Quick Look

Buddhist panel discussion

The next Buddhist English public panel discussion of the Colombo YMBA will be on October 19 at 10 a.m. at its Borella building on "Seela in Daily Life." The Panellists are Prof. Tilak Kariyawasam, Prof. of Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya and Asoka Devendra with Rajah Kuruppu as moderator.

Buddhist talk

Prof. Raja de Alwis will deliver a Public Buddhist talk in English on "Influence of Seela in Meditation Practice" at a meeting of the Servants of the Buddha Society on Saturday, October 18 at 4.30 p.m. at Maitri Hall, Lauries Road, Bambalapitiya.

The meeting will be preceded by the Annual General Meeting of the Servants of the Buddha Society chaired by its President, Rajah Kuruppu.

Islamic Deeniyyath

certificate examination

The Examinations Department will hold the Islamic Deeniyyath (Dharmacharya) Certificate Examination - 2008 on October 25, 26 and November 01.

The Admission Cards have been already posted by the Department to respective Ahadhiyyah Schools. General Secretary of Central Ahadhiyyah S. Muhammed Shazli appeals to all Ahaddhiyyah School Principals/Teachers who applied to sit for the exam to follow up action on required.

If any Ahadhiyyah School did not receive the admission cards on time they could contact either the Examination Department or the General Secretary of Central Ahadhiyyah on 077 3578986.

New Mihin Lanka Chairman

Raja Edirisuriya will assume duties as Mihin Lanka Chairman on October 15 after a religious ceremony at his office between 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. at the BMICH Number 4-109, Colombo 7

Prize Giving

The prize-giving of "The Light of Asia" contest conducted by the Colombo YMBA will be held on October 18 and Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva will be the Chief Guest.

This year too, over 1,300 students from all over the island have taken part in the contest, which was open to girls and boys between the age group of 8 and 21 years, irrespective of their ethnic backgrounds and religions.

Five finalists each from 12 Groups will be awarded trophies and cash prizes.

Yoga session

The Sri Lanka Sky Trust is conducting a session of Kayakalpa Yoga in English medium at Global Tower Hotel in Wellawatte at 9.00 a.m. today.

Kayakalpa Yoga can be practised by learning and sparing only three minutes in the morning and evening, which would bring anyone a healthy life.

Professor R. Rajasekaran BSc. MA. from India will conducting today's session. For details contact 0773742494.

 LST Forum

S.H.A. Mohamed, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), will speak at the October LST Forum on Thursday, October 16 at 5 p.m. at 3, Kynsey Terrace, Borella, Colombo 8 on 'Overcoming the EU GSP+ Hurdle.'

The LST Forum is a monthly open forum on topical socio-legal issues. The Law and Society Trust (LST) is not-for-profit organisation utilising rights based strategies in documentation, research and advocacy founded in 1982 by the late Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam.

International Day on Washing of Hands

The World Health Organisation has for the first time declared ‘October 15’ as the International Day on Washing of Hands on the theme of ‘Clean Hands - Healthy Generation’. This programme is to be launched among people and schoolchildren in Sri Lanka too on this day.

Activities include awareness programme to be conducted in 1,500 selected schools with the participation of Public Health Inspectors under the aegis of UNICEF, Ministries of Health, Education and Uniliver Company Limited.

Despite the fact that there is a decrease in the diseases which can be controlled by vaccination, there is a marked increased in the diseases spread by water and food during the past two years.

This is partly linked to personal hygiene which include proper cleaning of teeth.

Data from WHO reveal that around 3.5 million children below five years around the world die every year from diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery and pneumonia. However in Sri Lanka there is a decrease in the number of deaths in the areas while only a trend in vulnerability to such diseases is recorded in the recent time with a ratio of 167 to every hundred thousand or 32,000 as a whole.

This too has been attributed to lack of attention paid to personal hygiene.

The Health Ministry will ensure the participation of the private sector to make this entire programme a complete success from this year onwards.

International White Cane Day

The International White Cane Day celebrations organised by Sri Lanka Visually Handicapped Graduates’ Association will be held on October 15 at Janasetha Janakala Cultural Centre at Katubedda, Moratuwa.

The celebrations titled “Contribution from the Visually Handicapped Graduates towards Development” and a “Flag Week” will be inaugurated on this day by the organisers and it will continue till October 22.

Several activities have been organised to mark this event. They will include an awareness programme for the introduction of computer technology to the blind and literary contests.

Wayalat Yakandawala an outstanding social servant will also be felicitated.

Education Minister Susil Premjayanth will be the Chief Guest while Dr. Sudarshanee Fernandopulle will be the guest of honour.

Splits over deputy mayoral post deepens

Samanthi Weerasekara

The failure on the part of the UNP leadership to resolve the crisis relating to deputy mayoral post at Kandy Municipal Council has led to splits among top UNP organisers in the Kandy district, sources said.

It is reported that Parliamentarian Luxman Kiriella who is the Chairman of the Kandy District Organisers Association is directly involving in the moves to replace the present Deputy Mayor Suminda Wickramasinghe with Municipal Councillor Ilahi Abdeen and this has apparently led to the split at the party base in the district.

It is also reported that the present Deputy Mayor commands the support of the majority of district council members and he enjoys the backing of a top partyman at the UNP hierarchy. This situation has stalled the moves to topple the present Deputy Mayor from his post.