Quick Look

Sri Lanka gets GSP+

Export Development and International Trade Minister and acting Posts and Telecommunications Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris yesterday told Parliament that the country has received GSP+ benefits to export Sri Lankan garments to the European market duty free.

The Minister said the extension of GSP+ benefits to Sri Lanka helped save employments of those employed in apparel manufacturing sector.

Api Wenuwen Api:

Principals and teachers donate salaries

S. M. Wijeyarathne Kurunegala correspondent

Principals and teachers attached to government schools in Kurunegala and Puttalam districts have decided to contribute a days pay to the “Api Wenuwen Api” War Heroes fund in appreciation of the services rendered by War Heroes towards the liberation of the country from terrorism.

J. M. Ariyaratne, Vice Chairman of Kurunegala District School Principals’ Association said Rs. 6.5 million would be thus contributed to the welfare fund through this gesture.

He said that 45 large-scale ceremonies to pay tribute to War Heroes and President Mahinda Rajapaksa have been organized in the NWP during this month by educational authorities.

Giant motorcade at Kalutara

K.A. Perera Wadduwa special correspondent

A giant motorcade to express people’s jubilation over the Security Forces victory in vanquishing LTTE terrorism and hail the architects of the victory including the President, Defence Secretary, Security Forces, Police and Civil Defence Chiefs has been planned in Kalutara on May 29.

The motorcade organised by Nation Building Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena will start off from Kalutara town around 8 a.m. and pass through all Divisional Secretariat Divisions in the Kalutara district.

There will be many colourful floats depicting the National Flag, Republican and Presidential emblems and insignia of the Security Forces and Police as well as those depicting LTTE massacres and other atrocities committed during the last three decades.

This was revealed by Minister Abeygunawardena at a press conference held at the Kalutara District Secretariat recently.

Paying tribute at Hambantota

Raja Waidyasekera Tissamaharama special corr.

Hambantota District Secretariat paid tributes to the War Heroes on May 21 at the district secretariat premises.

The proceedings were presided over by the additional district secretary W. A. Dharmasiri.

The National Flag was hoisted and the National Anthem was played to inaugurate this national function. Buddhist priests performed religious ceremonies. The entire staff of the Hambantota District Secretariat, representatives of the Armed Forces and the police were present at these celebrations.

Hali-Ela rejoices

Badulla South group corr.

People in Hali-Ela area celebrated the restoring of full democracy in Sri Lanka by lighting fire-crackers, serving kevum, Kiribath and other refreshments singing songs and dancing.

All ethnic groups took part in these ceremonies held in several places in and around Hali-ela.

The welfare society of the middle class housing scheme, Hali-ela also held a massive party.

Ranaviru Upahara at Yahamulla

Theja Vidyarupa Akuressa group correspondent

The Yahamulla pooja bhoomi Sanwardhana Padanama has arranged a “Ranaviru Upahara” week to felicitate and bless the War Heroes who eradicated terrorism from our motherland.

This Ranaviru Upahara will be held at Yahamulla Sri Bodhirukkarama Viharaya from May 31 to June 6. During this week a series of religious ceremonies, bodhi poojas, seth pirith chanting and Mal pahan gilanpasa Buddha pooja will be held blessing President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the three Armed Forces, Police, War Heroes, country and nation.

Akuressa and suburbs enjoy

Akuressa group corr.

People in the Akuressa, Morawaka, Pitabeddara, Kotapola, Deniyaya, Kalubovitiyana, Neluwa and Aturaliya areas are happily enjoying the victory against terrorism.

Friends of the Accident Service

Friends of Accident Service of the National Hospital Colombo, Sri Lanka is a voluntary Organisation, with limited membership, supporting the National Hospital Colombo for its upkeep and other like services, for the welfare of the patients.

At the last Annual General Meeting of the Association held on March 28 the following were elected to hold office for 2009/2010.

Patron - Dr. S. Hector Weerasinghe, President - Dr. U.P. Ariyawanse, Vice Presidents - E.N. Raja Sinnathuray, Daya Bollegala, Nizam Cader.

Secretary - M.I.M. Razeek, Joint Secretary - K.S.N. Amarasinghe, Treasurer - Ashroff Hussein, Asst. Treasurer - B.G. Jirasinghe, Co-ordinator - Puspha Zoysa.

Committee Members - Stanley Perera, S.W. Navaratnam, I. Gimini De Silva, Dayasiri Warnakulasooriya, R.I. Rajapakshe, M.H.A. Sattar, Sunil Karunanayake, Wimala Nadarajah, Walter Gunawardene, L. Bombuwela, H.P. Piyasiri, T.A.D. Gunathileke, U.T. Muhajireen and Tissa Jayaweera.

The annual get-together of Veluwana Vidayalaya Colombo OBA will take place on May 30 at the Kaduwela Kelaniweli Resort at 6.00 p.m. organized by the college OBA.

Buddhist talk

Dr. D. V. J. Harischandra will deliver a public Buddhist talk in English on ‘The place of Jathaka Stories in Psychiatric Treatment’ at a meeting of the Servants of the Buddha Society on Saturday, May 30 at 4.30 p.m. at the Maithri Hall, Lauries Road, Bambalapitiya.

 SLAS new syllabus

The limited competitive examination for recruitment of officers to Class III of Sri Lanka Administrative Service will be held on May 30 and it will be under the new syllabus, Public Administrative Ministry stated.

Appeal for kidney

Fazloon Mohothar is suffering from endstage kidney failure. She has regular haemodialysis for survival pending early kidney transplant surgery.

Fazloon’s husband M.F. Mohothar appeals for kidney by a person of B Positive blood group.

Please call on - 0777806094 or 0773823909

Gale damages 57 houses

Samanthi Weerasekera

Gale force winds which swept across Ududumbara and Minipe on Sunday night, damaged nearly 57 houses in the two areas. Kandy District Secretary Gotabhaya Jayaratne said 40 were in the Oyatenna Grama Niladhari Divisions and the balance 17 in Morayaya, Diyabubula, Lunumandalaketiya and Kohongoda in Minipe. The displaced people number over 200.

Krishnamurti talk

A recorded public talk on “what is it to listen, to learn and to observe?” delivered by the late Indian sage J. Krishnamurti will be replayed at Anula Nursery school 310 High Level Road, Colombo 6 at 9.45 a.m. on May 31.

The event is organised by the Krishnamurti Centre, Sri Lanka Inc.

Language Day

Language Day of Greenwood College, Ambatenna will be held on May 30 in the School Main Hall commencing at 8.30 a.m. with Provincial Director of Education (English) Kandy Chanaka Sandanayake, as the Chief Guest.

Kaduwela PS VC takes oaths

Kaduwela Pradesheya Sabha member Gratien Alwis will take his oaths as the vice-chairman of the Kaduwela Pradeshiya Sabha before Education Minister Susil Premajayanth at the Pradeshiya Sabha auditorium on May 27 at 9 a.m.

He fills the vacancy created by Jagath Pushpakumara who has been elected a member of the Western Provincial Council.

Literature and Language Day

The Literature and Langauge day of Christ Church Girls College, Badegama will be held on May 30 at 8.30 a.m. at Martha Karunarathna Auditorium.

Painting exhibition

The National Centre for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (NCAS) has organised a painting exhibition of three prominent academics to be held at the NCAS premises, 6A Sukhastan Gardens, Ward Place, Colombo 7, on May 29-30 from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.

Lecture Series

The monthly lecture of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka will be held at 5.00 p.m. today at the Gamini Dissanayake Auditorium of the Mahaweli Centre, 96, Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 07.

The title of the lecture is “The Indian Inheritance and the Evolution of Art and Architecture in Ancient Sri Lanka: Transformation or Pale Imitation?” presented by Dr. Sinha Raja Tammita-Delgoda. The lecture is open to the public.

Seminar

A seminar on ‘Marketing in Turbulent Time’ organised by the Junior Chamber International Sri Lanka, Colombo (Colombo Jaycees) will be held today at Excel World, Colombo from 6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., said President of the JC Malavili Anton.

Correction and Clarification:

WHO: Anti-Sri Lanka proposal defeated

With reference to our news item with the above title which appeared on page 1 in our issue of May 25, 2009, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has informed us that his appointment as the President of the World Health Assembly was unanimously adopted and that Israel did not object to his appointment.