Smallest star ever observed is part of an exotic binary system
Source: phys.orgA large international team of astronomers has discovered the smallest known star to date, and found that it is paired with another, somewhat larger star. Their paper is published in the journal Nature Astronomy,.
Source:The Nation
February 21, 2024 22:31 UTC
Controversial Malwana land used by Basil taken over by Justice Ministry
Controversial Malwana land used by Basil taken over by Justice MinistryNewsA 15-acre land and building in Malwana, widely believed to be of former Minister Basil Rajapaksa and later disclaimed is to be made use for a proposed development project of the state, Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe said. The Justice Minister today visited the site and told reporters that a cabinet paper will be submitted shortly on the proposed development project for which the land will be used. The Minister said that the land was acquired by the Justice Ministry after all persons whose names were in the deeds disclaimed ownership of the land and the building that existed. The Justice Minister said that the building was initially due to be made use for an international Judges training centre. In June last year the Pugoda Magistrate’s Court ordered the disputed 16-acre land and house in Malwana to be auctioned after former minister Basil Rajapaksa and its registered owner denied ownership of the property.
Source:Sunday Times
February 21, 2024 13:19 UTC
New Chief of Staff for SL Navy
New Chief of Staff for SL NavyNewsRear Admiral Pradeep Rathnayake has been appointed as the Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Navy. Rear Admiral Rathnayake received the official letter of appointment from Navy Commander Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera today (Feb. 21) at Navy Headquarters. He has been holding the position of Deputy Chief of Staff at the Navy Headquarters until his appointment as Chief of Staff. In addition, he received the Uththama Sewa Padakkama in recognition of his impeccable moral integrity and commitment to service. Rear Admiral Rathnayake has had the honor of leading a number of Fast Attack Craft, Ships, and Establishments.
Source:Sunday Times
February 21, 2024 13:19 UTC
Nawaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto's Parties Reach New Coalition Deal In Pakistan
In a joint news conference late on Tuesday night, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari announced that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, 72, is set to assume the role of the Prime Minister once again. Independent candidates - a majority backed by 71-year-old Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party -- won 93 National Assembly seats. Meanwhile, in a post on X, 71-year-old Khan's PTI hit out at the newly cemented PPP, PML-N alliance as 'PDM 2.0' "PDM 2.0 = #MandateThieves." Shehbaz Sharif, who was prime minister from 2022 to 2023, said that the journey ahead for the new government would not be easy but fraught with many difficulties and obstacles. He asserted that the coalition alliance will tackle them together, the Dawn newspaper reported.
Source:The Nation
February 21, 2024 07:44 UTC
Physicists develop new solar cell design for better efficiency
Source: phys.orgPhysicists at Paderborn University have used complex computer simulations to develop a new design for significantly more efficient solar cells than previously available. A thin layer of organic material, known as tetracene, is responsible for the increase in efficiency. The results have now been published in Physical Review Letters.
Source:The Nation
February 21, 2024 04:03 UTC
Scientists may have cracked the 'aging process' in species
Source: phys.orgNew research from the University of Kansas might resolve a mystery in the "aging process" in species—or, how a species' risk of going extinct changes after that species appears on the scene.
Source:The Nation
February 20, 2024 20:33 UTC
New ultra-short-period exoplanet discovered
Source: phys.orgUsing NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), astronomers have detected a new ultra-short-period exoplanet. The newly found alien world is nearly two times larger than the Earth and orbits its host star in less than one day. The finding was reported in a paper published February 12 on the preprint server arXiv.
Source:The Nation
February 20, 2024 15:07 UTC
Sri Lanka - India talks on ETCA next month
Sri Lanka - India talks on ETCA next monthNewsSri Lanka and India will convene for the fourteenth round of discussions on the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) in the first week of March 2024, in New Delhi. The 13th Round of discussions addressing the current state of the ECTA and the report made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe were reviewed by the Cabinet of Ministers during their meeting on Monday, February 19. Consequently, talks had begun between the nine subcommittees that oversee the following areas: Rules of the origin, Goods trade, Introduction, General Provisions and General Exceptions, Trade Accords, Technical Constraints for Trade and Rules of Sanitation and Sanitation of Vegetation. Also the subcommittee on conflict resolution and final provisions is expected to hold its meetings at the end of this month New Delhi. You can share this post!
Source:Sunday Times
February 20, 2024 11:15 UTC
Detecting atmospheric rivers with satellite observations
Source: phys.orgAtmospheric rivers (ARs) are filaments of intense moisture transport in the atmosphere. These weather systems drive a large fraction of the extreme precipitation events over coastal regions. Detecting ARs in satellite observations has long been a challenging task due to the lack of wind information. In a study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, scientists derived an approximation of the 3-dimensional (3D) wind field based on the spatial distribution of the satellite-based temperature.
Source:The Nation
February 20, 2024 02:02 UTC
Special committee formed to address demands of health sector trade unions
Special committee formed to address demands of health sector trade unionsNewsRepresentatives from health sector trade unions and Minister of Health Dr. Ramesh Pathirana have agreed to form a special committee to look into the demands by the health workers. Ravi Kumudesh, President of Joint Council for Professions of Supplementary to Medicine said that the Minister of Health had vowed to address the requests of the Health Trade Union Alliance. The Ministry of Health in a statement announced the appointment of a special committee to examine the demands of the health sector trade unions. The committee, including the Secretary to the Ministry of Health Dr. Palitha Mahipala, Minister of Health Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, and members of the Health Trade Union Alliance (HTUA) is scheduled to convene tomorrow (20), at 3:00 p.m. Health sector unions have decided not to initiate any strike actions for the time being.
Source:Sunday Times
February 19, 2024 23:52 UTC
Russian aims to build nuclear anti-satellite weapon: Reports
The White House has confirmed that U.S. intelligence officials have information indicating Russia has obtained such a capability, although such a weapon is not yet operational. Termed a nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP), the weapon would emit electromagnetic energy and charged particles, disrupting satellites in Earth’s orbit, according to CNN. While experts acknowledge the weapon’s potential to cripple satellite constellations like SpaceX’s Starlink, they also highlight its indiscriminate impact on Russian satellites. If Russia were to deploy a nuclear EMP, it would contravene the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which prohibits placing weapons of mass destruction in space, Biden administration officials said. U.S. officials unanimously believe that even if Russia were to deploy a nuclear weapon in orbit, it would not be detonated.
Source:The Nation
February 19, 2024 00:03 UTC
U.S. Conducts 5 New Strikes in Houthi-Controlled Yemen
Hamad I Mohammed/ReutersThe U.S. said on Sunday that it had successfully carried out a round of airstrikes on Houthi vessels and anti-ship cruise missiles, including the first unmanned underwater vessel the Iranian-backed militia is believed to have used since it began attacking ships in the Red Sea late last year. In a tweet, U.S. Central Command announced that five “self-defense” strikes had been conducted against the unmanned underwater vessel, one unmanned surface vessel, and three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time. The command said that the targets had “presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region.”“These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safe and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels,” Central Command said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Source: www.thedailybeast.com
Source:The Nation
February 18, 2024 22:18 UTC
Sri Lanka only South Asian nation to not blacklist corrupt contractors: Verité Research
Sri Lanka has the worst record among South Asian countries in blacklisting corrupt contractors in public procurement, according to a new report by Verité Research. The first issue can be attributed to gaps in the procurement guidelines of 2006, which govern almost all public procurement in Sri Lanka — except in a few instances such as pharmaceutical procurement. Sri Lanka has provisions not only to blacklist defaulting contractors, but also to publish their names in a public, online database. In fact, one of the key IMF recommendations is to enact a public procurement law in Sri Lanka that reflects international best practices by December 2024. The report by Verité Research, titled “Backwards in Blacklisting: Gaps in Sri Lanka’s Procurement Framework Enable Corruption”, is available on the Verité Research website – https://www.veriteresearch.org/publication/sri-lanka-procurement-corruption-gaps/
Source:The Nation
February 18, 2024 04:19 UTC