Colombo - Sri Lanka's opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who signed a Norwegian-backed peace deal with Tamil rebels as the country's prime minister in
2002, is under pressure from his own party to step down, local newspapers said Wednesday.
A section of lawmakers from the opposition United National Party (UNP) Wickremesinghe to step down.
Senior party members are to meet Wednesday night for discussions on the issue.
Colombo - Civilians in Tamil rebel-held areas are risking their lives and to flee fighting in the northern region, state-run television said Tuesday.
On Monday the Navy rescued 139 Tamil civilians including 53 children who were fleeing by boat and took them to a welfare centre run by the government.
In another instance a father and son who escaped by boat told the state run television that they were fired upon by the rebels and the son was hit by a bullet, but still managed to reach the shore, the military said.
Colombo - Tamil rebels were intensifying their assault on government troops in what has been described as the last few areas held by rebels in northern Sri Lanka.
An army spokesman said in the latest fighting around the Pudukudirippu area, 390 kilometres north east of the capital Colombo, troops clashed with rebels killing at least seven rebels on Sunday. The bodies along with seven T56 assault rifles were found in the area.
He said several soldiers were injured in the fighting, but did not give further details.
Colombo - Over 900 civilians left the Tamil rebel-controlled areas in northern Sri Lanka over the weekend as fierce fighting continued between government troops and the rebels, military officials said Sunday.
A group of civilians had left on their own while others were helped by the International Committee of the Red Cross to leave the Mullaitivu area, 395 kilometres north-east of the capital by sea.
Military officials said 423 civilians had traveled Saturday by the ship Green Ocean to reach the north-eastern port city of Trincomalee, an area 60 kilometres south of where the fighting was continuing.
Colombo, Mar. 15 : The last major medical facility in Tamil-held territory has almost stopped functioning due to medicine shortage, the BBC quoted a Sri Lankan health official, as saying at the weekend.
Dr. T. Varatharaja warned that the closure of the hospital would put the lives of thousands of sick and injured people in the conflict zone at extreme risk.
Geneva - The situation in northern Sri Lanka is "desperate," United Nation's top human rights official Navi Pillay said Friday, criticizing both the government and the Tamil rebels.
"The current level of civilian casualties is truly shocking, and there are legitimate fears that the loss of life may reach catastrophic levels, if the fighting continues in this way," Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said.
Colombo - Sri Lanka's opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who signed a Norwegian-backed peace deal with Tamil rebels as the country's prime minister in 
Colombo - Civilians in Tamil rebel-held areas are risking their lives and to flee fighting in the northern region, state-run television said Tuesday.
Colombo - Tamil rebels were intensifying their assault on government troops in what has been described as the last few areas held by rebels in northern Sri Lanka.
Colombo - Over 900 civilians left the Tamil rebel-controlled areas in northern Sri Lanka over the weekend as fierce fighting continued between government troops and the rebels, military officials said Sunday.
Colombo, Mar. 15 : The last major medical facility in Tamil-held territory has almost stopped functioning due to medicine shortage, the BBC quoted a Sri Lankan health official, as saying at the weekend.
Geneva - The situation in northern Sri Lanka is "desperate," United Nation's top human rights official Navi Pillay said Friday, criticizing both the government and the Tamil rebels.
