Quick Look

House meets to pass emergency

Parliament will reconvene on March 9 to passed the emergency regulations which the House routinely approved every month.

The Emergency lapsed on Monday necessitating that the President proclaims the Emergency state again.

Once the Presidential proclamation is made, the Emergency has to be passed in the House within 10 days.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa signed the Gazette notification for the extension of Emergency for another month and reconvening Parliament which is now dissolved, on March 9, to vote on the extension of emergency powers for reasons of national security.

Threat of forest fires in N'Eliya

P. Rajaratnam in Nuwara Eliya

The public have been alerted to be on the look out for any fires in the forest range around Nuwara Eliya.

The Forests Department and Police said in the event of any fire, Police or government authorities should be notified.

The public has also been told to be ready to defuse such fires in any part of the forest range. The announcements were given over the loudspeakers.

A huge fire in the Piduruthalagala forest range recently was defused with the help of the public, police and armed forces. Later a chopper arrived and water taken from the Lake Gregory was used to douse the fire.

Meanwhile, the current hot climate continued in the hillcountry no prospects of any rain.

Maritime Archaeological Museum in Galle

Bandula Gunasekara and T.K. Ariyadasa-Malimbada group corr.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will open the Maritime Archaeological Museum at Galle Fort today.

Rs. 177 million has been spent to construct this new museum building under the Netherlands aid program.

The museum was completely devastated by the tsunami in 2004.

Daily News staffer dies

Daily News journalist P. Muttiah passed away yesterday.

He leaves his wife and three children.

His body is lying at the Jayaratne Funeral Parlour, Borella.

The funeral takes place at the Borella General Cemetery today at 3.30 p.m.

CID search former cricketer’s house

Sandasen MARASINGHE

A Police Criminal Investigation Department group searched the residence of the former cricketer Hashan Thilakaratne on Tuesday on an information received by the CID that the major suspect of Hicorp Case Danuna Tilakaratne was hiding there. Police Spokesman Prishantha Jayakody told the Daily News that the CID was unable to find him there. The CID recorded a statement from Hashan Thilakaratne.

The CID is conducting further investigations to arrest Danuna Tilakaratne who is wanted by the CID for his alleged involvement in a multi million dollar arms deal by his company, Hicorp Inc.

WSBI Cross Regional Conference

World Savings Banks Institute (WSBI)’s Cross Regional Conference 2010 will be held in Colombo on March 4 and 5 at the Hilton Hotel with the joint sponsorship of WSBI and National Savings Bank (NSB). ‘Innovative Distribution Policies for Savings and Retail Banks - Branchless Banking: How Far Can We Go?’ is the theme of the conference.

Social event

A social event organised for Old Anandians and Nalandians will be held on the eve of their big match on March 5 at the Organisation of Professional Associations (OPA), stanley Wijesundara Mawatha, Colombo 7 from 7.30 p.m. for information Nimal Fernando (0777619072) or Dr. Rohana Kuruppu (0777767413).

Distance Learning Diploma

The Centre for the Study of Human Rights of the Colombo University will conduct the inauguration of the Distance Learning Diploma in Human Rights and Peace Studies on March 7 at the NLT, Faculty of Law, Colombo University.

Grama Niladhari held for perversion

Asela KURULUWANSA and Indika POLKOTUWA

A Grama Niladhari who was alleged of attempting to molest a twelve year old schoolgirl in a van parked on the roadside was arrested by Women and Children Bureau officers of the Kandy police yesterday.

Kandy police said the Grama Niladhari who owned the school van also functioned as the driver taking children to school.

Lankan recognized as an “International Woman of Courage”

Jansila Majeed has been selected by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be one of ten recipients worldwide of the Department of State’s International Women of Courage award. Majeed is the Managing Trustee of a Community Trust Fund in the Puttalam district.

The Trust overseas programs on minority and women’s issues, including women’s rights, peace building, relief work, working with young people and mine-risk education in the North and East.