Apr 21 (AFP) Two more mines exploded in Sri Lanka, killing a policeman and wounding five others, police said. The attacks came as Norway launched a fresh bid to save the island's tottering peace process. Police said one attack, at Seerunuwara village in Trincomalee, happened as they were searching for landmines. more..

Apr 21 (BBC) The Sri Lankan government has been urged to protect human rights of Internally Displaced People (IDP) due to the establishment of High Security Zones (HSZ) in Jaffna. The chief government administrator in Jaffna has recommended resettling the IDPs after consultations with the security forces. more..

Apr 21 (HT) Chances of the second round of peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE brightened on Friday, with indications that the LTTE may accept the government's latest offer on the transport issue. Informed Tamil sources told Hindustan Times that the LTTE might accept the government's offer of a large helicopter to transport its senior commanders from the East to the North, more..

Apr 22 (PTI) Aimed at tapping the swelling number of air travellers from India, Sri Lanka Airlines would introduce two weekly flights to Goa, its 10th destination in the country, starting this November. "We have three main markets in this region, India, India and India. This is the kind of importance we attach to India. more..

Apr 22 (ISL) Senkathir and Newton were Tiger activists who have served the terror movement for years. Senkathir came from a socially challenged community from Karaveddy in North Sri Lanka. Generations of his people were humiliated by the high caste Vellalas of the area. They were never allowed into the homes of the Tamil supercaste, more..

Apr 22 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's government said on Friday it was exercising "extreme restraint" by not retaliating against a wave of attacks it blames on Tamil Tigers rebels, and held out hope peace talks could take place as planned next week. The Tigers said on Thursday they would not attend the negotiations in Geneva set for April 24-25 more..

Apr 22 (WS) Questions have arisen as to whether last week’s violence in Trincomalee was the work of an ‘organised group’. The incidents which took place on April 12, 14 and 15, saw some 60 houses all belonging to Tamils gutted, between 30 to 35 business establishments burnt (one of which belonged to a Muslim and the rest to Tamils) and more than 300 Tamil families displaced. more..

Apr 22 (WS) When New Year celebrations were being held on a mammoth scale countrywide, our politicians too parted from the Colombo political battlefield and went to villages in search of New Year celebrations. But one thing was challenging both the political fever and the New Year festivities. That was the growing number of terrorist acts in the North and East and specially in the targeted Trincomalee. more..

Apr 22 (WS) More than sixty percent of the low income mothers who had been recommended by doctors to receive the nutritional supplement, Thriposha had failed to obtain the product in 2004 as the programme did not produce the required quantity, an audit report reveals. According to the report only 4,465 MT of Thriposha out of required 10,440 MT was produced more..

Apr 22 (WS) The Police Special Task Force platoon arrested over the deaths of five youths in Trincomalee on January 2 are likely to be released soon as the Government Analyst’s Department has concluded that none of the bullets found in the bodies of the victims had been fired by the guns issued to them. more..

Apr 22 (AT) The government of German Federal Republic donates a research vessel worth Rs. 250 billion to Sri Lanka to conduct oceanic graphic researches in the Indian ocean. The ministry of fisheries says the donation took place when minister Felix Perera met with Director of German Federal Navigation and Oceanic Graphic Institute, recently. more..

Apr 22 (AT) Raising alarms of an imminent war the Jaffna District Civil Societies Union (JDCSU), one of the many proxy organizations of the LTTE, has issued a warning to the people of Jaffna to leave the peninsula immediately and settle down in Vanni for their safety and security. more..

Apr 22 (AT) The Gem and Jewellery Research and Training Institute [GJRTI] plans to provide self employment and jobs for rural jobless youth under the concept introduce by the President. Mr.Asoka Jayawardana , Chairman of the institute said that their plan is to train over 1000 youth this year as gem cutters, polishers, more..

Apr 22 (LBO) Sri Lanka's apparel industry has regained some ground against stiff competition from China and India, as benefits bilateral trade pacts kick in, a year after export quotas were lifted, industry officials said Friday. For the twelve months to February, Sri Lanka shipped 244.9 million dollars worth of clothes – a rise of 10 percent more..

Apr 22 (TN) Several hundred Muslims Friday held demonstrations in Kalmunaikudi, Maruthamunai, Sammanthurai and Ninthavur in the Amparai district after Jumma prayers against Mr. Kingsley Rodrigo, Chairman of the People Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) for making a statement that armed groups are functioning in the Muslim community. more..

Apr 22 (TN) Tamil Rehabilitation (TRO) and Lanka Evangelical Alliance Development Service (LEADS) Friday distributed one hundred thousand rupees worth food and household materials to affected traders whose businesses in the bazaar of east port city were affected by violence on April 12 evening following a bomb explosion. more..

Apr 22 (SLA) A state bus carrying passengers towards KANNIYA, TRINCOMALEE came under an LTTE claymore mine attack near ANURADHAPURA junction at about 4.00 p.m. Friday (21) evening inflicting injuries to the bus driver. This remote-controlled 3rd claymore mine attack within the first half of Friday (21) more..

Apr 22 (wsws) Just a week after last month’s one-day public sector strike, President Mahinda Rajapakse recruited 21 union leaders to fill newly-created posts of trade union coordinating secretaries in key government ministries. Their job description includes an explicit reference to needing to “protect the government”—in other words, in the first instance, to undermine and sabotage the campaign for substantial pay increases. more..

Apr 22 (WS) The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL) has declared that no Muslim should participate as a representative of the Government delegation at any future talks between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE. A resolution in this regard was adopted recently at a symposium held in Addalachchenai attended by more than 240 Trustees and Theologians of Mosques, more..

Apr 22 (WS) Had he lived, Chanaka Amaratunga would have been 48 on April 19th. Looking through Liberal Perspectives, the handsome volume that contains several of his otherwise unpublished writings, I was reminded again of how much has been lost to us by his untimely death. more..

Apr 22 (TW) Discussions are ongoing on the transport modalities for LTTE Eastern leaders to travel to Kilinochchi for consultations with the LTTE leadership prior to the next round of negotiations in Geneva. The LTTE had indicated a need for a meeting with its Eastern leaders in preparation for the second round of talks. more..

Apr 22 (TW) President Mahinda Rajapaksa's approach to the crisis in the peace process has won him many plaudits, even from those who once criticised his election-winning Sinhalese nationalist campaign for the presidency. He has been restrained in dealing with the LTTE and he has tried to bring about as wide a Sinhalese consensus as possible on the ethnic conflict. more..

Apr 22 (TW) Another beautiful but troubled island nation, Sri Lanka, devastated by the tsunami but already hugely damaged by the stop-go civil war between the government and the rebel Tamil Tigers, a brutal conflict that's left more than 60,000 dead. In recent years, a fragile cease-fire put a clamp on what had been open hostility. more..

Apr 22 (TW) The local government election results demonstrated that the JVP's claims to popularity were exaggerated, while the JHU is really of no political importance. Paradoxically, this puts Mahinda Rajapakse under even greater pressure than before to deliver on his promise of peace. If he fails, the blame cannot be put on his allies. more..

Apr 22 (CI) The Sri Lankan tourists are braced for a pace onslaught in England's unfamiliar early-season conditions, after arriving in the country for the start of their ten-week tour. After a two-week break to recharge their batteries, the coach, Tom Moody, and the captain, Mahela Jayawardene, fronted up to the press just hours after arriving at their team hotel near Lord's. more..

Apr 22 (LeN) A home-guard was killed and a policeman was injured when an armed LTTE group opened fire at army personnel conducting a search operation along the 58th colony road at Dehiwatta, Serunuwara, Trincomalee. When troops returned fire the LTTE cadres had fled. more..

Apr 22 (LeN) Three hundred families who are unable to return to their homes in the aftermath of the tension resulting from the Trincomalee market place bomb explosion are still being sheltered at 5 Tamil schools in Trincomalee. They are housed at Puwarankadi (Rajawaram), Ambuwallipuram and Kappalturai Tamil Schools more..

Apr 22 (ISL) The British Citizen Sivananthan Sivakaran and his brother have been released following payment of ransom of Sri Lankan Rupees 500,000 to the LTTE. The two brothers landed in the UK on 20 April 2006. It was reported that the LTTE had taken the two brothers into captivity when they were proceeding to Jaffna to visit their parents. more..

Apr 22 (ISL) In a specially filed documentary shown in the Channel 4 television on 22 April 2006 at 7.45 pm on the confrontational situation prevailing in Sri Lanka the LTTE had made its every effort to put its case in the manner it is best at projecting. The document went on for about half an hour. The reporter gave a fair coverage by meeting the Sinhalese, Tamils and the Muslims. more..

Apr 22 (LNP) The UNP yesterday said the lack of consistency among the government allies on the peace process triggered the LTTE`s decision to pull out from next week`s talks in Geneva. Party stalwart Jayalath Jayawardane told the Daily Mirror that diverse opinions were raised at the recent All Party Conference by the JVP and the JHU more..

Apr 22 (LNP) Incidents of child abuse and intimidation are on a steep rise. This was revealed by Gampaha SSP Shantha Rajapakse, said at a workshop on protecting and promoting child rights, conducted by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka at the Divisional Secretariat Mahara recently. more..

Apr 22 (LNP) The Faculty of Arts, of the University of Colombo will reopen on Monday (24). It was closed due to a student clash, Vice Chancellor of the University Professor Tilak Hettiarachchi said. This decision was taken by the University Senate at its last meeting, he said. more..

Apr 22 (SAMN) The government Friday shot down Opposition allegations that President Mahinda Rajapakse violated the Constitution by appointing members to the two Independent Commissions and insisted it was done in “good faith.” Rebuffing charges that the President had acted in a dictatorial manner, government spokesman and Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said more..

Apr 22 ((PTI) China today praised Sri Lanka for supporting its "core interests" in issues like Taiwan and Tibet and promised to support Colombo in safeguarding its territorial integrity. At a meeting with Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference, more..

Apr 22 (SAMN) Following the shocking discovery at the Magazine prison where a special ‘jail house’ had been run for selected remand prisoners, Justice Minister Amarasiri Dodangoda has now directed strict supervision of prisoners who have to be sent to hospital and no one should be sent to any hospital without a valid reason. more..

Apr 22 (SAMN) The University of Toronto in Canada has selected Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne (Founder & President) of the Sarvodaya Movement to receive the "Acharya Sushil Kumar International Peace Award" for 2005. During 2003, Prof. Joan Tolengy received the International Peace Award, while 2004, His Holiness Dalai Lama received the International Peace Award. more..

Apr 22 (IANS) A Singapore-based scholar has suggested an internationally backed South Asian intervention in Sri Lanka to end its unending ethnic conflict. "It is time the rest of the world took Sri Lanka seriously," Michael Vatikiotis of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore said in an opinion piece in the International Herald Tribune. more..

Apr 22 (AP) The Sri Lankan government has condemned Tamil Tiger rebels for backing out of peace talks that had been scheduled to resume next week and for the guerrillas' alleged attacks on security forces. The rebels and government had been expected to meet April 24-25 in Geneva, more..

Apr 22 (AP) Gunmen fatally shot a Tamil woman Saturday, days after Tamil rebels pulled out of peace talks citing escalating attacks on civilians. Violence this month has claimed more than 59 lives - 36 of them soldiers and police. Thirty-nine were killed in a spate of mine attacks that European truce monitors blame mostly on the rebels, more..

Apr 22 (AP) Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels detonated a mine near a military patrol, killing one soldier, as gunmen fatally shot a Tamil woman Saturday, days after the rebels pulled out of peace talks citing escalating attacks on civilians. Saturday's mine explosion took place in Vavuniya, 210 kilometers (130 miles) north of the capital, Colombo, more..

Apr 22 (AP) Two Sri Lankan army soldiers, including an officer, were killed and six others injured Saturday in two mine explosions blamed on Tamil Tiger rebels, the military said. Also Saturday, unidentified gunmen fatally shot a Tamil woman and seriously wounded her husband, police said. Days earlier, the rebels pulled out of peace talks with the government, more..

Apr 22 (Reuters) Tamil Tigers rejected a deal on transport of their commanders on Saturday that could have allowed peace talks with the government to go ahead, as more violence raised fears of renewed civil war. Swedish Major-General Ulf Henricsson, who heads the monitoring mission that oversees a 2002 ceasefire, more..

Apr 22 (AFP) Norway's latest bid to save Sri Lanka's tottering peace process ended in failure as envoys returned empty-handed from rebel territory amid more deadly mine attacks, diplomats and officials said. Two Claymore fragmentation mines killed at least two security personnel and wounded five. more..

Apr 22 (TW) There is a sadness that comes in thinking of the days that are no more. That is the feeling I have when writing about Mrs. Bandaranaike, under whom I worked for seven crowded years from 1970 to 1977. Mrs. Bandaranaike, apart from being Prime Minister and Head of Government, was also the Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs and the Minister of Defence & Foreign Affairs. more..

Apr 22 (TW) Now that Chandrika Kumaranatunga has bowed herself out of office, it should be possible to make an objective study of her political career. It has, however, to be emphasized that, she made her exit with an ill grace. When his second term in office was drawing to a close, the late J.R. Jayawardena explored the possibility of going for a third. more..

Apr 22 (TW) Trincomalee known as “Thirukonamalai ” in Tamil and “Thrikanaamale” in Sinhala is a multi - ethnic and multi - religious town and region.This simple truth was vividly illustrated on Thursday April 20th when the newly elected Trinco urban council assumed office formally. more..

Apr 22 (TW) President Rajapaksa is generally believed to be free of racial bias, he alienated the Tamils, the larger number of whom died and suffered in the recent Trinco incidents, by unwisely choosing to visit only the home of the driver of the vehicle that was subject to the claymore mine attack. more..

Apr 23 (SLA) AN ARMY UNICORN VEHICLE carrying troops was bumped off by LTTE terrorists Saturday (22) evening around 5.30 p.m. between THANDIKULAM and KIDACHOLEI killing two soldiers and injuring four others. Unicorn was moving from THANDIKULAM, VAVUNIYA towards KIDACHOLEI when LTTE terrorists activated one more claymore mine. more..

Apr 23 (SLA) ONE ARMY OFFICER WAS KILLED and six other soldiers were injured when an Army vehicle was blown up in an LTTE claymore explosion at SINHAPURA, WELIKANDA today (22) 1.30 p.m. The vehicle was moving from WELIKANDA towards SINHAPURA when Tamil Tigers blasted it a few kilo meters away from WELIKANDA. more..

Apr 23 (SLA) ONE MORE SOLIDER DIED TODAY (22) at KALMADU in VAVUNIA when Tamil Tigers detonated a claymore mine on troops at about 10.00 a.m. Private S.A SARATH who was on piquet duties with fellow soldiers in the area was killed in the incident. The SLMM was informed about the incident. more..