Apr 4 (LeN) Former military spokesperson General Sarath Munasinghe says the LTTE must have had a very successful practice before when they launched the Ariel strike on the Katunayaka air force base. He cautioned that if the particular air craft are used for an attack in the future they might not intend of going back. General Sarath Munasinghe said the country's security is at a very serious conjunction since the LTTE's first Ariel attack had proved successful. more..

Apr 4 (LeN) Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said in parliament today that the country's national security should be vested to the most responsible persons of the country, and since the security has been threatened and to stop the possible future attacks, those who are vested upon with responsibilities of national security should be removed. more..

Apr 4 (GDI) Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Dr. Sarath Amunugama at a meeting with the Members of Association of Gem and Jewellery Industry (AGJI) pledges to assist the gem and jewellery sector. Minister Amunugama held a meeting today (03) with the AGJI members at his Ministry and both parties discussed the present day difficulties they have to face in this sector. more..

Apr 4 (AT) In an attempt to dodge the impending closure of the illegal transmission of the TTN TV - Tamil Television Network televised from France, the Tamil Tigers are planning to launch another TTN TV channel. They have already announced their plans recently on their IBC radio. The case for the closure of the TTN Television is pending in a French court. The case is scheduled for hearing on the 15th of May. more..

Apr 4 (AT) United States of America has come forward to observe the second annual International Day of Mine Awareness and Mine Action today with Sri Lanka. In this occasion Ambassador Robert Blake has said "We are proud to be a close partner with Sri Lanka in increasing the local capacity to detect and clear mines." more..

Apr 4 (AT) 59 years have passed after Sri Lanka attained independence from the British colonial master. At the time of independence, Sri Lanka had a promising development record and was on the right track. Several countries which had similar per capita incomes, such as Singapore and South Korea, however, have surpassed us in gigantic steps. more..

Apr 4 (AT) Fiat Cars that were started running on Sri Lankan road around 100 years ago have re-entered the Sri Lankan Market with a bang through Euro Motors (Pvt) Ltd with three new generation Fiat models – Panda, Doblo and Grande Punto. Their target sales for 2007 and the distributors are too sure of the sales of these very popular fuel economy, low priced vehicles they expect to sell more than 600 vehicles during the year that would claim 2 ˝ percent market share. more..

Apr 4 (AT) Landmine Ban Advocacy Forum (LBAF) is marking the second International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action at a time when Sri Lanka is rife with conflict again. Approximately 4,000 civilians are known to have lost their lives at the close of 2006, as a result of the recent upsurge of violence. more..

Apr 4 (TW) “The LTTE air raid raises fundamental questions of the strategy employed by the Government. While publicly proclaiming that a politically negotiated settlement is the objective – and putting forward the CFA and the APRC process as evidence of this – the Government has clearly chosen the military option with the avowed aim of annihilating the LTTE. more..

Apr 4 (TW) Ballistic CoL pushes people to starvation stage; It was only last week that Minister Fowzie assured the country there will be no fuel hike in the immediate future. Then he raised the price of Oct 90 Petrol by a hefty Rs.7 (from Rs.97 to Rs. 104/ltr). The excuse, as usual, was the US$/SLRs. parity and world market price hike. The fact is from US$70 + per barrel some months ago prices dropped to US$50+ ppbl levels. more..

Apr 4 (CI) A lot of water has passed over the pedalo since England last faced Test-class opposition. Twenty-six matches-worth in fact, in which time India and Pakistan have been bundled out of the World Cup, Australia have muscled their way to the top of the Super Eights table, Ireland and Bangladesh have struggled to live up to the euphoria of their qualification and West Indies have veered ever closer to an early exit. more..

Apr 4 (LBO) Sri Lanka central bank says it had met the 17.2 percent money growth number it had set for itself for March, with actual money supply undershooting the target as it attempted to put the lid on runaway inflation in the country. "The actual reserve money as at the end of March 2007 was 252.9 billion," the Central Bank said Monday. more..

Apr 4 (LBO) Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party poked fun at the government's economic performance as two agencies produced two sets of national accounts claiming growth rates of 7.4 and 7.7 percent for 2006. "On March 30, the central bank said the economy grew by 7.4 percent," parliamentarian Kabir Hashim told reporters. more..

Apr 4 (BBC) The leader of a key Tamil Tiger breakaway group in eastern Sri Lanka says the main organisation's head was never serious about the peace process. Col Karuna Amman told the BBC that Velupillai Prabhakaran had said peace talks should be dragged out so the rebels could prepare for more fighting. Col Karuna left the rebels in 2004, seriously weakening them. more..

Apr 4 (IN) Sri Lanka has secured duty-free access to the European Union market for 7,200 products under the EU’s GSP-plus scheme. This provides an ideal opportunity for Pakistani manufacturers who can do 25 per cent value-addition in the export products of Sri Lanka. This was stated by Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Pakistan Dr Wijeratne Bandara Dorakumbure while talking to President Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Shahid Hassan Sheikh and other office-bearers on Tuesday. more..

Apr 4 (Reuters) Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene said on Tuesday he hoped their "brilliant" coach Tom Moody would continue with the team beyond the World Cup. Moody, 41, has revived Sri Lanka since he was appointed in May 2005 and the 1996 champions are among the leading title contenders in the Caribbean. However, the former Australian all-rounder is seen as a possible successor to England coach Duncan Fletcher, more..

Apr 4 (LBO) Increased reliance on foreign currency loans by Sri Lanka’s government and private sector could spell danger ahead if they are not managed properly, the Central Bank has said in its annual report. “High foreign non-concessional borrowings could increase the vulnerability of the external sector to various shocks,” the bank warned in its annual report for 2006. more..

Apr 4 (GU) Lasith Malinga's action may well defy the laws of anatomy but not the laws of the game. Daryl Foster and Bruce Elliott, two leading cricketing biomechanists, are adamant that the Sri Lankan's unorthodox bowling style should be admired rather than admonished, as it pushes the boundaries of convention but remains within legal limits. more..

Apr 4 (GU) It is the moment of the World Cup so far. When South Africa reached 206 for five in pursuit of Sri Lanka's 209 at Georgetown a week ago, every sane observer agreed it was time to head for the exit. Then, just like that, Lasith Malinga did what nobody had ever done in international cricket and took four wickets in four balls. more..

Apr 4 (ZN) The split in Indian cricket is now evident with veteran player Sachin Tendulkar coming head on against coach Greg Chappell’s remarks. In an interview to a newspaper Tendulkar said, “No coach had ever criticised my attitude even in passing.” He also added “I have never felt so bad in my entire career”. "I`ve given my heart and my soul for 17 years. No coach had mentioned even in passing that my attitude was not correct," more..

Apr 4 (LT) “Thousands of cricket fans awakened by the expectation of the world cup victory for the Sri Lanka Cricket team, rise against the vicious campaign against your beloved motherland and your highly talented cricket team, ‘white gentlemen’, live with a sense of humanity! ‘Raise this statement high above against the campaign spearheaded by the Amnesty International against the Sri lanka state.’ more..

Apr 4 (TN) A team of four persons representing UNHCR, UNICEF, Sarvothaya, Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Sri Lanka and Child Protection Authority of Sri Lanka arrived in Jaffna Monday on a fact-finding mission with the aim of submitting a special report to the UN Security Council’s Action Committee regarding the deteriorating child rights situation in the Peninsula, civil society sources in Jaffna said. more..

Apr 4 (TN) The Government of Sri Lanka is trying to sidestep International Community's focus on Colombo's worst record of human rights abuses and institutionalized impunity for crimes against the Tamil people, by attempting to use the forum of the SAARC Summit against Tamil people's right to defend themselves, LTTE Political Head S.P. Thamilchelvan told TamilNet more..

Apr 4 (LBO) A proposed free-trade deal between Nepal and Sri Lanka could boost trade but analysts say there is more potential for service liberalization. Trade between the two countries is slim at the moment at just 371 million rupees in Sri Lankan exports last year and seven million rupees in imports, compared to billions of rupees in trade between Sri Lanka and other South Asian neighbours. more..

Apr 4 (LBO) Sri Lanka needs to master trade law to take the best advantage of international trade, Chief Justice Sarath Silva said Tuesday at the announcing of an international trade law conference to be held in Sri Lanka. The International Trade Law conference, organized by the Law College, will focus on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Doha development agenda and the future of the multilateral trading system. more..

Apr 4 (GDI) President Mahinda Rajapaksa stated at New Delhi today, that the Sri Lankan Government commits itself to find a political solution to the national question prevailing in the country ensuring all parties consent. He stressed this at a discussion held with the US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asian Affairs Richard Boucher, who contributed for the observer team of the 14th SAARC Summit. more..

Apr 4 (GDI) President Mahinda Rajapaksa held a bilateral discussion with the Bhutan Prime Minister, Khandu Wangchuk this morning in New Delhi, India. The discussion between the two leaders focused on the successful environmental protection and wild life conservation procedures taken up by the Bhutan government. President Rajapaksa appreciated the steps taken by the Bhutan government to conserve natural resources at an era where these resources are being destructed at a rapid rate. more..

Apr 4 (GDI) President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is in New Delhi for the 14th SAARC Summit met with Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shaukat Aziz at the Maurya Sheraton Hotel, New Delhi yesterday (03). The two leaders discussed ways and means of further strengthening the bilateral relationships between the two nations that were lasting for lengthy period of time. more..

Apr 4 (GDI) Government of Sri Lanka condemns the defamatory propaganda of the Amnesty International against the Sri Lankan Government and the Sri Lankan National Cricket Team. The Government is also deeply hurt over the fact that AI has dragged sports into its vilifying campaign. The matter was raised at the parliament yesterday (03) and more..

Apr 4 (LT) The JVP is the only party that could bring freedom, democracy and economic stability to all Sri Lankans specially to those who are entrapped in the vicious clutches of separatist tiger terrorism said JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe addressing the ‘Convention of Delegates’ of the JVP held at Henry Pedris Grounds in Colombo yesterday. more..

Apr 4 (AT) In its crackdown on Tamil Tiger operations which began on April Fools Day, the French Interior Ministry’s anti-terrorists officers arrested two more Tamil Tiger yesterday. At the same time it released two members who were earlier arrested on the April Fools day. Informed sources told the Asian Tribune that more arrests are likely as the investigation deepens. more..

Apr 4 (AT) The consolidation operations of Sri Lanka Security Forces are now nearing the final stage. During the last four weeks Security Forces have made good progress both in Trincomalee and Batticaloa sectors. However, two recent incidents in the east have highlighted the type of threat the Security Forces and the public would face from the LTTE even when the consolidation process is completed because LTTE in the east is now in the insurgency mode after losing territory in the east. more..

Apr 4 (ML) Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday called on members of parliament as elected representatives of the people to take responsibility to stop the country’s insane slide into chaos and ensure the nation’s security by having competent people in charge of national defence. Making a special statement in parliament on the crisis confronting the country following the LTTE’s air attack on the Katunayake Air Force Base, more..

Apr 4 (ML) The single-engine airplane was smuggled in parts into Sri Lanka, then reassembled and sent Monday to bomb a government air base outside the capital, Colombo. Three military personnel died on the ground in this first rebel airstrike since hostilities broke out on the island in 1983. Rebels released photos of members of their ‘air wing’ waving jauntily from a small plane’s cockpit. more..

Apr 4 (ML) The two main criticisms against the Rajapakse regime relate to human rights and a negotiated political settlement of the conflict. In summary the charge is that the regime is unwilling to do anything about either and therefore is well into the smoke and mirrors game of camouflage and procrastination. The regime on the other hand maintains that its bona fides on both fronts are in tact and that these are baseless charges. more..

Apr 4 (ML) A 1% increase in GDP would require a 1.5-2% growth in electricity supply, the Central Bank’s (CB’s) 2006 Annual Report released on Friday said. The government targets to achieve a 7.5% GDP growth this year and an 8% annual growth in the short term. Though decisions have been taken to implement long delayed large scale coal power and hydro power plants, those will start supplying electricity only after 2010. more..

Apr 4 (LNP) An SSP was yesterday questioned by the CID for about six hours in connection with the killing of the brother of a notorious underworld leader. Nugegoda division SSP A. Udayapala was summoned to the CID headquarters over the killing of Roshan Wickramasinghe, bother of Nawala Nihal. CID sources said the Kaduwela Magistrate had earlier ordered the CID to arrest the SSP and produce him in courts, but up to last morning he was on duty in the same area. more..

Apr 4 (LNP) Acting on information, obtained from an LTTE terrorist in police custody, troops on Monday recovered 210 rounds of 60 mm mortars, seven 40 mm RPG rounds, two thousand 7.62 mm MPMG multi purpose machine gun rounds, one hundred and seventy three 60 mm fuses, one hundred and eighty 60 mm cartridges and five 40 mm RPG (rocket propelled grenades) from an LTTE hideout at Palampatar in the Trincomalee district. more..

Apr 4 (LNP) The forthcoming biennial meeting of the International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies (Network) will for the first time in its 14-year history, be held in a developing country - Sri Lanka. From April 4-6, 2007, the National Academy of Sciences of Sri Lanka will host this event. The meeting will give participants an opportunity not only to meet each other informally between and after sessions, but also to visit places of historical and geographical interest. more..

Apr 4 (LNP) We can have hopes of a few medals at the next Olympics. They are not going to be just bronze or silver but real gold! But, our success is contingent on our ability to select the right people for the task. All these years we have been betting on the wrong horses. We have blundered by sending athletes to the Olympics. This practice has to stop forthwith, if we are to achieve success. more..

Apr 4 (SAMN) Adding a new twist to the crossover drama, UNP reformist and Railways Deputy Minister Edward Gunasekara rejoined the party in Parliament Tuesday after being in the government ranks for just over two months. Gunasekara was accompanied to the House by party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and frontliner Ravi Karunanayake through the opposition entrance amidst heckling and jeering from government benchers. more..

Apr 4 (SAMN) The Civil Monitoring Commission (CMC) said that there was a considerable reduction in abductions reported from Colombo and the suburbs in the past few days. CMC member and Western People’s Front Leader, Mano Ganesan said the reason was due to the UN human rights sessions in Geneva. He said there was a lull in abductions and disappearances during the last two weeks of March. more..

Apr 4 (SAMN) The government Tuelsday dismissed a weekend state media report that it was planning to hold a referendum to determine the fate of the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement signed by the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. Government defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told journalists there was no truth in the story and a clarification was to be sought from the state media organization which published the news item. more..

Apr 4 (SAMN) The heatwave that was drying up the soil and water system around the island will cease in the next few days due to the onset of the inter monsoon rains. The Meteorology Department predicts that thundershowers will be experienced in the Eastern, and Uva Provinces and Hambantota District during the evenings in the coming days. more..

Apr 4 (DN) Moves are under way to develop the foreign employment sector to ensure the security and welfare of Sri Lankan migrant workers under a new programme initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare. Steps would be taken to sign MoUs with Middle Eastern countries and other countries in this connection to ensure the security and welfare of Sri Lankan migrant workers. more..

Apr 4 (DN) Security authorities yesterday appealed to the public to be more vigilant specially during the festive season since there is possibility of the LTTE launching desperate attacks similar to the bus bomb explosion in Kondawattuwan, Ampara. Military Spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said there is a possibility of Tiger terrorists resorting to this type of attack as they did in Nittambuwa and Hikkaduwa on January 5 and 6 when they were losing the battle in Vakarai. more..

Apr 4 (DM) The Bribery Commission has initiated preliminary investigations into the alleged fraud amounting to Rs.600 million in the purchase of MiG aircraft for the Sri Lanka Air Force, a Bribery official said yesterday. He said the probe started following a complaint made by former Ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathy Suriyarachchi last month. more..

Apr 4 (DM) A group of Buddhist monks headed by Viharadhipati of Nittambuwa Vidyananda Piriven Viharaya Ven. Galapitamada Indrananda Nayake Thera, called on Mannar Bishop Rt Rev Dr Rayappu Joseph at the Bishop’s House, Mannar recently after the foundation stone laying ceremony for a new Chaithiya at Swarnabimbaramayar, Mannar. more..

Apr 4 (GU) The Tamil Tiger guerrillas used peace talks as a cover to rearm and prepare for a return to war in Sri Lanka, according to the group's former military commander Colonel Karuna. In an interview the ex-rebel fighter, who broke with the Tigers in 2004, said he was told by the guerrillas' supreme leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, to "drag these talks out for about five years, somehow let the time pass by. Meanwhile I will purchase arms and we will be ready for the next stage of fighting." more..

Apr 4 (BB) Sri Lanka's government is ignoring the rights of the minority Tamil population in its statements to the summit of South Asian leaders being held in New Delhi, the rebel LTTE said. "It is crucial that the voice of the Tamil people be heard" at meetings of forums such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, TamilNet cited S.P. Thamilchelvan, the LTTE's political head, as saying yesterday. more..