Sri Lanka ruling party increases gains in revote
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Veteran politician Dissanayake Mudiyansalage Jayaratne took the oath of office Wednesday as Sri Lanka’s 20th prime minister after the ruling party won a large parliamentary majority.
 
Iraqi prisoner testified he was beaten by US troopsBAGHDAD (AP) — An Iraqi prisoner suspected of masterminding an attack that killed four American contractors testified Wednesday at a court-martial of a Navy SEAL that he was beaten by U.S. troops while hooded and tied to a chair.But defense witnesses for Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas on the trial’s opening day cast strong doubt on the testimony by the terror suspect and that of a fellow sailor who claimed he saw the assault. 
US court gives government victory against ACORN
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal appeals court has handed the government a victory by temporarily blocking a judge’s finding that Congress shouldn’t have halted federal funding to the activist group ACORN.The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan issued the order Wednesday, a day after the government lawyer argued the stay of the ruling was necessary.
 
Utah woman sentenced in ‘surprise’ hammer beating
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah woman has been sentenced to 30 days at home with an ankle monitor for blindfolding her husband and promising him a surprise before hitting him in the head with a hammer three years ago.Amy Teresa Ricks also was sentenced to probation and community service Monday in 3rd District Court. The 37-year-old pleaded guilty to second-degree felony aggravated assault in February.Prosecutors have agreed to reduce the conviction to a third-degree felony after Ricks completes probation. They also agreed to let Ricks seek expungement of the crime after seven years.
 
Bill would shun Obama birth cirtificate requestsHONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii lawmakers are moving closer to passing a measure allowing the state to ignore repeated requests for President Obama’s birth certificate.A conference committee unanimously voted Tuesday to advance the bill to final votes in the House and Senate.The proposal allows state government agencies not to respond to follow-up requests for information if they determine the subsequent request is duplicative or substantially similar to a previous request.
 
State shows 6,500 no-farm job gain over monthNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana experienced some post-recession economic rebound in March by adding 6,500 non-farm jobs — a figure that was held down by a big loss in construction, the state Workforce Commission reported Wednesday.On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the service-providing sector picked up 9,700 jobs.
 
Wood pellet plant coming to Baton Rouge portPORT ALLEN, La. (AP) — Point Bio Energy LLC will build a $124 million plant at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge to manufacture wood pellets for fuel generation, the port announced Wednesday.The plant, which expects to begin deliveries late in 2011, will employ about 100 people. Annual production is forecast at 450,000 metric tons of pellets.
 
 
—-Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at [email protected]