Nov 18 (Island) The Foundation for Law and Justice of Colombo 9, has filed a Fundamental Rights Violation application in the Supreme Court, against the former principal of the Rammuthugala Girls� Certified School, Kadawatha and alleged that on or about October 19 2011, nine girls detained at the Rammuthugala Girls Certified School, had escaped due to cruelty, abuse and torture inflicted on them by the principal and a few other connected respondents. more..

Nov 18 (Island) Post intern doctors, who were to be given their appointment letters at a ceremony held at the Maharagama Youth Centre, had to distribute their appointment letters amongst themselves as the Health Minister and his officials failed to turn up. Over 700 post intern doctors from all parts of the country had presented themselves at the Maharagama Youth Centre at 9 a.m. to receive their appointment letters from Minister Maithripala Sirisena on Tuesday. more..

Nov 18 (DM) A lady teacher in a complaint to the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) said she was blackmailed into sex by a person who befriended her on Facebook, by threatening to post her nude photos on it. A resident of Agalawatta, she told the CCD that she had built up a friendship with a man working in a private media institution via Facebook on September 15 and in time their friendship had turned into a love affair and they contacted each other regularly on the mobile phone. more..

Nov 18 (BN) It�s a good thing for Sri Lanka that Kate Middleton didn�t get cold feet. Prince William�s choice of a Ceylon blue-sapphire engagement ring for Middleton, publicized ahead of their April royal U.K. wedding, became the centerpiece of a Sri Lankan marketing campaign that saw gem exports jump 37 percent in the year through October. The National Gem and Jewellery Authority says the value totals $77 million so far this year, more..

Nov 18 (Island) Secretary to the Ministry of Local govt and Provincial Councils Nihal Jayathilaka said that Acts covering Provincial councils, Municipal Councils and Urban councils would be amended in the near future. "These acts have not been amended for a long time and when amending certain new clauses would be added according to timely needs," he said. Currently, a special board of representatives is engaged in drafting necessary amendments and the ministry would forward the proposed suggestions to more..

Nov 18 (BS) The Sri Lankan govt has set a target of $3 billion (around Rs 13,500 crore) FDI inflow into the country by 2015, of which 15-20 per cent is expected from India. The trade between the two countries is expected to touch $900 million, said Sam Wijesekara, counsellor (Commercial), Sri Lanka Deputy High Commission in Chennai. The country has attracted FDI worth $516 million from various countries. During Jan-Oct this year, the Sri Lankan govt granted more..

Nov 18 (BBC) Wife of disappeared journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda challenged the govt to provide information about her husband�s whereabouts before Jan 2012. More than six hundred days have passed since a web journalist and cartoonist, Prageeth Ekneligoda, disappeared after apparently being abducted. Sandya Eknaligoda said � Mohan Peiris represented Sri Lanka at the UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) and he gave evidence on behalf of the Sri Lankan govt�. more..

Nov 18 (Island) The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Sri Lanka (CILT) in a statement issued yesterday congratulated the Road Development Authority on the completion of the Southern Expressway, the country�s first, and highlighted several safety issues the public should not ignore when using the highway. "This super highway experience will be new to Sri Lanka, and we expect that it will benefit the country and its users in a number of ways. more..

Nov 18 (Island) French business and industry chamber is planning to send a special delegation to Sri Lank Expo 2012, the mega export show to be held in March 2012 in Colombo. It also wants French firms in Colombo to rally their support for this event, said Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce. Minister Bathiudeen revealed this after his successful meeting with the Pierre-Antoine Gailly, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Paris (CCIP) more..

Nov 18 (Island) The Sajith Premadasa Faction yesterday submitted a charge sheet containing 20 allegations, against UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to the party General Secretary. The charges ranged from his failure to uphold and implement the provisions of the Constitution to his alleged personal conduct. SPC member Maithri Gunaratne said that he had handed over the petition to an Administrative Assistant in General Secretary more..

Nov 18 (DN) The Ports and Highways Ministry plans to increase the number of lanes of the Southern Expressway from four to six in the near future, Southern Expressway project director Nimal Chandrasiri said. During an observation tour for journalists to the Southern Expressway yesterday, Chandrasiri said new lands have been acquired and compensation payments have already been made for the expansion of the Southern highway. The expressway is equipped with an emergency lane and more..

Nov 18 (DN) Private bus fares will not be increased in the immediate future whatever the Private Bus Owners' Associations say, Minister C B Ratnayake said yesterday. He that his ministry appointed a six-member committee to find out if the private bus owners' request was fair and submit a report after one month. He added that although the Private Bus Owners' Associations insisted on an increase on private bus fares, his ministry would not allow them to do so arbitrarily. more..

Nov 18 (Island) The JVP said that the govt was implementing the former UNF govt�s development programme, �Regaining Sri Lanka� by leasing out State property to the local and foreign private companies. JVP MP Vijitha Herath said that the govt had leased out the Embilipitiya Paper Mills at just Rs. 600 million to an Australian Company recently. The govt was also planning to lease the Kantale Sugar Factory which owned 23,000 acres of land to another private company, more..

Nov 18 (DN) The law of the land will be implemented in connection with MP Duminda Silva who was injured in the Mulleriyawa shooting incident. He was removed to a foreign hospital for treatment by his family and not by the govt. The legal procedure implemented on suspects who have gone abroad will apply to him, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. He said that the govt will seek the advise of the Senior Adviser to the Cabinet, Mohan Peiris once he returns to the country. more..

Nov 18 (Xinhua) China is giving the Sri Lankan govt a loan of 33 million U.S. dollars to provide electricity to 268 villages in the country's former war zone. The cabinet has approved the acceptance of the 33 million U.S. dollar loan from the Chinese govt backed Exim Bank, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told media. He said the money would be used to provide electricity to 268 villages in the Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts in the eastern province that more..

Nov 18 (DN) Countrywide religious programmes will be held in temples, kovils, churches and mosques to mark President Mahinda Rajapaksa's birthday and the first anniversary of his second term of office and invoke blessings on him and the country. An allnight pirith ceremony will be held at the Janadhipati Mandiraya today followed by a sanghika dana at Temple Trees tomorrow under a programme organised by more..

Nov 18 (Island) Lanka Private Bus Owners Association (LPBOA) President Gemunu Wijeratne accused the govt of not taking tangible action to eliminate corruption prevalent in the private transport regulatory bodies and warned that if action was not taken it would go to the International Human Rights Commission for redress. The National Transport Commission (NTC), Road Passenger Transport Authorities in Western, Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces had ignored more..

Nov 18 (CI) Sri Lanka's first victory on this tour of the UAE would come as a relief for them not merely for the fact that they broke a winless run. The win also marked a return to form for Mahela Jayawardene, whose struggles with the bat this tour have been a setback for a team that is heavily reliant on a core group of experienced batsmen that includes him. Equally encouraging was the performance of their bowlers, who've collectively fallen short of matching a superior Pakistan attack but have been able to improve their chances more..

Nov 18 (DM) The Colombo High Court will deliver its much awaited judgement today on the white flag case involving former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. In this case he is accused of having made a statement to Sunday Leader Editor Frederica Jansz alleging that the Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa had ordered Brigadier Shavendra Silva to shoot LTTE cadres who surrendered with while flags. During the Trial-at-Bar before more..

Nov 18 (Island) Norway believed that the LTTE wouldn�t accept a tripartite proposal to release the civilian population trapped in the Vanni east in the final phase of the conflict. Authoritative sources told The Island that the then Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo Tore Hattrem had written to presidential advisor MP Basil Rajapaksa regarding the LTTE�s perceived refusal to release those trapped on the Vanni east frontline. Referring to a telephone conversation more..

Nov 18 (VNS) The Vietnamese Govt would create the most favourable conditions for Sri Lankan businesses to find investment and trade opportunities in Viet Nam, said President Truong Tan Sang Receiving a Sri Lanka business delegation led by Sri Lanka National Chamber of Commerce President Asoka Hettigoda in Ha NoI yesterday, Sang said the visit was a good sign to speed up Viet Nam-Sri Lanka trade and economic relations. He said he hoped businesses from more..

Nov 18 (SL) The Private Medical College (PMC) in Malabe � the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine�s (SAITM) failure to provide clinical training for its students have not only irked the parents/ students but it is also criminally liable for deceiving parents. Established in 2009, SAITM through newspaper advertisements called for applications from prospective students to obtain a foreign medical degree promising a MD (Russia) after successful completion. more..

Nov 18 (TOI) Former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin on Friday rubbished the claims made by his former teammate Vinod Kambli that the 1996 World Cup semifinal against Sri Lanka could have been fixed. Azharuddin, who was the skipper at that time said that Kambli must have been sleeping when the decision to bowl was taken and it was a collective one. "We wanted to chase after we lost to Sri Lanka in Kotla in the previous match," more..

Nov 18 (LT) In the effort to make the Court Complex in Colombo 12 a high security zone for the �white flag� judgment against former Commander of the Army Gen. Sarath Fonseka scheduled to be given today indicates the higher-ups in the government knew what the judgment would be. Requesting through the director of state intelligence service for an order for a high security zone from Colombo Magistrates Court and sending Ms. Frederica Janz abroad more..

Nov 18 (Island) Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, speaking at a ceremony held at the BMIC on Tuesday (15) morning, to present scholarship grants for the year 2011 to the Children of Officers and Other Ranks serving the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force (SLAVF), said "Terrorists in the past deprived the people in the North and East of their inalienable rights to education and human rights". more..

Nov 18 (Hindu) By end of 2013, Yal Devi (Goddess of Jaffna) will again run to Kankesanthurai from Colombo. The express train which was named in the 50s (though services commenced much earlier), had to be curtailed in the early 90s because of the war between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan forces. It was then terminated at Thandikulam, but now runs till Omanthai. On Friday, IRCON and Sri Lanka Railways signed a MoU to construct more..

Nov 18 (DM) British Prime Minister David Cameron�s threat to withhold aid from countries that ban homosexuality is not applicable to Sri Lanka, British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka John Rankin said yesterday. According to High Commissioner Rankin, the reference made by the British Prime Minister was to aid that comes under the category of �General Budget Support� in the UK�S Department for International Development and Sri Lanka doesn�t more..

Nov 18 (DM) The TNA has sought devolution of executive, legislative and judicial power as a means of resolving the north and east question, a TNA MP said yesterday. The govt and the TNA will meet on December 5, 6, 14 and 15 for extensive talks on areas where the TNA has sought devolved power. When asked for comments about Wednesday�s talks with the govt, TNA MP Suresh Premachandran said police and land powers, the unit of devolution, the powers of governors more..

Nov 18 (DM) British Prime Minister David Cameron and several other Commonwealth Leaders had expressed grave concern over the controversial �Revival of Underperforming Enterprises and Underutilized Assets� Act that was enacted in parliament recently. UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told journalists that the controversial Bill became the main topic of discussion at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and more..

Nov 18 (Island) Now that Oslo had admitted that the Norway-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) received intelligence from both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), those running the peace process couldn�t have been unaware of LTTE�s preparations for war, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said yesterday. He was commenting on the Norwegian peace evaluation report more..

Nov 18 (AFP) A Sri Lankan court Friday jailed former army chief Sarath Fonseka for three years for alleging that the president's brother had ordered the execution of surrendering Tamil rebels. Fonseka, who ran against President Mahinda Rajapakse in 2010 elections, is already serving a 30-month prison term after a court martial convicted him on corruption charges. In a 2-1 split verdict, the three-judge Colombo High Court bench found Fonseka guilty of violating emergency regulations by more..

Nov 18 (DM) Among worldly powers there is no supreme authority and therefore we need to realise that governing authorities or govts are holding a sacred mandate to give servant leadership to the people and ensure peace and justice, freedom, equality and an equitable distribution of resources for them. In occupying seats of authority however, there is, because of the selfishness and greed in human nature the temptation for leaders to cling onto or propagate false values. more..

Nov 18 (F2F) Sri Lanka's single largest apparel exporter, Brandix, expects to double in size over the next four years even as it substantially reduces consumption of natural resources and shrinks its carbon footprint, a representative segment of international suppliers to the industry have been told. Supply chain representatives from 15 countries, who were brought together in Colombo by Brandix Apparel at a high-powered Vendor Summit, more..

Nov 18 (DM) Wijeya Newspapers Ltd made history today when it launched the first brail newspaper in Sri Lanka for the blind �Wijeya Braille�. The newspaper which was launched at the Ratmalana Deaf and Blind school will be out every Friday of the week. The Deaf and Blind school�s Principal Sandya Kodduruarachchi speaking at the launch said the students at the school did not have adequate brail books and that �Wijeya Braille� will develop the knowledge of more..

Nov 18 (DM) Students of the Peradeniya University staged a protest in Kandy town blocking roads, calling for the release of four undergraduates arrested for alleged ragging. Kandy Police were taken unawares when protesting undergraduates sat at the centre of Kandy Town barring traffic for about an hour and a half. Traffic was totally blocked on Wednesday afternoon from around 3.30 pm till 5 pm. The students the protest urging the release of four undergraduates who more..

Nov 18 (DM) Custom officers at the airport were able to nab a Sri Lankan who attempted to smuggle thirty satellite receivers into the country this morning. The suspect arrived from India, landed at the Katunayake International Airport at around 2.30 am and he had been identified as a 45 year old businessman from Colombo. The custom officials were alerted when the suspect tried to enter via the nothing to declare passage, and when his luggage was checked they more..

Nov 18 (DM) The main opposition UNP today said hell had broken loose after the passing of the controversial Revival of Underperforming Enterprises and Under-utilised Assets Bill, forcing the govt to come up with different tunes from time to time, even going to the extent of stating that the properties of the private enterprises that were to be taken over under the Bill may remain unchanged. This was in response to the statement made by the Central Bank Governor that more..

Nov 18 (CT) Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka was sentenced by the Colombo High Court to three years in jail and imposed a fine of five thousand rupees or six months in jail for default. The Colombo High Court delivered judgment today on the white flag case involving former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. In this case he is accused of having made a statement to Sunday Leader Editor Frederica Jansz alleging that the Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa had ordered more..

Nov 18 (DM) Government ally Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (JNP) charged that the Finance Ministry is to abolish the farmer pension scheme which had been existing for years. Member of the JNP Political Affairs Committee Piyasiri Wijenayake made this serious allegation against some officials of the Finance Ministry calling them economic assassins. He said that the officials of the ministry had informed the aged farmers there are no funds to implement the pension scheme. more..