Feb 3 (DM) The University Teachers for Human Rights in a damning report has slammed the SLMM for its ineffectiveness in the face of gross violations of the Ceasefire Agreement by the LTTE. "A peace process that calls upon everyone else, but the LTTE, to be reasonable and moderate for the sake of peace, is fundamentally flawed," the report said. more..

Feb 3 (LBO) John Keells Holdings Ltd. Monday said first nine-months net profit more than doubled year-on-year, on the back of strong performance in most of its key units. The biggest listed conglomerate reported a net profit of Rs. 867.35 mn for the period ending Dec. 31, 2002 as against Rs. 239.82 mn a year ago. more..

Feb 3 (TN) Lieutenant General Satish Nambiar, retired Deputy Chief of Staff of the Indian Army is to visit Jaffna Wednesday February 05 and will hold discussions with security officials including Jaffna area commander Major General Sarath Fonseka, sources said. more..

Feb 3 (PSL) UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy and President Chandrika Kumaratunga had a wide range of discussions on UNICEF activities in Sri Lanka at a special meeting on Saturday. more..

Feb 3 (PRIU) President Chandrika Kumaratunga in an Independence Day message to the nation said the time had arrived for Sri Lankans to put war behind them and look to a future where the rights and aspirations of every individual and of all communities are recognised and respected. more..

Feb 3 (SLA) Two teen-aged LTTE conscripts, J. SATHIYENDRAN (16) and T. THANGESHWARAN (16) from the general area of BAKKIELLA, about 4 km northwest of AMPARA town, have abandoned the LTTE training camp at SANTHIMALE and sought protection from the Police post at BADULLA junction on 02 Feb 2003. more..

Feb 3 (SLA) A mother, who went in search of her daughter who had gone missing since 31 January 2003 had been shown a letter written by her daughter when she visited the LTTE political office in the general area of ARAYAMPATHI, about 7.5 km south of BATTICALOA town the same day. more..

Feb 3 (SLA) Two LTTE cadres on two motor bicycles had gone to the residence of a soldier on 01 February 2003 around midnight in the general area of PUTTUR, about 03 km southwest of BATTICALOA town and tried to abduct him. more..

Feb 3 (SLA) A total of 23 LTTE female cadres, who were partly wearing military uniforms and arrived at the entry/exit point at OMANTHAI from un-cleared areas, had wanted to move into cleared areas on 01 February around 3.00 p.m. more..

Feb 3 (DOI) Sri Lanka cannot continue peace efforts without solving the issues of the country's children, UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy said. Bellamy said in an interview her organisation will be "focusing attention on understanding that one cannot pursue with the peace process without solving the issues of children." more..

Feb 3 (DOI) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday assured residents of villages bordering the North-East provinces that the government would take all possible steps to ensure their security and welfare. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe made this assurance while visiting Mahanikawewa and Indigolla villages in the Anuradhapura district, North Central Province. more..

Feb 3 (DOI) The National Reconciliation Programme aimed at forming a new national vision, introducing Constitutional provision for reconciliation and inter community trust building will be launched tomorrow. more..

Feb 3 (DOI) Eight school children, four boys and four girls have been selected to represent Sri Lanka at the 15th Asia-Pacific Children's Forum, to be held in Fukuoka, Japan in July 2003, states a Press Release issued by the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Education and Cultural Affairs. more..

Feb 3 (AP) Pakistan has postponed signing a free-trade agreement with Sri Lanka due to a major Muslim festival later this month, officials said Monday. Sri Lanka's trade minister Ravi Karunanayake had been scheduled this month to visit Pakistan, to finalize details of the agreement. more..

Feb 3 (DN) The government has no plans to privatise the Railways Department, Transport Minister Tilak Marapana said. Minister Marapana told the Daily News that the intention of the government was to restructure the railway service and encourage private investors to take part in improving it instead of privatising state owned service in its entirety. more..

Feb 3 (Bernama) As Sri Lanka's peace talks this week swing towards the crucial issue of human rights, other developments, unfortunately, may shift attention or overshadow this crucial exercise. more..

Feb 3 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's president on Monday called on the Tamil Tiger rebels to make good on a pledge to stop recruiting child soldiers, a vow seen as a litmus test of the guerrillas' sincerity in peace talks. more..

Feb 3 (Gulf) President Chandrika Kumaratunga has told Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that in future both she and the Cabinet should be consulted on "sensitive matters" like allowing broadcasting equipment to the LTTE and that the guerrillas cannot be given preferential treatment. more..

Feb 3 (IANS) Mahinda Rajapakse, leader of the opposition in the Sri Lankan parliament, is here at the invitation of the Indian government to discuss the pace of peace talks in his country that is worrying New Delhi. more..

Feb 3 (AFP) President Chandrika Kumaratunga urged Sri Lanka Monday to reflect on an end to decades of ethnic bloodshed as the island prepared to mark its 55th anniversary of independence from Britain. more..

Feb 3 (AFP) Top Tamil Tiger rebel leaders left here Monday to attend the next round of peace talks with the Sri Lankan government scheduled to open in the German capital Berlin, official sources said. more..

Feb 3 (BBC) Thousands of people in northern town of Vavuniya have protested against independence day celebrations planned for Tuesday. Reports say about 3,000 students took part in the demonstration which was inspired, if not directly organised, by Tamil Tiger rebels. more..

Feb 3 (TN) he continued presence of Sri Lankan armed forces’ camps in many schools in the North-East, despite the passing of one year since the signing of the ceasefire agreement, has disrupted the education of students, and the camps should be removed immediately, said Mr. T. Mahasivam, more..

Feb 3 (AFP) Sri Lanka's military top brass were red faced Monday after discovering that the "dummy president" they saluted at independence day rehearsals here was a junior woman constable, officials said. more..

Feb 4 (Island) Prominent opposition members yesterday expressed doubt about the Prime Minister’s statement in parliament last week that he would formalise discussions with opposition party leaders on the peace talks. more..

Feb 4 (IPS) Sri Lanka's peace talks, now entering its sixth month, could lose credibility unless human rights issues are pushed even higher up at the top of the agenda, rights activists here warn. more..

Feb 4 (TOI) Remember Nepal-gate? The respite delivered to India Inc by the safeguard measures imposed by the government to check cheap imports coming in through Nepal might prove to be short-lived as traders are finding a new avenue –– Sri Lanka. more..

Feb 4 (DM) A Cabinet proposal by Minister Milinda Moragoda on a Norwegian assisted on-line lottery project has run into fire from Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake. more..

Feb 4 (LBO) Securities watchdog Dr. Dayanath Jayasuriya quit on Monday after the Finance Ministry accepted his letter of resignation. Jayasuriya also stepped down as Director General of the Insurance Board of Sri Lanka. Known as a ‘tough cop,’ Jayasuriya plans to revert back to the private bar. more..

Feb 4 (BD) If spin magician Muttiah Muralitharan is allowed to bowl unchanged from one end, Sri Lanka have a better chance of containing runs in the World Cup. Sri Lanka's misfortune is that the rules do not permit one bowler to send down more than 10 overs in a 50-over match. more..

Feb 4 (TOO) “Sri Lanka has become a choice destination for Omanis, specially those travelling with their families,” says Hussain Jayah, country manager of SriLankan Airlines, Oman. more..

Feb 4 (SLA) Sri Lanka’s 55th National Day (Independence Day) celebration at the historic Independence square in Colombo on Tuesday (4), by all standards, was reminiscent of the ancient grandeur, heroism and the sheer majesty that this island-nation has been proud of from time immemorial. more..

Feb 4 (Gulf) Sri Lanka's crime rate is shooting up with more bank robberies, murders and rape despite the country's police force being relieved of their security operations against Tamil guerrillas in the north and eastern parts of the country. more..

Feb 4 (Gulf) The Sri Lankan embassy issued about 900 outpasses to amnesty seekers by last month, a number much smaller than expected, an official told Gulf News yesterday. Janaka B. Nakkawita, the Sri Lankan ambassador, said the embassy issued about 500 outpasses and the Consulate General in Dubai issued another 400. more..

Feb 4 (Gulf) A series of sporadic incidents involving security forces, Tamil guerrillas and civilians in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka were reported over the weekend amidst fears that these incidents could flare up. more..

Feb 4 (UNI) In rare appreciation of her arch-rival Prime Minister Ranil Wickermesinghe, President Chandirka Kumaratunga today hailed the UNF government for the on-going peace process and called for carrying forward the dialogue by addressing the 'core issues'. more..

Feb 4 (TN) In a statement issued Monday on the eve of the country's fifty-fifth independence day, the Jaffna Students' Union (JSU) questioned the reluctance of the UNF government in removing high security zones and rehabilitating the displaced people at a time when there is a peaceful environment in the country, more..

Feb 4 (Xinhua) President Chandrika Kumaratunga granted amnesty to more than 1,000 prisoners on the occasion of the country's national day on Tuesday. Kumaratunga has granted approval for the release of these prisoners on a recommendation made by Minister of Interior and Christian Affairs John Amaratunga, more..

Feb 4 (ST) IMAGINE that you have invested US$54 million (S$94 million) in an overseas business. And that, three years after you have begun operations, a war breaks out between two opposing local camps. more..

Feb 4 (DN) The Government saved a record Rs. 5 billion in defence expenditure last year as a result of the peace initiatives, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said. "However, we had to face difficulties when the Government's overall expenditure increased from Rs. 380 billion in 2001 to Rs. 410 billion in 2002," more..

Feb 4 (AFP) Japan will host the sixth round of Sri Lankan peace negotiations from March 18 to 21, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. The talks between the Colombo government and the LTTE, are to be held in Hakone, a hotspring resort town, some 70 kilometers (45 miles) west of Tokyo, more..

Feb 4 (KH) The following is a message from Ambassador K.C. Logeswaran of Sri Lanka. - Ed. I am very pleased to share this message with the readers of The Korea Herald on the occasion of the 55th National Day celebrations of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, which came under European colonial rule in 1505, regained its independence on Feb. 4, 1948. more..

Feb 4 (AP) The ADB has approved a technical assistance (TA) grant of US$285,000 to promote good governance in Sri Lanka's water sector by developing a framework for regulation. more..

Feb 4 (BD) SRI Lanka rose to world fame by coming from nowhere to win the 1996 final, beating Australia by seven wickets at the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore. Prior to that, they had been ousted in the group stages of every other World Cup. more..

Feb 4 (Gulf) A dream has turned into reality for Sunitha Senevirathna. When she opened the first Spycees Sri Lankan Restraunt in Dubai, it was the realisation of her long-held vision. It was through her restaurant, opened two years ago at Al Khaleej Centre, that she wanted to bring the authentic Sri Lankan taste to the Middle East. more..

Feb 4 (Gulf) On the globe's surface, Sri Lanka may well be a tiny island in the Indian Ocean. However, this little island has probably one of the richest and ancient historic backgrounds. Its people are known for their dynamism in all walks of life. more..

Feb 4 (Gulf) Ceylon Tea, acclaimed as the best tea in the world for over a century, is exported from Sri Lanka to over 100 countries worldwide. Sri Lanka accounts for about 10 per cent of world tea production. more..

Feb 4 (AFP) Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga Tuesday asked her government to unveil its plans for a final peace deal with Tiger rebels as Tamil regions boycotted the country's independence day celebrations. more..

Feb 4 (Reuters) Children took part in Sri Lanka's National Day on Tuesday for the first time in years as the island's growing peace process to end two decades of civil war eased security concerns. more..

Feb 4 (PTI) President Chandrika Kumaratunga on February 4 asked her cohabitation government to go public with its Norwegian-backed peace plan as the island's Tamil-dominated areas boycotted the country's 55th anniversary of its Independence from Britain. more..