India’s Daughter: Dare ban these men and their mindset?
The year was 2005. A cub reporter then, I was returning after interviewing a politician in Lutyen’s Delhi. It was getting late, 9 to be precise, and with no auto in sight, I and the photographer decided to flag a passing chartered bus. As I stepped on the bus, I saw there were just four [...]
Leading contemporary artists hold ‘Untitled’ exhibition
‘Untitled’ an exhibition featuring some of Sri Lanka’s leading contemporary artists is now on at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery. The exhibition which opened on March 6 will continue until March 10 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. The artists featured are Manoranjana Herath, Vajira Gunawardena, Prageeth Ratnayake, Sanjaya Senavirathna and Damitha Iddamalgoda [...]
Homes across the nation
To be held for the first time in Sri Lanka on Saturday March 21, Habitat for Humanity’s Youth BUILD 2015 will see youth from across the island as well as from overseas come together to assist in the building of homes for internally displaced people in Trincomalee. Habitat for Humanity is an international organisation dedicated [...]
Lecture: ‘Slaves and Slavery in Dutch Ceylon
Prof. K.D. Paranavitana will speak on ‘Slaves and Slavery in Dutch Ceylon 1640-1796′ on Friday, March 13 at the Organisation of Professional Associations, 275/75, Prof. Stanley Wijesundera Mawatha, Colombo 7 at 5.30 p.m. There will be time for questions and a discussion after the lecture. The lecture is presented by the Ceylon Society of Australia.
Peter Weerasekera Children’s Home to hold Village Fair
A Village Fair will be held on Saturday, March 14 at the Peter Weerasekera Children’s Home , Dambuwa. Buthpitiya and all proceeds will be used for the upkeep of the children of the home. The Peter Weerasekera Children’s Home cares for 85 children and is recommended by the Department of Probation and Childcare. The Village [...]
The Peterite Vehicle Parade – 7th year and counting
Watch out for Blue White and Gold on Marine Drive as the Peterite vehicle parade makes its way on Saturday, March 14 from 7 a.m. from Marrybrown, Wellawatte to the R.Premadasa Grounds. Begun in 2009 among the OBU to support the Peterite Big Match, the vehicle parade has now come a long way. Starting with [...]
US spacecraft reaches dwarf planet Ceres
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) – A US space probe slipped into orbit around Ceres, a miniature planet beyond Mars believed to be left over from the formation of the solar system, NASA said on Friday. Launched in 2007, the Dawn spacecraft made a 14-month tour of the asteroid Vesta before steering itself toward Ceres, the [...]
Why Indian food is so delicious
With their intoxicating spices and complex flavours, Indian curries are enjoyed the world over. Now, in a study of more than 2,000 recipes, scientists have discovered the secret behind curry’s popularity on a molecular level. They claim that unlike Western dishes that tend to pair similar flavours together – such as beer and beef – [...]
Living the Saudi dream amid falling fuel prices
IRVING, TEXAS – Saudi Arabia wants it all: to salvage OPEC, achieve income diversification and industrialisation, and preserve its market share in crude oil, petroleum products, petrochemicals, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). Whether the Saudis succeed will be determined largely by the shale-energy industry in the United States. The US shale revolution divided OPEC according [...]
Crofton weed: Silent invader of Lanka’s highlands
Crofton weed is not a familiar plant species to Sri Lanka though it was introduced to Sri Lanka as an ornamental plant long time ago. Crofton weed is similar in appearance to Podisingho Marang, except the stem colour. My observations over the years in Sri Lanka revealed that the species has spread rapidly in highlands [...]
What ails the condominium industry in Sri Lanka?
Is condominium living really the ‘dream’ or is it a ‘nightmare’? Are prospective buyers aware of the restrictive nature of condominium living and rules that need to be complied with as a co-owner of common property? Are buyers dealing with honest developers who are transparent in their dealings? Are the problems of condominium dwellers addressed [...]
Rebels sign up to vote as Philippines moves to save peace pact
SULTAN KUDARAT, Philippines, March 7 (AFP) -Hundreds of Muslim rebels lined up in the Philippines today to register as voters, keeping faith with a 2014 peace pact that was thrown into doubt after 44 policemen were killed in a botched terror raid. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels, unarmed and wearing civilian clothes, had [...]
Iran’s role worries anti-IS coalition: US general
ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT, March 7 (AFP) -The US military’s top officer said Iran is bolstering the firepower of Shiite militias in Iraq but it remains unclear if Tehran is a help or a hindrance to the fight against Islamic State group jihadists. General Martin Dempsey, speaking to reporters aboard his plane en route [...]
Three Europeans shot dead in Mali nightclub
BAMAKO, March 7 (AFP) -Three Europeans were shot dead at a nightclub in Mali’s capital early today, in a suspected terror attack that came with the government at a key stage of peace talks with militants in the restive north. At least one gunman entered the club in an area of Bamako popular with expatriates [...]
Smog documentary blocked by China after becoming viral hit
BEIJING, March 7 (AFP) -A hard-hitting video investigation into China’s grave air pollution problem has been pulled from mainstream video sites, days after it garnered more than 100 million hits online. “Under the Dome”, an independent documentary produced by former Chinese state media journalist Chai Jing, was no longer available on popular mainland video sites, [...]
Dawn of man: Ethiopian jawbone fossil pushes back human origins
WASHINGTON (Reuters)- A 2.8-million-year-old jawbone fossil with five intact teeth unearthed in an Ethiopian desert is pushing back the dawn of humankind by about half a million years. Scientists said on Wednesday the fossil represents the oldest known representative of the human genus Homo and appears to be a previously unknown species from the human [...]
Socio-economic progress I saw during my many visits to China
My relationship with China goes back more than 30 years. I have visited China eight times and saw some beautiful places. In 1997, I received an invitation from China’s People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. During that visit I was able to fulfil a childhood dream and see the Great Wall of China, one [...]
Alien abduction? Stolen by Russia? MH370 theories keep coming
SYDNEY (Reuters) – A year on from the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, an extraordinary amount of key data remains unknown – fuelling conspiracy theories and heated online debate about one of aviation’s biggest mysteries. An information vacuum has nourished a cottage industry of experts and amateurs in cyberspace who continue to exhaustively pick [...]
The Renaissance Man
‘A renaissance man or polymath is a person who is skilled in multiple fields or multiple disciplines, and who has a broad base of knowledge. The term renaissance man is largely based on the various artists and scholars of the European Renaissance, (starting in about 1450 CE), who pursued multiple fields of studies. Perhaps the [...]
ikman.lk says ‘significant’ online job vacancy ads growth in 4Q14
Dominant Sri Lanka online classifieds site ikman.lk has revealed that an average of 235 job vacancy advertisements were posted to its website daily over the course of October 2014. Further, this number went up to 445 per day in November 2014, and 555 per day in December 2014, resulting in a significant overall increase in [...]
