Apr 13 (TN) Trincomalee district Political Head of the LTTE Wednesday night lodged a complaint with the SLMM in Trincomalee that the attack on Tamil business establishments and Tamil civilians by hooligans brought down in a lorry immediately following an explosion in Trincomalee town Wednesday evening was a preplanned one and had been carried with the support of the Sri Lanka armed forces, more..

Apr 13 (HT) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa spoke to each other on the phone on Wednesday on the deteriorating security situation in Sri Lanka. According to the Sri Lankan government website, Singh expressed "deep concern" over the present situation in the island. more..

Apr 13 (TW) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on April 12th evening telephoned President Mahinda Rajapakse to express concern over escalating violence in Trincomalee diplomatic sources said. While expressing his sympathies about security personnel killed and injured in the claymore mine attacks in the district over the past few days more..

Apr 13 (TW) Thirukkonamalai or Trincomalee saw large scale violence being unleashed against Tamils following a series of claymore mine explosions directed against security personnel deployed in the district. While the LTTE organization was suspected of being responsible for the claymore attacks, members of the armed forces and Police along with gangs of Sinhala speaking hoodlums were behind the systematic assault on Tamil lives and property. more..

Apr 13 (AT) The current escalation of the violence in the north and the east by the LTTE on the eve of the second round of talks in Geneva is seen by political observers as another failure of the Ceasefire Agreement brokered by Erik Solheim, the LTTE-friendly "facilitator". more..

Apr 13 (Xinhua) President Mahinda Rajapakse told a Chinese Communist Party delegation on Wednesday that his country will continue to strictly pursue its one China policy as before. During his talks with the delegation led by He Yong, member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Rajapakse said Sri Lanka and china enjoy a profound traditional friendship more..

Apr 13 (Xinhua) Sri Lanka stormed into the final of the 16-team inaugural Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup by beating Nepal 5-3 in the semi-final on Wednesday in Chittagong, the second largest city of Bangladesh. The match between the two South Asian countries was still locked at 1-1 after the extra time before Sri Lanka eventually won by 5-3 on penalties. more..

Apr 13 (TN) The list of names of nine recipients for the North East Governor's Award for the Year 2005 was released Wednesday by the Provincial Secretary for the Provincial Education and Cultural Affairs Ministry Mr.R.Thiagalingam. The recipients who are reputed Tamil scholars will be presented with awards on the second day of two-day Twelfth North East Tamil Literary Festival, more..

Apr 13 (TN) Two LTTE cadres were killed Thursday around 8:45 a.m. when paramilitary cadres launched an ambush with the support of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers inside the LTTE controlled Vakaneri, 40 km north of Batticaloa, LTTE officials in Batticaloa said. One of the cadres killed in the ambush were identified as Ithayaventhan. more..

Apr 13 (TN) The stalemate in the preparation to Geneva Talks ended Thursday as the Tiger leadership responded in favour of the latest suggestion submitted by Major General Ulf Henricsson, Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, who assured safe travel of the Eastern LTTE Commanders in a civilian vessel without Sri Lanka Navy involvement. more..

Apr 13 (ISL) The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) expresses its deep concern and opposition to the decision of President Rajapakse to unilaterally appoint members to the National Public Service Commission and the National Police Commission, in violation of both the letter and the spirit of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, according the latest CPA press statement. more..

Apr 13 (ISL) The reports carried by pro-LTTE and pro-JVP news sites after the recent Trincomalee violence needs to be analyzed to comprehend the extent of brainwashing taking place among Sinhalese and Tamil populace in Sri Lanka. LTTE sites reporting on Trincomalee violence greatly exaggerated the violence comparing it for the 1983 genocide against the Tamils by the Sinhalese mobs. more..

Apr 13 (ISL) Three businessmen who had helped organise the LTTE-inspired "Tamil Resurgence" and "Thileepan Memorial" meetings in Thenmaradchi were shot dead by suspected Army intelligence unit members Chinniah Thaya, a mini-tractor owner from Sarasalai and Selvaratnam Vijayakuma, a tailor shop owner from Ussan, Mirusuvil were among the victims, according to residents. more..

Apr 13 (LeN) A police curfew clamped down in Trincomalee last evening in the wake of mounting unrest was removed at 8.30 this morning. DIG Eastern Province Rohan Abeygunawardane said normalcy has been fully restored in the town. However transport services are still not functioning properly and the DIG added a meeting of senior defence officials, more..

Apr 13 (LeN) Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, a member of the government Geneva peace delegation left for Trincomalee last evening on the instructions of the President to restore normalcy in the strife ridden area. A spokesman for the Presidential Media Unit said the Minister was accompanied by North Central Province Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake. more..

Apr 13 (AR) Sri Lankans in the Valley are getting a rare opportunity to listen to "the father of Sri Lankan music." W.D. Amaradeva, the celebrated singer, violinist, conductor and composer, is giving a concert, Amara Piyasara (Footprints of Amaradeva), on Saturday at the East Valley Institute of Technology auditorium in Mesa. more..

Apr 13 (ANN) Life is a process punctuated by moments of sorrow and happiness, both of which one has to take with equanimity. The Sinhala and Tamil New Year and Good Friday falling tomorrow (April 14) should be viewed against that backdrop. This week is also characterised by the juxtaposition of a number of events that are of significance to all Sri Lankans. more..

Apr 13 (UNI) Sri Lanka on Wednesday accused the Tamil Tiger rebels of repeatedly violating the four-year-long ceasefire agreement and cautioned the guerrillas not to test government's patience. "It is the intention of the government to carry forward the peace process with tolerance, which has been manifested during the last four, five days despite series of attacks. more..

Apr 13 (PIS) Norway has urged both the Government and the LTTE to attend next week�s peace talks in Geneva despite the wave of violent incidents in the North and East over the past few days. While condemning the attacks on the Government forces, Norwegian Minister for International Development Erik Solheim said the Geneva talks will provide the opportunity for the parties to implement the agreement reached during the first round of talks in February. more..

Apr 13 (PIS) President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday appealed to the people of Trincomalee to remain calm immediately after taking measures to control an ugly situation following an LTTE attack on a sentry post in the Trincomalee town which killed one soldier and injuring several others. more..

Apr 13 (LNP) Special arrangements have been taken by the police to maintain law and order during the Sinhala and Hindu New Year season by deploying an additional force of more than 400 policemen and 60 special emergency radio communication units in the Greater Colombo area. more..

Apr 13 (LNP) The Communist Party Tuesday accused the LTTE of an unbridled wave of violence in the run up to the second round of talks in Geneva. Minister D. E. W. Gunasekara condemned the continued spate of brutal killings by the LTTE, the latest being the claymore bomb blast causing death to ten naval officers and injuring several others including civilians. more..

Apr 13 (LNP) Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel participated at the felicitation function organized by the Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club held on April 8 at the P. Sara Stadium under the theme 'We Salute Our King of Spin.' At this ceremony Mobitel facilitated its brand ambassador and record breaking Sri Lankan off spinner Muttiah Muralideran more..

Apr 13 (SAMN) The Government Wednesday said it could not be held to ransom by any party following threats by the LTTE to withdraw from the second round of talks scheduled from April 19 to 21. Minister Keheliya Rambukwella however said the Government was committed to talks despite the threats and provocative acts of the LTTE. more..

Apr 13 (SAMN) The military Wednesday expressed disappointment over the monitoring mission�s failure to blame the LTTE for the ongoing wave of attacks on security forces. Referring to LTTE attacks in Trincomalee, Mirusuvil and Thambalagamuwa, the SLMM said, �We are making inquiries into all three attacks but will refrain from making any further comments regarding the perpetrators and possible motives until further inquiries have been done.� more..

Apr 13 (SAMN) Political party leaders Wednesday wished a peaceful and prosperous New Year where all the communities could co-exist in harmony. JHU Parliamentary group leader Ven. Athuraliye Ratana Thera requested people to abstain from taking liquor during the New Year adding his party had resolved to eradicate the alcohol menace from the country. more..

Apr 13 (DN) The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka has unequivocally condemned the recent mine attacks in Mirusuvil Jaffna and the Trincomalee-Habarana road. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka in its statement yesterday has mentioned that the SLMM has already pointed out on an earlier occasion that the LTTE cannot disown responsibility for such incidents. more..

Apr 13 (Reuters) Tamil Tiger rebels said government forces ambushed and killed two of their men on Thursday, a charge the army denied, as the body count from recent violence soared and diplomats said war might not be far away. More than 40 people have died in the past week, 16 of them on Wednesday in two suspected rebel blasts more..

Apr 13 (IANS) As anti-Tamil violence erupted in Trincomalee town, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged President Mahinda Rajapakse to intervene and prevent any further loss of lives. In a 10-minute conversation late Wednesday, the prime minister expressed grief over the death of some 15 Sri Lankan soldiers in claymore mine attacks for which the LTTE since April 7 was blamed. more..

Apr 13 (AP) Gunmen fatally shot two Tamil men in northern Sri Lanka, police said on Thursday, as the government eased a curfew in an eastern town hit this week by fatal bombings and ethnic violence. The latest violence to rock the island nation came in the northern city of Jaffna, more..

Apr 13 (Dawn) President Mahinda Rajapakse is under pressure from his two coalition partners to take a tough stand against Tamil Tigers when the government delegation resumes the second round of talks on April 19. Addressing an All-Party Conference convened by Rajapakse on Monday to discuss the forthcoming peace talks, more..

Apr 13 (AFP) Police extended a night curfew in Sri Lanka's northeastern port district of Trincomalee, a day after a bomb blast at a vegetable market killed 17 people, officials said. Heavily armed security forces patrolled the streets after rioting that followed the bomb attack, police said, adding that investigations suggested that Tiger rebels were responsible. more..

Apr 13 (AFP) Tamil Tiger rebels have begun targeting civilians with a bomb attack on a crowded market that killed 17 people, the Sri Lankan government charged Thursday in a fresh battering for peace hopes. Government spokesman Rohitha Bogollegama said the rebel LTTE hit the main vegetable market in Trincomalee on Wednesday to inflict maximum civilian losses and provoke a backlash. more..

Apr 13 (Reuters) A shop owner salvages goods from his burnt shop in Trincomalee. Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels accused the army on Thursday of helping rioters attack ethnic Tamil shops in the island's northeast after a suspected rebel bomb, more..

Apr 13 (Reuters) Tamil Tiger rebels said on Thursday they will attend peace talks in Switzerland, surprising diplomats who had taken recent attacks to mean the meeting was off. Repeated suspected rebel attacks on government forces and ethnic violence have killed more than 40 people over the past week, sharply raising fears of a return to civil war. more..

Apr 13 (AFP) Tamil Tiger rebels called for a postponement of ceasefire talks scheduled for next week in Switzerland amid an upsurge in violence that has killed 38 people this week. The LTTE said the three-day talks due to start next Wednesday cannot go ahead and they want a fresh date. more..

Apr 14 (AI) A group believed to be a front organisation for the armed opposition group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has threatened to kill an academic who has links to an anti-LTTE group. Amnesty International believes his life is in grave danger. more..

Apr 14 (BBC) There have been a series of bomb blasts in Trincomalee killing security personnel and civilians. The Tamil Tigers are accused of claymore bomb attcks on security forces. Violence escalated in the volatile region after a senior Tamil activist was killed by unidentified gunmen. more..

Apr 14 (IHT) Cinnamon producers in Sri Lanka, where 90 percent of the fragrant tree bark is grown, risk losing sales because they can't get enough workers to harvest the spice. Sri Lanka's economic growth means that many people can find easier jobs than squatting on the ground all day, peeling the bark and rolling it into thin quills. more..

Apr 14 (BBC) Norwegian facilitators say that they have agreed on the Tamil Tiger rebels call on Thursday for a postponement of ceasefire talks scheduled for next week in Switzerland. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry said that peace envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer is in consultation with both parties on the issue. more..

Apr 14 (BBC) The navy and the airforce were still extigushing fire that engulfed the Trincomalle town on Wednesday. Kantale Lakbima correspondent, R.G.Dharmadasa told BBC Sinhala Service that police and the Criminal Investigation Department are involved in investigations without any arrest as yet. more..

Apr 14 (AT) Pointing the finger directly at the LTTE for provoking the latest violence in Trincomalee the TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP -- Col Karuna's Group) has appealed to all communities not to fall into the trap laid by the Tigers to inflame communal passions. more..

Apr 14 (TW) This April new year according to the traditional 60 year astrological cycle will be called the �Vyaya Varusham�. Once again the Kuyil - Koha will sing and the Oonjal - Onchilla swing as Sithirai - Wap unfolds. With bombs killing innocent civilians and mobs burning people alive the new year celebrations seem a hollow farce. more..

Apr 14 (TW) Here I am seated at the typewriter writing the story of a bygone age, seen through the eyes of a five year recalling memories of the Sinhala Avurudda. They run like a golden thread of spiritual and cultural values that have not changed, but only altered just a little for I have not forgotten that I was born and bred in a village. more..

Apr 14 (SLA) TAMIL TIGERS (LTTE) displaying their brutal act of terror today (14) the day Sinhalese and Tamils observe the most noble New Year once again exploded a claymore mine fixed to a push bicycle from a distance in broad day light around 2.30 p.m. aiming a vehicle carried mid day meal to the troops on the TRINCOMALEE and NILAVELI main road near 3rd mile post. more..

Apr 14 (SLA) UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS suspected to be from LTTE who came in a three-wheeler hurled a hand grenade to another three-wheeler injuring the driver on Thursday (13) around 10.30 a.m. in the general area of CTB junction at KALMUNAI town. The three-wheel driver named S. KAMALDEEN of 139, MEEDARA road, KATTANKUDI injured and was admitted to KALMUNAI ASROF hospital for the treatments. more..

Apr 14 (ISL) Finally the bomb burst and the shrapnels have hit many institutions and people who have hitherto paraded as Tamil liberationists in Canada wedded to raw terrorism. A community was subjected to threats and intimidation of the extreme kind and millions of Canadian dollars were ripped off from helpless individuals and families. more..

Apr 14 (ISL) The LTTE fearing capture of Bhanu on war crimes charges by the Karuna group has sought the help of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to rescue him to Vanni. Bhanu is listed as most wanted person for leading the campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Muslim population in the North and East of Sri Lanka in 1992. more..

Apr 14 (AT) Yesterday, the second largest Norwegian news channel TV2 reported Norwegian police officer has admitted to selling nine passports to a 37 - year - old LTTE agent living in Norway. The Norwegian police officer has admitted stealing six passports in 2004 and three passports in 2005. more..

Apr 14 (AT) Douglas Devananda appealed to the Tamils and Sinhalese to exercise maximum restraint and caution and not to be swayed by the malicious propaganda and provocative violence aimed at creating communal tensions and unrest in the country. more..