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Colombo - Tamil rebels used a crude light aircraft to penetrate air-defence systems and drop two bombs on a power station in the capital, killing one employee, military officials in Sri Lanka said. Despite warnings by the military and civilians that …

Source: Reuters (Repeats to edit headline, story updates with Nasheed, Gayoom quotes)

By Judith Evans

MALE, Oct 29 (Reuters) - The president of the Maldives for the past 30 years conceded electoral defeat on …

Laugfs likely to reduce the price of domestic gas cylinder by Rs150 from November 1-official-JNW

Oct 29, Colombo: Sri Lankan troops today took hold of a key LTTE controlled town in the northwest in a multi-pronged offensive aimed at capturing Nachchikudha in Kilinochchi district, the military said.

School teachers in 12 unions to go on sick leave islandwide tomorrow-union official-JNW

Sri Lanka’s women’s cricketeters say they were told to chose either cricket or the jobs by their employer.

Oct 29, Colombo: Sri Lanka government today said that it is taking urgent steps to implement procedures recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) over the melamine found in some food products.

Source: Reuters (For a related story click on [nCOL410661]) Oct 29 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger air wing struck again and escaped an air force dragnet, in what analysts on Wednesday said was proof the rebels …

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom admits defeat to Mohamed Nasheed after 30 years as president of the Maldives.

Source: Reuters (For a related story click on [nCOL410661])

Oct 29 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger air wing struck again and escaped an air force dragnet, in what analysts on Wednesday said was proof the rebels …

Source: Reuters By C. Bryson Hull

COLOMBO, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Dual Tamil Tiger air raids on Sri Lanka’s capital and a northern military base show the guerrillas are not out of the fight despite the government’s …

Five members of Sri Lanka’s women’s cricket team claim to have lost their day jobs because they refused to give up their cricket careers.

Source: Reuters Oct 29 (Reuters) - At least 160 people were killed when a powerful earthquake struck southwest Pakistan on Wednesday bringing down hundreds of mud-walled houses, government officials said.

Here is a …

Mr. Mohamed Nasheed, popularly known ‘Anni’ has made a clear lead in the presidential elections of Maldives against Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the present incumbent ruling the country for 30 years since 1978. With just five boxes to be counted, Anni has already secured more than 50 percent of the total votes polled. Following Nepal and [...]

Sri Lanka news

Source: Reuters MALE, Oct 29 (Reuters) - The Maldives’ president for the past three decades said on Wednesday he accepted his defeat in a historic runoff poll to an opposition candidate he had jailed repeatedly …

A team of Indian experts is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka within the next few days to begin work on the construction of a submarine electricity cable between India and Sri Lanka following the agreement signed recently, Power and Energy Ministry sources said

Colombo - The 8th Vo- Tec exhibition will be held from the 19th to the 23nd of November at the Kalutara Technical College.

COLOMBO: Twenty two samples of milk powder sent abroad to test for Melamine are free of it, a Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.

Sri Lanka said it will give a tax refund to private sector retirees if they continue to keep their money in government securities after they retire and withdraw money from a state-controlled fund.

Sri Lanka's top business chambers have called for political unity to back government efforts to devolve power to minority Tamils and defeat Tiger rebels.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Sri Lankan troops captured a small village in northern Sri Lanka on Wednesday, pushing ahead with their offensive against the Tamil Tigers hours after the rebel group launched a brazen airstrike on the capital, the military said.

Colombo Municipal Council administration will be suspended this week and commissioner appointed to carry out activities, says WP Governor-JNW

Source: Reuters Oct 29 (Reuters) - A longtime democracy activist repeatedly jailed by Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom defeated the 30-year incumbent with 54.2 percent of votes in a historic runoff election, …

Monty Panesar, the England left-arm spinner, is unlikely to play for Bloomfield in Sri Lanka’s domestic Premier trophy tournament due to a pay dispute.

Sri Lanka Cricket has decided to reinstate fast bowler Lasith Malinga’s central contract. Malinga was earlier not handed the contract on the excuse that he had not represented his country for a sufficient period of time due to a knee injury which ruled him out for eight months.

By P. Karunakharan, Colombo, Oct 29 : Sri Lanka’s tea industry, the world’s third largest, has been asked to ‘go slow’ till the global financial crisis becomes manageable.

Sri Lanka Cricket has decided to reinstate fast bowler Lasith Malinga’s central contract. Malinga was earlier not handed the contract on the excuse that he had not represented his country for a sufficient period of time due to a knee injury which ruled him out for eight months.

Oct 29, Colombo: Sri Lankan army has launched a multi-prong offensive on Nachchikudha, the Tiger rebel stronghold in Northwestern Sri Lanka yesterday, the military said today.

Colombo - An employee of a power station which came under a night air attack by Tamil rebels in Sri Lanka’s capital died as an investigation into damages was ongoing, a spokesman for the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said Wednesday. The employee did…

Oct 29, Colombo: LP gas prices are expected to be reduced from November 01 in Sri Lanka.

Chennai, Oct 28: Six Indian fishermen, arrested by Sri Lanka, were released today.

Oct 29, Colombo: Twenty two of the 92 milk powder samples that were sent by Sri Lankan health authorities have already been cleared of melamine contamination.

(Lanka-e-News, October 29, 2008, 9.10 AM) Lanka-e-News was awarded the most creative website of Sri Lanka of 2008 last night at an awards ceremony held by ….

Oct 29, Colombo: Sri Lanka government has decided to set up a ‘Tea Price Stabilization Fund’ with an initial investment of 1.5 billion rupees….

Oct 29, Colombo: A lubrication cooler connected to GT7 gas turbine at Kelanithissa power station in Colombo was on fire following an aerial attack conducted by suspected Tamil Tiger rebels in the midnight, a Fire Brigade official said.

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s military said LTTE aircraft have bombed an army base in the island’s north. Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said a rebel aircraft dropped two bombs on the army’s Thalladi headquarters in Mannar district on Tuesday.

Oct 29, Colombo: A jailer and a prison guard have reportedly beaten a prisoner in the Kegalle Prison for refusing a bribe of 500 rupees.

Source: Reuters MALE, Oct 29 (Reuters) - A former Maldivian political prisoner has unseated Asia’s longest-serving leader, winning 54.2 percent of a runoff vote to decide the presidency of the tropical Indian Ocean …

Jaffna police arrested a 37-year-old family man from Pungkudutheevu in the islets of Jaffna Monday in Jaffna for failing to produce documents to prove his identity. The police had not accepted the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) identity card certifying his permanent residence in Pungkudutheevu as well as his occupation as a fisherman.

A 25-year old Tamil youth was abducted Monday night by
unidentified armed persons who arrived in a white van in Kuchchave’li in Trincomalee district, police spokesman Ranjit Gunasekara told media.

Oct. 29 (Bloomberg) — Sri Lanka, the world’s fourth-biggest tea grower, plans to curtail production and buy tea at auctions to support prices as overseas demand for the commodity slumps due to the credit crisis, a government official said.

Quick on the heels of the news-report that hundreds of Tamil schoolchildren had a hair-breadth escape from death due to airstrike by the Sri Lanka Air Force Tuesday, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) President Thol.Thirumavalavan said in a press meet in Chennai that “an immediate ceasefire in the island nation should be the primary concern [...]

A day after the Tamil Nadu Government’s relief fund for Eelam Tamils was set up by Chief Minister Kalaignar Karunanidhi, contributions to the tune of 26 lakh rupees have been received, according to news-reports in the Indian media. In a spirited show of solidarity and to reaffirm his commitment to the cause of mitigating the [...]

President of Maldives for last 30 years, Abdul Gayoom, is defeated at presidential election. Mohamed Nasheed wins with 55% of votes-report-JNW

Unidentified armed men in a white van abducted a Prison Officer attached to Trincomalee prison Monday around 7:00 a.m. while the officer was on his way from his house to his mother’s house, in Anpuve’lipuram in Trincomalee.

Unidentified armed men arriving on motorbikes abducted Monday morning a 20-year-old engineering student of Jaffna Technical College from the house of his adoptive father Mr. Thambimuthu, a leading lawyer in Jaffna, in A’laveddi, according to complaint lodged by Mr. Thambimuthu with Thellippa’lai police.

Sri Lankan military officials in Colombo said that the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) carried out an air attack on Tha’l'laadi military base, the main artillery and Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) launchpad of the Sri Lanka Army in Mannaar Tuesday around 10:30 p.m., dropping three bombs on the base. The Tiger aircrafts then proceeded to [...]

NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: For the first time since the conflict in Sri Lanka besieged New Delhi, there were signs on Sunday that the crisis had blown over for the UPA. Pranab Mukherjee’s unscheduled meeting with Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi in Chennai in the evening seemed to have ended on a positive note, with the [...]

(Lanka-e-News, October 28, 2008, 11.45 PM) Media Center for National Security (MCNS) announced that the security forces captured a powerful..

(Lanka-e-News, October 28, 2008, 11.45 PM) Colombo High Court extended the ban on Edna Chocolate products until November 04.

High Court Judge Kumuduni…

(Lanka-e-News, October 29, 2008, 1.00 AM) Unidentified aircrafts launched several aerial attacks targeting Mannar Army camp and Kelanithissa power station in Colombo around 11 PM yesterday (28)….

The British High Commission yesterday announced that commencing late November it would issue British visas to cover sportsmen, sportswomen and entertainers.

Colombo Municipal Council will be suspended from midnight today. The Supreme Court had ordered Western Province Chief Minister to take action before 3rd November.

COLOMBO - Sri Lanka Orix Leasing has linked with Dutch development financier FMO to expand its micro finance with a US$10 million dollar loan and equity injection, officials said.

Chennai, Oct 28 (UNI) Six Indian fishermen, arrested by Sri Lanka, were released today.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lankan rebels staged a brazen airstrike on a power station on the outskirts of Colombo late today, plunging the capital into darkness as searchlights swept across the sky and glowing anti-aircraft fire arced through the gloom.

Source: Reuters By Judith Evans

MALE, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Asia’s longest-serving leader on Wednesday was trailing a former political prisoner he repeatedly jailed, according to provisional results from a runoff vote …

Tamil Tigers have carried out air raids in Colombo and Mannar. State television said the rebels dropped at least one bomb on a power station in Colombo.

A group of Sri Lankans shout slogans in Colombo. Separatist Tamil rebels on Tuesday carried out an air strike on an army camp in northwestern Sri Lanka, the defence ministry said.