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'World No Tobacco Day' is being celebrated across the globe today (31) with this year's theme, 'Tobacco-Free Youth'. This day is celebrated to remind people that there is a better life beyond tobacco. Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the world and smoking doubles the risk of developing renal cell carcinoma, which researchers say is a major contributing factor to cancer. This year's World No Tobacco Day campaign calls for a ban on all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. The World Health Organisation called on policy-makers to support a total ban on tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion as stipulated in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a global tobacco control agreement. The most important issue on this day is to prevent young people from starting to smoke, say Global leaders in tobacco control commemorate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). The effect on the health of youth is stunning and is the cause of

According to latest Intelligence reports, the LTTE has decided to attack bothmilitary and civilian targets in the South to disrupt civilian life as much aspossible . MI warns of an LTTE plan to attack several major citiessimultaneously (including Colombo and Kandy ) and cause widespread panic andfear among civilians . The WTC twin towers, Colombo harbor and the city ofKandy are said to be among primary targets of the LTTE . According to MI, LTTEintelligence cadres 'disguised as beggars', differently-abled people and salesrepresentatives have already been deployed to gather intel on these targets ....-Usama Abdul Cader [usama@wow.lk]

Police personnel of Wattegama police station have found a time bomb placed near an electric transformer at Madawala Junction this morning (May 25). According to the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS), the bomb has been discovered by the police around 9.20 am on information provided by a vigilant civilian. The army bomb disposal team has defused the bomb. The weight of the bomb is about 1 kg, said the sources. Police investigations are in progress.

Under the 'Eastern Reawaking' programme, the Government has taken steps to develop the handloom sector in the recently liberated Eastern Province which has a great potential in providing employment opportunities for the people in the region. This initiative taken by the Government will uplift the livelihood of the people of the region who were deprived of the possibility to engage in an independent livelihood due to terrorist intimidation for over 20 years, said Minister Textile Development, Mahinda Rathnathilaka. This project will cover all the three districts of the East; Ampara, Batticaloa, and Trincomalee. The project will be launched with the assistance of the Eastern Provincial Council. The Ministry has given special directives to local bodies responsible for the handloom sector in the country to take action simultaneously to strengthen the local market for handloom products. This would ensure the stability of the industry and thereby provide a continuous source of reven

Under the 'Eastern Reawaking' programme, the Government has taken steps to develop the handloom sector in the recently liberated Eastern Province which has a great potential in providing employment opportunities for the people in the region. This initiative taken by the Government will uplift the livelihood of the people of the region who were deprived of the possibility to engage in an independent livelihood due to terrorist intimidation for over 20 years, said Minister Textile Development, Mahinda Rathnathilaka. This project will cover all the three districts of the East; Ampara, Batticaloa, and Trincomalee. The project will be launched with the assistance of the Eastern Provincial Council. The Ministry has given special directives to local bodies responsible for the handloom sector in the country to take action simultaneously to strengthen the local market for handloom products. This would ensure the stability of the industry and thereby provide a continuous source of reven

With this bomb attack on a busy street, the LTTE has once again demonstrated to the world its total commitment to violence and terror to achieve its separatist goals in Sri Lanka, and its absolute contempt for democracy and human rights, H.E. the President stated while expressing his condolence to the families of those many killed and wounded in the LTTE's latest carnage today (May 16). He also requested all the citizens to remain clam and not to be provoked by this display of its unmitigated terror. Full text of the communique‚ issued by the Presidential Secretariat : I hasten to unreservedly condemn the latest act of cowardice and brutality by the LTTE, in exploding a bomb that has killed and injured many civilians and police personnel, in Colombo, today. I wish to first extend my sincere condolences to the bereaved families of those killed, and call upon blessings for a speedy recovery to all those injured in this act of wanton savagery. With this bomb attack on a busy street, t

The Government will never backtrack on its journey to liberate innocent civilians from terrorist clutches and restore peace in fear of terrorists, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. "I will challenge Prabhakaran to clash with me directly if possible without engaging in a killing spree targetting innocent civilians, Parliamentarians and Ministers," he said yesterday. The President was speaking after ceremonially inaugurating work on the Oluvil port project in Ampara district. President Rajapaksa said as much as the Government liberated the people of the East from terrorism and enabled them to enjoy the fruits of freedom, the people of the North would also be given such an opportunity soon. He emphasised that steps would be taken to set up a popularly elected Provincial Council in the North as well soon. The President who described the launching of the Oluvil port project as a symbol of the Eastern resurgence, said this project was a realisation of one of late Minister M. H. M.

RCMP counterterrorism investigators in Toronto have seized a letter signed by the leader of the LTTE directing Canadian Tamils to send him $3-million, according to police files released yesterday by the Federal Court. The leader's letter, found during a search of the Toronto office of the World Tamil Movement, discusses the need to "intensify the struggle" and ensure that Tamils are "strong enough" to fight "with our full breath," according to the newly unsealed files. Velupillai Prabhakaran adds that he looks "forward to receiving substantial contribution from the displaced people of Tamil Eelam" and advises the "Canadian office" to provide 15 of the 100 "crores" he needs. A crore is the equivalent of just over $200,000. The RCMP cited the 2002 letter as evidence the WTM is the "Canadian branch" of the Tigers, a rebel group fighting a war against Sri Lankan government forces. Also known as the Liberation Tigers