Pakistan's national election ended with no party winning a majority in parliament, in polls marred by militant violence, political turmoil and questions of transparency. The two, along with other smaller parties, form a coalition government in which Sharif or his brother is prime minister and important positions are given to other parties. The two parties were in government together for 16 months till August, with Bhutto Zardari as foreign minister and Sharif's brother Shehbaz as prime minister. Bhutto Zardari Pushes To Head Coalition GovernmentWhile Sharif and Khan's candidates won the most seats, no party can form government without the PPP. With both looking to keep the other out of power, the PPP strikes a deal to make the young Bhutto Zardari prime minister.

Police to receive Increased allowances from TuesdayNewsAll Police personnel will receive an increase in their food and lodging allowance with effect from next Tuesday. The Police Constable to Sergeant ranks will receive an increase between Rs 2,340 to Rs 4.230 while the Sub Inspector and Chief Inspector ranks will receive an increase of Rs 3,060 and Rs 4,320 respectively. Between Assistant Superintendent of Police to Inspector General of Police ranks the increase is Rs 4,140. The full increased allowance was due to police personnel from January, but had been delayed due to a delay in the Treasury releasing funds. However, police officers attached to the VIP security division for retired Presidents, Prime Minister’s Security Division, Ministers’ Security Division, Special Task Force (STF) and Intelligence service have already been granted a special allowance amounting to one-third of their basic salary as well, the report stressed.

Patrick Smith/Getty ImagesWith Taylor Swift’s final show in Tokyo coming to an end on Saturday, all that’s left to do is run. The superstar was rushed to Haneda Airport where her private jet waited for her, but it “wasn't immediately clear” if her plane had taken off, the AP reported. She will have to make her way approximately 5,530 miles across the globe to Las Vegas, Nevada—with almost everyone speculating whether she will make it to the Super Bowl on time to see her boyfriend, Travis Kelce play on Sunday. While the tight-end for the Kansas City Chiefs will certainly be there, Swift’s team has made no comment about her travel plans. Source: www.thedailybeast.com

In Sri Lanka, we are not part of that competition. Now to the India visit. It has come to light that Sri Lanka has underutilised the 200 scholarship slots allocated. It is relevant to note that the JVP/NPP leader strongly criticized the Amul project in Sri Lanka. “From the Sangha for Better Sri Lanka (SBSL) participants included, Ven.

Big power interest in Lanka’s elections View(s):The opening of a new session of Parliament, probably the last before the next general election, set the stage for what is in store on the political battlefield in the coming months. In recent times, the party has taken a strong position opposing a multitude of proposed Indian investments in Sri Lanka. All this is a pointer that the forthcoming elections in Sri Lanka are not only of interest to its own citizens, but there is an abiding interest in the world’s capitals in its outcome as well. Elections in PakistanPakistan has long been an all-weather friend of Sri Lanka. Being neutral is no longer an option in the books of the big powers as they jostle for influence in a multipolar world.

Source: phys.orgTattle Life, an anonymous gossip forum, has been described as "the most toxic place on the internet." "Fake boobs, fake teeth, fake nose, fake life," "Career is down the drain; she's still so vain!" and "Always the wedding guest but never the bride" are just a selection of the thread titles on the site.

Pakistan’s General Election: Imran Khan’s party on the leadNewsBased on the results of the general election of Pakistan that have been made public so far, Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which is headed by the imprisoned former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, is ahead. The general election of Pakistan took place on Thursday (8) and presently the vote-counting process nears end. They further report that former Prime Minister Khan’s party members have entered the general election this year as independent candidates in view of oppressions on the party. As a result, the PTI party has gained 99 seats out of the 266 seats in the Pakistan National Assembly, according to the most recent figures. Presently, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Party, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Khan’s main rival, has secured 71 seats while the Pakistan People’s Party has earned 34 seats.

President Wickremesinghe meets Indian Foreign Minister in PerthNewsPresident Ranil Wickremesinghe and India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar held bilateral discussions at the 7th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Perth, Australia on Friday (9) during which both sides have acknowledged the advancements in their bilateral cooperation and have committed to further strengthening it. President Wickremesinghe left for Australia on Thursday (8), at the invitation of the India Foundation and the Australian Government, to attend the conference. The event, titled “Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean” aims to promote cooperation among forty participating nations. Participation of President Wickremesinghe is indicative of Sri Lanka’s proactive approach to regional security and development. In 2017, under the patronage of President Wickremesinghe, the Prime Minister back then, Sri Lanka previously hosted the second edition of the IOC.

Source: phys.orgLike the people they make up, cells communicate by bumping into one another and exchanging handshakes. Unlike people, cells perform these handshakes using the diverse range of sugar molecules coating their surface like trees covering a landscape. Handshakes between these sugar molecules, or glycans, trigger cells to react in specific ways toward each other, such as escape, ignore or destroy.

Source: phys.orgA Chinese team of life scientists, microbiologists, plant researchers and seed designers has developed a way to grow engineered moss with partially synthetic genes. In their project, reported in the journal Nature Plants, the group engineered a moss that is one of the first living things to have multiple cells carrying a partially artificial chromosome.

Lavanya International Private Limited, which operates the online store, www.lavanya.lk, was awarded as the Best Online Store of the Year at the Pinnacle Sri Lanka 2023 Awards organised by the MUGP International Organisation. Lavanya.lk, which is at the forefront among online stores in the country, has attracted thousands of customers in Sri Lanka as well as other parts of the world. Lavanya.lk website has more than one million registered accounts and has continuously secured consumer trust for five years. Customers around the world can easily order and pay for any product they want through the lavanya.lk website. The Company arranges to deliver orders not only in Sri Lanka but also anywhere in the world in a very short period of time.

Largest Pizza in Sri Lanka producedNewsA Sri Lankan restaurant based in Negombo turned out what they say is the biggest Pizza produced in the country. The Pizza was made coinciding with the World Pizza Day which is marked on February 9. TukTuk Wine & Dine-Premier Multi Cuisine Restaurant in Negombo was involved in producing the largest Pizza. The weight of the Pizza was 12 kilograms. Over 100 people watched the preparation of Pizza and later it was shared among those who gathered.

DOI: 10.1029/2023GL107189In a recent study published in Geophysical Research Letters, researchers unveil a poleward shift of tropical cyclone (TC) genesis on a global scale as a result of climate change. While climate models have previously projected a decrease in TC genesis frequency in future warming, the global nature of the latitudinal change in TC genesis has remained uncertain. "Our research underscores the dynamic nature of tropical cyclone genesis, revealing a significant shift towards the poles." Dr. Cao, the first and corresponding author, explains the teams' finding, "This emphasizes the critical connection between climate change and the evolving patterns of these weather phenomena." More information: Xi Cao et al, The Projected Poleward Shift of Tropical Cyclogenesis at a Global Scale Under Climate Change in MRI‐AGCM3.2H, Geophysical Research Letters (2024).

Source: phys.orgFor more than five years, scientists at the South Pole Telescope in Antarctica have been observing the sky with an upgraded camera. The extended gaze toward the cosmos is picking up remnant light from the universe's early formation. Now researchers have analyzed an initial batch of data, publishing details in the journal Physical Review D. The results from this limited dataset hint at even more powerful future insights about the nature of our universe.

Source: phys.orgBetween 1990 and 2005, the national average urban fractional vegetation cover (FVC) decreased from 0.38 to 0.35 due to the increase in floor area ratio and impervious surface in urban areas. The decline is particularly pronounced in megacities, small, medium and small cities.