Nov 30 (BT) CIMB Group, the first international investment bank to open a local office in Sri Lanka, is considering expanding stock brokerage and banking business in that country. Group Chief Executive Datuk Seri Nazir Razak said the group, which started operations in Sri Lanka this year, is now providing investment banking and corporate advisory services. "Our capital is small at US$2 million which involves hiring people for advisory work in Sri Lanka," he told more..

Nov 30 (GDI) The Central Bank (CBSL) issues commemorative coins and notes with the approval of the Minister of Finance. The CBSL has issued 54 commemorative coins to mark important events and persons since 1957. Ananda College, established in 1886 completed 125 years on 01.11. 2011. To mark the 125th Anniversary celebrations, a commemorative coin with a face value of Rs. 2000 will be issued and it is a frosted proof crown size silver coin. more..

Nov 30 (AD) UNP MP Mohan Lal Grero crossed over to the govt bench in Parliament after voting in favor of the Budget 2012 a short while ago. Grero earlier today had stated that he would support the govt�s budget as the overall vision of the budget was �positive�. He stated that he wanted to take this opportunity to help the education system of the country through supporting this budget. President had arrived in parliament and spoken to Grero after he had conveyed more..

Nov 30 (LP) The Sri Lanka State Trading Corporation (STC) launched a special scheme to make every Sri Lankan an owner of a computer in accordance with the state policy to promote computer literacy. HP Lanka and the STC will enable Sri Lankans to become computer owners by providing them HP computers with the world renowned Intel processor within 8 hours with fewer documents and at a monthly payment rate of Rs. 2341. Five varieties of HP brand laptops will be on offer. more..

Nov 30 (GDI) Sri Lankan Health authorities have come up with a new proposal to subject the countries public sector employees to regular Physical training to keep them away from non communicable diseases. The Lankan Health Ministry has decided allocate a certain time every week for all state sector employees to undergo Physical Training (PT) from January 2012. The statistics show that around 71 percent of deaths reported from state hospitals were due to Non Communicable Diseases NCD, more..

Nov 30 (CT) �Tentative reports are emerging of divisions in the LTTE regarding the direction of the peace process. Milinda Moragoda, a key Sri Lankan government official involved in peace process issues, told us that the GSL had intercepted LTTE communications indicating that there was some dissonance toward LTTE spokesman Anton Balasingham�s management of the peace process.� the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington. more..

Nov 30 (SM) Jaffna medical student Vetharaniyam Lathis has said that there was no involvement of the Army in his abduction, says the Civil-Military Coordination in Jaffna. With regard to the abduction of a Jaffna University student by unidentified group for reasons best known to them on November 27, some electronic and print media, with malice, had tried to convince their readers that Army is responsible for the abduction, it says. However, the attempt was foiled and more..

Nov 30 (DM) Indicating that this year�s budget proposal of creating a trilingual society should be made more effective, UPFA MP V.S. Radhakrishnan said that all Sinhalese members of Parliament should be made conversant in Tamil. Speaking during the debate on the second reading of the budget, Mr. Radhakrishnan said Sinhalese should take more interest in learning Tamil stressing that it is essential to build up a closer relationship between the two communities. more..

Nov 30 (DM) The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) yesterday filed two additional charges in court against the disabled army captain, who was a supporter of the former army commander, General Sarath Fonseka on the ground that he prevented prison officials from carrying out their duties when Mr. Fonseka was being taken for treatment to the private hospital on July 21. When the case was taken up before the Colombo Fort Magistrate Ms. Lanka Jayaratne on Friday (25), more..

Nov 30 (SM) Imprisoned former Army chief Sarath Fonseka today commented about minds, genes and discipline suited for kings. He was speaking to the media while being escorted by prison officers out of the Colombo high court premises, where he appeared for the Hicorp case. Mr. Fonseka quoted Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera as having said that military commanders got villages as gifts when they won battles. For such generosity, kings need to have proper minds, genes and discipline, more..

Nov 30 (AP) Japan wants Sri Lanka to publicize a report on alleged wartime abuses and implement its proposals to end bitterness from a decades-long civil war, an envoy said Wednesday. Japanese government's representative Yasushi Akashi said during his talks with President Mahinda Rajapaksa he reiterated the need to adopt measures for reconciliation between ethnic communities for a lasting peace. The LLRC has submitted its report to Rajapaksa. more..

Nov 30 (BBC) A court in Sri Lanka has issued a ban on 'Prem Nivasa' Missionaries of Charity convent, Moratuwa preventing it giving children to foreigners for adoption. The Colombo Magistrate Court issued the ban on the request of the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) of Sri Lanka. The NCPA told the court that there had been a large number of child adoptions to foreigners by the Prem Nivasa orphanage over the past five years which have to be investigated. more..

Nov 30 (DM) Former skipper, Kumar Sangakkara, won the people's award the third CEAT annual cricket awards, held at Waters Edge, on Tuesday night. Sangakkara also won the award for the test batsman for the year 2010-2011. Quite surprisingly, national skipper, Tillakaratne Dilshan walked away with three major awards despite his recent failure in the international arena. He won the CEAT Cricketer of the Year award and Best Batsman's and Best All Rounder's award in ODI cricket. more..

Nov 30 (LT) The �protest march� of the Socialist Youth Union� was subjected to attacks of tear gas and high pressure water canon by the police a little while ago. Five protest marchers have been injured due to the baton charge carried out by the police say reports. The �protest march� was organized to protest against the budget presented by the government for 2012 say organizers. The protesters had said they would march from Technical Junction at more..

Nov 30 (DM) A 12-member committee appointed to look into the construction of a controversial roadway from Ilumbakanda to Suriyakanda said to be endangering the the Sinharaja National World Heritage Site (NWHS) has recommended that the construction of proposed roadway should be stopped. The committee headed by Peradeniya University Professor Nimal Gunatilaka had handed over its report to Environment Authority (CEA) Chairman Charitha Herath. more..

Nov 30 (WB) The World Bank today approved a US$100 million concessional credit to Sri Lanka to enhance access and quality of primary and secondary education to provide a foundation for the knowledge �based economic and social development of the country. Transforming the School Education System will be implemented at the national level by the Ministry of Education and at the provincial level by the Provincial Ministries and Depts of Education, more..

Nov 30 (ST) Sri Lanka will continue with the on-arrival visa scheme for visitors three months more to March 31, 2012 after industry complaints that the trial online visa was not working perfectly. According to a communiqu�, the online visa will also begin simultaneously on January 1, 2012 along with the continuation of the on-arrival visa scheme. Earlier the govt was switching to the online visa process from January. more..