Quick Look

Sangamiththa Perahera

The annual Sangamittha Perahera of the Sri Indrasara Dharmayathanaya temple at Ganegama South, Baddegama will parade the streets through Sandarawala on December 1 at 2 p.m.

EPRLF to support progressive forces

M.P. Muttiah

Pathmanaba-EPRLF Party leader Thirunavukkarasu Sridharan said that his party will support progressive forces at the forthcoming Presidential Election.

“Sri Lanka’s democratic character should be safeguarded,” Sridharan added.

Sridharan said the process of re-settling of internally displaced persons should be continued and expedited.

The free movement of people must be further relaxed. As such a pensive mood should be created among the people.

“Devolution of power on the basis of APRC and the 13th Amendment should have to be worked out and continued,” he said.

Public discussion on 'Praagdhanaya

Mahinda P. Liyanage Galle Central special Corr.

A public discussion on Praagdhanaya, the first ever Sinhala edition of Karl Marx's foremost theoretical work, Das Kapital by Jayatilleke de Silva will be held today at 2.30 p.m. at the Galle Town Hall.

The discussion will be held with the participation of well-known academics and community leaders in the region. It will be held under the patronage of Southern Province Chief Minister Shan Vijayalal De Silva. Southern Provincial Councilor Ven Dr. Baddegama Samitha Thera will deliver a lecture on the translation. The event is organized by the Galle Social Development Organization.

Manusath Uyana

'Premasara Epasinghe will be featured in a half-hour discussion on the program titled 'Manusath Uyana' on Saturday, November 28, at 11.30am over the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation.

Exhibition, sale

The 14th annual exhibition and sale of a variety of handicrafts and other household items produced by the students and youngsters of Daya Mina - Nugegoda, Supem Uyana-Gonapinuwela and Meth Mihira-Koralawella, will be held on Saturday, November 28 and Sunday, November 29, at the Holy Family Convent Bambalapitiya from 10 a.m to 9 p.m.

Hajj prayers

The Suddooqul Birr Foundation will conduct Hajj festival prayers at St. Jansz Park, (Meti Park) Alwis Place Junction, Colombo 3 (adjoining Bishop's College Auditorium) tomorrow at 6.30 a.m.

Socialist Alliance seminar

A seminar of the activists of the Socialist Alliance will be held at Suggeeswara Conference Hall, 91, Dr N.M. Perera Mawatha Borella Colombo 8 tomorrow at 9.30 a.m. to discuss recent political developments and the forthcoming Presidential Elections, said Alliance Media coordinator L.R. Stephen. Lanka Sama Samaja Party Leader Tissa Vitharana Communist Party of Sri Lanka General Secretary D.E.W. Gunasekera, Democratic Left Front Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Socialist Alliance General Secretary Raja Collure, Sri Lanka Mahajana Party General Secretary Ranjith Navaratna, District activist of the Constituent parties of the Socialist Alliance Dr. Jayampathy Wickremaratna will participate in the meeting.

Lecture series

The monthly lecture of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka will be held at the Gamini Dissanayake auditorium of the Mahaweli Centre, 96, Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 7 on November 30 at 5 p.m. The title of the lecture is 'Sinhalese Impact on Myanmar Culture, Religion, Literature, Art and Architecture' presented by Dr. Hema Goonatilake. The lecture is open to the public.

Forum against Gender Based Violence

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

Sixteen days of activism on the theme of `We can end violence against women: act – commit – demand’ organised by the The Forum against Gender Based Violence (GBV)which began on November 25 will be held until December 10 in Sri Lanka.

According to the GBV, during the 16 day campaign, all activities will encourage individuals, organizations, governments, etc. to take action on the commitments they have made to ending Violence Against Women.

Mysterious disappearance!

Puttalam group correspondent

Chilaw Police are investigating a complaint of the disappearance of jewellery worth Rs 530,760 from a house at Wilpatha in Chilaw.

P.L. Jayawathee has complained that her jewellery kept in the almairah had disappeared without signs of any entry of robbers into the house. The almirah had not been broken.

Bail for robbery suspects

North Central Province Corr.

The three suspects remanded in connection with a robbery of Rs 900,000 at knife point from three residents at Udathalawinna, Wattegama were released on Rs 10,000 cash bail each and two sureties of Rs 100,000 each by Kakirawa Magistrate Srinith Wijesekara yesterday.

Man stabs himself

Indika POLKOTUWA

A person who had come to the Kandy Police Headquarters to lodge a complaint was admitted to the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital with serious stab injuries caused by himself.

Investigations have revealed that this person from Kandy had stabbed himself with a dagger in the police premises saying that he couldn’t live any longer.

Hospital sources said he had received several cut injuries in his stomach region.

Infant abandoned

Rafik JALALDEEN

A two-day-old infant girl abandoned by her parents was found at a cemetery in Palathota, Kalutara South on Wednesday night.

Police Spokesman SSP I.M. Karunaratne said on information Police found the two-day-old infant abandoned at a cemetery near the Police Training College in Kalutara South at around 7.00 p.m.

World debt to soar 45 percent

The debt weighing on national budgets will have soared by up to 45 percent worldwide in the period from 2007 to 2010, leading ratings agency Moody’s estimated on Wednesday.

“Preliminary estimates suggest that the total stock of sovereign debt will have risen by as much as 45 percent or 15.3 trillion dollars (10.2 trillion euros) from 2007 to 2010,” Moody’s analyst Jaime Reusche said in a statement.

This is “over 100 times the inflation-adjusted cost of the Marshall Plan. AFP

New Tourism Minister

Ratnapura District Parliamentarian Acahala Suranga Jagodage was sworn-in as Minister of Tourism before President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday. The portfolio was left vacant with the resignation of Nandana Gunathilake as Minister.

Infant sold for Rs 15,000

Indika POLKOTUWA

Kandy Police yesterday arrested the parents who are alleged to have sold their five month old infant for Rs 15,000.

The parents are from Nagastenna, Kandy. Police also arrested a female from Katugastota who acted as a broker in the sale of the infant.

Investigations are continuing.

Commemoration

The 79th Ponnambalam Ramanathan commemoration will be observed by Garlanding the Statue of Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan by distinguished delegates on November 30 at 5.00 p.m. at the Presidential Secretariat Colombo 01.

Buddhist studies conference

The fifth National Conference on Buddhist Studies will be held at the All Ceylon Women's Buddhist Congress auditorium tomorrow and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

It is organised by the Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Sri Jayawardenapura in association with the Buddhist Times Trust and Buddhist Activities Fund.

Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka Chancellor Ven. Professor Ittademaliye Indasara Thera will be the chief guest.

Christmas carols

Christmas carols by YMCA Dehiwala with the Salvation Army band in attendance will be held at the Christian Reformed Church, Station Road, Dehiwala on December 1 at 5.30 p.m.

Choirs participating include the CRC youth choir, Salvation Army Girls Home, Dehiwela, solo performance by Clifford Richards and Roshini Yoganathan, St. Mathia's choir, Moratuwa and Y's men's choir, Dehiwela.

Hajj prayers over SLBC

The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Muslim Service will broadcast live Hajj festival prayers and sermon from Vavuniya town Jumma Masjid tomorrow from 8.30 a.m. to 9.45 a.m.

Scout Association seeks help to complete building project

The Executive Committee of the Sri Lanka Scout Association (SLSA) is planning to build a six-storeyed building to house its headquarters at 65/9 Sir Chithampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 2. The work is expected to be completed in 2012 coincide with the centenary year of Scouting in Sri Lanka.

The headquarters building was severely damaged in the LTTE air attack on February 20. The Executive Committee proposes to call for contributions from present and former scouts and other donors, as the contributions received so far is found to be insufficient to complete the project. Those who wish to contribute are requested to contact the Chief Commissioner or the Secretary of the SLSA on Teleophone - 011-7203873.

Power Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage was awarded the Honorary Title Dheera Weera Jana Sadhana Sri Lanka, for the service rendered by him to the nation by the Udarata Amarapura Nikaya of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya. Here Minister Aluthgamage receiving the Sri Sannasa of the Honorary Title from Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya Mahanayake Most Venerable Davuldena Sri Gnanissara Thera. Picture by Nihal Jayawardana

UPFA Provincial Councillors and Local Government representatives in the Colombo district were assigned responsibilities to be carried out during the forthcoming Presidential election at the Mahaweli Centre on Wednesday. Here Western Provincial Councillor and Borella SLFP Chief Organiser Thilanga Sumathipala receiving his assignment letter from Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP. UPFA General Secretary and Education Minister Susil Premajayantha and Ministers who represent the Colombo district participated. Picture by Sudath Nishantha