71.   Almost a month after the army began a new offensive against ethnic Tamil rebels, few civilians have crossed into government territory to take shelter in refugee camps.

72.   Air Force jets bombed Tamil rebel positions Wednesday, and the navy sank a rebel boat after a gun battle off the eastern coast.

73.   Also killed were four civilians and three Tamil rebels.

74.   All members of the Tamil rebel group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, carry cyanide to avoid being taken alive.

75.   Amarasinghe accused the UNP of entering into a secret pact with ethnic Tamil rebels to divide the country, a charge the UNP dismisses as baseless.

76.   Amnesty International, the human rights watchdog body, Wednesday appealed to the government and Tamil rebels to take all necessary measures to protect civilians in the war zone.

77.   An air force spokesman said the cause of the crash was probably pilot error or a technical fault, and that an attack by Tamil separatist rebels was unlikely.

78.   An American arrested last week for alleged links with Tamil rebels will leave for home early Friday, officials said.

79.   Amnesty International, the London-based human rights group, has accused the government of torturing people through electric shocks and rape in its war against Tamil rebels.

80.   Analysts expect the expenditure to rise further this year, with Tamil rebels intensifying their attacks.