Apr 20 (AP) Tamil Tiger rebels are warning Sri Lanka's new hard-line government against resorting to a "military solution" to end the country's two-decade civil war, saying a resumption in peace talks is the only way forward. more..

Apr 20 (Reuters) A political party formed by Buddhist monks criticised Sri Lanka's government on Tuesday, saying it should have exploited a split in the Tamil Tigers by supporting a breakaway rebel faction. more..

Apr 20 (Rediff) Let us start by looking at the issue of chucking not from the cricketing definition but from a batsmen's viewpoint. Let us take the issue of chucking from three different types of bowlers: the fast bowler (like Shoaib Akhtar or Brett Lee), medium pacer (like Shabbir Ahmad) and spinner (Muralitharan, Harbhajan or Afridi). more..

Apr 20 (AFP) The chief of Tamil Tigers has asked his 22 proxy legislators in the country's new parliament to pressure the minority government to open talks based on the rebels' blueprint for self-rule. Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran met the MPs of the TNA, a proxy of his guerrillas, in the northern rebel-held region of Wanni. more..

Apr 21 (CI) The International Cricket Council has questioned the credibility of allegations levelled against its match referee, Chris Broad, who was accused by Colombo's Sunday Observer newspaper of "boozing" with the Australian team during their recent Test series in Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 21 (CI) Before the start of this first one-day international between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, it was widely expected that the inexperienced new Zimbabwean team would be humiliated. In fact, it was a lukewarm Sri Lankan team that had to fight hard in the end to avoid embarrassment. more..

Apr 21 (HT) Tacitly accepting one of the earlier demands of the renegade Eastern Commander, Col Karuna, the LTTE's Supremo, Velupillai Prabhakaran, has taken direct charge of the administrative departments of the militant group in the eastern districts of Batticaloa and Amparai. more..

Apr 21 (Hindu) The leader of the LTTE, V. Prabakaran, today asked the newly-elected MPs from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to work towards getting an interim administration for the Tamil-majority northeast. more..

Apr 21 (TN) The first meeting of the thirteenth parliament is to be held on Thursday morning with the election of a new Speaker as the first item in the agenda The two major political parties, the UPFA and the UNP, are actively engaged in garnering the support of small parties to prove their majority in the election of new Speaker, more..

Apr 21 (Reuters) Sri Lanka spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan could be banned for up to 12 months if he continues to bowl his doosra because his action exceeds official guidelines, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Tuesday. more..

Apr 21 (LBO) The government increased the allocation for fertiliser subsidies by Rs. 1 billion, taking the total allocation to Rs. 3 billion per annum. Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama said the additional Rs. 1 billion would concentrate on attaining an average market price of Rs. 600 for a 50 kilo bag of urea used dominantly by paddy farmers. more..

Apr 21 (LBO) Battles to bag top posts in the public sector are warming up but this time round Sri Lanka’s civil society representatives are putting up a fight against the tradition of political appointments. more..

Apr 21 (LBO) Last ditch efforts to delay the end of quotas in nine months by the US, the EU and Africa could prove futile, with any decision having to be unanimous among all countries under WTO rules. more..

Apr 21 (TN) A modern surgical unit installed with central air-conditioning plant constructed at a cost 7.7 million rupees in the Trincomalee General Hospital was commissioned Tuesday by the NEPC Health Ministry Mr.R.M.S. Ratnayake. more..

Apr 21 (SLA) Representatives of the SLMM were called in by troops in the general area of T-JUNCTION in MEEYANKULAM, about 5 km west of VALAICHCHENAI on 20 April 2004 after some armed LTTE men for reasons obvious only to them demanded the withdrawal of troops from the area. more..

Apr 21 (SLA) Some armed LTTE cadres, who stormed a house and forcibly opened a shop belonging to a civilian in the general area of KALMUNAI on 30 March 2004, had relieved him of his gold jewellery, cash and retail goods worth over Rs.15 lakhs (US$ 15625), states a complaint made to the KALMUNAI Police station. more..

Apr 21 (SLA) Troops on Wednesday (21 April 2004) morning at the request of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) provided security escort to a group of 84 LTTE cadres bound for WANNI, VAVUNIYA from KATTAPARICHCHAN, MUTTUR across HABARANA. more..

Apr 21 (SLA) Regardless of the provisions in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), LTTE cadres in the general area of POONTHODDAM raised the LTTE flag inside the POONTHODDAM Public Ground on 19 April 2004. LTTE political leader ELILAN hoisted the LTTE flag before an LTTE commemorative event commenced. more..

Apr 21 (SLA) A box of ammunition floating down the general sea areas of PULMODDAI, about 50 km northwest of TRINCOMALEE was recovered by a diver on 19 April 2004 and brought to the Army detachment in the area following instructions given by troops. more..

Apr 21 (Rupavahini) The Inspector General of Police Indra de Silva says that all security arrangements have been finalized to hold a free fair and peaceful North-Western provincial poll next Saturday. Addressing newsmen in Colombo the IGP said that a special security programme is now in operation in the Wayamba Province. more..

Apr 21 (LT) The executive committee of the UNP has decided to take disciplinary action against Mr. Tyrone Fernando, former Minister of Foreign Affairs in Mr. Wickremasinghe’s government for stating that the UNP got defeated in the South as a result of former Premier Ranil Wickremasinghe’s arbitrary attitude. more..

Apr 21 (LT) All appointments of officials of cluster bus companies made during the election campaign by the former UNF government are to be invalidated according to a decision taken by the present Government. more..

Apr 21 (LT) People’s Artiste Organization, in a letter, has asked the President not to belittle the mandate given by the progressive people of this country by getting entangled in ministerial crises. more..

Apr 21 (TS) Sri Lankan High Commissioner, Rosy Senanayake, who has been recalled by the new government in her country, wants to work on her passion of promoting her country as a haven for investors when she returns. This tops her agenda although she has been urged to head the women’s wing of the United National Party. more..

Apr 21 (MKO) The people of Milton Keynes are being urged to breathe new life into a 'twin' town which has been decimated by the civil war in Sri Lanka. The north east coastal town of Mullaittevu has a population of 200,000, almost exactly the same as Milton Keynes. more..

Apr 21 (PRIU) President Kumaratunga yesterday appointed Secretaries to the 35 ministries in the new Government, under Article 52(1) of the Constitution. These senior officials will function as the chief executives of their ministries and will be responsible for all financial and administrative functions. more..

Apr 21 (NDTV) Who Killed Rajiv Gandhi? Why? How? An infamous murder. It was 10:20 pm on 21 May. The year was 1991. A woman bowed respectfully. Her arm reached out to touch his feet. Suddenly there was an explosion. The deafening sound, the clouds of smoke, the shattered bodies, the blood and gore. more..

Apr 21 (TN) Senior leaders of the UPFA Wednesday expressed optimism that the three week old quarrel between the JVP and SLFP regarding the allocation of Mahaweli Development ministry to the JVP minister designate for Agriculture is likely to be resolved this evening, political sources said. more..

Apr 21 (Rupavahini) The World Bank today approved a grant for 51 million US dollars for a community driven project to empower communities and strengthen villages in Sri Lanka. The Community Development and Livelihood Improvement project will create opportunities for poor people to pull themselves out of poverty. more..

Apr 21 (DN) The 13th Parliament will meet tomorrow. The newly elected 225 members of Parliament will be sworn in before the Speaker who is to be elected in the morning. The government will be led in the House by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse who was the Opposition Leader in the previous Parliament. more..

Apr 21 (TS) Malaysia began their Group B campaign in the Fifth Junior Asia Cup with a 6-0 win over Sri Lanka at the Hockey Club of Pakistan yesterday. The Malaysians led 3-0 at half time, as they had to contend with a very defensive-minded Sri Lankans, who were bent on keeping the score line down. more..

Apr 21 (AP) Sri Lanka applauded the International Cricket Council's decision to replace referee Chris Broad in the ongoing series against Zimbabwe, and urged a review of the officials' list for Sri Lanka's series against Australia later this year. more..

Apr 21 (AP) Sri Lanka's new government battled to resolve an internal power struggle with its key Marxist ally on Wednesday, a day ahead of a crucial first test of strength in Parliament, officials said. more..

Apr 21 (AT) “We are very much in Sri Lanka and we will never run away like cowards from this country. We never valued our lives. It is our policies that we value than anything else,” said Varathan, spokesman of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's - Eastern group. more..

Apr 21 (AFP) Sri Lanka's cricket authorities have slammed "speculative reporting" for fuelling a controversy over star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan running the risk of an immediate 12-month ban. more..

Apr 21 (TN) A modern surgical unit installed with central air-conditioning plant constructed at a cost 7.7 million rupees in the Trincomalee General Hospital was commissioned Tuesday by the NEPC Health Ministry Mr.R.M.S. Ratnayake. more..

Apr 21 (TN) The 22 Tamil National Alliance members of parliament are planning to attend the first sitting of Sri Lanka’s parliament on Thursday in traditional Tamil attire, sources in the Vanni said. more..

Apr 21 (AFP) Sri Lanka's president was desperately locked in moves to secure allies as her minority government risked losing the crucial Speaker's post when it faces its first test in parliament, officials said. more..

Apr 21 (HT) The crisis over the formation of Sri Lanka's post-election cabinet ended on Tuesday night, with the SLFP and the JVP agreeing to a compromise formula on the allocation of the portfolio of Mahaweli Development Scheme. more..

Apr 22 (TN) Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan, the political head of the LTTE, has expressed disappointment with the resident representative of the UNICEF in Sri Lanka, Mr. Ted Chaiban in a letter on Monday, over the UN group’s ‘vocal’ criticism of the LTTE on the issue of child soldiers, more..

Apr 22 (TN) Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, former Prime Minister and the leader of the UNP Wednesday dismissed media reports that few parliamentarians of the main opposition UNF are to cross over to the ruling UPFA as baseless and untrue. more..

Apr 22 (PTI) India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match women's Singer Asia Cup series on Wednesday. Batting first, Sri Lanka were bundled out for 89 runs in the 40th over and India overtook that score in the 25th over with six wickets remaining. more..

Apr 22 (TN) Five internally displaced Muslim families with about twenty-five members who returned to Jaffna from Puttalam recently for resettlement have been staying in the damaged Jumma Mosque in the Chavakachcheri town in Thenmaradchchi division as the Sri Lanka Army has refused permission to them to occupy their houses. more..

Apr 22 (TN) The optimism expressed by some senior leaders of the UPFA that row over the allocation to the Mahaveli Development Ministry was close to a settlement evaporated Wednesday evening as the leaderships of JVP and SLFP failed to accept the compromise, political sources said. more..

Apr 22 (TN) The mystery over two missing Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) parliamentarians took a dramatic turn Wednesday when the leadership of the JHU threatened the ruling UPFA that it would not support the UPFA government even if it brought progressive pieces of legislation in the new parliament, political sources said. more..

Apr 22 (AT) A high-level mission from the headquarters of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is presently in Sri Lanka to review United Nation refugee organization’s role within the broader context of humanitarian and development efforts in the country. more..

Apr 22 (AT) Kingsley Rasanayagam, the candidate who has been successfully elected by the voters of the Batticaloa electoral district will not be there today at 10.00 am in the morning to participate in the ceremonial opening of the 13th Sri Lankan parliament. more..

Apr 22 (AT) Elections of the 22 Tamil National Alliance (TNA) elected Members of Parliament is to be challenged in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 22 (LBO) The new Govt. will try to squeeze out an extra Rs.10 bn from existing revenue collection channels to meet its increased welfare commitments. Treasury officials say this could be achieved if revenue collection was made more efficient, while staying within the current tax structure. more..

Apr 22 (LBO) Sri Lanka will take a head count of its offshore fish stock, the first in over 23 years carried out to help develop the sector. “To develop our fisheries industries we must first know what the stocks are like,” said A Hettiarachchi, Director General Development, Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources. more..