Quick look

Ruhunu Expo in Hambantota

The Ruhunu Expo Gamen Lowata Export Trade Exhibition will be opened today at the Tzu Chi National School Siribopura Hambantota. Export Development and International Trade Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris and Aviation, Irrigation and Water Management Minister Chamal Rajapaksa will open the event.

This will be the first of three regional Export Trade Exhibitions organised by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board with the other two to be held in Badulla and Polonnaruwa. A Sri Lanka Expo Exhibition is scheduled to be held in Colombo.

Ruhunu Expo will be a platform for producers in Ruhuna to open avenues to the Global Market for their products.

Conference

An international conference on "Moving Beyond Conflict: Spirituality as a Resource for Reconciliation and Reconstruction" will be held on December 16 and 17 at the BMICH in Colombo co-hosted by the Mahabodhi Society, Hindu Priest Council, Methodist Church of Sri Lanka, Congress of Religions, Muslim Aid (Sri Lanka Field Office), and the United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR). The conference aims to find ways of using spirituality to bridge ethnic, religious, territorial and language differences so that the people can move beyond conflict and deal with post-conflict issues using religious traditions and developing common programmes to re-build their communities.

Christmas musical

"Miracle on main street, a Christmas musical presented by the children of the Sunday School of the Christian Reformed Church, Station Road, Dehiwela will be held tomorrow at 5.00 p.m. The musical directed by Maxine Jansz will features popular carols.

Mental maths contest

The fourth SIP national Abacus and mental arithmetic competition will be held tomorrow at 9.00 a.m. at St. Joseph's College Auditorium, Colombo 10. Child Development and Women's Empowerment Minister Sumedha G. Jayasena will be the Chief Guest.

Christmas party

The Colombo Chetty Association of Sri Lanka will hold its annual Christmas Party on December 21 at 6.00 p.m. at the Lions Secretariat Auditorium, Vidya Mawatha, Colombo 7.

Naval Assn get-together

The Sri Lanka Naval Association will celebrate its year end get-together on December 21 at 9.30 a.m. at the Sugathadasa Sports Hotel, Sirimavo Bandaranaike Mawatha, Colombo 14.

Free seminar

A free seminar on simple cure for high blood pressure, asthma, insomnia, depression, anxiety neurosis plus examination and employment success available through transcendental Meditation will be held at the first floor auditorium, Colombo Public Library today at 10.30 a.m.

Poly clinic

The Sri Lanka Cancer Society will hold their next Poly Clinic tomorrow from 8.30 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. at 37/25, Bullers Lane, Colombo 7 to screen patients for cancer.

Paps smears testing, dental and general clinic activities will be conducted.

The services are free of charge.

Krishnamurti talk

A recorded public talk on 'the relationship of freedom to self-interest' delivered by J. Krishnamurti will be replayed at Anula Nursery school hall, 310, High Level Road, Colombo 6 tomorrow at 9.45 a.m. The event is organised by the Krishnamurti Centre, Sri Lanka.

Carols

Moratuwa YMCA is organising an annual Multi-Denominational carol service today from 6.30 p.m. to 8.00 pm. at St. Sebastian's Church, Moratuwa.
 

Sri Lanka registers rise in tourists from Middle East

Sri Lanka is witnessing an encouraging increase in tourism from the UAE and the Middle East, a top Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry official said yesterday.

There is a marked difference even as the battle against the LTTE terrorists is going through a 'decisive stage'.

Foreign Ministry Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohona said India and Sri Lanka will work together to combat terrorism.

"The Middle East is one area from which the tourism intake has seen a rise. There was an appreciable increase in the Middle East alone last year," Dr. Kohona said.

"They seem to have replaced the tourists from Europe and the US. Our traditional sources of tourism but the non-traditional sources have begun to replace them," said Dr. Kohona who made a brief stopover in Dubai before travelling to Hague for a meeting.

Speaking of the ongoing conflict Dr. Kohona said: "The battle has reached a decisive stage that the LTTE has now asked every student, grown up and old people to undergo military training.

The official said that there had been no political pressure from New Delhi, despite the Indian state of Tamil Nadu repeated demands for ceasefire in the island nation.

"Delhi has not put any political pressure. On the contrary, Delhi has supported military initiatives against the LTTE. Both our countries are committed to eliminating terrorism. Both our countries have suffered incredibly from terrorism and we will work together to ensure this scourge does not continue to affect us," said the senior official.

Dr. Kohona said thousands of war refugees in India are contemplating on a return to their homes and the government was taking steps to issue passports and other travel documents.

In an attempt to discourage the migration of unskilled Sri Lankan women, the Government is facilitating training sectors like hospitality and healthcare.

Khaleej Times

Five fishermen rescued

The Sri Lanka Navy rescued five fishermen whose trawler had run aground near Pottana on the Southern coast bordering the Yala Wildlife Sanctuary on December 10.

The fishermen had left from the Beruwala Harbour in a multi-day fishing trawler named Dilshan Hasnatha 1. They had been fishing for twenty-two days when their trawler developed engine trouble.

The trawler had started drifting and had run aground after having been carried away by the strong currents. Consequently, the trawler with its crew on board had got entrapped between rocks making its retrieval impossible.

Naval personnel attached to the Kirinda Naval Deployment had been alerted of the fishermen's plight and they had rushed to the location to rescue them. Naval personnel brought all the fishermen ashore safely to the Kirinda Harbour.

The rescued fishermen are M. Asanka Chamith, A.L. Don Asitha Rangika, W.D. Chaminda Sudharshana, W. Dhanuka Chintana de Silva and W. Suresh Sudharshana of Beruwala.