‘Take advantage of this opportunity and make a change’
‘Take advantage of this opportunity and make a change’ View(s):President Ranil Wickremesinghe addresses youth selected for Sectoral Oversight Committees of ParliamentA “system change” can be done in accordance with the Constitution, President Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed while addressing an orientation workshop for nearly 550 youth representatives of the Sectoral Oversight Committees of Parliament. Following a newspaper advertisement, youth between the ages of 18 and 35 were chosen for the Sectoral Oversight Committees related to 17 subject areas established in Parliament. “Take full advantage of this opportunity. Instead of waiting for the next Parliament to be appointed, now is the opportunity to get together and do this work, President Wickremesinghe added. The UNDP’s global collaboration with parliaments around the world focuses on strengthening core functions of Parliament, including lawmaking, oversight representation and budget scrutiny, said Azusa Kubota, the UNDP’s Resident Representative.
Source:Sunday Times
May 14, 2023 01:14 UTC
The Twisted True-Crime Life of Joran van der Sloot
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Reuters/HandoutJoran van der Sloot has been called a serial killer, a pathological liar, and a monster. His own lawyer once called him a psychopath who should never be believed. The imminent extradition of the 35-year-old Dutchman from Peru—to face decade-old charges of wire fraud and extortion—reinvigorates one of the most-covered stories of the early 2000s: the disappearance of Natalee Holloway and the investigation into van der Sloot. Read more at The Daily Beast. Send it to The Daily Beast hereSource: www.thedailybeast.com
Source:The Nation
May 13, 2023 23:59 UTC
Meet Wonder Woman's New Superheroic Daughter, Trinity
They’ll reboot, they’ll die (and have someone replace them for a bit), and they’ll get boosted to a ridiculously powerful cosmic status. The Woman Who Would Be PhotonDC Comics is now adding Wonder Woman to that parental set. With the character’s incoming run from Tom King and Daniel Sampere, the duo are set to give her a daughter by the name of Trinity. The character’s set to make her first appearance in Wonder Woman’s 800th anniversary issue in June, which will then lead into their debut issue in September. King & Sampere’s Wonder Woman #1 will then release in September.
Source:The Nation
May 13, 2023 23:06 UTC
Meme Coins Meet Table Tennis: FLOKI Lands World Championship Sponsorship
When’s the last time you saw a meme coin at a table tennis match? The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has announced a partnership with cryptocurrency Floki (FLOKI), for the ITTF World Table Tennis Championship Finals to be held from May 20-28 in Durban, South Africa. “We are delighted to announce this partnership with Floki, which marks a significant milestone in the history of both table tennis and the cryptocurrency industry,” Jonny Cowan, World Table Tennis Europe General Manager said in a press release. Cowan added that “Our mission at World Table Tennis is to revolutionize the sport of table tennis and lead its digital transformation, and we believe that this partnership with Floki will help us to achieve this goal.”Floki is a play-to-earn cryptocurrency that originated as a meme coin based on Elon Musk’s dog. According to an official statement from the team at Floki, this partnership will put them in front of 500 million people around the world, in a first ever union for table tennis and crypto.
Source:The Nation
May 12, 2023 20:10 UTC
Justice Dept. seeks to put Trump deposition on hold in case of FBI agent fired over text messages
All rights reserved)WASHINGTON – The Justice Department asked a judge Thursday to put on hold a scheduled deposition of Donald Trump in a lawsuit brought by an FBI agent who was fired over text messages critical of the former president. The government said in a federal court filing that a judge should order lawyers for Peter Strzok to take the deposition of FBI Director Christopher Wray before they seek to question Trump. Lawyers for Trump support the Justice Department’s position, according to a footnote in the government’s filing, while Strzok’s attorneys oppose it. “These circumstances do not rise to the ‘extraordinary circumstances’ necessary to authorize the deposition of a current or former high-ranking government official, much less a former President,” the Justice Department wrote. Strzok's lawyers have said they want to question Trump about whether he met with and pressured FBI and Justice Department officials to fire him.
Source:The Nation
May 12, 2023 04:08 UTC
New hemp-based biomaterial to help with global microplastic pollution crisis
Source: phys.orgPlastic is cheap and light, and conceivably recyclable, which makes it an easy choice for packaging when it comes to food and cosmetics. But it's also potentially toxic and biologically harmful, making it a non-starter for many environmentally responsible and socially conscious companies in Canada and around the world.
Source:The Nation
May 11, 2023 21:07 UTC
Honkai Star Rail free Stellar Jade farming guide
How do I farm free Honkai Star Rail Stellar Jade? Here are all the ways you can farm free Stellar Jade in Honkai Star Rail:TutorialsIt’s never fun being constantly inundated by tooltips, but Honkai Star Rail makes it slightly easier to bear by bestowing One Stellar Jade per tutorial tip. Doing so will often net you a steady supply of free Honkai Star Rail Stellar Jade. 800 Stellar Jade is available to redeem from the Trailblazing Will menu once you reach level 25, with a further 800 Stellar Jade at level 35. Now that you’ve accrued additional savings, why not check out our Honkai Star Rail Bronya build and Honkai Star Rail Serval build guides to discover which characters you need to create the best Honkai Star Rail team comp.
Source:The Nation
May 11, 2023 15:06 UTC
UK sending Ukraine long-range cruise missiles
British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace leaves the Cabinet Office in Whitehall, London, Tuesday April 25, 2023. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden will chair a Cobra meeting on the evacuation of British nationals from Sudan. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)(Jordan Pettitt, PA)LONDON – British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Thursday that the U.K. is sending Ukraine long-range cruise missiles to help push back Russian forces. The missiles give Ukraine capacity to strike well behind the front lines, including in Russia-occupied Crimea. U.K. media reported that Ukraine has pledged not to use the missiles to attack Russia itself.
Source:The Nation
May 11, 2023 12:08 UTC
Westminster winner shares name with late rock icon
Buddy Holly bested six other finalists to garner the most prestigious dog show award in the United States. “Buddy Holly is the epitome of a show dog. If Buddy Holly was feeling the pressure, he wasn’t letting it show ahead of the finals. And what was next for Buddy Holly? New York-based AP journalist Jennifer Peltz has covered the Westminster dog show since 2013.
Source:The Nation
May 10, 2023 20:40 UTC
Biden to host Indian leader Modi June 22 during state visit
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during the inauguration of the Global Buddhist Summit, in New Delhi, India, Thursday, April 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)(Manish Swarup, Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi next month as part of Modi's trip to the United States that will include honors at an elaborate White House state dinner. Modi is the third world leader to be invited on a U.S. state visit by Biden, following French President Emmanuel Macron late last year and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in April. Biden and Modi will focus on their countries' commitment to a free and secure Indo-Pacific region, as well as on their partnerships in technology, including in the areas of defense, clean energy and space, Jean-Pierre said.
Source:The Nation
May 10, 2023 14:20 UTC
Get 120 games for just $10, and help earthquake victims
A new Itch sale offers you 120 PC games, as well as soundtracks, artworks, and other game-related works, for just $10 (£8), with all your money going to various charities that are supporting victims of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. The Itch bundle collects indie games, platformers, and detective games from 135 different game-makers, with the aim of raising $500,000 (£396,000) for earthquake-related causes. The ‘Play for Turkey’ bundle is available now until May 23, and offers 120 different independent games, as well as various other game-related material, for less than a month of Amazon Prime. Between games, soundtracks, comics, books, and other items, the bundle gives you around $780 (£618) worth of stuff for just ten bucks. You can find the Itch Turkey and Syria relief bundle here.
Source:The Nation
May 10, 2023 05:05 UTC
US busts Russian cyber operation in dozens of countries
All rights reserved)WASHINGTON – The Justice Department said Tuesday that it had disrupted a long-running Russian cyberespionage campaign that stole sensitive information from computer networks in dozens of countries, including the U.S. and other NATO members. The Russian operation relied on the malicious software known as Snake to infect computers, with hackers operating from what the Justice Department said was a known FSB facility in Ryazan, Russia. U.S. officials said they'd been investigating Snake for about a decade and came to regard it as the most sophisticated malware implant relied on by the Russian government for espionage campaigns. They said Turla, the FSB unit believed responsible for the malware, had refined and revised it multiple times as a way to avoid being shut down. Federal officials said they were confident that, based on the impact of its operation this week, the FSB would not be able to reconstitute the malware implant.
Source:The Nation
May 09, 2023 16:03 UTC
Bitcoin Payment Option 'Is Coming', Says Liechtenstein's Prime Minister
Liechtenstein is planning to accept Bitcoin (BTC) as payment for state services, Prime Minister Daniel Risch said in an interview with German business daily Handelsblatt. "A payment option with Bitcoin is coming," said Risch, who also serves as Liechtenstein’s finance minister. Although there isn't a specific timeframe for the implementation of this payment option, Risch said the plan is to accept Bitcoin deposits and exchange them immediately for the Swiss franc, Liechtenstein’s national currency. A similar approach has been used by the Swiss communities Zug and Lugano, where local authorities accept Bitcoin for the payment of certain taxes and public services. With the state's reserves currently standing at 2.23 billion Swiss francs ($2.51 billion), the principality each year saves three times its 900 million-franc ($1 billion) annual budget, investing the money in capital markets.
Source:The Nation
May 09, 2023 08:23 UTC
Sri Lankas creditor nations to meet despite uncertainty on China
As Sri Lanka’s creditor nations prepare for their first meeting on Tuesday to co-ordinate restructuring of the Indian Ocean nation’s debt, the focus is turning to whether China will attend. Last month France, India and Japan unveiled a common platform for talks among bilateral creditors to co-ordinate restructuring of Sri Lanka’s debt. Sri Lanka owes $7.1 billion to bilateral creditors, government data show, with $3 billion owed to China, followed by $2.4 billion to the Paris Club and $1.6 billion to India. The government also needs to renegotiate more than $12 billion of debt in eurobonds with overseas private creditors, and $2.7 billion on other commercial loans. Sri Lanka has kicked off talks to rework part of its domestic debt and aims to finalise the deal by May.
Source:The Nation
May 09, 2023 06:10 UTC
Anti-abortion group aligns with Trump, weeks after criticism
HOUSTON – The leader of a major anti-abortion group aligned herself Monday with former President Donald Trump on the issue, just weeks after raising questions about his commitment to restricting access to the procedure. Her statement about Monday's meeting with the leading GOP contender didn't mention any discussion of proposed confines for a federal ban, aside from Trump's opposition to late-term procedures, which he has long opposed. All the candidates running in the Republican presidential primary or moving toward a bid have supported state bans on abortion. Ron DeSantis last month signed a state abortion ban that, if upheld by the courts, would ban the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy, or before many women know they are pregnant. Pence’s advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom, has pushed for Congress to pass legislation including a national abortion ban beginning around six weeks.
Source:The Nation
May 09, 2023 02:07 UTC