Prime Minister, D.M. Jayaratne opened the Kandy South Water Supply Scheme completed at a cost of Rs. 9,336 million recently. The scheme which benefits over 400,000 residents comprises - Pussellawagama, Paradeka and Navadevita drinking water projects and Atabage Purification Plant and Gampola Water Tower. The National Water Supply and Drainage Board with the community Water Supply and Drainage project constructed the scheme. Here the Prime Minister launches the project. Water Supply and Drainage Minister, Dinesh Gunawardene (partly covered), Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake and MP Earl Gunasekera look on.

Plea for social security for Imams

by H.A.W. Hewawasam - Kandy special cor.

The Imam of the Meera Maccam Mosque said that he requested Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne on a recent visit to have the Imams of Muslim Mosques brought under the Social Security and Pension Scheme.

He said that the Prime Minister has acceded this request. Imam said that under President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s initiative Muslim religious institution get state assistance to have their work carried out.

For the first time in the history we have been given a team of soldiers to clean the mosque premises, he said.

Bentota to woo more tourists

Richmond Wijesekera, Bentota Grp. Corr.

The tourism industry is reaping the benefits of the end of the battle against terrorism. There were 55,895 tourist arrivals in the country in August this year compared to 41,207 arrivals in the corresponding month of last year, an increase of 36 percent, said, Deputy Economic Development Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene.

He was addressing an SLFP meeting held at the MPCS building, Bentota, organised by the SLFP Chief Organiser, Bentara-Elpitiya, Geetha Samanmalie Kumarasinghe.

Love can ease pain, say brain researchers

- October 23 BBC

Love hurts, at least according to many a romantic songwriter, but it may also help ease pain, US scientists suggest.

Brain scans suggest many of the areas normally involved in pain response are also activated by amorous thoughts.

Stanford University researchers gave 15 students mild doses of pain, while checking if they were distracted by gazing at photos of their beloved.

The study focused on people early in a romance, journal PLoS One reported, so the "drug of love" may wear off. The scientists who carried out the experiment used "functional magnetic resonance imaging" (fMRI) to measure activity in real-time in different parts of the brain.

It has been known for some time that strong feelings of love are linked to intense activity in several different brain regions.

These include areas linked to the brain chemical dopamine, which produces the brain's feel-good state following certain stimulants - from eating sweets to taking cocaine.

She needs help

Three-year-old Navodya Lakshan Dedigama is suffering from Embryomic Rhabdomyosarcoma (Deterioration of brain tissues) and is undergoing chemotherapy at the Maharagama Cancer Hospital.

Her parents appeal for help to continue with the treatment and contributions from the generous public, may be remitted to A/C No. 100243087065 of the Sampath Bank, Pettah branch.