Quick Look

Arms, ammo seized from jungle

Matara Roving Corr

Matara Police acting on a tip-off given by a resident in Palatuwa recovered locally made Galkatas, a helmet and five live cartridges from a jungle area in Ogaspe.

Police said the cartridges were packed in a water proof bag suggesting that the arms had been hidden for an impending crime.

Investigations are continuing.

All that glitters is not gold

Richmond WIJESEKERA- Bentota Group correspondent

The Southern Province Crime Investigation Unit last week arrested a man alleged to have sold glittering objects at Rs 2 million claiming that they were gold. The suspect is a resident of Kekanadura.

Police are on the lookout for more suspects.

Heavy fine on illicit sand miner

A. M. Gunasekera Banda- Balangoda Central Group corr

Balangoda Magistrate and District Judge Namal Bandara Balalle imposed a Rs 80,000 fine on a person who pleaded guilty to entering the Udawalawa National Park and mining sand from Katupath-oya without a permit.

Handagiriya wild life range officials produced the suspect T A Sugath of Handagiriya before the Magistrate.

Rs 5,000 fine for substandard papadam

Richmond WIJESEKERA- Bentota Group correspondent

A factory owner who pleaded guilty to producing substandard papadam at Induruwa was fined Rs 5,000 by Balapitiya Magistrate S. I. Abeygunasekera.

Emergency passed

Irangika Range, Sandasen Marasinghe and Disna Mudalige

The motion moved by the Government seeking the extension of the State of emergency was passed by a majority of 82 votes in Parliament yesterday.

The motion received 120 votes in favour and 37 votes against. UNP Kandy District MP Abdul Kader voted with the Government while the UNP, DNA and TNA voted against the motion.

Police seek info on escaped prisoner

Police seek public information to apprehend a Weerawila Open Prison Camp inmate who had escaped from custody Saturday afternoon. The inmate is 37 years old, 5 ft 7 inches tall and has several scars on his eye brows upper lip and the left side of the stomach.

Fruitful discussions - FUTA President

Dinesh De Alwis

The discussion with the Higher Education Minister S.B.Dissanayake was fruitful. Things are going well and it is not needed to resign from our positions as we agreed earlier, Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) President Prof Sampath Amaratunga told the Daily News after a discussion with S.B. Dissanayake on August 2. After the token strike FUTA agreed to resign from their positions on August 16.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has identified our grievances and Higher Education Minister agreed to act positively to the University lecturers’ salary problem. Related documents are now being prepared, he said.

Gama Neguma completes 8,734 projects

The Jathika Saviya Gama Neguma program implemented under the direction of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa has completed 8,734 development projects countrywide so far, said Ministry Secretary (Rural Development) R A A K Ranawaka. Work on another 3,631 projects is due to be completed within the next few months. A total of Rs 4,768.82 million had been allocated for these projects, he added.

Expired drugs at hospital

Asela KURULUWANSA

Expired pharmaceutical products worth about Rs. 3 million are lying at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital medical stores, an audit inquiry for 2008-2009 revealed.

Relief for children of July strikers

Irangika Range, Sandasen Marasinghe and Disna Mudalige

Cabinet approval is granted to give relief for the children of July strikers including providing foreign employment and scholarships, said Water Supply and Drainage Minister and Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardena in Parliament yesterday.

He mentioned that such relief have already given for the children of 1980 July strikers.

He expressed these facts, while responding to a question raised by Ajith Kumara MP (DNA).

[Corrections and clarifications]

No Sri Lankan on vessel

With reference to our page 1 report under the headline 'Lankan boat people arrested, on August 2, 2010, the Australian High Commission yesterday said there were no Sri Lankans on the Vessel.

The High Commission said: "People smuggling from Sri Lanka to Australia has been a problem in the past. The Australian and Sri Lankan Governments have cooperated closely to address the issue with good effect.

People smuggling is an exploitative and illegal business which seeks to take advantage of vulnerable people for financial gain, at great risk to their safety.

"The Sri Lankan Navy and Police have succeeded in disrupting many people syndicates.

Improved conditions in Sri Lanka mean that many more Sri Lankan asylum seekers in Australia are likely to have their claims rejected and to be returned to Sri Lanka, having lost all their money."

Lecture

The Sri Lanka Institute of Landscape Architects (SLILA) will conduct the first Continuing Professional Development (CPD) lecture for all institute members on August 15 at 9am at the Centre for Housing Planning and Building (CHPB), Sunil Mawatha, Pelawatta, Battaramulla. The SLILA will also be held at 10.20am at the same venue.

Charity event

A charity event 'make a statement' organized by the 2010 batch of MAS Holdings, Deutsche Bank and Dialog Summer Interns will hold on August 4 from 9am at Amuseum, Galle Face Hotel. Funds from this event will be used to set up tube wells. Several auctions will also be held at the event including a memorabilia signed by a sporting legends.

Health Camp

The Junior Chamber International Sri Lanka, Gampaha (JCISL Gampaha/Gampaha Jaycees) will hold a Public Health Camp on Sunday, August 8 from 8.30am to 4.30pm at the Child Fund Office, Mahauwa, Walapane.

Training program

The Children Skills Development Program has organized a practical training program for teachers including preschool teachers at the Gamini Fonseka Hall of the Sinhala Cultural Institute, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo on August 10 from 9am to 3pm. Winners of the competition will be awarded prizes and certificate at an awards ceremony to be held on August 29. Those wishing to attend the program should confirm their attendance to telephone numbers 0112 672 718 or 0112 689 536. Further information could be obtained from the program at 70 F-6, Rodney Street, Colombo 8 or on website www.csdpsrilanka.org.

Blood donation

The Buddhist Society of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment has organized a blood donation campaign from 9.30 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. at the SLBFE auditorium today.

This blood donation campaign was organized on the request from the Cancer Hospital, Maharagama and to mark the Silver Jubilee of the SLBFE, an official from the Bureau said. (LdeS)

Conference

All Party Progress Review Conference of the Commonwealth Youth Program will be held on August 04, 05, 06 at Colombo Cinnamon Grand Hotel under the patronage of Youth Affairs Minister Dullas Alahapperuma and Deputy Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage.

Sri Lanka holds the Chairmanship of the Commonwealth Youth Affairs Minister's conference during the period from 2008 to 2012. In the conference it is due to review the progress during the period 2008 to 2010.

Youth Affairs Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Babados, Nigeria and Zambia along with relevant Directors of Asia Pacific and Caribbean Regions Youths Forums and Ministry officials are due to participate in the summit.

Rs 164,000 fine on 47 drunk drivers

Matara Roving Corr

Matara Chief Magistrate Udesh Ranatunga imposed fines totalling Rs 164,000 on 47 motorists produced before him for driving vehicles under the influence of liquor. He also suspended the driving licences of 26 of them for one month.

Matara Police Traffic division prosecuted.

Seminar

A seminar on ‘Air Pollution in Kandy’ will be held at the Kandy Teaching hospital’s Medical Association Auditorium on August 4 morning. The program will include the introduction of an air cleansing machine and an air cleansing system.