Malaysia celebrates Swami Vivekananda’s vision
Kuala Lumpur, Feb 10: Commemorating 25 years of its presence in the country and also the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the Ramakrishna Mission in Malaysia on Monday emphasised the inspirational leader’s vision on education, social service, self-reliance, and spiritual development.
The Ramakrishna Mission Malaysia, in partnership with the High Commission of India in Kuala Lumpur and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in Malaysia, recently organised an event ‘Arise, Awake’ at the Penang Institute which was attended by over 150 people from across the society, children from local Tamil schools, and local media.
This was the second of the 25 events planned by Ramakrishna Mission Malaysia under the guidance of its President Swami Supriyananda. The introductory event of the series titled ‘Be and Make’ was held in Kuala Lumpur on January 12.
Y B Dato Seri Sundarajoo Somu, Penang State EXCO (State Minister) for Housing and Environment represented the Chief Minister of Penang as the chief guest at the event where Indian High Commissioner B N Reddy welcomed the gathering and commended Ramakrishna Mission Malaysia President Swami Supriyananda for his visionary leadership of over 15 years. (IANS)
Homelessness services report surge in demand for assistance
Sydney, Feb 10: Australia’s homelessness services have reported a major surge in demand for assistance amid the country’s housing crisis.
According to a survey conducted by NGO Everybody’s Home, 87 per cent of Australia’s frontline homeless support organisations experienced a major increase in their workload in December and January compared to previous years.
Among the organisations that were surveyed, 98 per cent reported increased workloads last year and said they expect demand to continue rising in 2025.
Two-thirds of organisations said they have been unable to provide long-term housing solutions for clients, 71.7 per cent reported increased waitlists and half said they have fewer resources per client than a year ago. Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize said that the organisations reported “the worst summer on record” as high rental prices and the rising cost of living continue to impact Australians.
“The services at the coalface of Australia’s housing crisis are at breaking point. They can barely keep up with the rising number of people facing housing stress and homelessness,” Azize said in a statement on Monday. A separate report published on Monday by Melbourne-based think tank the Grattan Institute found that two-thirds of retired Australians who rent in the private market are living in poverty. (IANS)
Rare corpse plant blooms in Australia
Melbourne, Feb 10: A rare bloom with a pungent odour like decaying flesh has opened in the Australian capital in the nation’s third such extraordinary flowering in as many months.
The corpse flower, also known by its scientific name amorphophallus titanium, bloomed for the first time in its 15 years at Canberra’s Australian National Botanic Gardens on Saturday and was closing on Monday, staff said.
Another flowered briefly in the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens in late January, attracting 20,000 admirers. Similar numbers turned out to experience another rancid bloom at the Geelong Botanic Gardens southwest of Melbourne in November.
What is a corpse flower?
The corpse flower or corpse plant, known as bunga bangkai in its native Indonesia, is endemic to the rainforests of western Sumatra.
It only blooms for a few days every 7 to 10 years in its natural habitat. Its rancid scent attracts pollinators such as flies. (AP)
Literary prankster-philosopher Tom Robbins dies at 92
New York, Feb 10: Tom Robbins, the novelist and prankster-philosopher who charmed and addled millions of readers with such screwball adventures as “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” and “Jitterbug Perfume,” has died. He was 92.
Robbins’ death was confirmed by his friend, the publishing executive Craig Popelars, who said the author died Sunday morning.
Pronouncing himself blessed with “crazy wisdom,” Robbins published eight novels and the memoir “Tibetan Peach Pie” and looked fondly upon his world of deadpan absurdity, authorial commentary and zig zag story lines.
No one had a wilder imagination, whether giving us a wayward heroine with elongated thumbs in “Cowgirls” or landing the corpse of Jesus in a makeshift zoo in “Another Roadside Attraction.”
And no one told odder jokes on himself: Robbins once described his light, scratchy drawl as sounding “as if it’s been strained through Davy Crockett’s underwear.” (AP)