Quick Look

New US Ambassador

US Ambassador Patricia Butenis presented her credentials as Ambassador to Sri Lanka to President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday.

Butenis was nominated by President Barack Obama as the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. She is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, rank of Minister-Counsellor. Prior to this assignment, Ambassador Butenis has served in Baghdad, Bangladesh and Islamabad. She joined the Foreign Service in 1980.

Beautician’s jewellery robbed

Indika POLKOTUWA

A robbery of gold jewellery valued at nearly Rs. 390,000 is reported from a house belonging to a beautician in Weragama Rattota. The robbery had occurred on Wednesday afternoon when the inmates were away. Rattota police are investigating.

Japan orders probe into secret nuclear pact

Japan’s newly-appointed Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada has ordered a thorough investigation into the alleged secret pacts between Japan and the United States.

Okada issued the order immediately after Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama launched his cabinet late Wednesday.

Okada said that there is a “high probability that the secret pacts exist,” but no clear evidence is available yet. A purported 1960 secret Japan-U.S. pact, under which Japan would allow stopovers in its territory by U.S. military aircraft or vessels carrying nuclear weapons, is among the secret accords. Tokyo, Xinhua

Ayurvedic Drugs Corp marks 40 years

The 40th anniversary celebration of the Sri Lanka Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation will be held on September 18 at 2.00 p.m. at the Presidential Secretariat with the participation of Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka as the chief guest. Indigenous Medicine Minister Tissa Karalliyadda will also participate.

High tech digital X-ray technology in Lanka

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry will introduce `High Tech Digital X-Ray Technology’ to Sri Lankan state hospitals today at a cost of Rs.150 million. This is the first time that this technology is made available in Sri Lanka, a Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.

He said that the new technology will be launched at the Ragama Teaching Hospital today at 9.30 am and two units will be opened to the public. The value of one unit is Rs.75 million. Another High Tech Digital X-ray unit will be opened at Welisara Base Hospital. The new technology will be launched under the patronage of Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva.

Pakistani nabbed with heroin in belly

A Pakistani National was nabbed at the BIA while attempting to smuggle in 64 sachets of heroin which he had swallowed to avoid detection.

Investigations revealed that the suspect had travelled from Pakistan to Doha before arriving in Sri Lanka aboard a Qatar airlines flight on Wednesday. He was admitted to the Negombo hospital where doctors had succeeded in flushing out the heroin sachets.

The detection was made team from the Airport Police Narcotics Bureau headed by Chief Inspector Eric Ranjith.

National Conference on Buddhist Studies

The Fifth National Conference on Buddhist Studies will be held on November 28 and 29 at the All Ceylon Women’s Buddhist Congress, 400, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7. The Conference is organized by the Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies, Sri Jayewardenapura University in association with the Buddhist Times Trust and Buddhist Activities Fund.

Research papers relating to Buddhism are welcome from a variety of disciplines such as Philosophy, Civilisation, History, Psychology, Sociology, Buddhist Scriptural Languages and Literature and other related disciplines in Humanities and Social Science. The papers can be presented in either English or Sinhala. Abstracts of papers should not exceed 300 words and must include Title, Author(s), Affiliation, Address, Tel/Fax, E-mail address. Abstracts should be sent by e-mail to [email protected] with a copy to [email protected] as attachment in word, or by fax to Fax No. 2803196 or by post to the Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies Sri Jayewardenapura University, Nugegoda. A committee of Buddhist scholars will select the papers and acceptance will be notified. The deadline for submission of abstracts is October 10, notification of acceptance on October 15 and submission of full papers on November 25.

SHC releases Pakistanis repatriated from SL

Sindh High Court Tuesday ordered the release of eight Pakistanis from Jail in Karachi who were repatriated from Sri Lanka after serving their sentences.

Advocate Javed Iqbal Burkey submitted prisoners were repatriated under Transfer Offenders Ordinance 2002 after trial and conviction by Sri Lankan courts for possessing narcotics. On return, they were lodged in Central Prison Karachi despite them serving almost the full term in Sri Lankan jails. - KARACHI (PPI)

Community service

The students of St. Anthony's College, Baddegama, will donate footwear and other school equipment to students of Kavanthissa Vidyalaya, Seruwavila today at Kavanthissa Vidyalaya with the participation of staff, parents and students of St. Anthony's College, Baddegama and Education Secretary M.M.D.N. Bandara.

Flash Back at Lionel Wendt

Flash Back, an exhibition of sculpture, art and wood carvings created from 2000, by Harshan Hapuarachchi on different themes and mediums will be held on September 18, 19 and 20 at the Harold Peiris Hall of the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery, Colombo. This is Harshan's first solo exhibition. He is a final year student of the University of Visual Arts Colombo and an old boy of Taxila Central College, Horana.

Eid-ul-Fitr prayers

Eid-ul-Fitr festival prayers by the Memom Association of Sri Lanka will be held on September 21 at 8.15 a.m. at the Colombo Race Course ground.

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Eid ul Fitr prayers organised by the All Ceylon Moors' Association will be held at the S. De S. Jayasinghe Central College Grounds, Karagampitiya, Dehiwala on the Ramazan festival day at 7.30 a.m.

Planter's Society AGM

The 73rd Annual General Meeting of the Ceylon Planter's Society will be held tomorrow at Cinnamon Lake Side Hotel Colombo (former Trans Asia).

YMCA speech contest

The finals of the Colombo YMCA Speech Contest based on Sir Edwin Arnolds' "The Light of the World" will be held tomorrow at 4 p.m. at the YMCA Forum Hall.

Scout camp

'Watjaree 2009', the Annual Scout Camp organised by the Sri Lanka Scout Association - Wattala - Ja-Ela branch will be held from September 18 to 21 at the Sri Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya.

GIT Exam on December 20

The General Information Technology (GIT) examination for students in the first year G.C.E. Ordinary Level classes will be held on December 20. Nearly 140,000 students are due to sit the examination, said Examinations Commissioner Anura Edirisinghe. Students passing this examination will be issued a certificate which will stand in good stead when they seek employment, he said.

Rohitha Wijesuriya’s funeral today

Popular singer, composer and musician Rohitha Wijesuriya died yesterday. He was 73 years. The funeral takes place today at Eldeniya Cemetery, Kadawata.

His songs like binaramalee ekka enna and other songs became very popular and when he started his career in the Radio Ceylon, predecessor to the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, he took part in numerous musical and entertainment programs. His wife Manel Wijesuriya who was a music teacher predeceased him. He leaves behind his children Daminda Anuranga and Rivi Kamantha.

His remains lie at the Wijesuriya residence 641/3, Gemunu Mawatha, Kendaliyaddapaluwa, Ragama. (wn)

Wilfred de Silva no more

The death occurred of well-known film personality Wilfred de Silva.

He was 66. Popularly known in film circles as ‘Willie’ he has functioned as Production Manager in many local and foreign films. Attached to Film Location Services he handled the production side in Sri Lanka of films such as ‘Rampage’, ‘Mountain in the jungle’, ‘Tarzan the Ape Man’ and ‘Indiana Jones.’ He was a cousin of veteran Music Director Rohana Weerasinghe. He leaves his wife Onarine and son Daminda.

His remains are lying at his residence No. 65/18, Sandun Uyana, Elhena Road, Maharagama. Funeral takes place at the Godigamuwa Cemetery, Maharagama on Sunday morning.

Lankan dies in Kuwait

The Foreign Ministry Consular Affairs division has been informed of the death of a Sri Lankan national of PPT No. L0498664, Mallika Arachchilage Chandrika Mallikarachchi in Kuwait. There is no information of Mallikarachchi’s relatives or Next of Kin.

If there are any responses from the Next of Kin or those known to the deceased, they should contact the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at 3rd Floor, No. 14, Sir Baron Jayathilake Mawatha, Colombo 1. Tel: 4718972/4719593, Fax: 2473899.

Lankan charged with human smuggling in Australia

A Sri Lankan from Negombo who allegedly organised a people smuggling venture into Australia in April, 2009 was charged yesterday by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for human smuggling.

The man was arrested in Perth after being transferred from Christmas Island by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), the Australian High Commission said.

The Sri Lankan is alleged to be the organiser of a vessel that arrived in Australia on April 22.

The AFP said the Sri Lankan man organised a vessel in an attempt to smuggle 32 passengers into Australia.

The vessel carrying 32 passengers was intercepted off Barrow Island, South West of Dampier, Western Australia by HMAS Wollongong.

Twelve youth in police custody

Shirley WIJESINGHE

Police arrested 12 youth who were threatening to attack the police officers and damage property after a protest campaign held in Maharagama yesterday.

According to police sources the protestors had forcibly tried to enter the Indigenous Medicine Ministry ignoring police orders.

Some unemployed graduates were among the detainees.