"Star Lanka Online" Our NEW Web site And Web TV Channel Launched

TFGE , The Future Global Educational Center Has Launched
the official web site, called
*** Star Lanka Online Dot Com ........................

www.starlankaonline.com will be completed in very near future....

*** Star Lanka Online TV Channel,..................

Just One Click ahead ...

Now you can watch "Star Lanka Online TV" channel broadcasts from Matara, Sri Lanka in most part of the day. Still we are keeping a test transmission also. There is a link right side of your hand to watch our TV channel. You can watch (Click On the Box) live channel on this site without going to another site to watch the TV. and also recorded parts, following the below link.

Place your Own Ad Here

Friday, February 18, 2011

Solution to English teacher shortage

Solution to English teacher shortage

The Higher Education Ministry is planning to modernize the Higher National Diploma in English course conducted by the Sri Lanka Technology Education Institute to deploy students following the course to teach in Government schools as a solution to the shortage of English Teachers in Government schools.

Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake addressing a function held in connection with shifting into a new venue by the Sri Lanka Higher Technological Education Institute, said that action would be taken to deploy students who follow the Higher National Diploma in Information Technology to solve the teacher shortage problem to teach Information Technology in Government schools.

Minister Dissanayake explained that the Technological Education Institute and the Open University were very useful as the trained service personnel needed to ensure the country is rapid development.

Higher Education Ministry Secretary Dr Sunil Jayantha Navaratne and Higher Technological Education Institute Director General Professor Kapila Perera were present.

2011 Cricket World Cup Opening Ceremony in Bangladesh - Watch Live Videos

2011 Cricket World Cup Opening Ceremony in Bangladesh

Cricket is a great sport and the Cricket World Cup is the highlight of every cricket lover’s year. This time the event, which is held every four years, will be even more memorable for cricket lovers living in Bangladesh.

On February 18, 2009, Haroon Lorgat, the Chief Executive of the International Cricket Council, announced that the opening ceremony of the 2011 Cricket World Cup will be held in Bangladesh. The event will take place almost exactly two years from now on February 19, 2011, and proceedings will coincide with the opening game which will also take place in Bangladesh on the same day. That is exciting news for both cricket lovers in Bangladesh and the people of the country in general as the move will no doubt generate a lot of tourism and cast a spotlight on the country, hopefully helping to further improve its image and economy.

Haroon Lorgat also said that the number of matches to be played at the fifteen different selected venues had been discussed. It is obvious that the event should be used to bolster local tourism efforts and every endeavor must be made to ensure that it is a massive success. If you would like to combine sport with leisure, you’ll be happy to know that the World Cup will be making its way to either Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, Narayanganj Osmani Stadium in Fatullah or the Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. The final decision as to which stadium will be used for the event is yet to be made.

No doubt, this means that Bandladesh will experience a lot of tourist-related development as city officials try to ensure that it is completely ready to receive this prestigious event and the many tourists that travel with it. Though it is still some time before the 2011 Cricket World Cup takes place, fans would definitely do well to book well in advance to avoid disappointment. Visitors from other countries would also do well to take advantage of their trip and explore the country between matches so that they can learn a little bit more about the rich beauty that is to be found in Bangladesh.

http://www.bangladesh.com/blog/2011-cricket-world-cup-opening-ceremony-in-bangladesh




Monday, February 14, 2011

Akala Sandya - අකාල සන්ධ්‍යා - Watch Free Here Compleately

Akala Sandya - අකාල සන්ධ්‍යා


අකාල සන්ධ්‍යා නොහොත් කාලත්‍රයේ තීර්ථ යාත්‍රිකයා

Complete Teledrama by Col3 site

Watch Whole TV series..at
http://www.col3negoriginal.net/watch.php?id=4454

Friday, February 11, 2011

President Hosini Mubarak resigns : Videos

CAIRO — Hundreds of thousands of protesters screamed and cheered Friday as it was announced that President Hosni Mubarak was stepping down.

Chanting "Free Egypt!" the crowds exploded in jubilant cries of joy, blaring car horns, dancing in the streets, waving flags and singing after 18 days of protests ousted Mubarak after almost 30 years in office.

People dropped to their knees in prayers. Chants from Tahrir Square where the protests began were audible hundreds of yards away as the announcement was made on state television.





http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-02-11-egypt-protests_N.htm

Egypt :President Hosini Mubarak resigns

Egypt army vow on emergency rule

Image

Egypt : President Hosini Mubarak resigns

Hosni Mubarak steps down as president of Egypt, after weeks of protest by anti-government demonstrators in Cairo and other cities.

"Around Cairo, drivers are honking their horns in celebration and guns are being fired into the air. The huge crowds are rejoicing. However, the army takeover looks very much like a coup. The constitution has been breached. Officially, the speaker of parliament should be taking over. Instead it is the army leadership. Egypt moves into a very uncertain future."

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says: "The announcement took everyone by surprise and caused immediate and riotous celebration in Tahrir Square."

According to article 84 of the Egyptian constitution, if the president steps down, the speaker of the People's Assembly shall temporarily assume the presidency. Secondly, a new president shall be chosen within a maximum period of 60 days from the date of the vacancy of the presidential office. It is not clear if this will apply if the Higher Military Council is in charge of the nation's affairs.

BBC.Com

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Galle-Matara express speed railway at 100 KMPH

alt(Colombo, Lankapuvath) - The reinstructed Galle-Matara railway line will be declared open on 16 February.

Trains could now be operated at a speed of 100 Kilo Meters per hour on this track breaking its 40 km/hr speed limit maintained since colonial era at the commencement.

US dollars 36 million have been spent on the first phase of construction.

The railway Department warned the public to be more cautious at railway crossings.

There are 102 railway crossings between Galle and Matara. The project has been implemented with the objective of turning the coastal railway line into a high speed track.

The second phase of construction between Galle and Hikkaduwa will begin on February 15. Thereafter, the railway track from Hikkaduwa to Kalutara South and from there to Maradana will be upgraded.

Undergrads to face new English aptitude test

Undergrads to face new English aptitude test

The Higher Education Ministry had decided to conduct a separate examination to check the English language skills of students who sat for the Advanced Level Examination last year before being selected to universities, officials said yesterday.

Ministry Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne said that the students would have to undergo a three-month English course prior to university admission based on the results of this exam. He said that this was a one-off exam as most students had not sat for the General English paper at the 2010 A/L exam last year. However, he said that it would be made compulsory for all the students to sit for this paper from 2011 onwards. “Those who do not sit for this paper would not be admitted to any university. There are schools with no English teachers. Students of those schools should also sit for the paper. We only want to check their English knowledge before entering them to university,” he said.

Murali to be Australia spin coach

Murali to be Australia spin coach

Muttiah Muralidaran - once an outcast spurned by Australian cricket fans - will sign on as a guest spin coach to help mould the country's next generation of young spinners into champions.

In a stunning coup for Australian cricket, Sri Lanka's controversial spin genius will spend several weeks at the Brisbane-based Centre of Excellence in June for intensive training with rising Australian spinners, according to a report in the Australian newspaper Daily Telegraph.

Test cricket's greatest wicket-taker will not only impart the secrets of his spin wizardry but also record a spin coaching tutorial so his extraordinary knowhow will be passed on to future generations of Australian spinners.

It is a sign of how far the wheel has turned that Murali - who has been repeatedly heckled, taunted and even had fruit thrown at him by unruly fans here since being no-balled by Darrell Hair in the 1995 Boxing Day Test - will become Australia's potential spin saviour. Australian great Greg Chappell, one-time Indian coach and Australia's only full-time selector, masterminded Murali's visit by using his extensive network of contacts in the subcontinent.

"This is a wonderful opportunity ... Murali has probably forgotten more about spin bowling than most people will ever know in a lifetime," Chappell told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.

"Murali is one of the greatest spin bowlers of all time, we are very, very lucky.

"It is not just Murali's obvious physical skill that will be a huge benefit for our young spinners.

"It is also his mental toughness, his cleverness, his cunning and his ability to be able to set a batsman up and bowl 10-15 overs to a plan."

The Murali news is a shot in the arm for Australian cricket at a time when it conducts a major review into a devastating Ashes loss and tries to plot a fresh course into the future.

The nation's depleted spin stocks are one of the most pressing issues with 10 frontline spinners deployed at Test level since Shane Warne walked off into the sunset at the end of the 2006-07 home Ashes series.

Xavier Doherty and Michael Beer were both plucked from obscurity to wear baggy green caps this summer after Nathan Hauritz was sacked before the first Ashes Test.

Australian spinners have long struggled to unlock the secrets of the doosra and Murali was the man who made this mysterious delivery his own - even though the bona fides of his action were often questioned.

Murali's visit will also be invaluable for Australia's batsmen as his action will be recorded live and downloaded on the Academy's pro-batter video machine so batsmen can face a "virtual Murali" on the video-wall machine which mimics any bowler in the world.

Warne and former Pakistani off-spinner Saqlain Mustaq both had brief guest stints at the Centre of Excellence but Murali's visit - not long after he farewells international cricket at the 50-over World Cup starting this month - is positive news that Australian cricket desperately needs.

Chappell said Murali's coaching role would be confirmed once details were finalised in the next few weeks.


http://www.dailymirror.lk/sports/cricket/9642-murali-to-be-australia-spin-coach.html

Monday, February 7, 2011

Woman gives birth on SLAF helicopter' is a lie - The True Story

Woman gives birth on SLAF helicopter (Horowpathana) a LIE..

The story is not true. It's a lie. This child is born before the flight . But Mother and baby were separated in the helicopter. Some of people thought it happened in there with busy schedule with flood, and that's why this story goes to the media like this.

ඒ දරුවා අම්මගෙන් වෙන් කරන වැඩේ තමයි හෙලිකොප්ටරය ඇතුලෙදී සිදු කළේ එතන බලාගෙන හිටපු අය හිතුවේ දරුවා ලැබුනේ හෙලිකොප්ටරය ඇතුලේ කියලා. මොකද රෝහල් කාර්යය මණ්ඩලයවත් හෙලිකොප්ටරයට යන අවස්ථාව වෙද්දි දන්නේ නෑ තත්වේ මොකද්ද කියලා.

මේ ගමේ හිටපු වින්නඹු අමමා තමයි මේ දරුවා බිහිකරන වැඩේ සියළුම දේවල් කරලා තියෙන්නේ. ඒ වින්නඹු අම්මා මහ ගංවතුරේ ට්‍රැක්ටර් එකක දාගෙන තමයි මේ අම්මා හිටපු ගෙදරට ගෙනැල්ලා තියෙන්නේ. මේ දරුවා සම මව සනීපෙන් ඉන්න එකේ සියළුම ගෞරව යන්න ඕනේ තමන්ගේ ජීවිතේ ගැනවත් හිතන්නේ නැතිව මහ ගංවතුරේ ඇවිල්ලා සහාය වුණු ඒ වින්නඹු අම්මට.



මේ පත්තරේ තියෙන සිද්දිය සම්පූර්ණ බොරුවක් කියලා තම්යි ආරංචිය. වින්නඹු මාතාව විසින් ගොඩබිම දීම දරුවා ලබාගෙන.. අමතර උපකරන වල හිඟය නිසා අනුරාධපුරයට ‍රැගෙන ගොස් තිබෙනවා හොරොව්පතාන ඉඳලා. මේ සිද්ධියේ සම්පූර්ණ ගෞරවය වින්නඹුමාතාවට හිමිවිය යුතු බවයි ප්‍රදේශවාසීන් පවසන්නේ.

යම් අවස්ථා වෙනස්කරලා ලොකුවට ගෙනහැර පාමින් මේ පත්තර බලාපොරොත්තු වෙන්නේ මොනවද ?


More Info..
http://sl-spirit.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=1809&sid=e3761bbabd5ff3791cbebb767f8e0f69

Woman gives birth on SLAF helicopter (Horowpathana)

Woman gives birth on SLAF helicopter

A woman, rescued from the floods in Puliyankadawala, Horowpathana by Air Force personnel, gave birth on-board a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter yesterday.

The baby born on board the helicopter
Picture by Sarath Manula Wickrama

The woman was rushed to the Horowpathana Hospital from where she was transferred to the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital. The woman Kalupahana Liyanage Malkanthi, 34, and her infant are in good health.



The Sri Lanka Air Force yesterday deployed four helicopters to rescue the people trapped by floods in the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts. A food consignment weighing over 10 tonnes was airlifted to Welikanda, Medirigiriya and other areas in the Polonnaruwa district from the Hingurakgoda air base.

According to Air Force media spokesman Group Captain Janaka Nanayakkara an MI 17 helicopter and a Bell 212 helicopter were operating in the Anuradhapura district and a number of people trapped by the gushing floods in the remote parts of the district rescued by SLAF personnel.

Meanwhile, the Horowpathana town was inundated due to torrential rains experienced in the last few days.

Several shops in the town have been badly affected by floods and the people were unable to purchase their food items from the shops.

People who were rendered homeless are being provided with accommodation and cooked meals by the Government. A lot of people who have been in distress as the tanks are spilling and several roads became impassable.

The Trincomalee-Horowpathana Road and the A9 Road in Anuradhapura are impassable for vehicular traffic.

Water level in the Nachchaduwa tank is rising rapidly and according to the Resident Engineer of Nachchaduwa Lalith de Alwis, every hour the water level in the tank is rising by three inches. De Alwis said the water from the tank is sent to the Malwathu Oya at a speed of 10,000 cubic feet per second.

All six spill gates have been opened and another spill tank was due to be dug yesterday.

The Engineer appeals to the people near Nachchaduwa to move into safer areas.

Meanwhile, several villages around Malwathu Oya have gone under water and a large number of houses have been inundated.

Courtesy: DailyNews

තෙන්නකෝන් කුලසේකර සමග ගයාන් රාජපක්‍ෂ

හොරොව්පොතානේ පුලියන්කඩවල ගම්මානයේ ගංවතුරින් කොටු වී සිටි ගැබිනි මවක් ඊයේ (04) ගුවන් හමුදාව විසින් බේරාගෙන යද්දී හෙලිකොප්ටර් යානය තුළදී දරුවකු ප්‍රසූත කළාය.

ඊයේ (4) නිදහස් දින පෙරවරු 11.00 ට පමණ මෙසේ ඉහළ ආකාශයේදී ගුවන් යානය තුළදී දියණියක් පුසූත කර ඇත්තේ පුලියන්කඩවල පදිංචි කළුපහන ලියනගේ මල්කාන්ති නමැති 34 හැවිරිදි තිදරු මවකි. මව හා දරුවා ගුවන් හමුදා නිලධාරි විසින් හොරොව්පොතාන රෝහලට ඇතුළත් කරන ලද අතර ඔවුන්ව අනුරාධපුර ශික්‍ෂණ රෝහලට රැගෙන ඒම නියමිතය


Image

http://www.dinamina.lk/2011/02/05/_art.asp?fn=n1102055


The True story in the next post....

Sunday, February 6, 2011

The Top 10 Most Endangered Forests

The Top 10 Most Endangered Forests


Photographs for TIME by Kemal Jufri / Imaji

Today kicks off the UN International Year of Forests. (I know, it feels like International Polar Year just ended—probably because it was actually two years.) The event is meant to focus global attention on the plight of the world's forests, which provide carbon sequestration, climate regulation and are host to an astounding variety of biodiversity. While we often think that forests are being fast lost—hence the perennial attempts to save the rainforest—there is some good news. Thanks to aggressive reforestation projects in Europe, North America and Asia—especially in China—the loss of trees isn't as bad as it could be. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization reported that the estimated 4.032 billion hectares of forest is down from 4.085 billion hectares in 2000, but the rate of trees cleared has slowed significant since the 1990s, when 8.3 million hectares were lost each year.

But while reforestation can stanch some of the bleeding, when a native forest is cleared something valuable is lost forever, even if secondary growth eventually covers up the scars. And some places are more vulnerable than others. Conservation International (CI) has come out with a list of the 10 most vulnerable forest hotspots in the world, forests that have lost more than 90% of their original habitat and which harbor at least 1,500 plant species that are found nowhere else in the world. (CI focuses on "hotspots"—areas of the planet that host endemic species, knowing that when the habitat goes, so does the wildlife.) The threatened forests range from the U.S. to China, and if nothing is done to save them, they may not last much longer:
Hotspot Remaining habitat
1 Indo-Burma (southern Asia) 5%
2 New Zealand 5%
3 Sundaland (Indonesia/Malaysia) 7%
4 Philippines 7%
5 Atlantic Forest (South America) 8%
6 Mountains of Southwest China 8%
7 California Floristic Province (U.S. and Mexico) 10%
8 Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa 10%
9 Madagascar & Indian Ocean Islands 10%
10 Eastern Afromontane (Africa) 11%

http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com

Food Prices: Up, Up and Away

Food Prices: Up, Up and Away

http://ecocentric.blogs.time.co

Consumers shop for fruit in a supermarket in Nantong, China, on Jan. 20, 2011. (Imaginechina via AP Images)

The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released a report this week that food prices reached an all-time high in January. The Food Price Index rose 3.4% in January to 231, surpassing June 2008 levels that sparked food riots and hoarding from Haiti to the Philippines. Prices of all commodity groups except meat — cereals, oil, dairy and sugar — gained over prices in December.

As I wrote here earlier this week, soaring food prices have been cited as one of the underlying causes of the revolution underway in Egypt, and Algeria has reportedly made large purchases of wheat after deadly riots over high food prices broke out there last month. Al Jazeera is also reporting that Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Indonesia have all taken measures to limit the effect of food prices on farmers and consumers.

"Today's announcement by the FAO should ring alarm bells in capitals around the world," Policy and Research Director of Oxfam America Gawain Kripke said in a statement released after numbers came out. "Hundreds of thousands of people are already feeling the impact of rapidly increasing food prices. Good harvests are offsetting the worst for many but if prices remain high it will be just a matter of months before the world's poor are hit by another major food price crisis. Governments need to act now and act together to stop the rot."

Kripke called for the Committee on Food Security to develop an emergency response plan for nations to coordinate trade policies and ensure protection for the most vulnerable people affected by rising food prices. He also called on the G20 Finance Ministers to increase investment in small-holder agriculture and encouraged governments to resist the urge to ban exports and hoard food in the face of rising prices.

At Davos 2011, economist Nouriel "Dr. Doom" Roubini told CNN that rising commodity prices posed the greatest threat to global stability.


Read more: http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2011/02/04/food-prices-up-up-and-away/#ixzz1DCG0lYQQ

Kepler Telescope Finds Swarm of New world

Kepler Telescope Finds Swarm of New Worlds

http://www.time.com/



For a year and a half now, NASA's Kepler space telescope has been staring, pretty much constantly, at a group of about 156,000 stars, located near the constellation Cygnus. In all that time, month in and month out, Kepler's digital eyes have barely blinked.

But some of the stars have. Their light has dimmed a tiny bit, not just once, but over and over, in a regular, repeating pattern. And that's exactly what Kepler was designed to see — the clockwork signal of distant planets as they pass, once every orbit, between their parent stars and us. (See the top 50 space moments since Sputnik.)

Kepler's ultimate goal is to find a twin, in both size and in distance from its star, of Earth — an orbital sweet spot known as a star's habitable zone. That's because astronomers assume these are likeliest places for alien life to have taken hold. The telescope hasn't quite done that yet, but the Kepler team has just announced a huge flock of candidate planets, pushing its total catch so far to more than 1,200. If they all indeed turn out to be planets, it will more than triple the number of known worlds orbiting distant stars — and that's just in a tiny patch of sky, and relatively close to Earth. (See pictures of five nations' space programs.)

"I expected Kepler would be finding a lot of planets," said Debra Fischer, a Yale astronomer who's not a part of the Kepler team, at a press conference. "But I'm amazed to see these milestone discoveries so quickly."

Fischer isn't just talking just about the impressive numbers, but also about how small some of the possible planets are. Last month, Kepler reported a world only about 40% larger than Earth — a very big deal since most of the planets identified have been Jupiter-scale worlds. But that's nothing: among the latest candidates are 68 worlds about the size of Earth, including a handful that are no bigger than Mars. Five of these, moreover, lie in the habitable zone. The other 49 planets Kepler found in habitable zones are bigger, but, as Kepler principal investigator Bill Borucki pointed out, "some are as big as Jupiter, which means their moons could have liquid water" — a crucial ingredient, biologists think, for life. "If there's life there, you could imagine the inhabitants going from one moon to another for vacation. Although," he added, "they probably wouldn't do it every day."

Borucki, who was turned down by NASA four times before getting the go-ahead to build and launch Kepler, cautions that some of these new worlds might turn out not to be planets after all. Plenty of astronomical signals can look deceptively planet-like at first. They all have to be confirmed — ideally by measuring the object's mass with a second telescope. That's usually done by observing the slight wobble in the star caused by the tug of the orbiting planet's gravity. (Comment on this story.)

Only a handful of Kepler's planets have passed that test so far. In part that's because there's such a huge volume of data coming in from the space probe, and only a limited number of astronomers on the Kepler team who can do the followups. By releasing the candidates to the wider astronomical community, the team will be able to get these confirmations a lot faster — although with only four months' worth of Kepler's 18-months of data processed so far, the backlog may get bigger before it gets smaller. (See pictures of Earth from space.)

Still, it will be hard to beat an actual discovery announced today and published in the current Nature: Kepler has found not just one or two, but six planets orbiting a single star known as Kepler 11 — an entire solar system, all in one shot. "The five inner planets," says Nature paper co-author Eric Ford, of the University of Florida, "are a few times as massive as Earth, all crammed in closer to the star than Mercury is to the Sun. It's remarkable — we never expected to see something like this."

Says Jack Lissauer, a planetary theorist at NASA Ames Research Center and the lead author of the Nature study: "We suspected that the planetary zoo would have a great variety. But what that was, and how quickly we would find out about it, no way. This is way beyond anything we expected. Things like Kepler 11, these are just weird."

Why Obama has to get Egypt right

Why Obama has to get Egypt right



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Some have articulated fears of adverse consequences of free elections, suggesting that the Egyptian military may seek to falsify the results; that Israel may be adamantly opposed to a regime change; that the domino effect of extremist politics spreading to other countries must be avoided; and that the supply of oil from the region could be disrupted. These notions constitute the old conventional wisdom about the Middle East - and need to be changed, lest Washington incorrectly put up resistance to or hesitate in supporting transition in Egypt.


By George Soros


Revolutions usually start with enthusiasm and end in tears. In the case of the Middle East, the tears could be avoided if President Obama stands firmly by the values that got him elected. Although American power and influence in the world have declined, our allies and their armies look to us for direction. These armies are strong enough to maintain law and order as long as they stay out of politics; thus the revolutions can remain peaceful. That is what the United States should insist on while encouraging corrupt and repressive rulers who are no longer tolerated by their people to step aside and allow new leaders to be elected in free and fair elections. That is the course that the revolution in Tunisia is taking. Tunisia has a relatively well-developed middle class, women there enjoy greater rights and opportunities than in most Muslim countries, and the failed regime was secular in character. The prospects for democratic change are favorable.


Egypt is more complex and, ultimately, more influential, which is why it is so important to get it right. The protesters are very diverse, including highly educated and common people, young and old, well-to-do and desperately poor. While the slogans and crowds in Tahrir Square are not advancing a theocratic agenda at all, the best-organized political opposition that managed to survive in that country’s repressive environment is the Muslim Brotherhood. In free elections, the Brotherhood is bound to emerge as a major political force, though it is far from assured of a majority.


Some have articulated fears of adverse consequences of free elections, suggesting that the Egyptian military may seek to falsify the results; that Israel may be adamantly opposed to a regime change; that the domino effect of extremist politics spreading to other countries must be avoided; and that the supply of oil from the region could be disrupted. These notions constitute the old conventional wisdom about the Middle East - and need to be changed, lest Washington incorrectly put up resistance to or hesitate in supporting transition in Egypt.


That would be regrettable. President Obama personally and the United States as a country have much to gain by moving out in front and siding with the public demand for dignity and democracy. This would help rebuild America’s leadership and remove a lingering structural weakness in our alliances that comes from being associated with unpopular and repressive regimes. Most important, doing so would open the way to peaceful progress in the region. The Muslim Brotherhood’s cooperation with Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel laureate who is seeking to run for president, is a hopeful sign that it intends to play a constructive role in a democratic political system. As regards contagion, it is more likely to endanger the enemies of the United States - Syria and Iran - than our allies, provided that they are willing to move out ahead of the avalanche.


The main stumbling block is Israel. In reality, Israel has as much to gain from the spread of democracy in the Middle East as the United States has. But Israel is unlikely to recognize its own best interests because the change is too sudden and carries too many risks. And some U.S. supporters of Israel are more rigid and ideological than Israelis themselves. Fortunately, Obama is not beholden to the religious right, which has carried on a veritable vendetta against him. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is no longer monolithic or the sole representative of the Jewish community. The main danger is that the Obama administration will not adjust its policies quickly enough to the suddenly changed reality.


I am, as a general rule, wary of revolutions. But in the case of Egypt, I see a good chance of success. As a committed advocate of democracy and open society, I cannot help but share in the enthusiasm that is sweeping across the Middle East. I hope President Obama will expeditiously support the people of Egypt. My foundations are prepared to contribute what they can. In practice, that means establishing resource centers for supporting the rule of law, constitutional reform, fighting corruption and strengthening democratic institutions in those countries that request help in establishing them, while staying out of those countries where such efforts are not welcome.

www.island.lk

(Courtesy Washington Post Feb. 3)

Scientists find true language of love

Scientists find true language of love


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According to new research simple words such as ‘be’, ‘that’, ‘will’, ‘him’, ‘and’ and even ‘a’ could hold the key to a successful marriage. Experts say the style in which couples talk and how they use common words can predict whether a relationship will be successful or not. It is already well known that people are attracted to potential partners who resemble themselves in personality, values and physical appearance. However, experts now claim these features only skim the surface of what makes a relationship work. The ways that people talk are also important according to the study which found that people who speak in a similar style are more compatible. The US study focused on what it dubbed ‘function words’.


These are not nouns or verbs, but everyday words such as a, be, anything, that, will, him and even and. Study co-author Professor James Pennebaker, of Texas University, said how we use these words constitutes our writing and speaking style and couples who use them in the same way have better and longer-lasting partnerships.


Researchers examined whether the speaking and writing styles couples adopt during conversation with each other predict future dating behaviour and the long-term strength of relationships.


They conducted two experiments in which a computer programme compared partners’ language styles.


In the first study, pairs of college students had four-minute speed dates while their conversations were recorded. Almost every pair covered the same topics, such as their study subject, where they were from and if they liked college.


Prof Pennebaker said: "Every conversation sounded more or less the same to the naked ear, but text analysis revealed stark differences in language synchrony. The pairs whose language style matching scores were above average were almost four times as likely to want future contact as pairs whose speaking styles were out of sync."


A second study revealed the same pattern in everyday online chats between dating couples over the course of 10 days. Almost 80 percent of the couples whose writing style matched were still dating three months later, compared with approximately 54 percent of the couples who did not match as well.


Prof Pennebaker said: "What people are saying to each other is important, but how they are saying it may be even more telling.


"But what’s wonderful about this is we don’t really make that decision - it just comes out of our mouths. People are not consciously synchronizing their speech."


The article appeared in the journal Psychological Science.


- The Telegraph

Galle Face Hotel celebrates Valentine’s Day

Galle Face Hotel celebrates Valentine’s Day



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"You fill up my senses like a night in a forest,


like the mountains in springtime,


like a walk in the rain, like a storm in the desert,


like a sleepy blue ocean.


You fill up my senses, come fill me again"……


Valentine is a time for love to set sail into your heart in different ways. At the Galle Face Hotel – Sri Lanka’s Heritage in Hospitality, every dining area will be brought alive by melodies of Love & Romance……. If you feel like heading into a totally new experience, step into the "Cupid Twenty 11" Dinner Dance party with Anno Domini live in action at the Grand Ballroom of the Galle Face Hotel this Valentine’s Day! The Cupid Twenty 11 party will come alive from 8 pm onwards with a gala dinner buffet, a glass of pink spumante on arrival, red roses and chocolates for all ladies, complimentary photograph of each couple, Latino dance acts with DJ entertainment and exciting raffle draws with prizes and surprises.


Valentine’s Day is meant not only for lovers but for friends and family too. The Verandah Restaurant will host a grand Valentine’s Day Family brunch on the 13th February from 11.30 am to 3.00 pm. A delightful family brunch, roses and chocolates for ladies, fun bouncers and face painting for kids, action stations and a special gift for children will be on cards during the Family brunch on the 13th of February 2011.


Love in Harmony…… The 1864 – Fine dining Restaurant will offer an exclusive romantic 7 course sit down dinner on the 14th February with valentine’s cocktails on arrival, roses and chocolates complimentary, a bottle of wine for every table of 04 persons with live entertainment. The exclusive surroundings of this Restaurant will be decorated in hues of silver and Red.


Night of Romance….The Sea Spray Restaurant overlooking the Indian Ocean will offer a spread of culinary delights ranging from the best Seafood to the finest cut of meat prepared just for the two of you. Come and enjoy a pink spumante on arrival with red roses and chocolates with live entertainment at the Sea Spray Restaurant on 14th February from 7.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.


www.island.lk

The symbol of Sri Lankan Independence

National flag :

The symbol of Independence

The national flag or Sinha Kodiya continues to flutter in homes, shops, schools, temples, churches and other institutions to mark the Independence of our paradise isle, especially after the dawn of peace after three decades of turmoil, conflict and confusion. The national flag was flown high on Friday in every nook and corner of Sri Lanka as a symbol of true freedom.

The significance of the flag was truly felt on this landmark day. The national flag showed the pride of freedom with the people of Sri Lanka. When the first Parliament was inaugurated, the Duke of Gloucester represented his brother King George VI of Britain and together with the Dutchess were welcomed, at a royal ceremony, at the Independence Square.

At the proceedings, when the Duke read out the message, to officially declare Lanka’s Independence, the first Prime Minister of Independent Sri Lanka D.S. Senanayake hoisted the national flag which flew at high mast amidst the blue sky, bringing tears of joy to those who watched the lion flag flutter with a deep sense of pride and patriotism.

The historic first Independence Day celebrations is the first occasion when the nation saluted, honoured and venerated the national flag which stood as a monument of true freedom. The Lion flag which had been used by the early royalty of Lanka went up majestically on the flagstaff at Independence Square, signifying the independence of yet another worthy crown colony of the Imperial Regime.

It was also hoisted at the Dalada Maligawa Octagon by the then Prime Minister and a special perahera had been organised to mark the occasion. The royal visitors too were present at the special function held, thus the national flag flew high in Kandy too (the last bastion to fall) amidst the sounds of Magul Bera and the chanting of Seth Pirith to invoke blessings on the country.

Origin and history

The Vijaya episode has been the beginning of Lankan history. When Vijaya, banished from his native land, arrived in Sri Lanka in 486 BC at Tambapanni, he planted on the sea-shore a flag with a symbol of a lion on it. Ever since, this symbol had played a vital role throughout the history of Sri Lanka.

According to ancient chronicles, it had been widely used by the subsequent kings as a symbol of freedom, unity and harmony.

Brisk sales for the national flag close to Independence Day

E.W. Perera, a prominent figure in the freedom struggle, states in his book that the three lions on the gateway of Sanchi Stupa have been identified as the royal arms of Ceylon. The arch depicts the despatch of the Bo tree to then Ceylon and the symbols on either side depict the royal flags of Asoka and Devanampiyatissa. Even the Mahavihara, the Buddhist Monastery at Anuradhapura, was laid out in the shape of a lion.

The Lion flag is considered the oldest national flag in the world. Historically the lion flag of King Dutugemunu is said to be illustrated in Cave 2 of Rangiri Dambulu Vihara which is supported by Professor Anuradha Seneviratna in his book on the subject. It is said that Dutugemunu’s flag has a lion and the sun and moon symbols. The flag of the kings of Kotte is said to have had a lion. The Perakumba Siritha composed during this period describes the flag with the lion fluttering on the Northern ramparts, used by King Parakramabahu of Kotte.

E.W. Perera states in his book that an ola manuscript records that a banner bearing the symbol of a lion holding a sword in the right paw was the flag of Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe, the last king to rule the Kandyan Kingdom, before it came under British rule. In 1815, they replaced the Lion flag with the Union Jack as the national flag of Sri Lanka.

Sakyamuni Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, 2,600 years ago, had referred to the use of flags in the Dhajagga Sutta and it is of very special significance to Buddhists. The flag is the identity of a nation, country and a kingdom. The flag is the reflection of a national and cultural adaptation in its true perspective.

An ancient lion flag

The flag of King Dutugemunu

Kandy (Udapas Rata) kingdom flag (1515-1597)

The 18th Century flag of Kandyan kings

Flag of the Kotte Kingdom

An old Lion flag

“National sentiments are borne out in the flag. History reports that the king was taken prisoner and deported to Vellore in South India, the Lion flag was taken to England and kept at the Royal Military Hospital in Chelsea. E.W. Perera among the galaxy of national leaders, who were at the helm in the quest for freedom had discovered the original lion flag at Chelsea. This was displayed in a special edition of the Dinamina and this focused the attention of the entire nation. Unaware of the former as to its actual design they were in great anxiety to see the present flag.

The true national flag

The national flag of Sri Lanka was designed on the recommendations of D.S. Senanayake, the Father of the Nation and the first Prime Minister. This masterpiece in national tradition is unmatched and is sacred to the entire nation. The national glory and culture is embodied very clearly. Each feature has its own distinctive meaning and significance. The brilliant crimson in the background indicates immortality. The gold border running right round represent the Sangha who motivated and guided the royalty. The four gold Bo leaves, at the four corners of the background depict Metta, Karuna, Muditha and Upekkha - the four noble qualities to be developed by humanity. The two equal vertical stripes in saffron and green represent the Tamil and Muslim communities.

The picture of a lion in gold in the centre reflects the strength of the nation while the gold sword held by the lion symbolises righteous rule, justice and fairplay to all, heralding a time of peace and harmony, for the welfare of all beings.

Our national flag is a symbol of Sri Lanka and its people. In short it has a message for each citizen. Our original flag has seen many changes over the years. History says that at one time, the royal flag had a red lion holding a sword in the right paw on a white background.

However, regardless of the colours of the lion or the background, the lion has adorned the flags of the kings of Lanka for over 20 centuries and still continues to be the symbol of the national flag of Independent Sri Lanka.

The existing flag since the dawn of independence is respected, honoured and held in high esteem by every citizen of Sri Lanka. Hence, it is revered in the country. With the passage of time, people have become the rightful owners of the national flag - the 2,000-year-old Lion flag belonging to a heroic, fearless and duty-conscious people of Sri Lanka. It is a genuine symbol of unity.

Turning garbage into a resource

Karadiyana waste management project:

Turning garbage into a resource




Site Manager Karadiyana garbage dump Kosala Gunawardena

The lush greenery and the waterways all around accompanied with the cool and misty weather due to rains gives the impression that we are in the upcountry.

The scenic Bolgoda lake in its calm environment adds more beauty to the area. No wonder it inspired poets and lyricists to come out with their best.

However, trucks and tractors loaded with heaps of garbage lined up in a queue and the stench emanating from the garbage mounts take you to an entirely different world in a few minutes, as you enter the Karadiyana garbage dumping site in Boralesgamuwa adjoining the Bokundara village.

Twenty five acres of marshy land in Karadiyana in Boralesgamuwa has become a site to dump more than 400 metric tonnes of garbage collected from four local government bodies in the Colombo suburbs-the Dehiwala Mount Lavinia and Moratuwa Municipal Councils and Kesbewa and Boralesgamuwa Pradeshiya Sabha for many years.

Considering that 60 percent of the country's garbage collected from the western province which represents only six percent of the land mass of the country it is not a matter for surprise to see mountains of garbage in the western province invading the lush greenery left in the province.

If not for the intervention of the government, politicians representing the area, government officials and residents living around the Karadiyana dumping site which was earlier handled by a private company, would have been easily turned into another garbage mountain like the Bloemendhal site in Colombo.

The law suit against the private company and the timely intervention of ministers led by Gamini Lokuge, A.H.M. Fowzie and the Western Provincial Council Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has avoided that disaster by taking the site under the Western Province Waste Management Authority.

Kosala Gunawardena the site manager of the Karadiyana garbage dumping site said the private company which was handling the dumping site without adhering to environmentally accepted scientific methods had caused immense health, environmental and social hazards in the area spreading dengue and making the aquatic species in the Bolgoda Lake extinct.

As the private company has not followed conditions laid out by the Central Environment Authority, the site was handed over to the Western Province Waste Management Authority (WMA) in 2010.

"Local authorities had paid exorbitant prices for dumping garbage at the site but there was no proper management of that garbage by the company. It was handed over to us with a backlog of more than 4,000 metric tonnes of garbage collected over ten days", Gunawardena said.


Karadiyana garbage dump - prior to Waste Management Authority taking over and today


Trucks and tractors loaded with garbage await their turn for dumping


Weighing garbage at the dump

A mafia was handling the recyclable waste collected from the dump by poor peasants living around grabbing their valued collection at a cheap price.

The Police and local politicians came forward to control this mafia in the effort by the WMA to make the site more environmental friendly to prevent health and environmental hazards.

About 25 people who collected valued items like plastic and metal and copper from the site were registered with the WMA and were provided with boots, nose pads, gloves and uniforms streamlining activities within the site.

"We provided them a platform to sell their collections and brought in companies to purchase their collection at a reasonable price", Gunawardena added.

This enabled the increase of the daily earnings of these peasants from a mere Rs. 150 to Rs. 200 per day to nearly Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,000.

Deputy Inspector General Anura Senanayake who is in charge of the environmental police helped the WMA and the police officers of the area to control the big mafia running this thriving business of grabbing the wealth of the peasants.

The WMA went ahead with its responsibility of turning the garbage dumping site into a more environmentally friendly one clearing the backlog left behind by the company and smoothly handling more than 400 metric tonnes of garbage brought in by the four local government bodies.

"Within three days we could clear the backlog and we had the capacity to handle it. We had the determination that we can manage the site with the available resources as the chief minister and the heads of the WMA were extending their support", Kosala added.

To handle 400 metric tonnes collected on a daily basis, a person was selected by open tender and provided facilities for collecting recyclable garbage by keeping ten per cent of the daily collection with the WMA.

The garbage brought to the site in vehicles are weighted on arrival and pressed using heavy machinery.

"With the pressure, the bags open and small layers of soil laid on the dump to avoid odour coming out of the site", he said.

Facilities such as access roads and sleepers to facilitate the vehicle movement on the site were made available with the speedy intervention of Provincial Chief Minister Prasanna Ranathunga.


Kosala Gunawardena at work

"Minister Basil Rajapaksa on the request of the chief minister allocated funds to construct the access roads and the roads within the site", he said.

The operations of the site is under the close scrutiny of the Karadiyana Site Review Committee.

"Even Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa who extended his support by providing us soil to lay on the garbage through the Land Reclamation and Development Corporation is monitoring the activities of the site", Gunawardena said.

Representatives from the village, the CEA, LRDC, Grama Sevakas, Divisional Secretary, Disaster Management Centre are included in the committee and they meet monthly to review activities of the project.

Dumping garbage and managing it properly is not the only objective of the WMA. "We hope to produce compost out of the garbage collected and to generate energy using garbage", Gunawardena said.

On January 26, the foundation was laid to construct a compost yard at the site. With the establishment of this compost manufacturing yard 100 metric tonnes of perishable waste can be used to manufacture compost on a daily basis.

"Using 100 metric tonnes of perishable waste per day means we can handle 200 metric tonnes of normal waste on a daily basis since there is about 50 percent of solid waste which can be used for compost manufacturing", Gunawardena said.

The Western Provincial Council has provided Rs.80 million out of the Rs.107 million of the total project cost. The balance will be funded by the Pilisaru program of the Environment Ministry.

"We will be able to start manufacturing compost fertilizer by the end of this year", he added.

Apart from this, experiments are on to make use of the methane gas emanating from the site for power generation.

"Methane is 21 times more detrimental to global warming than carbon dioxide and what we are trying is to collect at least a percentage of it without allowing it to add to the air", Gunawardena said.

The Provincial Irrigation Department and the Disaster Management Authority helps avoid leachate of the site flowing to the canals and the Bolgoda lake preventing water pollution.

Mangroves will be cultivated in the surrounding areas to provide greenery to make the site eco-friendly.

Deputy Director WMA Nalin Mannapperuma said the support of the public is essential for the project to reach its ultimate goal.

"We need the support of the public by way of separating the garbage and adhering to proper garbage collecting methods, he said.

"We are promoting the seven steps of waste management-managing the waste at the place of origin to take garbage from the places of origin, cleaning of public places, to stop usage of open garbage bins, streamlining garbage transportation, using garbage as a resource and streamlining the garbage dumping sites", Mannapperuma said.

"If we can implement these seven steps involving the community, officials and the local government bodies we can make use of the waste collected in the western province as a resource of the country", he said.

Travel time from Colombo-Matara to be reduced

Travel time from Colombo-Matara to be reduced:

Highway to the future opens in July



A stretch of the completed highway

Work in progress

A section of the highway


P. H. Premasiri

Sri Lanka will move a step closer to becoming the "Wonder of Asia" during the last week of July when the country's first toll highway opens from Colombo to Galle.

Over 85 percent of the construction of this mammoth development project, which cost Rs. 100 billion, has now been completed. "We are confident that we can open the first stage by the end of July," said Chairman Southern Transport Development Project (STDP) P. H. Premasiri.

The highway from Colombo would start from Kottawa and end at Pinnaduwa, Galle covering a distance of 100 kilometres.

"When completed, it will reduce the time taken to travel from Colombo to Matara to one and a half hours from the current four hours," he said. A motorist would be able to travel to Galle in one hour.

The third stage of the project would connect the highway with the proposed Hambantota International Airport and the harbour. This would extend the highway by another 100 km (62 miles). A person travelling from the new airport in Hambantota would reach Colombo in two and a half hours.

The Asian Development Bank and the Japan International Corporation Agency are providing financial assistance for the express highway project, while the Government too is pumping finances for this project. The highway is expected to be completed in 2013.

One of the main reasons for the project delay was the relocation of families and providing them with alternative land. Even legal action had been initiated by some families which delayed the preliminary stage of this construction.

These families were subsequently provided with alternative land and the compensation paid to them was over Rs. 4.6 billion.

Environmental aspects were also a matter for concern and several meaningful steps were taken in this regard as well. "More culverts and mini bridges were built to ensure that the expressway would not create a flood situation in the area," Premasiri said.

The highway would have several access points. Residents of Colombo, Kotte and Dehiwela could use the first access point in Makumbura.

The Kahathuduwa entry point would be for motorists using the 120 bus route and those from Moratuwa.

The third exit point is from Galanigama and this would be beneficial for drivers in Panadura and Wadduwa.

Vehicles joining from Panadura and Wadduwa should take the interchange at Galanigama while traffic from Kalutara and Mathugama could join the expressway from Dodangoda. The fifth entry point is from Lewanduwa for the Beruwela, Aluthgama and Bentota area. One of the most picturesque interchanges is at Kurundugaha Hatakma and this is to cater to the traffic from Elpitiya and Ambalangoda.

Tourists to Hikkaduwa could use the Nayapamula interchange. With the Colombo-Katunayake expressway to be completed next year, a passenger from the airport could come to Hikkaduwa in less than one and a half hours. Pinnaduwa is the eighth interchange and is the link to Galle. A new 6km access road to Galle has already been built."Each of these points would have toll collecting centres which may be an alien concept to Sri Lanka. We are yet to decide on a toll fee. However, we have decided to charge more from containers and have decided to ban three-wheelers, motorcycles and tractors from using it," he said.

The area near the interchanges would soon be converted to mini town-ships with restaurants, hotels and shops being put up by the private sector. "New employment opportunities too would emerge for the residents of the area, increasing their cash flow," Premasiri said.

Land values too would rise in these areas, letting the benefits of development trickle down to the villages as well. A dedicated expressway patrol team would be deployed to check its safety and monitor the traffic. Emergency exit points would be available every five kilometres in case of an accident and the subsequent evacuation.

Ambulances and special police teams too would be available round the clock. Special lighting would be available for the night and a back-up system too is in place. Over 200 people are expected to work in the highway. Two big bridges of 700 and 500 metres were being built across Bentara and Kalu Ganga in Kalutara.

Provisions have also been made to expand the present four lanes to six.

In addition to cutting down the travel time to Galle and bringing it even closer to the city of Colombo, the heavy traffic in the Galle road would be reduced by almost 40 percent during peak hours. "This would also save considerable fuel to the nation," he said.

The highway, most importantly, would add one of the most 'wanted' pieces of infrastructure to the country.

http://www.sundayobserver.lk

Making Independence more meaningful

Making Independence more meaningful

Sri Lanka celebrated its 63rd anniversary of Independence on Friday with pride and joy as the country is marching towards new economic horizons after terrorism was eradicated.

Coincidentally, the 83rd anniversary of the Sunday Observer also fell on the same day. Sri Lanka's flagship English newspaper published its first issue on February 4, 1928 and on this same day after 20 years Sri Lanka gained its independence.

The Sunday Observer continues to remain the undisputed market leader for over eight decades due to the implicit trust reposed by millions of readers from all walks of life. During this period, the Sunday Observer made a worthy contribution to the nation and its well-being as a responsible national newspaper.

We note with a sense of pride that the Sunday Observer, through thick and thin, backed the Security Forces in its battle against the terror unleashed by the LTTE. Despite the local media turning out to be firm supporters of the Security Forces when the final battle was being fought in the Nandikadal lagoon, those with vested interests attempted to brand us as warmongers when we supported the battle against terror at its very early stages in Mavil Aru.

Nevertheless, even those who branded us warmongers in the early stages of the battle, eventually understood the crucial need and joined hands with us to fulfil a national obligation by getting all Sri Lankans to rally round our valiant Security Forces.

When President Mahinda Rajapaksa took over the reins of Government over five years ago as the First Citizen, the country was in a state of near collapse due to the heightening terrorist activities and a crumbling economy.

In sharp contrast, President Rajapaksa has now transformed the country into a booming economy after eradicating terrorism. Sri Lanka is now triumphantly marching towards achieving its objective of becoming the Wonder of Asia.

Sri Lanka scored a first and became the only country to eradicate terrorism due to the valiant efforts of the Security Forces and the indomitable leadership they received from President Rajapaksa as the Commander-in-Chief.

Sri Lanka's Security Forces not only eliminated the scourge of terrorism, but also achieved all those magnificent victories against the world's most ruthless terror outfit which had indiscriminately killed thousands of hapless people apart from political and religious leaders. The successful battle against the LTTE to end three decades of terrorism was indeed a landmark achievement in the annals of Sri Lanka's history.

This is all the more significant when one considers the increasing internal and external pressure exerted on Sri Lanka - both militarily and diplomatically. Despite all overwhelming odds, President Rajapaksa directed the Security Forces to step up the battle against terror and meet the aspirations of the entire nation.

When President Rajapaksa took office on November 18, 2005, people across the length and breadth of the country sought just one thing - to liberate the country from the clutches of terrorism which took Sri Lanka to the brink of disaster.

This seemed to be a Herculean task and only a handful of people believed that the LTTE and its leadership could be vanquished in less than four years. However, when President Rajapaksa declared that the island was fully liberated from LTTE terror on May 18, 2009 Sri Lanka gained her 'second independence' to unite its people under the Lion flag. Protecting the territorial integrity is as important as gaining freedom.

This paved the way for a new era of development as the President evinced a keen interest in rebuilding the nation and raising it from the ashes. The initial task of resettling over half a million people displaced due to terrorism, was achieved in next to no time, thereby setting an example to the international community. Following the liberation of the North and the East and having rescued those who were held captive by the Tigers, the Government launched mega infrastructure development projects in the North and the East. Those timely investments paid dividends for the people in the two provinces to return to their normal life.

In doing so, President Rajapaksa simultaneously took on the challenge of waging the war against terror and embarking on massive development projects. Development work was not hampered due to the battle against terror and the wherewithal was found to set up new projects.

This was precisely how Sri Lanka got back to business swiftly and recorded a remarkable economic development within a matter of months after terrorism was eradicated. No country which had confronted such a devastating situation before had bounced back so fast as Sri Lanka did. The visionary policies of President Rajapaksa and his Government helped Sri Lanka reap the dividends of peace.

The President not only won the battle against terrorism, but also ushered in a peaceful environment for all to unite in harmony. The President is now even more determined to win the economic war as well. Sri Lanka would achieve that goal as well during President Rajapaksa's second term in office.

Against this backdrop, this year's Independence Day celebrations were of greater significance since people even in the remotest areas of the country are making optimum use of the prevailing peace and are working steadfastly towards economic development. The results are now crystal clear and the encouraging economic indicators portray an encouraging overall picture on economic prosperity.

The future belongs to one and all and unity should be promoted at all costs. Social injustice is today a thing of the past.

Promoting stronger bonds of unity among communities in Sri Lanka is the need of the hour. Sri Lankans must work together irrespective of caste, creed and political affiliations and make Independence more meaningful.


http://www.sundayobserver.lk

Independence splendour

Independence splendour

President Mahinda Rajakasa with Chief of Defence Staff and Air Force Commander Air Marshal Roshan Goonetileke, Army Commander Lt Gen. Jagath Jayasooriya and Inspector General of Police Dr. Mahinda Balasooriya standing to attention for the national anthem.

Military parade by Forces personnel

Pix by Sudath Silva

/www.sundayobserver.lk

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

සිංහල උපසි‍රැසි යෙදූ චිත්‍රපට.. අපෙන්... Download Sinhala Subtitles for Step UP 3D

Step Up 3D ..මේ අපි සිංහල උපසිරසි යෙදූ පළමු චිත්‍රපටයයි. තම විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයේ වැඩ අධිකව තිබුනත් මේ සඳහා ඉතාම මහන්සියෙන් නිදි නොලබා මහන්සිවුන නිලූ-ඩී ට අපේ නොමඳ ස්තූතිය පලකරන්න ඕනේ. මේ චිත්‍රපටයම ‍තෝර ගැනීම ගැනත් ඉතාම සංවේදී අයුරින් මේ චිත්‍රපටයේ කතාව සිංහලෙන් අදහස් ගලපා ප්‍රකාශකිරීමට ගත් උත්සාහයත් හරිම ප්‍රශංසනීයයි.

තවද මෙවැනි කාර්ය්‍යයකට අපව යොමු කල 'බයිස්කෝප්" වෙබ් අඩවියටත් ninete9 (Suranga) ටත් (http://www.baiscopelk.com) ඉතාම ස්තූතියි. මේ සමඟ ඇති උපසිරසි සමඟ චිත්‍රපටය වෙන වෙනම ඔබට ඩවුන්ලෝඩ් කරන්න පුළුවන්.ඒක Unzip කරලා ඊට පස්සේ මේ චිත්‍රපටයත් උපසි‍රැසි ෆයිල් එකත් එකම ෆෝල්ඩරයකට යොදා.. එකම නමින් තියෙන්නත් ඕන. ඊට පස්සේ හෝ මගින් මෙය සිංහල උපසිරසි සමඟින්න් රසවිඳින්න පුළුවන්.









Step UP 3D is our 1st Sinhala subtitled movie. The movie is...


A tight-knit group of street dancers, including Luke and Natalie, team up with NYU freshman Moose, and find themselves pitted against the world's best hip hop dancers in a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives forever.

Genres : Drama, Musical/Performing Arts, Sequel and Dance
Running Time: 1 hr. 37 min.
Release Date: August 6th, 2010 (wide)
MPAA Rating : PG-13 for brief strong language.
Distributors :
Walt Disney Studios Distribution
U.S. Box Office: $42,385,520


Starring: Rick Malambri, Adam G. Sevani, Sharni Vinson, Alyson Stoner, Keith "Remedy" Stallworth
Directed by: Jon Chu
Produced by: Meredith Milton, Bob Hayward, David Nicksay

* Download the movie here...චිත්‍රපටය මෙතනින් ඩවුන්ලෝඩ් කරන්න (Torrent download)
http://isohunt.com/torrent_details/255340629/?tab=summary
or
CLICK HERE http://bit.ly/hAyJdu

* Download Sinhala subtitles here..සිංහල උපසිරසි මෙතනින් බාන්න (Rar File)

http://www.starlankaonline.com/StepuP3D.rar

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Facebook will NOT end on March 15th 2011

Facebook will NOT end on March 15th. Hoax news story spreads like wildfire


Filed Under: Social networks, Spam, Video

Facebook and Mark ZuckerbergHeard a story that Facebook is going to end on March 15th? You should take it with a pinch of salt.

A story is spreading like wildfire across Facebook this weekend, claiming that the world's most popular social network is closing on March 15th.

The reason? CEO Mark Zuckerberg claims that "managing [Facebook] has ruined my life. I need to put an end to all the madness."






(Enjoy this video? You can check out more on the SophosLabs YouTube channel and subscribe if you like)

There's only one problem with the story. It's not true. Facebook is not going to end on March 15th, and Mark Zuckerberg never said any such thing.

But that's not stopping many many Facebook users spreading the message.

Facebook will end on March 15th!

Many of the messages include a link to an apparent news story, where users can read more about the surprising announcement of Facebook's death:

Facebook will end on March 15th! Link to Weekly World News

If you click on the link, here's where you are taken. A news story by a publication that also tells us that Mike Tyson is a pigeon fancier, Michelle Obama is pregnant and alien spaceships are to attack earth in 2011:

Facebook will end on March 15th! Weekly World News story

However, the story published by the Weekly World News is, like most of their stories, full of fabricated quotes and hyperbole. For instance, the Weekly World News story contains a made-up quote from a Facebook representative, telling users that they may lose all their photographs:

"After March 15th the whole website shuts down," said Avrat Humarthi, Vice President of Technical Affairs at Facebook. "So if you ever want to see your pictures again, I recommend you take them off the internet. You won’t be able to get them back once Facebook goes out of business."

I certainly wouldn't disagree that users would be wise to have their own backup of their photographs, rather than rely on Facebook - but it's nothing more than a scare to suggest to people that they have to do it before March 15th because Facebook is going to close down.

Most people would probably never believe such a load of old nonsense as the claim that Mark Zuckerberg is going to shut down Facebook, but it only takes a small proportion of people to think it might be possible to turn a joke of a news story into an internet hoax.

And although a hoax is nothing like as bad as a piece of malware worming its way between users and stealing information, it's still a nuisance, clogging up communications, increasing the overall level of spam and perhaps leading people to make decisions for the wrong reasons.

There's an important lesson here - don't believe everything you read on the internet, and think twice before you pass a story on to your friends.

Keep your wits about you and stay informed about the latest scams, hoaxes and malware attacks spreading fast across Facebook. One of the best ways to do that is to join the Sophos Facebook page, where more than 50,000 people regularly share information on threats and discuss the latest security news.

http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/

Facebook > Fans

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