Sri Lanka News | Online edition of Daily News

The placing of the Buddha statue in the newly-constructed shrine opposite the Bo-tree in the Information Department premises took place recently. The Buddha statue was conducted in a perahera. Economic Development Deputy Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena unveiled the statue. Ven Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera and Information Department Director General Prof Ariyaratne Athugala also participated.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa observed work on the Saama Chaithya in Anuradhapura yesterday. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, North Central Province Governor Karunaratna Divulgane and Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake are also in the picture. Picture by Sudath Silva

Prime Minister D M Jayaratne opened the Bodhiprakara with ranweta at Wadduwa, Pothupitiya Walukarama Maha Vihara on July 21. It had cost Rs three million. Walukarama Maha Vihara Chief Incumbent Ven Pothupitiye Chandananda Thera, the Maha Sangha, Ports and Highways Deputy Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena and other dignitaries also participated.

First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa who is in Bangladesh on a three-day official visit attending a special seminar on children suffering from Autism met chairperson of the Indian Congress Party Sonia Gandhi on the sidelines of the seminar. Picture by Udesh Gunaratna

Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratna presents the journalistic excellence award to Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd (Lake House) Editorial Director Seelarathna Senarath who accepted the award on behalf of veteran journalist and ANCL Chairman Bandula Padmakumara at the Mass Lanka Prime Minister Awards 2011 organized by the United Mass Communication Association at Galle Face hotel yesterday. Picture by Sulochana Gamage

Maharagama police recently raided a Babul manufacturing den at Wewa Road, Maharagama. The suspected manufacturer and five consumers were arrested and eight kgs of raw material and ingredients used for manufacture were seized. Picture by Wehelle Piyathilake, Maharagama Special Corr.

Nayanalatha Dissanayake of Palugaswewa is an indefatigable and courageous farmer who is an example to some of her colleagues in the region who have given up paddy cultivation this season due to the severe depletion of water in tanks due to the present dry spell. Here Nayanalatha irrigating her crop with the help of an agri well utilizing a water pump as her daughter Shashini is delighted at the sight of sprinkling water. Picture by Sumanachandra Ariyawansa

Charged for assault

Panadura Magistrate R S A Dissanayake granted bail of Rs 200,000 on a suspect who pleaded not guilty to a charge of assaulting a person at the Panadura police station. The suspect S P Cooray appeared before Court earlier this week.

O+ kidney needed

A patient who has been diagnosed with end stage renal disease seeks O+ kidney. Willing donors could contact 0714297686.

Escapee arrested within 8 hrs

A remand prisoner who escaped from the Morawaka Magistrate's Court premises on Monday was apprehended within eight hours by Deniyaya Police with the help of residents in the area while he was hiding in a shrub jungle near the Waralla Vidyalaya.

New VC

Prof. Ranjith Premalal de Silva of the Peradeniya University Agricultural Engineering Department has been appointed the new Vice-Chancellor of the Uva Wellassa University by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

He will assume duties in his new post on July 28. An expert in Geological Information Technology Prof Premalal de Silva obtained his Msc from the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand and the PhD from the Cranfield University in UK after obtaining his Bsc (Special) degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Peradeniya University.

Look out for new moon

The Colombo Grand Mosque yesterday appealed to the Muslim public to look out for the new Moon on August 1, immediately after Magrib prayers to decide on the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramazan Hijri 1432, (if the new moon, is sighted inform on 011 5234044, 2432110, 011 2390783 or 0777 366099.

Prize giving

The prize giving of Thurstan College will be held tomorrow at 2.30 pm at the college premises under the patronage of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Interview

University of Colombo Medical Faculty Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Senior Professor Ravindra Fernando will be interviewed by Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena on 'Chronic Kidney Disease, Pesticides and Arsenic' today at 8.10 p.m. on TNL.

Nrithyopasana

A Bharata Natyam recital will be presented by the students of Natya Kala Mandhir and the Indian Cultural Centre and trained by their Guru, Kalasuri Vasugy Jegatheeswaran at its auditorium on July 28 at 6.30 p.m.

Talk

Sri Lankan writer Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekara will deliver a talk at the Indian Cultural Centre, Colombo, 16/2, Gregory's Road, Colombo 7 on July 29 at 6.30 p.m.

For details contact the Indian Cultural Centre on 2684698 or Email: [email protected].

Monthly meeting

The monthly meeting of cultural publications will be held on July 30 from 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Samaika Ayathanaya 490/5, Havelock Road, Colombo 6. Sriyani Mathugama Ratnayaka will speak on "History of Buddhist schools".

Lecture

The Ithihaad Ahlissunnathi Wal Jamaa-athi has organizedan Islamic lecture in English will be delivered by Al Sheikh Al Seyed Afeefuddin Al Jailani from Baghdad on Ramazan and the Challenges facing the Muslims tomorrow after Maghrib prayers at the Dewatagaha Jumma Mosque, Colombo 7.

Book launch

A book of poetry Prabhakaran Ivarai written by a lawyer Mihiri Nilmini Gunasinghe will be launched on July 29 at 3.30 pm at the District Court, Aluthkade. All are welcome.