News in brief

No DPL job for FM's son

The Foreign Ministry will increase the number of opportunities for youth to join the foreign service and to make the service more vibrant, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said.

"I want to see that children in Sri Lanka with the requisite qualifications will find their way into the foreign service to make our foreign service a vibrant organisation", he said.

Referring to a media report, which claimed that the Ministry will make a fresh intake to accommodate his 23-year-old son to the foreign service, Minister Bogollagama said that his son did not have any interest in the service because he was engaged in a different field.

Co-chairs meet tomorrow

Norwegian Ambassador Hans Bratlskar left for Oslo on Tuesday to participate in the Co-chairs meeting over the Sri Lankan issue on June 25 and 26.

The Norwegian envoy prior to his departure to Oslo said that the Co-chair countries would discuss mainly on stabilising the CFA and on the prospects of resuming the peace process.

SLT phone, data services being restored

SLT's emergency maintenance staff is now on the site and engaged in the restoration process after the telecommunication networks in the Central, Uva, Southern, Sabaragamuwa and Western/South Provinces were affected due to the bad weather conditions in the country. SLT telephone and data services in these provinces were affected by Optical fiber cable cuts and commercial power failures, a statement from Sri Lanka Telecom said.

Less drugs, alcohol by 2010

Sri Lanka will be working towards minimising the consumption of drug and alcohol use in the country by the year 2010, according to the Chairman of the National Dangerous Drug Control Board (NDDCB), D.P. Mendis. He was explaining the plans drawn up by the NDDCB to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking which falls on Tuesday (26).

'Poson Udanaya 2007' launch

Poson Udanaya 2007, the latest annual publication to mark Poson issued by the Lake House Market Research and Annual Publications Department was launched cn Thursday.

Edited by Ruwan D. Araththanage it contains valuable articles relating to Buddhism, culture and significance of Poson.

Among the intellectuals and eminent lay and clerical writers who have contributed articles are Ven. Kotugoda Dhammavasa Anunayake Thera, Ven. Yatagama Dhammapala Anunayaka Thera, Ven. Agalakada Sirisumana Thera, Ven. Lenadora Soratha Thera, Ven. Nugetenne Pannananda Thera and Ven. Neluwakande Gnanananda Thera, Prof. Chandra Wickramagamage, Lecturer, Malinga Amarasinghe, Sirisaman Wijetunge, Bandula Attanayake, and Vasana Sirimalwatta.

Printed in offset it also contains colour photographs of important places of worship in Mihintale, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala and also Situlpawwa. A copy is priced at Rs. 60.

Telephone threat charge against Major

The Mount Lavinia Police has filed action against a Major attached to the Voluntary Service in the Army, for allegedly threatening a senior judicial officer and an attorney-at-law, before the Mount Lavinia Additional District Judge, Krishantha Dodangoda.

Major Sudath Rohan Wettasinghe had threatened the attorney over the telephone for filing action against his (Major) mother-in-law in respect of a land on May 11, 2006. Colombage Muhandiramge Jayantha de Silva, Attorney-at-Law had given evidence before the Mt. Lavinia Additional District Judge recently.

On an application by Prasanna Wimalaratne, Senior Counsel for Major Wettasinghe, the judge put off the case for July 26, 2007.

Senior State Counsel Amendra Seneviratne appeared for the prosecution with the Mount Lavinia Police.

Programme on the shade of the Quran

The second of the series on the shade of the Quran will be held on June 30 at 9.00 a.m. at the Y.M.M.A. Conference Auditorium, Sri Vajiragnana Mawatha, Dematagoda Road, Colombo 9.

This programme which will be held on every Poya day is designed to improve the Quranic knowledge of the Muslims to meet the present day challenges. Admission is free and seating arrangements have been made to accommodate women. Each lecture will be followed by a question and answer session.

The programme will be held on July 29; August 28; September 26; October 25; November 24 and December 25.

MPhil / PhD programme launch

The MPhil/PhD programme of the National Institute of Library and Information Sciences will be launched at the Auditorium of the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Independence Square, Colombo 7 tomorrow June 25 from 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon. The chief guest will be Minister of Higher Education Prof. Wiswa Warnapala.