December 7, 2017 · 10:44 am

The Coconut Palm in Sri Lanka: From Yesterday to Today

WTJS Kaviratne, in Daily News, ….http://www.dailynews.lk/2017/12/07/features/136574/origin-and-evolution-coconut-palm

Anthropologists, explorers, invaders and travellers had made numerous references on the evolution of this versatile palm grown in more than 90 countries across the world. Some of these were mere theories based on assumptions yet to be proved scientifically. Extensive research is still continuing on the origin of the coconut palm on the foundations provided  through gene analysis by scientists.

Since time immemorial, the coconut plant has been found growing luxuriantly along the beaches of tropical countries. And certain scientists argue that coconut palm is not indigenous to any of those countries even if they grow there. Fossil remains of coconut up to 35 to 55 million years old have been excavated in Australia and India proving that coconut palm belongs to the Kingdom of Plants in the Prehistoric era. Continue reading →

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December 7, 2017 · 8:29 am

Hussain Miya’s Archival Donation to Brunei

Bacha Husmiya aka HussainMiyam of Peradeniya and Sri Lanka

Yesterday in a small ceremony at the UBD main library organized by the chancellory and in the presence of some Deans and press officials graced by the Asst. V.C. (Academic) Dr Ayub, I handed over my entire collections of Historical primary source documents to be preserved by UBD Bruneiana collections for the use of all scholars.

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December 6, 2017 · 2:41 pm

Eagles that hunt drones as Members of the French Air Force

French military using winged warriors to hunt down rogue drones.   This is amazing.

Following incidents of drones flying over the presidential palace and restricted military sites – along with the deadly 2015 Paris terror attacks – the French Air Force has trained four golden eagles to intercept and destroy the rogue aircraft.

A golden eagle grabs a flying drone during a military training exercise at Mont-de-Marsan French Air Force base, Southwestern France.

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December 3, 2017 · 12:57 am

Nath-thal in Ceylon in My Youthful Years

Alex Van Arkadie

Long before the legendary seafarer ‘Sinbad’ chanced to harbor in waters lapping the little isle of  ‘Serendip’, or European colonizers discovered Ptolemy’s ‘Ceylan’, pilgrims from the distant Orient have been visiting here. During the reign of the Indian Emperor Asoka (2nd Century BC), the island’s North Central Province was home to Sinhala Kings under whose patronage Buddhism spread. Following India’s gift of a sapling from the Bodhi Tree under which Sidharta Gautama Buddha attained ‘nirvana’, the ancient city of Anuradhapura draws pilgrims and curious visitors from everywhere. The tree is regarded as the oldest in the world (2,200 years). Similarly, a painting in the office of Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Rome, depicts  “Emissaries of the Sinhala Royal Court presenting Credentials to Emperor Claudius” (according to Roman Historian Gaius Plinius Secundas, AD 23-79, pix. below).

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December 1, 2017 · 1:20 pm

The Huseins and Their Historic Mansions in the Fort, Galle

Juliet Coombe, in Daily News, 1 December 2017,where the title runs “Fragments of the past”

“New things you can replace. Old things are irreplaceable.” Such is the mentality that has underpinned the empire that is now the Historical Mansion, right through from the inventor of the museum, Hussain senior, who has passed the museum onto his eldest son Kamal who now runs it, along with the arcade, gem making workshop in the central courtyard and the fabulous antiques gallery with filigree jewellery that is hundreds of years old. Newness is not important to Kamal, he simply wants to preserve what his father collected so that future generations can understand and appreciate the lives that were lived without electricity hence the notches in the walls for candles and if you wanted water you had to draw it from the central courtyard well.

 

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November 30, 2017 · 1:21 am

Tensions and Tales from Sri Lankan Cricket: An Essay from 2009

Michael Roberts, being a reprint of an article entitled “Wunderkidz in a Blunderland: tensions and tales from Sri Lankan cricket,” that appeared in Sport in Society Vol. 12, No. 4/5, May–June 2009, 566–5 … with emphasis added by highlighting in blue and/or red.

The story of Sri Lankan cricket is a tale of great cricketing success within the context of a polity struggling with civil war and great levels of internal violence. Cricket is the one arena in Sri Lankan public culture where Tamils and Sinhalese, locked in a bloody civil war for decades, come together on a national public platform. From being reviled as a Western import in the early years of independence to its gradual embrace and penetration of new catchment areas in less affluent and more rural areas, the story of Sri Lankan cricket in many ways mirrors the development of the post-colonial Sri Lankan nation. This essay fleshes out prominent themes in the history of Sri Lankan cricket within the context of the major socio-political developments in twentieth century Sri Lanka.

 Sri Lankan cricketers celebrate their defeat of Australia  on 17th  March 1996 with the treasured World Cup in their hands

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November 28, 2017 · 11:26 pm

New Multicultural Commissioners for Victoria, Australia

Item in the Indian Sun, http://www.theindiansun.com.au/new-multicultural-commissioners-

Victoria’s multicultural communities will have new voices advocating for their interests, with the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) welcoming three new Commissioners, and the reappointment of three more. VMC Chairperson Helen Kapalos said each Commissioner brings a wealth of experience and insight to their role.“The role of a Commissioner requires compassion to listen to people and understand their challenges and aspirations; it requires innovative thinking to find lasting, meaningful solutions; and it requires the courage to provide frank and fearless advice to the Victorian Government,” said Ms Kapalos.

Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa

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November 27, 2017 · 10:11 am

German Refugee Experiences 1945: Christa’s Tale informs Her Outlook towards Islamic Refugees Today

BBC Item, 19 November 2017, …. “Why some Germans look at Syrian refugees and see themselves”

 

Between 1944 and 1947, an estimated 12 million ethnic Germans fled or were expelled from their homes. Overshadowed by the crimes of the Nazis, their stories have often received little international attention. But these days, as Bethany Bell reports from Germany, the new arrivals from Syria have awakened old memories about what it means to flee.

Christa Nolte as a baby with her mother and her brother – she still has the teddy bear Continue reading →

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November 27, 2017 · 9:52 am

Rampant Corruption Debilitating Our Nation, says Bishop Canagasabey

Rt. Revd. Dhiloraj Canagasabey, Bishop of Colombo: Extracts from His Address at  the 132nd Annual Sessions of the Diocese of Colombo, Church of Ceylon.

‘One of the most disappointing failures of the govt. has been its inability to end rampant corruption’

Each year, both in the report of the Standing Committee of our Diocese and in my own charge we turn to look at the significant events that have taken place in the country, viewed from the standpoint of the Church. Our scriptural and theological understanding of God’s concern for and involvement in the history of peoples and nations requires us to engage fully with the issues of our country and the world. Continue reading →

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November 26, 2017 · 6:44 am

The Cricketing Universe of Sri Lanka: A Short History written in 2007

Michael Roberts, providing a reprint of  “Landmarks and Threads in the Cricketing Universe of Sri Lanka,” Sport in Society, January 2007, vol. 10 (1): 120-42…. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17430430600989209

Cricket developed in British Ceylon [1] as a pastime indulged in by the British ruling elements, whether military men, officials, merchants or planters. It was but one sport in a wide repertoire of pastimes pursued by the British rulers, practices that were assisted by the resources they commanded, not least a host of minions servicing their leisured enjoyments. Continue reading →

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