Experts scrutinise Lanka’s disaster preparedness
With world scientists warning of more and bigger earthquakes next year in South Asia and elsewhere owing to the variations in the earth’s rotation, Sri Lanka’s disaster preparedness and inadequacies were discussed at a timely symposium in Colombo on Wednesday. Experts from Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines and Bangladesh joined their Sri Lankan counterparts to share [...]
Deadly earthquakes could hit a billion people next year because of Earth’s slowing rotation
Swarms of devastating earthquakes are set to arrive next year due to the slowing of Earth’s rotation, scientists claim.Experts warn we ‘had it easy this year’ with just six severe earthquakes. Next year we could have at least 20 serious earthquakes, and the most intense ones are expected to occur in tropical regions, home to [...]
A.M.A. Azeez’s agricultural revolution in the east
A.M.A. Azeez was born on October 4, 1911 to a traditional elite family of Vannarpannai in Jaffna. He had his childhood and entire schooling in Jaffna. He attended leading Hindu schools and was a brilliant student. He passed away on November 24, 1973. The legacy of Dr. Azeez, I sometimes think, is like an iceberg. [...]
Flying above the law
I was very interested to read last week that certain members of parliament had been complaining to the Speaker about the fact that the CID had been checking their mobile phones. Their plaintive wail was that this action by the CID “violated the privileges they enjoy under standing orders of Parliament”. They were objecting to [...]
A kiss is not a kiss: Sexual abuse and exploitation of children
The recent denunciations by several young women who claimed that they were sexually abused by U.S. Senate nominee Roy S. Moore, some of them when they were younger than 18 years-old, underscore the widespread nature of this phenomenon. What makes it even more serious, is that it involves all social and economic groups of people, [...]
Desist from stoking racial embers
In the recent past extremist politicians in the south and north have been beating the drums of race and religion in order to achieve their hidden objectives against the elected government in power. With the proposed amendment to the Constitution in order to devolve powers to the provincial councils, the extremists stepped up their campaign [...]
‘Vision 2025′ development programme gets going
UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – Sri Lanka has experienced a 27-year separatist conflict in the North and East of the country and two youth insurrections in the South (1971 and 1988-90). Tens of thousands of our people, most of them young, lost their lives. While there was complex causality behind these episodes, arguably the most significant [...]
Poverty is also a psychosocial problem
BRIGHTON – Being poor is a highly shameful experience, degrading one’s dignity and sense of self-worth. While the manifestations and causes of poverty differ, the humiliation that accompanies it is universal. Recent research conducted at the University of Oxford found that from China to the United Kingdom, people facing economic hardship – even children – [...]
Phaethon asteroid named after a Greek god will brush quite close to Earth
A 3-mile (5 km) wide asteroid named 3200 Phaethon will brush past Earth just before Christmas. The huge object is named after the Greek demi-god Phaethon, who according to legend almost destroyed Earth. It will brush ‘quite close’ with Earth on December 17, Russian astronomers have shown.Experts at the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University in [...]
Garden University of Peradeniya – 75 years of excellence: Tribute to Sir Ivor Jennings’ vision
“…..I have made a small contribution. History will say it was small indeed, but at least my name will appear among the thousands of benefactors listed in the Calendar of the year 2950,” Sir William Ivor Jennings, the first Vice Chancellor of the University of Ceylon (later named the University of Peradeniya) writes in his [...]
JVP leader to deliver Palestine solidarity lecture
A public lecture to mark the United Nations’ Day for Solidarity with the Palestinian people will be held on November 27,2017 from 4pm to 6pm at the Lakshman Kadiragamar centre Colombo 07. Janatha Vimukthi Peremuna leader and Chief Oppsition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake will deliver the keynote address while speaker Karu Jayasuriya will be the [...]
50th Anniversary of the Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya
The 50th anniversary of the founding of the Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya (Mitirigala Forest Hermitage) will be commemorated at a public meeting to be held at the Nissarana Vanaya Aranya at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 3 (Unduvap Poya Day). A postage stamp together with a special commemorative cover to mark the 50th Anniversary of the [...]
RASSL lecture on Anuradhapura
The Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka’s (RASSL) monthly public lecture will be delivered by Archt. Ashley de Vos President, RASSL on Monday, November 27 at 5 p.m.at the Gamini Dissanayake Auditorium, No. 96, Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 7. He will speak on “An interpretation of a section of Anuradhapura in the 7th century C.E.” [...]
Helping hand to rural schools
The Sri Lanka Air Force 34th entry (1971 group) Airmen in collaboration with the Lions club of Elvitigala Colombo donated Rs. 300,000 worth of essential items to rural school children in the Anuradhapura District. The gifts including drinking water purification plants, school bags and stationery items were distributed among the school children of Halmillaweva Primary [...]
Lecture on the endangered Western Purple-faced Langur
The French Scholars’ Association (ASLAEF), in collaboration with the Alliance Francaise de Kotte in Colombo has organised a lecture titled ‘Against All Odds: The Critically Endangered Western Purple-faced Langur Still Leaps!’ on November 30 from 6.30 p.m. – 8.00 p.m. at the AFKo premises, No 11, Keppetipola Mawatha, Colombo 5 (adjoining Police Park in Thimbirigasyaya). [...]
Housing loans and deeds for Borella residents
Under the National Housing Development Authority’s Semata Sarana progremme, housing loans and deeds were distributed among Borella residents at a ceremony held at Temple Trees auditorium recently. Borella District UNP organiser and Western Provincial Councillor Jayantha de Silva is seen here in conversation with Housing and Construction Minister Sajith Premadasa at the ceremony. Prime Ministr [...]