Sept 01, 2008 (LBO) - Colombo port could reclaim land in shallow waters near the Sri Lankan capital city for industry and move containers by rail to avoid congestion as it expands the harbour, an expert says.Don Wootton, regional director, Scott Wilson, a firm of consultants advising the government on expanding its ports, said Colombo has an opportunity to emerge as a port city like other maritime centres.

Wootton has been living in the island since 2003 as the technical director responsible for all aspects relating to the design of the Colombo port expansion project, under which a deep-water port will be built next to the existing harbour. The 1.2 billion dollar new port is needed to ensure Colombo retains its position as south Asia's transshipment hub and handle the bigger new ships appearing on trade routes.

by: C. Bryson Hull

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's military on Tuesday said it had captured a town that served as a "nerve centre" for separatist Tamil Tiger rebels, on a day that saw 48 killed and 57 wounded across the nation's northern frontline.

Sept 02, Colombo: It is reported that Government Analysts Department has found cyanide mixed with the meals taken by the trainee soldiers at the Henanigala army camp who were hospitalized following food poisoning.According to the report, the Government Analyst suspects that fish which was consumed by the soldiers would have been injected with cyanide deliberately before being cooked. Following the consumption of the poisoned food, 280 soldiers were admitted to the hospitals on August 28.

Government forces fought fierce battles with ethnic Tamil separatists along Sri Lanka's northern front lines in a wave of fighting that killed 43 rebels and four soldiers, the military said Tuesday.The bloodshed came amid weeks of escalating violence in the area, as government troops pushed deep into rebel-held territory, seizing key Tamil Tiger bases and towns that had long been under rebel control.

Battles raged Tuesday over the key town of Mallavi, which lies along an important northern road used by the rebels, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said."We have taken over about three-quarters of the area," he said. "It's not cleared yet."In the worst of Monday's fighting, troops captured six bunkers in the Nachchikuda area of Kilinochchi region, killing 26 rebels, the military said. Fighting in the area also killed two soldiers, it said.