Apr 1 (IANS) The tea industry has long harped on the beverage's medicinal qualities. In a new campaign aimed at youngsters it is now being packaged as a panacea for lifestyle disorders. "Junk food, late nights, lack of exercise. You could do with a few drinks," more..

Apr 1 (DJ) Sri Lanka's consumer price index, based on a 12-month moving average, rose 11.1% in March, up from 10.1% in February, exceeding market expectations, the Census and Statistics Board said Monday. more..

Apr 1 (Kyodo) The Japan Meteorological Agency said Thursday it has launched a system to provide tsunami monitoring information to Singapore and Sri Lanka in the event of major earthquakes in the Indian Ocean. more..

Apr 1 (TN) Mr. N.M.M.Abdullah Mannar Magistrate Thursday ordered remand till April 12 for six suspects, four Indians and two Sri Lankan Tamils on a report filed by Talaimannar Police that they were allegedly transporting heroin from India by boat, legal sources said. more..

Apr 1 (SLA) The Sri Lankan Airlines flight (UL504) saw mortal remains of two Sri Army soldiers who sacrificed their lives in Haiti while serving UN peacekeeping troops, fly home on Thursday (31) afternoon for their final journey in life, as arrangements are under way to accord them funerals with full military honours in Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 1 (SLA) Large numbers of civilians, patients, school children, passengers and businessmen in general areas of THIRUKKOVIL, AKKARAIPATTU, BATTICALOA were greatly inconvenienced on Wednesday (30) afternoon after scores of LTTE men resorted to violent acts and damages to public property during a protest campaign. more..

Apr 1 (LM) Several minor tremors were experienced in Colombo and its suburbs early morning today, sources claimed. While unconfirmed reports claimed that the tremors were experienced in several areas in Colombo including Kollupitiya, reports also mentioned that tremors were felt in Wattala. more..

Apr 1 (LM) Norwegian Peace Envoy Erik Solheim is expected to visit Sri Lanka after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. It would be Solheim�s third visit to the island this year. When questioned when he would visit Sri Lanka next, Solheim said �No exact date for my visit is yet finalized. more..

Apr 1 (LM) The SLMC in a letter to Commissioner General of Essential Services, Tilak Ranavirajah noted that their party have received representations from people affected by the tsunami in certain Grama Sevaka Divisional of the Ampara District to the effect that the relief assistances extended by the Govt. more..

Apr 1 (LT) It is reported that a group of Wanni tigers have asked security from GOSL to travel from Black Bridge in Batticaloa to security posts at Omanthe. Tiger peace secretariat has made this request today from the Peace secretariat of the Govt. There are 35 in the group that had requested for security. more..

Apr 1 (HT) The European Union (EU) has found the post-tsunami reconstruction work in Sri Lanka to be very slow, and has called for the setting up of co-ordination mechanisms at the provincial level to speed up the process. more..

Apr 1 (BBC) UNP accuses president of attempting to illegally extending her term of office by an year. In a press conference spokesman for the opposition UNP, Prof GL Peiris challenged statements made by the president and said government's inefficiency has led the country nowhere. more..

Apr 1 (LBO) The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has asked Sri Lanka to whip its economic plan into suitable shape to access funds in its US$ 1 bn kitty. In 2003, Sri Lanka was among a first batch of 16 developing and least developed countries selected to apply for funding from the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA). more..

Apr 1 (IL) The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka declared that the proposed Anti-Conversion bill is in breach of Sri Lanka's international obligations towards the protection of human rights under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. more..

Apr 1 (AT) In the Eelap Patheeswarar Temple case hearing, injunction has been extended for a further period of 07 days when the hearing resumed yesterday and the parties should go to courts Thursday next to get a decision. more..

Apr 1 (Hindu) In an exclusive interview to V.S. Sambandan for The Hindu , Dr. Manikkalingam, a strong advocate of Tamil autonomy, and long-time critic of the LTTE, outlines the basic contours of the joint mechanism and the factors directing it. more..

Apr 1 (LNP) As a measure to prevent freshers being ragged by senior students, the Administration of Sri Jayewardenepura University banned all senior students from entering the university premises till April 25. more..

Apr 1 (LNP) A decision by two provincial councils to increase taxes on non-essential commodities from one per cent five per cent with effect from today (01) has run into stiff opposition from the UNP and the JVP. more..

Apr 1 (SAMN) Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) on Wednesday created two new posts to it�s Supreme Council, which hitherto was the exclusive domain of the Bhikkus and appointed two laymen to the said posts. more..

Apr 1 (SAMN) The President was praising her government of the manner it handled the tsunami devastation while the affected people were suffering even after three months of the incident, UNP parliamentarian G.L. Peiris said at a media conference more..

Apr 1 (TN) Mr.Tyronne Fernando, North East Governor, Thursday, in a event held at the auditorium of the NEPC Chief Secretariat, presented shields and certificates to best Municipal Council (MC), Urban Council (UC) and Predesiya Sabah (PS) in the northeast province elected in a competition conducted by the Provincial Local Government Department last year. more..

Apr 1 (TN) Officials of the North Carolinians for Peace (NCFP) told TamilNet Thursday that they still await resolution to clearing the 54 boxes of medical supplies held by the Sri Lanka customs. "We had good response from the offices of Congressmen Bob Etheridge and David Price, and Senator Richard Burr. more..

Apr 1 (TN) A delegation of the North East Secretariat On Human Rights (NESOHR) led by its Vice President Mr. K. Sivapalan (Attorney-at-Law), met with Mr. Vermor Munoz Villalobos, the Special Rapporteur on Rights to Education of the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) on Wednesday in Geneva. more..

Apr 1 (TN) Sri Lanka army Friday made a fresh offer to de-list thousands of soldiers who deserted from service. SLA says that more than fifty five thousand deserters are still at large. This is the fifth offer by the Sri Lanka army to de-list deserters. more..

Apr 1 (SLA) Troops on duty at the Forward Defence Line (FDL) in the general area of MUHAMALAI have observed the presence of four uniform clad LTTE cadres about 50 metres ahead of the Security Forces (SF) FDL on 30 March 2005 during 11.15 p.m. Later, they were seen moving towards the KILALY lagoon during wee hours the following day. more..

Apr 1 (SLA) A vehicle that reached the OMANTHAI Entry/Exit point with a dead body of an LTTE cadre has been allowed its passage to the cleared area after routine checking by the troops and the Police on 31 March 2005around 11.45 a.m. more..

Apr 1 (SLA) Despite the LTTE�s order to close business places as a protest against the Security Forces, business people in the general area of THIRUKKOVIL had decided to have their shops and boutiques opened for business on 31 March 2005. more..

Apr 1 (PRIU) President assured her Government would strive to keep to the 51/49 per cent ratio when restructuring state enterprises. She said yesterday the restructuring of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) would be on a democratic basis and will be for the benefit of the consumers. more..

Apr 1 (ANN) Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia I. Ansar dismissed Wednesday claims that the Foreign Ministry had ignored three Sri Lankans on the death row. "In fact we offered assistance even before they got in touch with them," he told The Island. more..

Apr 1 (Dawn) Four wickets by medium-pacer Charita Jayaweera and a belligerent half-century by opener Upul Tharanga helped Sri Lanka to clinch an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match Under-19 one-day series against Pakistan after winning the second by four wickets at the Qadhafi Stadium on Thursday. more..

Apr 1 (LT) Wanni tigers had launched a poster campaign stating that all those who against the directives of the organization will be punished with death. Wanni tigers had acted to put up these posters throughout Wanni area and attacked several youths who had been in the vicinity when the posters were being put up. more..

Apr 1 (LT) The minister of Agriculture, lands and livestock Anura Kumara Dissanayake says that as long as the �Country Forward� programme presented to the people at 2004 General Election are carried forward the Alliance Government will remain stable. more..

Apr 1 (LM) Six people were arrested for smuggling heroin worth thirty six lakhs last Wednesday(30'th) by the Sri Lankan Navy. According to the Thalaimannar police, this group consists of persons who had previously been involved in smuggling activities connected to the LTTE. more..

Apr 1 (UT) Among crayon renderings of birthday cakes and flowers, one drawing stands out. Stick-figure arms and heads protrude from a pool of blue; faces frown in despair. At the top of the page, the artist has written 'Tsunami.' The pictures were created by the children of Galle, more..

Apr 1 (RW) To address the requirement of urgent reconstruction of tsunami devastated houses in the North and East, within a short period of time, a challenging undertaking constrained by limited time, material and human resources before the monsoon begins in the area in mid September would be implemented. more..

Apr 1 (HFP) A reporter and photographer risked arrest when they covered a story about aid being distributed in Sri Lanka. Derby Evening Telegraph reporter Mario Cacciottolo and photographer Ben Russell travelled to the tsunami-hit country. more..

Apr 1 (RW) POOR Sri Lankan farmers in tsunami-hit areas whose homestead gardens and small farms were destroyed now face losing a whole season's crops unless they are helped immediately, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said today in a press release. more..

Apr 1 (Reuters) Sri Lanka stocks rose to a third consecutive closing high on Friday as investors bought bluechips and second-tier shares across the board expecting profits in the coming weeks, brokers said. more..

Apr 1 (DN) President Kumaratunga yesterday lashed out at all health sector employees, saying that no one in the health sector has a right to strike. "The amount of responsibility upon the shoulders of all in the health sector is 10 times more than any other Government sector employee, because they deal with the patients' lives," more..

Apr 1 (SAMN) The 'Joint Mechanism' proposed for relief distribution in the North and East province, between the government and LTTE was condemned by the Jatika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Thursday calling the move was another guise to grant the Eelam demanded by the LTTE. more..

Apr 1 (LNP) The Supreme Court yesterday ordered the State to pay Rs. 300,000 as compensation and costs to a father who carried out a legal battle for some fifteen years after the disappearance of his two sons who were arrested and detained by the Army. more..

Apr 1 (AP) The skeletal remains of three people have been found near the site where the Dec. 26 tsunami swept away a commuter train. The 2,000 people who reportedly died in the incident included both passengers and villagers who had jumped aboard trying to escape the giant waves or were crushed by the toppling train. Only 824 bodies have been identified. more..

Apr 1 (Gulf) Tamil Tiger rebels have launched a campaign against the government's failure to disarm rival groups in keeping with the ceasefire agreement. The 36-month old fragile ceasefire agreement was signed under a Norwegian backed peace process. more..

Apr 2 (TN) Citing a recent incident where a navy soldier had entered the house of a Tamil civilian and harassed and intimidated him under the pretext of holding inquiry, Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the LTTE Friday requested the SLMM to take immediate steps to stop the intimidation more..

Apr 2 (TN) New building for the Maternity and Child Care Centre was declared open on Wednesday at Akkarayan, which is, located about 20 km off from Killinochchi at eighth milepost. The TRO of Killinochchi district with the funding Norwegian TRO constructed the newly opened building, sources said. more..

Apr 2 (TN) The British Home Office said Friday that it�s High Commission in Sri Lanka will cease to accept working holidaymaker visa applications until further notice from 2 April. The same will apply to Malaysia, Botswana and Namibia. more..

Apr 2 (BR) The government appears poised to vote on anti-conversion legislation in April, according to a number of media reports. If approved, the vote would cap a three-year effort by Buddhist leaders to stem the tide of rural Buddhists who have been turning to evangelical Christianity. more..

Apr 2 (UNI) India has been clubbed in Group 2 along with neighbours Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 to be held in the West Indies. The ICC today confirmed the seeding details for the ninth ICC Cricket World Cup, to be played at eight venues in the Caribbean during February and March 2007. more..

Apr 2 (NZH) In ordinary circumstances, New Zealand would start clear favourites for a home series against Sri Lanka. But these are not ordinary times. You cannot call a team which has just been thumped from pillar to post favourites next time up. more..