Look out! Another virus doing the rounds
A new computer virus is wreaking havoc and causing much inconvenience to users by affecting the computer's mail system and in effect jamming the computer and preventing the user from shutting it down.

The Bugbear B virus, the latest version of the Bugbear virus which hit computers a year ago is a similar worm virus which is spreading fast through e-mail by attaching itself to the addresses on the users e-mail list. Once infected the user cannot send or receive e-mails as the virus effectively shuts down the mail server. Further it disables the virus guard and it's impossible to shut down the computer.

The origin of the virus has yet not been discovered. Being infected by the virus can be prevented by downloading a removal tool from the websites Norton.com or Symantec.com, copy it on to the computer and run it on safe mode.

With the virus spreading rapidly the Norton site was jammed with more and more people accessing the websites to download the removal tool to avoid being infected by it.

Odds and Ends
Flowers get a withering
Following on from the 'wreath' incident it seems that flowers are the most unwanted items that could be brought to Parliament these days. A senior Parliamentary official's son had requested a florist to deliver a bouquet of flowers to his father who was promoted last week.

A policeman on duty who spotted the delivery person with the bouquet standing in the reception room of parliament had him immediately transported on the shuttle bus back to the main guard room at the entrance to the parliament premises. A similar fate awaited some of the other bouquets of flowers sent to the newly appointed Secretary General of Parliament. As of now it's no flowers by request for those employed at the House by the Diyawanna Oya.

Brickbats not for nothing
It is becoming more and more difficult for several government legislators to speak in Parliament nowadays. Each time some of them stand up to speak the opposition members hurl accusations at them for either pinching ladies buttocks, storming police stations or breaking plates at five star hotels.

Considering their behaviour in recent months, they will do well to strictly follow the new code of ethics being drawn up for them if they want a respite from the pot shots being so regularly directed at them.

Whisper gets him another welcome
A communication mishap between the Government invitee and the British High Commissioner for a grand reception in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll birthday on Thursday at Westminster House caused some confusion to the host.

As is the practice in diplomatic circles the Minister nominated this month to grace diplomatic functions was Deputy Finance Minister Bandula Gunawardane. So the host was expecting the Minister to grace the occasion as the Guest of honour.
While invitees were walking in for the celebration there walked in Dr. Rajitha Senaratne too but little did the host know that Minister Gunawardane had requested Minister Senaratne to represent him.

The High Commissioner shook hands just like he did with the other guests. It was then that Minister Senaratne realised the message had not got through, and in Sinhala whispered to an invitee standing nearby that Minister Gunawardane wont be coming and he was asked to come instead.

All this took place while the High Commissioner was awaiting Minister Gunawardane's presence. It was a shutterbug who having overheard Minister Senaratne's whisper mentioned it to the High Commission Staff. Suddenly the High Commissioner was seen walking upto Minister Rajitha Senaratne and he welcomed him for the second time.

SC warns man of means for seeking legal aid
By Laila Nasry
In a fundamental rights application a businessman from Galle was ordered to pay costs by the Supreme Court for having resorted to legal aid, which he is not entitled to, and for making false representations to mislead court.

The Bench comprising Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, and Justices J.A.N. Silva and T.B. Weerasooriya ordered that Rs. 2,500 be paid to the State by G.H. Menikpura. "We find there is no merit whatsoever in this application since the petitioner has invoked the jurisdiction of this court without any basis and has availed of the facility that could be used only by persons in indigent circumstances," the judges said.

The Bar Association legal Aid Foundation had appeared on behalf of the petitioner on the basis that he is in indigent circumstances. However State Counsel P. Ranasinghe submitted that the petitioner cannot come within the Rule 44(7) of the Supreme Court Rules, which permits such recourse as his counter affidavit, enumerates that he is a person with substantial means.

Court also held that the complaint on which the petitioner came to court – that police officers had arrived at his business establishment on November 21, 2001 and inspected the premises alleging he had stolen goods – was false since the complaint on which the police acted was lodged on November 22, 2001. Court held that the seriousness of the misdirection of court is worsened by a false bribery allegation against a police officer.

Mobile phones knocked off
A Sri Lankan from Grandpass who tried to smuggle 100 mobile phones, worth about one million rupees, into the country was arrested at the airport by the Customs and the items impounded.

The detection was made by the Customs officers when a passenger who came from Dubai on Sri Lankan flight UL 228 at 5.40 am was loitering near the green channel exit. On suspicion the Customs officers had checked the bag of the suspect when the haul of mobile phones were detected.

However, the person was later released after reprimand.The detection was carried out by the Customs Narcotics Control Unit headed by Customs Superintendent Dayawansa Senarath.

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