Sri Lanka News | Online edition of Daily News

The 62nd Republic Day of India was held at India House yesterday. Here Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ashok K Kantha inspecting the guard of honour. Picture by Saman Sri Wedage

The social welfare program of the Lake House Welfare Section, launched under the instructions of ANCL Chairman Bandula Padmakumara with a view to collect relief assistance for distribution among victims of recent floods, paid dividends. The Japanese-affiliated Maspro Dekoh Corporation Lanka (Pvt) Limited, handed over a large number of relief items including infants milk powder recently. The occasion of handing over the relief items was attended by Managing Director of the Corporation Makino and Lake House General Manager Abhaya Amaradasa. Picture shows Makino handing over the relief items to Abhaya Amaradasa. Picture by Rukmal Gamage

Public talk

Dr Kosala de Silva will deliver a public talk in English on "Anatta Concept" at the meeting of the Servants of Buddha Society on Saturday January 29 at 4.30 pm at the Maithree Hall, Lauries Road, Bambalapitiya.

New look for Jaffna Public Library

The Children’s section of Jaffna Public Library will be completely transformed in the novel model of the Singapore Children’s Library.

The furniture and colours of the children’s toys will be changed to give an attractive appearance.

The teaching methods too will be revised according to present trends. The infrastructure of the children’s library will be changed and work is expected to be completed by June end. The Singapore International Alliance Director has allocated three million rupees for the infrastructure expenses and will visit Jaffna with three librarians to oversee the work in March this year, said Jaffna Public Librarian S Thanabalasingham.

Lecture

An illustrated public lecture on "Sri Lanka-Thai Historical Relations by Dr Hema Goonatilake will be held at 5 pm on Thursday, January 27, 2011 at the Mahaweli Centre Auditorium, No. 96, Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 07. The lecture will discuss the religious and cultural relations that existed between Sri Lanka and Thailand. The lecture is organized by the Sri Lanka-Thailand Society under the patronage of Ambassador of Thailand, Thinakorn Kanasuta.

EDEX exhibition

The second exhibition of the EDEX series organised with the objective of strengthening the Sri Lankan youth to suit global competitiveness was opened at Kandy City Center yesterday (26).

Central Province Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa and Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake were the chief guests at the opening ceremony yesterday. The exhibition which has 72 stalls ends today, January 27.

Pre-school opening

The Happy Kids Pre-school constructed near the Devinuwara Old Central College will be declared open today (27) at 3 pm by First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Alahapperuma.

Provincial Council Member Kanchana Wijesekera and Basnayake Nilame of the Devinuwara Vishnu Devalaya Dishan Gunasekera will also participate.

CHEMEX-2011 today

The National Organization responsible for the implementation of activities of the International Year of Chemistry (IYC 2011) is the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon will conduct the CHEMEX-2011 Exhibition and Trade Fair from January 27-30 at BMICH. UNESCO is supporting this initiative.

In keeping with the official opening ceremony at UNESCO headquarters in Paris from January 27 to 28 2011, Sri Lanka will inaugurate the IYC 2011 on January 27, 2011 at BMICH. The occasion will consist of three important events namely, Official Inauguration, CHEMEX-2011 Exhibition and the Trade Fair. The IYC 2011 will be inaugurated by Senior Scientific Affairs Minister Tissa Vitharana today.

Dangling carrots good way

Arrangements have been made to promote carrot cultivation in the Sainthamaruthu Agriculture Extension Division. Under the initial step of this program Sainthamaruthu and Maligaikadu areas have been selected for carrot cultivation and 100 farmer families in these areas would be directed to cultivate carrot during the forthcoming Maha season.

STF member stabbed to death

A member of the Special Task Force attached to Kalawanchikudi in Batticaloa who went home on leave was stabbed to death last Tuesday, at Belpamulla in Mawarala, the police said. Mawarala police has taken a husband and wife into custody alleged to have been involved in this crime and the knife they allegedly used to commit the crime has also been found.

Workshop on sanitation

A workshop on provincial level sanitation plans and activities will be held on February 1 at Anuradhapura Dulyana Hotel auditorium.

Anuradhapura National Water Supply and Drainage Board Deputy General Manager I L A Peiris told the Daily News that this workshop is held as a prerequisite to the forth South Asian Conference on sanitation to be held in Colombo in April.

The Public Health Officers, Rural Health Service Committee Members, Local Government officers, Central Environmental Authority, Provincial Health Chiefs and Provincial Educational Executives will participate along with representatives of the NGOs supporting to promote rural healthcare and sanitary conditions.

Risky transports

Rickety lorries that transport heavy loads of granite in an unsafe manner are a frequent sight on the Nawagamuwa-Colombo Road.

In most cases, the granite is precariously placed and could fall on the passers by or other vehicles.

These fast driven lorries also leave dust clouds in the environment posing a hazard to health.

Farming to good health

A program to popularise organic farming among farmers in the Sainthamaruthu Agriculture extension area has been launched.

The Agriculture Farmers Association has established a farmers forum to guide the farming community to follow better agricultural technologies.

The organic farming is sustainable unlike the farming associated with extensive use of chemical fertilizer weedicides and pesticides, Agricultural Instructor Sainthamaruthu M M M Jameel said.

He said that agricultural production through organic farming is good for health and there is a huge demand for them in the developed world.

“Unfortunately in Sri Lanka agricultural producers, farmers and consumers do not pay due attention to the fact that using chemicals in farming may cause hazards to personal health in the long run,” he said.

No permits: Two held

Maskeliya police arrested two people transporting 16 goats without a permit around 3 am yesterday. Among the goats were kids and pregnant animals, Hatton Police said. The suspects are residents of Ja-Ela.

Fine for 'lizard dish'

Galle Additional Magistrate A S Boderagama imposed a Rs 6,000 fine on an owner of a hotel who pleaded guilty of selling a dish of lentil curry which contained a dead lizard.

The raid was conducted and court action instituted by PHIs P G Keerthi Jayalal and Uddika Liyanage of the Galle MC.