An Irish couple who bought an old school bus have spent £15,000 transforming it into a “homely apartment on wheels” and left their jobs to drive it across Europe. After “falling in love” with van life during the pandemic, the couple spotted a 1996 school bus on Facebook Marketplace for £3,000 and jumped at the opportunity. The couple spent £15,000 on renovating the 24-seater primary school bus with home comforts including a full-size kitchen and warm water shower, as well as heaters and air conditioning. A year later, Eamonn and Michelle began looking for an "upgrade" and soon became the proud owners of a 1996 Mercedes 709D former school bus. It would have originally been a yellow primary school bus owned by the education authority."

Sri Lanka needs an ethical and stronger media industry, says PRCA Sri LankaNewsThe people of Sri Lanka this time around has made a remarkable decision of breaking away from the long-stood static political landscape, paving the way for a dynamic and fundamental change required to move the country forward, according to the Public Relations & Communication Association’s (PRCA’s) Sri Lanka Chapter. It said the media undoubtedly plays a crucial role at this juncture, and the dire need to formulating effective and inclusive policies that are free from political influences goes without saying. There needs to be highly impactful individuals taking on the state’s leadership roles for the sector. Talent entering the media sector needs to have certain minimum requirements, and as a first step, to implement an entry examination or assignment coupled together with mandatory mentorship with an editor or a senior journalist for a period of time. This would also ensure knowledge-sharing among the multi-generational workforce the sector employs.

SLC names squad for test series against South AfricaSportThe Sri Lanka Cricket Selection Committee selected the following 17-member squad to play in the two-match test series against South Africa. The team will leave for South Africa on November 22, 2024. The two-match test series is part of the ICC World Test Championship. The first test will commence on November 27th, 2024, at Kingsmead Durban, while the second test will begin on December 5th, 2024, at St. Georges Park, Gqeberha. Milan Rathnayake14) Asitha Fernando15) Vishwa Fernando16) Lahiru Kumara17) Kasun RajithaYou can share this post!

New 21 member Cabinet of Ministers sworn inNewsThe new cabinet of the National People’s Power (NPP) government was sworn in today (18) before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat. The cabinet comprises 21 ministers, with President Dissanayake assuming responsibility for the portfolios of Defence, Finance, Planning, and Digital Economy. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya took the oath as the Prime Minister, and the list of cabinet ministers and deputy ministers is as follows:The full list of Cabinet of Ministers and their respective Ministerial portfolios are as follows:1. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya - Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education. Sunil Kumara Gamage - Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports17.

Collectively work to deliver on promises: President tells new CabinetNewsPresident Anura Kumara Dissanayake urged the newly appointed Cabinet of Ministers to deliver the promises that were made to the public while stressing that there have been much expectations from people as witnessed by the landslide victory the National Peoples'Power secured in the General elections held last week. In his inaugural address to the newly appointed Cabinet of Ministers, President Dissanayake President expressed confidence in the new Cabinet Ministers who come from various academic and professional backgrounds. President also defended the appointments saying they (new Ministers) might be new to Parliament but engaged in grassroot level political activism for years. “They are freshers to the Cabinet, to the Parliament, but they are neither freshers to politics nor to working,” he said. You can share this post!

Courtesy of Sean KongBy David TizzardI’m meant to write something about how Korean education sucks. Every day I walk into a different lecture hall filled with Korean students. It’s actually really nice because, if you want, you can really concentrate on the class and study well.” The Korean students raised their eyebrows. Korean education in the formative years is about discipline and obedience. So, yes, Korean education is challenging.

Police have arrested two men following a high-speed pursuit in West Belfast on Monday morning. Officers involved in the incident reported minor injuries after the car collided with their police vehicle on Stockman's Lane. “A police pursuit ensued, and officers attempted to slow the vehicle down by the use of a stinger device being deployed. Police vehicle damaged following ramming(Image: PSNI)“Two men, aged 33 and 24, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of a number of driving offences, including dangerous driving and driving with no licence. For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

The original idea for the world wide web emerged in a flurry of scientific thought around the end of World War II. The laws of linksModern search engines were developed in the shadow of the memex, but at first they faced unexpected legal issues. It was also not clear whether, in linking to information that might help someone build a bomb, defraud someone, or carry out some other nefarious activity, search engines or website hosts were “publishers”. The provision of links, eyeballs and credit, though, is falling as AI does not link to its sources. There are good people-centred reasons for social media companies and search engines to want you to not have to leave.

Police are appealing for information following a "completely reckless" arson attack at a vacant property in Co Down in the early hours of this morning, Sunday 17th November. Just after 12.40am, officers received a report that colleagues at Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service were at the scene of a fire in the Weaver’s Grange area of Newtownards. “We are following a number of lines of enquiry, including a possible link to an ongoing loyalist feud in the area. You can also submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/. For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Two men have been arrested after another man was left with part of his ear missing following a reported assault in Co Fermanagh yesterday, Saturday 16th November. Shortly after 12:10pm, it was reported that a man was located in premises in the Main Street area of Belcoo with injuries including a cut above his eye, and part of his ear missing. The man reported to police that he had been assaulted by two men. Officers subsequently arrested a man aged in his 20s on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent, common assault, criminal damage, assault on police and disorderly behaviour. For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

This image from a video posted Oct. 18 on X by Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security shows what the center claims are North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia. “The gist of our message will be this: The war initiated by Russia’s military was an invasion, and there is no justification for you (North Korean troops) to support it. This moves comes as North Korean soldiers are engaging in combat operations alongside Russian troops attempting to retake land lost to Ukraine’s military in the Kursk region. According to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), North Korean troops have already begun participating in the battlefield. Speaking to reporters, Thursday, a ministry official said the North Korean regime might have concluded that keeping the information hidden would be in its best political interest.

"At EBANX, we understand that entering emerging markets like South America and Africa comes with unique challenges and opportunities. This allows us to offer strategic advice and real-time assistance, helping our clients navigate the complexities of entering new markets," Yu added. We view G-Star as an excellent platform to showcase the potential of these rising markets to Korean companies," Yu said. EBANX is eager to explore partnerships across industries that align with the ongoing digitalization and financial inclusion trends in these emerging markets. "We aim to support Korean companies in entering these rapidly expanding markets, fostering mutual growth and success."

A wave of social media users are exiting the platform after owner Elon Musk issued new terms of service that would allow him to analyze users' content to train artificial intelligence. Some users closed their X accounts two years ago when Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion. After X's new terms of service took effect on Thursday, the mass exodus continues. They also stipulate that users' content may be modified or adapted for other media. As of November 2024, Bluesky has over 13 million users, according to its website.

This year’s figure shows a significant rise from just 13 female executives in 2004 and more than 300 higher than the 106 recorded in 2014. However, the proportion of women among all executives remains relatively low at just 6.3 percent this year, similar to 2023. This year, 74 of the top 100 companies have female executives, up by two from last year, marking a new record. Among companies with 10 or more female executives, Amorepacific has the highest proportion, with women making up 28.1 percent of its executives. These include Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin, LG H&H CEO Lee Jung-ae, Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon, and Korea Gas Corp. CEO Choi Yeon-hye.

Along with Choi, other leaders of Naver showcased the firm's latest AI technologies, promising to offer users fulfilling AI experiences. Korea Times photo by Nam Hyun-wooDuring the conference, Naver showcased new generative AI-based search functions that will combine the company’s current search functions with individualized recommendations. AI briefing will also support English, Japanese and other foreign-language searches, allowing international users to experience Naver’s new generative AI search function. The company also revealed the Naver TwinXR platform, which integrates its digital twin solutions, AI positioning system and cloud services into a single platform. Choi stressed that Naver will continue investing in AI services to provide more advanced and seamless experiences for users.