Mar 19 (TW) Echoes of the Geneva talks still reverberate. Many analysts suggest that the Geneva talks are a victory for peace. Despite having pledged a tough stance against the LTTE and even the peace process, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Government could not avoid negotiation on the CFA with the LTTE. more..

Mar 19 (TW) The yellow banners hanging from each and every lamp post in Jaffna town were full of irony. Light shines in darkness, they read in Tamil. There was a picture of a flickering flame as well. The insurance company that had set them up would probably not have thought too much about the wording when it entered as the sponsor of the 100th annual encounter between St John's and Jaffna Central. more..

Mar 19 (BBC) The Election commissioner Dayananda Disanayaka has decided that at the forthcoming local government elections all voters will need to prove there identity before voting. In addition to the national identity card a number of other documents could be used for proving identification. more..

Mar 19 (AT) Sri Lankan Tamils have traditionally been law abiding citizens; their innate conservatism and deep seated respect for authority meant that they were slow to oppose the establishment, even when it acted in a manifestly unfree and unfair manner. more..

Mar 19 (AT) Danish media is the latest to expose the strong-arm tactics of the LTTE used against Tamils in Europe. Denmark's national media organizations have began to expose the activities of the militant organization on a regular basis. Latest exposure has focused on the latest acquisition of control over the management and running of the only Hindu temple in Denmark more..

Mar 19 (LeN) 'Lanka e News' has reliably learnt that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has informed Sports Minister Jeevan Kumaratuna to resign from his portfolio. The President's decision comes in the wake of recent media exposures of a multi million rupee job racket carried out an office in the Ministry, where youths have been sent for jobs to Alaska, USA using forged visas. more..

Mar 19 (LeN) Sashendra Rajapaksa, son of Agricultural Development Minister Chamal Rajapaksa was elected uncontested as the new Basnayake Nilame of the Ruhunu Kataragama Devala. The new Nilame is a nephew of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. more..

Mar 19 (LeN) The Jathika Hela Urumaya says that Norway should totally withdraw from the peace process instead of peace envoy Eric Solheim assigning some of his tasks to another Norwegian representative. Sri Lanka itself should resolve the ethnic problem as it an internal problem of the country, JHU media spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said more..

Mar 19 (LeN) Norwegian embassy sources say that Oslo Norway has expressed concern over the ambiguity of the Sri Lankan government's stand in the peace bid to find a solution to Sri Lanka's ethnic issue. The conduct of the government during an after the Geneva talks has indicated that it lacks clear-cut policy on the ethnic issue and the decision of the main government ally, the JVP to more..

Mar 19 (WS) Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) unions have expressed fear of a possible underhand move by certain bureaucrats and politicians to bestow several hydro power projects to the private sector merely for possible monetary gain. Convener of the CEB trade union collective Ananda Nimalaratne made this allegation reacting to more..

Mar 19 (WS) The ‘step motherly’ attitude meted out to the Muslim community is likely to continue even at next month’s peace talks in Geneva with both the Government and the LTTE still not approving the participation of a separate Muslim delegation. more..

Mar 19 (WS) Too often Graduates are at the receiving end of comments made by Sri Lanka’s corporate community as to their inability to fit into the corporate work environment. Their attitude to work, their lack of English language skills, their body language, their dress sense etc are all frowned upon. more..

Mar 19 (WS) Sri Lanka Telecom has begun migrating customers to the new SEA-ME-WE 4 fibre optic submarine cable commissioned recently that provides increased bandwidth, higher speeds and more reliability and could lead to lower charges. When the cable runs at full capacity, it will have a speed of 1.28 terabytes per second, more..

Mar 19 (LT) President Mahinda Rajapakse visited Nuwaraeliya to open several development projects. He met people living in the estate sector and discussed their problems. The people apprised the President of the non payment of ‘Samurdhi’ allowance, Mid-day meal for school children and the spread of illegal liquor production and distribution in the estate sector. more..

Mar 19 (LT) President Mahinda Rajapakse met representatives of political parties that don’t represent Parliament to apprise them of the agreements reached at Geneva talks. He said he would never betray the country and would strive to achieve an honourable peace. more..

Mar 19 (HRW) The LTTE has lost humanity and so are the Tamils who support them. The LTTE killing spree of the Muslims restarted in the Esat. They (LTTE and their stooges) will justify the killings of the Muslims as members of Jihad or paramilitaries as they look a threat to their "Tamil" eelam!. more..

Mar 19 (TP) The government said yesterday that it was increasing the tax on imported rice to 20 rupees per kilo from nine rupees with immediate effect. A statement said the decision followed submissions by Agriculture Development Ministry officials at the Inter Ministerial Coordination Committee meeting which represents 18 ministries. more..

Mar 19 (UNI) Lanka's Supreme Court Judge Justice Nihal Jayasinghe today stressed on the need for an Asian Human Rights Charter. Addressing the convocation ceremony of the third and fourth batches of the post graduate diploma in Human Rights at the Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK)--a Dehradun based NGO, more..

Mar 19 (TN) Three hundred officers newly recruited for Thamileelam Police started training on Saturday in Vanni. The recruits, under the coaching of Police Trainer S. Thamilarasan, were the second unit to be trained in 2006, said T. Kanahan, the head of administration of the Police. more..

Mar 19 (SLA) Some villagers at VAKANERI in the BATTICALOA district who left their residences in fear of LTTE threat and harassments have reached the MEEYANKULAM Army detachment on POLONNARUWA – BATTICALOA Main Supply Route seeking protection from the troops on Friday (18) around 9.00 a.m. more..

Mar 19 (LBO) A prominent parliamentarian representing the minority Tamil community had branded a controversial government decision to tax television programs imported for the entertainment of minority communities as discriminatory. "It is absurd and discriminatory," said N Raviraj member for the Jaffna district representing the Tamil National Alliance. more..

Mar 19 (LT) Government’s responsibility is to raise local productions says President Mahinda Rajapakse. On this basis the price of flour was increased to keep the price of rice stable said the President. In launching the second stage of ‘Maga Neguma’ at Nuwaraeliya today President Rajapakse said when he met the workers of the estate sector the day before he asked them to consume rice products and give up products from wheat flour. more..

Mar 19 (ANN) At a time Human Rights Watch reported in detail how the LTTE subjects Sri Lankan Tamils living in the United Kingdom, Canada and other Western countries to intimidation, extortion and even violence to ensure a steady flow of funds for their "operations" in Sri Lanka, Lord Naseby of the House of Lords said last week that the British government is not doing enough to ensure that the ban on the LTTE is properly implemented. more..

Mar 19 (ANN) "We are a voice for the voiceless in South Asia," said former Prime Minister of India, I. K. Gujral, the Chairperson of South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) in Colombo last week. As a regional non-governmental organisation, SAHR focus primarily on fostering the concept of multiple South Asian identities through more..

Mar 19 (PIS) Two Tamil youth living in Denmark appearing on the Danish national television channel DR TV last Sunday, spoke out against the LTTE’s fund raising activities there, claiming the group would often obtain funds forcibly by means of intimidation, coercion, and outright threats. more..

Mar 19 (TN) President Mahinda Rajapakse is considering a national government or a snap general election to move the peace process forward, The Sunday Leader newspaper reported this week, adding a final decision on the two options is to be taken by Rajapakse after the local authority polls on March 30. This entails a tieup between Rajapakse’s SLFP and the main opposition UNP. more..

Mar 19 (LNP) The LTTE has informed the government through the Norwegian peace brokers that it intends to reopen political offices, which were shut down during a surge in violence late last year. The LTTE`s intention was conveyed during a meeting with Norwegian ambassador Hans Brattskar and SLMM chief Hagrup Haukland on Thursday. more..

Mar 19 (LNP) Scandinavian ceasefire monitors have begun preparing a report card on how the parties fare in implementing promises made during last months` talks in Geneva, the chief monitor said yesterday. Of the 50 incidents recorded so far, at least 35 were against the LTTE and involved child recruitment cases, SLMM Chief Hagrup Haukland told The Sunday Times. more..

Mar 19 (LNP) The next round of talks between the government and the LTTE will not take place at the Chateau de Bossy, officials said. Among the reasons for moving out of the chateau was that the venue has already been booked for the April 19-21 period, officials involved in the peace process said on condition of anonymity. more..

Mar 19 (SAMN) It won’t be Venice, but over the coming months Colombo’s canals will come alive to the sounds of water transport. The boats are ready and infrastructure work has commenced. “The plan is to make the city more environmentally-friendly and get commuters to work, and offer eco-tours to the natural wetlands,” more..

Mar 19 (SAMN) The UNP will conduct a minor polls campaign in the LTTE-held Mullaitivu. Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena is expected to visit Mullaitivu where the main opposition party is contesting two pradeshiya sabhas. Jayawar-dana, in charge of their campaign in Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaitivu said he would address small gatherings in Mullaitivu. more..

Mar 19 (SAMN) The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), on Friday filed action against a director of Nawaloka Hospitals, his wife (both chartered accountants) and their daughter for insider dealing, an offence if found guilty could result in a jail term of up to five years. more..

Mar 19 (SO) President Mahinda Rajapakse yesterday pledged a better life for the estate community through by the uplift of living standards and by improving basic facilities such as roads, transport, health and education in the estate sector. President Rajapakse in his first one to one meeting with the estate community in Hatton and Dickoya assured that all the problems faced by them will be resolved soon. more..

Mar 19 (CI) A superior medium-pace attack, and depth in batting allowed Pakistan to prevail in a low-scoring joust at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Choosing to field first on a sluggish pitch, Inzamam-ul-Haq's men skittled Sri Lanka for a paltry 130 before huffing and puffing to a four-wicket win. more..

Mar 19 (AFP) Sri Lankan firms have shelved plans to raise capital through new share issues after a four-year-old truce was pushed to near breaking point with an upsurge in ethnic bloodshed, analysts say. The tiny stock market was one of the world's best gainers with a 72 percent annual rise -- until November presidential elections saw Mahinda Rajapakse take the leadership with Marxists and hardline monks supporting him. more..

Mar 19 (Xinhua) Sri Lanka's Army chief says that the military's support for the government's peace initiatives was not due to any fear of the Tamil Tiger rebels. Addressing his troops in the northern town of Vavuniya on Friday, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Sarath Fonseka said that the Army's policy is the same as the government policy. more..

Mar 19 (AP) Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels have abducted two teenagers in troubled eastern Sri Lanka, the military said Sunday.The Tigers have been blamed in the past for abducting young people and using them as fighters. The alleged abduction of ethnic Tamils Sinnatambi Tangaraja, 16, and Sinnaiah Rameshwaran, 18, took place in a rebel-controlled part of Batticaloa district, more..

Mar 19 (AFP) Tamil Tiger rebels have renewed allegations that Sri Lanka has failed to disarm paramilitary units, and raised fresh doubts over the status of peace talks planned in Switzerland next month. The LTTE in a message posted on their website accused Colombo of going back on a pledge to neutralise the units in line with an agreement reached last month. more..

Mar 20 (TN) Four students, three Tamil and one Burgher, drowned in the Trincomalee Dutch Bay Sea around noon on Sunday caught in the under current while they were spending an afternoon with friends. The bodies of the dead are lying in the mortuary of the Trincomalee general hospital, hospital sources said. more..

Mar 20 (AT) The Association of Live Tropical Fish Exporters say that they have lost over 75 million of rupees during the last four weeks, due to the non availability of air cargo spaces for their commodities in the international airlines. The industry does not need any foreign investment, but earns millions of dollars through the exports of ornamental fish and aquatic plants. more..

Mar 20 (AT) Thaha M.Muzami, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum while chiding the ulterior motives behind the chicanery of Kingsley Rodrigo and his People's Action for Free and Fair Elections' (PAFFREL) recent statement claiming about the existence of Muslim armed groups has also raised doubts whether more..

Mar 20 (TW) President Rajapakse’s recent comments on the British-model of power devolution have provoked a healthy debate. He has vaguely expressed his willingness to follow the British way to pacify separatism within a unitary setup. Interestingly, many commentators from both sides have responded negatively. more..

Mar 20 (TW) Editor, The Sunday Leader, Lasantha Wickrematunge last week told the CID that it is the JVP which had compromised national security and not the newspaper. The CID recorded the Editor's statement following a directive by IGP Chandra Fernando that the newspaper had published two articles compromising national security and the peace process. more..

Mar 20 (TW) Radhika Coomaraswamy erstwhile rapporteur on abuses of women in war, has now been given charge of child combatants. A person whom, if I may say so, I had known for three generations — her grandfather, along with the late E. W. Kannangara being my first wonderful boss while in Service here; her father Raju and I later as colleagues. more..

Mar 20 (LT) Casting postal votes for the forthcoming local government election will commence today (20). Elections commissioner’s office says that application for postal votes can cast their votes today (20) and tomorrow (21). This office announced that postal voting will take place in local government bodies throughout the country except in 22 of them. more..

Mar 20 (LT) The new head of the ceasefire Monitoring Mission Ulf Henrickson is reported ready to compile and release a report on details about Geneva talks. This report will be released to coincide with the next round of talks between the government and the LTTE. SLMM says that this report is being compiled now well in advance of the next round of talks scheduled for 19th and 21st of next month. more..

Mar 20 (LT) A protest campaign was held at Panadura today against the attack on a group of JVP supporters who were engaged in propaganda work in the town. A large number of people including Mr. Piyasiri Wijenayake, JVP Parliamentarian for Kalutara Distict took part in the protest campaign. more..

Mar 20 (AT) Erik Solheim has informed the Government of Sri Lanka that the LTTE has conveyed about attacks against their cadres are continuing and so far the Sri Lanka Government has failed to take any appropriate action, as agreed in the last talks held in Geneva, to disarm Karuna’s group in the East. more..

Mar 20 (ANN) It is widely claimed that the government has not treated the Muslim Tsunami victims fairly. According to statistics maintained by the TAFREN not a single house has been constructed during the last one year to resettle those Muslim tsunami victims within the 200 metre area from the sea in the Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee Districts in the Eastern Province. more..

Mar 20 (BBC) Tamil parliamentarians in Sri Lanka have once again urged the authorities to put off the local government elections in the troubled northern and the eastern districts. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said the free and fair elections cannot be held in the districts mainly because of the “paramilitary activities”. more..