Quick Look

Training program

HelpAge Sri Lanka (HASL) will conduct a workshop for Elders' Rights Promotion Assistants and Social Service Officers attached to National Secretariat for Elders on "Elders' rights, positive thinking and building social relationships, management and emotional conflict situations, physical therapy for elders".

The workshop will be held at the HelpAge Sri Lanka auditorium, 102, Pemananda Mawatha, Raththanapitiya, Boralasgamuwa from March 22 to 30 at 9 a.m.

Baha’i New Year on March 21

The followers of the Baha’i Faith world over will celebrate their New Year (Naw-Ruz) on March 21 (which is the Vernal Equinox-the first day of Spring). This day also concludes their annual fasting season of 19 days (one Baha’i month) which commenced on March 2.

In addition to the celebrations in other regional centres in Sri Lanka, the main celebration will be held at the Baha’i National Centre, Colombo 5.

World Bank hails EPD

The World Bank has praised the Educational Publication Department (EPD) for fulfilling its massive task of distributing school text books in a record time.

Those WB representatives have also issued a special word of thanks for the department's distribution of 29.5 million school text books for 2010. This includes 132 Sinhala medium text books, 132 Tamil medium, 47 English medium, 20 English text books, and 35 Piriven text books.

The EPD also successfully handled the distribution of these text books to Northern students who were resettled in rehabilitated villages.

Missing

Amarathunge Arachchilage Amal Chathurange - son of Sudirukku Hannadige Samanlatha de Silva of 327/07, Jayawardene Gardens, Waragoda, Kelaniya is missing from home since December 21, 2009. This 17-year-old person is 5' 5" tall and fair complexioned with hair cropped and combed upward. He was last seen wearing a mild red striped vest and a beige coloured shorts.

Any information leading to his whereabouts can be passed onto 011-2444444 of Women's and Children's Bureau, Colombo or to the nearest police station.

Loku Gajamange Chamandanee Sashikala Nishanthi - daughter of Shiyama Ayaleen of 439/08, Waragoda Road, Kelaniya is missing from home since December 21, 2009. This 16-year-old girl is about 5' 1" tall with hair grown upto her waist. She is round faced and having a birth mark on her chin. She was last seen wearing the school uniform. Any information leading to her whereabouts may be passed onto 011-2444444 of the Women's and Children's Bureau or to the nearest police station.

Dog show

The 75th Championship Dog Show of the Sri Lanka Kennel Association will be held at Sathutu Uyana, Colombo 07 on March 21. A large entry has been received of 25 Breeds of Dogs that have been entered.

Ten Pedigreed Dogs imported by the Sri Lanka Air Force have been entered into a very Special Class.

Women's day celebration

The Muslim Professionals and Entrepre-neurs' Association will commemorate International Women's Day at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, 100, Independence Square, Colombo 7 on March 20 from 4 p.m. onwards.

Environment and Natural Resources Minister and Colombo District UPFA candidate Patali Champika Ranawaka riding a bicycle from the Parliamentary grounds to Sadaham Sevana premises Rajagiriya after launching a program to popularise cycling as a cheap and environment friendly mode of transport on Wednesday. Minister Ranawaka later planted plants belonging to 17 varieties brought from 17 locations at the auspicious time of 17.17 as 17 bhikkus chanted the Vanarope Sutta to symbolise his Preference number in the UPFA list which is 17.

First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa acknowledging the greetings of the people as she arrived in Kegalle to attend a ceremony to mark International Women’s Day as the chief guest on Monday. Southern Province Governor and Acting Governor of Sabaragamuwa Kumari Balasuriya and Kegalle District UPFA candidate Susanthika Jayasinghe are also in the picture. Picture by Lalith Welivitigoda

The certificates presentation ceremony of the Curtain Designing and Printing Self-employment Course conducted by Nenasala Udahamulla, Maharagama was held under the patronage of Urban and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the National Youth Centre Maharagama recently. Urban Councillor Nishanta Wimalachandra and Nenasala Director Sreepani Jayaratne Ranasinghe were also present. Wehelle Piyathilaka, Maharagama special correspondent