The Secretary of the Australian Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Michael Tawley has awarded his department’s annual excellence award for ‘Supporting and Promoting Diversity in the Workplace’ to Takshan Abeyagoonawardena. Takshan Abeyagoonawardena is an advisor in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the Australian Government, and is based in Canberra. As an advisor in the Prime Minister’s office, Takshan has worked with Australian Prime Ministers – Tony Abbott, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gullard. This award comprises a golden fountain pen and citation recog-nizing”outstanding team support for workplace diversity”. Takshan who was earlier employed in the British Civil Service in London before migrating to Australia, has a MSc and MBA from Macquarie and University of Technology, Sydney. He is also a Chartered Mathematician from the Institute of Mathematics and Application, UK. His wife Manisha Hettiarachchi is a Consultant Surgeon in Canberra. He is the son of ...

Sugar Consumption Can Fuel Cancer By Dr Harold Gunatillake FRCS, FICS,FIACS,AM (Sing), MBBS-Health writer Sugar is sweet and the body needs it to generate instant energy unlike the other macronutrients like fats and proteins. We need it like oxygen.However, a little is essential for life, but too much is toxic. Researchers find that sugar is not as sweet when it comes to growth of cancer, and it boils down to fructose which is the culprit to feed cancer cells. It was reported in the journal Cancer Research publication that people who eat lots of foods containing sugar have a higher risk of cancer, mostly, breast cancer in women. This could be one of the reasons why the incidence of breast cancer among Sri Lankan and Indian women seem to be very significant. ...

In George Washington’s days, there were no cameras. One’s image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with   one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms.  Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are “limbs,” therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, “Okay, but it’ll cost you an arm and a leg.” ...

One Year After the January 8th Victory: Winners And Losers Photo via Bloomberg by Dayapala Thiranagama “That was both the opportunity and the problem. Suddenly, subjects were told they had become Citizens; an aggregate of subjects held in place by injustice and intimidation had become a Nation. From this new thing, approved this Nation of Citizens, justice, freedom and plenty could not only be expected but required”(Simon Schama, Citizens, A Chronicles of the French Revolution, 1989). A year ago, a great electoral victory was set in motion with the coming together of the joint opposition and the common candidate, President Maithripala Sirisena. This was not the first time a common candidacy had been attempted in order to challenge the Rajapaksa regime. In the previous Presidential election in 2010, the common candidate Sarath Fonseka was defeated electorally and jailed. This was the indelible image that served as a warning to any ...

Exercise And Diet Alone Can Control Type 2 Diabetes By Dr Harold GunatillakeFRCS, FICS, FIACS, AM (Sing), MBBS Health writer to magazines, newspapers, web-sites and other organs When your doctor revealsthat you suffer from ‘adult type of diabetes’ in your middle ages or earlier, he may suggest anti-diabetic medication to take orally to stimulate your pancreas (insulinogogues) to produce more resisting insulin, or to suppress flow of stored glucose from the liver (gluconeogenesis), he may prescribe drugs like metformin, or if you are an early diabetic (pre-diabetic), he may suggest you to go on a strict low glycaemic diet (GI) initially. It would be difficult at this stage to discipline your lifestyle, and invariably not take the doctor’s advice seriously, knowing the carefree life of most Sri Lankans. When you decide on an exercise plan to control diabetes, a disciplined diet plan also goes with it simultaneously. It is better ...

Coffee or Tea? A Nutritionist Weighs in on Which Is Healthier It seems like every day there’s news about the amazing health benefits of one or the other, but which one reigns supreme? (Photo: Getty Images) A colleague recently came to me asking what’s better: coffee or tea? She told me that she (a coffee drinker) and her boyfriend (more of a tea guy) were debating which beverage is healthier, each believing their own personal preference was the more virtuous option. It’s a good question because it seems like every day there’s news about the health benefits of one or the other, but you never see the two compared. The truth: there isn’t a clear standout. Both of these uniquely healthy pick-me-ups have their own long list of health pros—and cons. Below, I go over the reasons to sip one or the other, along with tips for getting the most ...

MELISSA MARTIN – The University of Sydney ALUMNI PROFILES – MASTER OF ARTS IN PEACE AND CONFLICT STUDIES (2015) eLanka is proud to bring you another brilliant achievement of a Sri Lankan – Australian young lady MELISSA MARTIN! MASTER OF ARTS IN PEACE AND CONFLICT STUDIES (2015) “The courses offered in the this degree provide both practical experience and theoretical knowledge. The lecturers and academics have extensive real world experience, which I found helpful when thinking about my career in this field.” Melissa’s first role after graduating will be a professional level position with the United Nations Secretariat in New York as an Associate Social Affairs Officer in the Social Policy and Development Division of the Department of Social and Economic Affairs, where she will be working in the Civil Society and Outreach Unit, strengthening international cooperation for social development. Her MPACS dissertation was entitled ‘Sexes of the Battle: Reconstructing ...

SRI LANKA – Year 2015 In Review….. EURASIA REVIEW Location of Sri Lanka. Source: CIA World Factbook. BY SAAG DECEMBER 30, 2015 By Dr Kumar David An annual review of the political conjuncture of Lanka to be useful to overseas readers must deal with six matters: (a) the still fluid situation in governmental and state power, (b) the deal with the UN Human Rights Commission on investigation of war crimes, (c) indeterminacy in economic direction, (d) an economic relationship with India in the context of Make-in-India (MiI), (e) receding prospects of a new constitution but nevertheless urgent need for electoral reforms and devolution of power to Northern Tamils, and (f) the return to Lanka’s tradition of non-alignment, and in the Twenty-first Century context a balance between India and China consistent with global and regional realities. State and government The shortcomings of the Ranil-Sirisena (R&S) government so far are not fatal ...

Voices of the Past … Ceylonese-English Thanks to Keith Bennet for sending! Aneeeeey…wot men!!! I am sure you will identify with some of the following She gave me the come to the body like look, So, puttas I followed her. Adday! I only wanted to put a break to her, but her brother putting pul-part with me. And she also, straightaway asked to borrow my bike. How to say no to the face so I had to give, no? When Mummy heard about it she told me Jus be Chile. You want to start trouble in the junction getting involved with that family? Beeeeeg trouble! For all their booroos-part they are actually a godayatic, har par six crowd. Better you catch a corner and study. But what for telling?…..you never lisen to me anyway. When you become a doctor, you can easily catch a Colombo7 number and all your friends ...