Quick Look

Shops say no to cigarettes

Navaratne Bandara Mahaweli Systems corr.

Around 100 hotels and shops in Panvila town have stopped selling cigarettes, a report stated. The report said these people have stopped selling cigarettes on a request by the Social Development Office of the Panvila Divisional secretariat.

This office has made arrangements to present souvenirs and tokens of appreciation to shops that have stopped selling cigarettes. These souvenirs will be awarded at a felicitation ceremony.

Sinhala Diaspora meets today

The World Alliance for Peace in Sri Lanka (WAPs) organisation formed by the Sinhala diaspora to counter and challenge the LTTE propaganda network will hold a seminar on ‘Sri Lanka - Future of the Nation’ at the BMICH, Colombo from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. today. Senior Attorney-at-Law S. L. Gunasekera will chair the seminar and representatives of various Sinhala diaspora, including leading academics will address the seminar.

CMC Vesak programs

The Buddhist Association of the CMC and the Colombo Municipal Council have introduced several programs to celebrate Vesak this year.

These events will include religious art contests for schoolchildren, a blood donation campaign at the Town Hall, Vesak lantern and a dansala at the same venue on May 9, 10, and 11. A Dhamma sermon will also be conducted by Ven. Uyanwatte Gnanaloka Thera at the Colombo Town Hall.

Indian police arrest 20 pro-LTTE activists

Indian police yesterday arrested at least 20 pro-Tiger activists who attacked an army convoy in Coimbatore in the Southern state of Tamil Nadu, reported the private Indo-Asian News Service.

Meanwhile, police have filed cases against 200 people belonging to political groups sympathetic with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said the report quoting police sources. Tiger supporters on Saturday stopped five Indian army trucks carrying ammunitions and personnel on way back from training.

The protesters thought the ammunition were for the Sri Lankan army routing out the LTTE. XInhua

Survey on IDP families to reunite them

Chaminda Perera

The Health Ministry has initiated a survey on IDP families who were stranded while crossing over to the cleared area from the No Fire Zone, on Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva’s directive. The authorities will reunite these families based on this survey report.

Family Health Bureau officials have already been deployed to 19 camps where civilians were given accommodation to conduct the survey. According to Health Ministry sources the youth of such families had first crossed the cleared area in fear of the LTTE’ s forcible conscription while the adults crossed the area later.

“There are instances where members of several families are living in separate camps and our endevour is to reunite them to relieve tension among them,” an official said.