Apr 27 (AP) Some 40,000 civilians fled homes in northeastern Sri Lanka to escape government airstrikes on Tamil rebel areas in recent days that have killed at least a dozen people, the rebels said Thursday. No new strikes were launched Thursday, the Defense Ministry said, following two days of air attacks near the northeastern port of Trincomalee more..

Apr 28 (PD) Recent violence in Sri Lanka brought back vivid memories of child suicide bombers to a former U.S. ambassador to that Asian country. A. Peter Burleigh, who was in Cleveland on Wednesday to give a speech, lived in Sri Lanka from 1995 to 1997, while the country was in the midst of a civil war. more..

Apr 28 (AFP) Tamil Tiger rebels have pleaded with the international community to pressure Sri Lanka's government to prevent further air strikes against them and to save a ceasefire from complete collapse. The LTTE said they were "distressed" over the lack of foreign concern at the strikes carried out by government forces after a suicide bombing targeted the island's army chief on Tuesday. more..

Apr 28 (AI) Amnesty International is calling for full respect for international humanitarian and human rights law in Sri Lanka following a rapid escalation of violence in the country during the past two weeks. Several army personnel and civilians were killed and Army Commander Lt Gen Fonseka was severely injured in a suicide bomb attack at Army Headquarters in Colombo on 25 April. more..

Apr 28 (AFP) Sri Lanka on Thursday set aside one million dollars in aid for thousands of people who fled their homes after an upsurge in violence in the northeast. President Mahinda Rajapakse named a retired naval officer to head a "Presidential Task Force" to allocate the relief money to displaced civilians, an official at the president's office said. more..

Apr 28 (LeN) On the direction of the President, a Task Force has been appointed to ensure the provision of essential services to the people of the Trincomalee District including Sampoor area, following the recent LTTE attacks on the civilians and security forces, and the limited security forces operation which has now been concluded. more..

Apr 28 (Reuters) No country distrusts the Tamil Tigers more than India but when Sri Lanka began bombing rebel positions this week its giant neighbour got nervous. The air and artillery strikes, which followed a suspected Tiger suicide bomb attack that killed 10 and wounded the army commander, halted on Thursday, with the government under international pressure -- not least from New Delhi -- to stop. more..

Apr 28 (TN) A9 highway was announced open Thursday morning. However, the prizes for fuel and other critical items have gone up as people had begun purchasing items for storage fearing a long term closure of A9, sources from Jaffna said. Government Agent Jaffna District, Mr. K. Ganesh convened a special conference at the Jaffna Secretariat Wednesday morning with the heads of all government departments more..

Apr 28 (TN) "We fear that the five decapitated bodies found near Kaduvela in Avissawela may belong to Tamil civilians who have been arrested during searches and disappeared from Colombo," said Leader of Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF) and parliamentarian P.Chandrasekaran in a letter sent to President Mahinda Rajapakse Thursday, more..

Apr 28 (TN) Trincomalee Political Head of the Tigers, S. Elilan, who met Major General Ulf Henricsson, the Head of SLMM, Thursday in Sampoor in Trincomalee, said the three pronged attack launched by the Sri Lankan forces on civilian targets in Muttur east following the bomb blast that injured Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka is not justifiable. more..

Apr 28 (BBC) The government and Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka say that a ceasefire signed in February 2002 is still holding, despite a suicide bombing on Tuesday in the army headquarters in Colombo and subsequent air strikes by the military against rebel positions in the east of the country. Norwegian peace facilitators also insist the truce is still holding. more..

Apr 28 (LBO) Lanka IOC, a unit of Fortune 500 Indian Oil Corportaion, is confident of maintaining uninterrupted supplies from their tank farm in Trincomalee, amidst rising military activity and closure of key roads in the North East area, a top official said. "We are maintaining our supply lines, in spite of security situation near our tank farms," more..

Apr 28 (HT) The Sri Lankan government on Thursday banned all public meetings and demonstrations in the capital city of Colombo, until further notice. The step had been taken to "ensure the safety of the general public," a statement from the President's office said. more..

Apr 28 (LBO) Central Bank has called for better fiscal policies and continued reforms to maintain growth and economic stability, in its annual report on Sri Lanka’s economic performance. The Bank said Thursday the country grew by 6 percent in 2005, a day after the Finance Ministry said it grew by 6.2 percent last year. more..

Apr 28 (AFP) The two men who came to kill her and her family wore masks and spoke Sinhalese, a wounded Josep Devi, wincing in pain, said from her hospital bed in this northeastern Sri Lankan town Thursday. "I managed to save my baby by rolling on her as I fell when a bullet hit me," Devi, a Tamil speaker, told AFP through an interpreter. more..

Apr 28 (Reuters) An internally displaced ethnic Tamil child helps her mother cook dinner for other displaced people at Bharati Vidyalayam, a center for refugees, in Trincomalee, April 27, 2006. more..

Apr 28 (SF) Violence in Sri Lanka continued April 27, despite assurances by Colombo and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that both are committed to peace talks. Though the two sides likely will meet again, a peace agreement is unlikely as long as the splinter Karuna faction remains an active paramilitary force. more..

Apr 28 (UNHCR) The UN refugee agency on Thursday expressed serious concern over the recent displacement of thousands of people in the Trincomalee district of northern Sri Lanka. Military air strikes in the district on Monday and Tuesday and hostilities around the Muttur area appear to have ceased. more..

Apr 28 (LeN) The woman who blew herself up in a suicide bomb blast to assassinate the Army Commander has been identified as Anoja Kuganeththi Sugandirasa, a 21 year old resident of Puwarasakulam, Vavuniya, according to ongoing investigations. The woman who posed as wife of a soldier had been staying at a lodge in the Dam Street, the owner of the lodge who is now in custody had said. more..

Apr 28 (ZN) Amid a spurt in violence in Sri Lanka, Indian High Commissioner Nirupama Rao today met the island nation`s President Mahinda Rajapakse and discussed the security situation in the country. Details of the meeting, in which several other diplomats representing the island`s key financial backers were present, were not immediately available, more..

Apr 28 (CCF) Now, for the women of Alles Garden, leaving their community behind is not an option. Families from northeastern Sri Lanka have been opting to leave their homes behind in search of safety, some even fleeing to India, to escape the civil conflict that has affected Sri Lanka for more than 20 years. more..

Apr 28 (Hindu) Sri Lanka on Thursday showed signs of return to normality with the Government halting its "deterrent strikes" and President Mahinda Rajapakse allocating Rs. 100 million for a Task Force to provide essential services in the eastern Trincomalee district. more..

Apr 28 (Gulf) In a dramatic finish, Sri Lanka A overcome hosts UAE by two wickets the winning run coming with just one ball to spare in the BSNL EurAsia Cup match at the Zayed Cricket Stadium here last night. The UAE picked up some late wickets to take the match to the wire. more..

Apr 28 (TOI) The heinous attack on Sri Lankan army chief Sarath Fonseka at a hospital in Colombo has pushed the island nation to the brink of war. Colombo has already launched air strikes on 'selected targets' in areas under LTTE control as a retaliatory measure. Despite President Mahinda Rajapakse's announcement that the ceasefire agreement of 2002 will hold, more..

Apr 28 (TN) Mr.A.G.Hussain Ismail, Vice Chancellor (VC) of the South Eastern University located in Oluvil in Amparai district escaped an assassination Friday morning around 10.30 a.m., Kalmunai police said. The VC escaped unhurt when unidentified persons came in a motorbike fired at his car four times when he was on his way to the varsity from his official guesthouse, more..

Apr 28 (TN) 103 civilians, including six children, have been killed by Sri Lankan forces and its paramilitaries since Geneva Talks on 24 February untill April 27, according to a report issued by the Political Head Quarters of the Liberation Tigers Friday. more..

Apr 28 (SLA) LTTE TERRORISTS (Tamil Tigers) within a span of seven hours claimed the lives of three more soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army Thursday (27) evening at NARAVILKULAM, MANNAR while the soldiers were taking a bath in a lake adjacent to their Army detachment. more..

Apr 28 (LBO) Colombo shares perked up for the second straight day Friday, shrugging of recent violent attacks as bargain hunters chased after blue chip stocks, traders said. The key All Share Price Index was up 56.65 points or 2.37 percent to 2,267.82, while turnover was a steady 109.55 million rupees, more..

Apr 28 (LT) The team of specialized doctors were making a big effort to stop hemorrhage of the Army Commander, said the Director of Accident Ward. The Commander who was hit by the suicide bomb had serious injuries on the chest and abdomen on admission. The dcotors attempted to stop hemorrhage performing an urgent surgery at the Anti-biotic section. more..

Apr 28 (LT) The Government has decided to set up four new High Courts in the island. The have been established in the areas where the services of a High Court was not available earlier. Consequently new High Courts will be in operation in Puttlam, Polonnaruwa, Ambilipitiya and Welikada. These newly set up High Courts will expedite the accumulated cases in the respective areas. more..

Apr 28 (LT) A Tamil woman has been taken into custody on suspicion of being involved in the suicide bomb explosion at the Army Headquarters premises targeting the Army Commander. Security sources say she has been found to have spied on for the assassination attempt on the life of the Army Commander Mr. Sarath Fonseka. more..

Apr 28 (ANN) A female reader has raised a very pertinent question in a letter: How would the women’s rights activists react to the LTTE having used a woman claiming to be pregnant in carrying out the terror attack on Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka? The bomber, according to the government, had, with her claim, abused the humaneness of the sentries and tricked them into giving her access to the Army Headquarters. more..

Apr 28 (PIS) Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera reiterated the Government's commitment to the Ceasefire even in the face of grave provocation from the LTTE. Minister Samaraweera explained the Government's stance with regard to the current situation when he met the diplomatic community at his office on Wednesday. more..

Apr 28 (CI) Sri Lanka's tour of England, the beginning of a new era, has begun. So far everything has been, in a quintessentially English way, entirely pleasant. It was a bit chilly at Fenners, but even Sri Lanka's administrators anticipated that and the players now own thick tracksuits suitable for winter rugby training. more..

Apr 28 (LNP) A new security plan has been put in place, for Colombo city and its suburbs, by the police. It came into effect at midnight yesterday. The new plan is aimed at combating criminals and terrorists, IGP Chandra Fernando said yesterday. The new security plan is being operated under the direction of DIGs N.K.Illangakoon (WP), Pujith Jayasundara (Colombo) and Director Traffic SSP Y.G.R.M.Lafir. more..

Apr 28 (LNP) Amidst controversies about irregularities in the prisons, the Cabinet has decided not to grant a service extension to Prisons Chief Rumy Marzook. At last Wednesday`s meeting the Cabinet had reportedly decided to retire the Prisons Chief from April 30. Justice and Judicial Reforms Minister Amarasiri Dodangoda said he was given to understand that Mr. Marzook was due to retire even before April 30. more..

Apr 28 (LNP) Social Services Minister Douglas Devananda has appointed a committee, with concurrence of the Cabinet to consider whether present legislation was sufficient to monitor the activities of Non Governmental Organisations(NGOs). This follows complaints made to him regarding the activities of certain NGOs. more..

Apr 28 (SAMN) Political parties have decided to tone down their May Day celebrations this year, due to the prevailing security situation. The ruling UPFA which is celebrating the day under the theme ‘Let us unite, work, develop the country’ (Ekwemu, wedakaramu, rata hadamu) has changed its venue from Colombo to Galle, while the opposition UNP has decided to move to Kandy and focus on the rising cost of living as its theme. more..

Apr 28 (SAMN) The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Thursday rejected Government claims that the shell which fell in a Muslim dominated government controlled area in Mutur on Wednesday killing 4 Muslim civilians and injuring 9 others was caused by LTTE firing directed at the Navy. more..

Apr 28 (SAMN) Fifty new stamps will be released to mark the 2550th 'Buddha Jayanthi' ceremony which falls in May, Post, Telecommunications and Rural Development Minister D.M. Jayaratne said Thursday. This is the first time that such a large number of stamps is being issued simultaneously in the 200 years of postal history. more..

Apr 28 (DN) Tourism and Apparel industry representatives who met Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Minister Rohitha Bogollagama yesterday expressed concern over the irresponsible news reporting by international media deliberately attempting to tarnish the country's image. more..

Apr 28 (LBO) Sri Lanka’s inflation rate for April rose over consumer demands for bananas, fresh fish, milk foods and vegetables during the traditional New Year season, the Census & Statistics Dept. said Friday. On a point-to-point basis inflation for April rose to 9.2 percent over 6.4 percent reported in March, as the government revised prices for kerosene oil and bus fares during the month. more..

Apr 28 (MG) Denying they fund terrorism in their homeland, Montreal Tamil community leaders said yesterday the haven't a clue why the RCMP raided their headquarters two weeks ago. "We don't know why," said Lankaratnam Thambiah, the local spokesperson for the World Tamil Movement. "We're trying to find out through our lawyers." more..

Apr 28 (GT) Initial investigations into Tuesday's suicide bomb attack have revealed that the female suicide bomber used a passenger bus provided by the army to reach the Military Hospital about 15 minutes before she carried out the attack. The killer, wearing a blue shalwar kameez, had gained access through the main entrance near Ceylon Cold Stores and then boarded the bus that shuttles between the entry point and the military hospital. more..

Apr 28 (MC) After two days of air strikes, eastern Sri Lanka was quiet on Friday. No fighting was reported from the northern front either. India on its part, is not expected to make any proactive moves on the issue until the Tamil Nadu elections are over. The country's action have till now, been limited to words. more..

Apr 28 (RSF) Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Sri Lanka Free Media Movement (FMM) all voiced outrage today about the lack of progress in the investigation into the murder a year ago of Tamil journalist Dharmeratnam "Taraki" Sivaram, the editor of the Tamilnet news website and columnist for the Sri Lankan Daily Mirror newspaper. more..

Apr 28 (AP) Representatives from nations overseeing the Sri Lanka peace process were meeting in Oslo Friday to discuss ways to stop the escalation of violence between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels. The European Union, the United States, Norway and Japan are the so-called "co-chairs" of the peace process, more..

Apr 28 (AP) The U.N. refugee agency said Friday it expects many of the people displaced by fighting in Sri Lanka to start returning home after two days of airstrikes against guerrilla areas ended. Up to 8,000 people have fled several villages near Trincomalee because of the recent hostilities. more..

Apr 28 (AP) Sri Lanka reopened roads linking government and Tamil Tiger rebel-held territory Friday after two days of airstrikes against guerrilla areas ended, but the threat of a return to civil war remained amid continuing bloodshed. The military seized three T-56 automatic rifles in Trincomalee, the hotbed of the current violence, more..

Apr 28 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels are doing too little to crack down on extrajudicial killings, the United Nations said on Friday, warning the murders were fuelling a worsening conflict. Sri Lanka's 2002 truce is under more strain than ever after suspected Tiger attacks on the military, more..