Jan 9 (LNP) THE Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) yesterday criticised MPs of Tamil National Alliance, several ministers of the Government and representatives, a number of Human Rights organisations and NGOs, for opposing current search operations carried out by the Security Forces in Colombo. more..

Jan 9 (LNP) Madduma Balapatabandige Guna-pala a father of three children of Rakawa at Netolpitiya in Tangalla police division was found dead on a pavement at Tangalla town after consuming excess liquor. The body was immediately rushed to Tangalla District hospital by neighbours for further examination. more..

Jan 9 (DN) AL-QAEDA is working with the LTTE to get weapons including automatic arms and ground-to-air missiles, Pakistani intelligence sources said. The weapons are paid for in cash, as well as in drugs originating from Afghanistan, according to the sources. more..

Jan 9 (IPS) As the funeral procession carrying the coffins of five Tamil students, victims of Thursday's alleged vigilante killings, wound through the streets of the port town of Trincomalee, there were whispers among the mourners that retaliation would be swift. more..

Jan 9 (DJ) Sri Lanka's tourist board has slashed its forecast for tourist arrivals this year to a 9% increase over last year from an earlier projection of 27% due to growing concerns about violence and civil war on the island, the chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board, Udaya Nanayakkara, told Dow Jones more..

Jan 9 (SLBC) The programme to provide day meal for school children will come to effect from tomorrow. As the initial step the Ministry of Education has selected 3,100 schools in implementing the programme. The Ministry says priority has been given to districts like Hambantota, Ampara, Wanni and Puttalam more..

Jan 9 (UNI) CPM Central Committee Member Sankaraiah today said India should adopt "an independent moral, political and diplomatic approach" to find a solution to the ethnic strife in Sri Lanka. Mr Sankaraiah called for equal rights for Tamils and Sinhalese and said the ceasefire should be maintained at all cost. more..

Jan 9 (SLBC) Sri Lanka Transport Board will re-fleet the public transport with another 200 buses. A senior of the SLTB said the new buses will commence operations in coming weeks. A substantial number of buses will be deployed in rural areas and distant routes. more..

Jan 9 (SLBC) Minister S.M Chandrasena says a programme to promote the use of organic fertilizer among farmers will be launched from the next Yala season. Farmers who produce at least one metric tons of organic fertilizer will be provided with artificial fertilizer for the rest of the cultivation needs by the government. more..

Jan 9 (SLBC) The government of Pakistan has agreed to provide a line of credit of 20 million US dollars to Sri Lanka. The proceed of the line of credit will be used to purchase products of Pakistan Origin mutually agreed between the two governments. more..

Jan 9 (HT) "Rising India" with its new-found passion for the dollar, is assiduously cultivating the rich, successful and famous overseas Indians, mainly resident in the prosperous West. They are being sought out, honoured and feted in extravagant jamborees. Celebration of a Pravasi Bharatiya Divas has no objective other than attracting overseas investment. more..

Jan 9 (Reuters) Suspected Tamil Tigers ambushed two patrols in northeastern Sri Lanka, killing one soldier but losing two militants, the army said on Monday, as a search continued at sea for 13 sailors missing after a gunboat sank. Attacks on troops have increased markedly since the beginning of December, more..

Jan 9 (TN) President Mahinda Rajapakse met with Ambassadors of Co-chairs of Tokyo Donor Conference at the President's office on Monday. Separately, Mr Dhanendrakumar, World Bank's Executive Director for Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Bhutan made a courtesy call on the SL President Monday, more..

Jan 9 (Reuters) A Sri Lankan soldier stops vehicles to conduct searches in Colombo. Suspected Tamil Tigers ambushed two patrols in north-east Sri Lanka, killing one soldier but losing two militants, more..

Jan 9 (AP) President Monday complained to western and Asian diplomats that Tamil Tiger rebels sunk a naval vessel, the government said. President Mahinda Rajapakse met the ambassadors of Norway, Japan, Britain and the European Union, key backers of Sri Lanka's peace process, and briefed the about Saturday's pre-dawn attack that killed 13 sailors, more..

Jan 9 (AFP) President vowed tough measures to prevent "terror attacks" that undermine an already troubled ceasefire with Tamil Tiger rebels as officials reported three more deaths in the embattled east. President Mahinda Rajapakse told diplomats that his government will take "all necessary measures to deter further terror attacks," more..

Jan 10 (HS) A BALL is yet to be bowled in the VB Series, but already the Sri Lankans have booked time on the psychologist's couch. Mentally frazzled by poor form which has seen them lose nine of their past 11 one-day matches, the Sri Lankans flew to Melbourne yesterday and will have the first of their two sessions with sports psychologist Sandy Gordon this week. more..

Jan 10 (JS) Sri Lanka will set up 50 of its 300 new clothing factories within rural areas of the country, according to Sri Lankan newspaper the Daily Mirror. Under a governmental plan, factories with an investment of LKR30m (US$300,000) and over, which will open up 200 jobs, will be initially established in rural Sri Lanka. more..

Jan 10 (CO) Arithra, the 14-year-old daughter of Murugan and Nalini convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, has arrived from Sri Lanka to visit her parents imprisoned in Vellore. Her arrival, which was cleared nearly four-weeks ago by the External Affairs Ministry, was kept in a shroud of secrecy for security reasons, more..

Jan 10 (AP) Norway's former prime minister, Kjell Magne Bondevik, on Monday announced plans to establish a center for peace and human rights in Oslo, the home of the Nobel Peace Prize. Bondevik, who stepped down after his center-right bloc lost September's national elections, said his Oslo Center will cooperate with similar organizations worldwide. more..

Jan 10 (WS) "The Government is committed for discussions and therefore it does not provide for war in the budget. If unforeseen things happen, you have to plan accordingly. That is what the budget exercise is all about," says Treasury Secretary Dr P. B. Jayasundera. more..

Jan 10 (WS) The first week of 2006 too faded away without much ado in the political arena such as conflicts, contradictions, debates or dialogues. It can also be considered as a week of less importance if there were no panic in the month during the week. more..

Jan 10 (WS) Sri Lanka's predominant Muslim party yesterday slammed the Government for its failure to take concrete steps to bring an end to the escalating tensions. SLMC Secretary General M. T. Hasan Ali pointed out that while people were being murdered the Government was fighting over the venue to hold peace talks. more..

Jan 10 (WS) Suppose there is a country which is under attack by a ruthless terrorist organization nevertheless signs a ceasefire agreement with that outfit. Suppose that organization then proceeds to violate the agreement over 3500 times, kill over 400 persons more..

Jan 10 (LeN) President Mahinda Rajapaksa held a discussion with all southern political parties today (9) at Temple Trees with a view to forge a consensus for initiating direct talks with the LTTE on a final solution. more..

Jan 10 (LeN) The government is to indirectly censor news reportage on the incidents in the North and East. It is reported that the President has instructed the three service chiefs at the National Security Council Meeting to restrict information provided to the media as the recent incidents of violence were carried in detail by certain media institutions which were unfavorable to the government. more..

Jan 10 (BBC) The president Mahinda Rajapakse, has told foreign diplomats that the government will be obliged to take all necessary measures to deter attacks by the Tamil Tiger rebels. A statement issued by the government said that the attack on a Sri Lankan naval vessel on Saturday which killed 13 naval personnel "had all the hallmarks of the LTTE”. more..

Jan 10 (OI) In the first maritime terrorism incident of 2006, one or two suspected suicide naval bombers of the LTTE rammed an explosive-laden boat, resembling a small fishing vessel, against a Dvora fast attack vessel of Israeli design belonging to the Sri Lankan Navy outside the Tricomalee harbour in the early hours of January 7, 2006. more..

Jan 10 (ISL) A Sinhalese Chauvinist organization called “Northeast Sinhalese Organization” had requested the President to halt the current investigations on the deaths of five Tamil students in Trincomalee. The group had charged that the government only conducts investigations when Tamils were being killed. more..

Jan 10 (ISL) A senior official of Colombo police told The Independent that security of the city had been strengthen by the intelligence reports of a possible LTTE attack in the City. Army units too had been deployed around the economical centers of the city to counter possible LTTE threats. more..

Jan 10 (ISL) The Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) enabled the LTTE to stealthily add a new wing to their armed personnel, the People’s Militia. This has dragged the war risks into a highly vulnerable civilian territory; villages and townships involving families. more..

Jan 10 (HT) A GANG of burglars stole an old gold statue of Lord Buddha from the main Buddhist temple situated on Mul Gandha Kuti Vihara campus in Sarnath on Sunday night. The theft came to light in the wee hours on Monday. This caused commotion amongst the devotees and Buddhist monks and students residing in Sarnath. more..

Jan 10 (TN) Mr. Charles Gnanakone, an Australian citizen who was arrested while in Colombo and detained by the CID in connection with the murder of Mr.Lakshman Kadirgamar, before being released by an order of the Court of Appeal, has given notice through his lawyer to the Defense Secretary and the IGP more..

Jan 10 (AT) United Kingdom in its latest travel advisory has warned traveling to the North of East of Sri Lanka, as there is an ongoing political violence and civil unrest in that region. The travel advisory issued by United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office more..

Jan 10 (AT) President Mahinda Rajapakse has been urged to come forward to appoint a commission to investigate into the killings of more than 32 Sri Lankan parliamentarians, who were killed since 1975, alleged to be by the Tamil rebel outfit. more..

Jan 10 (AT) President Mahinda Rajapakse briefed the Ambassadors of the Co-Chair countries of the Tokyo Donor Conference -- Japan, United States, European Union and Norway -- yesterday on the continuing escalation of violence by the LTTE . more..

Jan 10 (GI) A woman walks past posters in Colombo denouncing terrorism and asking residents whether Tamil Tiger rebels should be given space to keep up their "terrorism" or fight them. more..

Jan 10 (ISL) Massing up for battle action in Sri Lanka are deleterious and lethal forces, the tragic consequence of Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinism and Tiger terrorism. Both cancers would have been nipped off in the bud had the Sri Lankan government honoured the fundamental rights of every community in the country. more..

Jan 10 (ISL) Bankrupt Tamilnadu politicians Ramadoss and G K Mani (Pattali Makkal Kadchchi) and Tiger Copycat R Thirumavalavan (Dalith Panthers of India) had to flee from Malaysia. They arrived in Kuala Lumpur from Chennai Friday January 6 by Malaysia Airlines flight MH181 and were met by a high-powered LTTE team. more..

Jan 10 (KT) WHAT’S happening to our television channels, a colleague asked, protesting at the over-Hindiisation of local channels. Almost every local channel telecasts a Hindi film daily or every other day in addition to popular Bombay soaps. Recently, when I switched on the television, a Shah Rukh Khan film was on. I changed the channel. more..

Jan 10 (ANN) Of Sri Lankans, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) seems to have the same view as the greatest ever conman Phineas T. Barnum had of fellow Americans of his time-the people are suckers and there is a sucker born every minute. more..

Jan 10 (LBO) The European Commission will provide € 3 million to address technical trade barriers faced by Sri Lankan exporters. Technical barriers include certification and health and hygiene standards that companies must meet, to export food and agricultural goods to Europe. more..

Jan 10 (LBO) Sri Lanka’s Foreign Employment Bureau say its will set up a migrant pension scheme by April 2006. “The migrant pension scheme will be finalised in three months time,” said Chairman, Foreign Employment Bureau, Jagath Wellawatta in an interview on Tuesday. more..

Jan 10 (SLA) AN LTTE MOVE to detonate two claymores mines targeting troops on patrol was thwarted this morning (10) around 7.50 a.m. near 118th mile post, VALAICHCHENAI, BATTICALOA after alert soldiers spotted a few LTTE men attempting to plant the claymore mine. more..

Jan 10 (SLA) AN UNIDENTIFIED GUNMAN has shot dead a civilian in THIRUNAVELI junction in JAFFNA around 2.45 p.m. on Monday (09). The bullet-ridden remains of the civilian, WEERAVANNAN (25) was found lying close to JAYA video shop when the Police found it. The THIRUNAVELI Police are conducting investigations. more..

Jan 10 (WS) Ask an average Sri Lankan today as to what he considers to be the cause of all this blood letting in the name of an 'ethnic conflict', a good 70% would identify July 83 as being the cause of it. more..

Jan 10 (LeN) Chandrika Kumartunga will spearhead the SLFP election campaign as the leader of the party, a senior member of the SLFP CentralCommittee told 'Lanka e News'. Applications of potential SLFP candidates are now under review and the process is expected to be completed by 22nd of this month, he added. more..

Jan 10 (LeN) Senior government figures are now speculating whether the killing of five students in Trincomalee was a result of an arbitrary decision taken by the Inspector General and a former police officer who now functions as an advisor to the President and the Defense Ministry. more..

Jan 10 (AT) The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL) has requested President Mahinda Rajapakse to immediately intervene and settle the ongoing crisis at the Aalankuda Muslim Maha Vidyalaya in Puttalam, Kalpitiya. more..

Jan 10 (LT) Security forces have detected a claymore bomb weighing 12 kg along the Mannar Vavunia road this morning. This high powered claymore bomb was recovered in a joint search operation conducted by the Police and the Army. more..