Quick Look

Fishermen released

Indian coast guard authorities have released 28 Sri Lankan fishermen and five fishing boats taken into custody by the Indian authorities on August 30.

Fisheries Minister Felix Perera had taken up the matter with the Indian authorities to release the fishermen and their boats. The Indian High Commission of Colombo had taken the initial steps to secure their release on request of the Fisheries Minister, a Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry release said. The two fishing craft Nathalie 11 and Ashane Putha 1 with a crew of 12 fishermen returned to Kalpitiya on Tuesday.

Another 16 fishermen from Puranwella, Devinuwara and Tangalle who were in custody with their trawlers were also released by the Indian authorities.

The fishermen are scheduled to return to the country next Wednesday.

Heavy fines for drunken driving

Sarath MALALASEKERA

Wattala Magistrate and Additional District Judge Rasatha Godawela imposed a fine of Rs. 134,500 on 18 suspects who were produced before court on a charge of driving vehicles under the influence of liquor.

All the suspects pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them driving vehicles under the influence of liquor.

The detections were conducted on the direction of Western Province Traffic Division Senior SP Eric Perera assisted by ASP Kumar Perera, Chief Inspector Arjuna Kodikara, OIC Western Province Traffic Division, Sub Inspector K.A. Piyaratne and a team of Traffic Police personnel attached to the Western Province Traffic Division.

Exhibition of art in copper

An exhibition of art in copper will be held at the Lionel Wendt Gallery on October 17 and 18. The work is embrassed on copper plate and is by D. Kottegoda, S. Ratnagopal, Nelum Gunasekera and Chandani Jayatilleke.

Suicide kit among arms cache

Rafik JALALDEEN

The Special Task Force (STF) launching a search operation in the Vellaimullivaikkal area on Wednesday evening recovered a large stock of arms and ammunition including a suicide kit.

Following information provided by an LTTE suspect, the STF conducted a search operation in the Vellaimullivaikkal area and recovered a cache of arms throughout Wednesday.

STF personnel uncovered 1,500 MPMG ammunition, 5,000 T56 ammunition, two T56 assault rifle, 15 Arul bombs, 34 hand grenades, 10 of 60mm mortar ammunition, 10 RPG bombs, six T56 magazines, two T56 LMG drums, a suicide kit and a communication set.

Sri Lankan migrants on ‘hunger strike’ in Indonesia

More than 250 Sri Lankan asylum seekers launched a hunger strike in Indonesia yesterday after they were intercepted en route to Australia in a wooden boat.

Indonesian officials have pleaded with the Sri Lankans to leave the boat, accept temporary accommodation in Indonesia and submit their applications for asylum through the normal channels.

But Banten provincial immigration head Harry Purwanto admitted there was “limited space” currently available for them.

“We’re still looking for shelter for them and don’t wish to separate them because we’re worried they may disagree,” he said. The boat was stopped Sunday after a reported tip-off from Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The group’s unofficial spokesman, threatened to set the boat on fire with cooking equipment but later admitted the threats were not serious. (AFP)

World Food Day program in A’pura

The World Food Day program will be held at Anuradhapura today at the Institute of Post Harvest Technology. Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Minister Maithripala Sirisena will be the chief guest.

The special feature at the World Food Day celebrations is the exhibition of local food varieties mainly based on rice flour.

Landslides affect Colombo-Kandy traffic

Asela KURULUWANSA and Sanjaya ASELA

Traffic along Kandy-Colombo road was suspended from yesterday morning following the danger of an imminent earthslip at a hillock near Peradeniya bridge.

Meanwhile, Kandy district disaster management co-ordinator Major Kamal Herath said heavy rains experienced in Kandy area these days had made several roads impassable at Pilimatalawa, Danthure and NanuOya areas.

Traffic from Peradeniya have been diverted along the Gannoruwa-Gatambe road. Meanwhile train services in the area also came to a halt as a result of a rock falling onto the railway track near Balana railway station yesterday.

Saviya celebrates World Food Day

Today, October 16 is World Food Day under the theme of food protection and food preservation. The Saviya Development Foundation has organised several programs at village level to celebrate the occasion.

Homegardening, composting and food technology programs will be held in Mirissa in the Matara district and Dondaduwa in the Galle district for the low income earning women.

Disabled vocational centre in Kaburugamuwa will hold practical programs of homegardening and composting. 300 beneficiaries will participate in the programs and it will help enhance their income.

Erudite Thai Thera arrives today

Most Venerable Phra Dhammapariyattivedi Thera, Viharadhipathi of Wat Phra Pathomchedi Rajamaha Vihara of Nakorn Pathom, Thailand, will arrive in Sri Lanka today to preside over important religious activities to be held tomorrow at Thai-Sri Lanka Buddhist Cultural Centre, Mabima, Heiyanthuduwa.

‘Yokchofa’ ceremony of the first ever Thai style Uposathaghara which is being built at the Centre, is the main focus of the visit of the Most Venerable Maha Thera.The Most Venerable Maha Thera, is ecclesiastical head of the 15th Division of Thailand.

Book launch

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is slated to unveil ‘Charge of the Lion Brigade’ a theoretical analysis of the Sri Lanka’s epic victory on terrorism by Environment and Natural Resources Minister Champika Ranawaka.

The official launch of the book will take place at the BMICH today from 2.30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The book explores both international and exclusively Sri Lanka’s war strategy adopted by the Sri Lankan Forces in its historical victory over the ruthless LTTE terrorism.

Int’l Migration Outlook report launch

The Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS) together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will launch the first country report on ‘International Migration Outlook,

Sri Lanka – 2008’ today at Salon Orchid, Galadari Hotel, Colombo.

Get-together

The family get-together of the Alumni Association of the University of Peradeniya, Colombo Chapter will be held on October 25 at Rock House, Gangarama Road, Piliyandala at 10 a.m.

Prayers

Prayers will commence on October 18 with Rathibathul Jalaliya by Moulavi ABM Mubarak (Falahi) and Y.M. Rafi. It will be conducted after Magrib prayers and will continue till Isha prayers at the Nawala Jumma Mosque.

Founder's Day

The Founder's Day of Kingston College International and the Awards ceremony of the College (Mutwal Branch) will be celebrated on October 24 from 9.30 a.m. at Navalar Mani Mandapam, Mutwal.

Lecture

The memorial lecture on former Minister M.D. Banda will be delivered by Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama at the M.D. Banda Auditorium, Polgahawela on October 18 at 3 p.m. to commemorate his 35th death anniversary.

Cookery show

The Navy Seva Vanitha has organized a Cookery Demonstration to collect funds for Naval War Heroes Housing Project on October 22 at 3.00 p.m. at the Regency Room of Hotel Mount Lavinia. Chef Publis Silva and Sudeepa Jayanetti from UK will conduct the demonstrations.

Certificate Course

Women's Education and Research Centre will conduct a free Certificate Course in Women's Studies in Sinhala.

Send applications to Women's Education and Research Centre, 58, Dharmarama Road, Colombo 6 or e-mail womedre@ gmail.com, womedre@ slt.lk before November 8.

Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe met UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday in New York. They discussed a range of issues relating to the current situation in Sri Lanka. The Minister was accompanied by Sri Lankan Permanent Representative to the UN Palitha Kohona and Mission Counsellor Maxwell Keegel.

Postal services on the A9 road from Vavuniya to Jaffna have commenced on the land route after three years. The services were stopped in 2006 with the LTTE attack in Muhamalai. Officials of the Vavuniya Post Office and military officers participated in the inauguration in Vavuniya yesterday. Picture by Bandula Seneviratne