out to sea with over 1,200 fishermen on Friday. When 12 of them were fishing near the Dhanushkodi-Thalaimannar region, the Sri Lankan Navy secured them and took them to a camp in Jaffna. They were jailed after being produced in a local court. 

The names of the arrested fishermen were given as Xavier, 43, Raja, 44, Arockiadas, 44, James, 45, Ranjith, 43, Raman, 41, Muneeswaran, 30, Sekar, 35, Mukta, 25, Jeromiyas, 46, Padalam, 59, and Napoleon, 46.

The news came in when members of the fishermen associations in Ramanathapuram abstained from fishing since February 9 to demand the release of 11 fishermen from Akkarapettai in Nagapattinam district, arrested on February 8, and 21 Karaikal fishermen, held last month. They tried to block trains at Thangachimadam on February 11. But the police stopped them. They instead staged a dharna near the railway station.

Fishermen leader Jesu Raja said the community was continuously targeted by the Sri Lankan Navy. “We have no other option but to rely on the governments.”

Thirteen injured after London bar floor collapses

CN
-
0
Thirteen injured after London bar floor collapses

(MENAFN- Colombo Gazette)

Thirteen people have been injured after a mezzanine floor collapsed at an east London pub.

Emergency services were called to the Two More Years bar in Hackney Wick at about 16:50 GMT.

Firefighters rescued seven people who were trapped after the incident.

Paramedics said three people were seriously hurt and 10 more had minor injuries. Four were taken to hospital and major trauma centres.

Hal, a mental health worker and therapist from Stratford was on the mezzanine floor when it collapsed. He managed to escape the fall with a few scratches.

“It sounded like a rumbling – a bit like an earthquake. You can’t be prepared for anything like this,” he told the BBC.

He said he was“pretty much in the middle of the upper mezzanine of the bar” after a football friendly between Clapton CFC and Stonewall FC.

“Thankfully I was able to heave myself out,” he said.

“We all helped each other out.”

Brian Jordan, strategic commander at London Ambulance Service, said the collapse was treated as a major incident and teams from the air ambulance were sent to the site.

London Fire Brigade station commander Sacha Clement said crews found seven people who were trapped upstairs on the remaining part of the mezzanine floor.

“Crews used a ladder to bridge between the floor and the internal staircase to get them safely out of the building,” the station commander said.

LFB said crews from three fire engines from Homerton, Bethnal Green and Leyton fire stations and two rescue units from East Ham and Edmonton stations attended the scene. (Courtesy BBC)

Warnings on heavy showers issued by the Meteorological Department!

CN
-
0
Warnings on heavy showers issued by the Meteorological Department!

The Meteorological Department has issued a warning for heavy showers from today (13) afternoon to tomorrow morning.

Accordingly, heavy showers exceeding 100 mm are expected in the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Uva and North Central Provinces and in some places in the Kalutara, Galle and Matara Districts.

The department called on the public to take necessary measures to reduce the risk of temporary strong winds and thunderstorms.

Dushmantha Chameera sold for 20 million INR in IPL Auction

CN
-
0
Dushmantha Chameera sold for 20 million INR in IPL Auction

Sri Lankan fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera has been sold for 20 million Indian rupees to Lucknow Super Giants at the ongoing IPL Auction.

Chameera had a base price of INR 50 lakh as the second day of the IPL Auction got underway today and while the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) also bid on him, the pacer was picked up by LSG.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are one of the two new teams in the IPL. The Lucknow franchise was purchased by businessman Sanjeev Goenka’s RPSG Group for a whopping INR 7,090 crores.

China gives conditional approval for Pfizer COVID pill Paxlovid

CN
-
0
China gives conditional approval for Pfizer COVID pill Paxlovid

China says it has given “conditional” approval for Pfizer’s COVID-19 drug Paxlovid to treat adults with mild to moderate illness and a high risk of developing severe disease.

The drug has so far been authorised in about 40 countries, while the European Union has permitted member states to use it before formal approval as an emergency measure against the rapidly spreading Omicron coronavirus variant.

“This is an important milestone in our fight against COVID-19,” a Pfizer representative said in a statement, without providing information about procurement.

Unlike COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer says that preliminary studies show that Paxlovid does not target the ever-evolving spike protein the coronavirus uses to invade cells, meaning it should theoretically be more variant-proof.

China’s National Medical Products Administration on Saturday said further research on the drug needed to be undertaken and submitted to the regulator.

Beijing has not yet approved any foreign-made coronavirus vaccines.

Lab tests have shown Omicron patients jabbed with the Chinese-produced Sinovac vaccine experience larger drops in antibody levels than those given the Pfizer version.

Earlier this week, Pfizer, whose vaccine developed with Germany’s BioNTech was the first approved in the United States, forecast more than $50bn in 2022 sales for its coronavirus jab and therapeutic treatment.

The company expects to make 120 million treatment courses of Paxlovid, with executives describing ongoing contract talks with about 100 governments.

China has yet to approve any COVID-19 vaccines developed by foreign drugmakers but has vaccinated 87.1 percent of its entire population by February 7 using several domestically developed shots.

ALJAZEERA

Energy Minister states that there is no discussion within the Ministry or the government regarding the increase in fuel prices!

CN
-
0
Energy Minister states that there is no discussion within the Ministry or the government regarding the increase in fuel prices!

Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila states that there is no discussion within the Ministry or the government regarding the increase in fuel prices. The Minister has stated this in response to a query made by journalists as to whether there are any plans to increase the price.

The Chairman of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) recently told the media that after the decision of the Ceylon Indian Oil Company to increase fuel prices, the company’s fuel consumers would also visit petrol stations owned by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. Due to this the loss incurred by the corporation has further increased, he had said.

Although the Minister has stated that there is no discussion regarding the increase in fuel prices, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has already requested an increase in prices from the Ministry of Finance. Chairman of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Sumith Wijesinghe says that he expects the Ministry of Finance to approve the request.

It has been suggested to the Ministry of Finance that in order to minimize the losses incurred by the Corporation, a price increase should be made which would exceed the IOC prices.

When the last increase in fuel prices was announced at midnight, the media had reported that Minister Udaya Gammanpila- the Minister in charge of the subject was aware of it.

The president has enough time to build a prosperous country and he should intervene to fulfill the promises made – Murutthettuwe Thero

CN
-
0
The president has enough time to build a prosperous country and he should intervene to fulfill the promises made – Murutthettuwe Thero

The Chancellor of the University of Colombo Murutthettuwe Ananda Thera says that the people will not tolerate certain actions taken by some ministers to get points. Murutthettuwe Thera says that if the President, who promised to bring prosperity, also adopts the policy of scoring points, it will be a very final situation.

Ananda Thera further states that the people who came to the rally of the SLPP held at the Salgadu Stadium in Anuradhapura recently should not be considered as supporters of the government but as opponents.

Ven. Murutthettuwe Ananda Thera added that the time left for the President to build the prosperous country promised to the people is sufficient and therefore the President should intervene to fulfill the promises made.

It is unethical to issue statements regarding the salaries of health workers! 

CN
-
0
It is unethical to issue statements regarding the salaries of health workers! 

The Minister of Health has stated that he is ready to publish information regarding the salaries and other allowances including overtime of health care professionals such as nurses, paramedics in a press release. President of the Sri Lanka Public Health Inspectors Association Upul Rohana responded to this at a media briefing in Colombo.

He says it is unethical to issue such statements regarding the salaries of public health inspectors and health workers who work day and night without pay, despite all the hardships during the covid epidemic.

He also says that before announcing the overtime of public health inspectors, the Minister of Health should find out whether they are receiving their overtime allowances properly.

However, Upul Rohana states that his union is ready to publish the salary reports of the Directors General and Additional Secretaries of the Ministry of Health if the salaries and other allowances of health workers are to be made public. He also says that the public will know that the overtime that public health inspectors get in a month is equal to the amount that senior officials in the Ministry of Health get in one day.

02 power plants face technical issues

CN
-
0
02 power plants face technical issues

The Kewaralapitiya West Coast Power Plant has been out of order since last night (12) due to a technical fault and has not been able to reconnect to the national grid.

The Kelanitissa Sojitz power plant also suffered a sudden breakdown last night and has been repaired and added to the system.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the operation of the Thulhiriya Power Plant has been suspended since last night due to lack of fuel.

According to CEB sources, the amount of fuel and naphtha required to generate electricity from thermal power plants is rapidly declining.

Housewives should get used to using wood-burning stoves again as there is an issue in importing gas – Sanath Nishantha (VIDEO)

CN
-
0
Housewives should get used to using wood-burning stoves again as there is an issue in importing gas – Sanath Nishantha (VIDEO)

Minister of State Sanath Nishantha emphasizes that housewives should get used to using wood-burning stoves again as a situation has arisen where the country is unable to import the required amount of LP gas.

“In short, the country is in a situation where we can no longer import I am now in my 24th year as a Member of Parliament, even at this point the wood stove in our house, is still being used for day-to-day work.”

Sanath Nishantha stated this at a meeting of the SLPP Women’s Federation – Wariyapola.

1...2,4192,4202,421...2,534Page 2,420 of 2,534