Colombo - Polling on the Maldives started Tuesday as voters choose between one of Asia's longest-serving leaders against a former political prisoner.

Voting started at 9 am (0330 GMT) to either re-elect incumbent President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, to a seventh consecutive term or to opt for Mohamed "Anni" Nasheed, a 41-year-old activist who was once imprisoned by Gayoom's government.

Gayoom, 71, received 41 per cent in the first round of elections held October 8, while Nasheed got 25 per cent - both short of the necessary 50 per cent.

About 209,000 voters registered to vote and results are expected late Tuesday night or early Wednesday.

Colombo  - At least four people drowned and some 136,000 have been displaced in floods sweeping areas of Sri Lanka over the past five days, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said Sunday.

Keerthi Ekanayaka, Coordinating Officer of the DMC in the north- west, west and south, said more than 25,000 homes were affected.

The heavy rains also affected Tamil rebel-held northern areas, where government troops are continuing military operations.

Colombo - Tamil rebels launched a suicide attack on two merchant ships off a harbour in northern Sri Lanka causing considerable damage to the hull of one of the ships Wednesday morning, the Defence Ministry said.

The ships, carrying essential supplies for civilians in the north. came under attack off Kankesanthurai harbour, 410 kilometres north of the capital.

Navy spokesman Commander DKP Dassanayke said that three LTTE suicide vessels came for the attack and one of the boats exploded close to the merchant ship Nilwala causing damage.

Colombo  , Oct 21 : JVP (People’s Liberation Front) General Secretary Tilvin Silva has reportedly accused the Indian government of throwing a fresh lifeline to the LTTE as the army stepped up pressure on Kilinochchi.

Asserting that the government would eventually “give in to Indian pressure”, he attacked the SLFP leadership and its allies, particularly the breakaway JVP faction the National Freedom Front
(NFF) for blaming the ruling DMK for triggering chaos.

Colombo – Sri Lankan troops advanced Monday into Tamil rebel-held areas in northern Sri Lanka despite heavy rains after losing at least 33 soldiers in weekend fighting, the Defence Ministry said.

The troops were trying to consolidate their positions and advance in the Akkarayankulam and Maniyankulam areas in Kilinochchi district, 370 kilometres north of Colombo.

The Defence Ministry said 33 soldiers were killed and three more were missing, while 48 more were injured in the fighting over the weekend in the same areas.

Colombo, Oct. 20: Sri Lankan troops have reportedly taken control of the strategic Tamil Tiger village of Vannerikulam, which lies west of the rebel capital Kilinochchi.

Reports reaching the Sri Lankan capital quoted army sources as saying that the village was captured on Sunday, and added that the march toward Kilinochchi has been made much easier.

No details on casualties from the battle were released. Army sources, however, said that dramatic progress has been made from a miliary offensive point of view in the northern parts of the island-nation.