Feb 10 (SLA) An Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) activist, R PARAMESHWARAN, attached to the EPDP office in the general area of KAYTS Island has complained on 6 February 2003 saying that two LTTE cadres threatened him to quit from EPDP forthwith. more..

Feb 10 (SLA) Naval troops, who are deployed in the general sea area south of DELFT ISLAND had been able to recover one 23 mm gun, one 23 mm magazine box, six 23 mm projectiles, ten 23 mm empty cartridges, three 23 mm links, the case of a radio communication set, one tipping carrier and a few razor balls from the wreckages of the trawler on 7 Feb. which was set fire by LTTE men onboard. more..

Feb 10 (SLA) A soldier succumbed to his injuries after an accidental discharge of a weapon by a fellow-soldier in the general area of OMANTHAI, about 10 km. north of VAVUNIYA town on 08 February 2003 around 4.45 a.m. more..

Feb 10 (DOI) The shortened session of the Berlin peace talks ended on Saturday with the parties agreeing to advance to core political issues at the next round of talks in Japan from March 18. more..

Feb 10 (DOI) Fourteen months ago Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe took over an economically decadent country. Later, the development projects launched by the government have been able to rescue the country from the perilous strait. more..

Feb 10 (DN) The Department of Immigration and Emigration has formulated a set of new guidelines for issue of Residence Visas to foreign spouses of Sri Lankans. This has been done on a directive of the Minister of Interior, John Amaratunga on the advice of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. more..

Feb 10 (Gulf) The government has requested the LTTE to halt the collecting of taxes from state institutions and goods sent to be marketed by these organisations in northern Sri Lanka, a local news reports said yesterday. more..

Feb 10 (Xinhua) Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga is to address the nation on the dangers of possible war in the gulf, her office said Monday. more..

Feb 10 (Xinhua) Sri Lankan has decided to increase prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene oil by two rupees (about 2 US cents) per liter effective next week, the official Daily News said on Monday. more..

Feb 10 (FCO) The fifth round of peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) concluded today in Berlin. Following the talks Foreign Office Minister Mike O'Brien said: more..

Feb 10 (DM) A mysterious object believed to be a part of a meteor was handed over to police after it landed in a compound at Bandirippuwa in Lunuwila. Eye-witnesses said the object with a 2 inch diameter continued to emit a bright blue light for about 15 minutes after it landed at the house of Paul Pinto at around 3.30 pm on Saturday. more..

Feb 10 (Island) PA media spokesman Dr. Sarath Amunugama claimed that not a single cent had been utilised from funds allotted to the Upper Kotmale scheme by Japan due to political indecision. more..

Feb 10 (PSL) President Kumaratunga on Friday said that globalisation poses unique challenges to those of us in smaller developing countries, challenges that we must meet to ensure that our nation accrues the benefits that flow from such changes, while protecting our vital interests to ensure that globalization does not adversely affect us. more..

Feb 10 (AP) A maiden World Cup century by skipper Sanath Jayasuriya kickstarted Sri Lanka's Group B campaign as it hit up a challenging 272 for seven against New Zealand at Goodyear Park on Monday. more..

Feb 10 (AFP) France's junior foreign minister Renaud Muselier began a three day-official visit to Sri Lanka by holding talks Monday with top leaders, officials said. Muselier held talks with President and Prime Minister, besides meeting French businessmen on the island, officials said. more..

Feb 10 (Reuters) Sanath Jayasuriya struck a sparkling century to inspire Sri Lanka to a comprehensive 47-run win over New Zealand in their opening World Cup Group B match on Monday. more..

Feb 10 (PTI) United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who was due to visit Sri Lanka and India later this month, has indefinitely put off the visits, the Foreign Ministry here said today. more..

Feb 10 (AFP) Sri Lanka's warring parties have pledged not to resume fighting, but the latest Tiger suicide blast is seen as denting foreign confidence crucial for the success of the Norwegian-backed peace bid. more..

Feb 10 (AFP) France was seeking closer economic ties with Sri Lanka and was ready with "concrete" support for the island's peace effort, visiting junior foreign minister Renaud Muselier said here Monday. more..

Feb 10 (Bloomberg) Politics overshadowed the second day of cricket's World Cup as two leading Zimbabwe players protested their government's policies and England moved closer to boycotting a match in the capital Harare. more..

Feb 11 (AT) At the fifth round of Sri Lanka peace talks, representatives of the government and LTTE have agreed to deal with key human-rights and political issues. Concluding two days of discussions on the weekend, both chief negotiators said the momentum toward a peace settlement was now "irreversible". more..

Feb 11 (TN) At a meeting held at the North-East Provincial Council Education Ministry's Management Centre Monday evening, a decision was taken to establish an archive to collect and preserve historical documents and other valuable pieces of literary and other research works that prove that the Trincomalee district has historically been a land of the Tamil people. more..

Feb 11 (TN) five day North East Tamil music, dance and drama festival is to be held in Trincomalee commencing from March 3rd to March 7th to create awareness among Tamils and to promote peace when the next round of talks takes place between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE in Japan, more..

Feb 11 (Island) A tussle between the government and the LTTE is taking place on the reopening of the Jaffna Public Library which is scheduled for Friday. Jaffna sources said that the LTTE had strongly objected to the reopening ceremony on Friday to be attended by several government ministers and had instructed the Municipal Commissioner of the Jaffna Municipal Council not to have the opening ceremony. more..

Feb 11 (LBO) The Asian Development Bank on Monday approved US$ 300 mn in loan and grant financing for five key infrastructure and poverty alleviation projects in the transport, water and wildlife sectors. more..

Feb 11 (LBO) Monopoly cigarette maker Ceylon Tobacco Co. has capitalised on lower excise duties, to post a 25 percent growth in after tax profits last year. The Group’s post tax profits rose to Rs. 845.71 mn from Rs. 673.85 mn for the financial year ending Dec. 31, 2002, more..

Feb 11 (DM) While the deadlock between the 227 volunteer teachers and the Education Ministry reached its 140th day yesterday, their four-month old Sathyagraha was transformed into a fast-unto-death campaign. more..

Feb 11 (TN) Trincomalee Magistrate, Mr.S.Thiagendran, Monday issued warrant on the Nilaveli political head of the LTTE, Mr.Thooyavan, when the Kuchchaveli Police informed the court that they were unable serve the summons on him and moved that a warrant be served on him, legal sources said. more..

Feb 11 (SLA) Two girls who refused enrolment to the LTTE had arrived at the sentry point manned by the Security Force in the general area of KANNAHAPURAM in JAFFNA on 10 February 2003 around 2.15 p.m. more..

Feb 11 (SLA) Two unidentified youths who had shown cyanide capsules to a civilian and had taken away the mortar bicycle belonging to him from the general area KATTANKUDY, about 06 km southeast of BATTICALOA town on 10 February 2003 around 7.15 a.m. more..

Feb 11 (SLA) Naval troops on sea petrol had come a cross sixteen stranded Sri Lankans at the third SAND BANK in the general area of URUMALAI in MANNAR on 10 February 2003 around 2.00 a.m. more..

Feb 11 (SLA) Two LTTE female cadres wearing military type web belt had approached the roadblock at SOORANGAL, about 14.5 km southwest of TRINCOMALEE on 10 February 2003 around 4.00 p.m. more..

Feb 11 (PSL) The President believes that though the year 2002 was a peaceful one the economic performance was unsatisfactory, Presidential Spokesman Harim Peiris, said today. “The cost of living is very high and there is a huge burden on the people. The farming community is also burdened,” Pieris said more..

Feb 11 (PSL) “The MOU is the only written agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, so it is very important that it works. Both parties should strictly adhere to it, because if they do not, the peace process would be weakened,” Presidential spokesman Harim Peiris stressed more..

Feb 11 (Xinhua) The Sri Lankan government will take every measure to ensure safety and welfare of around one million emigrant workers in the Middle East in case of a possible US war against Iraq, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. more..

Feb 11 (AP) Cricket star Shane Warne announced Tuesday he tested positive for a banned substance that was in the medication he was taking to treat his dislocated shoulder. The Australian legspinner was sent home from the World Cup -- his final one-day championship -- in South Africa. more..

Feb 11 (DN) The SLMM emphasised yesterday that the Government and the LTTE leadership agreed the SLMM would inspect the LTTE trawler south of Delft and that this arrangement was an exemption from the general rule that the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) should inspect LTTE boats with SLMM only monitoring the inspection. more..

Feb 11 (Reuters) Stocks finished lower on Tuesday, as fears of war in Iraq kept buyers out of the market, while brokers chewed on news that a multi-billion dollar U.S. fund could invest in the market. The key Colombo all-share index closed down 0.32 percent, or 2.54 points to 782.68 points. more..

Feb 11 (IANS) Yashushi Akashi, former U.N. under secretary general for humanitarian affairs, arrives in Sri Lanka Wednesday on a visit to assess the country's war-ravaged north and recommend reconstruction programmes. more..

Feb 11 (PTI) It was the dry and clean nets that gave the first clue that something was fishy about a Tamil rebel trawler caught smuggling an anti-aircraft gun into northern Sri Lanka. European observers monitoring a year-old cease-fire said they found the unused fishing nets on the front deck "but no fish or signs of fishing activities" when they inspected the boat on Friday. more..

Feb 11 (UNI) The rift between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the UNF government widened today with the president's office warning that the president would use her 'executive powers' if the defence minister continue to ignore her instructions with regard to the national security. more..

Feb 11 (PRIU) The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission today issued a detailed report on the events of 6th and 7th February south of Delft island in the seas off North Western Sri Lanka which resulted in three LTTE cadres committing suicide and destroying their boat. more..

Feb 11 (Gulf) President Chandrika Kumaratunga has strongly criticised the peace negotiations between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil guerrillas, saying that the guerrillas have taken the agreement for granted. more..

Feb 11 (KBC) Gender, Culture and Sports Minister Najib Balala has asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to reject an appeal by Sri Lanka to change the venue of its match with Kenya from Nairobi to South Africa. more..

Feb 11 (AFX) China extended a 6.0 mln usd concessionary loan to Sri Lanka and a further 300,000 usd as a gift for a rice research centre, the finance ministry said in a statement. The loan agreement was signed here by Finance Minister KN Choksy and visiting Chinese vice minister for foreign trade and economic cooperation, An Min. more..

Feb 11 (DJ) The Asian Development Bank said Tuesday that it has signed a $56.5 million loan to fund Sri Lanka's efforts to upgrade roads and improve public transport services. It added that the ADB separately also signed agreements for five grants totaling around $3.5 million for the project. more..

Feb 11 (CI) Sri Lanka's performance against New Zealand was not only convincing but also uplifting, with the manner in which it was attained giving credence to the team's claims that their form is peaking at just the right time. more..

Feb 11 (AFP) Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga has taken serious exception to a press reports that Japan's special peace envoy Yasushi Akashi had been named an advisor to the government, a spokesman said. more..

Feb 12 (AFP) The Dutch government Tuesday announced it was granting nearly half a million dollars to help a mine-clearing project in Sri Lanka although the island had not ratified the Ottawa treaty banning land mines. more..

Feb 12 (Island) Government businesses in the north may face closure with LTTE’s continuing to insist on "taxes". The LTTE which in the first few months after the opening of the A-9 highway exempted government entities has subsequently extended taxes to government establishments. more..