Jan 31 (CCF) Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral infection, is endemic in Sri Lanka and many other countries with tropical climates. Dengue can present a no or a wide range of symptoms and can even lead to death. Within the last year in Sri Lanka, more than 4,000 people have acquired dengue and at least 22 have died as a result of the infection. more..

Jan 31 (TN) The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF) Monday decided to field candidates in the forthcoming local elections jointly as one group with a common symbol. The second round of talks between CWC delegation led by its President Mr.Armugan Thondaman and UPF delegation led by its President Mr.P.Chandrasekaran was held Monday in Nuwara Eliya. more..

Jan 31 (LeN) The Elections Commissioner today declared in an extraordinary gazette notification that Renuka Herath has been appointed in place of S.B.Dissanayake ho had forfeited his parliamentary seat by not attending Parliament sessions for three months without duly obtaining leave. more..

Jan 31 (AT) It was a sigh of relief that the threat of another war is at least temporarily postponed by the decision of the Government and the LTTE to restart talks once more in Geneva, which was halted in April 2003. It was the international pressure that had been brought to bear on the LTTE, compelled them to agree for a renewed negotiation with the Government. more..

Jan 31 (CW) Two churches were attacked last weekend as threats from Buddhist monks continued amid tensions between the government and Tamil rebels. Last Sunday, a mob of roughly 500 people, including 20 Buddhist monks and a Catholic priest, made threats as they demonstrated outside an Assembly of God (AOG) church in Bolaththa, Gampaha district, more..

Jan 31 (ISL) Among the hundreds of promises delivered to the people by JVP in the last Presidential campaign was the venue of the peace talks. The JVP condemned United National Party leader Ranil Wicramasighe and Sri Lanka Freedom Alliance Leader Chandrika Kumaratunge claiming that such leaders lack a backbone to stand against LTTE demands and the JVP will never allow peace talks to be held outside Asia. more..

Jan 31 (LBO) The conditions of a US$ 150 million Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan to part fund Colombo’s long over due port expansion, will be finalized by early February. A visiting ADB mission will also talk to the government on options to raise a balance US$ 200 mn to build initial infrastructure for the South Port, more..

Jan 31 (Reuters) Tamil women shout slogan as they march towards the de facto border between Tamil Tiger controlled territory and government areas during a protest against the Sri Lankan army in Tamil rebel held Kilinochchi, more..

Jan 31 (ISL) The LTTE had expressed its discontent and frustration over speeding military vehicles. According to LTTE Peace Secretariat web site, LTTE claim that “SLA soldiers are driving military vehicles at high speed, putting at risk the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. more..

Jan 31 (ANN) While the Iraqi war against terrorism was in full swing after the capture of Saddam Hussein, the number of US casualties from terrorist ambushes and suicide attacks was of great concern. more..

Jan 31 (IANS) Troubled by their inability to play a larger role in Sri Lankan politics, Tamil politicians opposed to the Tamil Tigers are joining hands to form a new political party. In all probability, the new outfit would be called the All Ceylon Tamil Liberation Party, according to Tamil sources in Colombo. more..

Jan 31 (SLRC) The 58th national independence day ceremony will be held at galle face green colombo on the 4th of next month. a rehearsal of the independence day celebrations began today. Rehearsals of march pasts of three armed forces, guard of honour and procession of armed cars along with naval vessels took place at galle face green in colombo this morning. more..

Jan 31 (SLA) TROOPS ON ROAD CLEARING DUTIES at PULOLY south in JAFFNA on Monday (30) around 1.45 p.m. recovered an Anti Personnel Mine (APM) laid beside the roadside. Later, the Army Bomb Disposal team de-fused it. more..

Jan 31 (SLA) MAJOR GENERAL P. A CHANDRASIRI, Commander, Security Forces Headquarters, Jaffna, with a view to further fostering good relations and understanding between law enforcement authorities and the local Jaffna populace, particularly in the wake of emerging peace prospects, more..

Jan 31 (LBO) Sri Lanka Tuesday raised import duties (taxes) on rice and wheat flour to discourage flour imports and to boost demand for local rice, the Finance Ministry said. It was not clear whether the tax will apply to the Singapore-owned Prima mill in Trincomalee, which imports whole grain for milling inside the country. more..

Jan 31 (LBO) Top officials from international donor agencies will travel to the north on Friday to meet Tamil Tiger representatives to discuss reconstruction work, a joint statement said Tuesday. The Friday meeting follows the successful visit by Nordic peace envoy Erik Solheim to resume peace talks more..

Jan 31 (LM) There is no concrete evidence to prove that an armed Muslim group is operating in the east though the LTTE has raised such concerns, Muttur police said. They said during a meeting on Saturday between Trincomalee LTTE leaders and a Muslim religious delegation from Muttur, the LTTE warned that the existence of such a group could harm the relationship between Tamils and Muslims in the east. more..

Jan 31 (PIS) Norwegian truce monitors have declared that they had no evidence to indicate that the Army was supporting LTTE renegade Karuna. In a New Delhi datelined report SLMM spokesperson Helen Olafsdottir said they had no proof that the Army was directly supporting the Karuna group although some local Army officers had knowledge of the whereabouts of some Karuna supporters. more..

Jan 31 (LT) The programme to present books to Jaffna Library has commenced. This would be carried out under provisions made available in Mahinda Chinthana said Mr. M.S. Jayasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Nation Building and Development. more..

Jan 31 (LT) Discipline has deteriorated in the country as well as in the Parliament says Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake. He said that Parliament has turned into Lipton Circus yesterday(30th). more..

Jan 31 (AT) Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) has complained to the SLMM that five (5) of their staff members travelling from the Batticaloa office to Vanvuniya for training have been kidnapped by unidentified personnel shortly after the crossed the Welikanda, (Polunnaruwa District) Checkpoint of the Sri Lankan Army on 30 January, 2006. more..

Jan 31 (SAMN) President Mahinda Rajapakse, who met the public sector Trade Union Leaders at Temple Trees yesterday, directed officials to prepare a national policy on the salary structures of public servants, within the next three months, the President's Office said yesterday (30). more..

Jan 31 (SAMN) Three persons who had allegedly stolen tsunami relief aid items that had been stored in a catholic church were arrested by the Kattankudy police. The suspects had reportedly broken into a church in Kattankudy area on Sunday night got away with goods worth Rs 25, 000. more..

Jan 31 (SAMN) Due to a demand in several countries for qualified nurses, the Ministries of Health and Education are collaborating in a scheme to train nurses for foreign employment, Dr. Athula Kahandaliyanage, Director General of Health Services told 'The Island' on Monday. more..

Jan 31 (LNP) All passports issued from tomorrow will be valid for ten years, but there will be no extra charge levied. Passports were earlier valid only for five years. Passports of children below 10 years would have to be renewed after five years and those below five years would be renewed after two years. more..

Jan 31 (LNP) When the `Helping Hambantota` account fundamental rights petition was taken up yesterday, the Chief Justice made an observation that the normal process was not followed in commencing the investigation and said that it cannot be deviated from the protection of the law. more..

Jan 31 (LNP) A child was hurt when the service revolver of his uncle, an ASP, went off accidentally on Sunday. The ASP`s three children, all below the age of 10, had taken the revolver out of the wardrobe, where their father had placed it after returning from duty and were playing with it when it went off injuring a cousin of their`s who was also playing with them at that time. more..

Jan 31 (DN) The Bathalagoda Paddy Research and Development Institute has successfully conducted research on 600 local paddy varieties out of approximately 2000 to 3000 traditional varieties produced locally. more..

Jan 31 (BBC) Thirteen-year-old Harriet visited a tsunami affected area of Sri Lanka on the first anniversary of this devastating event. She visited the tsunami camps and orphanages, handed out supplies, and went to a school that is twinned with her school in Surrey. more..

Jan 31 (BBC) Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka say the abduction of five Tamil aid workers in the east could make it "difficult" for them to attend peace talks in Geneva. The Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), a group closely linked with the Tigers, said unidentified men kidnapped five of its employees on Monday. more..

Jan 31 (AFP) Sri Lanka will adopt a step-by-step approach to peace with Tamil Tiger rebels and will try to strengthen the ceasefire in a new round of talks in February, President Mahinda Rajapakse said. "The most important thing is to stop violence," he told AFP in an interview on Tuesday. more..

Jan 31 (IANS) Sri Lanka's ceasefire between the Tamil Tiger guerrillas and the government can collapse and trigger renewed fighting, a path-breaking international study on the peace process has cautioned. At the same time, it is "too early to talk of success or failure" of the Norwegian-mediated peace process between Colombo and the LTTE, said the report, more..

Jan 31 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels said on Tuesday that the abduction of five Tamil aid workers might make it "difficult" for them to attend peace talks with the government in Switzerland seen key to averting a new civil war. more..

Jan 31 (CI) Boeta Dippenaar set South Africa on course for victory with a smart fifty to propel his side to 1 for 121 after 25 overs. Dipennaar's superb VB Series continued and with his captain, Graeme Smith, put on a positive opening stand of 84. more..

Jan 31 (AFP) Five relief workers have been abducted by "paramilitary personnel" in eastern Sri Lanka, casting a shadow over proposed ceasefire talks in Geneva, Tamil Tiger rebels said. The rebel LTTE said the kidnapping of five employees of the TRO charity on Sunday was a blow to Norway's efforts to revive a stalled peace bid. more..

Feb 1 (CI) The ICC has asked Goolam Vahanvati, India's solicitor general, to investigate incidents of racial abuse that have taken place in Australia. His appointment follows an official complaint from the South African board. Vahanvati will speak to venue staff, Cricket Australia representatives and ICC officials during his visit. more..