Two Sri Lankan youths held

Two Sri Lankan youths and an Indian national were arrested for attempting to smuggle '14-tractor front-wheel tyres' to Sri Lanka, police said on Friday.

These tyres are generally used for army jeeps,they said.

A car used for smuggling the tyres at the Check-post near Ramanathapuram was also seized, police said.

Police said Nandharuban and Shivakumar (both from Sri Lanka) and driver Alagar were remanded to judicial custody today.

Extracted from,
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200804181441.htm

'Rangoon Kakulu' rice to enter to Sri Lanka's local market from May

Sri Lanka Trade Ministry said that 10,000 metric tons of rice imported from Myanmar will be issued to the local market from the first week of May.

According to the sources the one-kilo of rice named 'Rangoon Kakulu' will be sold at a price between 50 to 55 rupees.

Sri Lanka government decided to import 100,000 metric tons of rice from Myanmar as the sky rocketing rice prices started to become a political football. Government complained that the trade mafia engineered the high prices while traders highlighted the adverse weather conditions as the reason for the lack of rice supply. According to the Ministry 10,000 MT of rice are to arrive in Colombo at the end of this month.

The imported rice stocks from Myanmar will be sold through cooperative societies, the Ministry further added.

Read more,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/April18164509JR.html

India Oil wants to market aviation fuel in Sri Lanka

Having stabilised operations to retail transport fuels in Sri Lanka, the Lanka Indian Oil Corp, a subsidiary of India's state-run oil company, will ask for Colombo's permission to market aviation fuel.

"We are applying to the government to participate in the aviation fuel marketing and we are ready to develop infrastructure facilities for it," the managing director of Lanka Indian Oil Corp, K Ramakrishnan, said.

He said that Lanka IOC had offered to build its storage facilities and supply aviation fuel at the Katunayake international airport near here or the new airport at Weerawila, some 300 km away.

At the moment, the state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corp (CPC) has a monopoly in marketing aviation fuel in this island nation.

Read more,
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News_by_Industry/

UNOCHA & several INGOs to recue LTTE from impending defeat

Several UNOCHA (United Nations Office for Coordinating Humanitarian Affairs) representatives have been asked to team up with a few INGOs infiltrated by LTTE agents to carry out a smear campaign against Sri Lanka and its Security Forces.

According to information received by ‘Lankatruth’ LTTE terrorists in two recent meetings with UNOCHA representatives in Kilinochchi and Batticaloa have asked the UN Body to undertake false propaganda against Sri Lanka and its Security Forces stating several INGOs would support such a project.

The LTTE leaders had a meeting with UN officials on 7th April in Kilinochchi and another such meeting in Batticaloa assuring the support of Care (UK), Oxfam (UK), Norwegian Peoples Aid, Norwegian Refugee Council, Forut (EU), MSF (EU), Save the Children (USA & Canada) and World Vision (USA & Canada) for the UNOHA to carry out the ‘project.’

Read more,
http://www.lankatruth.com/index.php?

Iranian President's first Asian tour begins in Sri Lanka

The Islamic Republic of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is scheduled to make a two day State visit to Sri Lanka on April 28 on a special invitation from President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

This is a first Asian tour of the Iranian President. National and international political analysts say Ahmadinejad's selection of Sri Lanka for his first Asian tour is a victory gained by President Rajapaksa as a political leader in Asia.

Proposed grants of financial support had also been appreciated by the political critics. Arrangements have been made for the laying of the foundation stones by President Ahamedinejad and President Rajapaksa for the Uma Oya hydro power project at Wellawaya.

Iran has come forward to grant the total financial support of US $ 450 million for a mega multi-purpose hydro power project. The Uma Oya project has been estimated to produce 100 MW of electricity and supply water to irrigate agricultural and industrial sectors.

Extracted from,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/04/18/news14.asp

'Our Lady of Madu' spirited away to bring govt into disrepute internationally – Defence Spokesman

Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said that shifting the holy shrine of 'Our Lady Madhu' to an LTTE controlled area at a time when the Security Forces are engaged in a humanitarian mission to liberate the area from the clutches of terrorism, poses a great threat.

Minister Rambukwella added that the LTTE's decision to move the holy shrine might have been prompted by factors such as diverting the attention of the international community from the ongoing military operations against the LTTE terrorists and deliberately creating a negative image of the Government and the good work done by the security personnel.

The Minister made these comments at a media briefing held in Colombo today (17). While categorically denying the fact that security forces attacked the Madhu Church, Minister Rambukwella said 'Madhu Church never attacked by and was never a target of the security forces,'

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http://www.news.lk/index.php?

Sri Lanka ready to talk with rebels but no contact with facilitators

The Sri Lankan government said Thursday that it will be ready for talks with the Tamil Tigers if they eschewed terrorism but has not made any formal contact with the Norwegian peace facilitators on resuming the process of stalled negotiations.

"Our doors are always open to start talks provided they give up terrorism," Keheliya Rambukwella, the government's defense spokesman and the minister of Foreign Employment told reporters.

Rambukwella was responding to media speculation that his ministerial colleague Rajitha Senaratne had talks with Norwegian Minister of International Development Erik Solheim in Oslo.

"His talks may have been private discussions but the government has not made any official contact (with the Norwegian government)," Rambukwella said.

Senaratne, the minister of Engineering Services recently met Solheim, who was previously the Norwegian special peace envoy on the process of negotiations between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Read more,
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/18/content_7999063.htm

China to fund five projects in Sri Lanka, says Minister

Minister of Export Development and International Trade of Sri Lanka, Prof GL Peiris today revealed that the Chinese government has confirmed its earlier agreement to fund five projects in the country.

Speaking at a media briefing in Colombo, the Minister told that the Chinese government has given its confirmation to provide 455 million US dollars for the construction of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant during the recent official visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to China.

According to the Minister, China has agreed to provide 20 million US dollars to build a drama and cultural centre, and another 307 million for the Hambanthota harbour project. Also, he said China has agreed to provide 100 railway carriages for the improvement of local railway service.

Read more,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/April17173710JV.html

LTTE's key logistic complex and engineering yard attacked - Visuamadu

Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets attacked LTTE's key logistic complex and engineering yard in general area Visuamadu, 15 km north west of Puthukkudiyiruppu in Mullaithivu district, this morning (Apr 17). According to the air force sources, the bombing mission was carried out between 6.25 am - 6.35 am.

The targeted base has been used as the key logistic hub for heavy engineering and construction work by LTTE terrorists, said defence intelligence sources. The terror base has a large vehicle yard and several hardware stores, from where the outfit allocates resources for heavy construction work particularly those done for the safety of its leaders such as construction of fortified bunkers and tunnels, the sources added.

Read more,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080417_01

Lorry with Explosives Nabbed at Roadblock

A ROUTINE SEARCH conducted on vehicles at a roadblock in PETHAVADIYA, KALPITIYA area found a lorry carrying explosives to an undisclosed party.

The explosives in the lorry contained six hundred and sixty-three bags of gelignite, each containing one hundred and fifty sticks and seven rolls of 35 ft-long detonator codes.

The search was conducted at about 10.00 p.m. on Wednesday (16).

Two men in the lorry were taken in for questioning with regard to the recovery.

The KALPITIYA Police are conducting investigations.

Extracted from,
http://www.army.lk/morenews.php?id=12427

LTTE terror supporter base gone down in UK

Same handful of street campaigners of the LTTE was seen demonstrating in front of the Solvakian Embassy in London on 15 April 2008. Prominent of those were Kandiah Rajamanoharan and London Baba Suresh. The LTTE relies on the support of these activists that they too wait for an opportunity as there is no one to compete with them in the expatriate Tamil community.

The street campaign group has shrunk to the residue of these two senior street campaigners. Cllr Daya Idaikadar, Cllr Madame Mann, Cllr Yogan Yoganathan and Dancing Queen Miss S Angayatkanni have given up the cheap street campaign for some time now.

It is now claimed that the demonstration in front of the Slovakian Embassy was a disastrous failure for the campaigners and they have exposed the declining support base of the LTTE in the UK.

Extracted from,
http://www.srilankawatch.com/index.php?

Iran to invest in expansion project of Sri Lankan oil refinery

Sri Lankan Oil Minister said Wednesday in an interview with Japan's Kyodo news agency Iran has decided to increase its investment in expansion project of an oil refinery there up to one billion US dollars.

According to IRNA office in Tokyo, A. H. M. Fowzi added in his interview with Kyodo, "Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has allocated this amount to the purpose, which would cover 70% of the require investment for the refinery's expansion, in form of a ten year loan, with a five year exemption period from payment of the loan's installments."
Fowzi added, "Iran had earlier, too, provided the oil we need in Sri Lanka free from interest for four months."

According to this report, Iran is the largest provider of crude oil for Sri Lanka

Read more,
http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/line-22/0804179422010501.htm

Tamil Nadu back as LTTE's safe haven?

Battered in the north-eastern war theatre in Sri Lanka, hounded at sea by a resurgent Navy, and having lost several logistic vessels in sea battles, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) seems to be falling back for supplies on its oldest haven - the porous coastline of Tamil Nadu and its vast hinterland.

Dozens of incidents of smuggling and over 100 arrests in the last couple of years stand testimony to the Tigers' network in the state, even though there is insufficient evidence to indicate collusion by the state machinery.

The LTTE maintains a wide network of committed sympathisers and mercenary supporters to ensure regular supplies of fuel, medicines and war-related materials to carry on their armed campaign in the island nation.

Read more,
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/

5 held for smuggling steel pipes to LTTE

Five persons were arrested today for allegedly attempting to smuggle steel pipes to the LTTE in Sri Lanka, police said.

The pipes, meant for borewells, were seized at Meemesal coastal village in Pudukottai District by the Tamil Nadu "Q" Branch Police, dealing with extremist organisations.

The Police, who were on a patrol, seized the pipes worth Rs five lakh

Extracted from,
http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?