Quick Look

Watery grave for teen

Sivam Packiyanathan, Batticaloa special correspondent

A 14 - year - old from Mawanella on an educational visit, drowned in the sea at Pasikkudah on Friday.

The victim was identified as Hazun Kavintha Kumarasiri of Beminiwatta Vidyalaya, Mawanella. He and another 87 students had come to Pasikkudah on an educational tour on Friday. Kumarasiri had been bathing with three students when he fell into difficulties.

The body was handed over to the relatives after the inquest.

Kalkudah Police are investigating.

Electricity for villages

Sivam Packiyanathan, Batticaloa special correspondent

Most war - affected rural villages in the Batticaloa district will be provided electricity, Resettlement Deputy Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan said. He said the government allocated Rs 28 million for the project.

Muralitharan was speaking at the inauguration of an electricity project in Kalchenai in the Pattipalai Divisional Secretarial area in the Batticaloa district on Saturday.

The deputy minister said nearly 200 underprivileged families will benefit from these projects. Pattipali Divisional Secretary Sivapriya Vilvaretnam, electrical superintendent of Kaluwanchikudy S Anusanth and Resettlement Authority director S Saththiyanarathan also participated.

Courtesy call

An Australian delegation led by Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston AC, AFC (Ret'd) paid a courtesy call on External Affairs Acting Minister Neomal Perera at the External Affairs Ministry on Thursday.

The delegation included Australia's Ambassador for People Smuggling Issues, Craig Chittick and Greg Kelly, Minister-Counsellor Co-Manager (Australia) of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime (Bali Process) Regional Support Office. Air Chief Marshal Houston the Chair of the Australian Prime Minister's Experts Panel on Asylum Seekers was accompanied by Australia's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Robyn Mudie.

Mudie thanked Perera, for Sri Lanka's continuing strong support in combating irregular migration and also for the strong cooperation extended in the Bali Process. ACM Houston also reiterated Australia's support for logistical arrangements for CHOGM 2013.

Garbage dumping woman fined

Nimal Jayasingha Gampaha Roving

Two women were fined for dumping garbage on the road in Bandiyamulla area Gampaha by Gampaha Additional Magistrate and District Judge Indika Shehan Attanayake.

The suspect women who were produced by the Environmental Unit of Gampaha Police were fined each Rs 5,000.

Kumbabiseka festival today

The Kumbabiseka festival will be held at the Sri Sithi Vinayagar Temple at D S Senanayake at 10.17 am today.