Sri Lanka’s government on Thursday rejected a Tamil Tiger request to hold emergency ceasefire talks in Oslo, insisting they should take place at home on the island. Peace broker Norway is still arranging the date and venue of crunch talks in the wake of the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, whose killing the government blames on the rebels and has raised the spectre of a return to civil war.Meanwhile, the island waited with bated breath on Thursday, the eve of a Supreme Court ruling that many expect will order a presidential election for this year. President Chandrika Kumaratunga argues she should stay in power until late 2006, while her foes say the vote is due in 2005. A political squabble has pushed the issue into the courts, and the island’s main parties have hedged their bets and are in campaign mode. —Reuters
