In brief

Blood donation

A blood donation campaign has been organised by Vogue Jewellers at their premises at No 528 Galle Road Colombo on May 17 from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm to donate blood to service personnel who are fighting a war to rid the country of terrorism.

The occasion will coincide with the 8th death anniversary commemoration of the founder of Vogue Jewellers, Sarath Hemachandra.

Public sculpture competition

The American Center is turning 60! Join the U.S. Embassy in celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the American Center in Colombo.

The U.S. Embassy is holding a sculpture competition open to the public. The Embassy invites local artists to submit their work on the theme: "Carving 60 years of Friendship", selected entries will be displayed for the public at the American Center starting in August 2009.

Applicants must submit sculpture entries and a CV between 8.00 a.m. - 5.30 p.m. (Mon-Thu) or 8.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. (Fri) to the American Center, 44, Galle Road, Colombo 03, on or before the competition closing date of June 14, 2009. For further information please contact the American Center at 2498106 or 2498163 or email us at [email protected].

Bangladesh envoy visits A'pura

North Central Province corr.

Bangladesh High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Mohamed D. Usaman paid a two-day official visit to Anuradhapura and met city Mayor Dr. Lanka K. Caldera. The Ambassador also met North Central Province Governor Karunaratne Divulgane and Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake.

Mohan Ellawala's funeral today

A.M. Gunasekera Banda

Balangoda central group correspondent

The cremation of Sabaragamuwa Province Governor Mohan Saliya Ellawala who passed away following a brief illness at a private hospital in Colombo on Tuesday will be held at the Balangoda public playground this evening.

He leaves his wife Chandani Ellawala and a son and a daughter.

His remains are lying at his residence at Barnes Ratwatte Mawatha, Balangoda until cremation will takes place at the Balangoda public playgrounds.

Dasuni needs your help

Dasuni Ranasinghe, (3 1/2 years) of 43/1, Welhena, Minuwangoda is unable to speak due to being born with a cleft palate.

An urgent surgery has been recommended by Dr. Romesh Gunasekera to rectify the defect, which will cost Rs. 100,000. Her father R.A. Sunil is unable to bear the cost, as he has no permanent income. Her parents seek the assistance of the generous public. Whatever contributions towards this cause can be remitted to A/C No. 9190690 at the Bank of Ceylon, Minuwangoda Branch. For more details contact 011-5715535.

IDs for plantation workers

HARSHINI PERERA

The Youth Empowerment and Social Development Ministry will issue identity cards to plantation workers in the Badulla district, Youth Empowerment and Social Economic Development Minister Arumugam Thondaman said.

A mobile service will be held on May 23 at the Library Hall in Badulla to issue IDs.

Plantation workers who need to obtain new identity cards should submit their birth certificate. People who have lost their birth certificates should submit a police report or complete details to obtain the birth certificate.

The mobile service is conducted by the Plantation Human Development Trust.

Japanese cultural exhibition

The Lanka-Japan Friendship Society and the Embassy of Japan will hold a Japanese Cultural Exhibition on May 16 and 17, 2009 at the Harold Peiris Gallery (Lionel Wendt Art Centre), 18, Guildford Crescent, Colombo 7.

The exhibition includes cultural features of Japan such as Ikebana, Bonsai, Origami, Gardens, Dolls and Kimono. Demonstrations of Ikebana, Origami, Bonsai and the Tea ceremony will also be held during this exhibition.

Japanese Ambassador Kunio Takahashi will open the exhibition on May 16 at 11 a.m.

Indian help for IDPs

Indian High Commissioner Alok Prasad, handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation, a consignment of 50,000 individually-packed family packets of humanitarian relief material intended for the internally displaced persons.

The consignment consists of over 892 metric tons of assorted food items (including rice, dhal and sugar), personal hygiene products, clothing articles (including sarees, dhotis, lungis, towels and bed sheets) and first-aid items. The food items will cover the needs of 50,000 families for about 15 days.

This is the third consignment of humanitarian relief assistance to internally displaced persons in northern Sri Lanka from India in the recent past.

India had earlier delivered 80,000 family packs in November 2008 and more recently 40,000 family packs in April 2009.

Old Anandians get-together

A get-together organised by the Old Anandians of the '89 group will be held at Sugathadasa Sports Hotel, 163, Sirimavo Bandaranaike Mawatha, Colombo 14 today (May 16) at 7 p.m.

The organisers invite all members of the '89 group.

Contact Kamantha Marambage on 077 7863937 or Major Arosha Rajapaksa on 077 7741432.

Nambiar here

UN Secretary General Ban-ki-Moon's special representative Vijay Nambiar will visit Sri Lanka today on fact finding mission. He will visit the Vavuniya welfare villages of the IDPs, a foreign Ministry official said.

Life after Love launch Muthu Padmakumara’s fourth book of poetry, Life after Love, a Sarasaviya publication, comprising 30 poems based on love was launched at the Galle Face Hotel on May 13. The chief guest was Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister and Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama and the guest of honour was Export Development and International Trade Minister and acting Posts and Telecommunications Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris. The event was sponsored by Sri Lanka Telecom/Mobitel. Here the author presenting the first copies to the guests. Picture by Mahinda Vithanachchi