Friday, 08 January 2021 - 16:13
Releasing a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that they will facilitate the repatriation without any financial burden on Sri Lankans.
Free of charge
Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage clarified that the role of the Missions is strictly confined to organizing repatriation flights for returnees who are tested on arrival, offered all logistical support, and are quarantined at Government facilities free of charge.
Explaining further, they stated the returnees are drawn from the list of overseas Sri Lankans registered in the Missions and Posts and repatriated depending on their vulnerability levels and on a “first come first serve basis“.
Saturday, 02 January 2021 - 10:29
England fly to Sri Lanka on Saturday evening with a psychologist in their ranks and an insistence from their captain, Joe Root, that the emergence of any Covid-19 cases will not automatically trigger an end to the tour.
The two-Test series that begins on 14 January, rearranged from March when the pandemic cut short the trip. This kickstarts nearly three months on the subcontinent for the men’s national teams, with a full tour of India to follow that features four Tests, five Twenty20s and three one-day internationals.
Root described the South Africa cancellation as “a unique situation” and stressed the decision was made above their heads. But he added that Sri Lanka and India represents “a level up” as regards the challenge of touring during the pandemic.
Wednesday, 30 December 2020 - 7:33
A total of 50 journalists were killed worldwide in 2020, according to the second part of the annual round-up of abusive treatment and violence against journalists, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
While the number of journalists killed in countries at war continues to fall, more are being murdered in countries not at war
Many were killed for trying to expose crime and corruption.
The review shows that journalists are increasingly being targeted and killed because of their work. Some 84% of journalists killed this year were deliberately targeted, up from 63% in 2019.
This year s data covers January 1 to December 15.
Journalists publishing investigative stories were particularly vulnerable to attacks.