Why recycling plastic is not a quick fix
Source: phys.orgConsidering the climate crisis and worldwide plastic pollution, many people believe that recycling materials, in particular plastic, is the solution to our problems. Recycling can reduce resource use, prevent waste and reduce CO2 emissions. It is an important cornerstone of the circular economy. But while some materials are relatively simple to recycle, recycling plastics involves a complex conflict of objectives.
Source:The Nation
March 09, 2024 09:32 UTC
Q&A: How will generative artificial intelligence affect political advertising in 2024?
Source: phys.orgIt's estimated that $12 billion will be spent on political ads this election cycle—30% more than in 2020. The sheer volume of ads is remarkable, and there is vast potential to use this political information to contribute to democracy: to reach more potential voters and provide accurate information.
Source:The Nation
March 09, 2024 00:01 UTC
Academic freedom unevenly distributed: Report
Source: phys.orgAcademic freedom today is not available for 3.6 billion people, or 45.5% of the world's population. After a global peak in academic freedom in 2006, the situation today is comparable to circumstances fifty years ago in 1973.
Source:The Nation
March 08, 2024 16:18 UTC
Five offers for Sri Lanka Insurance units stakes
Five offers for Sri Lanka Insurance units stakesNewsFive offers have been made under the Request for Qualification (RfQ) called for the divesture of shares in the life and general units of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Ltd, according to the state-owned Enterprises Restructuring Unit of the Ministry of Finance. For the life unit, offers were made by LIC (Lanka) Ltd, Union Assurance PLC and Asiri Hospital Holdings PLC while for the general unit offers were received from Euro Exim Bank Ltd and Fairfirst Insurance Ltd. The deadline for submissions ended on March 6. You can share this post!
Source:Sunday Times
March 08, 2024 12:09 UTC
IMF comments on Sri Lanka’s commitment on Programme implementation
IMF comments on Sri Lanka’s commitment on Programme implementationNewsDuring the meeting between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the IMF team at the Finance Ministry today (07), Peter Breuer, the Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka, delivered encouraging remarks. This statement resonated with both President Wickremesinghe and the IMF team, highlighting the collective efforts and collaboration that have contributed to Sri Lanka's economic recovery. As discussions progressed, President Wickremesinghe and the IMF team delved into various aspects of Sri Lanka's economic performance, focusing on fiscal stability, structural reforms, and future outlook. In conclusion, the meeting between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the IMF team at the Finance Ministry today highlighted the positive outcomes of Sri Lanka's engagement with the IMF program. Breuer's remarks served as a testament to the collective efforts and commitment towards achieving economic prosperity, further reinforcing the optimism surrounding Sri Lanka's economic trajectory.
Source:Sunday Times
March 07, 2024 17:26 UTC
German police conduct raids against people suspected of posting misogynistic hate speech online
BERLIN (AP) — German law enforcement authorities on Thursday carried out raids across Germany against people suspected of posting misogynistic hate speech on the internet as part of of a coordinated push to shine the spotlight on online violence against women. None of the suspects were detained, Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office said in a statement. In preparation for the raids, authorities scoured the internet for posts that potentially broke anti-misogyny laws and attempted to identify the authors. The raids concentrated on suspects who had set their sights on well-known women like female politicians – often the target of misogynistic hatred online. Despite the law, online posts that degrade or threaten women often go unpunished, and many women say they avoid public attention fearing online attacks.
Source:The Nation
March 07, 2024 15:30 UTC
ATIRE becomes the World’s 1st CARBON-NEUTRAL Solid Tire Company
ATIRE becomes the World’s 1st CARBON-NEUTRAL Solid Tire CompanyBusinessIn a groundbreaking move, ATIRE Pvt Ltd, the rapidly growing industrial solid tire company based in Sri Lanka, has redefined the standards of environmental responsibility by becoming the world's first carbon-neutral industrial solid tire manufacturing company. Founded in 2019, ATIRE is one of the fastest growing solid tire brands in the industry. As a member of Anunine Holdings, a diversified conglomerate with a strong focus on sustainability, ATIRE is part of a broader mission to drive positive change across multiple industries. Innovative and Sustainable Initiatives“We are delighted to state that ATIRE is now the world’s 1st carbon neutral solid tire company, which includes its state-of-the-art tire manufacturing facility based in Sri Lanka - which is now a net-zero emissions manufacturing plant. Steam generation, a significant energy consumer in the solid tire industry, traditionally relies on fossil fuels, contributing to environmental degradation.
Source:Sunday Times
March 07, 2024 07:59 UTC
Addi Health Secy gives in confidential statement
Addi Health Secy gives in confidential statementNewsDr. Saman Ratnayake, the Additional Secretary of the Health Ministry who was recently placed on remand following the scandal involving the substandard medication procurement has made a four-hour confidential statement to the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court today (Mar. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested him on Friday (Mar. 1), in relation to the incident involving the substandard purchase of human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). The court has further ordered the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Health to be kept apart from the other detained suspects of the case after he declared in court on Friday (Mar. 1) that he was prepared to confess to the matter.
Source:The Nation
March 07, 2024 07:30 UTC
AI art and human creativity
Source: phys.orgText-to-image generative AI systems like Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and DALL-E can produce images based on text prompts that, had they been produced by humans, would plausibly be judged as "creative." Some artists have argued that these programs are a threat to human creativity. If AI comes to be relied on to produce most new visual works, drawing on what has been done before, creative progress could stagnate.
Source:The Nation
March 07, 2024 00:02 UTC
Halt excessive scrutiny of nations - SL tells Human Rights Council - Front Page
Says failure to address suffering of civilians in Gaza, undermines the credibility of the international human rights frameworkBy Sunil JayasiriSri Lanka has called for the UN Human Rights Council to halt its excessive scrutiny of nations in the global south through intrusive mechanisms while ignoring violations elsewhere to regain credibility. Sri Lanka also expressed disappointment that the Council’s persistent and disproportionate attention on Sri Lanka is not beneficial to the nation. “Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case with regard to Sri Lanka, where the Council´s continuous and disproportionate focus on Sri Lanka is unhelpful to the country concerned,” she said. We appreciate the many positive comments made by countries during the General Debate on Sri Lanka, acknowledging the visible progress on the ground. In the context of protection and promotion of human rights in the Global South, Sri Lanka supports the One China principle and we take note of China’s cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms.
Source:The Nation
March 06, 2024 05:52 UTC
New timeline for East Asian hominins' tool-making revealed
Source: phys.orgA new study from the Nihewan basin of China has revealed that hominins who possessed advanced knapping abilities equivalent to Mode 2 technological features occupied East Asia as early as 1.1 million years ago (Ma), which is 0.3 Ma earlier than the date associated with the first handaxes found in East Asia. This suggests that Mode 2 hominins dispersed into East Asia much earlier than previously thought.
Source:The Nation
March 06, 2024 04:33 UTC
Decoding cryptocurrency regulation in the legibility framework
Source: phys.orgSince its introduction, cryptocurrency governance has been one of the most controversial global financial topics. While some countries have established elaborate regulations for cryptocurrencies, many countries are still reluctant to oversee the markets, and some have outright banned them.
Source:The Nation
March 05, 2024 21:47 UTC
Research team designs small-scale 'chemical nose'
Source: phys.orgA living organism's nose is essentially a biological molecule detector that sends neurological signals to the brain, which then decodes a particular scent. Human noses, with six million olfactory receptors, can distinguish more than one trillion scents, while some canine noses possess up to 300 million receptors, which provide enhanced sensitivity in parts per trillion.
Source:The Nation
March 05, 2024 21:47 UTC
Government to forbid political activities on school property
Government to forbid political activities on school propertyNewsProvincial Governors have been given the authority by the Government to deny permission to utilize school property for political reasons, according to Minister of Transport and Highways and Mass Media Bandula Guwnawardana. The pertinent proposal which was presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers at their meeting on Monday (March 05). You can share this post!
Source:Sunday Times
March 05, 2024 19:46 UTC
Lakmee Holdings opens its Colombo Office in Havelock Town
Lakmee Holdings opens its Colombo Office in Havelock TownBusinessLakmee Holdings (Pvt) Ltd. a true Sri Lankan company, recently opened its Colombo office complex in Havelock Town, expanding their mission towards providing the consumers with the best products. Affirming the same, Lakmee Holdings expanded their business network and opened the Colombo office complex. Commenting on the achievement, Lakmee Holdings Founder and Chairman, Mr. Ushan Udumulla said: "At Lakmee Holdings, we give priority to locality. Lakmee Holdings is a revolutionary innovator in the soy market. Lakmee Holdings Colombo Office and staffLakmee Holdings Founder and Chairman, Mr. Ushan Udumulla opening the new office complexYou can share this post!
Source:The Nation
March 05, 2024 10:09 UTC