Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, the founder of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement of Sri Lanka, passed away at the age of 92 Born on 5 November, 1931, Dr. Ahangamage Tudor Ariyaratne was a former high school teacher at Nalanda College. He conducted the first shramadana work camp in 1958, which eventually led to the establishment of the largest Non-Government Organization (NGO) in Sri Lanka. As the father of six distinguished adult children, he led tens of thousands of family gatherings and meditations, impacting millions of people throughout Sri Lanka and other parts of the world.

Founder of Sarvodaya Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne passes away at 92

Dogs will soon be able to experience their own “furst” class flight with the launch of the world’s first jet charter company specifically designed for man’s best friend on 23rd&nbsp;May. BARK, the dog toy company that coordinates the popular treat subscription BarkBox, is partnering with a jet charter service to take away the challenges of long-distance traveling with dogs, according to a press release. BARK Air, as the company calls it, offers the “white glove experience typical of a human’s first-class experience and redirected all that pampering to pooches.” Taking dogs on airplanes is, typically, a stressful endeavor with different airlines having different policies for pet travel. For example, American Airlines allows small dogs in a carrier to be placed under the seat in front, but larger dogs are put in the cargo space, which has been found to be stressful for the pet. For United Airlines, pets can fly in the cabin if there’s enough space, but they must fit in a carrier under the seat in front. “We are excited to take the insights we’ve learned over years to create an experience that is truly dog-first, which is drastically different from just accepting dogs – from the ground to the skies,” said Matt Meeker, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at BARK, in a statement. However, you’ll need to pay a hefty fee for the dog-friendly flight. For now, a ticket for just one dog and one human will run you at least $6,000 one way. The first BARK Air flights will take off on May 23, and so far, there are only two flight routes available, both from New York’s Westchester County Airport. From New York to London’s Stansted Airport, it’ll cost $8,000 one-way and to Los Angeles’s Van Nuys Airport will cost $6,000 one-way. Not only does BARK Air allow dogs, it also focuses on the furry friends by treating them like VIPs, the press release said. BARK Air passengers can skip TSA checkpoints and screenings and instead experience a simple check-in process where they can meet the other dogs on the flight and the humans are served a meal cooked by on-site chefs. When boarding, a BARK Air concierge is on hand to ensure the dogs are socializing and adjusting to the environment well. Each flight will undergo “Dogs Fly First” flight prep that includes “calming pheromones, music, and colours that pups prefer.” To make the flying experience easier and more enjoyable, dogs have access to various aids such as calming treats, noise-cancelling ear muffs, and calming jackets. During takeoff and descent, dogs are given a beverage of their choice to help their ears adjust to cabin pressurization. Of course, there will be plenty of treats on the flight. Source : USA Today

World's first Dog Jet charter to launch soon

Sri Lanka received commendation from the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Deputy Managing Director Kenji Okamura during the IMF-World Bank Group Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C. Okamura praised the robust program implementation and reform progress implemented by Sri Lanka.&nbsp; The Sri Lanka delegation was led by State Minister Shehan Semasinghe. Semasinghe highlighted the Sri Lanka's dedication to macroeconomic policies and reforms.&nbsp; The delegation also explored investment opportunities with the Business Council for International Understanding and held talks with IMF and World Bank officials on Sri Lanka's economic development.

Top IMF official commends Sri Lanka’s reform progress

The Department of&nbsp;Agriculture is set to provide urgent recommendations for cultivating one of the world's most popular pineapple varieties, (Ananas comosus) in Sri Lanka. The Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, Mahinda Amaraweera stated that the most delicious pineapple species in the world are reported from Sri Lanka. Therefore, there is a great demand in the world market for pineapples grown in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, there is a huge demand for the MD 2 pineapple variety in the world market, and no steps have been taken to cultivate this pineapple variety in this country.&nbsp; The research conducted to cultivate this pineapple variety with a sweet taste and minimum acidity in Sri Lanka has also been successful. Under the recommendations of the Crop Release Committee, the Minister advised the department to speed up the process of recommending this MD 2 pineapple variety for cultivation in Sri Lanka. The minister also stated Under the Agriculture Sector Modernisation Programme, the research conducted for the cultivation of this MD 2 pineapple variety in Sri Lanka has been successful and the farmers have also expressed interest in cultivating this pineapple variety.

Sri Lanka to cultivate popular MD 2 Pineapple variety

At least 17 people have died in flash floods triggered by heavy rain across Oman since Sunday, the country’s National Committee for Emergency Management (NCEM) reports. On Tuesday, the government suspended the work of employees and workers in the public and private sectors in five governorates, including Musandam, Al Buraimi, Al Dhahirah, and Al Dakhiliyah, due to the weather conditions. The government has allowed employees to work remotely if possible. Authorities in Oman are conducting “rescue operations” after announcing all schools in six governorates including Muscat, would be closed Monday “due to unstable weather conditions,” according to a Monday UNOCHA statement. Moderate heavy rainfall is expected across north-eastern and northern Oman over the next few days. Source: CNN

At least 17 dead after flash floods in Oman

Australian police have declared Monday’s stabbing at a Sydney church a religiously motivated “terrorist act”. A 16-year-old boy was arrested after a bishop, a priest and churchgoers were attacked during mass at the Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church. At least four people suffered “non-life-threatening” injuries, police say. The attacker was also hurt. The incident was captured on a church livestream and quickly triggered unrest in the suburb of Wakeley. Australian police define terror offences as being ideologically motivated. Investigations are still under way, but they say they are satisfied this is a case of religious extremism. Authorities have repeatedly declined to state the religion of the alleged attacker. Graphic videos of the attack - and the aftermath - spread like wildfire on social media on Monday night, drawing an angry crowd to the Assyrian Orthodox Church, which is about 35km south-west of the city centre. There the crowd - hundreds of people - violently clashed with police, who were guarding the church where the attacker was being treated by paramedics. Two officers were injured, one with a broken jaw after he was hit with a brick and fence palings, and 10 police cars destroyed. The violence similarly left paramedics fearing for their safety and “holed up” inside the church for more than three hours. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has convened an emergency meeting of national security agencies, calling the attack “disturbing”. “We’re a peace-loving nation... There’s no place for violent extremism.” Tying to quell further violence, he urged that people “not take the law into their own hands”. Speaking to media on Tuesday morning, New South Wales (NSW) Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the bishop and priest were undergoing surgery and were “lucky to be alive”. The church has named the priest as Father Isaac Royel and the bishop as Mar Mari Emmanuel. Ordained in 2011, Bishop Emmanuel is seen as a popular and controversial figure, and his sermons have received millions of views on social media. Ms Webb said the teenager allegedly made comments to the bishop as he approached, which were “centred around religion”, and police believe staging the attack during a livestreamed service was intended to be “intimidating not only [to] the parishioners in attendance, but those parishioners who were watching online”. She said the suspect was acting alone, and while “known to police”, he was not on any terror watch list. The alleged offender has also been in surgery after his fingers were injured, police said, adding it is unclear if he was hurt with his own weapon or when he was apprehended by the congregation. The incident came only days after the nation was shocked by a separate and unrelated stabbing at a popular Sydney shopping centre, which left seven people dead. “NSW is on edge and there’s understandable community anxiety at the moment,” said state premier Chris Minns. He appealed for calm, echoing calls from religious and community leaders. “Their message to their communities was universal and identical, and that is that they deplore violence in all forms, [and] that they have faith in the NSW Police to undertake their investigation,” Mr Minns said. Any attempt for “tit-for-tat” violence would by “met by the full force of the law”, he added. A strike force has also been assembled to find those involved in the riot, Ms Webb said: “We will find you and we will come and arrest you.” The head of the NSW Ambulance also called the behaviour from crowds “outrageous”. “Our people, that do nothing but go to care and help every single day, need to know that they’ve got the support of the community,” Dominic Morgan said. The Wakeley neighbourhood is a hub for Sydney’s small Christian Assyrian community, many of whom have fled persecution and war in Iraq and Syria. Bishop Emmanuel is a prominent leader in that community, and is one of the “kindest, [most] authentic, genuine human beings”, local MP Dai Le said. However the bishop has had a turbulent relationship with the Assyrian Church, reportedly being suspended for disobeying canons and forming a breakaway church. In 2021 he became a vocal opponent of Covid-19 restrictions, describing lockdowns in Australia as slavery and arguing that vaccines were futile. Source: BBC

Sydney church stabbing declared a ‘terrorist’ attack; 16-year-old under arrest

NASA is seeking a cheaper, simpler approach to one of its top science priorities in the midst of a budget crunch - retrieving precious soil samples collected on Mars and flying them back to Earth, U.S. space agency officials said on Monday. A formal request for proposals will go out Tuesday to various NASA centers and laboratories, as well as to space industry companies, asking how to revamp a program mired in technical complexities, spending constraints and ballooning costs, according to NASA executives. Agency officials said in a conference call with reporters they expect alternative plans submitted for review this fall or early winter. Associate NASA Administrator Nicky Fox said the overhaul would focus on "innovation and proven technology," rather than on huge new technological leaps, as a way of reducing development time, risks and costs. It was unclear how NASA would ultimately reconcile the seeming paradox of using similar technology for spaceflight systems to accomplish something never done before, especially the feat of launching a rocket from the surface of another planet. The JPL-built robotic rover Perseverance has been collecting mineral samples since 2021 from the floor of an ancient Martian lake bed called Jezero Crater and sealing the material inside tubes destined for future lab analysis seeking possible signs of fossilized microbes. The mission's next phase, in partnership with the European Space Agency, envisions sending a second robotic landing craft to Mars to retrieve the samples and launching them into Martian orbit for rendezvous with a third spacecraft that would fly them back to Earth. Launch of the retrieval and orbital vehicles had been anticipated for 2027-28 with return of the samples targeted for the early 2030s and overall costs projected at $5 billion to $7 billion. But the independent review found that actual Mars sample return costs, under latest designs, would soar to as high as $11 billion and fail to deliver the specimens to Earth before 2040. "The bottom line is an $11 billion budget is too expensive, and a 2040 return date is too far away," NASA chief Bill Nelson said. Continuing on at such high funding levels also would eat into other major NASA science objectives, such as a planned rotorcraft exploration of Saturn's icy moon Titan, two upcoming missions to Venus, and near-Earth object surveyor, Nelson said. NASA officials left open the possibility of leaving behind some of the 30-plus samples that Perseverance is expected to collect. The bulk of the samples are being kept inside the rover itself, while a smaller backup cache was placed at a collection site on the planet's surface. Nelson expressed hope that the brightest minds at NASA, JPL and their aerospace industry partners would find a solution. "These are folks who can figure out rather difficult things," he said. Source : Reuters

NASA seeks cheaper ideas for Mars sample return mission amid budget crunch

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has opened a criminal investigation into the collapse of a Baltimore bridge last month, the United States law enforcement agency announced after its agents raided the Dali cargo ship. The Dali collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge on 26 March. The FBI said on Monday that it had boarded the ship to conduct “court-authorised” law enforcement activity regarding the crash, an agency spokesperson told the Reuters news agency. There is no other public information available, and the FBI will have no further comment, the spokesperson said. The cargo ship crashed into the bridge about 1:30am (05:30 GMT) on March 26 and caught fire. In a spectacular moment of destruction caught on video, the bridge buckled and collapsed into the water and onto the ship. Six people who were working on the bridge at the time of the collision were killed. Divers have recovered three of the six bodies. Citing an unnamed source familiar with the FBI investigation, The Associated Press news agency reported the inquiry would centre on the events leading up to the crash and whether all federal laws were followed. The Washington Post also reported that the investigation would “look at least in part at whether the crew left the port knowing the vessel had serious systems problems”, according to two US officials familiar with the matter. News of the FBI investigation came as Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announced that the city was partnering with two law firms “to launch legal action to hold the wrongdoers responsible” and mitigate harm from the bridge’s collapse. Scott said the city “will take decisive action to hold responsible all entities accountable for the Key Bridge tragedy, including the owner, charterer, manager/operator, and the manufacturer of the M/V Dali, as well as any other potentially liable third parties”. “We are continuing to do everything in our power to support everyone impacted here and will continue to recognize the human impact this event has had,” the mayor said in a statement on Monday morning. The Dali is managed by Synergy Marine Group and owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd, both of Singapore. Danish shipping giant Maersk chartered the Dali to sail to Sri Lanka. “Due to the magnitude of the incident, there are various government agencies conducting investigations, in which we are fully participating,” Synergy Marine spokesperson Darrell Wilson said in a statement Monday. “Out of respect for these investigations and any future legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.” Safety investigators have recovered the ship’s “black box” recorder, which provides data on its position, speed, heading, radar, bridge audio and radio communications as well as alarms. Last week, the head of the US National Transportation Safety Board separately told Congress that its investigators had interviewed key cargo ship personnel as part of its investigation. Work to clear the wreckage and restore traffic through the port’s shipping channel continues. Source : Al Jazeera

FBI launches criminal investigation into Baltimore bridge collapse

The Indian government has eased its ban on onion exports to Sri Lanka, allowing up to 10,000 metric tons to be shipped, affirming its commitment to its Neighbourhood First policy.&nbsp; This decision comes after a surprise extension of the ban last month, which caused price hikes in several countries reliant on Indian onion imports.&nbsp; Accordingly, India's gesture extends beyond Sri Lanka, as it also plans to supply onions to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), underscoring its dedication to key allies.

Founder of Sarvodaya Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne passes away at 92

World's first Dog Jet charter to launch soon

World's first Dog Jet charter ...

Top IMF official commends Sri Lanka’s reform progress

Top IMF official commends Sri ...

Sri Lanka to cultivate popular MD 2 Pineapple variety

Sri Lanka to cultivate popular ...

At least 17 dead after flash floods in Oman

At least 17 dead after flash f ...

Sydney church stabbing declared a ‘terrorist’ attack; 16-year-old unde ...

Sydney church stabbing declare ...

NASA seeks cheaper ideas for Mars sample return mission amid budget cr ...

NASA seeks cheaper ideas for M ...

FBI launches criminal investigation into Baltimore bridge collapse

FBI launches criminal investig ...

India lifts onion export ban for Sri Lanka

India lifts onion export ban f ...

World's first Dog Jet charter to launch soon

World's first Dog Jet charter ...

Top IMF official commends Sri Lanka’s reform progress

Top IMF official commends Sri ...

Sri Lanka to cultivate popular MD 2 Pineapple variety

Sri Lanka to cultivate popular ...

At least 17 dead after flash floods in Oman

At least 17 dead after flash f ...

Sydney church stabbing declared a ‘terrorist’ attack; 16-year-old unde ...

Sydney church stabbing declare ...

NASA seeks cheaper ideas for Mars sample return mission amid budget cr ...

NASA seeks cheaper ideas for M ...

FBI launches criminal investigation into Baltimore bridge collapse

FBI launches criminal investig ...

India lifts onion export ban for Sri Lanka

India lifts onion export ban f ...

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World's first Dog Jet charter to launch soon

World's first Dog Jet charter ...

Top IMF official commends Sri Lanka’s reform progress

Top IMF official commends Sri ...

Bringing the news paper to your fingertips

Sri Lanka to cultivate popular MD 2 Pineapple variety

Sri Lanka to cultivate popular ...

At least 17 dead after flash floods in Oman

At least 17 dead after flash f ...

Sydney church stabbing declared a ‘terrorist’ attack; 16-year-old unde ...

Sydney church stabbing declare ...

NASA seeks cheaper ideas for Mars sample return mission amid budget cr ...

NASA seeks cheaper ideas for M ...