Features T e k a t e h t n so The Island Yawning is a sign Cop of sexual T attraction, scientists claim By Laura Roberts Yawning can be a sign of sexual attraction rather than a desire to sleep, scientists have claimed. I n fact, it can demonstrate a range of emotions including interest, stress and even wanting to have sex. Unfortunately scientists are not yet able to differentiate between a yawn that signifies erotic arousal and simply the need to catch some sleep. The new theory was introduced at the first International Conference on Yawning, held in Paris on Thursday. be a sign of Yawning can n accordtio sexual attrac ists ing to scient Much about yawning remains a mystery, despite the fact that the average person yawns 240,000 times in a lifetime. Scientists still don’t know exactly why we do it but - although it is certain that the favourite theory that it provides extra oxygen to the brain is completely wrong. Wolter Seuntjens, a Dutch academic who is a pioneer in chasmology (the science of yawn studies) said: “We can send a man to the Moon but we cannot explain this most trivial of acts.” he Western Province Special operations Bureau on Wednesday arrested a suspect, a resident of Melegama, who had sold vehi- Confidence trickster cornered of rime Squad he Special C e conar ce li Po the Kandy iquiry to init ducting an in t ns ai ag on ti ry ac ate disciplina e attached to th s nt ea rg se ce two li Po a ll d Dambu Galewela an ng ki ta of s ge char Stations on asippu’ a big time ‘k om fr es ib br e area th in erating mudalali op him ng gi in br om to refrain fr m hi g informin to book and on d ne an e pl when raids ar . ns de s hi id after a The Police sa rs raided the team of office n on udalali’ s de particular m d ha r to ec sp b in Sunday, a su one. In a ph e il ob m grabbed his en there had be few seconds i’ and al al ud ‘m e th two calls to swered the the SI had an e ding to be th phone preten se the ri rp su s hi mudalali. To o sere from the tw two calls wer alali’ of ing the ‘mud geants inform their the raid. cer said that A senior offi minent. arrest was im Burglars A arrested T he Weeraket iya Police on Wednesday arrested five suspects who were responsible for the robbery of Rs 89,200 worth of goods from a house which included a lap top computer and a mobile phone. The Police also recovered a motorcycle used for the robbery. Monday 28th June, 2010 cles he had taken on lease using forged documents to unsuspecting persons . The Police also seized some of the vehicles that the suspect had sold. The suspect was produced before the Nugegoda Magistrate on Wednesday and remanded till 06 July. (011) 242 2222, 110 119 (011) 243 3333 (011) 243 4251 (011) 269 1111 (011) 243 7744 (011) 555 5505 (077) 299 2312 his arrest, the suspect had four go ld chains and two pendan ts, the police said. lice he Kegalle Po stre yesterday ar a d an on as ed a m in er rt se de y militar ith a connection w pon ea w missing e th om fr rmy Beragama A p. am C The Kegalle Police recovered the T-56 assault rifle buried in a to the marsh, close T camp. A forgiving father them. At the time of he Kalutara Police on Saturday severely warned a 35-year-old man for er assaulting his 80-year-old fath . oda Nag in ce at their residen Police said that when the injured father was admitted to the Kalutara Hospital, the Hospital Police had obtained a statement from the victim and informed the Kalutara Police of the incident. The police told the son to worship his father and to apologise to him for what had hap- T pened. When the Police were about to remand the son, his father started crying and pleaded with the police to release him. Investigations revealed that there were seven children in the family and all were married and settled down except the he Police Commandos of the Batticlaoa STF Camp on Wednesday arrested a suspect in Amandraweli, Kathankudy who had LTTE propaganda material and pornographic material stored in his mobile phone. The suspect was handed over to the Katankudy Police. Porn and LTTE propaganda Walkie talkies in the bushes he Karadiyanaru Police on Wednesday in a search operation recovered a walkie-talkie and other material hidden in the bushes. T True questions asked on visa forms and how to respond T Emergency Services Fire Service (Colombo) Police Emergency Service Police Emergency (Colombo) Bomb Disposal (Army Squad) Accident Service (General Hospitals) Ambulance Services St. Johns Sri Lanka Red Cross Mobile Email: newseditor@unl.upali.lk Kotahena snatch thief caught wondered why the question was there: “Would anyone answer ‘Yes’?” The question is there to cover the behinds of immigration officers. If a terrorist blows up Washington, they can wave the form and say: “Don’t blame us. We SPECIFICALLY asked if he was going to do that and he said no. We got it right here.” A shy reader whom I shall call Otis kindly offered to revise the US government’s visa application forms to make them better at identifying bad guys. “1) Do you intend to carry out terrorist activities while in the United States? Yes/ No/ Maybe. 2) Which country is The Great Satan? [Fill in name]. 3) Have you said final goodbye to your family? Yes / No/ Maybe. 4) Rate your Essential Services National Help Desk 118 Electricity Breakdown Service (CEB ) Colombo City (1 - 15) (011) 249 8498 Water Breakdown Service (Colombo City) (011) 267 2222 (011) 267 4444 (011) 537 4375 Colombo Municipal Council (011) 4722022 Hot LIne 110 Public Transport Service Central Bus Stand-Pettah (011) 232 9606 Private Bus Stand-Pettah (011) 586 5904 Colombo Fort Railway Inquiries (011 ) 243 4215 General Post Office Colombo (011) 232 6203 Tel: 2497500/0718442666 Fax: 2497545 d e r e v o c e r T n o p a e w Missing oday, boys and girls, we will help you with your visa applications. Asian children applying to go to school in Britain are now asked on a form if they have ever “committed genocide”. (Not a joke.) What should you reply? Impress the immigration officers. Write this: “Yes, my hobbies are reading, stamp collecting and wiping out neighboring nations.” The same visa form asks the child if he or she has “committed war crimes”. Use this as an opportunity to show humility, kids, responding: “Yes, but only minor ones, unlike great Western leaders such as Mr Blair and Mr Bush, whom I admire so much for their ruthlessness.” A group of readers was discussing immigration questions the other day. On an application for a US visa, Chaminda De Silva was asked: “Do you intend to carry out terrorist activities while in the United States?” He Emergency Numbers Contact Norman few days ag o, highlighted this column a news item about a thief at larg e who drove his own three wheeler an d snatched go ld chains from unsuspectin g women in th e Kotahena area. Officers in civvies from the Kot ahena Polic waited for h e im near the Kotahena K ovil and ar rested the culprit foll surveillance owing weeks of . Policed said that the arre of his wife st an imminent as d child were they had be his accompl en ices. His modus been to pass operandi had the stolen je ellery to his w wife and th e child after snatching (C) The Telegraph Group London 2010 5 agreement to this sentence: Death to USA. Disagree/ Agree/ Agree Strongly.” Thanks, Otis, that should flush them out nicely. Mahjuja Taznin said the US authorities also ask: “Are you going to engage in pimping or prostitution?” My suggested response: “Only if you ask REALLY nicely.” Jason Sapere said the Australian Arrivals Card now has the question: “Are you carrying pornography?’” Kanyu Wong encountered similar questions in Singapore and Japan. How to reply? “Not this time, but if you tell me what you like, I’ll get it for you next time.” But readers agreed the US authorities have the best questions. Here are some more REAL questions from the US entry form prepared by the homeland security department, along with sug- gested replies. Q: “Have you ever been convicted for an offense involving moral turpitude?” A: “Please repeat the question in English.” Q: “Are you involved in espionage?” A: “Yes, I have been a spy my whole life, but will have to give it up now that you have brilliantly outed me.” Q: “Between 1933 and 1945 were you involved in persecutions associated with Nazi Germany or its allies?” A: “Yes, and by the way, it is my 140th birthday today.” Q: “Are you seeking to engage in immoral activities?” A: “Sorry, you’re not my type.” Q: “Do you have a mental disorder?” A: “Yes, everything I say is the opposite of the truth, including this statement.” (This may cause the immigration officer’s head to explode, so stand well back.) Happy travels. Send ideas and comments via www.mrjam.org youngest. His grudge was that his father had neglected him.