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A disappointing SAARC summit

The 18th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has concluded in Kathmandu, Nepal, with an outcome far below expectations. On top of the agenda were three connectivity agreements on road, rail and energy, to be endorsed by the eight SAARC leaders. Only one of these – on energy – has been [...]

The Lalith Athulathmudali Memorial Oration was held on November 26 at the BMICH Committee Room A. The keynote speaker on the occasion was Dr. Subramanian Swamy, PhD (Harvard), Member BJP National Executive Committee, former Cabinet Minister, Government of India. The proceedings began with the Royal College hewisi band conducting Dr. Subramanian Swamy, into the hall [...]

SLAAS: 70th Annual Sessions

The Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS), the premier organisation for scientists in all disciplines, will hold its 70th Annual Sessions from December 1-5 in Colombo. The inauguration on December 1 will be at the BMICH, with this year’s theme being ‘Engage science enrich society’ and the ‘Theme Seminar’ will be on [...]

Jesus College Cambridge choir to perform this December

Adding to the seasonal festivities, the Choir of Jesus College Cambridge will tour Sri Lanka next month. The seasoned singers will be performing around the country from December 13 singing in Colombo, Galle, Kandy and Jaffna. Renowned for their rich tones internationally “They have reached the highest level a choir could,” enthuses Secretary of the [...]

The Inaugural Inter School Anatomy Quiz Competition, organised by the Anatomical Society of the Faculty of Medicine University of Colombo, was successfully concluded on November 2, at the faculty premises with the participation of 25 leading schools of the country. After two exciting days of exhibiting academic excellence, Bandaranayake College, Gampaha became the champions beating [...]

If you want to understand how Pope Francis is planning to change the Catholic church, then don’t waste time searching for clues in the charming, self-effacing press conference he gave on the plane back from South Korea in August. It’s easy to be misled by the Pope’s shoulder-shrugging interviews and impromptu phone calls. On his [...]

View on Poverty: Turning mobiles into emergency tools

The strongest recorded storm to ever hit land slammed into the Philippines at 195 miles per hour just over a year ago, on November 8, 2013. As a recent Guardian photo essay shows, the communities on the islands are now beginning to rebuild. One of the problems in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan was the [...]

Bird flu outbreak in India caused by strain humans can contract: OIE

PARIS (Reuters) – A bird flu virus found in India this week is the H5N1 strain that can be transmitted to humans, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Thursday. However, the organisation said it was not concerned about the situation, because India had faced outbreaks of the virus before. No human case [...]

A love of meat and sugary treats could be damaging the planet, as well as your health. By 2050, experts predict that these so-called western diets, which are typically high in fats and oils, will cause greenhouse gas emissions to increase by 80 per cent. If left unchecked, this could also lead to an extra [...]

The acclaimed crime novelist PD James has died at the age of 94. James, who became Baroness James of Holland Park in 1991, is the author of 20 detective novels and creator of popular Adam Dalgliesh series. She is survived by her two children, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Her most famous works are the [...]

A new debate has broken out between some of the world’s top Shakespeare experts over whether the playwright’s sonnets prove he was attracted to men. Sir Brian Vickers, a visiting professor at University College London, began the row by condemning a book review which suggested Sonnet 116 appears in a ‘primarily homosexual context’. In a [...]

Could the ‘right to be forgotten’ be extended worldwide?

Google is under fresh pressure from the European Union to expand its controversial ‘right to be forgotten’ tool. The service, which is currently only available in Europe, removes links to websites with content that is ‘inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant’. EU data protection watchdogs want to make the service global to prevent the law [...]

In the late 1990s the Taliban controlled Afghanistan, but the fighting that brought them to power left many militants struggling with the psychological effects of war. One doctor recognised the problem and, although he disagreed with the Taliban’s ideology, agreed to treat them. “I remember the first group of Taliban who came to see me,” [...]

Two Bangalore men arrested for sexual assault on girls ‘sold by their parents’

It is India’s Silicon Valley, praised as a cosmopolitan city. But Bangalore has become a hub of crimes against women and children. The dark side of the Garden City was exposed yet again when two men were arrested recently for “sexually assaulting” three minor girls for more than three years. The Bangalore police said the [...]

Pulitzer winner Lahiri in shortlist for S.Asia fiction prize

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Pulitzer Prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri is one of five frontrunners for next year’s DSC Prize, one of South Asia’s biggest literary awards, according to the shortlist announced in London on Thursday. The five writers on the 2015 shortlist are a step closer to winning the $50,000 awarded to the author [...]

Isipathana College class of 74 reunion

A re-union organised by the Isipathana College- Class of 74 (“Platinum Group”) will be held on Saturday, December 20 at the “Green Gardens”, Robert Gunawardena Mawatha, Colombo , from 7 p.m. onwards. During this re-union, distinguished old boy and member of the Class of 74, Dr. Jagath Alwis will be felicitated for being awarded “The [...]

The Grassrooted Trust: Empowering people living with HIV

The Grassrooted Trust was set up to work on issues related to sexual and reproductive health and rights, with a focus on supporting people living with HIV. In fact, the empowerment of this community, along with other communities vulnerable to HIV infection, has been their main focus. Today, globally, living with HIV is not just [...]

George Keyt Foundation showcases the best of “Sri Lankan Art”

The George Keyt Foundation’s annual painting and sculpture exhibition titled “Sri Lankan Art” is now on at the J.D.A Perera Gallery. Showcasing the best of Sri Lankan talent for the 14th consecutive year, the exhibition which opened on November 27will continue until December 2 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The white walls of [...]

Touch healer in Sri Lanka

Dr. Shashikant S. Seth, the touch healing expert from Bombay is in Sri Lanka once again to conduct therapy from November 24 – December 17. On this visit he says he brings a special herbal remedy for blood pressure and home remedies for Diabetes, heart and kidney ailments as well as for cancer. Dr. Seth [...]

Hugh Sriyal Dissanayake was appointed as the Honorary Consul of the Philippines in Sri Lanka. He received his Execuatur from the Minister of External affairs, G.L. Peiris on November 20 in his office and took the oath of office on November 21 before the minister and Consul General of the Philippines, Mohd. Noordin Pendosina N. [...]

“Country Roads” concert raises Rs. 500,000 for mother-and-child support on plantations

The annual “Country Roads’ concert, the 21st in the series held on its 26th anniversary in Colombo, last week donated Rs. 500,000 to Save the Children Sri Lanka to support its mother-and-child programmes on Sri Lankan plantations. The concert of country and western, and folk music which featured the Mavericks from Germany, folk singer Astrid [...]

British Council colour workshop

The British Council Colombo presents a workshop on colour on December 6 at 10.30 a.m. with colour expert Janet who will reveal to participants important and fascinating facts about our world full of colours. Janet, an expert in colour consulting with major brands such as Marks and Spencer, Hugo Boss, Samsung and Dulux, is a [...]

The list of places off-limits to Mary Coales is extensive. The 63-year-old can’t go to theatres, restaurants, cinemas, airports, or parks. If she has a hospital appointment, she has to wait outside the building until the very last moment, while trips to the supermarket are conducted at lightning speed. Even walking down the road outside [...]

Confronting the legal fraternity: There’s a price to be paid

It is a well-known fact that a majority of the members of the legal profession are up in arms against the Government. This was clearly shown when the profession rallied round the Executive Committee, which decided unanimously to oppose the impeachment of Chief Justice 43 Shirani Bandaranayake. This motion was supported at a meeting of [...]

First gene therapy drug sets million-euro price record

FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) – The Western world’s first gene therapy drug is set to go on sale in Germany with a 1.1 million euro ($1.4 million) price tag, a new record for a medicine to treat a rare disease. The sky-high cost of Glybera, from Dutch biotech firm UniQure and its unlisted Italian marketing partner Chiesi, [...]

Ancient irrigation works must be restored, not destroyed

The Government has started a project to divert the waters of Yan Oya with Chinese aid. The proposed reservoir of this project will not only inundate a large extent of paddy lands which are presently irrigated by ancient irrigation works but will also inundate some of the ancient ruins in this area. This project will [...]

Obedient to the sacred legal principle that guilt must be proved beyond reasonable doubt, the jury in the 1953 Sathasivam case found the accused not guilty. That same principle applies equally to the second accused, later made crown witness, writes Stephen Prins NAILING down the cause for Injury No. 18, the puzzling contusion found on [...]

Amnesty warns against ‘excessive force’ by Hong Kong police

HONG KONG, Nov 29, (AFP) – Amnesty International on Friday warned Hong Kong police against “excessive force” ahead of a planned rally by pro-democracy demonstrators, following scuffles as a major protest site was cleared earlier this week. Police fired “pepper water” at crowds as they tore down tents and barricades in the busy commercial neighbourhood [...]

Foreign hand in local elections: The rhetoric and reality

In today’s globalised world, Sri Lanka’s presidential election scheduled for January 8 will definitely have its own degree of foreign involvement. The foreign press will cover the event. Foreign election observers may come. The issue of concern is whether any foreign involvement that may occur would inhibit or enhance the prospects for a free and [...]

Britain’s flawed policies breed home terrorism

Last Wednesday British Government introduced a bill with a raft of laws to deal with a security threat which it claims is “perhaps greater than it has ever been”. The threat level has been raised from “substantial” to “severe” as vigilance has been heightened for the return of jihadist fighters who have been involved in [...]

Sugar can trigger depression, anxiety and stress

Sugar may be sweet – but it’s effects on the body are far from it. According to new research, too much sugar doesn’t just lead to weight gain, but also depression, anxiety and stress. Eating a diet high in fructose as a teenager makes depression and anxiety worse, scientists found. It also alters how the [...]

Geopolitical impact of cheap oil

CAMBRIDGE – The price of oil has fallen more than 25% in the past five months, to less than $80 a barrel. If the price remains at this level, it will have important implications – some good, some bad – for many countries around the world. If it falls further, as seems likely, the geopolitical [...]

Colourful war of words plays out on Gaza’s battered walls

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories (AFP) — Everywhere you turn, walls in the Gaza Strip are covered with paint — brightly coloured slogans, political portraits and prose. For youth in the besieged enclave packed with 1.8 million people, graffiti is an important tool for self-expression and fighting back. Since their birth, they have never known anything [...]

Nuclear weapons as bargaining chips in global politics

UNITED NATIONS, (IPS) – Has the world reached a stage where nuclear weapons may be used as bargaining chips in international politics? So it seems, judging by the North Korean threat last week to conduct another nuclear test – if and when the 193-member U.N. General Assembly adopts a resolution aimed at referring the hermit [...]

Lawmakers urge regulators to break up Google

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union lawmakers overwhelmingly backed a motion on Thursday urging anti-trust regulators to break up Google, the latest setback for the world’s most popular Internet search engine. Google has been in the EU’s regulatory sights since 2010, and is also grappling with privacy issues, requests to scrub search results to comply with [...]

Earthlings to send 90,000 hellos to Mars

REUTERS – Radio telescopes on Earth will beam 90,000 messages to Mars on Friday to commemorate the launch 50 years ago of the first robotic probe to visit the planet. A U.S. space funding company called Uwingu organized the extraterrestrial shout-out to mark the 50th anniversary of NASA’s Mariner 4 mission and to raise funds [...]

Deep beneath the ocean, crawling on rock chimneys spewing out hot water, lies the nearest thing on Earth to an alien, Nasa has claimed. It says the ‘extreme shrimps’ that have evolved could give us a glimpse of what alien life on other planets looks like. They even believe similar animals may exist on other [...]

Is your coffee too bitter? Change the colour of your cup to blue

More than 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed across the globe each day, and it’s likely that many taste bitter. Now, a new study suggests that coffee fans can make their drink taste sweeter by simply swapping the colour of their cup. Scientists claim that blue and glass mugs, which are popular in some [...]

Syria says US-led strikes have not weakened Islamic State

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syria’s foreign minister said US-led air strikes had failed to weaken Islamic State in Syria and the jihadist group would not be tackled unless Turkey was forced to tighten border controls. A US-led alliance started attacking Islamic State targets in Syria in September as part of a wider effort to destroy the [...]

At least 120 dead in Nigeria mosque suicide attack

KANO, Nigeria, Nov 29 (AFP) -At least 120 people were killed and 270 others wounded on Friday when two suicide bombers blew themselves up and gunmen opened fire during weekly prayers at the mosque of one of Nigeria’s top Islamic leaders. The attack at the Grand Mosque in Kano, the biggest city in the mainly [...]

Verdict due in murder retrial of Egypt’s Mubarak

CAIRO, Nov 29 (AFP) -An Egyptian court is to deliver today its verdict in the murder retrial of former president Hosni Mubarak, almost four years after he was overthrown in a popular uprising. Ahead of the ruling, security was beefed up around the court at the sprawling police academy on the outskirts of Cairo, with [...]

British-led scientists trial 15-minute Ebola test in Guinea

CONAKRY, Nov 29 (AFP) -British scientists announced trials on a 15-minute Ebola test in Guinea as French President Francois Hollande became the first Western leader to visit a country devastated by the epidemic. The prototype is six times faster than current tests and aims to speed up diagnosis, the London-based global research charity Wellcome Trust [...]

British reporter awaits verdict over Bangladesh war toll

DHAKA, Nov 29 (AFP) -A Bangladesh court is expected to rule Monday on whether an award-winning British journalist is guilty of contempt after he questioned the assertion that three million people died in the 1971 independence war. In a case seen as a test of the country’s commitment to free speech, judges will decide if [...]

Taiwan votes in key elections ahead of presidential polls

TAIPEI, Nov 29 (AFP) -Voters go to the polls today in Taiwan’s largest ever local elections, with the Beijing-friendly ruling party facing a rout in a key test ahead of the 2016 presidential race. Opinion polls suggest the Kuomintang (KMT) are heading for heavy losses as they struggle with growing fears over Chinese influence, a [...]

You may have noticed that the voices of politicians seem to change as they rise up the ranks. Now scientists claim that being in a position of power can fundamentally change the way you speak and other people can pick up on these vocal cues. They say that the cues – such as talking more [...]

Was China’s Terracotta army modelled on real soldiers?

They may have stood guard over China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang for more than 2,000 years, but the famous terracotta warriors are still revealing their secrets. Since they were discovered by local farmers in 1974, experts have questioned whether the life-size models of soldiers were modelled on real warriors, or whether they came off [...]

Easter Island’s ancient inhabitants weren’t so lonely after all

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – They lived on a remote dot of land in the middle of the Pacific, 2,300 miles (3,700 km) west of South America and 1,100 miles (1,770 km) from the closest island, erecting huge stone figures that still stare enigmatically from the hillsides. But the ancient Polynesian people who populated Easter Island, or [...]

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