Feb 28 (TW) The dust is still settling from last week’s Geneva meeting between the LTTE and GOSL, and predictably the ground is still shifting. The shift may widen the gaps and the second round of talks may fall through the cracks, if the gaps become deepened and drenched with all sorts of new players. more..

Feb 28 (LeN) Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake says he is eagerly awaiting the appointment of the Elections Commission and claims if it was appointed he would be very happy as he, who had reached the age of retirement could call it a day. more..

Feb 28 (LeN) The Media Minister is in a quandary as to how the head of state rum Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, Newton Gunaratna went to Geneva to cover the peace talks when the Minister had rejected his visit as the Head of a state media institution. more..

Feb 28 (LeN) A trend is emerging where state power is being exerted to intimidate private media institutions which carry unpleasant political news for the government and state secrets. The government has already been able to bring Swarnavahini channel under its heel. more..

Feb 28 (AT) Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera launching the official website in support of the Sri Lanka's official candidate for the prestigious Secretary General post of the United Nations yesterday said the United Nations needs a balanced leadership - apolitical and independent, for its future survival. more..

Feb 28 (AT) The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which would see the implementation of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) reforms process is now in the process of being drafted. The MoU is being drafted by a special committee and is expected to be finalized within the next two weeks. more..

Feb 28 (ISL) Diplomacy and conflict resolution requires win-win situations and both parties to emerge with dignity and respect. The Norwegians and the Swiss ensured that this was the case and that the show was a success with all the actors taking a bow before the applauding audience. more..

Feb 28 (ISL) Contradicting all LTTE propaganda material broadcasted for the last several days, the Swiss authorities claim that no fraud charges had been made against V. Ramaraj, director of Tamil Broadcasting Corporation. However, Swiss police authorities claim that he was arrested because of several assault allegations made against him more..

Feb 28 (TN) Three-day procession of Lord Konesar with his consort Mathumai Ambal began Monday evening around 5 p.m. after the annual observance of Maha Sivarathiri day Sunday night in the historic Trincomalee Koneswaram Temple with heavy police security. more..

Feb 28 (ANN) Almost immediately after the talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE in Geneva ended last week, a large scale battle drill was in progress in the LTTE-controlled Kanjikudichcharu area, intelligence sources said yesterday (Feb 27). more..

Feb 28 (SLA) HUNDREDS OF VILLAGERS including a fair number of children from Ushan, Thavsikulam, Ketpely, Palavi, Mariyankadu and Vidaththapalai villages under nine Grama Seva divisions in 55 & 52 Divisions of the Army in Jaffna were the beneficiaries of a recent two-day long Medical Camp conducted by a team of Consultants and doctors, attached to the Colombo Military Hospital. more..

Feb 28 (SLA) A LARGE GATHERING OF Army Officers and soldiers joined other devotees to mark the sacred Maha Shivarathri Day (26) at Ponnalai Naguleshwaram Kovil in Jaffna. A special Pooja to invoke blessings on peace prospects was also performed by the troops who also planted a couple of coconut saplings in the temple compound. more..

Feb 28 (TN) "Mahinda Rajapakse Government has deviated from finding a solution to the conflict within the unitary constitution of Sri Lanka and our reasons for defeating the Ranil Wickremesinghe Government are not bearing any results. Mr Rajapakse has failed to fulfil the promises given to us before the Presidential elections," more..

Feb 28 (TN) Japan, Norway, the United States and the European Union welcomed the outcome of the meeting on the "implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement" and the "renewed commitment from the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to respect and uphold the Ceasefire Agreement, more..

Feb 28 (LBO) Sri Lanka is set to launch a new development bank in April to promote future reconstruction and development work, a top official said Tuesday. Known as the 'Lanka Putra', the government-owned specialised bank plans to raise deposits locally and overseas to fund small and medium scale entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka. more..

Feb 28 (ISL) The Tigers are a law unto themselves anywhere in the world; let there be no doubt about it. Those who flirt with these felines end up digesting inside their entrails. All these years they had a national hit list and now this has been expanded to an international folder of persons who should be dealt with appropriately. more..

Feb 28 (ISL) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received the following letter from Dr. K. Manoharan of Trincomalee, Sri Lank with alleged death threats from the security forces, according to the latest AHRC statement. more..

Feb 28 (SLBC) Minister Susil Premajayanth points out the need to implement a proper management structure in the education sector as a remedy to the dearth of teachers in schools of remote areas. It has been revealed that there is one teacher for each 25 students in urban schools. more..

Feb 28 (SLBC) It has been decided to organize special official ceremonies to accept foreign Ambassadors appointed to Sri Lanka. The Presidential Secretariat is to make necessary arrangement to this effect following the instructions of President Mahinda Rajapakse. more..

Feb 28 (SLBC) Chinese Ambassador for Sri Lanka Zun Gvok Zeang commends President Mahinda Rajapakse and the government for the initiative taken for successful peace talks. The diplomat expressed this view when he met the leader of Sri Lankan delegation Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva at the Health Ministry yesterday. more..

Feb 28 (SLBC) The Health Ministry says measures are underway to face the deadly bird flu. Accordingly, 40 hospitals in 20 districts have been provided with medicine and relevant guidelines to counter the H5N1 strain. Deputy Director of the Epidemic Disease Unit of the Ministry Paba Palihawadana stated a special circular has been issued in this connection. more..

Feb 28 (LT) All candidates of the UPFA contesting local government elections are to meet at Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium under the chairmanship of President Mahinda Rajapakse. According to sources in UPFA about 4000 candidates will participate at the meeting convened by UPFA General Secretary Minister Susil Premajayanthe. more..

Feb 28 (LT) The talks held this time were different from the ones held earlier, as they were not held to open the path for Elam or jeopardize sovereignty of the country which was a definite feature in the discussions held during the UNP regime states a communiqué issued by National Bhikku Front on the Geneva talks recently. more..

Feb 28 (LT) The discussion that will be held to bring peace to the country would be held with transparency said President Mahinda Rajapakse addressing a ceremony held at Debarawewa School. The ceremony was held to apprise the people regarding the international airport scheduled to be constructed at Weerawila. more..

Feb 28 (LT) Bring victory to the JVP to fulfil the mandate given by masses at the last presidential election against the division of the country and to take the country on the correct path said Mr. Wimal Weerawansa, Information Secretary of the JVP. more..

Feb 28 (AT) The National Unity Alliance (NUA) today scoffed at claims made by the SLMC to the effect that the SLMC and the NUA had entered into an agreement wherein both parties will not represent the Government delegation in the event a separate Muslim delegation is not accommodated at peace talks, was shot down by the NUA Spokesman Abul Kalaam. more..

Feb 28 (KT) SOME 28 years ago, US President Jimmy Carter achieved one of the greatest feats in modern history by bringing together the leaders of two Middle Eastern countries which had been at war since 1948 and working out a deal that ignited hopes of peace in the troubled region. more..

Feb 28 (PIS) The success of the Geneva Talks is an honour that has to be collectively shared by all political parties who took part in the All Party Conference which was initiated by the Government, President Mahinda Rajapakse asserted. The President made this observation at the Central College, Weerawila where more..

Feb 28 (LNP) Two hard core gangsters made a dramatic escape from the Panadura Magistrate`s Court yesterday afternoon while some 25 policemen and prison officials were within the premises. Police said the two escapees who had been remanded for alleged involvement in several gang robberies in the Wadduwa and Ratnaura areas more..

Feb 28 (LNP) The government has cancelled all transfers, promotions and foreign tours of public servants until the conclusion of the local government elections on March 30. A spokesman for the Public Administration Ministry said a circular had already been issued outlining these directives on the instructions of Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake. more..

Feb 28 (LNP) Forest officers are seeking the immediate intervention of Conservator General of Forests to get a minister representing the Galle district to keep off their track. The officers, in a letter to their chief, urged his help to relieve mounting political pressure. more..

Feb 28 (SAMN) Embattled Sri Lanka may have borrowed time after talks at this serene Swiss village where the South Asian nation’s warring sides agreed to stop the killings till summer. A top leader of the Tamil Tiger rebels, S. P. Thamilselvan, told AFP here that they gave the Colombo government two months to make good on the promises made during two days of talks or risk a return to hostilities. more..

Feb 28 (SAMN) Former UNP Minister A. H. M. Azwer broke a 49-year-old membership with the party and threw in his lot with President Mahinda Rajapakse and the government. Addressing a rally at Debarawewa, in the company of President Rajapakse on Sunday Azwer told the gathering that the President had invited him to participate in the country's development for the good of country and people. more..

Feb 28 (SAMN) To the shock and surprise of the parties concerned, the Colombo District Judge who was expected to deliver the order on the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leadership dispute yesterday transferred the case to another judge citing personal reasons. more..

Feb 28 (DN) Sri Lanka will commemorate the 2550th Buddha Jayanthi celebrations this year in Sri Lanka. The Ministry of Education has planned a long term programme in all government schools, pirivenas, universities, National Colleges of Education and other training institutions. more..

Feb 28 (CI) Mohammad Ashraful, batting with calm assurance and delightful touch, propped up Bangladesh on the opening day of this two-Test series in Chittagong with a brilliant 136, the third hundred of his career and his second against Sri Lanka. more..

Feb 28 (Reuters) A senior leader of Tamil Tiger rebels has said further negotiations with the government will be pointless if Colombo does not act on pledges made at peace talks in Geneva last week. The government has committed "to ensure that no armed group or person other than government security forces will carry arms or conduct armed operations", more..

Feb 28 (AP) A Malaysian consortium of contractors led by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) will build the RM1.1 billion (US$296.1 million) Colombo-Kandy highway in Sri Lanka. Works Minister S. Samy Vellu on Monday said Kuala Lumpur and Colombo would enter into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the proposed project soon. more..

Feb 28 (AFP) Breakthrough talks last week between Tamil Tiger rebels and the Sri Lanka government could help speed the delivery of aid to tsunami survivors on the island, a senior United Nations envoy said. more..

Feb 28 (AP) Sri Lanka's national carrier has been forced to cancel some flights and reschedule others after 10 percent of its pilots quit over the past three months to join other airlines offering better salaries, officials said on Tuesday. more..