31.  Tamil Tiger guerrillas killed eight members of a Tamil political party and lost five fighters in a gunbattle in northern Sri Lanka early Friday, officials said.

32.  Tamil voters were considered likely to support opposition Tamil parties that Kumaratunga and her government accused of favoring the rebels.

33.  Sridharan, who belongs to a provincial Tamil political party, is the first member of parliament to be arrested on smuggling charges.

34.  Tamil parties in Parliament hoped that the government succeeds in its efforts to bring peace to the country.

35.  Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels shot and killed a leader of a moderate Tamil political party Friday, police and witnesses said.

36.  Tamil political parties urged the government and Tamil guerrillas Wednesday to call a cease-fire and to halt the army offensive that threatens to overrun the rebel stronghold.

37.  Tamil political parties have been demanding that the grave be located and dug up.

38.  Tamil political parties on Sunday decided to contest local elections in the northern Jaffna peninsula despite a Tamil Tiger rebel call for a boycott, a Tamil lawmaker said.

39.  The mainstream ethnic Tamil party, the Tamil United Liberation Front, won five seats.

40.  The government last month began discussions with Tamil political parties on constitutional reforms to provide greater autonomy to the minority Tamils in the north and east.