Being a party to the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer, Sri Lanka is committed both nationally and internationally to implement its obligations for conserving the lifesaving ozone layer. Sri Lanka commemorates the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer annually on 16 September. Considering the prevailing pandemic, the national event for World Ozone Day 2021 is organized virtually via zoom platform at 10.00 a.m. today with the global theme ‘Montreal Protocol: Keeping us, our food and vaccines cool’. The Ministry of Environment uses World Ozone Day as a means to raise awareness and widen engagement of different segments in the community. Though they do not contribute to ozone layer depletion, they contribute to global warming leading to climate change.

Whether you’re after the affordable — now outgoing — entry-level iPad from last year, the high-end iPad Pro, or something in between like the iPad Air or iPad Mini, there’s usually some sort of sale happening somewhere. Just like the base iPad, a new iPad Mini was announced during Apple’s “California Streaming” event. The best iPad Air (2020) dealsThe 2020 iPad Air has a slightly larger 10.9-inch display compared to the prior model’s 10.5-inch screen and features thinner bezels around it. The best iPad Pro (2020) dealsThe fifth-generation, M1-equipped iPad Pro came out earlier this year, which means there are many deals to be had on the prior iPad Pro from 2020. Unlike the less expensive iPad models, the 2020 iPad Pro ditches the headphone jack and uses a USB-C port instead of Lightning.

Climate change was a big theme in Time Magazine’s 2021 list of “Most Influential People,” with a handful of climate scientists and environmental advocates making the list along with celebrities like Dolly Parton and Naomi Osaka. 2021 isn’t the first year rock star environmentalists have made Time’s list. Tackling climate change is “possibly the greatest challenge humanity has faced,” one of the people who made the list, Fatih Birol, said in a statement today. The group found that this summer’s road-buckling heatwave in the US Pacific Northwest and southwest Canada would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change. Thanks in large part to the group’s work, leading climate scientists can say definitively that human activity is the main driver behind increasingly apocalyptic weather.

Just see for yourself:The costumes come in two sizes, an adult version and a kids version, and are available in four colors for each size. The adult size tops out at five feet, nine inches, so if you’re on the taller side, your ankles might stick out. The adult costume is on the left and the kids’ costume is on the right. On Amazon, the adult costumes cost $49.99, but I couldn’t find the price for the kids ones. A day that you definitely would not consider sneaking up behind your friends and frightening them in an impostor crewmate costume.

Bluetooth audio is part of the 13.0.0 Switch updateTo be clear, this is a brand new feature to the 13.0.0 update for Nintendo Switch. How to connect AirPods and other Bluetooth audio devices to SwitchWith your Switch updated, go to Settings > Bluetooth Audio. How to disconnect Bluetooth headphones from the SwitchDisconnecting Bluetooth audio devices from the Switch is easier than connecting them. Go to Settings > Bluetooth audio, choose the active Bluetooth device, then “Disconnect Device,” and your Bluetooth headphones will disconnect from the Switch. If you want your Switch to forget the Bluetooth device, choose “Remove Device” instead.

Photo: VAKS-Stock Agency (Shutterstock)Due to pandemic-related supply chain issues, you should expect fewer bargains and depleted inventory when you do your holiday shopping this year. Here’s a look at why the shortages are getting worse, and which shopping categories are most affected. Why is the supply chain problem getting worse? What products are most affected by supply chain issues? Clothing Companies like Adidas and Crocs have expressed inventory concerns, as has Nike, which mightIf you have specific gifts or decorations on your holiday shopping lists, start hunting for them now.

OpenSea, the biggest NFT trading marketplace, said today that one of its employees used internal information to buy NFTs that were about to be featured on its homepage — and likely spike in value. Accusations were made against OpenSea’s head of product, Nate Chastain, last night after a community member publicized suspicious transactions from his wallet. According to another user, ricefarmer.eth, the account purchased four NFTs by artist Dailydust, one titled “Spectrum Of A Ramenfication Theory,” which OpenSea directly featured soon afterward. OpenSea has not confirmed which NFTs were traded on using internal information. As the NFT community picked up on ZuwuTV’s investigation last night, he posted more transactions suggesting that the front running behavior could have begun as early as last month.

Short-sightednessAs the pandemic persists, the epidemiological short-sightedness of vaccine inequity is becoming increasingly obvious. In short, vaccine inequity will prolong the pandemic, even in rich countries. What is certain, though, is that booster doses in rich countries will exacerbate vaccine inequity by further reducing the supply to the developing world. There is a developing countries vaccine manufacturing network that has been around for more than 20 years. Vaccine inequity, which is at the core of the problem, is more than just a folly.

Ratwatte remains the State Minister of Gem and Jewellery-Related Industries, even though he decided to give up his former portfolio, i.e. Even if Ratwatte gave up all his positions, it would be against the rule of law to consider such resignation a punishment. What’s more, the allegations against Ratwatte did not tarnish just his own image as an elected public representative. We may not see it as such, but that is what several foreign news outlets that had reported the incident had highlighted. After all, if a resignation or an admission of guilt can exonerate a person from a deliberate violation of the law, what is the point of having laws?

Addressing questions raised about vaccine distribution, Dr. Guruge shared that different areas in Sri Lanka received different vaccines based solely on the availability of vaccines at the time of distribution. Commenting on the reason for such countries to continue refusing to accept vaccines like Sinopharm as valid, Wijayasinghe shared her personal view that she feels this might have more to do with geopolitics than scientific fact. Dr. Gamage, commenting scientifically, shared that though people think some vaccines have better immunogenicity (immune response development) than others, this is not the case, and all vaccines have good immunogenicity. Another common trope associated with foreign travel is the need to get a third vaccine dose or booster shot in order to travel. Dr. Gamage explained that booster shots are not related to foreign travel but have been considered by some as an added measure for those with suppressed immunity.

Somewhere along the line, some genius figured out that you could process hemp plants to create delta-8 THC. There’s more info on this in our guide to enjoying delta-8 responsibly, but basically, in most states you can easily buy delta-8 products over the counter or order them online. What’s important to know first is that delta-8 is still THC, and it seems to have similar risks and benefits as normal (delta-9) THC. Delta-8 products could be contaminated with other chemicalsIf delta-8 products only contained delta-8, that would be the end of it. But hemp plants don’t contain much delta-8 normally; that’s why we’re talking about delta-8 products (like gummies and vapes) rather than just smoking hemp flowers.

Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) announced their investigation into Facebook in a statement released Tuesday. “It is clear that Facebook is incapable of holding itself accountable. The Wall Street Journal’s reporting reveals Facebook’s leadership to be focused on a growth-at-all-costs mindset that valued profits over the health and lives of children and teens,” the lawmakers said. “Children and teens are uniquely vulnerable populations online, and these findings paint a clear and devastating picture of Instagram as an app that poses significant threats to young people’s wellbeing,” the lawmakers wrote. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Verge.

China told the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday (Sep. 14) that it opposes the interference of powerful nations in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. Delivering a statement at the UNHRC General Debate of the 48th session, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Ambassador Chen Xu also voiced deep concerns about the human rights issues in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. “These states interfere with the internal affairs of other countries under the pretext of human rights and implement unilateral coercive measures and military interference against sovereign states which gravely violate the human rights of the people of other countries.”The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) should give sufficient attention to the above-mentioned issues, the Chinese ambassador stressed. He further stated that China appreciates the Sri Lankan government for actively promoting and protecting the human rights, advancing national reconciliation and combating terrorism.

A big virtual cat jumps into the stadium, paces around the field, shreds a New York Jets flag (the Panthers’ Sunday opponents), and hops away with a menacing roar. In short, what’s going on is that an animation of the virtual panther, which was made in Unreal Engine, is being rendered within a live feed of the real world. To give the panther virtual objects to climb on and interact with, the stadium is also modeled virtually but is invisible. (One cool tidbit: in the video, you can see that the stadium screens have black screens with cat eyes. But the giant virtual panther is a fun look at one possible use of AR to add to the experience of watching a big sports event.

Last week, as the Caldor Fire swept through the area around Lake Tahoe, one viral story emerged as a beacon of hope: A cabin that appeared to be wrapped in aluminum foil withstood the blaze. Anyway, Hirning told the paper, “It’s not tin foil.”So, to repeat: It’s actually not aluminum foil. Are you sure aluminum foil won’t help in a house fire? Here’s where the aluminum foil compulsion would come in. The bottom line is there are many ways to prevent and deal with fires, but aluminum foil is not one of them, no matter what some guy said on Twitter.