The 40 years of the open economy have not been good for the country.

Sri Lankans who is suffering from the guilt of the leaders who do not have a correct vision.
                                        Article by the Hindu newspaper B Skanthakumar.

Before Sri Lanka ushers in new economic reforms, it must take a hard look at the story so far

The Sri Lankan government recently released its ‘Vision 2025’ manifesto, heralding a new wave of economic reforms. Its timing coincided with the 40th anniversary of the island’s embrace of deregulation, trade liberalization, and privatization ahead of the rest of South Asia. While the current government seeks to revive neoliberal momentum, there is no assessment of the legacy of liberalisation even on narrow economic benchmarks.

Modest growth

Growth in gross domestic product has been modest. It averaged 4.8% between 1978 and 2009 compared to 3.5% between 1971 and 1976. Some of the initial expansion was from massive inflows of grants and soft loans, as Western donors and multilateral agencies rushed to reward a regime hailing the virtues of high growth, foreign investment, and free market capitalism.

2019 green card visa lottery open for Sri Lankans.

The U.S. Embassy in Colombo is pleased to announce the start of the 2019 Diversity Visa Lottery Program, also known as the “Green Card” Lottery.  The program will be open for online registration from October 3, 2017 to November 7, 2017.  The Diversity Visa Lottery allows randomly selected applicants the opportunity to interview for an immigrant visa and become legal permanent residents of the United States.  The program is the “2019” lottery because applicants enter in 2017, interview in 2018, and—if selected and approved—receive Green Cards in 2019.

A few items to keep in mind:

• The lottery application entry period is open from October 3, 2017 to November 7, 2017;
• The lottery is open to those born in qualifying countries – both Sri Lanka and Maldives qualify;
• Applicants may only apply once; multiple entries will result in disqualification;
• Applicants must meet all qualifications for the Diversity Visa Lottery;
• Applicants should keep the application confirmation number received after applying;
• There is no cost to register for the Diversity Visa Lottery.  Beware of scams, of persons or companies making claims of affiliation with the U.S. Government, and of those who promise improved odds of selection.  No third party assistance is needed to complete and submit an application.

Please go to U.S. Embassy Colombo’s website at https://lk.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visas/diversity-visa/ to find out more about the program, including qualification requirements and detailed instructions on how to apply in Sinhala, Tamil, and English.  The only way to apply is online at www.dvlottery.state.gov.

The consequences of the American gunfire culture

In the wake of one of the worst massacres  in modern American history, our government's highest leaders will be silent about why things like this keep happening. "Warmest condolences" will be tweeted to families of those who lost their lives, minutes of mourning will pass and murmurs of mental health issues and lone-wolf actors will taper into silence. Taming homegrown terror and tightening gun control will be dismissed as inappropriate or unnecessary politicizing of a tragedy and quickly become secondary to more pressing issues on the administration's agenda. America has been here before.

In fact, America has been here 273 times in 2017 alone, according to the Gun violence Archive , which compiles deaths and injuries from shooting incidents and defines a mass shooting as any

incident where four or more people are wounded or killed. According to their tally, there have also been 11,698 deaths as a result of gun violence so far this year. Between 2001 and 2014, 440,095 deaths  by firearms occurred on US soil, while deaths by terrorism during those years numbered 3,412. Today, America faces approximately one mass shooting day  on average.

Mass shootings are a violent epidemic that have been met with fatal passivity for far too long. If mass shootings were perpetrated mostly by brown bodies, this would quickly be re framed and reformed as an immigration issue. If thousands died at the hands of black men, it would be used to excuse police brutality, minimize the Black Lives Matter movement and exacerbate the "raging black man" stereotype. If mass shooters identified as Muslim, it would quickly become terrorism and catalyze defense and security expenditures.

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) will open the SEA-ME-WE 5 undersea cable system’s full landing station in Matara.

Landing this international cable at Matara will be a key milestone as well as a landmark for the telecom industry of Sri Lanka as well as the whole country.

This is a globe joint venture which is costing US 35 million and involving 14 other countries. The investment from Sri Lanka Telecom towards this joint venture would be Rs. 7 billion. 

 several other regional countries wanted this landing station installed in their countries but due to professional approach by Sri Lanka Telecom and most importantly the location of Sri Lanka helped to secure this project for Sri Lanka.

The SEA-ME-WE 5 submarine cable system, spanning around 20,000 km, will offer a POP to POP solution from Singapore, all the way to Europe via France and Italy.

 In addition to getting foreign exchange by providing services the project when fully loaded, the system would be able to carry 24 terabits per second; the equivalent of transmitting around 4,800 high-definition movies every second.

“This global project will have a positive impact on the overall growth of the country’s economy as high speed broadband environment will encourage higher GDP, enhanced exports, increased productivity, inward migration and modernizing of other sectors.”

What do you know about Nobel prices?

  From 1901 till thisyear, Nobelprizes have beenawarded 579 times to 911 Laureates and organisations withthe youngest winnerbeing 2014 Peace Prize awardee Malala Yousafzaiof Pakistan at 17 years.

By winning the Peace Nobel at this tender age along with India’s Kailash Satyarthi, Ms. Yousafzai beat the previous record of Lawrence Bragg, who won the Physics Nobel in 1915 at the age of 25.

The word “Laureate” signifies the laurel wreath awarded to winners of athletic competitions and poetic meets in Ancient Greece. In Greek mythology, god Apollo is represented wearing on his head a laurel wreath, a circular crown made of branches and leaves of the bay laurel.

The statutes of the Nobel Foundation say, “If none of the works under consideration is found to be of the importance indicated in the first paragraph, the prize money shall be reserved until the following year.”

“If, even then, the prize cannot be awarded, the amount shall be added to the Foundation’s restricted funds.”

On 27 November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes in Physics,Chemistry ,Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace.

Special places to visit Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is a small island in the Indian Ocean.

In one era of history, this country was called Ceylon.

Tea, coconut, rubber related crops are the main source of income in this country. Today's tourism industry is a special place

Mainly Sinhalese live there.

In addition, a minority Tamil community also lives.

Muslims are living in the present because of the Arabs attending Sinhalese and Tamils in the Muslim religion.

It is a written history dating back to 2500 years built on the basis of the rich Buddhist nature of the eastern cultural heritage of the Indian Empire

In the recent 500 years, the Portuguese, Dutch and English invaders have western cultures and Catholicism.

Information and evidence of other human beings who lived before 28000 years ago have been found.

A tourist paradise,  Sri  Lankan, in a beautiful hollow area and beautiful seaside.

People who live here are well-educated and sociable.

The majority of people are able to handle the English language well.

The following are the 10 places you should visit by a traveler

     Benthota

Is a spectacular, beautiful coastal strip. Any traveler has the freedom to make the most of his freedom.

The world's largest uncut diamond sold for $ 53 million.

British jeweler Gaff said Tuesday it has purchased the world's largest uncut diamond -- roughly the size of a tennis ball -- for $53 million (44.5 million euros).

Canadian miner Lucara Diamond sold to Graft the 1,109-carat gem, the Lesedi La Rona, which was found in Botswana's Karowe mine in late 2015.

The Lesedi La Rona, the world's largest rough diamond, is 1,109 carats and was found in Botswana's Karowe mine in late 2015.

We are thrilled and honored to become the new custodians of this incredible diamond," said company chairman, Laurence Graft, in a statement.

"The stone will tell us its story, it will dictate how it wants to be cut, and we will take the utmost care to respect its exceptional properties."

Lucara confirmed the hefty price tag in a statement issued in Vancouver.

"The discovery of the Lesedi La Rona was a company defining event for Lucara," said William Lamb, president and chief executive of Lucara.

"It solidified the amazing potential and rareness of the diamonds recovered at the Karowe mine."

The rough diamond had previously failed to meet its reserve price of more than $70 million at a Southey's auction in 2016.

Graff is already the owner of a 373-carat diamond, which was bought earlier this year and formed part of the original stone.

Lesedi La Rona means "our light" in Botswana's Tswana language. It could be cut into smaller gems for jewelry or left whole in a private collection.

Diamond Quality Factors

One of the first things most people learn about diamonds is that not all diamonds are created equal. In fact, every diamond is unique. Diamonds come in many sizes, shapes, colors, and with various internal characteristics.

All polished diamonds are valuable. That value is based on a combination of factors. Rarity is one of those factors. Diamonds with certain qualities are more rare—and more valuable—than diamonds that lack them. 

         Jewelry professionals use a systematic way to evaluate and discuss these factors. Otherwise, there would be no way to compare one diamond to another. And there would be no way to evaluate and discuss the qualities of an individual diamond. Diamond professionals use the grading system developed by GIA in the 1950 s, which established the use of four important factors to describe and classify diamonds: Clarity, Color, Cut, and Carat Weight.

Russia: confirmed to be dead IS leader, Release a soundtrack.

Islamic State militants have released what appears to be an audio recording of their leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

A speaker who sounds like the IS leader seems to refer to recent North Korean threats against Japan and the US.

He also talks of battles for IS strongholds like Mosul, which was regained by Iraqi forces in July.

The last time he appeared was to preach at the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul after IS overran the city and a "caliphate" was proclaimed.

The 46-minute recording was posted by a website with links to the group and is the first such speech to appear since November.

As well as Mosul, the speaker refers to battles in Raqqa and Hama in Syria, and Sirte in Libya, saying the bloodshed would not be in vain. He also talks of Russian-brokered peace talks on Syria. Much of the tape consists of religious references.

NASA : Parker Solar Probe Project will capture the sun.

Throughout history, people know that the sun has a bearing on the living creatures and plants on Earth.
But how it happens is, no one knows very well.
NASA has already prepared a premier project.
Even so, there is another idea for this
The Earth was empty space 300 billion  years ago

After the arrival of other advanced organisms in the universe, they were created with them in the form of organisms and plants, as a result of the chemical compound they produced.According to these developed organisms, the activity of the sun is properly re-created by the action of chemicals and animals.
As a result, the life of the Earth continues to function as a result of solar radiation from the past to the present and the future.
Thus the existence of the earth and living things depends on the sun's influence.
Extract book by end of intelligence

On Sept. 25, 2017, media were invited to see NASA’s Parker Solar Probe in its flight configuration at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, where it is being built. The revolutionary heat shield that will protect the first spacecraft to fly directly into the Sun’s atmosphere was installed for the first time on Sept. 21. This is the only time the spacecraft will have its thermal protection system -- which will reach temperatures of 2,500 degrees F while at the Sun -- attached until just before launch. 

In this time-lapse video taken on Sept. 21, 2017, the thermal protection system – the heat shield -- for NASA’s Parker Solar Probe spacecraft is shown during installation at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. This 4.5-inch thick, eight-foot diameter shield protects the spacecraft and its instruments against the intense heat and energy of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, through which the spacecraft will fly on a mission of extreme exploration.Credits: NASA

Dubai Safari: wildlife project to have a new soft opening in early November

   National Day of the UAE, a top official confirmed to Gulf News on Monday. 
The project had missed its previous opening date.
However, work is going in full swing and is expected to be wrapped up by the end of November, confirmed Hussain Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality. 

Speaking to Gulf News on the sidelines of a press conference at the municipality headquarters, Lootah said: “We are expecting to complete and hope to open Dubai Safari by the end of November.”
he UAE will mark its 46th National Day on December 2, 2017.
He said there will be a soft launch of the project under progress in Al Warqa in the beginning of November for testing of the operations.

When asked if the public will be able to visit Dubai Safari by the end of November, he said:

By the end of November [the first phase of] the project will be complete.”
But for the official opening, we have to wait for the right time when His Highness will do it,” he said referring to a grand inauguration by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Religion based education He overturns man's destruction.

This article is based in Pakistan.

But, such things do not belong to society.

A temptation to  backward  thinking.

People in a developed society do not need religion.

People who do not have the power to make a mental development are less inclined to live on the basis of religious beliefs.

The intelligent people need to live properly with the decisions of their own.

There are only a few of them in the world.

The development of the world today is also a result of their efforts.

Otherwise, the efforts of the religious extremists or religious hypocrites are not the result.

These are not intellectuals, only believers.

They or their followers will never do anything in the world.

Only a disaster happens.

Pakistan is in the grip of terrorism unleashed by university-educated youth who kill in the name of Islam. A Karachi gang that was recently nabbed was found to have connected with university-level teachers and their students who were on the take from the Islamic State under the banner of Ansarul Sharia (friends of the Islamic way). The gang is busted and even the police, specially targeted by them “for publicity”, were traumatised when told who they were. In the photographs that appeared on TV, they look divine with their facial hair styled like the Old Testament prophets. If you met them on the street you would go down on your knee and kiss their hand.

 According to the Sindh police’s counter-terrorism department, of the 500 prisoners it had studied, 64 held master’s degrees and another 70 had bachelor’s degrees, proving that their indoctrination came from the country’s own textbooks. A girl from a well-to-do family devoted to Islamism in Hyderabad had actually run away to Syria to be trained as a suicide-bomber but was caught in time before she could kill fellow Muslims in Pakistan.

The use of YouTube: Your business may flourish.

YouTube can be remarkably useful for almost every business, every manager I can think of - sales, human resources, IT, customer service, marketing, finance.

How? Naturally sales and marketing videos come to mind.

But what about internal use for: training, how-to, procedures, software tips, executive messages, demos, role playing, induction? This is just a beginning top of mind list. Your videos can be set as private so only people you select can view (maximum 50). Alternately set them as unlisted. Anyone with the link can view.

A primary benefit is the simplicity of uploading videos - via computer or your smartphone. Why would you use YouTube instead of the company intranet?

Address by the President of Sri Lanka to the 72nd Session of the United Nations.

             President Maithripala Sirisena called upon the international community to seriously consider the tremendous progress made by the government towards reconciliation, restoration of democratic freedoms, human rights and the rule of law and extend the fullest support to the slow, but the steady forward march of Sri Lanka to build a progressive, democratic, free and equal society with high morals and discipline

Addressing the 72nd Session of the United nations General Assembly in New York on September 19 (20th morning in SL time), he pointed out that we all are aware that haste will not yield good results and the slow and steady path is the most suitable one to restore religious and communal harmony so that people of all communities could live in peace and harmony as equal citizens.

He said that during the last two and a half years, the government has taken several important steps that are necessary for consolidating democracy, freedom, good governance, and the rule of law. “Through such transformative steps, we have laid the foundation necessary to forge national reconciliation, and ensure non-recurrence of conflict in our country,” he said.

David Meade's theory: Doomsday is coming September 23

Christian conspiracy theorists have gathered clues that suggest the end of the world is nigh
But NASA has dismissed the claims, insisting the Planet X theory is merely a hoax.
The end of the world as we know it could be soon if you believe what conspiracy theorists are claiming - as they fear a planet will collide with Earth on September 23, 2017.

Bible passages apparently supporting a centuries-old prediction about the end of the world have intrigued many - but what's it all about?
A Christian numerologist claims a verse in the Bible proves that the world will end on September 23.

In Luke's passage 21: 25 to 26, there is a quote which apparently matches the date of the Great American Solar Eclipse, when Hurricane Harvey hit and when Texas was flooded.

September 23 was pinpointed using codes from the Bible and also a “date marker” shown by the pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

Regarding Rohingya refugees, India firmly stands

The fundamental right to reside and settle in any part of the country is available to citizens only, the Centre says in its affidavit

The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that the Rohingya Muslims are “illegal” immigrants in the country and their continuous stay posed “serious national security ramifications.”

The Centre’s affidavit, filed in the apex court registry, said the fundamental right to reside and settle in any part of the country is available to citizens only and illegal refugees cannot invoke the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to enforce the right.

Earlier during the day, a Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra considered the statement of ASG Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, that the reply would be filed later on Monday and fixed the PIL challenging the deportation of Rohingya for hearing on October “As evident from the constitutional guarantee flowing from Article 19 of the Constitution, the right to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India as well as right to move freely throughout the territory of India is available only to the citizens of India... No illegal immigrant can pray for a writ of this Court which directly or indirectly confer the fundamental rights in general...,” the affidavit filed by the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

Cyprus: Citizenship is sold to the super-rich in the world.

Billionaire Russian  and Ukrainian,  are among hundreds of people who have acquired EU passports under controversial “golden visa” schemes,in cyprus.
The government of Cyprus has raised more than €4bn since 2013 by providing citizenship to the super rich, granting them the right to live and work throughout Europe in exchange for cash investment. More than 400 passports are understood to have been issued through this scheme last year alone.

Prior to 2013, Cypriot citizenship was granted on a discretionary basis by ministers, in a less formal version of the current arrangement
A leaked list of the names of hundreds of those who have benefited from these schemes,  includes prominent business people and individuals with considerable political influence.

The leak marks the first time a list of the super rich granted Cypriot citizenship has been revealed. A former member of Russia’s parliament, the founders of Ukraine’s largest commercial bank and a gambling billionaire are among the new names.

The list sheds light on the little-known but highly profitable industry and raises questions about the security checks carried out on applicants by Cyprus.

Tunisian women: allowed to marry non-Muslims.

In the world by wise men, religious baseless repercussions are no longer valid.
Sexual need is a basic requirement for humans.
Such things should be free from religious affiliations.
Religions have lost fundamental rights to the majority of Muslim women living in the world.

Tunisia has overturned a law that banned women from marrying non-Muslims.
A spokeswoman for President Beji Caid Essebsi made the announcement and congratulated women on gaining "the freedom to choose one's spouse".
Mr Caid Essebsi said he wants to create "total, actual equality between men and women citizens in a progressive way". 

Cassini: NASA Previews Saturn Mission End.

In 1997, the Cassini Huygens mission began and the unmanned vessel has been on its course for 20 years now. The Cassini launch date was October 15, 1997 and since it left Earth’s atmosphere, it has been orbiting Saturn with the sole purpose of gathering information and transmitting it back to Earth.

Cassini was named after the 17th Century astronomer, Giovanni Casssini and the spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral. The mission was a collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency. Cassini and the Huygens lander (spacecraft) was destined to touch down on Saturn’s moon, Titan, and took seven years to make the trip. Once it arrived, it made some interesting discoveries, unknown to astronomers before.

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is live and still taking dives between Saturn’s rings, while transmitting information via its antenna. For decades, the Cassini spacecraft has been learning more about the planet. It has learned more about the planet at a distance that has never been reached before, while possibly endangering itself. The Cassini spacecraft’s Saturn pictures are online and based on the Cassini’s spacecraft’s image of Earth, our small world looks even smaller from a distance. It looks like nothing more than a white speck on a dark canvas!

Crocodile Rock near Arugam Bay in Sri Lanka: FT journalist 'dragged into the water by crocodile'

The British victim, from Surrey, was seen "waving his hands in the air" in desperation before being dragged under water at a lagoon called the Crocodile Rock near Arugam Bay.

The lagoon, known to be crawling with crocodiles, is yards away from popular surf spot Elephant Rock near Arugam Bay on the southeast coast.

Sri Lankan police and the army are said to be searching the shore surrounding the area.
Fawas Lafeer, owner of Safa Surf School, located up the coast from where the incident happened, said: “A local fisherman witnessed a man being dragged into a river, set back from the beach, by a crocodile. The fisherman was on the opposite side of the river and downstream of the incident location."

He added:“This is the first known crocodile attack in Sri Lanka. Both tourists and locals surf at Elephant Rock, which is a beautiful secluded beach and very safe.

Singapore new president: Halimah wants to continue living in her HDB flat

President-elect Halimah Yacob says she will continue to live in her sixth-floor Housing Board flat, making her Singapore's first head of state to live in public housing while in office.

Shortly after being declared the winner in an uncontested presidential election yesterday, she told reporters that she had no plans to move out of her family home in Yishun.
"I am still staying in Yishun," the 63-year-old said. "It is a very nice, comfortable place, and I have been living there for many years."

Her husband, retired businessman Mohamed Abdullah Alhabshee, 63, added with a smile that there was no need to move, as the flat was "as huge as a penthouse".
The jumbo flat is made up of a four-room and a five-room flat bought on the resale market, and it is where Madam Halimah has lived with her family for more than 30 years. She has two sons and three daughters, aged 26 to 36.

Pope comments: Let the intellectuals understand the message of God ! Climate change (Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.)

Man is a creation of  nature
One result of the natural formulation.

Man, nature cannot be changed.

It is only possible to live in harmony with it.

Today, many silly people think that people can change the world.

He believes that instead of natural processes, man-made technology can change the way it needs.

But it is illogical.

Through it, man will be destroyed.

The Pope has stated that God's message is to educate intelligent people.

The pontiff has positioned himself as the voice of reason—and of science—to confront Trump’s erratic and destructive instincts

In a few short weeks, if the U.S. Senate confirms her appointment as ambassador to the Holy See, which is expected, Callista Gingrich should be unpacking her bags alongside husband Newt and settling into the lavish Villa Richardson atop one of Rome’s famous hills. The Washington couple will be the talk of the town, no doubt trailed by paparazzi and sought after by local media as they acquaint themselves with the Eternal City.

But Mrs. Gingrich’s job will be no Roman holiday. The new ambassador will have to strike the uneasy balance between her self-proclaimed admiration for the pope as a devout Catholic and her duty to her boss, who often is depicted as something of an anti-Christ.

A US Senate committee has opposed Trump Administration’s proposal of a drastic 92 per cent cut in US aid to Sri Lanka,

"In Sri Lanka, US foreign assistance will be cut by 92 per cent, mostly from accounts that have supported programs to promote the rule of law, democratic reforms, post-Civil War reconciliation and related efforts," rued Congressman Ted Yoho, Chairman of House Foreign Affairs Sub Committee on Asia and the Pacific.

The Senate committee on its report said that Sri Lanka is strategically positioned along key shipping lanes and emerging from decades of conflict.

Citing the geographical and strategic location of Sri Lanka, a Senate committee has opposed Trump Administration’s proposal of a drastic 92 per cent cut in American aid to the island nation.

“Given the geostrategic importance of the country, the Committee does not support the President’s budget request for Sri Lanka, which proposed a 92 per cent reduction in assistance from the prior fiscal year,” the Senate Appropriations Committee said in a report passing the annual State appropriations bill for the fiscal year 2018, beginning October 1.

The appropriations bill, which landed on the Senate floor yesterday for consideration, seeks USD 43 million for Sri Lanka. This includes USD 35 million as economic support fund, USD 6.8 million for non-proliferation and anti-terrorism and USD 500,000 in foreign military financing and an equal amount for training of military personnel.