Govt. focuses on economic revival; early polls unlikely
The 35-page docu-ment covered five areas: Sri Lanka’s Public Debt Sustainability (background); How to Restore Debt Sus-tainability; Why Domestic Debt Optimisation (DDO) is essential. Who should (will) share the burden of DDO and Envisaged Terms of Sri Lanka’s Domestic Debt Optimisation; and Sri Lanka’s Public Debt Sus-tainability (Background). Dr Weerasinghe made clear that the DDO applied mainly to Treasury Bills and Treasury Bonds. In oth-er words, the issue related largely to those who have subscribed to Treasury Bills and Treasury Bonds. He empha-sised that domestic debt optimisation must be conducted simultaneously with foreign debt optimisation to mitigate this risk.
Source:Sunday Times
July 02, 2023 01:54 UTC
‘Sophisticated vehicle racket’ at Presidential Secretariat
‘Sophisticated vehicle racket’ at Presidential Secretariat View(s):It has been revealed that a Presidential Secretariat official is using a vehicle from the Secretariat’s vehicle pool after renting out his personal vehicle to another official at the same office. Thus the official is not only using a vehicle from the Presidential Secretariat and obtaining a fuel allowance, but he is also earning an additional income by renting out his own vehicle. At the President’s office, a senior official described the renting out of personal vehicles to the Secretariat as a “sophisticated racket” run by some officials. However, such interest was not shown by the Sri Lankan government and wildlife authorities when Sri Lankan Elephant Kaavan was left alone at the Islamabad Zoo in Pakistan. Captain Wickremasuriya said the Sri Lanka Navy’s multifunctional hall mentioned in the news item had not been declared open so far.
Source:Sunday Times
July 02, 2023 01:53 UTC
Trump returns to campaign rallies, draws thousands to small South Carolina city ahead of July 4
It wasn't immediately clear how many people had gathered in the streets of downtown Pickens, a small city in South Carolina's conservative Upstate of around 3,400 residents. Law enforcement officials told some media outlets that around 15,000 people had gathered by 11 a.m., two hours before Trump's remarks. The heavily Republican area is a popular one for GOP hopefuls as they aim to attract support for South Carolina's first-in-the-South presidential primary. Contrasted with his 2016 and 2020 campaigns, which drew thousands to rallies in states across the country, Trump's 2024 effort has been markedly different. In a broad GOP field that has continued to grow, Trump's campaign has pointed to polls showing him with a considerable lead over his rivals, despite a campaign schedule that is far less robust than many of his rivals.
Source:The Nation
July 01, 2023 23:03 UTC
Universal Analytics dies aged 11: ‘Be brave and be strong’
Universal Analytics, a platform beloved (or at least tolerated) by marketers, died today (July 1) after 11 years. Google Analytics was born in November 2005 after Urchin was acquired by Google and became a free service. Seven years later, the search engine welcomed Universal Analytics into the world – a service that would go on to revolutionise the digital marketing industry. Rest in peace, Universal Analytics. Universal Analytics: 2012-2023.
Source:The Nation
July 01, 2023 15:09 UTC
Karen Allen on one last hurrah as Marion Ravenwood in 'Indiana Jones: Dial of Destiny'
NEW YORK – Indiana Jones. Indiana Jones may be one of the movies' most iconic characters, but he's always needed a good foil. Allen's place in the latest and last “Indiana Jones,” the just-released “Dial of Destiny," has long been a mystery. And while her role isn't large — tragedy has driven Marion and Indiana apart — it's extremely poignant in how she figures into Harrison Ford's swan song as Indiana Jones. AP: “Indiana Jones” could be a boys world but you were such a spirited force of nature.
Source:The Nation
July 01, 2023 15:02 UTC
66-year-old grandma becomes lifeguard to keep pool open
Gail Rodgers is keeping her local pool open amid a lifeguard shortage After a 50-year hiatus, she started working as a lifeguard on May 27 Rodgers: “I went through the certification, and lo and behold, I passed”(NewsNation) — Amid a nationwide lifeguard shortage, one Ohio grandmother has stepped up to make sure her community pool remains open. Gail Rodgers, of Sycamore Township, became a lifeguard to keep the private pool open at the Montogmery Towne Condominiums community, where she lives, according to Good Morning America. However, she became certified after learning that the pool would have to close on specific days due to a lack of staff. Neither she nor the residents wanted to see the pool close, so she came out of retirement. This is the second time the 66-year-old has worked as a lifeguard in her lifetime, though it’s been 50 years so she needed to brush up on her skills.
Source:The Nation
June 30, 2023 19:59 UTC
‘The warmest weather of 2023’ is happening this weekend
IDAHO FALLS — The National Weather Service in Pocatello is forecasting “the warmest weather of 2023 so far” to kick off the month of July. Daytime highs are expected to be in the 80s to mid 90s through Sunday. Normal highs for early July are in the mid 70s to mid 80s, so afternoon highs this weekend will be 5 to 8 degrees above normal, according to a weather briefing from the NWS. Meteorologists are also anticipating isolated thunderstorms and wind gusts between 20 and 30 mph. “Thunderstorms are expected each day … particularly in the mountains outside of the Snake Plain … with driest conditions expected on Sunday,” the NWS reports.
Source:The Nation
June 30, 2023 19:09 UTC
Analyzing the expression of hate speech in YouTube comments
Source: phys.orgResearchers at the Interactive Technologies Institute have conducted a study on hate speech targeting marginalized communities in YouTube comments. Cláudia Silva joined a research team led by Paula Carvalho (INESC-ID/IST), that aimed to analyze the prevalence and linguistic strategies underlying online comprehensively hate speech against Afro-descendant, Roma, and LGBTQ+ communities in Portugal. The research was developed within the scope of the project HATE COVID-19.PT.
Source:The Nation
June 30, 2023 09:00 UTC
Best LGBT+ games to play beyond Pride Month
To celebrate that queerness, we’ve got a list of the best LGBT+ games on PC to come out in recent years. The best LGBT+ games are:Super Lesbian Animal RPGTrue to its name, Super Lesbian Animal RPG is a traditional turn-based RPG game that’s utterly suffused with queerness. I Was a Teenage ExocolonistI Was a Teenage Exocolonist exists in multitudes – it is a life game, RPG, deckbuilder, and dating sim all rolled up into one. In a sense, platforming becomes an interwoven allegory for the trans experience: searching to find a safe space to occupy in an effort to survive a passively hostile environment. This Pride Month and beyond, explore the complexities of queerness across the full spectrum of sexuality and gender with our picks.
Source:The Nation
June 30, 2023 03:00 UTC
Research students turn Schrödinger's cat on its head
Source: phys.orgStudents at the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw (UW) and researchers from the QOT Center for Quantum Optical Technologies have developed an innovative method that allows the fractional Fourier Transform of optical pulses to be performed using quantum memory. This achievement is unique on the global scale, as the team was the first to present an experimental implementation of the said transformation in this type of system.
Source:The Nation
June 30, 2023 01:06 UTC
Nineteen new Wolf-Rayet stars discovered in the Andromeda galaxy
Source: phys.orgUsing the 4.3-m Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT), astronomers Kathryn F. Neugent and Philip Massey, have observed the nearby Andromeda galaxy. In result, they detected 19 new Wolf-Rayet stars in this galaxy. The finding was reported in a paper published June 22 on the pre-print server arXiv.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2023 14:00 UTC
When is the next Dreamlight Valley update release date?
What is the next Dreamlight Valley update? Next Dreamlight Valley updateThe next Dreamlight Valley update releases later this Summer, most likely in July, as part two of the Summer update sees Princess Vanellope race into the valley. Dreamlight Valley update scheduleUpdate 6 slightly alters the existing two-monthly schedule that Gameloft has stuck to so far, but in a good way. That’s everything we know about what might be coming in the next Dreamlight Valley update and its release date, but that doesn’t mean there’s not plenty to keep you busy right now. Ensure you’re not missing out on the latest Dreamlight Valley codes, and level up all the Dreamlight Valley characters already in the life game by giving them their favorite gifts, including some Dreamlight Valley recipes, and make sure you’re ready to go when the new arrivals get here.
Source:The Nation
June 29, 2023 13:00 UTC
We're Already Living in Barbie's Barbiecore Pink World
After seeing all of the pink Barbie movie collections available, I’m definitely not thinking about death anymore. Step into your Barbiecore personality before the July 21 release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie with Margot Robbie-inspired fashion and accessories. io9 has the full gamut of all things Barbie available now (or will be very soon) in anticipation of the Mattel icon’s cinematic extravaganza. Click through the gallery to see what you can buy to live in your own Barbie world.
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2023 23:26 UTC
Forecasting flash floods an hour in advance
Procedure for flash flood forecasting using rainfall radar data and KICT flash flood forecasting system. Credit: Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology Procedure for flash flood forecasting using rainfall radar data and KICT flash flood forecasting system. Researchers at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) have developed a system that can forecast flash floods one hour in advance. Its success rate in forecasting flash floods was an impressive 90.3% for 31 heavy rainfall events during the public verification in 2019. This forecasting system is expected to significantly reduce the casualties and property damage caused by flash floods as their coming can be predicted at least one hour in advance."
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2023 19:09 UTC
An isothermal biocatalytic process to manufacture therapeutic oligonucleotides
Source: phys.orgA team of biochemists at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology has developed an isothermal biocatalytic process that can be used to manufacture therapeutic oligonucleotides in large volumes. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their process and possible medical applications.
Source:The Nation
June 28, 2023 14:06 UTC