May 17 (AFP) The United States is leading international efforts to halt Sri Lanka's slide back to war, diplomats and officials said as four more died in fresh violence. A US State Department official left here Tuesday, urging the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to resume talks suspended in April 2003 and stop violence that has claimed over 200 lives since early April. more..

May 17 (AP) The Tamil Tiger rebels are escalating the level of their attacks, the Sri Lankan military said Wednesday, as surging violence that threatens to torpedo a four-year cease-fire left four people dead. Rebels have employed land mines and combined arms attacks in the last week - using mortars, RPGs and small arms fire - for the first time since the signing of the 2002 cease-fire, more..

May 18 (HT) When Mahatma Gandhi visited Sri Lanka in 1927, he referred to the then Ceylon as India's "daughter state". Even the Father of nation was amazed to see the cultural, spiritual and religious affinities that the two nations shared. Over the years, bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka have seen many ups and downs. more..

May 18 (Xinhua) The government accused Wednesday the Tamil Tiger rebels of using civilians as a shield in attacks against the security forces. Prasad Samarasinghe, the defense ministry spokesman, told reporters here Wednesday that the LTTE rebels carry out attacks against the government troops in heavily populated areas. "They use them as a shield and even have some civilians in their payroll to attack troops," Samarasinghe said. more..

May 18 (CI) Mahela Jayawardene admitted that his team's achievement was beginning to sink in, as he reflected on their remarkable backs-to-the-wall draw in the first Test against England at Lord's. Speaking at a reception for the Sri Lankan squad in central London, Jayawardene praised his side's fighting qualities, more..

May 18 (USN) Yesterday in Washington, The Asia Foundation and the World Bank convened Sri Lankan senior policy makers, conflict experts and members of the diplomatic community to introduce the study, "Aid, Conflict and Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka," which analyzes the conflict in Sri Lanka since 2000 and the international response to it. more..

May 18 (BBC) Human Rights activists have expressed concern on the increasing threats to the civilian life in Sri Lanka’s north and east. Professional Forum on Human Rights (PFHR) said the democracy and human rights should be a fundamental and essential part of the life in theregion in order to establish normalcy. more..

May 18 (CI) Sanath Jayasuriya has been overlooked for Sri Lanka's four-day warm-up game against Sussex at Hove, starting tomorrow, and is therefore a doubt for the second Test at Edgbaston next week. Jayasuriya, who recently reversed his decision to retire from Test cricket, met up with the squad during the Lord's Test and had been expected to slot quickly back into the side. more..

May 18 (LeN) Officials of the Police Child and Women Bureau who summoned child actor of Asoka Handgama's controversial film 'Akasharaya'- Ishak, to the Colombo Magistrate's office last evening questioned him for 3 hours. Before recording the child's statement, his mother burst into tears owing to an allegation by a constable of the Bureau and more..

May 18 (LeN) Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has announced that candidates of a political party or an independent group whose nominations had been rejected cannot enter the fray substituting candidates of another party. Significantly his announcement came just a day before the scheduled close of election propaganda campaign. more..

May 18 (LeN) Attorney at law Sarath Koangahage assumed duties today as the competent authority of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. It is reported that the appointment was made on the recommendation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. more..

May 18 (ML) President Mahinda Rajapakse is not a man who is perhaps having a good night’s sleep. No longer can he pretend that there has not been an outbreak of war in the land. Neither are Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s hasty trips to regional countries to prevail upon them to apply pressure on the LTTE bearing much fruit. more..

May 18 (ML) Japanese Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi’s remarks about the Co-Chairs engaging in soul-searching draws attention to the possibilities and limitations that are integral to the role of the international community in the conflict transformation process in Sri Lanka. more..

May 18 (ML) The long drawn battle for supremacy in the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) amidst much controversy would finally come to an end this weekend. From the time of handing over nominations for the elections, the heat has intensified with the UPFA going all out to secure the leadership of the city and the present governing party, the UNP determined to hold on to power. more..

May 18 (ML) The United States has called on the UNP to play a major role in reviving the peace process and ensuring the effective implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA). The US made its thinking known during meetings Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had with Assistant Secretary for Central and South Asia, Richard Boucher on Monday more..

May 18 (AT) Investment Promotion and Enterprise Development Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, plans to end the landless problem and assist the Anthurium and other exotic flower growers with land facilities to grow more flowers. Under his plans, the Minster has instructed to formulate joint ventures between land owners and flower growers to grow more flowers, more..

May 18 (AT) The Elections Secretariat has announced that it is essential for all voters to carry their National Identity Card or a Photograph certified by the Grama Sevaka officer or any other government officer when going to polling booths to cast their vote on Saturday, where voting will take place for 20 local authorities. more..

May 18 (AP) Sri Lanka's foreign minister arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday for talks with his Japanese counterpart on the South Asian island nation's crumbling peace process. Mangala Samaraweera will meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso, the country's peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Yasushi Akashi, and other Japanese officials during his five-day visit to Japan, more..

May 18 (DNA) Concerned about the war clouds gathering over Sri Lanka, Donald Camp, the US deputy assistant secretary of state for south and central Asia, took a quick trip there to assess the situation and see what could be done to save the island from another bout of blood letting. more..

May 18 (UPI) The outcome of the Tokyo Donors' Conference will determine New Delhi's possible contribution to Sri Lankan affairs, Indian political analysts said Tuesday. "India should wait and see if the co-chairs can persuade the LTTE to return to the negotiating table. If they succeed, we would see how we can contribute more actively to the peace process," said M.R. Narayan Swami, a Sri Lanka political affairs expert. more..

May 18 (TW) The European Union (EU) may take a policy decision on Friday May 19th on the question of listing the LTTE as a terrorist organization said informed diplomatic sources. According to these sources the decision in B russels would most probably be that of listing the LTTE as terrorist and proscibing it among the 25 member European Union states. more..

May 18 (ISL) Reports reaching from Oslo confirms that 28 Sri Lankan Tamils including LTTE Pottu Amman’s nitharsanam.com (k/a atharmam.com) editor Nadarajah Sethurupan alias Dirty Sethu were arrested for money laundering and human trafficking activities. Raids carried out by the Oslo police resulted in ceasing computer equipment and documents from the properties raided. more..

May 18 (ISL) CMR: C is for Canadian, M is for Multicultural and R is for Radio and CMR linked with the private TVI seems unable to understand that the Northeastern Terrorists of Sri Lanka, the LTTE that has enlisted hundreds of Tamil children in its fighting forces that amounts to crime against humanity is banned as a terrorist movement in Canada. more..

May 18 (TN) Further international proscriptions of the LTTE will seriously impact negatively on the already weakened peace process in Sri Lanka, the LTTE’s Chief Negotiator and Political Strategist Anton Balasingham said Thursday. Asked by TamilNet for his comments to press reports that the European Union (EU) would ban the LTTE this week, more..

May 18 (LT) A special report on the terrorist activities performed by the Wanni Tigers has been handed over to the UN Secretary General Mr Koffi Annan by the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mr Mangala Samaraweera. This report is comprised of the future programme of the Government on the national question. more..

May 18 (LT) Election campaigning for 20 local government bodies elections for which have been scheduled for next 2the closed at midnight yesterday. The main focus of the election campaign has been the two main parties contesting the local bodes their nomination lists for which have been rejected under the name and symbol of another political party or an independent group. more..

May 18 (GN) The Mahinda Chinthana programme has been successfully implemented throughout the country during the last six months catering to the urgent needs of the people and resolving their burning problems neglected for a long period without hassle, the Plan Implementation Ministry said yesterday. more..

May 18 (GN) Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of multi national companies operating in Sri Lanka yesterday pledged their support to the Government's effort to bring peace through a negotiated settlement. The CEOs who met the Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Minister Rohitha Bogollagama lauded the Government's commitment to a negotiated settlement to the North-East problem, more..

May 18 (GN) The Department of Pensions expects that total amount in pension payments will exceed Rs. 49 billion this year. However the Department is still in the process of estimating the total funds needed for this year. After estimating the total funds, the Department will submit their estimate to the Treasury. more..

May 18 (GN) Intellectuals for Human Rights (IHR), a group of university and school academics called upon the international community yesterday to exert pressure on the LTTE to stop gross violations of human rights and intimidation of free thinking academics. more..

May 18 (IE) Asantha de Mel, Sri Lanka’s new selection panel chairman, already asked to explain his about turn to top Sri Lanka cricket officials on Sanath Jayasuriya’s Test recall, is to be questioned again whether a financial kickback was behind the left-hand batsman’s recall. more..

May 18 (Gulf) President Mahinda Rajapakse has appointed a commission to investigate the procurement of high-value weapons and military equipment during a five- year period before he assumed office last year. Three Supreme Court judges headed by Shiranee Tilakawardane have been named to carry out the probe which will deal with all aspects of purchases including violation of tender procedures and guidelines on such purchases. more..

May 18 (Hindu) A visiting American official, who arrived here from Colombo, indicated that the United States could influence other Western nations in order to turn the screws on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for its fund-raising activities abroad. more..

May 18 (TW) Hours after the University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR) released a report accusing the government of complicity in human rights abuses, President Mahinda Rajapakse’s office was contacting prominent individuals with the intention of re-staffing the Human Rights Commission (HRC). more..

May 18 (TN) "International community and Human Rights agencies including UNHCR, UNICEF are keeping silent while Tamil men, women and children are being killed daily in NorthEast of Sri Lanka," said Janab. S. M. Shaheel, Islamic religious leader, participating in a non-violent sit-in demonstration staged in front of the UNHCR office in Kilinochchi Wednesday more..

May 18 (ANN) US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Camp, who was in Sri Lanka on a brief visit, articulated the US position on Sri Lanka’s conflict once again. "The Liberation Tigers Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is a terrorist group of the first order," he said urging the EU to ban it. more..

May 18 (PIS) While holding the LTTE responsible for death threats on Jaffna University Vice Chancellor Rathnajeewan Hoole, and forcing him to flee the country, a human rights body said a Colombo professor too was being threatened. The Intellectuals for Human Rights (IHR) said yesterday under the universal declaration of human rights all parties in Sri Lanka have a responsibility towards protecting and safeguarding civilian human rights. more..

May 18 (LNP) United National Party (UNP) Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya yesterday said the UNP decided to back the independent group contesting under the spectacle symbol subsequent to the rejection of his party`s nominations list to contest the Colombo Municipal Council. more..

May 18 (LNP) Sri Lanka cricketers seem to have come out of their batting slump and they look set to give England a good run for their money in the remainder of the ongoing cricket series. Following Monday`s impressive show by the Lankans the fans have begun to follow their heroes. Their only disappointment is that there is no live action on TV. Unfortunately, it appears, they will have to live with that disappointment. more..

May 18 (LNP) The Government expressed the hope it could meet the requirements of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission if it was to resume sea monitoring activities suspended since Sunday. Government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told a news conference that most of the SLMM requirements submitted to the government, were of a technical nature and the government would have no difficulty in meeting the requirements. more..

May 18 (SAMN) With just two days left for the rescheduled local government elections, the major parties, UNP and UPFA continue to hurl accusations and counter accusations at each other over the interpretations of the Local Government Elections Ordinance by the Commissioner of Elections on the forthcoming elections to Colombo Municipal Council. more..

May 18 (SAMN) The Health Ministry will recruit 500 nurses for the hospitals in the North and East on the instruction of Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. The Gazette Notification calling for applications from females for Nursing Training will be published during the week. more..

May 18 (SAMN) Presidential Advisor on Parliamentary Affairs, A.H.M. Azwer said that the Unity and National Harmony were pre-requisites to ushering an era of peace in our country. He was speaking at the opening of a Computer Centre at the UNH-International School, Wattala on Monday. more..

May 18 (DN) A woman and her son who tried to tap electricity illegally died of electrocution when the wire contacted a barbed wire fence. Magilin Samarakoon, 60, and her son Sujith Romilus Samarakoon, 40, of Dewalahandiya, Wilpatha died of electrocution when they accidentally contacted a barbed wire fence touching a live wire drawn to their house to tap electricity from a nearby electricity line on Monday. more..

May 18 (BBC) International truce monitors in Sri Lanka say they will not pull out even though they say they are now monitoring a war rather than a ceasefire. The head of mission, Ulf Henricsson, told the BBC the ceasefire was only intact on paper but it was still important to maintain a presence. more..

May 18 (HT) Amnesty International (AI) has said that the low intensity war in Sri Lanka has claimed more than 200 lives and displaced more than 20,000 people in the past one month. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the AI said that most of the dead were civilians. more..

May 18 (IANS) Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash on Thursday sounded a warning against taking the situation in neighbouring Sri Lanka lightly and said violence there could have an impact on India. He was speaking at the launch here of a "Maritime Security Programme", a series of studies to examine the emerging maritime security environment in the Indian Ocean, more..

May 18 (AP) Suspected Tamil rebel snipers shot and killed a Sri Lankan soldier in the country's north, the military said Thursday, in surging violence that threatens to plunge the island nation back into full-scale civil war. The killing occurred late Wednesday in Muhamalai, the entry point to the government-controlled northern Jaffna peninsula, more..

May 18 (AFP) A Sri Lankan mahout washes an elephant at a public park in Colombo, 18 May 2006. Temple elephants sheltering at the park are getting more frequent baths during the day because of unusually hot and humid weather. more..

May 18 (Reuters) Despite a recent surge in violence, the government of Sri Lanka remains committed to talks with Tamil rebels, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said on Thursday. With more than 270 troops and civilians killed since early April, and a clash last week -- including a fierce naval battle and aerial bombing -- described as the worst since a 2002 truce, more..