Quick Look
Teachers join UPFA
Two hundred member teachers of UNP's Jathika Seva Guru Sangamaya and
JVP backed Lanka Guru Seva Sangamaya joined the UPFA on Wednesday.
They met North Central Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake at
the NCP's Anuradhapura district Presidential election campaigning
office, in the midst of a special session of the Sri Lanka Nidahas Guru
Sangamaya.
Petroleum Resources Minister Duminda Dissanayake welcoming the group
said that the public are rallying round President Mahinda Rajapaksa
setting aside differences.
Aussie men admit funding Tigers
Three men from Australia's Sri Lankan community have pleaded guilty
to providing money to the Tigers, SBS reported.
Aruran Vinayagamoorthy, 35, Sivarajah Yathavan, 38, both of
Melbourne, and 43-year-old Arumugam Rajeevan of New South Wales will be
sentenced on February 2.
The three men appeared at the Victorian Supreme Court via video link
from Sydney, and all pleaded guilty to an offence against the United
Nations Charter Act.
The charge relates to providing money to the Tigers, which the United
Nations considers a terrorist organization.
Vinayagamoorthy, a courier, also pleaded guilty to an additional
charge of providing the LTTE with electrical components.
The men were arrested in May 2007 and charged with the offenses,
which occurred between December 2002 and March 2006.
The three men have been released on bail and according to Australian
Federal Police are unlikely to receive a custodial sentence.
Flood threat in Ampara
M.A. Phakurdeen-Addalaichenai Group Corr.
The Ampara District is facing a severe flood threat as a result of
the continuous rains over the past three days. The Kalmunai,
Sainthamaruthu, Pottuvil and Alayadivermbu DS Divisions are the worst
affected areas in the District.
According to figures 6,200 families have been affected in the
Kalmunai and Sainthamaruthu DS Divisions. All arrangements have been
made to provide relief to the affected families.
The Meteorological Department stated that the Ampara District
recorded a rainfall of 119 mm which is the highest in the past a few
months.
Four killed, 26 injured in collision
Chaminda PERERA
Four died and 26 others were injured when a Tipper plying from Matara
to Wellawaya crashed into another Tipper which was bound to Kataragama
at Devramvehera on the Matara-Wellawaya highway on Wednesday evening.
According to Police Spokesman SSP I.M. Karunaratne the Tipper which
was heading to Kataragama was full of pilgrims while the other Tipper
was transporting sand to a house at Wellawaya.
Four pilgrims succumbed to injuries on admission to the Hospital.
Others are being treated at Hambantota Base Hospital and Thanamalwila
district hospital.
Christmas service
A Special Christmas service of the Ceylon Pentecostal Mission will be
held today at 9.00 a.m at the mission headquarters, Rodrigo Place,
Mattakkuliya.
The annual international convention and series of gospel services of
the mission will be held daily from December 27 to 31 at the Kokawila
CPM mission hall (Chilaw-Kurunegala road).
Islamic lectures
Scholar As Sheikh Mufti A.A.M. Rayees, Al Furquani Al Mazahiri,
lecture Darul Uloom Al Furquaniyyah, Kandy, will deliver a talk on
‘Virtue of the Ummah of Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam’ on December 31,
10.30 a.m. at Nimal Road Jummah Masjid, Bambalapitiya, along the Marine
Drive.
Twins’ contest
A competition among twins in dancing, singing, drawing essay, writing
under ‘Art for Scientific Research’ was held at the NCEF Buddhist
College at Angoda on December 15.
The second stage will be held at Janakala Kendraya at Pelawatte
Battaramulla on February 6. Twins who have not participated in the first
round could send applications.
No complaint lodged about missing Retired Army officer
No complaint had been lodged with the police so far about an alleged
missing person said to be a retired Army officer though Presidential
candidate Sarath Fonseka had told a TV channel that a retired Army
person had gone missing.
Police elections office too had not received a complaint regarding
any such missing person, a press release from police Civil Defence
coordinator and spokesman SSP I. M. Karunaratna said yesterday.
Seminar
A seminar on ‘present security situation and the victory of the war
Heroes’ will be held at the National Information Technology Centre at
Baddegama on December 28 at 2.00 p.m.
Defence, Public Security, Law and order Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya
Rajapaksa will also participate.
Blood donation
A blood donation campaign organised by the Baddegama Commerce and
Industries Society to commemorate late Ven. Ganegama Sri Saranankara
Thera will be held at the Sri Rathanasaara Vidyalaya Baddegama on
December 29.
Perahera
The Panadura Sri Maha Perahera organized under the patronage of Ven.
Pothupitiya Pannasekara Thera, Viharadhipathi, Sri Maha Viharaya Galgoda,
Panadura will be held on December 27 at 7.00 p.m.
The water cutting ceremony will be held on the following day at the
Panadura river.
Building opening
The four-storeyed building complex at the Panadura St. John Balika
Vidyalaya constructed at a Cost of Rs. 80 million will be opened at 8.35
a.m. on December 27, Sunday.
Fertilizer at concessionary rate
M.I.M. Azhar, Maligikadu group correspondent
All the agrarian service centres in the Ampara District provide
fertilizer at a concessionary rate to the paddy cultivators for the Maha
cultivation.
Soldier remanded for assaulting DMO
Sigiriya group correspondent
A soldier who was indicted before Dambulla Magistrate for causing
harm by assaulting the Galewela District Hospital DMO was remanded by
Dambulla acting magistrate L.G. Munasinghe.
The accused soldier had called for treatments from the OPD and had
demanded priority over the other patients.
When hospital employees said that some patients with acute illnesses
were being examined by the doctors and he was asked to wait for a while,
he went on rampage assaulting doctors and employees.
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Children of Parliamentary staff singing
Christmas Carols at the Diyawanna Christmas Carols 2009 held at
the Speaker’s official residence in Kotte on Wednesday. Picture
by Sudath Nishantha |
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