Sept 9 (FT) The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said yesterday it was pleased to note the remarkable improvement Sri Lanka has made over the past three years in the Global Competitiveness Ranking of the World Economic Forum from 79 in 2009/10, 62 in 2010/11 to 52 in 2011/12. The current ranking is out of 142 countries. �It is important to note that the progress made in the area of infrastructure development has improved our ranking in infrastructure from 70 last year to 60 this year. more..

Sept 9 (TN) Sri Lanka�s occupying military in Jaffna that has now become Sri Lanka Grease Devils commits a despicably inhuman crime by forcibly bringing in mental patients warded in Thellippazhai mental hospital to take part in its �grease devil� attacks, residents in Vasaavi�laan said. In one such �mission,� the �grease devil� attackers who went to the nearby Kuddiyappulam locality of Vasaavi�laan village created a situation of getting caught by the public, but more..

Sept 9 (DM) Some 500 rehabilitated ex-LTTE cadres who are on a five-day trip visited the Fort Railway Station yesterday while on their way to the south, as part of the final phase of their rehabilitation programme at the Vavuniya rehabilitation camp.They began their trip from the Omanthai railway station and after their visit to Colombo would proceed to Kalutara and Kataragama. The ex LTTEers will travel by bus to Matara and Galle and later travel to Embilipitiya before more..

Sept 9 (DM) A 43-year-old man had been arrested for allegedly stealing 1000 bicycles in Dankotuwa Town. The suspect, a resident of Kurana in Negombo, was supposed to have served a six- year prison sentence before being released two months ago. However, police said that the man had not learned from his mistakes and had returned to a life of crime no sooner he got out of prison. The police said that as of yesterday they had been able to recover about 15 bicycles from Wennappuwa, and Dankotuwa, which the suspect more..

Sept 9 (SL) A Tata Nano cab belonging to the taxi company Budget Taxi, caught fire on Friday (2) at Layden Bastian Mawatha, Fort. A spokesman for the company said there were no passengers in the car at the time but the car was completely destroyed � gutted by the fire. According to director Budget Taxi, Kelum Jayasumana, they are yet to find out why the car suddenly caught fire. Jayasumana said the taxi driver reported that the vehicle had suddenly stopped, and caught fire when the driver tried to restart it. more..

Sept 9 (AN) "We are farmers and fishermen, we expect a development that will protect us, our lives and our livelihood. Without destroying the environment�, says Panama Chandrarathana Thero, the incumbent president of two divisions of Uva Wellassa, on the subject of numerous development projects undertaken by the Government of Sri Lanka. Representatives of civil society, priests, nuns and Catholic faithful participated in a seminar and exhibition, organized by the Land Forum, the National Fisheries more..

Sept 9 (ST) There is concern for the wellbeing of a 14-member foreign crew on board a Gibraltar-flagged vessel that was arrested on a court order following the non-payment of dues to a Chinese ship-building yard, an official of the International Transport workers Federation (ITF) said yesterday. ITF Inspector, Ranjan Perera said that the vessel, presently berthed alongside the jetty at Hambantota Port, has an all-Russian crew, and there was no contact with them since the boat was arrested on August 19. more..

Sept 9 (AT) Sri Lanka is well known for its brilliant gems since ancient times and gems and spices were the main items that lured the ancient traders who travelled in the �silk route� to visit Sri Lanka. It was a Blue Saphire Gemstone from Sri Lanka found from the Sinharaja region, that was gifted to Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Sri Lanka that adorned the wedding ring of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The ring went missing after Diana's fatal accident and more..

Sept 9 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's rupee currency premiums edged up on Thursday after the IMF asked the central bank to limit its intervention in the foreign exchange rate and allow flexibility in the exchange rate. The global lender urged the central bank to allow market forces to decide the exchange rate as the island nation's non-borrowed reserves have steadily declined. The rupee closed unchanged at 110.19/20 as a state bank, through which the central bank directs the market, more..

Sept 9 (DM) Three villagers of the Galgamuwa area, who pleaded guilty to the charge of excavating a land for the purpose of discovering antiquities without a valid licence, were sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment by the Galgamuwa Magistrate. Apart from the custodial sentence, each of the three accused were ordered to pay a fine of Rs.50,000 to the State. Senior State Counsel Dileepa Peiris, appearing on behalf of the Attorney- General, submitted in Court that the more..

Sept 9 (Island) Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Douglas Devananda said that the Government would take necessary steps to sort out all the problems faced by the Muslim people, of Jaffna, fairly and justly. Addressing a meeting at the office of the Northern Provincial Governor, he said the Muslims had been chased away from the Northern Province by the LTTE 20 years ago. But, they were now back in their former places of residence. more..

Sept 9 (DM) Two science teachers of a Mundalama school are alleged to have exchanged blows in a classroom during school hours, eyewitnesses said. The other teachers who intervened in an attempt to sort out matters were compelled to lock-up one of the fighting teachers in an empty classroom. It was revealed that a disagreement between the two teachers � one who had joined the school seven years ago and the other recently had led to the brawl. The new science teacher was popular among the students. more..

Sept 9 (DM) Some six Janatha Estate Development Board estates are to be handed over to private investors on a 30-year lease, State Resources and Enterprise Development Minister Dayasritha Tissera said. In response to A question asked by UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera in parliament, Mr. Tissera said the estates had not been privatized but leased out to local investors. The minister said two estates which had been leased out earlier had been reacquired because the investors had failed to develop them effectively. more..

Sept 9 (Island) The Opposition on Thursday (08) strongly opposed a move to empower the police to hold a suspect for 48 hours instead of present 24 hours. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe urged the government to consult the Commonwealth Parliamentary Union (CPU). Opposition MPs lashed out at the government for seeking to give additional powers following the lapse of emergency regulations. Protests forced Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody to adjourn more..

Sept 9 (DN) The Cabinet of Minister approved the National Action Plan for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights in Sri Lanka. This action plan has been tabled to the Cabinet by Plantation Industries Minister and President�s Special Envoy on Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe. The development of the national action plan was a voluntary pledge made during Sri Lanka�s Universal Period Review in May 2008. The government began implementing the five year action plan in 2011. more..

Sept 9 (DM) The trend of Police Inspectors being interdicted and suspended from service is on the rise, according to details revealed during a discussion between the Police Inspectors Association and Police Chief N.K Illangakoon. The association said due to alleged malpractices and soliciting of bribes by a handful of officers it had been difficult to find solutions to the prevailing problems of inspectors. They urged the IGP to carry out surveillance on the conduct of inspectors attached to the traffic, anti vice squads and more..

Sept 9 (Island) A govt minister called for land powers to be devolved to the North and East. Deputy Minister A.L.M. Hisbullah said that it was alright granting North and East administrations control over land, since it was over two years since the LTTE had been defeated. There was nothing wrong in devolution per se, within a unitary State, he said. Asked if police powers should also be granted in terms of the 13th Amendment, he said that it was too early to do that. more..

Sept 9 (PRIU) The Sri Lankan delegation attending the United Nations Human Rights Council session scheduled to begin on September 12 in Geneva left the country yesterday. The govt has appointed a five-member delegation headed by Special Human Rights Envoy Mahinda Samarasinghe to address the 18th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva from September 12-30. The other members of the delegation include Ministers Prof. G. L. Peiris, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and more..

Sept 9 (DM) A racket has come to light where some traders buy paddy from farmers at a lower price with the help of some officials of the Paddy Marketing Board and thereafter sell it to govt paddy purchasing centres at a higher price. The Matale Acting District Secretary Thejani Tillakaratne said she was investigating this racket which was reported to be happening at Laggala, Wilagamuwa and Minipe areas. It had been revealed that the traders do this by using farmer identity cards which they more..

Sept 9 (DN) President Mahinda Rajapaksa met with a delegation of six Tamil Members of Parliament from the North and East to discuss arrangements for the resolution of matters resulting from recent alleged incidents in the two provinces. The Tamil representatives at the meeting held at Temple Trees were from the TNA, TULF and PLOTE. An understanding was reached on the necessity for cooperation between the Police and organizations of the people more..

Sept 9 (Island) The Lanka Private Bus Owners Association (LPBOA) yesterday threatened to cripple bus services in the entire Western Province next week unless the Western Province Road Passenger Transport Authority (WPRPTA) withdrew a route permit issued to a person at the behest of WP Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga. The LPBOA withdrew buses on 11 routes on Wednesday morning (7) to protest against CM Ranatunga�s move. more..

Sept 9 (DN) Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said a BSc Degree for Irrigation Engineering will be introduced to Sri Lanka soon aiming to produce at least 100 irrigation engineering graduates annually. He was addressing the 39th annual Irrigation Engineers Conference at the Irrigation Department auditorium. "Discussions were held with the University Grants Commission (UGC) in this regard", he said. more..

Sept 9 (DM) The Sri Lanka Standards Institution yesterday vowed to take legal action against the Pakistani cement company within the next few weeks for displaying the SLS mark on their cement products prior to the lifting of the suspension following appropriate quality tests. Addressing a media conference to announce the lifting of the ban on the consignment of Lucky Cement imported to Sri Lanka by the National Cooperative Authority, more..

Sept 9 (DM) Amid the LTTE increasing its overseas activities, the government yesterday sought parliamentary approval to enact two new laws to deal with terrorist financing and money laundering. Titled the Convention of the Suppression of Terrorism Financing (Amendment) Bill seeks to deal with a person or a group of persons participating in acts of terrorism against Sri Lanka either here or abroad. The new legislation empowers a police officer, not below the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police, more..

Sept 9 (DM) Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized in Parliament yesterday that the Attorney General should not be consulted on parliamentary matters because it was an appointment made under the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which he said, was enacted through unlawful means. Instead, Mr. Wickremesinghe said, Parliament should seek advice from a body of legal experts acceptable to either side of the House. more..

Sept 9 (LBO) State-run CEB which has been badly hit by a failure of the island�s main monsoon is expecting about 6 billion rupees of losses in 2011, due to extra thermal generation. Daily demand of about 30 GigaWatt hours is now more than 85 percent generated from coal and oil. The utility is expecting 'inter-monsoonal' rains later this month to improve water inflows and its cash outflows. "At the moment we are managing with 10 to 15 percent of hydro, more..

Sept 9 (DM) Cleveland Bridge UK Ltd. signed a contact with the Ministry of Economic Development in Sri Lanka on Septemer 8, to provide up to 210 bridges in rural locations island-wide including the North and East. The project is worth US$ 56 million and will be backed by the UK Government�s Export Credit Guarantee Department (ECGD). The aims of the project are to improve the rural roads network and to link rural communities with mainstream economic development. more..

Sept 9 (DM) While tussle for the venue of the 2018 Commonwealth Games bid is intensifying, Australia�s Gold Coast appears to be having an edge over the Hambantota venue for the Games, according to the latest evaluation report released by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) yesterday. The CGF has released its review on the bids of both cities ahead of the November vote to decide who will host the Games. The evaluation commission report said the Gold Coast venue had demonstrated a more..

Sept 9 (Island) Sri Lanka Navy says a four-day naval visit by NATO member, Turkey will pave the way for closer ties between the two countries. An SLN spokesman said that it was the first naval visit since the establishment of consular relations between the two countries 104 years ago. Turkey has the second biggest military among NATO countries and provided a range of assets in support of coalition operations directed against Libya, recently. more..

Sept 10 (NN) It was reported that twenty children have been suffering with diarrhea from the Gampaha district in the Karagala School and its vicinity earlier this week. The Public Health Inspectors and several doctors have conducted investigations and suspect it to be hepatitis A. Although there is speculation of this disease being transmitted by water, it has still not been verified. There is doubt as to whether garbage and faeces was contaminating the water. more..

Sept 10 (GDI) Minister of Youth Affairs and Skills Development, Mr. Dallas Alahapperuma, is taking steps to facilitate vocational training for the blind and visually impaired. This was decided at a discussion held between the Minister and W.M.D. Rathnasekara, Senior President, Disability Organizations Joint Front (DOJF)-Sri Lanka and others. In order to realize this mission the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development has already nominated 2 lecturers for further training, more..

Sept 10 (GDI) Sri Lankan Cabinet of Ministers on a proposal made by Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Pieris has decided to establish Diplomatic Relation with the Central American Republic of El Salvador. El Salvador the smallest country in the Central America maintains bilateral trade relations with Sri Lanka for the last five years and the trade imbalance is in favour of Sri Lanka exports. El Slavador exports coffee, sugar, processed food, more..

Sept 10 (GDI) Cabinet Decisions announced by Hon Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene, the Acting Minister of Mass media and Information: 1. Hakmana Water Supply Scheme to be augmented Urban Development Authority has planned to develop Hakmana as a town centre in the Matara District. Accordingly on a proposal by Mr Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister of Water Supply and Drainage, Cabinet approval was granted for the augmentation of the Hakmana Water Supply Scheme at a cost of Rs.383.36 million, more..

Sept 10 (LBO) A United Nations industrial development body is considering giving support to Sri Lanka in the areas of waste management and energy, seen as important for growth. New Delhi-based UNIDO Deputy Representative for South Asia Antonios Levissianos said there was potential to generate energy from waste. "Waste management can be an important potential opportunity," said Levissianos, who was in Colombo for a project on bamboo processing organized by the UN more..

Sept 10 (CI) Shaun Marsh grew up dreaming of wearing a baggy green just like his father Geoff, and realised that ambition on Thursday. By Friday night he was able to go to bed dreaming of a long future in Test cricket and a potential century on debut, after he and Michael Hussey drove Australia into a powerful position at stumps on the second day in Pallekele. Marsh was unbeaten on 87 and Hussey was on 76 when bad light stopped play shortly after tea, more..

Sept 10 (DM) The UNP said today that the government did not have the right to break down walls or damage homes for the purpose of beautifying the city of Colombo as it had no authority to do so. �Without any consultation with the public, no individual can beautify the city as beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it should be a democratic process. The government cannot break down walls, damage homes or even cut down trees at its own free will,� more..

Sept 10 (PTI) As the clemency plea for the three death row convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case grew louder, family members of the victims killed along with the former Prime Minister today demanded that Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan should be hanged. Joined by a large numbers of Congress workers, the family members sat on a day-long fast opposing the clemency for the three convicts. Former Union Minister EVKS Elangovan and other Congress leaders also more..

Sept 10 (LBO) Central bank said its exchange rate policy on the rupee is "appropriate" amid sustained pressure on the currency which has required steady interventions in forex markets to keep a peg to the US dollar. The Central Bank said recent reserve sales were to offset higher oil imports and to absorb liquidity which came from a sovereign dollar bond sale. The statement came after the IMF warned against sustained interventions to maintain a dollar peg. more..

Sept 10 (SMH) Sri Lanka barely edges into Australian consciousness. Until recently, the worst thing it had done, as a nation, was to play a (Tamil) spin bowler, Muthiah Muralitharan, whose action was thought suspect. Then Four Corners showed us Channel Four's horror movie, an extreme example of the genre, on the last days in 2009 of the Sri Lankan civil war. Both the Sri Lankan army and the separatist Tamil Tigers had engaged in deliberate crimes against humanity. more..