May 1 (SLA) INSTANCES OF LTTE (TAMIL TIGERS) grenade attacks and other violent acts targeted at Security Forces and Civilians continue to occur unimpeded in the north and east of the country in the past 24 hours ending Monday (01) afternoon. Two villagers going for work in their paddy fields in NUGELANDA area, AMPARA were fired upon by LTTE gunmen more..

May 1 (SLA) LTTE TERRORISTS FOR THE FIRST TIME after the Cease-Fire Agreement (CFA) was signed mounted fierce simultaneous Artillery and Mortar attacks towards the Forward Defence Line (FDL) Army Camps at KOKKUTHUDUVAI and KOKILAI areas in WELIOYA during late hours on Sunday (30) creating a sense of fear and panic among the civilians in those fishing hamlets. more..

May 1 (SLA) BRUTAL & BARBARIC LTTE (Tamil Tigers) TERRORIST ATTACKS, now being directed both at unarmed Civilians and members of the Security Forces saw another spiral of destruction this morning (01st May 2006) near THALGASWEVA, BOGAS Junction area on PULMODAI road in WELIOYA, when LTTE armed men shot and killed two civilians and more..

May 1 (SLA) INTENSIFIED TAMIL TIGER (LTTE) TERRORISM Monday (01) morning at about 9.50 a.m. activated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the heart of TRINCOMLAEE town near SHANMUGAM Vidyalaya aiming Naval troops but the explosion killed four passengers in a three-wheeler and one Sailor of the Sri Lanka Navy. more..

May 1 (SLA) NAVAL CRAFT on escort duties this morning (01) at about 5.45 a.m. in the seas off SAMPOOR, TRINCOMALEE completely smashed one LTTE (Tamil Tigers) Fast Attack Craft (FAC) when a few terrorist craft surrounded the Naval craft and began striking at it with small arms fire. more..

May 1 (wsws) The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) condemns the government’s “appeal” to all political parties to cancel May Day rallies today. This attempt to stifle political activity on May 1, a day long associated with the historical struggles of the international working class, is directed towards suppressing any independent movement of workers, more..

May 1 (ISL) Considered a hawk and very likely to take a strong stand against the LTTE, Mahinda Rajapakse’s election as the President of Sri Lanka caused waves of concerns in certain circles not necessarily in Sri Lanka alone. Some bells of deep apprehension and discomfort must have been ringing down certain corridors of Washington in the US and Whitehall in the United Kingdom. more..

May 1 (ISL) The latest issue of the Scarborough Mirror carries a point of view by David Poopalapillai of the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), expressed through what appears to be a self-sought interview with the town’s tabloid journalist Mike Adler. CTC is but a rehash of the FACT (Federation of Associations of Ceylon Tamils) that went defunct. more..

May 1 (ISL) Recruiting children to the fighting cadres is utterly reprehensible. It is a crime against humanity. Despite global condemnation, carrying on regardless by throwing children on the frontlines the LTTE indicated that they are totally impervious to any kind of criticism. more..

May 1 (TW) Two camps of the Tamil Eelam Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal (TEMVP) and another camp of the Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF) were attacked by the LTTE in the early hours of morning on Sunday April 30th.The attack took place within the Kandankaadu GS division in Government controlled Polonnaruwa district. more..

May 1 (LeN) The debate about the numbers of persons displaced in the Mutur area has verged on the ridiculous. While eye witness accounts including the report from a civil society fact-finding team that was in Mutur on the 27th April attest to the fact that there are displaced persons in Mutur, should the debate really be more..

May 1 (LBO) It appears that lordships have been sold in the UK, again. Tony Blair, who criticized the Tories for selling honors, is on the back foot, trying to explain away the correlation between those who loaned large sums to the Labor Party and those who were appointed to the House of Lords. more..

May 1 (LBO) The claims of two different growth rates for Sri Lanka by two agencies have highlighted inherent shortcomings in the preparation of national income accounting and also added fuel to sceptics who do not believe economic growth numbers. more..

May 1 (AT) President Mahinda Rajapakse in his May Day message reflected the yearning of the workers of the country for Peace. He added that finding a solution to achieve sustainable peace will not be 'passed on to the next generation.' President pointed out the necessity to 'remain united,' to achieve a solution to bring about peace in the country. more..

May 1 (AT) The alleged attempt on the Sri Lankan Army Commander few days ago gripped the entire country in a frenzied war situation and an emerging fear psychosis and yet both sides of the divide apparently claimed satisfaction in attacking each other with government forces retaliated attacking in Trincomalee. more..

May 1 (AT) Following Karuna Group Special Commander Pillaiyan’s exposure in the March 23 Asian Tribune of the Norwegian blue print for a Tiger offensive in Trincomalee, further light has been thrown on the Wanni conspiracy to gain total control over the Eastern port town. more..

May 1 (AT) The Industrial Technology Institute [ITI] launched its first on-site office to assist construction activities of the Southern Expressway. The Southern Expressway is the second major construction project started by the Government of Sri Lanka after the accelerated Mahaweli project. more..

May 1 (WS) Defence authorities continued to be indecisive over plans of shifting the Army hospital situated at the Army headquarters complex in Colombo, despite Tuesday’s bomb blast which saw nine dead and more than twenty injured including Army Commander Lt. Gen Sarath Fonseka who continues to be treated at the Intensive Care Unit of the National Hospital. more..

May 1 (WS) Lack of leadership and strong direction at the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has resulted in the city being over burdened with many issues including the garbage problem, newly appointed Special Commissioner to the Council Omar Kamil said. more..

May 1 (WS) The week became more and more critical with the LTTE sending a woman suicide bomber to the Army Headquarters in Colombo to assassinate the Army Commander on the 25th of this month. Those who know about the gravity of the situation had even warned the authorities that an attack of this nature might have taken place. more..

May 1 (WS) The exemption of gold coin imports from value added tax (VAT) has raised fears that it could encourage the revival of a pyramid scam that drained much foreign exchange from the island, but government officials said the move was to fight smuggling. more..

May 1 (WS) The Government has agreed to give 600 teaching appointments for Muslims in the plantation sector, Kandy District Parliamentarian Fiazser Musthapha told the Weekend Standard. Accordingly Muslims who have obtained a Credit Pass for Islam in the Ordinary Level examination can apply for teacher posts. more..

May 1 (GN) The World Press Freedom Day - 2006 in Collaboration with UNESCO will be inaugurated today at 9. a.m. at the BMICH (committee Room - A). Mass Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa will be the Chief Guest. Foreign Affairs and Port and Aviation Minister Mangala Samaraweera will be the Guest of Honour. more..

May 1 (GN) Mahinda Chintana is a programme capable of eliminating poverty, unemployment and malnutrition in Sri Lanka, states the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP). Poverty, unemployment, malnutrition and bridging the gap between the haves and have nots are social problems common to many countries the more..

May 1 (GN) We, the leaders and representatives of the democratic political parties elected to the Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka through the free vote of the people, representing the Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and all other communities of our land, make this united appeal before all Sri Lankans who value peace and look forward to achieving it with dignity; more..

May 1 (TG) Fresh fighting erupted between Tamil Tiger rebels and government forces yesterday as refugees feared that all-out war in Sri Lanka could prevent them from returning home. Rebels of the LTTE fired artillery at two army positions in the eastern Trincomalee district and the soldiers retaliated, more..

May 1 (CI) The Sri Lankans certainly aren't having things all their own way as they prepare for the first Test against England, but decided to make a game of their warm-up clash against Derbyshire. After struggling to gain a foothold in their reply to Derbyshire's 219, they declared 53 behind. more..

May 1 (ANN) If a truce still exists between the Sri Lanka government and the separatist LTTE, it is only on paper. Last week, the government launched its first official military action against Tiger-held territory since the beginning of the ceasefire in 2002, after a suicide bombing in Colombo killed at least nine people and wounded the army chief. more..

May 1 (PIS) "WHY are the feminists and women's rights activists silent about the LTTE sending a pregnant woman to blow herself up to serve a military design?" is a question that some have been asking. Feminists and women''s rights activists have not come up with an answer yet, but there was one comment we read in a daily newspaper which obfuscates the issue. more..

May 1 (PIS) Despite the government criticizing the truce monitors’ statement on alleged “extrajudicial killings by the military” the monitors stuck to their position while a meeting between the Peace Secretariat head and the SLMM chief is scheduled for today. more..

May 1 (LNP) In a scathing attack on the SLMM, the JVP yesterday said that the truce monitors do not have any role to play in the country, as the LTTE has already turned the Cease-Fire Agreement (CFA) into a `document in tatters`. 'They might as well leave the country,' JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Wimal Weerawansa told the Daily Mirror. more..

May 1 (LNP) Following recent reports that many women working for several NGO`s and INGO`s an the post tsunami reconstruction and rehabilitation in Amparai and Batticaloa have been sexually abused and they were forced to pose nude for photographs, some front organisations of the LTTE issued threatening leaflets ordering these women to quit their jobs. more..

May 1 (LNP) Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake in his May Day message said May Day should not be politicised. The message: `Today is May Day, and it is with great pleasure that I express my greetings and salute the workers of the nation. It is they who contribute most to nation building and to development. more..

May 1 (SAMN) The NGO porn scandal took a new twist over the weekend when a young girl from Ampara committed suicide by hanging, after she allegedly appeared in a porn video, days after she was abducted and later released by unknown men. Samanthurai police said the body of the 23-year-old girl from Karaitivu, who was employed on a part time basis at an NGO in the area, was found on Friday, with a note in her hand, explaining the reason behind her move. more..

May 1 (SAMN) Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of its opposition party, participated in discussions at MIT's Centre for International Studies (CIS) on the politics of the Indian Ocean region and conflict resolution in general. Wickremesinghe, 57, is renowned for his pivotal role in negotiating a 2002 ceasefire with the LTTE . more..

May 1 (SAMN) The main Opposition UNP Sunday charged that the Government had mismanaged the public sector with no proper plans to create new jobs. It also accused the government for failing to solve the salary issue. In its May Day message, the UNP said the Government has not kept many of the pledges given to the people and is proving its incapability, in even saving the existing social benefits. more..

May 1 (DN) A special program has been launched by the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Marketing Development to undertake the milling process of paddy which they purchase from farmers. The Ministry would import necessary machinery for the mill owners to upgrade the paddy mills. more..

May 1 (RC) Sri Lanka's fairy tale journey in the Asian Zone RWC 2007 qualifying rounds continued at the Weekend when they defeated an out-of-sorts China team in Colombo, Sri Lanka by 30-0 on Saturday 29 April. Sri Lankan tails were up from the off and they established an early 7-0 lead when open side flanker Sean Wijesinghe scored, more..

May 1 (HT) The Anagarika Dharmapala, the famous Sri Lankan Buddhist leader who spearheaded a successful movement to revive Buddhism and Buddhist culture in his island country in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, had also urged the Hindus of India to return to Buddhism. more..

May 1 (Reuters) After a week in which Sri Lanka came to the brink of civil war faster than anyone thought possible, analysts and diplomats say that, while both sides say they want peace, rising violence could lead to open conflict. The government halted the air strikes on Tamil Tiger rebel areas that followed a suspected rebel suicide attack on the army headquarters, but attacks against troops continue. more..

May 1 (UT) It has been just a few weeks since Ahilan Nadarajah was freed from a San Diego immigration jail, and he is already calling his roommates “homeboys” and proclaiming “American Idol” and “America's Most Wanted” his favorite shows. The Sri Lankan, who learned some English from fellow inmates during 4½ years in detention, is eager to embrace all things American: more..

May 1 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's navy said it came under attack from the Tamil Tigers' sea wing on Monday and elsewhere at least seven were killed in violence blamed on the rebels amid rising fears of a return to civil war. The navy said five armed Sea Tiger boats, including two suicide craft, approached one of its vessels in waters off Trincomalee on the northeastern coast. more..

May 1 (AP) Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels detonated a bomb in a busy street in northeastern Sri Lanka on Monday, killing four members of a family and a navy officer, and adding to fears the country could fall back into civil war. The rebels also attacked a navy ship nearby, wounding at least five sailors, and gunned down two members of the country's majority ethnic Sinhalese community, authorities said. more..

May 1 (AFP) Tamil rebels have moved an unspecified number of fighters along the island's northeastern coast in defiance of a ban on sea transport, a pro-rebel website reported. The boats of the LTTE were closely followed by naval craft and came under attack late Sunday from Sri Lankan artillery on shore, the Tamilnet.com website said on Wednesday. more..

May 1 (AFP) Seven people were killed in blasts in Sri Lanka's northeast Monday after May Day rallies were cancelled over fear of attacks, officials said. Five of the victims -- four civilians and a sailor -- died in the port town of Trincomalee, 260 kilometres northeast of Colombo, a military official there said by telephone. more..

May 1 (IANS) Tamil Tiger guerrillas have developed a 'sophisticated' maritime network and they must now be looking for ways to meet the challenges of the latest global maritime security regimes, an Indian scholar says. Vijay Sakhuja, a former Indian Navy officer and now a senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, says that the LTTE 'has built up an impressive maritime infrastructure' and sharpened its maritime skills. more..

May 1 (BBC) Leftwing political parties and trade unions demonstrated in Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, to celebrate May Day despite a request by the government to stay away due to security reasons. But all major political parties stayed away as police endorsed government's request after a suicide bomb blast that seriously injured country’s most senior military commander. more..

May 1 (HT) At least 200 people have been killed in the bloodiest month since peace broker Norway arranged a truce four years ago but Sri Lanka's warring parties say their ceasefire is still holding -- just. Sri Lanka on Monday said it was committed to upholding the hugely strained ceasefire even as five more people were killed in the island's northeast in a Claymore mine attack authorities blamed on Tamil Tiger rebels. more..

May 2 (AP) Subedra pulled back the blanket covering his mother's bloody corpse and kissed her face, wailing in grief. Elsewhere in the morgue lay his two children and a cousin - the latest victims of what many fear is a return to civil war in Sri Lanka. With European peace monitors struggling to restart peace talks between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels, more..

May 2 (AP) Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels might not resume peace talks soon, a European cease-fire monitor said Monday, as soaring violence between the two sides threatened a return to civil war. "When I look into the activities of the two parties, I am not quite so optimistic any longer about the peace talks in the near future," Ulf Henricsson, the Swedish head of SLMM, more..