Quick Look

The passing out parade of 67 cadets who completed training at the Naval and Oceanic College in Trincomalee took place at a function held under the patronage of Prime Minister D M Jayaratne Saturday. Here the Prime Minister receiving the salutation of the cadets. Also present were Navy Commander Somatilake Dissanayake and Commander of the College Commodore D C Gunawardene. Picture by Samantha Weerasiri

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa participated as the chief guest at the final day inauguration ceremony of the Northern Province agriculture exhibition for 2011 held at the District Agriculture Training Center Complex, Thirunelveli, Jaffna on Saturday. The Northern Provincial Agriculture Ministry organized the agriculture exhibition under the theme Way Forward for Sustainable Eco-friendly Agriculture. Minister Rajapaksa and guests visited several booths organized by government institutions which included the Palmyra Development Board, Coconut Development Board, Livestock Development Board, etc. They also visited booths which displayed latest equipment, machinery, tractors, water pumps, agricultural produce and fertilizer. Picture by Chaminda Hittatiya

A friend indeed

M.D. Mahinda Devahuwa Group

A rare case of honesty and true friendship was reported from the Galewela town on September 9 when businessman A.G. Nimal Karunadasa handed over Rs 400,000 to the bereaved wife of his friend who had given him the money as a loan several days prior to the latter’s demise keeping the transaction a secret from his wife.

After the seventh day alms-giving of his friend A.G. Dharmasena, Karunadasa met the bereaved friend’s wife, relatives and unravelled the transaction.

More grants to renovate abandoned tanks

Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura Additional - District group correspondent

The government has allocated Rs 25 million to renovate the two abandoned tanks in Walpaluwa and Thimbiriwewa in Kahatagasdigiliya, North Central Provincial Cooperative Development Minister H B Semasinghe said.

He was speaking at a public rally following the inauguration of the rehabilitation work of the two abandoned tanks under the Deyata Kirula 2012 development programme. The meeting was held at Guguruwa village in Seeppukulama area.

Semasinghe said to rehabilitate all rural and agriculture roadways in Guguruwa and Walpaluwa, Rs 20 million has been allocated.

Minister India bound for confab

Child Development and Women’s Affairs Minister Tissa Karaliyadda left for India to attend the United Nations’ Women’s Biennial Conference for the South Asian Region to be held today in New Delhi, India.

Gang steals estate workers’ salary

Gampola Group corr.

An armed gang of four men had stolen Rs 2.7 million being taken to be paid as salaries of Nagastenne and Kundaloya estate workers.

The money had been withdrawn from the Nawalapitiya Bank of Ceylon branch and was being taken by a manager and two estate superintendents on two motorcycles when they were stolen at gunpoint by the four armed men.

The gang after stealing the money gagged the estate superintendents and manager and fled.

The gang had also taken the two motorcycles.

The estate officials had not sought police security when taking the money.

She preferred a Lankan hospital

Kumarasiri Prasad - Airport Cor.

A Sri Lankan housemaid in Saudi Arabia returned home after swallowing a needle which she was using to sew a dress.

Her employer in Saudi Arabia had advised her to admit herself to a hospital and undergo an operation to remove the needle from her stomach, but she had returned home ignoring even the efforts by her employment agency to find her employment with a different employer.

Subramaniam Diana, 23, from Batticaloa said that she will earn money soon and get admitted to a local hospital to undergo an operation.