India, US in diplomatic jugglery over Devyani
NEW YORK, Dec 21 (Reuters) – India has asked the United Nations to accredit a New York-based diplomat who was arrested for visa fraud, in an apparent attempt to defuse a crisis with the United States over her treatment by U.S. authorities who strip searched her. A U.N. spokesman said the organisation had received an [...]
Aussie sea kayakers circle Sri Lanka
It was history in the making as Aussie sea kayakers Ian Pexton and David Rowland got into their sea kayaks and set off from Mount Lavinia last Monday. Their task: to circumnavigate the entire perimeter of the island, and their target is to achieve the seemingly impossible within three weeks. This has been attempted once [...]
The Kingsbury celebrates first birthday
The Kingsbury celebrated its first birthday with a lavish cocktail reception on December 17 at the Balmoral Ballroom with guests invited to come clad in the signature purple t’shirt sent along with the invitation. Owned and operated by Hayleys PLC, one of Sri Lanka’s oldest and largest conglomerates with a history spanning over 134 years, [...]
‘Disability is possibility’ at Mount Lavinia Hotel
Under the multi-coloured lanterns in the arcade on the beach at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, silver-draped chairs faced a stage lit in blue. Celebrities in the entertainment industry and compassionate fans were all present to support the ‘Disability is Possibility’ cause championed by Australian X’Factor star Emmanuel Kelly. On his second visit to Sri Lanka, [...]
200 children celebrate the season at HSBC’s Christmas project
HSBC’s annual Christmas project got underway last week at five deserving children’s homes around Colombo. The project brought together over 200 children to celebrate the season which proved to be a humbling experience for staff volunteers and senior management who attended. Children from the Salvation Army Girls School, Dehiwela, Meth Mihira Special Education Centre, Moratuwa, [...]
Jesus was born for a ‘no people with a no tomorrow’
At this time of Christmas, the harsh realities of our world urge us to reflect on the God of Life and his call to justice and peace. It is a timely prophetic petition. The petition is for God, through us, to arrest the terrible trends of human degradation and to bring speedy relief to all [...]
On the cutting edge
The biomedical in biomedical engineering ensures that Angelo Karunaratne’s raw materials are quite distinct from his counterparts who specialise in say, aeronautics. His playing field is the bridge that links medicine and engineering and he works not just with plastic and metal but with living tissue. With the completion of his PhD, the young Sri [...]
Lecture on the fate of Comet ISON
A lecture titled ‘Is the fate of Comet ISON a fluke?’ by Dr. Nalin Samarasinha will be held on Monday, December 30, at 5 p.m. at the NPLT Department of Physics, University of Colombo, Colombo 7. All are welcome. Comet ISON, initially described by some as the comet of the century disrupted when it came [...]
Sri Lankan-born American author speaks to a global audience from China
BEIJING: The most prestigious universities and academies in Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Nanjing, and Shanghai have invited Prof. Patrick Mendis, the author of new book, “Peaceful War: How the Chinese Dream and the American Destiny Create a Pacific New World Order” as part of his two-month book promotion tour in China. In the book, Prof. [...]
IGP and senior DIGs must learn to say ‘no’ to politicos
The Police Service, which has been in existence for the past century or so with pride, has systematically declined to the lowest level in the eyes of the general public. The media have a field day in reporting the Police Department’s corruption, inaction, political servility, inefficiency and incompetence. The crime rate has spiralled and the [...]
Pope sends out 2,000 Christmas packages
Pope Francis has given Christmas packages to 2,000 immigrants at a shelter near the Vatican. The package included a Christmas card signed by the Pope, postage stamps, a pre-paid international calling card, and a free day travel card for the Rome metro. Handed out at the Dono di Maria shelter the care package was designed [...]
Human Rights, the West and CHOGM
Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not attend the CHOGM in Sri Lanka. The reasons, according to him, were Sri Lanka’s failure to investigate human-rights violations during and after a near 30 year war and the continued erosion of democratic freedoms. Looking into the recent and past history of Canada, I happened to find Canada’s [...]
Putin’s law: Saying no to international commitments
FLORENCE – Russian President Vladimir Putin is showing increasing disdain for international law – a stance that is perhaps nowhere clearer than in his government’s continuing military support for Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. But, in view of Putin’s authoritarian rule at home, his perception of international law as little more than an instrument of [...]
Philippines, leftist rebels to observe Christmas truce
MANILA (AFP) -Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Friday suspended military operations against leftist rebels for 25 days, giving them free passage to visit their homes and relatives, a top aide said. The aide, Teresita Deles, said the unilateral move should give the “traumatised” nation respite after a three-month spate of natural disasters and armed conflict [...]
China slams Japan defence spending plan
BEIJING, Dec 21 (AFP) – China has denounced Japan’s plans to boost military purchases, accusing it of playing up regional tensions as an “excuse” to ramp up defence spending. The cabinet of hawkish Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed Tuesday to spend 24.7 trillion yen ($240 billion) between 2014 and 2019 — a five percent [...]
Thai opposition weighs poll boycott in crunch weekend
BANGKOK, Dec 21 (AFP) -Thailand’s opposition is meeting today to mull a possible boycott of snap elections in a crunch weekend for the crisis-gripped kingdom as protesters prepare to ramp up rallies aimed at toppling the government. The opposition Democrat Party, whose MPs resigned en masse to join the demonstrations, is set to hold talks [...]
Indian parliament approves landmark anti-graft bill as elections near
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – – India’s parliament voted on Tuesday for the appointment of a powerful anti-graft ombudsman to investigate wrongdoing in government, ending years of dithering, as public anger has mounted over a string of corruption scandals. The ruling Congress party, which suffered big losses in state elections over the past month in part [...]
Multinational effort takes shape to remove Syria chemical arms
The Hague (AFP) – Russian armoured trucks will help take Syria’s chemical weapons out of the country, tracked by US satellite equipment and Chinese surveillance cameras, in an unprecedented international operation, the world’s chemical watchdog said. The details are part of an ambitious plan unveiled by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) [...]
Frankincense ‘fights cancer’
It is known to most people as one of the three gifts borne by the Wise Men when they visited the newborn Jesus. But now frankincense – an aromatic resin – is being hailed as a medical marvel. For scientists have discovered that it could be used to treat ovarian cancer. In tests, Leicester University [...]
Meet me under the mistleDRONE?
Two San Francisco artists decked out a drone with tinsel and mistletoe for an interactive exploration of Christmastime romance. George Zisiadis and Mustafa Khan have set up shop this holiday season in Fog City’s Union Square, where happy couples are shopping, ice skating and enjoying the festive decor. Zisiadis and Khan maneuver their glittering drone [...]
Ryan O’Neal allowed to keep Warhol portrait of Farrah Fawcett
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actor Ryan O’Neal will be allowed to keep a portrait of his late and longtime partner Farrah Fawcett painted by famed artist Andy Warhol after a jury deemed him the rightful owner on Thursday in a dispute with the University of Texas. The Austin-based university sued O’Neal over the ownership of [...]
Deep-fried caterpillars, ‘hide the pickle’ and the legend of the bloodthirsty Yule Cat
If you thought that hiding a lucky coin in a pudding or sticking a Christingle orange with sweets and a candle were weird, think again. In addition the concept of an overweight elderly man breaking into millions of homes in one night, each country has a host of strange and wonderful traditions that have built [...]
Samsung files patent for a phone with two screens
The mobile communications technology race has taken an interesting turn with the release of plans for a smartphone with a dual display. Tech giant Samsung has filed a patent for a phone with two interconnected touchscreens that can display two independent applications, or work together to give the user an enhanced experience in gaming, reading [...]
UK paper hacked phones of Prince William’s wife and brother – court
LONDON (Reuters) – The phones of Prince William’s wife Kate Middleton and Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth’s grandson, were hacked by staff working for Rupert Murdoch’s now-defunct News of the World tabloid, a London court was told on Thursday. Prosecutor Andrew Edis told the Old Bailey criminal court that recordings of messages to Kate from William, [...]
How life has changed for Delhi rape victim’s family
A 23-year-old Indian student was fatally gang-raped inside a bus in the capital, Delhi last December. The attack caused international outrage and prompted India to introduce stringent anti-rape laws. A court sentenced her attackers to death this September. The BBC’s Soutik Biswas met the family of the victim to find out how life had changed [...]
Antarctica may have a new type of ice: diamonds
OSLO (Reuters) – A kind of rock that often contains diamonds has been found in Antarctica for the first time, hinting at mineral riches in the vast, icy continent — where mining is banned. No diamonds were found, but researchers said they were confident the gems were there. “It would be very surprising if there [...]
Step away from your cameraphone
From children’s birthdays to that long-awaited family holiday, we all want to remember those cherished moments with a photograph. But if you’re one of those people who can’t stop snapping, beware – you could end up forgetting it all in a flash. A study has found that taking too many photos may prevent us from [...]
