President Ranil to address the nation
President Ranil Wickremesinghe will address the nation at 8.00 p.m. on Wednesday (26 June), the Government Information Department announced. It is reported that the President, in his address, is expected to brief the public about the current economic situation in the country and provide an update on the progress made with regard to the restructuring of foreign debt. Speculation is rife that the President is likely to announce Sri Lanka’s emergence out of bankruptcy during his special statement. Meanwhile, the national secretary of the United National Party (UNP), Ravi Karunanayake, yesterday (23) indicated that the President’s announcement will provide significant relief to the people of country.
Source:The Nation
June 24, 2024 10:54 UTC
Tax the rich, say a majority of adults across 17 G20 countries surveyed
Source: phys.orgA new survey of adult citizens in 18 of the world's largest economies has revealed majority support for tax reforms and broader political and economic reform. (Not all questions were asked in China, as indicated when findings reference 17 G20 countries.)
Source:The Nation
June 24, 2024 05:31 UTC
Kristi Noem Grilled on Nonexistent Meeting With Kim Jong Un
NBC/screengrabKristi Noem still can’t explain why she included a random, unproven meeting with North Korea’s dictator in her book earlier this year, refusing to discuss on Sunday one of the anecdotes that may have killed her chances of becoming vice president. Meet the Press guest moderator Peter Alexander grilled the South Dakota governor about the scene in her book, in which she recounts how she wasn’t intimidated by Kim Jong Un during their alleged meeting. Noem eventually removed the chapter from later editions of her book, though she has only given vague explanations as to how it ended up there in the first place. It’s the second Sunday show appearance this month where Noem has opted for insistence over reflection in discussing her memoir No Going Back, which prompted a firestorm over both the Kim Jong Un allegation and an anecdote on killing multiple animals her family owned, including a puppy named Cricket. Source: www.thedailybeast.com
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2024 22:59 UTC
President to address nation on economic reforms - Breaking News
Colombo, June 23 (Daily Mirror) - President Ranil Wickremesinghe will address the nation on Wednesday, June 26, to brief on the country's economic challenges and provide an update on the foreign debt restructuring efforts. This was revealed by former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake from the United National Party (UNP). In his address, the President will brief the public on the current economic situation in the country and provide an update on the progress made with the restructuring of foreign debt, said Karunanayake.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2024 16:27 UTC
UNHRC ventures into ‘human rights economy’
UNHRC ventures into ‘human rights economy’ View(s):Last Wednesday was a busy day at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. Sri Lanka was not on the agenda but figured anyway, seemingly in passing and in a significant new framework. This time the UN Human Rights High Commissioner’s reference to Sri Lanka was not in the familiar tune of accountability, reconciliation and disappearances, but in a new framework of ‘human rights economy’. Decades before the ‘human rights economy’ was articulated in Geneva, Sri Lanka had placed human development at the core of its priorities, resulting in human development indicators not just on par with but even beyond more economically advanced countries. Geneva must place its ‘human rights economy’ within the framework of the right to development and related economic, social and cultural rights and not as yet another instrument for intrusive monitoring of the Global South.
Source:Sunday Times
June 23, 2024 14:09 UTC
IRD withdraws temporary VAT number scheme due to large-scale abuse
IRD withdraws temporary VAT number scheme due to large-scale abuse By Damith Wickremasekara View(s): View(s):The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has decided to withdraw the facility of providing temporary VAT (Value-Added Tax) numbers for imports for commercial purposes in view of the misuse of the system. However, temporary VAT numbers will be issued for imports by the government. Until the amendments are approved for imports of medicines too, temporary VAT numbers will be issued, she said. Ms. Chandrasekara said those holding temporary VAT numbers were being registered for permanent VAT numbers, and already 6,000 had been registered. The official said they were estimating the losses suffered due to the temporary VAT number.
Source:Sunday Times
June 23, 2024 02:09 UTC
UK ban on LTTE stays; pro-Eelam group’s appeal fails
UK ban on LTTE stays; pro-Eelam group’s appeal fails View(s):The UK Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission on Friday rejected an appeal by the TGTE (Transitional Government of Tamil Eelam) to lift the proscription on the LTTE in Britain as a terrorist organisation. The Commission gave its ruling on Friday in an appeal by Arumugam and Others vs. the Secretary of State for the Home Department. On March 29, 2001, the UK Secretary of State added the LTTE to the list of proscribed organisations in Schedule 2 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2001. Thereafter, another group made an application for de-proscription and that too was refused by the Secretary of State. The Appeals Commission dismissed the appeal and ordered the proscription of the LTTE in the UK to continue.
Source:Sunday Times
June 23, 2024 02:09 UTC
Only rating agencies can announce a nation has come out of bankruptcy: Harsha - Breaking News
Colombo, June 22 (Daily Mirror) - It is the rating agencies that should announce that a nation has come out of bankruptcy, SJB MP Harsha De Silva said today. "We have heard that President Ranil Wickremesinghe is to announce that Sri Lanka had come out of bankruptcy. However, it is the rating agencies which have to accept and announce that Sri Lanka has come out of bankruptcy. Sri Lanka has to have triple c rating to come out of bankruptcy. Besides, Sri Lanka has not reached an agreement with ISB holders.
Source:The Nation
June 22, 2024 16:23 UTC
Exploring the roots of the Anthropocene
Source: phys.orgUnderstanding how tropical land use and deforestation affects the dynamics of the global Earth system and identifying potential tipping points are key to the future of our species on this planet. By exploring the long history of human societies in tropical forests and bringing together natural and social systems in interdisciplinary models, we can evaluate the repercussions of early human interaction with tropical environments. This historical interaction has left irreversible imprints on the Earth, with consequences that will reverberate far beyond the 21st century.
Source:The Nation
June 22, 2024 00:02 UTC
New AI-driven tool improves root image segmentation
Source: phys.orgIn a world striving for sustainability, understanding the hidden half of a living plant—the roots—is crucial. Roots are not just an anchor; they are a dynamic interface between the plant and soil, critical for water uptake, nutrient absorption, and, ultimately, the survival of the plant.
Source:The Nation
June 22, 2024 00:00 UTC
Why Junes Full Moon Is Known As The Strawberry Moon
Skywatchers will see a full moon on Friday, June 21, known as the Strawberry Moon, which will coincide with the summer solstice. The strawberry moon will appear full for three days, according to NASA, providing plenty of time to observe it. The strawberry moon will be visible in India from 7:08 pm. Why the June full moon called strawberry moonThe name "strawberry moon" has roots in various cultural traditions, including those of Native American, Colonial American and European origins, as documented by The Old Farmer's Almanac. June's full moon, often the last of spring or the first of summer, is traditionally called the strawberry moon.
Source:The Nation
June 21, 2024 07:45 UTC
The problems with climate scenarios, and how to fix them
Source: phys.orgFaced with the uncertainties surrounding climate change, policymakers and investors need to know what can happen and how likely these outcomes may be. Unfortunately, current scenarios answer only the first question—and at that, only partially. Research carried out at the EDHEC Risk Climate Institute tries to provide approximate but "actionable" answers to the second.
Source:The Nation
June 20, 2024 15:04 UTC
LA school district votes to ban student cellphone use
The nation’s second-largest school district approved the ban Details still need to be ‘approved in a future meeting' LAUSD board member: Kids ‘less subtle’ than they think they areLOS ANGELES (NewsNation) — The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education voted on Tuesday to ban cellphone use during the school day. Gavin Newsom announced he wants to restrict students’ usage of smartphones during the school day across the state, citing the mental health risks of social media. The moves to ban cellphone use in schools echo comments from U.S. School cellphone bans may be becoming a bipartisan issue. Ron DeSantis earlier this year signed one of the most restrictive bans in the nation on children’s use of social media.
Source:The Nation
June 19, 2024 20:32 UTC
Rethinking English essay scores
Source: phys.orgTo get high scores on essay writing tests, learners of English as a foreign language need to focus on good arguments more than on complex grammar. The Kobe University finding challenges conventional approaches to test preparation and scoring rubrics.
Source:The Nation
June 19, 2024 08:09 UTC
New theory broadens phase transition exploration
Source: phys.orgIn a paper recently published in Physical Review Letters, Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers offer a new theory that predicts defect density across a variety of phase transitions. The research opens new routes for the exploration of defect formation in fields such as materials science, high-energy physics and cosmology.
Source:The Nation
June 18, 2024 19:01 UTC