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A visiting British official today explained to Sri Lanka that UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband’s recent participation at the Global Tamil Forum conference in London was aimed at encouraging them to support efforts to achieve peace in Sri Lanka.

The government says there must be a surveillance mechanism to monitor the funds and activities of NGOs as there was information that many local and international NGOs were involved in domestic politics and other acts violating the country’s law

The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) has demanded the implementation of the 13th amendment soon after the General Elections and has also rejected the Oslo Declaration, TMVP Spokesperson Azath Maulana told Daily Mirror online.

A Sri Lankan delegation will head to Brussels next week for talks with the European Union (EU) on the GSP plus trade concession and other issues. The EU has decided to withdraw GSP for Sri Lanka but has given time to negotiate and retain the facility

Elections Chief Dayananda Dissanayaka will hold a meeting with political party secretaries on Friday to discuss election related issues and the possibility of having foreign counting agents at the centers, an official at the Elections Department said. 

UN Chief Ban Ki-moon will appoint members to his expert committee only after UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe visits Sri Lanka to hold discussions with the government, a top UN official in New York told Daily Mirror online.

An official from the British Foreign office is due in Sri Lanka for talks with Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, the Foreign Ministry said and the recent controversy involving UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband is expected to figure in the discussions.

The CID informed the Colombo Court Magistrate today that it had obtained the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses used by Dhanuna Thilakaranthna and were trying to trace his whereabouts through this information.

The state of emergency was passed in parliament a short while ago with a majority of 93 votes in support and 24 against. The JVP, UNP and TNA voted against the extension of emergency.

General Sarath Fonseka suspended his fast unto death today morning when the military granted him permission to speak to his daughters via his wife’s mobile phone last night, his wife Anoma Fonseka said.

Two underworld members were killed in a police shoot out in the Badagamuwa forest reserve in Kurunegala early this morning when they had opened fire at the police team in an attempt to escape.

A fire broke out inside a warehouse at the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant early this morning causing extensive damage to property and goods, and the Police, Navy and Army were called in to help douse the blaze due to the absence of a fire brigade in the area.

UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon has expressed concern over the lack of progress of a joint statement which both he and President Mahinda Rajapaksa had agreed during the visit to Sri Lanka last year by the UN chief.

A Sri Lankan refugee being held on Christmas Island in Australia with her two young children after authorities declared her to be a security threat worked for the legal system run by the Tamil Tigers or the LTTE, the Australian website reported.

The Indian government has rejected claims it interfeared in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs despite a top government Minister saying that "certain Indian officials" wanted president Mahinda Rajapaksa to lose the recent polls and worked towards it.

General Sarath Fonseka, who is under military custody, will continue his fast unto death despite the military providing him telephone facilities today, insisting that he wanted to speak to his children only via his wife's mobile phone, sources said.

The government is concerned that some umbrella organizations of the LTTE are still trying to trace their leader LTTE Chief Velupillai Prabhakaran and the matter has been discussed with India, the government said.

The Sri Lankan government today charged that UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon has violated the UN charter by appointing a special advisory committee to instruct the UN chief on the alleged war crimes committed in Sri Lanka

A TMVP delegation led by Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan is to head for New Delhi for talks following an invitation extended by the Indian government, TMVP spokesman Azad Maulana told Daily Mirror online.

Fonseka will be tried on over five charges under the Army Act and will face a court martial within the next few days after the summary of evidence was handed over to the Army Commander over the weekend, the military said.