President Mahinda Rajapaksa welcomed and hosted for lunch Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni when he stopped over in Sri Lanka yesterday en route from a trip to East Asia. At yesterday’s meeting, the two leaders spoke about maintaining the strong ties the two nations have developed over the years. External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris, Environment and Renewable Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha, External Affairs Deputy Minister Neomal Perera, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and Airport and Aviation Services Chairman Prasanna Wickramasuriya were also present. Picture by Sudath Silva

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to UK tells BBC:

‘RESPECT SOVEREIGN RIGHTS, WE DO’

* Progress in reconciliation compared to South Africa and Ireland

* Critics of LLRC have changed their view

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the UK Dr. Chris Nonis told BBC’s Wold News that Sri Lanka respects the sovereign rights of Britain and expects Britain to reciprocate in the same vein. “We respect the sovereign rights of Britain and we expect you to respect ours,” he said in an interview with BBC.

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State institutions remiss in dengue prevention

Legal action will be taken against those found contributing to dengue mosquito breeding by not following the laid down rules and guidelines issued by the authorities. It seems certain state institutions had not followed the circular issued by Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga ordering the heads of these institutions to set up Dengue Control Committees in their respective institutions, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

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Amended National Blood Transfusion Act before House soon

The amended National Blood Transfusion Act will be presented in Parliament within the next three months. The new Act will be sent to the Attorney General soon. The main objective of this Act is to further improve the National Blood Transfusion Service of Sri Lanka which has already won International recognition for its efficiency and safety, a Health Ministry spokesman said. According to the spokesman the Act was amended after obtaining the views presented by MPs when the Act was presented before Parliament for the first time.

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Raids on Atapirikara shops pay dividends

With the Consumer Affairs Protection Authority (CAA) investigation teams raiding shops selling Atapirikara, the fake and substandard Atapirikara products have vanished from the market. Consumer Affairs Authority Director General J. M. A. Douglas said it appears that all inferior Atapirikara products have disappeared from the market.

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Lankan jailed for life for killing wife

A Sri Lankan man has been sentenced to a life term in jail by an Australian court for bashing his wife to death with a hammer in a jealous rage. Sampathawaduge Eustace Sudath Silva, 51, was sentenced to a minimum of 17 years behind bars after admitting to killing his wife Kurukulasuriya in Perth in February 2012.

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