Short Takes

Maj. Gen. Janaka Perera's funeral today

Dharmasri ABEYRATNE

The funerals of Major General (Retd) Janaka Perera and his wife Vajira will be held at the General Cemetery, Kanatte at 3.00 p.m. today.

The remains of Perera and his wife were taken to Anuradhapura for the public to pay their last respects. Their remains will be taken to the cemetery from their residence at Poorwarama Road, Colombo 6. A large number of people from all parts of the country have paid their last respects to Maj. Gen. Perera in Anuradhapura and Colombo.

Major General (Retd) Perera and his wife were among the 28 persons killed in a terrorist attack on Monday in Anuradhapura.

The demise of Major General Perera is a great loss to the country since he has rendered a yeoman service to the country by being a valiant leader of the troops, Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said yesterday.

The brutal assassination of Major General Janaka Perera is condemned by the Government, the Minister told a press briefing held at the Information Department.

The Minister rejected the baseless allegations of some parties especially UNP that the assassination has been done with the knowledge of the Government. The Minister denied the issues raised by S.B. Dissanayake.

"Two pro-LTTE websites have admitted that the Tigers are behind the assassination of Janaka Perera. However much the security is tightened the LTTE has taken advantage of some security lapses or mistakes. Therefore the duty of the opposition is to help the Government to eradicate the incidents of this nature," the Minister said.

As the result of UNP allegations Sudarman Radaliyagoda a journalist of ITN is in trouble. He has been threatened, the Minister said. But Sudarman has visited the place with the approval of the ITN Chairman when he was on his way to Colombo from Anuradhapura.

Seventh APC today

Rohan MATHES

The 7th All Party Conference (APC) is scheduled to be held today at 10.30 a.m. at the Presidential Secretariat, President's Media sources said.

All parties, including the ruling UPFA, the main Opposition UNP and the JVP have been invited by the President's Secretary Lalith Weeratunga, sources further said. The Chairman of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) Tissa Witharana when contacted for a comment on the significance of today's APC meeting, said it may be to review the developments so for on the efforts to devolve a political solution to the North East issue.

There has been a request to the President from the JHU as well to convene the APC, he said. The TMVP is the most recent entrant to the APRC. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the Chairman of APC.

However, the UNP has notified that they will not attend today's meeting. The JVP has already pulled out of both the APRC and the APC, on principle.

Zoo gets sea lion from Germany

The Dehiwala Zoological Gardens has received a gift of a young Sea Lion (Seal) from the Crefold Zoo of Germany.

The three month old amphibious sea mammal has been kept in the quarantine section of the Zoo's Min Medura and is doing well under the observation of Zoo officials.

It is three feet long and weighs 25 killogrammes, a spokesman for the Zoological Gardens said. Earlier the Yuino Zoo in Japan gifted a Sea Lion to the Dehiwala Zoo. With the new arrival, the Dehiwala Zoo now has a pair of Sea Lions.

Lankan mum in UK charged with children's murders

A 36-year-old Sri Lankan woman has been charged with the murders of two of her children who were stabbed to death in May.

Sasikala Navaneethan, from Carshalton, south London, will appear before magistrates later having allegedly killed her five-year-old son Shanjayan and four-year-old daughter Sharani at their detached house on May 30.

She was also charged with the attempted murder of her six-month-old daughter who suffered stab wounds but survived.

Navaneethan, who comes from Sri Lanka, was arrested alongside her 40-year-old shopkeeper husband Navarajah.

Neighbours reported seeing the children, covered in blood, carried from the house late at night. The two older children were taken to hospital but both died within 90 minutes of the police call.

The baby girl was taken to hospital with serious stab wounds and given life-saving treatment.

Navaneethan was later released without charge while his wife was detained under the Mental Health Act.

Benthara Bridge damaged: Traffic diverted

Chaminda PERERA

The traffic on the Colombo - Galle road was diverted to alternative roads for a few hours after police noticed a major crack on the decks of the Benthara bridge constructed in 1902 by colonial rulers.

According to the Aluthgama police sources the bridge was completely closed for vehicular traffic after they noticed this developing crack and it could have led to the collapse if a few more vehicles were allowed in. All vehicles other than motorbikes and push bikes coming from Galle were diverted to Colombo from Benthara while vehicles coming from Colombo were diverted to Galle from Aluthgama town via Mathugama.

These vehicles had to travel additional 30 miles to bypass the bridge using alternative roads.

Meanwhile, Road Development Authority General Manager Ranjith Premasiri yesterday told the Daily News that a single lane of the new bridge which was about to be completed by next month was opened for vehicular traffic yesterday. "The authority has no other option than using the new bridge which was about to be opened within next two weeks."

"We have not taken any decision whether we use the old bridge or not. Vehicles are allowed to use the new bridge as 95 percent of its construction has been finished," he said.