News
Hong Kong tightens quarantine rules for 16 countries including SL
The government of Hong Kong on Monday announced tighter quarantine arrangements for people arriving in Hong Kong from 16 countries, including the United States, citing the threat from the more infectious Delta coronavirus variant, news agencies reported.
Agencies quoted officials as having said 15 countries will be upgraded from medium risk to high risk, meaning travellers have to be vaccinated and undergo quarantine for 21 days when they arrive here.
They are Bangladesh, Cambodia, France, Greece, Iran, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the US.
Australia, meanwhile, will be moved from low risk to medium risk.
People coming from medium-risk countries can spend as few as seven days in quarantine if they are fully vaccinated and their antibody test is positive. Other arrivals will be quarantined for 14 or 21 days.
The new arrangements will take effect from August 20.
A government spokesman said there’s a need to upgrade the risk grouping of the 16 countries in order to “uphold the local barrier against the importation of Covid-19.”
“The global Covid-19 epidemic situation is under serious threat from the Delta variant, with acute surges in the number of confirmed cases within a short period of time in many countries,” he said.
Respiratory disease specialist, Leung Chi-chiu, said the authorities should also order those who recently returned from the newly added 15 high-risk regions to undergo 14 days of quarantine.
“Some of them may still be in their quarantine period, and some of them may have gone into our community, and that will pose a risk,” he said.
The government’s quarantine policies have come under scrutiny after a foreign domestic helper who recently returned from the US and spent seven days in isolation tested positive for the virus
The High Court has convicted 14 of the 24 men accused of being directly involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people.
The three-judge bench read out its decision on Tuesday after a five-year trial and said sentencing would take place later, the AFP news agency reported.
The charges included murder and conspiracy to commit terrorism.
Nine others were acquitted, while another defendant was found guilty of only some of the charges, the court said.
[Aljazeera]
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The ruling NPP yesterday (21) dismissed claims of a widening rift, within the government, over the proposed 22nd Amendment. Asked whether the NPP was concerned over a section of the Opposition alleging Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and two dozen MPs taking a view contrary to that of the party in this regard, authoritative party sources said some persons were propagating speculation for their own interest.
Declaring that there was absolutely no issue regarding the controversial Amendment, sources emphasised once it was tabled in Parliament, it would be passed with 2/3 majority.
Sources dismissed claims that out of its 159-member parliamentary group a section of NPPers was opposed to the government move. According to an influential Opposition activist, there are 57 JVPers and 66 NPPers in the government group and the rest contested the last parliamentary polls, having aligned with the JVP.
Ministerial sources told The Island that the government was confident of going ahead with the 22nd Amendment and Judicature (Amendment) Bills. Sources said that the NPP was not bothered about the Opposition protests in and outside Parliament.
Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne is expected to disclose the confidential ruling that he received from the Supreme Court in respect of more than 65 petitions for and against the 22nd Amendment and Judicial Amendment Bills. The enactment of the 22nd Amendment would pave the way for extending the retirement age of Supreme Court judges, from 65 to 67 years, and Court of Appeal judges, from 63 to 65 years.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Court of Appeal Judge Mayadunna Sri Mevan Anthony Edirimannasuriya Corea as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal.
The appointment has been made as President’s Counsel Nalin Rohantha Abeysuriya, who currently serves as President of the Court of Appeal, will be overseas until the 24th.
Accordingly Justice Mayadunna Corea was sworn in as Acting President of the Court of Appeal before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential secretariat last morning (21).
Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake was also present at the occasion.
High Court convicts 14 over deadly Easter bombings
Mandhana, Shafali and Ghosh lead dominant India to Asian Games gold
Fatima Sana and Umm-e-Hani secure bronze for Pakistan in Asian Games
India bat first in Asian games womens cricket final
Showers about 100mm will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara Districts
Govt. confident of 2/3 majority despite NPP split speculation
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
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