Apr 24 (AP) From a distance, it almost looks like a postcard tropical sun, blue sea, sandy beaches, families idling in the shade of palm trees. But a closer look reveals the reality. more..

Apr 24 (IANS) People of Bodh Gaya, a temple town in Bihar known as Buddhism's birthplace, Saturday called a strike against Unesco's plans to protect and conserve the world heritage site. more..

Apr 24 (TO) We are in the village of Peraliya, a 30-minute drive to the north of Galle in southern Sri Lanka. It has been a long day, even for a man of Ian Botham�s prodigious energy. He has witnessed a devastation to homes and livelihoods incomprehensible in its scale, more..

Apr 24 (TN) Cooperazione Internazionale Sud-Sud (CISS), an Italian Non-Governmental Organization, is providing financial support for the construction of a new boat building yard in Eachchilampathu division to supply fibre glass boats to tsunami affected fishermen. more..

Apr 24 (TN) A man said to be a former Sri Lanka military intelligence informant was seriously wounded when a gunman opened fire on him in Batticaloa town Sunday morning around 10.50. A Batticaloa jail employee and two children were also wounded in the firing. Police said the seriously wounded man is an ordinary civilian. more..

Apr 24 (AT) The Norwegian peace monitors have a problem that surpasses every other problem they are faced with in their curious attempts to bring peace to Sri Lanka � the dress code of the Muslim women in the East. The SLMM which is not a bit concerned about the suicide kits of the Black Tigresses are sorely agitated over the hijab. more..

Apr 24 (SLBC) Government will make use of the forthcoming May Day as an occasion to implement an islandwide shramadana campaign at all government institutions. Accordingly, all public sector staff will be involved in sprucing up their institutions between 9.30 a.m. next Thursday and 1.00 p.m. on Friday. more..

Apr 24 (LT) Jaliya Ranasinghe, imprisoned for 4 1/2 years for charges of fraud and accused in more than sixteen others was helped by Roumy Marzuk, Commissioner of Prisons to make his getaway say reports. This has been confirmed in an investigation carried out by a team of CID officers headed by Shani Abeysekera. more..

Apr 24 (SLA) LTTE has continued to hoist their flag during a meeting organized by the LTTE in the general area of JAFFNA on 23 April 2005 around 10.30 a.m. TNA Parliamentarian Mrs Padmini Sidambaranadan, Jaffna Women�s LTTE Political Leader, KAYALVILI and NALLUR Women�s LTTE Political Leader, POOMAHAL have attended the meeting. more..

Apr 24 (SLA) Information received from the general un-cleared area of MAHINDAPURA in TRINMCOMALEE on 23 April 2005 around mid noon confirmed that Sinhala and Muslim civilians proceeding towards un-cleared areas are turned back by the LTTE at their MAHINDAPURA roadblock. more..

Apr 24 (SLA) Troops have observed two bursts of firing by the LTTE over the Army detachment in the general area of KADDAIPARICHAN in TRINCOMALEE on 23 April 2005 around 7.30 p.m. The LTTE have fired about 20 rounds in two short bursts from a location about 200 metres ahead of the detachment using small arms. more..

Apr 24 (SLA) The latest act of violation by the LTTE has injured four civilians including two teenaged girls in the general area of BATTOCALOA when two motorbike riding LTTE pistol men opened fire at a Hindu procession on 24 April 2005 around 10.45 a.m. more..

Apr 24 (LT) There is no clash or dispute between the SLFP and the JVP but a dialogue exists about the implementation of the policies included in the �Country Forward� manifesto brought before the people said Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation. more..

Apr 24 (LM) The SLMC has totally rejected the proposed joint mechanism to commence distribution of relief in the north and east. The SLMC while expressing anger for not considering Muslim representation in this entire exercise, has also pointed out that it is disappointed the government has been insensitive towards Muslim issues. more..

Apr 24 (SAMN) LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran�s sister-in-law was escorted by security services from Omanthai entry/exit point to Bandaranaike International Airport on Friday. The escort was arranged by the Peace Secretariat on a request made by the LTTE. more..

Apr 24 (SAMN) Railway authorities are looking for Rs. 15 billion from donors to lay a second track between Kalutara and Matara, improving its current service. The second track will cut down delays currently faced in the coastal service where trains between Kalutara and Matara have to wait their turn to use the track. more..

Apr 24 (LNP) The recent media reports of an attack on an LTTE position at Vammiyadikkulam, Kanjikudichcha-aru appeared to have been exaggerated, senior military and police officials said. They acknowledged that the reports that claimed of the Vanni faction abandoning a major camp and seeking government protection weren't true. more..

Apr 24 (GT) Environmenta-lists blamed the Sri Lankan government for its inability to conduct a proper study on the controversial Sethusamudram project and have vowed to stop its implementation. �Not only the government�s role, but that of the main Opposition UNP too on this crucial issue is not serious enough. more..

Apr 24 (DN) National Transport Commission (NTC) has geared itself to restart the school bus service which rendered a pivotal service to schoolchildren and teachers almost a decade ago. The Treasury has already issued Rs. 15 million to conduct the pilot project and half-rate school bus service will begin mid in July in three provinces more..

Apr 24 (Reuters) As his beach-front guesthouse rises from the debris of Asia's tsunami, Sri Lankan hotelier Sunil Balage is racing against time to rebuild his business. He is also breaking the law. There is no way Balage is going to walk away from a prime spot on one of Sri Lanka's most popular beaches, more..

Apr 24 (Bernama) Former Malaysian prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is to begin a three-day tour to Sri Lanka on Monday. He will be a guest speaker at the annual convention of the Sri Lanka Chartered Institute of Management and Accountants (Cima), delivering a speech on the Malaysian experience in economic development. more..

Apr 24 (GT) Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse attended the 89 Afro-Asian leaders summit in Jakarta where the leaders signed a draft agreement on regional co-operation yesterday on the 50th Anniversary of the Bandung Conference. The draft agreement, which will be made public today, more..

Apr 24 (HT) Bharat Petroleum's chances of becoming the third player in a restructured Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) receded further this week with the Sri Lankan Minister for Energy proposing that the Government itself float a company to fill the slot. more..

Apr 24 (AP) Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels attacked a Hindu religious procession in Sri Lanka's volatile east on Sunday, wounding four people including two girls, the military said. Two suspected rebels riding a motorbike opened fire on the procession moving between two Hindu temples in Batticaloa town more..

Apr 24 (AFP) A deal on joint tsunami relief operations between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka could be completed by the end of May, a senior diplomat involved in the peace process said. more..

Apr 25 (TN) The SLFP, main constituent of the UPFA government, Sunday launched a two day-awareness campaign in Sri Lanka's South explaining the positive aspects of the proposed joint mechanism expected to be signed with the LTTE to disburse funds more..

Apr 25 (TN) LTTE said Sunday they are indefinitely postponing a crucial press conference scheduled for Tuesday in Kilinochchi. Informed sources said that the press meet was intended to explain the LTTE�s stand on the proposed Joint Mechanism for Tsunami reconstruction in the island�s northeast province. more..

Apr 25 (BBC) The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRC) say that Internally Displaced People (IDP) of the North and East from the two decade long war do not get the same opportunity as the tsunami displaced. more..

Apr 25 (BBC) The impact of the waste powder from the proposed thermal power project in Norochcholai may lead to an environmental disaster, residents in the area said. The increased security operations for the transported raw material will also destroy the harmony in the Norochcholai area, more..

Apr 25 (TP) Sri Lanka�s Immigration Office launched a special operation last week to nab thousands of foreigners who were overstaying their permitted stay in Sri Lanka. P B Abeykoon, the new Controller of the Department of the Immigration and Emigration, has instructed his officials to launch this operation, more..

Apr 25 (TP) The UNP is assembling several prominent journalists as party organisers and to subsequently contest parliamentary polls, the Sunday Island newspaper said. Chandana Sooriyabandara, a former TNL TV political affairs commentator and producer has been appointed UNP organiser for Senkadagala electorate in the central region. more..

Apr 25 (AT) Police suspects that the LTTE has kidnapped a Tamil police inspector serving in the Counter Subversive Unit and a former member of a rival Tamil militant group. The whereabouts of Inspector P. M. Jayaratnam was last seen when he had dinner with PLOTE Mano, a former member of the PLOTE more..

Apr 25 (AT) JVP � the political organization which was responsible for terror and mayhem in Sri Lanka in the seventies and eighties and which was the first organization to spread terrorism in the country, declared on Friday that only the government could ensure the rights of the minority communities in the country , and not a terrorist outfit. more..

Apr 25 (AT) Over 800 underprivileged children in Sri Lanka will say good-bye to Sri Lanka�s longest donor for the underprivileged Children since 1978 - Terre des Hommes, Netherlands �TDH, after completion of 27 year mission in Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 25 (AT) Welcoming the move by the Deputy Minister of Defense Mr. Ratnasiri Wickramanayake to expose the LTTE atrocities to the international community, the Australian-based Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights (SPUR) has urged to implement it without delay. more..

Apr 25 (AFP) Sri Lankan cricketers were caught up in a row over the administration of the game and the future of their contracts was in doubt, a press report said here on Sunday. The administration plunged into crisis last month after sports minister Jeevan Kumaratunga suspended the official recognition of Sri Lanka Cricket more..

Apr 25 (SAMN) Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe Sunday assured his party would never advocate any move for a division in the country but would rather make every effort to resume peace talks with the LTTE. more..

Apr 25 (SAMN) Missing Police Inspector T. Jeyaratnam�s wife, Sarala Jeyaratnam says that she has no doubts that the LTTE had abducted her husband. She told The Island "I have no doubts about it. I am sure the LTTE did it. more..

Apr 25 (SAMN) The Government's main Muslim ally, National Unity Alliance (NUA) dropped a bombshell when it too objected to the establishment of a joint mechanism. NUA Leader Ferial Ashraff emphasized to the Norwegian facilitators that she saw no reason for her community to sit together with the LTTE. more..

Apr 25 (LNP) While the interdictions of three National School principals have triggered protests from past pupils, students and teachers, three more principals have come under the microscope of the Presidential Investigation Unit (PIU) signalling more interdictions soon. more..

Apr 25 (LNP) The SLFP said the people who read or watch the news in some newspapers and TV channels are under the impression that the government is on the verge of collapse. 'The UNP is attempting to frighten us. It is the modus operandi of the UNP, but we will proceed with our programmes without allowing them to grab power. more..

Apr 25 (LNP) The United National Party has appointed chief organisers for 130 out of 140 electorates of the country while the balance will be selected in the near future, Deputy Secretary General of the United National Party, and Kandy District MP, Tissa Attanayake said in Kandy on Friday (22). more..

Apr 25 (TN) The German Agency for Technical Co-operation (GTZ) of the German Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development has donated about 3.1 million rupees worth of playing tools, building blocks, musical toys, puzzles, chess boards and sport equipments to support psycho social counselling in schools in five education zones, more..

Apr 25 (TN) Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, President Chandrika Kumaratunga�s main coalition partner, said Monday it will launch a massive campaign to oppose the proposed Joint Mechanism between the Liberation Tigers and Colombo for distributing Tsunami aid in the island�s northeast. more..

Apr 25 (TN) Organization for Restructuring Children Homes And (their) Rehabilitation and Development (ORCHARD), an arm of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) in the northeast province held its second annual general meeting in Trincomalee Anbu Illam hall Saturday more..

Apr 25 (SLA) Two identified armed LTTE men on motorbike after storming a house in the general area of GANDHI NAGAR, TRINCOMALEE on 24 April 2005 around 6.30 p.m., have abducted a seventeen-year old boy who had reportedly deserted the LTTE some two years ago. more..

Apr 25 (SLA) A lorry proceeding towards the general un-cleared area in the east has been turned away at EETHALAMPATTU LTTE roadblock in TRINCOMALEE on 24 April 2005 around 1.10 p.m. saying that the Sinhalese driver could not be allowed in. more..

Apr 25 (SLA) The movement of a suspicious LTTE boat that was approaching from un-cleared areas towards the troops on duty in the general area of NAGARKOVIL was sighted on 24 April 2005 around 7.20 p.m. The suspicious boat reached as close as about 100 meters to the Security Forces bunker at the location.

Apr 25 (SLBC) A joint structure did not mean that the LTTE would be given administrative powers. On the contrary, according to Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, it was a mechanism for development work. The Minister was addressing a seminar held in Galle yesterday to create an awareness on the subject among SLFP activists. more..

Apr 25 (SN) Jathika Sangha Sammelanaya (JSS) conducted a workshop yesterday and covered some important issues which will affect current political situation. Prof. Oliver Abenayaka explained the Buddhist concept on governance, War, and the responsibility of Buddhist Monks. more..