In brief

CMC Vesak programs

Rohana JAYALAL

The Buddhist Association of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has launched several Vesak programs at the Town Hall premises.

The CMC organised a painting, competition and religious programs among schoolchildren at the Vihara Mahadevi Park on May 4 and held a blood donation camp on May 9 at the Town Hall.A Bakthi Gee program was also held on May 9 at the Town Hall.The CMC has organised a Vesak Lantern exhibition from May 8 to 11 and a dansala from May 9 - 11 at the Town Hall premises. A dharmadesana by the Gnanawimalaramadhipati Ven.Uyanwatte Gnanaloka Thera will be held at the Colombo Town Hall, on May 12 at 2.30 p.m.

Railway Museum to be opened tomorrow

The newly established `National Railway Museum’, at Technical Junction, Maradana will be opened by Transport Minister Dallas Alahapperuma tomorrow at 10 am.

Old Railway engines, carriages, equipment and various other items, used by the Railway Department for over 150 years will be displayed at the museum.

A.B.C. De Silva no more

The funeral of A.B.C. De Silva, a veteran trade unionist, corporation chairman and former newspaper editor, took place at the General Cemetery, Kohuwala yesterday.

He began his career as an English trained teacher and was also the Editor of Sri Lanka’s first cinema newspaper Mela and later as Editor of the SLFP’s official newspaper Dinakara and also at Eththa, Dinaresa and Sirilaka. He has been an active trade unionist since the founder year of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in 1956 by former Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike. He was the founder President of the Lanka Teachers’ Foundation (Lanka Guru Sangamaya) and All-Island Teachers’ Union Federation.

Father of media personality A.B. Lalith de Silva, A.B.C. De Silva has served as the Chairman of the State Printing Corporation and was the President of the Federation of Government Corporations and Statutory Boards’ Chairmen.

Star Quest 09

Star Quest 09, All Island Inter-School Astronomy Quest Competition will be held on May 24 and May 31.

The preliminary and second round of the competition organized by the Mathematical and Astronomical Society, University of Colombo will be held on May 24, at the Faculty of Science University of Colombo while the quarter finals, semi-finals and the final round will be held on May 31 at V.K. Samaranayake Auditorium, University of Colombo. Applications should be sent on or before May 15, to “Star Quest 2009”-Inter-school Astronomy Quiz Competition, Secretary -Mathematical and Astronomy Society , C/o , Department of Physics, University of Colombo, Colombo 03 .

Lecture by McGill professor

Prof. Matthew Lange, Sociology Professor at McGill University, Canada will deliver a lecture on “Teaching Violence: A Cross-National Analysis with Special Consideration of Sri Lanka” on Tuesday May 12 at 5.30 pm at ICES, Kynsey Terrace, Colombo 8.

Stray dogs in schools a hazard

M.I.M. Azhar Maligaikada Group Corr.

The public and schoolchildren in Maligaikadu in the Karaithivu Divisional Secretariat are being put into much inconvenience and danger as many stray dogs in school premises. About 5 students and 3 members of the public have been bitten by stray dogs during the past three months.

Residents have appealed to the health authorities to remedy this situation as lives are at risk.

Ex-Mayor off to Bahamas

Former Colombo Mayor Omar Kamil left yesterday to attend the international conference on `World Local Government Institutions’ to be held in Bahamas on May 10.

Several Heads of States and Prime Ministers, Mayors of sixty countries will participate in this high level conference. Kamil was invited to address the conference on the local government institutions.

Bangladesh PM’s husband dies

DHAKA, May 9, 2009 (AFP) - The husband of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina died Saturday at a Dhaka hospital following a lengthy period of ill health, an official said.

M.A. Wajed Mia’s death came after a prolonged battle with diabetes as well as kidney and heart-related illnesses, John Gomes, General Manager of Square Hospital in Dhaka, told AFP.

Mia, 67, underwent treatment in Singapore earlier this year and had been in hospital for more than a month in Dhaka before his death, Gomes said.

He had heart bypass surgery in 1997.

Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe on MTV today

An interview with the Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe will be telecast on MTV today, May 10 at 10.30 p.m.