In Brief

Floreat musical extravaganza rescheduled

The Floreat musical extravaganza,featuring Bathiya and Santhush, which was earlier scheduled to be held on January 9 will now take place on January 16 and 17 at the ‘Nelum Pokuna’ Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre.

The organisers said that all ticket holders should submit their tickets at the Royal College Union office to obtain entry passes for the new dates.

International Halal confab in KL

The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama announces that the 9th annual Malaysian International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) conference will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from April 4-7. MIHAS 2012 is expected to host over 600 exhibition booths featuring shari’ah compliant goods across a wide range of industries including cosmetics, banking and health care.

Sri Lankan Ambassador calls on Presidents of Estonia and Latvia

The new Sri Lanka Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia and the Republic of Latvia Oshadhi Alahapperuma called on the President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik and the President of Latvia, Andris Berzins respectively, to present his credentials.

President of Latvia, Andris Berzins greets Sri Lanka Ambassador to Latvia, Oshadhi Alahapperuma after the latter presented his letter of credentials

After the ceremony, the President expressed his satisfaction over the peaceful post war situation prevailing in Sri Lanka during the last two years and emphasised the necessity of further strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries in the political, economic and cultural areas.

Hendrick specially mentioned that Sri Lanka is considered to be the most popular destination for Estonian tourists and that it will help to increase the people to people contact between the two countries.

During this brief meeting, he further said that he is pleased to see a Sri Lankan restaurant in

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia for people to enjoy Sri Lankan cuisine.

After the presentation of credentials, President of Latvia, Andris Berzins said that there is a lot of potential in the fields of agriculture and education to be shared between the two countries for mutual benefit and said that he would like to see further strengthening of relations between the two countries.

He further stated that one of his friends after visiting Sri Lanka as a tourist told him what an amazingly beautiful country Sri Lanka is. President of Latvia, Andris Berzins greets Sri Lanka Ambassador to Latvia, Oshadhi Alahapperuma after the latter presented the letter of credentials.

Nalanda College Principal Ranjith Jayasundara donates a copy of the Dhammapada and a set of Pali books to Senior Professor - Pali and Sanskrit Department of Yale University, Phyllis Granoff.

Agreement to exchange students

An agreement for a students exchange program between American high schools and Nalanda College, Colombo was signed recently.

It was initiated by the US branch of the Nalanda College Old Boys’ Association.

Another agreement for a teacher development program under which US teachers would visit Sri Lanka and Nalanda College teachers would visit US high schools was also signed.

Nalanda College Principal Ranjith Jayasundara who was on a visit to the US on the invitation of the US branch of the Old Boys’ Association signed the agreements with US education authorities.

- LSAW
 

Masters on HR and democratisation

The Faculty of Law, University of Colombo in conjunction with the Centre for the Study of Human Rights will inaugurate the Asia Pacific Masters Degree Program on Human Rights and Democratisation at 3.00 p.m. on Friday at the Senate Hall, College House, University of Colombo.

Boost for pre-schools in East

by Mohammed Naalir

A sum of Rs. 400,000 has been given to the Akkaraipattu Divisional Secretariat Division under the Gama Neguma project to train preschool teachers, Eastern Province Pre-school Education Bureau’s Ampara District Project Director A.L. Ibrahim said.

He said the Eastern Province Preschool Education Bureau, functioning under the Eastern Provincial Council, has called upon unregistered pre-schools to register with the Bureau.

He said 715 preschools in seven education zones from 20 Divisional Secretariat Divisions in the Ampara district have registered with the Bureau. Sinhala, Tamil and English medium pre-schools are among them.

Registered preschools will enjoy various benefits being offered by the Eastern Provincial Council, Ibrahim said.

The Council will not consider unregistered preschools and will not take any responsibility for them, he said.

Nepal-Lanka Friendship Society in Kathmandu

A Nepal-Sri Lanka Friendship Society has been formed in Kathmandu to strengthenpeople-to-people relations.

The 17-member executive committee of the society is led by Joy Dewan, with Buddhist scholars, diplomats and tourism entrepreneurs as its members.Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Nepal Thosapala Hewage is the patron of the society. Its office is on the premises of the Sri Lankan Embassy, Kathmandu.

Ambassador Hewage said the society will work for trade and tourism promotion besides people-to-people relations.

The friendship society has also formed an advisory committee.

Here Minister Weerawansa astride a motorcycle

Motorcycles for 134 NHDA officers

Motorcycles were presented to 134 senior technical officers of the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) at a ceremony held at the Janakala Kendraya in Battaramulla by Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa recently.

The letters of appointment of 103 officers were also given by the Minister.

SAARC Film Day on Jan 23

The SAARC Cultural Centre Proposes to have a SAARC Film Day every month, in collaboration with the National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka to establish linkages and create awareness of the SAARC Region through culture. Films and documentaries from the member States will be screened every month.

The first SAARC Film Day, featuring a film based in Afghanistan will be screened on Monday, January 23 at the National Film Corporation Cinema Hall.

Kidney patient appeals for help

Twenty-two year old P.A. Kanishka Navod of 407/1, Robert Gunawardene Mawatha, Battaramulla is suffering from End-Stage Kidney failure.

The Consultant Nephrologist of the Colombo National Hospital Dr. A.L.M. Nazar has recommended transplant of a 'B' Positive kidney with donor blood group either B or O.

As he finds it difficult to foot the medical bill, he appeals to the generous public to help for a worthy cause and remit their contributions to A/c No. 71526511, Bank of Ceylon, Borella Branch.

Please contact: 0724134121, 0712421277