Colombo, Jan. 27: Seeking to usher in peace and prosperity in post-war Sri Lanka, President Mahinda Rajapakse scored a landslide victory over the common Opposition candidate, his former military chief Sarath Fonseka, in a bitterly-fought election for the sixth executive presidency held on Tuesday. It was also the first poll-war electoral exercise in the island nation, and the verdict is being contested as doctored by Gen. Fonseka.

Colombo, Jan. 27: Former Sri Lankan Army chief and Opposition presidential candidate Sara-th Fonseka said he would move court and petition the election commission to annul the verdict, saying it was not held in a fair and free manner and the government machinery and media were misused to “brand me a traitor” (by accusing him of striking a deal with the Tamil National Alliance to re-emerge the north and east). “I got huge crowds at my rallies and I saw people wanted a change. I suspect foul play. I do not accept this verdict and I will challenge it.”

New Delhi, Jan. 27: Overruling Chief of Army Staff Gen. Deepak Kapoor, defence minister A.K. Antony has “advised” disciplinary action — that could include a court-martial — against military secretary Lt. Gen. Avdesh Prakash in the Sukna land scam case, defence ministry sources confirmed on Wednesday.

New Delhi, Jan. 27: After implementing the grading system for Class 10 in CBSE schools from the coming academic session, the HRD ministry is planning to extend this to Classes 11 and 12 in CBSE schools as well. It is also looking at the feasibility of conducting a national-level entrance test, like Scholastic Aptitude Test, with national percentile scores in different subjects for undergraduate programmes.
This was decided at a conference of universities and schools chaired by human resource development minister Kapil Sibal on Wednesday.
 

Age Correspondent

New Delhi, Jan. 27: Is the fate of one more tiger reserve in jeopardy? The National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) decision to slice the Pench tiger reserve in two by building a four-lane highway (N.H. 7) through it could well mean the death knell for the 30 tigers living in this reserve.

Mumbai, Jan. 27: The BSE’s benchmark Sensex plummeted 491 points on Wednesday, its biggest single-day fall since August. Market watchers said international factors had driven the indices down. The Sensex has fallen almost 1,350 points in the last six sessions.

Srinagar, Jan. 26: A "love and hate" relationship between facing Armies along the India-Pakistan borders in Jammu and Kashmir was on display on Tuesday, India’s Republic Day. 

Seoul, Jan. 26: South Korea’s First Lady Kim Yoon-ok’s ancestors had royal origin in Ayodhya! 

Colombo, Jan. 26: The Sri Lankan presidential election on Tuesday was unexpectedly peaceful but a bolt from the blue has hit the people — the main challenger to President Mahinda Rajapakse in this election was himself not a voter. Common Opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka’s former Army Chief, conceded on Tuesday evening that he does not have a vote, thereby ending the day-long suspense about why he had not turned up at the poll booth while the President was among the early voters. 

New Delhi,Jan. 26: The Congress on Tuesday said awards like the Padma Bhushan should be given to people who add to its prestige, and not to those with a taint, even as the latest recipient, US-based hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, remained unfazed in the face of the controversy over his award.