Sri Lanka News | Sundayobserver.lk

Sri Lanka Thalassaemia Association Patron and First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa handing over a gift parcel to a Thalassaemia patient at the Christmas Kids Carnival held at the Urban Council grounds, Chilaw. Mrs. Rajapaksa was the Chief Guest at this event. On her right are Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Neomal Perera and Chilaw UC Chairman Hilary Prasanna Fernando. - Pic. Christie Fernando, Chilaw Special Correspondent.

Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has a word with the Galagedara SLFP Organiser and Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs Dr. Sarath Amunugama at a seminar titled ‘The story of the victory today and tomorrow’ held at the Galagedara Cultural Centre recently. Ministers Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Keheliya Rambukwella are also present.

Schools to reopen tomorrow

The first term of the government schools and government-approved private schools will commence tomorrow.

According to the Ministry of Education, 79 schools which were selected for the evaluation of GCE O/Level answer scripts will be opened on January 11.

Colombo/Jaffna luxury bus service

One way or return tickets could be purchased from ANCL counter on all days of the week during office hours. For further details contact: -

Vidyodaya alumni to support President

A special get-together of Vidyodaya Jayawardana pura University Alumni alliance will be held in Kollupitiya - under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa on January 10 at 8 am.

The media spokesman of Vidyodaya J'Pura Alumni alliance said that the theme of the special get-together is to express their fullest support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa who eradicated terrorisum for the upcoming presidential election.

"A giant effort to develop the country is in progress. The UNP-JVP military alliance aims at destroying the progress of the country and to establish a dictatorship in the Island, as the JVP tried in 1971 and 1989," he said.

(L.S.A.W)

Sunday Observer staffer’s father dies

Former Lake House (ANCL) staffer and father of Sunday Observer staff photographer, Kavindra Perera, A. Ariyadasa Perera (63) passed away on Saturday.

Ariyadasa retired from the ANCL as a Transport Supervisor after completing 30 years of service. His remains lie at his residence 251/5, Vijaya Kumaratunga Mawatha, Kirulapone, Colombo 5 and funeral will take place at the public cemetery, Kirulapone, tomorrow, January 4 evening.

P.B. Karandewela memorial lecture

The P.B. Karandewela memorial lecture will be delivered this year by Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake, Chairman/CEO, Aitken Spence Maritime & Cargo on the topic 'Global Financial Crisis and its Implications on Ports and Shipping", on January 6 at the Liberty Ballroom Ramada, Colombo (former Holiday Inn), Sir Mohamed Macan Markar Mawatha, Colombo 3.

The late Mr. Karandewela was an economist who began his career at the Central Bank and is widely regarded as the architect of the current Maritime development in Sri Lanka. He was the Chairman of the National Shipping Line, Ceylon Shipping Corporation national airline - Air Ceylon Ltd and the National Bus Company - Ceylon Transport Board.

He also was the Secretary Ministry of Shipping, Aviation and Tourism under the then Minister P.B.G. Kalugalla, after retiring from Public Service he served for a brief period in the private sector and then joined the United Nations until his retirement in 1992.

Ahadiyya anniversary

Mattakkuliya Ahadiyyah School will hold their twentieth anniversary celebrations at Elphinstone Hall, Maradana, Colombo today, Jan. 3 at 8.30 a.m.

Colombo District Ahadiyyah Schools Federation President, M.R.M. Zarook will be the chief guest while Central Ahadiyyah Schools Federation Secretary, S.M. Shazly will be the guest of honour. Colombo Zone Educational Service Advisor, Moulavi Muhammad Iflal will be the guest speaker.

(R.F.)

Free seminar on 'Graphic Designing'

Sri Lanka Institute of Printing has organised a free one day workshop style seminar on 'Computer Graphic Designing' for those who intend to take up graphic designing as a career.

The seminar will be held on Sunday, January 10 from 8.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. at Sri Lanka Institute of Printing, Government Printing Department, No. 118, Dr. Danister De Silva Mawatha, Colombo 8. The intake will be limited and those interested may contact SLIOP office on 2686162 or 2679791 to reserve a seat.

A senior journalist attached to the Tharunee newspaper of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., Champika Deepani Ranasinghe was selected as the best population journalist (Print Media) for the year 2007, at the Health Education Bureau, organised by the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition, Health Education Bureau and UNFPA. Here she receives the trophy and a certificate from the Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, at a ceremony held at the Health Education Bureau auditorium. This is her seventh media award.
Pic: Nirosh Priyanka

Prof. S. Thillainathan, a member of the Official Languages Commission presented a paper at the international conference on ‘The Political Economy of Social Divisions: Race, Gender, Class and Caste as Fetishized/Fetishizing Borders’, organised by the Forum on Contemporary Theory, Baroda, India and the Centre for Women’s Studies, University of Kerala and held at The Residency Tower in Trivandrum, Kerala. On his left are Professors Sura P. Rath (Dept. of English, Central Washington University) and William D. Pederson (Louisiana State University in Shreveport, USA).

In brief