Source: phys.orgNepal has ordered Everest mountaineers to carry mandatory trackers after one of the deadliest seasons last year—and remove their excrement using compostable bags similar to those used for dog waste.

New Chief Secretaries appointed for North and Wayamba ProvincesNewsPresident Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed Mr. L. Ilangovan as the new Chief Secretary of the Northern Province. Mr. Ilangovan, a distinguished officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, has previously served in various ministries in the Northern Province and held the position of Northern Province Governor's Secretary. Prior to his appointment as the Chief Secretary, he served as the President's Additional Secretary for Northern Province Development at the Presidential Secretariat. Meanwhile, Ms. Deepika K. Gunaratne was appointed as the new Chief Secretary of the Wayamba Province. Her appointment letter was handed over by President's Secretary Mr. Saman Ekanayake at the Presidential Secretariat today.

Source: phys.orgNumerous measurement stations around the world provide us with data about air quality, allowing us to enhance it. Although we are increasingly collecting data from marine areas, access to such data is considerably more challenging. Signals are poorly transmitted through water, differences in both pressure and currents hinder measurement devices and there is an absence of pre-constructed computing infrastructure.

President advocates principled educational systemEducationPresident Ranil Wickremesinghe highlighted the value of education in building children’s resilience and motivating them to face obstacles with steadfast values while attending the “Sesquicentennial Banquet” of Wesley College Colombo last night (Mar. There, President Wickremesinghe praised Wesley College alumni including Henry Highfield and Sir Baron Jayatilaka, highlighting their significant contributions to Sri Lanka's independence and nation-building journey. During his remarks, he revealed intentions to support AI teaching in classrooms, demonstrating the government’s commitment to funding AI Research and Development. He simultaneously declared his plans to back private educational institutions, such as Wesley College, which have long been essential to the nation’s educational landscape. The event also featured the Principal of Wesley College Avanka Fernando, prominent German politician and businessman Ian Karan, college’s alumni and distinguished guests.

Source: phys.orgNew research has revealed that, despite being scattered across more than a million square kilometers, remote coral reefs across the Seychelles are closely related. Using genetic analyses and oceanographic modeling, researchers at Oxford University have demonstrated for the first time that a network of ocean currents scatter significant numbers of larvae between these distant islands, acting as a "coral superhighway."

Source: phys.orgPolitical anger and cynicism are rising in the United States and in many democracies worldwide, and both are associated with exposure to political attacks on social media, a new University of Michigan study shows.

FEATURE-Threads of Resilience: Is Sri Lanka’s apparel sector prepared to face another pandemic? Scientists predict a higher likelihood of its origin in tropical regions, placing Sri Lanka at considerable risk. Approximately 33 per cent of these female apparel workers are informal (for comparison only 13 per cent of male apparel workers are informal). Apparel workers faced many challenges during this initial period due to the nature of their work and their living arrangements. (Chaya Dissanayake is a Research Assistant at the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka -IPS).

Source: phys.orgA UCL-led research team has used artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to infer the influence and properties of dark energy more precisely from a map of dark and visible matter in the universe covering the last 7 billion years.

Anna Zvereva/Wikimedia CommonsAbout 50 people required medical treatment at an airport in New Zealand on Monday after a “technical problem” during an inbound flight caused a plane to suddenly drop, throwing passengers and crew into the ceiling of the cabin. Chilean airline LATAM’s flight LA800 between Sydney, Australia, and Auckland was met by a large emergency response, including seven ambulances, when it finally landed at Auckland International Airport. A total of 12 people—including one in a serious condition—were taken to hospitals for treatment, according to Hato Hone St John, a New Zealand ambulance charity. With about an hour remaining of the flight, the 8-year-old Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner plunged without warning. Source: www.thedailybeast.com

Diego Herrera Carcedo/Getty ImagesKUPYANSK, Ukraine—Ukrainian troops in Kupyansk are running low on ammunition and weapons as they fight to remain in control of a city that doesn’t even want to be saved from the Russians. In this eastern town, soldiers say that they are afraid that pro-Russian civilian collaborators might help to poison, bomb, or otherwise kill them because they believe that life under Vladimir Putin’s occupation would be better than living in a free Ukraine. Located in the eastern Kharkiv region, Kupyansk was once nicknamed “Little Russia” and has become known for its pro-Russian sentiment. By Feb. 27, 2022, Kupyansk was already occupied, and it would remain under Russian control until September 2022, when Ukraine’s rapid counteroffensive saw Kyiv reclaim 1,160 sq miles of land in just two months. Source: www.thedailybeast.com

Ranil Wickremesinghe to stand as common candidate for Presidential electionsNewsPresident Ranil Wickremesinghe was today declared as the common candidate of the United National Party (UNP) led front. The announcement was made at UNP rally in Kuliyapitiya which was described as the first meeting to launch Presidential election campaign. Senior UNP member Ravi Karunanayake addressing the meeting said that President Wickremesinghe would be definitely standing as the common candidate of the UNP led common front. President Wickremesinghe and senior members of the party including Chairman Wajira Abeywardene, General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara, Deputy Leader Ruwwan Wijewardene and Assistant Leader Akila Viraj Kariyawasam. President Wickremesinghe addressing the meeting said he was now inviting all party members who left the UNP and joined the SJB.

AFP and other news agencies removed from their services on Sunday the first official photo of Britain's Princess Kate to be released since her abdominal surgery, saying the image was found to have been manipulated. In a statement, the palace said the photo was taken "in Windsor earlier this week" by Kate's husband, Prince William. However, multiple news agencies including AFP later pulled the image over concerns it had been manipulated. The king withdrew from public duties during his treatment, though he attended church services and held his weekly audience with the prime minister. Camilla steps inCharles's wife Queen Camilla, 76, has been the most visible senior royal, stepping in to cover many of her husband's public duties during his treatment.

Published at 3:02 am, March 10, 2024 | Updated at 3:05 am, March 10, 2024IDAHO FALLS — Police are on the scene of a situation at Teton Mesa Apartments in Idaho Falls. Multiple witnesses and residents tell EastIdahoNews.com that several Idaho Falls police officers, the SWAT team, Idaho State Police, an armored truck and Idaho Falls ambulances have been at the apartment complex on the 800 block of Lomax Street since before midnight. Some tenants report being evacuated from their building. The public should avoid the area. We will update this story when police release information about the incident.

Gender equality – what it means for the women and the country View(s):March 8, is marked the world over as International Women’s day. As President Ranil Wickremesinghe remarked at the National Celebration of international Women’s Day last week “In celebrating International Women’s Day, the usual practice in our country is to hold a ceremony, discuss women’s rights and return home. This routine occurs every year.”The President pledged that this year, however, the Government would introduce legislation to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment. He revealed plans to introduce two significant bills aimed at advancing gender equality and empowering women, both of which would be presented to Parliament in May. He also announced that a bill focusing on gender equality, aimed at securing women’s rights, will be published in the Gazette next week.

Source: phys.orgFriends out for a drink have hatched many a bright idea, but these insights (or what feel like insights at the time) don't usually end up published in academic journals. For researchers Jackie Silverman and Alixandra Barasch, though, a trip to a brewery sparked an idea that has blossomed into multiple published papers.