Sri Lanka News | Online edition of Daily News

Manju Wanniarachchi who brought prestige to Sri Lanka by winning a Gold Medal in Boxing at the Commonwealth Games was warmly welcomed at Getambe Public Grounds by Prime Minister D M Jayaratne yesterday. Sports Minister C B Ratnayake, Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, Central Province Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa and Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake were present at Getambe public Ground to welcome Wanniarachchi. Vidyartha College Kandy students where Wanniarachchi studied were also present to welcome the Gold Medallist.

The gold medals awards ceremony

The gold medals awarding ceremony of the National Youth Awards Authority affiliated to the Dula of Edinborough International Awards Program is scheduled to be held on October 26 at 10 a.m. at the temple trees with the presence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The gold medal is the hightest achievement of a life of a member of National Youth Awards Program. This medal should be awarded by the President of the country.

New tea fertilizer mixtures introduced

The Sri Lanka Tea Research Institute has introduced two new fertilizer mixtures which are not harmful to the growth of tea bushes to help tea smallholders increase their harvest at the request of Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe.

These two varieties, UT 397 and UT 752 will be sold by the Tea Small Holdings Development authority at a subsidised price of Rs 1,000 per 50 kg bag on a directive by the Minister.

Girl Guides for social work in the North

On the initiative of the Tharunyata Hetak organisation and Central Province Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa will take 40 girl guides from Kandy District on a tour of Killinochchi today on a mission to promote inter-community unity and harmony.

They will engage in social and community work with ‘Tharunyata Hetak’ Chairman, MP Namal Rajapaksa.

longest speech atempt

Veteran Radio Presenter Gamini Wijewardena attached to the SLBC launching his effort to enter the Guiness book of world records by making the longest speech for 33 hours at the SLBC’s Ananda Smarakoon Studio yesterday. His topic is ‘wonder man’s journey in the world. The present world record for the longest speech is held by a Chinese national who delivered a speech for 32 hours 25 minutes in 1998.

ADB funds development project

The Government has allocated Rs. 20.28 million to renovate the Medagama-Kosdeniya Road in Panduwasnuwara Divisional Secretariat. Under the Local Government Infrastructure facilities Development project on the Asian Development Bank Aids.

Charity boxes robbed

Two charity boxes believed to contain nearly Rs 50,000 had been robbed by thieves who broke into the Periyakallaru Udayapuram Sri Vadapaththirakaliyachchan Devalaya in Kaluwanchikudy, Batticaloa recently, according to a complaint made by its administrator C Selvaraja.

Crocodile captured

Villagers in Kanthankudi in Batticaloa District has captured a 16 feet crocodile that lived in the Mawilangathurai Lagoon on October 18. According to the police in Kathankudi the crocodile was handed over to Wild Life Department.

Hands on dental implant course

The General Dental Practitioners' Association will conduct a "Hands on course on Mini Implants" on November 6 and 7 at the Hilton Hotel.

UN national observance

The United Nations Association supported by the External Affairs Ministry and the United Nations Development Program will observe the 65th United Nations Day on October 24 at the Lotus Hall, Grand Oriental Hotel, Colombo.

External Affairs Minister G L Peiris will be the Chief Guest while Neil Buhne will be the Guest of Honour.

Awards will be presented to the Best School's Study Circle, Best Study Circle teacher-in-charge, the winner of the Inter-School Speakers' Contest, General Knowledge Competition at the ceremony.

Cultural items will be provided by the International Dance Troupe of Museaus College, Lyceum International School and children of Shilpa Trust.

AGM

St Aloysius' College, Galle Old Boys Association (Colombo Branch) will hold its 75th Anniversary Annual General Meeting at Hotel Sapphire October 24 at 10 am.

NCP Co-ops purchase more paddy

Co-operative unions in the NCP have already purchased 10,045,000 kilogrammes of paddy from farmers for the yala season and handed it over to the PMB. With the revival of the Paddy Marketing Board Co-operatives too were once again empowered to purchase the paddy harvest from farmers directly in competition with the private trade.

New Chief Adhikarana Sanghanayake Thera

Mapalagama Sri Wardanaramaya Chief Incumbent Ven Lealwala Jinawansabhidana Thera has been appointed as the Chief Adhikarana Sanghanayake of Benthara Walallawita Korele and Galu Gangabada Paththuwa.

The Ven Thera is due to accept his Act of Appointment at a religious ceremony held at the Malwatta Viharaya, Kandy at 3.00 p.m. today.

Ladies' College AGM

The Annual General Meeting of the Ladies' College Old Girls' Association will be held on Saturday, October 30 at 5 p.m. in the School Hall. The AGM will be preceded by a tea at 4 p.m.

Deshamanya Siva Obeysekera will declare open the new Archives Building at 4.30 p m to commemorate the OGA Centenary. All are welcome.

Tickets can be purchased either from the school office or from the OGA Committee members before October 25.

Clifton OGA

The Principal of Clifton Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Maradana has decided to re-establish its Old Girls Association recently.

A get-together organized in this connection will be held at the main school hall on October 30 at 3 p.m.

Memorial lecture

The Deshabandu Vidya Jyothi Eng (Dr) A N S Kulasinghe memorial lecture on "Oil and Gas Exploration in Sri Lanka" will be delivered by Chief Executive Officer of Hayleys Energy Services, Eng Chas Charles FIMechE at the Wimalasurendra Auditorium of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka on October 26 Tuesday at 5.15 p.m.

Exhibition

"Beyond Peace", a Video Art exhibition organized by the Moratuwa University Architecture Department will be held on October 22, 23 and 24 from 6.30 p.m. at the British Council, Colombo.

Sudu Hansini Program

Visharada Deepika Priyadarshani's Sudu Hansini Program held recently to mark the launching of her 'Sudu Hansini' music disc and Buddhadasa Galappaththi's book on her titled Geethaya Nam Deepayen Priya Dasun Mawannee will be telecast over Rupavahini (SLRC) on October 29 at 10.05 pm

Exhibition and sale

The Handful of Tranquility Exhibition and Sale organized by the Ceylon Bible Society will be held for the seventh consecutive time on Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30, 2010 from 9 am to 5 pm at "Bible House", No 293, Galle Road, Colombo 03.

Gamini Dissanayake commemoration

The 16th death anniversary of late Lands, Land Development and Mahaweli Development and Plantations Minister Gamini Dissanayake falls on October 23.

The commemoration ceremony will be held on Saturday, October 23 near the Gamini Dissanayake Statue at Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 7 at 10 am. Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa will lay a floral tribute. Members of the family, Members of Parliament, Board of Directors of the Gamini Dissanayake Foundation and Members of the Commemoration Society too will pay their respects with floral tributes. School bags with accessories will be distributed to 200 Daham Pasal schoolchildren. A Dhamma sermon will be held on October 24 together with an Alms Giving to the Maha Sangha on October 25. The students and staff members of the Gamini Dissanayake Institute of Technology and Vocational Studies in Nuwara Eliya together with the teachers and students of the Pre-School program will donate dry rations to 50 needy families on October 23.

Please help him

Wijaya Kumara Nissanka Gamage (33) of Athuraliyagewatta Welihena Bopagoda Akuressa is suffering from a physical disability from birth. Despite his disability he is very enterprising and engaged in a self employment to make a living. Nissanka says he needs some capital to further improve his enterprise and would welcome financial assistance from philanthropists and the public willing to help his cause. All contributions should be remitted to his account number 1-0055-03-2835-9 at the National Savings Bank Akuressa Branch.

Reservoir water to be released

The Mahaweli Authority will release water for the Maha cultivation in the Walawa Mahaweli Development Zone from the Uda Walawa reservoir today, Walawa Mahaweli Zonal Engineer Thilak Ranasinghe said.

The reservoir water capacity is adequate for the Maha cultivation in the Walawa Zone, he said.

Three lorries destroyed by fire

Three lorries were completely gutted in a fire which erupted at the Wennappuwa Sathi Pola (Weekly Fair) yesterday morning. Wennappuwa Police investigating the incident said they believed that some one had set fire to a garbage heap in the vicinity at night and the fire had spread into the Sathi Pola premises unawares causing the damage.