Feb 1 (ST) The military yesterday vowed to maintain the demarcated safe zone for civilians fleeing the fighting in LTTE-held areas, as the security forces were poised to intensify their operations against the last remaining rebel pockets in the Mullaitivu district. �The safe passage stretching from Theravilkulam near the Paranthan- Mullaitivu A 35 highway will be spared in the military operations to encourage civilians to move into the demarcated area as the fighting hots up,� more..

Feb 1 (ST) The TNA, hitherto sympathetic towards the LTTE is set to undergo major changes with some of the Members of Parliament already in the process of settling in foreign countries and others set to return to their original electoral bases in the north and east to continue moderate politics. The Sunday Times learns that at least six TNA MPs who have been openly campaigning for the LTTE have settled in London and more..

Feb 1 (ST) It was last Sunday that the telephone rang at the President's House in the Fort. India's Acting Prime Minister Pranab Mukherjee was on the line. He had been briefed a few days earlier by his Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon on his visit to Colombo the previous week. Menon in turn had been briefed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa about the government's on-going military manoeuvres to flush the armed members of the LTTE more..

Feb 1 (ST) What did Kataragama Mahasen of the Yaksha tribe, as legend would have it, who strode this land 25,000 years ago and showed off his prowess during a sura-aura battle, Ravana�s grandfather Pulathisi, Kuveni, Acharya Pandula, Parakrama Bahu I, Dutugemunu and the Dasa Maha Yodayas, Vijaya Bahu I, Seethawaka Rajasinghe, Leuke Disawa, Meegasteene Adikaram and Wickremasinghe Mudliyar have in common? more..

Feb 1 (BBC) Sri Lanka has warned diplomats, aid agencies and media, including the BBC, that they will be expelled if they seem to favour the Tamil Tiger rebels. Defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said bias among some foreigners was damaging security forces as they dealt the "final blow" to the rebels. The warning comes amid growing concern for civilians trapped in the war zone during the army's latest offensive. more..

Feb 1 (IANS) Tamil Tigers, facing the worst ever crisis, have formed a new global front to possibly resume peace parleys. But is its first head the same man who is sought by India and the Interpol? Websites sympathetic to the LTTE identified the chief of the newly set up Department of International Relations as Selvarasa Pathmanathan. The TamilNet reported Jan 30 that the LTTE leadership - a euphemism for Velupillai Prabhakaran - had 'recently' made the appointment and more..

Feb 1 (AP) Sri Lanka's military captured two camps used by the Tamil Tigers' suicide squad, killing 12 rebels and seizing a large number of weapons, officials said Sunday amid mounting concern for civilians trapped in the war zone. According to the Red Cross, some 250,000 noncombatants are stuck in the 115-square mile (300-square kilometer) area near the northern town of Mullaittivu where advancing government troops have boxed in the separatist Tamil rebels. more..

Feb 1 (AFP) Sri Lanka's military said Sunday it would move to "liberate" civilians trapped by fighting with Tamil Tiger forces, after a deadline expired for the rebels to allow non-combatants to leave the war zone. International concern over the fate of tens of thousands of men, women and children stuck in the encircled Tigers' jungle territory has grown in recent days, with aid agencies saying hundreds may have already been killed. more..

Feb 1 (AP) Sri Lanka warned Western diplomats, foreign journalists and aid groups Sunday that they would be "chased" out of the country if they appear to favor the Tamil Tiger rebels. Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa singled out the ambassadors of Switzerland and Germany, and television networks CNN, BBC and Al-Jazeera in his criticism of foreigners, accusing them of being biased. more..

Feb 2 (CT) Franciscans International has denounced the rising ethnic violence in Sri Lanka and urged the government to ensure security to civilians who have been trapped in the battle between the The LTTE and the government. "The ongoing conflict between Sri Lankan Armed Forces and the LTTE in Northern Sri Lanka has pushed civilians into a very small area surrounded by fighting," FI said in a statement. more..

Feb 2 (PTI) Skipper Mahela Jayawardene said Ajantha Mendis' lean patch against India is not a huge concern for his side and insisted that the mystery spinner will rediscover his form in the remaining three ODIs of the five-match series. Lankans trail the series 0-2 after defeats in Dambulla and here and Mendis has been uncharacteristically off-colour in both the games picking just two wickets and conceding 91 runs. But Jayawardene said there was nothing to be worried about. more..

Feb 1 (AFP) India's large Tamil population is demanding that New Delhi ensure the safety of 250,000 of their brethren boxed into the battle zone in Sri Lanka's north. Protesters have poured into the streets in Tamil Nadu state, home to 62 million Indian Tamils, in the past week to call for a ceasefire in the conflict and assurances about the safety of their fellow Tamils in the island nation. "Our prime concern is the safety of the Tamils," more..

Feb 2 (ANI) Former U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Teresita C. Schaffer, has said that the government in Colombo would need to initiate changes in the way it manages the affairs of island-nation to restore harmony between its several communities. Schaffer said that while Sri Lanka has made progress under a regime headed by President Mahinda Rajapakse, major political changes still needed to be undertaken to facilitate an end to the over two-decade long ethnic conflict. more..

Feb 2 (HT) The Republic Day reception on the evening of January 26 in Colombo was a gala affair. There was song, dance and kebabs. On the soft lawns of India House, diplomats and dilettantes, politicians and patrons milled around chatting and patting each other, drinking fruit juice with smiles on their lips. But under the veneer of sound and light, the topic of discussion was a worrying one: the fast unfolding humanitarian crisis in north Sri Lanka. more..

Feb 2 (SI) The Sri Lankan government has hit out at the Swiss ambassador to Colombo over criticism she made of the country's conflict with Tamil rebels. Sri Lankan Defence Minister Gotabaya Rajapaksa told the Sunday Island newspaper that his government had had enough of international criticism. He said the Swiss ambassador, Ruth Flint, her German counterpart and international media outlets were acting irresponsibly and spreading panic about the conflict with the LTTE. more..

Feb 2 (BBC) The government of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has declared that a 'total strike' (Hartal) call in support of the demand for cease-fire in Sri Lanka illegal. Some political parties and Tamil nationalist organisations have banded together to form the Lankan Tamil Protection Movement and given a call for total strike on 04 February. more..

Feb 2 (TP) Sri Lankan government is doing everything possible to ensure the safety and security of civilians caught within the northern embattled area in the island nation, the country�s mission here said yesterday. �The government of Sri Lanka has declared a zero civilian causality policy and the civilian safety is the main concern of the government. But unfortunately the Tamil Tiger rebels are using civilians as human shields,� Ambassador Vijaya Padukkage more..

Feb 2 (AP) A hospital in Sri Lanka's chaotic war zone was hit twice by artillery attacks within hours Sunday, killing at least six civilians and wounding many others, the region's top health official and the Red Cross said. Dr. Thurairajah Varatharajah said the shells in the later attack appeared to have been fired by the Sri Lankan army and killed five. He said they also caused extensive damage to the crowded Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital, more..

Feb 2 (AT) To the majority of Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims, the main aspect of the national crisis has been almost effectively dealt with. They see that the government having given the LTTE a taste of its own medicine is now in the process of restoring democracy is in the East and soon in the North too. All this will provide opportunities for new political faces to be seen in the two provinces. Even the old guard has accepted this reality. more..

Feb 2 (Hindu) The Sri Lankan military on Sunday claimed a �string of victories� against the LTTE in the Visuamadu area and said troops had captured a well-fortified LTTE camp located south of Piramanthalkulam. Visuamadu and Puthukkuudiyiruppu are the two remaining settlements of the Tigers in the Mullathivu district. The government believes that an estimated 1.2 lakh civilians are trapped there. The United Nations and international agencies estimate the numbers to be above two lakh. more..

Feb 2 (AFP) Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse said that there would be "dire consequences" for any foreign non-governmental organisation, diplomat or correspondent attempting to give "terrorists a second breath of life." Berlin -- Berlin made it clear on Sunday that it was unimpressed by "threats" from Sri Lanka's top defence official to expel Germany's ambassador and other foreigners seen as supportive of Tamil rebels. more..

Feb 2 (HT) Sri Lanka sports minister Gamini Lokuge, who was in the news recently when he dissolved the Interim Cricket Committee headed by former skipper Arjuna Ranatunga, is known to be an avid follower of the sport. He spoke exclusively to Hindustan Times at his Kattawa Road residence and justified the decision to sack the World Cup-winning skipper and dissolve the cricket body. Excerpts: Have you zeroed in on a sponsor for the team? more..

Feb 2 (TC) It was just another Friday for me. Like any other Friday, on Friday January 23 too I started my routine by getting up at 4:30 in the morning. As usual I started my morning exercises in the front garden. I do my walking also inside the garden. On that day, I felt a strange uneasiness in my mind. I did not know why, and I never told anyone about it. I usually walk from one end to the other in the garden. more..

Feb 2 (LG) Now the question is, what about the workers? Yes, what about them? They are also human. Hence they are also divided according to the political currents in society. But the difference is that they do join unions irrespective of their political alliances. In fact they inevitably go to the union which appears to be the most radical union at the workplace. Radicalism need not be related to class struggle. more..

Feb 2 (LG) A question which has not been much probed in the heated discussions now going on in political circles is how the 'terror supreme,' this macho, 'invincible,' 'indestructible,' 'tough as steel' character who ruled supreme his potty little kingdom for a quarter century came to crumble like a hot papadam (popadam as the British have it) within a couple of years. more..

Feb 2 (wsws) The Sri Lankan government's ongoing military offensive against the separatist LTTE has not only created a massive humanitarian crisis in the northern Wanni area, where UN agencies have warned that least 250,000 Tamil civilians are trapped without shelter or adequate food. Thousands of Sri Lankan soldiers, nearly all of them poverty-stricken rural youth, have also been killed on the front lines. more..

Feb 2 (GV) Throughout history, there have been good men who did good things and bad men who did bad things. But it has taken an unquestioning acceptance of religious doctrines or preaching or a tribal affiliation to a race, to motivate good people to do bad things. History is at best a romanticised compilation of half-truths - useful only as much as we can learn from it without giving into the temptations of using history to justify our actions in the present. more..

Feb 2 (GV) With the end of the war in sight Sinhala opinion on the next step of the Nationalities Question (or �ethnic issue�, if you will) is firming up. At best it is in favour of the implementation of the 13th Amendment with the Concurrent List being devolved without conditions. At worst it is for the unitary state intact and inviolate. I have had intimations from several quarters some of them being my very dear friends that Sinhala opinion is hardening on this issue. more..

Feb 2 (LG) President Mahinda Rajapaksa should be congratulated for leading the country to victory in the battle against the psychotic LTTE which boasted in blood cries ever so often. He has orchestrated this victory by appointing dedicated, fearless and brilliant leaders within the security forces and other personnel in almost every field, for this onerous task. He has given leadership and brought forth the patriotic fervor and moulded them into a dedicated service with fearlessness and willingness to face insurmountable obstacles. more..

Feb 2 (LG) It's easy to dismiss President Mahinda Rajapaksa's invitation for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Opposition Leader Jayalalalithaa to visit Sri Lanka as a political gimmick � or, a master-stroke. That cannot be said of his subsequent call for the LTTE to allow civilians under its control to migrate to safer areas. In talking about a ceasefire and civilian security, President Rajapaksa has addressed the mainline Dravidian polity in Tamil Nadu, as different from more..

Feb 2 (GDI) Sri Lanka�s second zoological garden being constructed on a 53 acre land at Pinnawala will be opened in December and most animals will be brought from African and Indian jungles. The Sports and Public Recreation Ministry will spend Rs. 2,500 million for the project which will be completed in two stages. The new zoological garden will be divided into four zones, which includes the Sri Lankan Zone and the Foreign Zone. more..

Feb 2 (GDI) Security in Colombo has been tightened as the nation is preparing to celebrate its 61st Independence Day and showcase the 'Dayata Kirula' exhibition. The Independence Day celebrations are to be held at the Galle Face Green under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 4th of February. The rehearsals are currently underway at the Galle Face Green and a special traffic system has also been introduced by the police closing few main roads in the capital Colombo. more..

Feb 2 (GDI) The Government has allocated Rs. 1,744 million for development activities in the Western Province covering Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts under the Gama Neguma programme this year, Minister of Nation Building Rohitha Abeygunawardena said. The major share of the total allocation has been set aside for the development of rural roads. Roads, bridges, housing, power and energy, irrigation, social and sports development, water supply and more..

Feb 2 (GDI) United National Party (UNP) Anuradhapura District organizer and well known businessman Thilanga Sumathipala joined the United People�s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) at a rally held yesterday in Hanguranketha. Later he said to media that he intended to contest the Western Provincial Council election from Colombo district under UPFA banner. more..

Feb 2 (GDI) The Independence Day celebrations will be held in a glamorous and spectacular manner as per usual stated Senior DIG Nimal Mediwake at a press briefing held at the MCNS premises today. At a time when the LTTE terrorists are suffering massive defeats in the north it is evident that they will try to disrupt the Independence Day proceedings. Throughout the past few days the Police along with the Tri-Forces uncovered more..

Feb 2 (GDI) The need for doubling the paddy yield in the country within the next few years by using improved high yielding varieties of rice coupled with advanced production and protection technologies was stressed by Agriculture Minister Hemakumara Nanayakkara at the opening ceremony of the new Rice Technology Training Centre at the Rice Research and Development Institute, Bathalagoda recently. more..

Feb 2 (GDI) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon hailed the Sri Lankan security forces when he met him days ago for conducting a war without violating international laws related to war and without harming civilians, MP Basil Rajapaksa said. He pointed out that the way the war is being conducted in the North is an example to the entire world and the good name earned by the Sri Lankan security forces internationally is an even bigger victory than capturing Killinochchi,� Mr. Rajapaksa said. more..

Feb 2 (GDI) The Health Ministry has taken action to bar Government hospitals ordering inpatients to obtain the services of examination and reports from private medical laboratories. This action had been taken after a number of complaints from the public that most Government hospitals equipped with sophisticated lab facilities directed patients to private laboratories for examinations, ministry sources said. more..

Feb 2 (LT) Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dishanayake has made arrangements for five organizations to engage in monitoring the North-Western and Central PC elections. PAFFREL and CMEV have been given permission to engage in monitoring in polling centers while Network for Elections, Human Development Organization and CAFFE have been given permission to monitor the elctions from outside the polling booths. more..

Feb 2 (LT) The ceremony organized to declare open the Wamadilla reservoir in Matale built by the government turned into a battle ground when the auspicious time to release water approached. The incident occurred when more than hundred villagers, who had lost their properties when the reservoir was built, were provoked by another gang throwing stones at them. The villagers who had lost land, paddy fields and other properties due to the construction of the reservoir had more..

Feb 2 (GDI) President Mahinda Rajapaksa renewing his call to LTTE terrorists, urged them to surrender of face grave danger of being captured by the Government Armed Forces. This renewed call was made by President Rajapaksa when he addressed a mammoth rally at the Rikillagaskada playground Haguranketha yesterday in the UPFA propaganda meeting. more..

Feb 2 (LP) President Mahinda Rajapaksa invited the Muslim community to join hands with him in the process of eradicating terrorism and developing the country. President Rajapaksa made this statement as he addressed a large gathering of Muslims in Kandy at the President�s house on Saturday (31). The president also said that he would take all necessary measures to resettle the Muslim community who were chased away from the North by the terrorists. more..

Feb 2 (LP) Today (2nd) is World Wetlands Day and this year�s slogan is `Upstream-Downstream�which captures the sense of how interconnected we all are within the river basin. To mark World Wetlands Day, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mahinda Wijesekera instructed for the release of two commemorative stamps. These stamps will be released today at the Central Environment Authority (CEA) in Battaramulla. more..

Feb 2 (LP) The Sri Lanka office of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is studying the impact of the global financial crisis and its impact on Sri Lanka�s labour. A tripartite committee with representations from employers, labour unions and the state are working on a report which is expected to be released within the next few months. According to available data for the third quarter of 2008, about 60.4 % of Sri Lanka�s workforce is in the informal sector. more..

Feb 2 (LP) Pelwatte Dairy Industries PLC will launch a Rs. 450 million Initial Public Offer (IPO) this month. Rs. 450 million shares will be offered at Rs. 1 each. 20% of the company�s Rs. 2.5 billion capital will be offered to the public, Pelwatte Dairy Industries PLC Chairman Ariyaseela Wickremanayake said. He said that the company�s Rs. 2.5 billion capital includes the milk processing factory and an animal feed production factory which is the only such factory in the country. more..

Feb 2 (PISL) When discussing the conflict in Sri Lanka, foreign diplomats sometimes appear to have been surgically attached to a pair of rather close fitting blinkers. They seem to be completely incapable of giving up their obsession with tempering any statement critical of one party with equal concern about the other, even when such balance is not only unjustified but also decidedly counterproductive in solving the problems at hand. more..

Feb 2 (LP) Jaffna Catholic church sources say that appeals were made to the LTTE to allow a group of Catholic priests and nuns to cross over to liberated areas to ensure their safety. 29 Catholic priests and 35 nuns belonging to the Catholic dioceses of Jaffna and Mannar are in the group. Some of the priests and nuns trapped in the LTTE dominated area, have now started moving to a new location, Memathalan, in the East end of Mullaitivu for their safety. more..

Feb 2 (DW) A 30-man LTTE team that breached the 59 Division FDL launched a string of attack this morning killing 15 soldiers in the process. The team had landed in Security Forces dominated Mulaitivu from the Nanthikadal lagoon around 6 a.m. undetected by the Army. The team launched attacks on an Army Bus, Tractor and two Tanks causing damage to the four vehicles. The team then called in artillery at the FDL and more..

Feb 2 (LNP) The largest ever arms, ammunition and equipment recovery made in a day on the Vanni front over the weekend included US built guns capable of firing chemicals, thermo-baric weapons and nine mortar launchers of different calibre. Military spokes-person Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told The Island that although they had been aware of the possibility of the LTTE acquiring thermo-baric weapons, the recovery of Tippman A-5 guns capable of firing deadly chemicals was startling. more..

Feb 2 (SAMN) Around 25 serious road accidents occur every 24 hours in Sri Lanka and annually about 2500 succumb to their injuries sustained from these accidents in addition to another 4000 becoming disabled, a Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry study reveals. The study compiled by a team of medical professionals on the instructions of Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva says the loss incurred by the state due to road accidents exceeded Rs. 10.25 billion in 2001 which is 1-2% of the GDP. more..