Apr 14 (AT) After the LTTE requested the second round of talks scheduled for 19 to 21 April be postponed to another date, there was speculation as to whether the recent spate of violence was provoked by the LTTE to find an excuse for the postponement. Analysts believe that the LTTE had no other excuse for the postponement of the talks. more..

Apr 14 (LNP) Colombo Dockyard Ltd (CDL) recently launched the first 58 ton Bollard Pull capacity Harbour Tugs targeted at and designed for the international market manufactured in Sri Lanka. This new vessel is the first of three such Tug Boats built on an order placed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. more..

Apr 14 (LNP) 15 of 19 civilians killed in Trincomalee violence on Wednesday were identified Thursday. 7 victims were Sinhalese civilians, 6 were Tamils and 2 Muslims. The bodies of another three Tamil persons, burnt alive inside a three-wheeler in Linganagar, were not in identifiable state, medical sources said. Another dead body is yet to be identified. more..

Apr 14 (LNP) ANOTHER New Year has dawned. According to astrological beliefs, the transition of the sun from Meena (Pisces) to Mesha (Aries), marks the beginning of a new year. The Sinhala and Tamil New Year, celebrated every April in Sri Lanka and many other countries in the region, is a major event on our cultural calendar. more..

Apr 14 (SAMN) The dispute between UNP Colombo District MP Mohamed Maharoof and Municipal Councilor T. M. Sangadasa is to turn into a legal battle as the former had decided to file action. Mr. Maharoof said he will sue Mr. Sangadasa to claim damages for defamation. more..

Apr 14 (SAMN) Security provided to Major General Vajira Wijegunawardane, who retired on Monday, is to be withdrawn from next month posing a serious threat to his life informed military sources said. Major General Wijegunawardane is considered a main LTTE target. more..

Apr 14 (SAMN) The clock will be turned back by 30 minutes from midnight today, this being the first midnight after the dawn of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Since the majority of the people will be celebrating the Sinhala and Tamil New Year and the auspicious time for the dawn of the New Year has already been fixed according to the present clock, more..

Apr 14 (LNP) Deputy Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya who made a surprise visit to the Inland Revenue Department at Sir Chittampalam Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo met the Commissioner General and Senior Executives of the Department and said new Legislations, if necessary would be introduced to combat any frauds in the Department. more..

Apr 14 (DN) Publicity power that stamps hold by their very nature can be made to yeild inter-communal harmony and better understanding on an occasion like the traditional New Year common to both Sinhalese and Tamils especially. New Year has dawned at 6.49 a.m. today when traditional customs accompanied with rituals, more..

Apr 14 (NIP) Ten Sri Lankan fishermen who were detained by the Indian Coast Guard personnel at Nagapattinam have been handed over to the Mandapam police, near here on Thursday. The police said, the fishermen were fishing in the Indian waters off Nagapattinam on Tuesday. They were detained by the Indian Coast Guard personnel during routine patrol. more..

Apr 14 (KT) DRIVEN by financial need and poverty, tens of thousands of Sri Lankans look for jobs in the Middle East, according to information on the World Socialist web site. It quoted a report by the Information Department in Colombo that 64.5 per cent of the 1.5 million Sri Lankans employed abroad are women. In 1986 the proportion was only about a half of it — 33 per cent. more..

Apr 14 (KT) SRI LANKA is fast hurtling towards civil war, once again. Even as the government bends backwards to woo the Tamil Tigers and the international community pushes the two sides to peace, LTTE is engaged in a dangerous game of brinkmanship. The Tigers feign interest in peace initiatives of Norway and others at the same time targeting security forces and civilians. more..

Apr 14 (AFP) The co-chairs of the international donor process for Sri Lanka condemned the latest violence there, and called for planned peace talks to go ahead despite a rebel call to delay them. Norway, Japan, the United States and the European Union -- who spearheaded a 2003 donors' conference in Tokyo -- voiced "grave concern about the worsening situation in Sri Lanka and strongly condemn the recent acts of violence." more..

Apr 14 (Reuters) Sri Lanka took a step back from the brink of civil war on Friday after Tamil Tiger rebels agreed to go to talks in Geneva, but with a new date yet to be agreed many remain cautious about hopes for a lasting peace. More than 40 people have died in the last week in the bloodiest spell since a 2002 truce, more..

Apr 14 (AP) Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels detonated a mine in Sri Lanka's restive northeast Friday, wounding at least five people, including two soldiers, the military said. The soldiers were traveling in a truck distributing lunch for troops manning checkpoints in Trincomalee area when the Claymore mine exploded, more..

Apr 14 (AP) Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels today appeared headed for a conflict over when to hold the next round of their Geneva peace talks. The separatist Tamil Tigers have sought a postponement of the three-days talks scheduled to start next Wednesday, saying they must hold a crucial meeting of their top leaders in Sri Lanka before attending the negotiations in Switzerland. more..

Apr 14 (RNW) On a typical balmy evening in the old fort town of Galle on Sri Lanka's south coast, as the waves wash against the walls of the fort, families sit in the grass along the parapet and watch teenagers play street cricket, a game they learned from the British. Many of these people have Portuguese names, but they speak Tamil and Sinhalese. more..

Apr 14 (LBO) Sri Lanka's ageing fireworks industry has little to cheer this festive season, with sky-high raw material costs and labour shortages crimping production, industry watchers say. While the absence of stringent standards puts product quality in a poor light, the industry is also battling unlicensed manufacturers and accusations that they use children in some stages of manufacture. more..

Apr 14 (BBC) Sri Lankan officials and Tamil Tiger rebels are expected to meet in Geneva later this month for a second round of talks on their ceasefire agreement. The planned meeting is under the shadow of violence which has risen in recent days in northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka. It also follows a decision by Canada to outlaw Tamil Tiger rebels in that country. more..

Apr 14 (Reuters) Sri Lanka said on Friday it had agreed new dates for talks with the LTTE rebels, a day after a rebel request for a postponement, as fresh violence killed a civilian. "The dates agreed on are the 24th and 25th of April," Palitha Kohona, the head of the government peace secretariat, told Reuters. more..

Apr 15 (AT) In Sri Lanka, while Sinhalese and Tamils celebrate Sinhala and Tamil New Year, Christians here joins their counterparts spread all over the world in observing Good Friday, commemorating the death of Christ on the Cross. It is a strange coincidence to fall both on the same day and while Sinhala and Hindu New Year symbolize happiness Good Friday symbolizes agony and the pain on the cross. more..

Apr 15 (TV) Sitting on the bank of the island’s longest river, the historic mountain capital of Sri Lanka, Kandy, has one truly 5-Star experience set amongst some of the world’s most culturally rich and historically diverse environments. Living in the Gulf, it is often easy to forget about a summer season where the temperature stops rising, before the top of the thermometer explodes, more..

Apr 15 (AT) For many, man’s first successful attempt to reach the skies is attributed to the Wright brothers in 1903.Nonetheless; it was actually 120 years before that historical flight, in 1783 that the Montgolfier brothers of France first took to the heavens in a hot air balloon. more..

Apr 15 (AT) The trial of two Sri Lankans involved in organised crime in Norway will begin next week in Oslo. Among the charges against them is bribing a Norwegian police officer to steal passports. The police man has pleaded guilty to stealing nine passports. more..

Apr 15 (PTI) THERE are indeed dog days for the canine population of the city. A dog biting a man may not make news but when more than 7,000 stray dogs were sterilised in a short span of three months as part of birth control programme to control their number, certainly brought relief to residents. more..

Apr 15 (TN) Accusing the Sri Lanka Government of imposing impractical conditions as part of a deliberate attempt to force LTTE to withdraw from talks, S.P.Thamilchelvan said that recent one-sided actions by some members of the International community have encouraged Sri Lankan state to adopt a hardline stance and Sinhala extremists to unleash violence against Tamil community. more..

Apr 15 (SLA) An LTTE terrorist’s attempt to blast two more claymore mines targeting troops in OMANTHAI area VAVUNIYA with the help of two more LTTE men was foiled by alert troops on Friday (14) evening around 9.20 p.m. Troops after observing a suspicious movement of those men closer to OMANTHAI Maha Vidyalaya approached them but two of those LTTE men began to runaway after firing a couple of shots at approaching troops. more..

Apr 15 (SLA) Troops clearing the main supply route from WELIKANDA to BATTICALOA today (15) around 9.00 am recovered two more powerful claymore mines placed on the road side closer to 11th Mile Post SATHURUKONDAN and prevented another LTTE planted criminal act against the members of the Security Forces and Police. more..

Apr 15 (SLA) LTTE political violence that go on unabated claimed seriously injured one more rival political activist. When LTTE pistol men shot and injured one more EPDP activist at URANI, BATTICALOA around 6.00 p.m. on Friday. The EPDP activist was on his push bicycle when LTTE pistol men shot him at close range and ran away. more..

Apr 15 (SLA) Troops serving the general areas of MADUVIL, MEESALAI South and CHAVAKACHCHERI came under three separate LTTE grenade and fire attack within a mater of two and half hours between 4.30 - 7.15 p.m. on Friday. Troops did not suffer injuries or damages. The SLMM was informed of all these violations.

Apr 15 (SLA) Sri Lanka Navy imposed two new "rules" when the LTTE Commanders were preparing to board the civilian ferry facilitated by the SLMM, LTTE Political Head S.P.Thamilchelvan writes in an urgent letter to Major General Ulf Henricsson, Head of the scandinavian truce monitors Saturday. more..

Apr 15 (TN) The LTTE had only agreed to transportation in "civilian vessel" and the arrangement, as promised by the new Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, was to be an "exclusive and extra-ordinary SLMM arrangement." Further, the LTTE had repeatedly made it clear that there could be no SLN escort or interference in the civil transportation. more..

Apr 15 (TW) The talks scheduled for April in Geneva between the GOSL and the LTTE, is being preceded by violence- which was quite predictable, the usual threats and counter threats, demands, accusations and denials, and very little besides. The LTTE is yet talking about the so-called paramilitary groups and its own security concerns, but has not spelt out an agenda that addresses the immediate and long-term concerns of the Tamils. more..

Apr 15 (TW) The euphoria generated in Geneva in February predictably came under siege from the twin evils of pseudo-patriotism and religious fanaticsm. Both extremes intensely resist any power-sharing arrangements with the Tamils—ironically, the only consistent feature in Sri Lankan politics across Sinhala party lines since 1956. more..

Apr 15 (TW) Mr. Bandu de Silva, who has written an article, solely on Radhika Coomaraswamy and the Children of War (A), was along with several others of our cherished foreign service all people I had held in high esteem, several of whom indeed worked together with me on some of our most creative UN Programmes of years gone by now. more..

Apr 15 (TW) With uncertainty continuing to hang over the future of the peace process, there is a great deal of frustration with it. What was seen in 2002 as a textbook model of conflict resolution is now seen as drifting, at best, and as heading towards renewed war, at worst. more..

Apr 15 (TW) Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan designated as ‘the greatest Ceylonese of all times’ by D. S. Senanayake, the first Prime Minister of independent Ceylon, was born on 15th April 1851, and passed away on 30th November 1930. He dominated the public life of this country like a colossus for well over 50 years during the last quarter of the 19th century, more..

Apr 15 (WSWS) A report released in February documented the appalling conditions facing many thousands of Sri Lankan children who have been institutionalised in government and privately-run homes. The report, entitled “Home Truths—Children’s Rights in Institutional Care in Sri Lanka”, was compiled by the organisation Save the Children, with support from the Canadian International Development Agency. more..

Apr 15 (WSWS) Canada’s Conservative government announced Monday that it has proscribed the LTTE under the country’s draconian anti-terrorist laws. Henceforth, anyone who knowingly provides financial support to the LTTE could be jailed for up to 10 years, while persons who fundraise or otherwise “facilitate” the work of the LTTE face 14 years’ imprisonment. more..

Apr 15 (DN) The only means to achieve prosperity is by not being divided politically, but instead by working together as one people within a single country, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in his New Year message. His message: "I send my greetings to you and all members of your family with the wish that the New Year that has dawned will be one of peace, success, satisfaction and prosperity. more..

Apr 15 (AP) Sri Lankans celebrated their island country's traditional New Year on Friday, but the generally elaborate festivities were subdued this year due to violence that has left at least 40 dead this week. "With so many people dying, we are very sad," said Sumana Gamage, a homemaker in Colombo. "We are mainly doing religious observance, but less festivities." more..

Apr 15 (GN) The LTTE has unilaterally decided to abort the sea movement for 32 of its leaders to meet for consultation prior to the forthcoming Geneva talks, despite all efforts of the GOSL to facilitate this sea movement. The GOSL in response to a request by the LTTE to transport for 32 of its Leaders from the East to meet the leadership in Kilinochchi, proposed a sea movement and offered the use of a Sri Lanka Navy Ferry for this purpose. The LTTE were not agreeable to this offer. more..

Apr 15 (LeN) One hundred and fifty nine persons sought hospital treatment following injuries sustained in New Year celebrations, Director of the Accident Ward of the Colombo National Hospital, Dr Anil Jayasinghe told 'Lanka e News.' Nearly half of them had been injured in road accidents. The remainder was caused by domestic accidents and acts of violence. more..

Apr 15 (HT) Sri Lanka on Saturday went back to Indian Standard Time (GMT plus 5.30 hours) after a gap of ten years. Among the chief reasons cited for the change are synchronisation with India and maximum use of daylight. The changeover took place at 12.00 am on April 15. April 14 night-April 15 morning was chosen because it coincides with the auspicious Sinhala and Tamil New Year. more..

Apr 15 (Reuters) President Mahinda Rajapakse (R) looks at his wristwatch as family members surround him during the Sinhala Hindu New Year festival at his personal residence in Tangalle, more..

Apr 15 (CI) Ashley Mallett, the former Australia offspinner, has been hired as a consultant spin coach for Sri Lanka. Mallet is the third foreign expert to be hired by Sri Lanka following the appointments of the Australian Tom Moody as coach and the Zimbabwean Trevor Penney as assistant coach. more..

Apr 15 (ID) When the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, an outspoken critic of LTTE, was assassinated on Aug 12, 2005, it was ascribed to the LTTE almost near unanimously. This surmise was based upon LTTE's past record of killings. In the case of Kathirgamar, this suspicion is well founded because LTTE's had always called him a 'Traitor' who had forsaken his Tamil roots and 'defected' to the ranks of Sinhala chauvinists. more..

Apr 15 (HT) The LTTE's political wing leader, SP Tamilselvan, said on Saturday, that there was a question mark over his organisation's decision to go for the second round of peace talks with the Sri Lankan government, scheduled to be held in Geneva on April 24 and 25. more..

Apr 15 (Reuters) Sri Lanka faces the spectre of worsening violence and neither government nor Tamil Tiger rebels have shown commitment to peace talks, the head of the international truce monitoring team said on Saturday. The Nordic-staffed unarmed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), tasked with monitoring a strained 2002 truce, more..

Apr 15 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's army said on Saturday it had foiled a suspected Tamil Tiger rebel ambush hours after the two sides agreed new dates for talks on saving the fragile four-year truce. A week-long surge of violence abated somewhat after the rebels recommitted themselves on Thursday to talks in Geneva in late April. more..