The Ministry of Education said, in January a synthetic text book, which can be used for a period of eight years, by rubbing out whatever has been written on it, cleaned and washed when dirty, will be given to students of Grade Seven.
The Geography Text book for Grade Seven, which contains maps, has been printed on synthetic paper instead of normal paper and is being given to students in a pilot project.
The ministry said, these books, which are being printed, so that damage to the environment will be far less than where paper is concerned, can be used for a period of eight years and then they can be given back to the company that printed them. These companies had said that they would recycle these books and use the product to manufacture other synthetic products.
A senior Spokesman of the Ministry of Education told Ceylon Today that as a result, the annual printing of the Geography Text Book, containing maps for the seventh grade, will be halted.
He further said that recommendations have been received for the printing of synthetic text books from the Policy Planning Ministry, Technical Committees, medical recommendations and environmental recommendations and that the procurement procedure too has been completed and approval from the Cabinet has been obtained as well.
A Sri Lankan Company which was selected on a tender procedure is engaged in printing these synthetic text books.
Former Chairperson of All Ceylon Buddhist Congress and Chairperson of Sumathi Group Milina Sumathipala passed away today at the age of 81. She was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.
Sumathipala was the mother of seven children including Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala.
The Colombo magistrate’s court has given permission to the CID to record a statement from a brother of slain ruggerite Wasim Thajudeen.
Making submissions when the Thajudeen murder case was taken up today (26), police told courts that Thajudeen’s brother had been intimidated by the then Narahenpita police OIC.
Two police constables attached to the Katana Police Station on duty at Katiyala in Katana were injured when two suspects shot at them after grabbing the duty revolver of one of the PCs last night.
Police said the suspects later had robbed a passing by motorcycle and fled from the scene. The injured PCs were admitted to the Negombo hospital.
Several flights scheduled to depart and arrive at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), from 8.30 am to 12.00 pm today has been delayed, due to a missile test in the Indian airspace.
Sri Lanka Air Traffic Controllers'association (SLATCA) Vice President Tharindu Gajadeera said the Indian government had informed the Sri Lankan official to refrain from using the airspace in Sri Lankan Eastern region during the time because of “launch and experiment of flight vehicle in India”.
He said, the passenger flights UL 356, UL 308 and UL 314 scheduled to departure to Jakarta, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur this morning were delayed.
George Michael, the soulful British heartthrob who became a star in the Eighties as half of Wham! before earning critical acclaim as a solo artist, has died at his home in Goring in Oxfordshire, England. The cause of death was heart failure, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Michael was 53.
“Thames Valley Police were called to a property in Goring-on-Thames shortly before 2 p.m. Christmas Day," police said in a statement. "Sadly, a 53-year-old man was confirmed deceased at the scene. At this stage the death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious."
"It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period," his rep said in a statement. "The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage."
Michael sold more than 100 million albums throughout his career. Wham! introduced the young American fans who'd loved Duran Duran to a pop sound more indebted to traditional R&B. Michael's subsequent solo career won over many of the same critics and listeners who'd previously dismissed him as a mere teenybop idol. But the singer's career would eventually be derailed for half a decade by legal battles with his label, as he also became known for incidents of actual and alleged public sexuality, and, for the past decade, a series of drug busts.
"I am in deep shock," Elton John wrote on Instagram. "I have lost a beloved friend - the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist. My heart goes out to his family and all of his fans."
"I just saw the sad news about George Michael as I was heading for bed," Queen guitarist Brian May, who worked with the singer on 1992's Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, wrote on his site. "I don’t have the words. This year has cruelly taken so many fine people way too young. And George? That gentle boy? All that beautiful talent? Can't begin to compute this. RIP George. Sing with Freddie. And the Angels."
Michael was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in London on June 25th, 1963, the son of a Greek Cypriot restauranteur and an English dancer. He formed Wham! in 1981 with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley, and the following year the duo's first single, "Young Guns (Go for It!)," released when Michael was just 19, was a smash U.K. hit, reaching Number Three there. Their debut album, Fantastic, served up three more Top Ten hits at home: "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" "Bad Boys" and "Club Tropicana."
"Heartbroken at the loss of my beloved friend Yog," Ridgeley wrote on Twitter. "Me, his loved ones, his friends, the world of music, the world at large. 4ever loved."
International stardom soon followed. The first single from 1984's Make It Big was the energetically swinging "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," which went to Number One on both sides of the Atlantic. The torchy, saxophone-hooked ballad "Careless Whisper" and the desperate and danceable "Everything She Wants" also topped the charts. The group's follow-up, Music From the Edge of Heaven, wasn't the same commercial powerhouse, peaking at Number Ten in the U.S. But by then, Michael already had his eyes on solo success.
The singer’s 1987 solo debut, Faith, offered up a more mature and daring George Michael. "I Want Your Sex" sought to challenge taboos similar to Prince and Madonna, "Father Figure" offered a new depth of soul and the title track was a Bo Diddley-inspired rocker. Faith went to Number One in both the U.S. and UK, selling more than 25 million copies worldwide. Michael distanced himself even further from Wham! with Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, a Number Two U.S. album thanks to the somber ballad "Praying for Time" and the searching, funky career retrospective "Freedom '90."
But Michael was disappointed with that album's sales and he sued Sony, saying his label hadn't done enough to promote him. When the label refused to release his follow-up, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 2, Michael spent much of the decade out of action musically. He wouldn't release another album until 1996's Older. The album was a respectable success commercially, though failed to reclaim Michael to the superstar level he attained in the Eighties.
In 1998, Michael was arrested by a male undercover police officer for "engaging in a lewd act" in the men's room of a public park in Beverly Hills as part of a sting operation. Michael pleaded no contest, receiving a small fine and a sentence of community service. He would subsequently satirize the incident in his video for the song "Outside," which featured men in police uniforms kissing. In response, the arresting officer, Marcelo Rodriguez, filed a $10 million emotional distress suit against Michael that was eventually tossed out of court.
Following the incident, Michael cleared up the questions about his sexual orientation that had been buzzing since his days in Wham! He came out as gay, and went public about his relationship with Kenny Goss, which had begun in 1996. In 2006, U.K. tabloid stories alleged that Michael cruised for anonymous sex.
Michael responded by noting it was not an issue with his partner and he felt no shame. "I've got no issue with cruising; it is something I have talked abut many times," he told Channel 4 (via Daily Mail). "You can't be [ashamed] about the situation if the person isn't shamed, and I am certainly not that. I should be able to be what I am to young, gay people, which is a man who has succeeded in the industry for 25 years." Michael and Goss would remain together for more than a decade.
Michael’s 1999 album, Songs From the Last Century, only made it to 157 on the Billboard 200. He bounced back in 2004 when Patience debuted at Number One on the UK albums chart and peaked at Number 12, but it would be his last studio album.
In 2006, Michael was arrested for drug possession in London, the first of a string of drug-related run-ins with the law for the singer culminating in a 2010 sentence of eight weeks in prison. (Michael served four weeks.) In 2011, Michael cancelled a concert for a viral infection that turned out to be severe pneumonia.
His most recent release was the 2014 live album, Symphonica, for which Michael collaborated with a symphony. It went gold in the U.K. The BBC reports that Michael was reportedly working on a new album with producer and songwriter Naughty Boy earlier this month.
Michael remained confident and defiant throughout his career. "I don’t want any children; I don’t want responsibility," he told Time Out in 2007. "I am gay, I smoke weed and I do exactly what I want in my life because of my talent."
Alleged rapist Saruwa Liyanage Sunil played an active role in a function yesterday (25) of the SLFP in Akuressa. Manoj Sirisena organized the function, attended by Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and Dilan Perera.
The ex-chairman of Akuressa PS was refused nominations to contest the last general election.
The highest revenue generated from the Southern Expressway (E01) and the Katunayake Expressway (E03) per day was recorded last Saturday (24), the Road Development Authority (RDA) said.
Expressway Operation, Maintenance and Management Division Director, S. Opanayaka, said the Southern Expressway had generated a revenue of Rs 18.85 million on 24 December, which is an increase of approximately Rs 7 million from average daily revenue.
The revenue generated by the Southern Expressway had increased by 60%. Opanayake added that about 61,900 vehicles had travelled on the Southern Expressway (E01) on Saturday, while approximately 33,800 vehicles had used the Katunayake Expressway (E03) on Friday (23).
According to him, the Katunayake Expressway had generated a revenue of Rs 9.5 million on Friday and over 33,000 vehicles had used the expressway. According to statistics, in average only 24,000 vehicles travel on Katunayake Expressway daily and it generates a revenue of Rs 6.5 million.
According to RDA, there has been a 15-20% increase in the number of vehicles travelling on Expressways during Christmas season, when compared to the previous year.
