|
Prevention of Animal Sacrifice in Hindu Shrines
Bill being drafted:
Minister Swaminathan to present Bill in
Parliament:
Significant milestone in promoting Hindu
religious concepts:
Animal sacrifice in all Hindu shrines in the island will be banned
under a new law that is to be introduced soon, Resettlement,
Reconstruction, Hindu Religious Affairs and Prison Reforms Minister
D.M. Swaminathan told the Sunday Observer. He said he will present
the Bill in Parliament at the end of this month.
Former chairman of the Independent Television
Network (ITN), Anura Siriwardene, and several key ITN officials are
likely to be charged separately under the Penal Code and the Bribery
Act for financial irregularities committed during the former
administration, authoritative sources said. The matter is currently
being probed by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to
Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud,
Kachchativu fest:
Over 3,500 Sri Lankan, 3,800 Indian pilgrims and
300 priests and nuns are due to attend the annual feast of the St.
Anthony’s church, Kachchativu island today. It will be held on a
grand scale with the assistance of the Navy in coordination with the
Indian High Commission.
The development of the Palaly Airport as a
regional airport is next in line under the government’s
infrastructure development program for the Northern Province,
Resettlement, Reconstruction, Hindu Religious Affairs and Prison
Reforms Minister D.M.Swaminathan told the Sunday Observer.
Commenting on the objections raised by NPC Chief Minister C.V.
Wigneswaran, Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi said.
The release of Tamil prisoners in detention
under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) hit a snag as the
prisoners refused to accept the flexible terms of parole the
government has offered, Resettlement, Reconstruction and Hindu
Religious Affairs Minister D.M. Swaminathan told the Sunday
Observer. The government offered a one-month commuted prison term
and one year rehabilitation to over 60 of the 108 prisoners.
|
President Maithripala Sirisena is in Thailand making a three-day official visit and attending the second Asia Cooperation Dialogue Summit. The Dialogue Summit that brings together 34 nations in the Asian region takes place from October 8 -10 in Bangkok under the theme "One Asia, Diverse Strength".
Official level discussions have commenced between Sri Lanka and Iran on reviving trade agreements that were signed between the two countries and will be put into operation soon after ironing out technicalities, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen said. 
Pakistan on Friday (September 30) officially postponed the 19th SAARC Summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad on November 9 and 10. A new set of dates for holding the Summit will be announced soon through the Chair of SAARC (Nepal), reports said. 
To avert a possible dengue outbreak in the next three months, when the number of mosquito breeding sites are likely to surge with the monsoon rains, the Dengue Control Unit of the Health Ministry will launch an island-wide Dengue Control Week starting on Tuesday, September 27 to Monday, October 3.
Sir Richard Jolly, former Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF, and Special Adviser to the Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (1996 to 2000), and Principal Coordinator of the widely-acclaimed Human Development Report will deliver a lecture on, “Development: Can Sri Lanka be a model for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs)?” on September 28 at 5 pm at the BMICH Committee Room D, on the invitation of the Gamani Corea Foundation. 
Richmondite Charith Asalanka joined the elite band of school cricketers by winning the coveted Schoolboy Cricketer Of The Year 2016 title for the second year in succession emulating the feats of former Sri Lankan greats Arjuna Ranatunga, 1980/82' ( Ananda) Roshan Mahanama, 1983/84'(Nalanda) Thilan Samaraweera 1994/95' ( Ananda) 'Lahiru Peiris 2004/2005 (St.Peter's) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa 2010'2011 (Royal) who had also won the award twice .
Cricketing legend and former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene will grace the occasion at the 38th Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year awards night scheduled to take place at the Galadari Hotel on September 20. 
Stern action will be taken against traders who sell sugar above the controlled price of Rs. 95. Instructions have been given to the relevant authorities to launch island-wide search operations, a press communique from the Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake said. 
Refuting speculations, Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said, no decision has been taken to impose power cuts on account of the current dry spell in the country. 
