May 5 (LeN) Former minister Sripathi Suriarachchi, who was freed on the 30th of April after being remanded for over a couple months, is planning to file a case against the DIG of the CID Prathapasinghe, ASP Gajasinghe, CI Vishwanadan and IP Induka de Silva, who has apparently written a statement which Sripathy did not make at the CID, asking compensation for the hazard they caused him by making false and baseless charges. more..

May 5 (LeN) President Mahinda Rajapakse has decided to further amend the proposal of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party regarding the ethnic conflict, at a meeting held at the temple trees this morning. Therefore the SLFP will not hand over its proposals to the All Party Conference as said earlier. Minister of higher education Professor Vishwa Warnapala, foreign minister P.B. Jayasundara and secretary to the ministry of finance P.B. Jayasundara took part in the discussion more..

May 5 (BBC) Sinhala nationalists in Sri Lanka have accused Great Britain of engaged in 'neo colonialism'. Sri Lanka Patriotic Movement (SLPM) said the British government is a threat to Sri Lanka's sovereignty. A group of British MPs formed an All Party Committee in an attempt to help Sri Lanka to find a solution to the national question. more..

May 5 (SMH) THE Moravian Aviation Co in the Czech Republic describes its Zlin Z-143 light aircraft as having "delightful, light, crisp and responsive handling qualities" suitable for training, cross-country, business and family flights. In just two hours, two of its four seats can be taken out and the plane fitted for long-range flights, a "demanded option". more..

May 5 (IRIN) When heavy fighting between government forces and the LTTE erupted at several locations on the Jaffna peninsula in August 2006, it led to the closure of the A9 highway. The single road into the area, the A9, was an economic and humanitarian lifeline for Jaffna's residents. Everything from food, basic commodities, pharmaceuticals, petroleum, even reconstruction materials, was soon in short supply. more..

May 5 (AT) Infighting within the rank and file of the LTTE in Paris has caused the closure of the Tamil Television Network TV channel, according to informed sources in the European Tamil diaspora. They state that disgruntled elements within the membership were responsible for providing information to French Police, knowingly or unwittingly. more..

May 5 (AT) It is common these days to see moving pictures of young soldiers and LTTE fighters as dead bodies. These bodies are exchanged at times with the good offices of the International Red Cross. Each side attempts to capture another inch from the other side while sacrificing their lives. Most of these young people come from disadvantaged backgrounds in rural and semi-urban areas of the island. more..

May 5 (AT) The local contractors say the construction industry in the North and East at a standstill due to halt in issue of contractors bonds. Sri Lankan contractors who maintain their construction projects in the North and East provinces are now lamented over the non issuing of contractors bonds and said construction workers also affected due to the lack of jobs which were limited by the prevailing financial constrains. more..

May 5 (AT) Dr. Subramanian Swamy, leader of the Janata Party, has expressed his disappointment on the devolution proposals put out by the ruling SLFP this week. He says that the current proposal is "not even an improvement on what the Sinhala majoirty had offered in 1981." He says "The devolution proposal of the ruling SLFP in Sri Lanka has deeply disappointed all well wishers of Sri Lanka�s territorial integrity and unfettered sovereignty. more..

May 5 (AT) As the number of flood-displaced hit 10000, Sri Lanka Disaster Management Centre (DMC) has urgently requested aid-agencies to supply with backhoes, hygiene kits, water purification tablets, mosquito nets, mats, water pumps and even clothes on Friday May 4. The DMC also said that it is the Ministry of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services that the aid-agencies should liaise with when looking at food provision to affected, especially cooked meals. more..

May 5 (Hindu) Air strikes by the LTTE are costing the tourism industry of Sri Lanka dear. Also, travel plans of hundreds of people transiting through the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo have been disrupted. The three air attacks since March 26 have created panic among foreign tourists. Hoteliers, travel agents and tourist guides who were expecting a good flow of tourists are in despair. more..

May 5 (Hindu) For Professor J.B. Disanayaka, professor emeritus, University of Colombo, language is more than just words and sounds. In it, he sees a potent means of healing the wounds inflicted by the civil war in Sri Lanka. "A linguist has a role to play beyond the classroom. In a country like Sri Lanka, especially, the role is to bring together those in conflict and create harmony through the understanding of a shared heritage of language and mythology," more..

May 5 (AFP) Sri Lankan pedestrians brave the weather following torrential rains in the capital Colombo. At least 15 people have died following heavy monsoon rains and flash floods in Sri Lanka's capital and nearby coastal areas, police and hospitals said Friday. more..

May 5 (GU) The month before the tsunami of Boxing Day 2004, Romesh Gunesekera took his mother to visit the coast of Sri Lanka where he was born. Two years into a ceasefire between the government and separatist Tamil Tigers, there was optimism that decades of sectarian bloodshed were at an end. When news of the waves' devastation reached London, Gunesekera was floored by the "sickening sense of another disaster" setting the country back. more..

May 5 (TC) The Sri Lanka Embassy in Washington, D.C. complained to the Justice Department and the State Department that the Washington based Intelsat Corporation is breaking U.S. law by continuing to broadcast the propaganda television and radio services of the foreign terrorist organization, LTTE, by a satellite they own, despite public assurances given a week ago to the contrary. more..

May 5 (LBO) The use of air power by Tamil Tiger guerrillas has raised the stakes in investing in Sri Lanka and prospects of higher defence spending is increasing fiscal risks, analysts said. Tiger air strikes on April 29 hit the petroleum storage facilities partly owned by two multinationals in the island, Shell and the local unit of Indian Oil Corporation, although they were not seen as specifically aimed at the foreign firms. more..

May 5 (UTHR) Five students were killed near the Gandhi statue at the Trincomalee sea front on 2nd January 2006. They were beaten and shot execution style by Sri Lankan security forces after a grenade was thrown at them from a passing auto rickshaw. It was a shocking case in which the State has operated with blatant impunity; its disregard for the rule of law has been offensive and insidious. more..

May 5 (LBO) The race to buy the fixed wireless operator Suntel has narrowed down to four contenders, with an Indian telecom firm expecting to conduct due diligence on the Sri Lankan operator soon. Originally seven firms were in the running to buy Suntel, a unit of Sweden's Telia. "In the short-list there are four firms," Suntel Chief Executive Jeremy Huxtable told LBO. more..

May 5 (LBO) Ceylon Oxygen, the island's top medical and industrial gas supplier, would be taken private, its owners said. Private equity investor Actis Group, currently controls 96.63 percent of Ceylon Oxygen through their shareholding in Specialist Gasses (Pvt) Ltd. The balance shares are held by the public. The decision to de-list from the Colombo Stock Exchange was taken following a resolution adopted by the Ceylon Oxygen's board of directors on May 3, more..

May 5 (BT) �I took the earring, did not steal it� A Sri Lankan housemaid admitted in the court that she �took� a white gold earring from her sponsor�s house but claimed she never knew it was valuable, Gulf Times reports. The Public Prosecution accused the 41-year-old of stealing the earring and other valuables. The verdict is expected on May 17. more..

May 5 (SLBC) The government has decided to grant compensation on behalf of the persons killed yesterday as a result of incessant heavy rains accompanied by thunder and lightening. Minister of Disaster Relief services M.S.S. Ameer Ali says a compensation of 15,000 rupees will be granted on behalf of each person killed. The police say 7 persons were killed in rain related incidents yesterday. more..

May 5 (GDI) Late night the Navy destroyed two LTTE boats at Pulmudai. Twenty six Sea Tiger boats were moving in the seas southward off Pulmudai and opened fire at the Naval Fast Attack Crafts (FACs). The Navy in retaliation destroyed two LTTE boats heavily damaging another six boats of the group. Naval sources believe eight to twelve Sea Tigers were killed during the clash, according to the information collected through intercepted LTTE communications. more..

May 5 (GDI) Government will be taking actions to file a law suite against Prima Ltd. for increasing flour price without pre approval from the Government, the Minister of Trade, Marketing Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs Bandula Gunawardana stated. Under the 18th sentence of the Consumer Affairs Authority Act 09 of 2003 Wheat Flour is gazetted as an essential good for the day to day activities of the normal public. more..

May 5 (GDI) SriLankan Engineering is gaining ground in capturing market share for providing aircraft maintenance services for other airlines. The airline recently began an extensive maintenance overhaul of an Airbus A330-200 aircraft of Emirates Airline. This is the first of two that are scheduled to undergo the �4C5Y Check� back to back at SriLankan�s hangars in Colombo�s Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA). more..

May 5 (GDI) Under the new Colombo Ports expansion project, Sri Lanka Ports Authority is preparing to let a contract for harbour infrastructure works that include construction of a 5 km breakwater to accommodate three new container terminals. The harbour works contract will be the initial phase of an ambitious expansion plan conceived as a set of public private partnerships to be realised over the next 15 to 20 years. more..

May 5 (GDI) Ten Sri Lankan Police Officers contemporarily serving in the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) as Peace Keeping Officers have been honourly decorated with United Nation�s (UN) Peace Keeping Medal. The awarding Ceremony was held on the last 30th April at the UNMIL Headquarters, Monrovia, Liberia. The ceremony was graced by Mr.Allan Doss, the Special Representative to the Secretary General (SRSG). more..

May 5 (TW) They took off from unknown locations within tiger controlled territory in the northern mainland of the Wanni; they flew hundreds of kilometres over hostile territory in the darkness of night ; they flew at low altitude to avoid being spotted on radar; and swooped down suddenly from the skies above their target area; they ejected their bombs on specific targets scoring 70% strike success; they flew back, missions accomplished, more..

May 5 (TW) The proposals of the governing Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to resolve the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka submitted to the All Party Conference (Daily News, 01/05/2007), are simplistic, irresponsible, immature, dangerous, perverse and insulting to the extent that it is a very �Sick Joke� foisted on the Tamils and the nation at large. more..

May 5 (TW) 1987 is the birth year of Sri Lankan Federal governing system that prevails up to today. Since then Sri Lankan unitary state inserted characteristics of a quasi-federal state midst of strong dissenting sentiments from the Singhalese dominated nationalists camp. Sri Lankan federalism that we enjoying today and establishing it in the Sri Lankan Political landscape was not an easy process. more..

May 5 (PISL) The Australian Federal Government has been accused of turning a blind eye to Tamil Tigers� activities in Australia, allowing the separatist group to build up its air attack wing. Singapore-based terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna says the Tigers have been procuring aircraft, arms, explosives and other technological devices from Australia for more than a decade. more..

May 5 (LNP) Six persons including two children were bitten by a stray dog in the premises of the Kandy General Hospital in the early hours yesterday. The stray dog disappeared as some of those present at the time made attempt to attack him. The Chief Veterinary Surgeon of the Kandy Municipal Council Dr. S. R. Jayasinghe told `The Island` that as soon as he received the information he rushed to the Kandy hospital. more..

May 5 (LNP) Sri Lanka has always acted responsibly in placing the highest priority on the safety aspects of the tourists, said Sri Lanka Tourist Board Chairman Renton de Alwis. `Although the recent restrictions over airline operations may cause some degree of inconvenience to some passengers and airlines in making connections, the positive impact of having addressed the safety issue far outweighs all other concerns. more..

May 5 (LNP) Why do some people take to politics? Is it out of their love for the masses? Politicians will answer that query in the affirmative. And only nitwits will believe them! We may have had such altruists in days of yore but they are now extinct. The real motive of anyone seeking political office at present is nothing but self-aggrandisement. That is the surefire way to success in life in a land of suckers who hero-worship politicians of all hues, whether they are cattle thieves or murderers or rapists. more..

May 5 (SAMN) The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka that met recently unanimously condemned the recent LTTE air attacks in areas where civilian population live and urged the Government to take appropriate preventive measures. The Central Committee also examined in detail the recent abductions and killings in Colombo and suburbs and said that this created fear and uncertainty among the city population. more..

May 5 (SAMN) Sri Lanka is a very important destination to Air Arabia and would continue to fly to Colombo, said Air Arabia CEO Adel Ali. He said that Indian destinations too are very successful and are looking at several new destinations in the region. �We will continue to launch new and innovative services in the months to come,� he said. more..

May 5 (SAMN) In separate raids carried out on Wednesday troops recovered a sizeable quantity of arms, ammunition and explosives from two Kovils in the northern and eastern regions. A joint SLN-Police contingent recovered one claymore mine weighing five kgs, 900 gms of C � 4 explosives, three anti personnel mines (APM), three APM fuses, three modified chargers, one pouch, 24 electric detonators, 150 rounds of T � 56 ammunition and one claymore tripod, more..

May 5 (SAMN) Colombo High Court Judges and District Court Judges performed their duties in candlelight Friday due to a power failure. The design of the High Court houses naturally makes the interior dark and prevailing weather conditions made the problem even worse. Meanwhile three inches of water crept into the record room of the District Court in Colombo due to heavy rain at noon Friday. more..

May 5 (DN) The Government has announced the maximum wholesale prices of 10 essential commodities for this month with the aim of providing greater relief for consumers. Whole sale prices of dhal, white sugar, red onion, big onion, sprats, green grams, kadala, dried chilies, potatoes, broiler chicken and canned fish have been gazetted for this month, more..

May 5 (DN) The crater on Galle Road opposite Roxy Cinema has not been caused by an earthquake or tremor, the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) said. It was a cave in due to a leakage in the water drainage line, the GSMB said. According to the GSMB observations the depth of the five-metres (diameter) cavity was 2.5 metres. It was formed at 8 p.m. on Thursday. more..

May 5 (DM) A top intelligence officer of the Sri Lanka Army, Captain S.H. Nilam, who was the defence attach� at the Sri Lanka Embassy in Jakarta, has gone missing since last month. Another top official at the Jakarta embassy has reportedly received death threats from the LTTE. State intelligence informed the government that Captain Nilam, his wife and three children had gone missing since April 23, a highly placed government official said. more..

May 5 (DM) The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) has taken a decision to withdraw its support to the SLFP led government if the SLFP fails to include the unitary character of the State and give foremost place to Buddhism, in its proposals. A spokesman for the JHU said that this decision was taken by the party last evening, after a lengthy discussion on the SLFP proposals. more..

May 5 (SLE) In a world that is wise to the malevolent ploys of terrorist groups, there are still organizations that appear to get away with such duplicity, at least for a while, until the truth catches up with them. The LTTE, a terrorist group in Sri Lanka, was recently caught red-handed while in the midst of a ruse to achieve its political objectives by creating hostility in South India toward Sri Lanka. more..

May 5 (DM) Two days of thundershowers caused the Galle Road to cave in opposite the Roxy Theatre in Wellawatte yesterday. A huge crater disrupted peak hour traffic which was diverted to by-roads. Last evening workers were seen filling the crater. more..

May 5 (ANI) Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe today appealed to India and the international community to provide help to his country for curbing the militant activities perpetrated by the Tamil Tiger rebels. "I think the Sri Lankan Government now has to talk to the Indian Government, with the EU (European Union), with the United States and decide what course of action has to be taken. more..

May 5 (AFP) Sri Lankan naval craft sank two suspected Tamil Tiger boats off the island's northeastern coast Saturday, inflicting heavy losses on the guerrillas, a navy official said. Patrol craft engaged a flotilla of the LTTE off the coast of Pulmoddai and sank two out of two dozen boats, the official said. "We believe there were 12 to 16 LTTE cadres in the two boats that were sunk," more..

May 5 (Reuters) The death toll from flooding along Sri Lanka's rain-drenched southwestern coast has risen to 11, while at least 50,000 people are now homeless and living in temples and schools, officials said on Saturday. Rains flooded many roads around Colombo on Thursday and Friday, causing traffic chaos and disrupting trade on the Colombo Stock Exchange because many traders were unable to get to work. more..

May 5 (AP) Day and night, warplanes roar over this rebel-held town as the steady thump of artillery echoes from afar � a preview, many fear, of a military showdown in Sri Lanka that could leave thousands dead. "All we hear is war," says Tavakumar, a 43-year-old rebel who only uses one name, patrolling a road a few miles (several kilometers) from the front. "I'm ready to fight." more..

May 6 (NIP) The scorching sun beats down on the dusty village roads. But the people who line the streets are oblivious to the heat. There is a sense of gaiety in the air. Women and children rush out of their homes, splashing mugfulls of water at the marathon runners as they pass by, bare torsos glistening with sweat. Though the New Year has long since dawned, festivities are still on in Habarana, with every village conducting sporting events and even beauty contests. more..

May 6 (PTI) Maintaining that there was nothing wrong in supporting the LTTE, Tamizhar Desiya Iyakkam leader P Nedumaran has said that if the DMK Government initiated action against anyone for backing the Sri Lanka based outfit there would be no difference between it and the previous AIADMK regime. The Supreme Court and POTA review committee had held the AIADMK Government's action under POTA against some people for supporting LTTE was 'a mistake'. more..

May 6 (BSC) Spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan has said he will not be associated with the game in any form after leaving it as a player. "I am not thinking about it (staying on) because I have played this game since I was six or seven so when I retire I will retire properly," Muralitharan said. "There's more than just cricket, there are so many things in life. If you get bored you can play a club match on Sunday or something to keep my mind occupied on cricket," more..