Feb 7 (AHN) One year after the devastating tsunami destroyed thousands of homes, businesses and educational facilities in Sri Lanka, the Randombe Junior School has risen from the rubble. The hallways were once again filled with the sounds of students at the Randombe Junior School, when the school year began on January 2, 2006. more..

Feb 7 (LT) JVP General Secretary Mr. Tilvin Silva, in a letter, has requested UPFA General Secretary Minister Susil Premajayanthe not toget his party to contest under the UPFA as his party intends contesting the forthcoming local government elections under the ‘bell’ symbol. more..

Feb 7 (LT) JVP has taken steps to protest against the support given by GoSL to European Union sponsored resolution by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to report on Iran against its nuclear programme. Mr. Tilvin Silva is to send a letter of protest to President Mahinda Rajapakse explaining the JVP’s stand on this issue more..

Feb 7 (ANN) A six-member team will represent the Tiger rebels (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) at the peace talks with the Sri Lankan government in Geneva later this month, the group's spokeman Daya "Master" told The Island Feb 6. more..

Feb 7 (SLA) PRESENCE OF A GROUP OF NINETEEN ARMED WOMEN TAMIL TIGERS (LTTE) at the NORWAY POINT in TRINCOMALEE has been observed by naval troops on duty in the area on 06 February 2006 around 10.00 a.m. Those LTTE female cadres carrying small arms after arriving at the point from SAMPOOR Bay area in small dinghies began to withdraw into the jungles when naval troops sighted them. more..

Feb 7 (TN) Sri Lanka Army (SLA) 51-2 brigade command has voluntarily set up an investigating committee to look into complaints against its own soldiers filed at the Human Rights Commission (HRC) by Jaffna district residents after December 2005, SLA sources in Jaffna said. more..

Feb 7 (TN) In a ceremony held in Unawatuna, Galle on 27 January, the Government of Japan donated to 8 large fishing boats as part of a 40-boat gift program to tsunami affected fishermen from districts of Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Ampara, Batticaloa and Jaffna, a press release from the Embassy of Japan in Colombo, released 7 February said. more..

Feb 7 (ISL) Recently the Tamil parliamentarians performed a funeral drama in Sri Lanka’s House of Representatives. Since they could not fetch a dead body in Colombo, something that would have been a simple operation in the surrounds of Wanni, these gentlemen got one of their own to feign death and have the ritual of dear departed performed on him with a tribal dance of wail, weep, yowl and scream. more..

Feb 7 (LBO) Sri Lanka's only commercial ship building and repair firm Colombo Dockyards Limited (CDL) plans to invest over Rs. 660 million to upgrade infrastructure in order to lure new business and face up to competition from India. more..

Feb 7 (TW) Radhika Coomaraswamy, a former UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, has been appointed the new UN Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict. She will hold the rank of Under-Secretary-General (USG), the third highest ranking job in the UN system. more..

Feb 7 (LeN) United National Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was yesterday caught in a clash between two groups supporting Thilanga Sumathipala and Sirisena Cooray who are making claims for the party's mayoral candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council. more..

Feb 7 (LeN) The Appeal Court today rejected a petition filed by United National Party General Secretary N.V.K.K. Weragoda seeking an interim order to restrain the Elections Commissioner from calling nominations for the local government election. more..

Feb 7 (LeN) Five undergraduates of the Kelaniya University were injured and hospitalized in a razor attack in the latest incident of violence between rival student factions. One student was injured in the morning in an outbreak of violence this morning. more..

Feb 7 (LeN) Civil, media and people's organizations in Jaffna claim that people living in government controlled area are under more pressure following Mahinda Rajapaksa's victory at the presidential election. more..

Feb 7 (LeN) The JVP has put forward conditions to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party that the party should be allocated one third of candidates and 50% of the leadership in candidate lists. The JVP has forwarded these conditions at a meeting with the Freedom Alliance General Secretary Susil Premajayantha today more..

Feb 7 (LM) When the Writ of Prohibition prohibiting the Commissioner of Elections from holding the Local Authorities elections until such time as new lists are prepared and published in terms of Local Authorities Elections Ordinance was taken up yesterday (6) before the Court of Appeal. more..

Feb 7 (SLBC) A Government Internet Data Center has been set up by Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka to host all the public sector websites. ICTA has taken an initiative to assist government organizations to develop their official websites and host those sites in a secure, modern data center. more..

Feb 7 (AT) Sri Lanka's pre dominant Muslim party, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has decided to contest the fourth coming local government elections on their own, the party's Secretary General M.T. Hasan Ali told the "Asian Tribune." more..

Feb 7 (AT) Switzerland has come forward to host the talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in a conducive environment to reach a mutually acceptable solution when both parties to the conflict meet on 22 and 23 February in Geneva more..

Feb 7 (LT) Several political parties are ready to contest the Local Government polls this time. At the moment they are busy in preliminary measures akin to nominating their candidates and assignments in propaganda work etc. A few rounds of talks had been held between the SLFP and the JVP to contest under UPFA. more..

Feb 7 (SAMN) US Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead yesterday said that federalism, as a means of power sharing, may be the best opportunity for a non-violent solution to the country’s ethnic conflict Speaking at a symposium, Mr. Lunstead said information and communication were critical to advancing the peace process in Sri Lanka, more..

Feb 7 (SAMN) CID Chief Lionel Gunatilleke was transferred yesterday amidst speculation that the move might be connected with the ‘Helping Hambantota” controversy. DIG Gunatilleke has been transferred to be in charge of Administration and Medical Services. more..

Feb 7 (SAMN) Cultural and National Heritage Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena speaking at the launch of Nihal P. Jayatunga’s Sinhala novel ‘Mallikawo saha Noothana Angulimala’, said that writers in some countries had accomplished what rulers, ministers and politicians had failed to achieve. more..

Feb 7 (LNP) With the aim of creating a conducive environment in the country`s public service, work in the entire sector will be conducted in both, the Sinhala and Tamil languages. The step is expected to provide the opportunity for the Tamil people to conduct their affairs in their own language and make things easy for them, said the Minister of Constitutional Affairs D.E.W. Gunesekera. more..

Feb 7 (LNP) Concerns and noise raised by various sections including the JVP led to the postponement of last week`s scheduled visit to Kilinochchi by the heads of financial lending agencies operating in Sri Lanka, the heads of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank in Sri Lanka said yesterday. more..

Feb 7 (LNP) The Ministry of Industrial Development has planned to provide over 13000 direct and indirect jobs through its Industrial estates programme within this year. These jobs would be provided with the assistance of local and foreign investors , who expect to invest their funds in Kuruwita, Ulapane and Kaluthara industrial estates. more..

Feb 7 (DN) The Government has decided to set up two companies to oversee oil drilling activities on Sri Lanka's coastal belt. Transport and Petroleum Resources Development Minister A.H.M. Fowzie told the Daily News that the two companies which will be fully owned by the State will be responsible for overseeing the oil exploitation activities. more..

Feb 7 (CI) Sri Lanka made short work of Namibia at the R. Premadasa Stadium, beating them comfortably by 137 runs as they prepared for sterner tests ahead in the Under-19 World Cup. It was Sri Lanka's second successive win in Group C, following their four-wicket victory over Scotland on the opening day of the tournament. more..

Feb 7 (AFP) Tamil Tiger rebels today ruled out discussing a political solution to the island's ethnic conflict during the upcoming talks with Sri Lankan government in Geneva and said that they would only talk about ways to strengthen the troubled ceasefire. more..

Feb 7 (BNA) Jordan and Sri Lanka signed an agreement to solve problems related to importing Sri Lankan labor to Jordan. The agreement, which was signed by Minister of Labor Basim Khalil and his Sri Lankan counterpart Athuada Senevirathuna, calls for promoting methods of importing and employing labor force through the labor ministry of both countries. more..

Feb 7 (AP) Some orphans and other children living in Sri Lankan children's homes are forced to sleep on floors, have no place to play, suffer physical abuse, and receive no proper counseling, an international children's agency said in a damning report released Tuesday. more..

Feb 7 (Reuters) Tamil students cycle to schools as soldiers keep security in Jaffna. Govt officials took crash course in negotiating tactics and the core issue of the peace process on Tuesday to prepare for talks in Geneva more..

Feb 7 (CI) Malinga Bandara proved he really was a super sub with a stunning performance against South Africa that spun Sri Lanka into the VB Series finals. South Africa were travelling in relative comfort at 3 for 87 when Bandara was called from the dressing room in the 20th over, but he responded with 4 for 31 to floor his opponents and secure a 76-run win. more..

Feb 7 (wsws) Residents in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo and the adjoining Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia, Kotte and Moratuwa districts, are facing serious health hazards because municipal authorities have failed to collect garbage for weeks, leaving it rotting at roadsides. more..

Feb 7 (AP) The Tamil Tiger rebels said Tuesday they will send six delegates to this month's peace talks in Geneva aimed at enforcing a 2002 cease-fire between the government and guerrillas. Daya Master, spokesman for the LTTE, said the rebel delegation will be led by the group's London-based chief negotiator Anton Balasingham and assisted by S. P. Thamilselvan, more..

Feb 7 (AFP) Sri Lanka's government and Tiger rebels are gearing up for face-to-face talks in Geneva later this month after breaking a three-year deadlock in their faltering peace process. Peace broker Norway finalised the two day talks starting on February 22 after discussions with the top Tamil Tiger negotiator Anton Balasingham in London on Monday, more..

Feb 7 (AFP) Buddhists offer flowers before a statue of Lord Buddha at a Colombo temple in January at the start of a campaign to pray for peace. Sri Lanka's warring parties have agreed to meet in Geneva on February 22, more..

Feb 7 (Reuters) Sri Lankan government officials took a crash course in negotiating tactics and the core issues of the island's peace process on Tuesday to prepare for talks in Geneva with Tamil rebels to avert a slide back to war. more..

Feb 8 (TN) Traders in Trincomalee town called off their protest and opened their business establishments Tuesday following the arrest of three suspects, all of them from the majority community who were alleged to be involved in the assault of Muslim businessmen Sunday night. more..

Feb 8 (TN) The Kinniya Jemiyathul Ulama Sabah (Islamic Theological Council) Tuesday appealed for the immediate release of the abducted workers of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO). The abduction would pose serious threat to take forward the peace process, a statement issued by the Kinniya Jemiyathul Ulama Sabah Tuesday said. more..

Feb 8 (TN) Mr.S.Jeyananadamoorthy, Batticaloa District Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian has complained to the Minister of Education that several qualified volunteer teachers have been ignored when permanent appointments were given recently in the North East. more..

Feb 8 (LBO) Sri Lanka’s telecom watchdog says it has started to crack down on errant state and private sector frequency users to collect overdue fees. The crackdown is part of a programme to clean up Sri Lanka’s commercial important spectrum, which is currently near full capacity. more..

Feb 8 (LBO) Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) chief warned Tuesday that the island would suffer irreversible costs if the south port project does not take off before next year. more..

Feb 8 (ISL) First and foremost, Geneva should not be a venue for the LTTE to bargain and dwell on such matters as dealing with the Karuna Rebellion and demand the Government of Sri Lanka to force disarm the Tamileela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP). The Karuna Rebellion is not just a breakaway group; it goes much deeper than what is being made to be seen as just another paramilitary outfit. more..

Feb 8 (AT) The government of Sri Lanka is expected to launch shortly a massive tourism promotion campaign in Europe to attract more tourists. The campaign, in the form of a road-show will be launched in Germany, London and Hungary - a spokesman of the local tourism ministry said. more..

Feb 8 (Hindu) SEVERAL ISSUES will be at stake when the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE meet in Geneva later this month. There is no reasonable ground for optimism that the talks will mark a resumption of full-fledged negotiations on conflict resolution. For, the exercise is restricted to issues of implementation of the February 2002 ceasefire agreement. more..

Feb 8 (NIP) The Kerala High Court, on Tuesday, directed Inspector-General of police (Southern range) T P Senkumar to evaluate the investigation of the case relating to the alleged sexual assault on a Sri Lankan woman by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials after she was arrested for drug trafficking. more..

Feb 8 (TP) Holidays in the troubled neighbourhood are good, at times though during national days there is one disincentive. These days, India's Republic Day and Sri Lanka's Independence Day are dry days. "How does one celebrate freedom on a dry stomach?" remarked the Scotsman in the Serendip lounge at Colombo's airport while watching Sri Lanka's 58th independence day parade on February 4 on television. more..

Feb 8 (JT) If there is one country in Asia that can serve as a metaphor for all the good and the evil in the world, it may well be little Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon. This physically gorgeous island nation off the coast of India is a mess. A few years ago, after some two decades of vile civil war, its people experienced an unaccustomed respite: more..

Feb 8 (LT) President Mahinda Rajapakse said all parties should work on a single platform with a clear objective when working for the future of the country. To achieve a meaningful ceasefire and approach peace talks views of all parties should be respected and views and experiences of all should be considered he continued. more..