Sri Lanka’s government took a key step toward restarting stalled peace talks with Tamil rebels on Thursday when it dropped a longstanding refusal to discuss the guerrillas’ self-rule proposal, a day after a peace envoy warned new warfare could break out. The Norwegian peace envoy, Vidar Helgesen, departed Sri Lanka on Thursday after failing to revive the talks and warning that a cease-fire signed in 2002 was in jeopardy. President Chandrika Kumaratunga has repeatedly refused to hold talks with the rebels on their proposal to set up a self-rule interim authority in Tamil-majority parts of the country in the east and north unless they were linked to a final peace settlement.Full Story