Indian polls: Gurus and governors
NEW DELHI – The ongoing general election in India has brought to prominence not only the usual cast of political aspirants, campaign managers, publicists, and vote-brokers, but also an array of astrologers, numerologists, and pandits. Candidates have been flocking to such soothsayers in large numbers, seeking advice on everything from the precise minute to file [...]
Zeroing in on the black box: Aussie PM confident
SYDNEY, April 11, (AFP) – Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said he is “very confident” that signals detected in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 are from the aircraft’s black box. “We have very much narrowed down the search area and we are very confident that the signals that we are detecting [...]
The artist formerly known as President George W. Bush
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former U.S. President George W. Bush on Friday revealed a series of portraits of world leaders he painted in a new pursuit that he said has “opened my mind,” even though it left him exposed to joking criticism from his mother. An exhibition titled “The Art of Leadership: A President’s Personal Diplomacy” [...]
Seventh heaven: Poll reveals the world’s favourite number
Whether it’s a birthday, the address of your first house, or your age, numbers tend to hold certain significance in everyone’s lives. From an online survey of more than 44,000 people, seven came out as the world’s most popular number, followed by three and eight. But what is the significance of these numbers, and why [...]
Self-destructing gadgets
Researchers have unveiled an electronic circuit that can melt on demand, rendering itself useless. They say the technology could be used in mobile phones and credit cards as anti-theft devices. If stolen, the user could simply send a command to their handset to cause it to self destruct. ‘You don’t expect your cell phone to [...]
The Gratiaen shortlist: Three authors show a strong literary footprint
Poetry dominated the 2013 Gratiaen Prize with three collections of poetry being shortlisted this year. The shortlisted writers are Inosha Ijaz (This Nothingness), Chamali Kariyawasam (A Patchwork Soul) and Malinda Seneviratne (Edges). At an event hosted by The British Council, the judges commented on Inosha’s raw, unpolished, distinctive literary voice and the originality of her [...]
Good Friday services
Good Friday Services on April 18 at Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7 will be as follows: English Service: 8.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. (3 hour service) by Rev. Marc Billimoria Sinhala Service: 12.00 noon to 3.00 p.m. (3 hour Service) by Rev. Nishantha Fernando Tamil Service: 4.00 p.m. to 5.00 [...]
