Oct 20 (PIS) An LTTE ban on Jaffna farmers selling their vegetables to the military in Jaffna has deprived these farmers of a steady market to sell their produce. Military sources said the LTTE had put up posters across the Jaffna peninsula ordering farmers not to sell any of their vegetables to the military and also issued death threats to anyone failing to follow this order. more..

Oct 20 (PIS) President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday hailed the ceasefire agreement for creating an investor-friendly atmosphere. “Whatever others may have to say, I personally believe the ceasefire brought about a peaceful situation in the country,” the President said addressing a rally in Ratnapura more..

Oct 20 (PIS) Child recruitment to the LTTE has decreased in September, Viktor Nylund, Head of Child Protection Section of UNICEF told the Daily News. "Only 22 children in the North and East have been recruited to the LTTE in September. This is the lowest figure in this year. It is a positive sign and we have to take the good side of it. But that number should be zero," Nylund stressed. more..

Oct 20 (PIS) The government yesterday acceded to an LTTE request for two seriously ill cadres to be transported to Colombo for medical treatment, spokesperson for the government’s peace secretariat Sharmini Serasinghe said yesterday. Serasinghe specified that the two men had not been injured in any incidents. more..

Oct 20 (SAMN) The TNA Wednesday criticised the Mahinda Chintana manifesto for not having mentioned anything positive regarding the peace process, stating this clearly showed that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse cannot resolve the country’s national question. more..

Oct 20 (SAMN) Parliament on Wednesday (18) passed the Extension of Emergency by a majority of 61 votes while 19 opposed it. The government, UNP, SLMC, JVP, and JHU voted for the extension of the emergency while the TNA, UNP’s Colombo District member T. Maheswaran and Mano Ganeshan the Colombo District, Western People’s Front member opposed the extension of the emergency. more..

Oct 20 (Gulf) Police have stepped up their efforts to enforce election laws with four more weeks left for the presidential election. Police have detained state-owned vehicles used by political parties in the campaign, arrested more than 170 people for violating election laws and pulled down lots of posters, banners and cutouts more..

Oct 20 (LNP) Four suspects involved in the alleged rape of a Kuwait-bound young woman, at the Katunayake International Airport, will be produced in court for an identification parade shortly. The alleged crime took place on October 10. more..

Oct 20 (LNP) A suspect allegedly involved in 42 day light robberies was arrested by the Crimes Investigation Unit of the Badulla police Badulla Magistrate , Pradeep M. Abeyratne remanded the suspect till October 24. Police said the suspect Weerakkody Sunil Shantha (24) of Cheenakotuwa Galle, had robbed jewellery, money, electrical goods, and fire arms from a number of houses in the area. more..

Oct 20 (LNP) The UNP yesterday asked how people could believe that Premier Rajapakse would implement the `Mahinda Chintana` when the `Rata Perata` his government is an utter flop. The Mahinda Chintanaya is part two of the Rata Perata policy statement the UPFA put forward in 2004 to mislead the general public, more..

Oct 20 (DN) JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa yesterday said UNP Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe who has not mentioned even a single sentence on journalists in his manifesto is now attempting to introduce another manifesto on behalf of journalists. more..

Oct 20 (LBO) A US$ 800 mn refinery at Sapugaskanda has got the Cabinet nod, in a joint venture with US based Global Energy and Industrial Operations Inc. Cabinet approval was given for the project this week and the signing of the agreement will follow shortly, more..

Oct 20 (AFP) Sri Lanka said Thursday it would access a World Health Organisation stockpile of bird flu vaccine in case the virus spread to the Indian Ocean island republic. Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said there were no reported cases of avian influenza among poultry on the island, more..

Oct 20 (PTI) A top Norwegian peace envoy returned home empty handed after failing to clinch a deal between the Government and Tamil Tiger rebels to salvage their troubled truce. Norwegian special envoy Trond Furuhovde, left after holding talks separately with Colombo and the LTTE, but failed to secure an agreement of arranging face-to-face talks, more..

Oct 20 (AP) The government on Thursday denied Tamil Tiger rebel charges that it had violated a cease-fire agreement by flying an air force spy plane over rebel areas and inisted that it was committed to the peace process. The plane crashed inside guerrilla territory in northern Sri Lanka a day earlier. more..

Oct 20 (Xinhua) Sri Lankan government announced Thursday that two international community representatives who visited the island last week were not able to break the deadlock between the Tamil Tigers and the government to start talks to review the ongoing truce. more..

Oct 20 (BBC) Running for Sri Lankan president is said to be one of the most dangerous tasks in the world - and with good reason. The last two presidential campaigns had bloody endings, with suicide bombers blowing up themselves in front of candidates, killing dozens. more..

Oct 21 (BBC) According to studies carried out by the University of California, Berkeley Human Rights Centre, which "conducts interdisciplinary research on emerging issues in international human rights and humanitarian law" there had been many violations of human rights of tsunami victims of Sri Lanka. more..

Oct 21 (TN) The International Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (ITRO) has written to Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga protesting her government’s role in a propaganda campaign against its organisation and physical intimidation of its aid workers. more..

Oct 21 (Xinhua) Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka in the first nine months of 2005 increased by eight percent as compared to the same period last year. The total tourist arrivals up to September 2005 were 405,585, an increase of nearly 30,000 tourists, or eight percent, compared with 375,630 arrivals same period last year, more..

Oct 21 (LBO) Treasury heads from Sri Lanka's top corporates have joined hands to tackle industry issues and expand the knowledge base. Headed by Rohan Perera, Group Treasurer of John Keells Holdings, the Association of Corporate Treasurers plans to take up issues like taxation and exchange control limits with financial service authorities. more..

Oct 21 (AP) Security authorities in Sri Lanka's embattled northern peninsula are not taking steps to stop the rising number of killings in recent weeks, a human rights official said Thursday. "Complaints from civilians are increasing that the authorities do not take steps to arrest these crimes," said Rohana Priyadharshana, more..

Oct 21 (LT) Workers of Petroleum Corporation are to go on strike from this afternoon say sources. The reason for the strike is to protest against allowing an American company to construct a refinery at Sapugaskande. Trade Unions of Petroleum Corporation say the mediation of an American company in constructing a refinery when an oil reserve has been found in the sea around Sri Lanka is suspicious. more..

Oct 21 (AT) Names of those eight LTTE cadres who were killed at Vavunaththievu on Monday night, 10 October has emerged. According to the recent report made available to ‘Asian Tribune’, following eight cadres were killed in the attack launched by the Tamil Natiobnal Force at Vavunaththievu, which is located nearly 05 kilometers away from Batticalao: more..

Oct 21 (AT) In an impassion plea to the leaders of the European Union, V. Anandasangaree, Leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front has requested them to save the Tamils from the control of the Fascist LTTE. more..

Oct 21 (LBO) Unions backing Commercial Bank of Ceylon's staff are urging monetary authorities to ask a key shareholder to reduce his stakes and fall in line with banking regulations. more..

Oct 21 (TN) More than one thousand Norwegian Tamils participated in a march carrying torches in the Norwegian capital Oslo Thursday evening. The demonstration, organised by a task group of ten Norwegian Tamil organisations and held in "Pongu Thamil" fashion, more..

Oct 21 (TN) A pre-school constructed with the funding of 'Room to Read', a US based non-governmental organization at a cost of 1.6 million rupees was declared open at Kallady, a remote fishing hamlet in the Eachchilampathu division in Trincomalee district. more..

Oct 21 (SLA) STUDENTS ATTACHED TO JAFFNA Central College and a few other schools abstained from attending school sessions during the first few days of this week as a token of protest against LTTE’s recent assassination of two principals in JAFFNA. more..

Oct 21 (SLA) A TAMIL TIGER who fired four rounds of T-56 ammunition towards the route piquet point at JETTY detachment in VALAICHCHENAI on Thursday (20) at about 1.20 p.m. fled the area when troops rushed out to apprehend the culprit. more..

Oct 21 (SLA) A SEARCH conducted by policemen assisted by troops into a suspicious house in the general area of KELANITISSAPURA, PELIYAGODA on Thursday (20) at about 11.30 p.m. recovered one hand grenade and arrested three suspects. more..

Oct 21 (UNP) All indications are that for the people of Sri Lanka the number one issue continues to be the high cost of living. While many in the media are focused on the different positions of the two main candidates on the ethnic issue, most voters are concerned primarily with the difficulties faced daily in trying to make ends meet. more..

Oct 21 (LM) "Mr. Mahinda Rajapkse has allied with racialist forces, which have already started their racial campaigns, therefore, as a party and as peace loving people we have decided to extend our support to UNP presidential candidate Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe", said Mujibur Rahman, the Secretary General of the Muslim United Liberation Front, more..

Oct 21 (LM) Ven. Athuraliye Rathan Thera has once again disgraced the ‘Buddha Sasana' by using lord Buddha's name for political purpose, by saying ‘those who vote for UNP should recite "Ranil Saranang Gatchchami" instead of "Buddhang Saranang Gatchchami" (seek "the refuge of Ranil" instead of Seeking the Refuge of Lord Buddha and Dhamma". more..

Oct 21 (LM) Apart from the threat to life posed by terrorist suicide bombers and underworld hitmen, politicians and the public have now been warned of a bigger threat, one which all the security available will not be able to save them from. more..

Oct 21 (LM) When former Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeratne met the Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter yesterday, the prelate said that he would request authorities concerned to ascertain what had happened to the Rs. 2,500,000 donated from Sri Dalada Maligawa Funds and the Rs. 150,000 donated from the prelate's personal funds to provide relief to tsunami-affected persons. more..

Oct 21 (LM) The government is to lodge a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission regarding a front page picture that appeared in the Daily Mirror a few days ago. Mangala Samaraweera said the Daily Mirror front page picture of a UNP rally in Samanthurai was actually a picture of the Jana Bala Meheyuma held in July this year. more..

Oct 21 (AT) Ceylon Workers Congress Vice President and Deputy Minister of Tourism Faizer Musthapha said he would decide next week whether to support Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe or Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse at the Presidential race. more..

Oct 21 (LT) Mr Hudson Samarasinghe, the Chairman of the State Radio has been accused for crippling the ruling party media campaign. The Coordinating Office sources accused the SLBC Chairman of a ‘hidden agenda’ to defeat Mr Mahinda Rajapakse at the Presidential election. more..

Oct 21 (LT) Around 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday (18), police arrested a suspicious young woman at Galle Railway Station when a meeting was in process at a nearby Grounds which was to address by Mr Wimal Weerawansa, Propaganda Secretary of JVP. The woman was arrested on her suspicious behaviour who was fluent in Sinhala first said that she was a Sinhalese. more..

Oct 21 (SLBC) Minister of Health Nimal Siripala De Silva says there is an underlying conspiracy behind the strike of the Health Trade Union Alliance. Based on several demands, a two hour discussion was held between the representatives led by secretary to the Ministry Ranjith Maligaspe and the alliance. more..

Oct 21 (LeN) Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's advisor on economic affairs, Ajith Neward Cabral failed to come out with a definite answer when asked whether the privatization policy would be implemented under his manifesto. more..

Oct 21 (LeN) Even though Minister Mangala Samaraweera claims that Prime Minister's defence consultant, Lt.Col Gotabaya Rajapaksa serves in an honorary capacity, 'Lanka e News' can confirm that he receives a monthly allowance of Rs. 100,000 in addition to all perks entitled to an additional secretary of a Ministry. more..

Oct 21 (AT) All regimes in Sri Lanka have been accused of lying, being deceptive and corrupt, Ranil Wickremesinghe’s claim, however, is that he is “Mr. Clean”. He likes to bask in this image and pro-UNP media in private sector tends to promote this image. more..

Oct 21 (LBO) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation unions are threatening to strike work next week, protesting against a new refinery project to be built with private sector help. The government is to sign a deal with US based Global Energy Industrial Operations to expand existing refinery capacity at Sapugaskanda to 150,000 barrels. more..

Oct 21 (PIS) The government said yesterday that the Air Force has the right to fly over any part of Sri Lanka and it does not amount to a violation of the Ceasefire Agreement with the LTTE. Cabinet spokesman Nimal Siripala de Silva told journalists in Colombo that the sky over the Wanni belongs to the sovereign state of Sri Lanka and flying over the area cannot be classified as a CFA violation. more..

Oct 21 (PIS) The government yesterday expressed concern over the LTTE’s refusal to agree for talks on revising the cease-fire agreement and maintaining human rights, despite the government’s concerted efforts to get the Tigers to the negotiating table. more..

Oct 21 (PIS) TULF leader V. Anandasangaree yesterday appealed to the EU not to permit LTTE front organisations to hold a protest rally in Brussels against the travel ban imposed on its members. "I appeal to the International Community to go all out to prevent such a rally being held in Brussels which is in fact to demand from the E.U. the right for the LTTE to kill those who do not agree with them more..

Oct 21 (PRIU) The President’s Office and the Disaster Management Centre are now conducting a series of workshops for Provincial and District Administrators, in the 13- tsunami affected districts. The theme for these workshops is “Ensuring safer communities and sustainable development through Disaster Management”. more..

Oct 21 (SAMN) Controversy surrounds the decision to spend almost Rs. 14 million to clear Colombo, its suburbs and the provinces of posters, banners and billboards promoting presidential candidates Mahinda Rajapakse and Ranil Wickremesinghe. This is just a fraction of the staggering Rs 1000 million the poll is expected to cost the taxpayer. more..