Modi: India must build defences so none dares cast ‘evil eye’
MUMBAI, Aug 16, 2014 (AFP) – Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that India must build up its military might to the point that no other country “dare cast an evil eye” on the South Asian nation. Modi made the statement at a ceremony in Mumbai for the commissioning of the country’s biggest locally built [...]
Imran, cleric vow more protests to oust Sharif
ISLAMABAD, Aug 16, (AFP) – Pakistani opposition figures ramped up calls for the fall of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government today, but failed to attract massive crowds of protesters promised at rallies in the capital. Addressing protesters he had led from the eastern city of Lahore, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan said he would stage a sit-in [...]
No victors or vanquished in brutal Gaza conflict
UNITED NATIONS, (IPS) – As the dust – and the gunpowder – settles after the month-long devastating conflict in Gaza, there were apparently no victors or vanquished. Israel, despite its high-tech military force and so-called “pinpoint bombings”, failed to achieve its ultimate objective: annihilate the militant group Hamas. Instead, it killed mostly civilians, while destroying [...]
“Kandaksema” to be adapted for the silver screen
“Kandaksema”, a short story by award-winning writer Sumithra Rahubadda will soon be adapted for the silver screen, with the author herself handling the screnplay. The cast includes Nirosha Perera, Siril Wickramage, Wasantha Kotuwalla, Chandani Seneviratne, Kaushalya Pranandu, Lakshman Mendis. Vishvajith Gunasekera, Priyankara Rathnayake,Bimal Jayakody, Upali Thilakarathne Anura Bandara Rajaguru, Samanali Fonseka , Buddhika Mahesh and [...]
JASTECA and METI mark 30-year relationship
At the recent meeting held in Colombo between Japan Sri Lanka Technical and Cultural Association ( JASTECA) and the visiting Senior Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry( METI) Japan Mr , Jasteca conveyed their gratitude to the visiting minister for extending support to train over 3500 Sri Lankan managers s in [...]
Global platform for Sri Lankan fashion
Five Sri Lankan designers are now showcasing their creations at Asian Fashion Week (AFW) being held from August 15 to 18 in Surabaya City, Indonesia, following an MOU signed by Colombo Fashion Week with Asian Fashion Week (AFW). This is in line with CFW’s objective of showcasing Sri Lanka’s fashion design industry on a global [...]
The Vagina Monologues: A celebration and liberation of women
It was in 2000 while on a trip to the USA that Mahabanoo Modi Kotwal first saw the play The Vagina Monologues. “The rest is history” she says. Twelve years and countless performances later, Kotwal and Poor Box Productions will be flying down to Sri Lanka to present two performances of the play next Sunday, [...]
Pistachios ‘can protect the hearts of diabetics’
A handful of pistachio nuts twice a day protects the heart and arteries from harm caused by stress in diabetics, scientists found. Just 150 of the nuts or three ounces a day resulted in people with Type 2 diabetes having more ‘relaxed’ and less narrower blood vessels, lower blood pressure especially when asleep and less [...]
How often should you replace your pillow? Every six months
You may have a favourite pillow that seems to help you sleep better. But it could cause acne and trigger allergies if it is more than six months old, one expert claims. This is because dirt, oil, mites and dead skin can build up in older pillows. Dr Robert Oexman, director of the Sleep to [...]
Even dentists differ on the best tooth-brushing method
NEW YORK (Reuters) – What’s the best way to brush your teeth? Dentists disagree, and no one can say for sure, according to a new study. “There’s no good evidence at the moment that one method of brushing is more effective than another,” Dr. John Wainwright, the study’s lead author, told Reuters Health in an [...]
Death of a doctor at cosmetic surgery clinic: What is Anaphylaxis?
The tragic death of 47-year-old Dr. P. A. Priyangi at a private cosmetic surgery clinic is believed to be a due to a reaction to a drug injected to her. After the judicial post-mortem, some tissue samples have been sent to the Government Analyst for investigation. The exact cause of death of Dr. Priyangani can [...]
Top Saudi cleric calls for code of conduct for leaders
DUBAI, Aug 15(Reuters) – A top Saudi Muslim cleric called on Friday for a global code of conduct for leaders, scholars and young people to halt a further slide into violence and “terror” in the Middle East. The U.S.-allied kingdom has grown increasingly alarmed since militants from an offshoot of al Qaeda captured large areas [...]
Warsi resignation: Lessons for Lanka
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, the first-ever Muslim woman cabinet minister, made media headlines when she resigned the other day accusing Britain’s coalition government of a “morally indefensible” policy on the Israeli killings in Gaza. She was the first cabinet minister to resign in 11 years, the earlier resignations being those of Foreign Secretary Robin Cook and [...]
Hong Kong binds Lankan torture victim’s hands
A Hong Kong court has slammed the door shut on a Sri Lankan torture claimant who argued for his right to work, rejecting his appeal unanimously and reasoning that there were no such rights enshrined in the constitution, known as the Basic Law. There was not even a right to work under common law, the [...]
Panama Canal’s 100-year voyage: Birthday amid battle to keep it relevant
PANAMA CITY, Aug 16, 2014 (AFP) – Panama celebrated the 100th anniversary of its famous canal Friday with a ceremony and gala, even as it scrambled to make up lost time by enlarging it to maintain its competitiveness in the 21st century. The canal, an engineering masterwork that transformed global commerce, opened on August 15, [...]
The right Iraqi intervention and responsibility to protect
CANBERRA – US President Barack Obama deserves unconditional support for his decision to use military force to protect the persecuted Yezidi minority from threatened genocide by marauding Islamic State (IS) militants in northern Iraq. The United States’ action is completely consistent with the principles of the international responsibility to protect (R2P) people at risk of [...]
Focus on Poverty: The hidden tragedy behind Ebola
The West Africa Ebola outbreak is now a “public health emergency of international concern”, according to the WHO. In among some alarmist reportage of the outbreak it is not too hard to find expert and balanced comment from the WHO, medical and development specialists. The media reports are consistent on the basic facts. This is [...]
Drones being developed to deliver medical aid, not bombs
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Unmanned aerial vehicles could one day be used to help deliver medical aid and other necessities to needy individuals in hard-to-reach areas. Compact aerial drones have not been widely used by American physicians and other medical providers, partly because the new technologies remain taboo and regulations have not caught up [...]
Kurds backed by US air support battle to retake Iraq’s largest dam
SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq, Aug 16, (AFP) – Kurdish troops backed by US warplanes launched a bid today to recapture Mosul dam, Iraq’s largest, from jihadists, a senior Kurdish military official said. “Kurdish peshmerga, with US air support, have seized control of the eastern side of the dam” complex, Major General Abdelrahman Korini told AFP. “We killed [...]
‘What would we die for?’ Pope asks at mass for Korean martyrs
SEOUL, Aug 16 (AFP) -Pope Francis beatified 124 early Korean martyrs today at a mass in Seoul and challenged the massive crowd to ask what values they might be willing to die for in an increasingly materialistic, globalised world. Hundreds of thousands of believers, most of them invited church groups from across South Korea attended [...]
Russian-trained rebels set for major counter-attack
DONETSK, Ukraine, Aug 16 (Reuters) – Ukrainian rebels are receiving new military equipment and troops trained in Russia, and will launch a major counter-offensive against government forces, a separatist leader said in a video released on Saturday. The four-month conflict in eastern Ukraine has reached a critical phase, with Kiev and Western governments watching nervously [...]
Are you baffled by technology? Ask a six-year-old: They know more than 45-year-olds
Children as young as six have a better understanding of modern technology than most 45-year-olds, a study has found. From smartphones and tablet computers, to 3D printers and smart glasses, hi-tech advances over the past decade have left older generations unable to keep up with the youngsters in their family. A survey by communications watchdog [...]
Landslides, floods kill 109 in Nepal, India
KATHMANDU, Aug 16, 2014 (AFP) – The death toll from landslides and flooding triggered by torrential monsoon rains in Nepal and northern India climbed to at least 109 today as tides of water, mud and rocks swept away houses, officials said. The downpours also displaced thousands of people in the scenic Himalayan region and revived [...]
Israelis, Palestinians poised to resume Cairo talks
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories, Aug 16, (AFP) – Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are poised to resume indirect talks with Egyptian mediators on reaching a more permanent ceasefire before a current truce expires at midnight on Monday. The Egyptian government persuaded both sides late Wednesday to adhere to a new five-day ceasefire, extending an earlier three-day [...]
Vamp with a volcanic temper
‘Bogie!’ drawled Lauren Bacall in her rasping trombone voice as she sat curled up in her cavernous, art-filled apartment in New York. ‘And by the way, honey, he spelled it with an “ie” and not an “ey”, like his goddam biographers do.’ Settling that limpid gaze directly on me, she continued: ‘It’s all anyone ever [...]
Would you eat dodo nuggets or in-vitro oysters?
Almost a year ago today the world’s first lab-grown burger was unveiled and eaten, albeit at the mouth-watering price of £250,000 ($420,000). But in anticipation of a future where lab-grown meat is the norm, Dutch-based scientists, chefs and artists have launched a tongue-in-cheek cookbook for artificial food. The bizarre assortment of test-tube dishes includes roast [...]
Forget expensive cleaning products, use a potato to clean your home
For decades, food items have been touted as substitutes to expensive household cleaning products. And now a cleaning expert has revealed the science behind why certain foods are so useful for tackling rust, removing stains and tightening cracks in wood. For example, Alex Depledge, chief executive of cleaning site Hassle.com told MailOnline that tomato ketchup [...]
Yahoo to join Google to create spy-free email systems
REUTERS – Yahoo Inc said it will join Google Inc to create a secure email system by next year that could make it nearly impossible for hackers or government officials to read users’ messages, The Wall Street Journal reported. The move comes as large technology companies unite to beef up their defenses against government intrusion [...]
Is your USB drive at risk?
Security researchers have long warned about the dangers of malicious files on infected USB sticks. But now experts have discovered a much more dangerous threat that is even more widespread, virtually untraceable and much more difficult to solve than simply installing anti-virus software. The Berlin-based researchers reverse-engineered the software files that control how the USB [...]
