Oct 30 (LBO) Taking logistics and supply chain management to the next level, a new entrant to the local scene is offering online tracking solutions, enabling firms to manage their inventory efficiently. more..

Oct 30 (BT) The Lankan economy is in for a big bonanza with indications that the European Economic Commission is to make a five per cent tariff reduction for the country's apparel exports to European Union countries. more..

Oct 30 (IOL) Cricket selectors stacked the national squad with fast bowlers with the addition on Thursday of two rookies for the upcoming limited-overs series against England. With the inclusion of Nuwan Kulasekera and Lasith Malinga in the 22-man training squad, selectors will have the choice of up to four or five pacemen for the final squad. more..

Oct 30 (AP) The country's president calls her prime minister spineless. The prime minister calls the president a "Hitler madam." Words like "worm" and "snake" fly between them regularly. While Sri Lanka struggles to end a 19-year civil war, the country's two leaders, once childhood playmates, are locked in a battle of petty bickering. more..

Oct 30 (DJ) Cabinet has approved a proposal to restructure state-owned Sri Lanka Cement Corp., the government's privatization body said Thursday. "A steering committee of senior government officials will be appointed shortly to plan and execute the proposal," the PERC, said more..

Oct 30 (PSL) Jean Bernard Devaivre the new Ambassador for the Republic of France to Sri Lanka presented his credentials to President Chandrika Kumaratunga at President�s House yesterday. Devaivre succeeds the out going Ambassador Marie-France Pagnier Dunavan.

Oct 30 (AFP) Sri Lanka said yesterday that cellphone users will not have to pay for incoming calls from January, as mobile telephone operators brace for an explosion in demand. �The government has approved the CPP (call party pays) system. It will go into effect from January,� more..

Oct 30 (AP) A government-appointed human rights group has asked Sri Lanka's police to stop torturing detainees, a newspaper said Thursday. "The response we often receive from the police...is that you can't get a suspect to tell the truth without using an element of torture," more..

Oct 30 (Reuters) Stocks rose on Thursday after a three-day run of profit-taking, with stronger earnings on peace bid in the island helping financial sector stocks. The key Colombo all-share index closed up a provisional 0.81 percent, or 11.41 points, at 1,417.06 more..

Oct 30 (DJ) Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, or TRC, said Thursday that it will unveil a new tariff structure for mobile phone companies by January. "All operators are in consensus and the new system is expected to be in place by January 2004," more..

Oct 30 (SLA) Two Tamil civilians, resident in RALKULI, MUTTUR area were shot dead by some unidentified gunmen on 29 October 2003 around 6.30 p.m. in the general area of SAFINAGAR, about 3 km south of MUTTUR. more..

Oct 30 (SLA) An LTTE abducted bullock cart and its two bulls were recovered by its owner and the CHINA BAY Police officers from the general area of SINHAKANDA, about 12 km southwest of TRINCOMALEE town on 28 October 2003 around noon. more..

Oct 30 (SLA) A civilian abducted with his vehicle while he was on a hired- tour towards CHENKALADY on 26 October 2003 in the general area of KOMMATHURAI, about 15 km northwest of BATTICALOA, has managed to escape and approached troops on 28 October 2003 around 6.00 p.m. more..

Oct 30 (SLA) Twelve self-claimed LTTE men armed with T-56 abused, slapped and threatened two civilians in the general area of MEEGASWEVA, about 30 km north of POLONNARUWA on 29 October 2003, saying that they should not enter the area for fishing since the area belongs to their assailants. more..

Oct 30 (SLA) A sea reconnaissance operation conducted by LTTE Sea Tigers in the general sea area north of MANNAR on 29 October 2003 was observed by Naval troops on duty in the area. Observations further confirmed that LTTE had communicated with a Sea Tiger base, suspected to be in the general area of NACHCHIKUDA. more..

Oct 30 (TN) Two Tamil traders were shot dead by unidentified persons near Iruthaiayapuram in Muttur division, south of Trincomalee, Wednesday night. The police have launched search for the missing third Tamil person who had accompanied the two, police said. more..

Oct 30 (TN) �We are really proud as Singhalese today because we shed blood to protect our Tamil brethren from the racist thugs�, said Mr. Rohitha Bashana, the main organiser of the Sinhala/Tamil arts festival that was attacked by Sinhala nationalist mobs at the New Town Hall in Colombo Wednesday. more..

Oct 30 (DM) The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation yesterday took a firm decision not to issue fuel to the Sri Lanka Army from next week unless it settles the outstanding bills. CPC Chairman Daham Wimalasena told the Daily Mirror yesterday dues from the Army added up to Rs. 300 million. more..

Oct 30 (AFP) Sri Lanka will consult minority Muslims on a landmark power-sharing plan Tamil rebels are due to unveil Friday as part of efforts to end decades of ethnic bloodshed, the government said. more..

Oct 30 (HT) The controversial chief of the SLMM, Major General (Rtd) Tryggve Tellefsen, is unlikely to continue in his post, given the continued belligerence of prez Chandrika Kumaratunga on the matter, and the manifest soft peddling of the issue by the Ranil Wickremesinghe Government, informed sources say. more..

Oct 30 (BBC) The Sri Lankan Government says it is up to Norway to decide what to do about allegations that ceasefire monitors jeopardised national security. President Kumaratunga says the monitors helped block efforts to seize a Tamil Tiger ship suspected of ferrying arms. more..

Oct 30 (PRIU) A confident government spokesman today told the media that the long awaited rebel proposals for self-rule in the North and East will be delivered on Friday 31st October. Spokesman G.L. Peiris said Norway�s envoy Hans Brattskar is due to travel to the rebel stronghold to collect the proposals, more..

Oct 30 (AP) Sri Lanka wants Norwegian peace brokers to arrange direct talks with Tamil Tiger rebels over a proposal that would give ethnic Tamils greater autonomy in areas they control. Norway brokered a truce in February 2002 more..

Oct 30 (CI) Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Sri Lanka's promising new legspinning allrounder, may be allowed to resume his first-class career as cricket authorities consider easing a playing ban for misconduct. more..

Oct 30 (AFP) Sri Lanka Thursday said it will abide by peace broker Norway's decision over demands by President Chandrika Kumaratunga for the sacking of the top truce monitor Major General Tryggve Tellefsen. more..

Oct 30 (TN) A twenty-three year old woman soldier of the Sri Lanka Navy, Ms. Ratnayake Mudiansalagae Nanithakumari, was found dead Wednesday with gunshot injuries in her room at the Karainagar navy detachment in the Jaffna district, police said. more..

Oct 30 (TN) The SLMM in Trincomalee district has arranged a meeting between Major General Sunil Tennekon, Sri Lanka Army's General Officer Commanding in the Trincomalee district, and the LTTE Trincomalee district military commander, Colonel Pathuman, on Friday more..

Oct 30 (GT) THE Sri Lankan Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) on Wednesday announced an insurance scheme for all Sri Lankan expatriate workers in the UAE at the Sri Lankan consulate in Dubai. more..

Oct 31 (TN) The TNA parliamentary group leader and Trincomalee district parliamentarian, Mr.R.Sampanthan, at a special press briefing held Thursday evening at his Trincomalee residence, cautioned the Tamil people, especially Tamil youths, against falling prey into the hands of persons who are plotting to sabotage the peaceful environment in the Trincomalee district more..

Oct 31 (TN) The UNF government of Sri Lanka will issue a special statement on Saturday on the interim administrative structure proposal of the LTTE, which is scheduled to be submitted to the government through the Norwegian ambassador in Colombo Friday evening, more..

Oct 31 (Island) Sihala Urumaya leader Tilak Karunaratne yesterday accused the government of taking advantage of Wednesday�s clashes at the New Town Hall, the scene of an LTTE propaganda meeting, to target its political opponents, critical of the so-called peace process. more..

Oct 31 (AHRC) Sri Lankan torture victim Chamila Bandara today left for Geneva, where he seeks to publicize his experience of torture at the hands of the Sri Lankan police, just as his family is facing death threats. more..

Oct 31 (DN) Finance Minister K. N. Choksy will present Budget 2004 in Parliament on November 12 under four basic themes, a substantial salary increase being the main feature, Cabinet spokesman Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris said. more..

Oct 31 (DS) A free trade deal between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka should benefit both the countries, Sri Lankan High Commissioner Gamini S Munasinghe said in Dhaka yesterday. Expressing his optimism about the outcome of free trade agreement (FTA), he said the deal would pave the pay for greater economic cooperation between the two countries. more..

Oct 31 (UNI) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has charged President Chandrika Kumaratunga with breaching the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between his regime and the Tamil Tiger rebels by unilaterally requesting the Norwegian government to sack the head of the Nordic truce monitors. more..

Oct 31 (LBO) The blueprint to construct Sri Lanka�s first dry port at Ragama � a one-stop logistical hub for container handling, linking up to the seaport by rail, has gone up for cabinet approval. The dry port will ease traffic congestion on Colombo�s main roads, diverting some 21 percent of domestic container traffic. more..

Oct 31 (LBO) Singapore�s Changi Airport has put an unsolicited bid to take up a 60 percent stake in Airport Aviation Services Ltd (AASL). The bid comes after Changi Airport Chairman, Boon Swan Foo showed interest in managing and developing some of Sri Lanka�s airports. more..

Oct 31 (SLA) Three civilians from the general area of KANDEGAMA, about 30 km southeast of POLONNARUWA who reportedly have gone for fishing on 27 October 2003 failed to return home, say next of kin of these persons. more..

Oct 31 (SLA) Two civilians received injuries when their hand tractor collided with an Army bus in the general area of ACHCHUVELI, about 15.5 km northeast of JAFFNA town on 30 October 2003 while the tractor was proceeding towards PALALY. more..

Oct 31 (SLA) An LTTE cadre along with another civilian was arrested by Police, assisted by troops on duty at the BLACK BRIDGE entry/exit point, about 14 km northwest of BATTICALOA town on 30 October 2003 while they were travelling on a vehicle reported to have been robbed from RATNAPURA area. more..

Oct 31 (SLA) A group of unidentified armed persons, suspected to be from LTTE, has robbed a tractor belonging to a farmer in the general area of CHINA BAY on 24 October 2003. more..

Oct 31 (SLA) An LTTE cadre MANILAWAN has assaulted and kidnapped two civilians from the general area of AKKARAIPATTU on 30 October 2003, according to a complaint made by M.PARAMASODI, a civilian. more..

Oct 31 (TN) Sri Lanka Navy has barred cattle from grazing in Attavaniakulam pastureland in Thampalakamam in Trincomalee district as the pastureland falls within the newly expanded High Security Zone (HSZ), security sources said. more..

Oct 31 (PSL) President yesterday accepted the resignation of a member of the independent Police Commission. Mrs. S.N. Ebert sent her letter of resignation to the President October 21. Earlier another Commissioner Dr. D S Wijeweera resigned from the Commission to protest Mrs. Ebert�s actions, where she is alleged to have canvassed for a close relative�s promotion.

Oct 31 (PSL) President Kumaratunga felicitated Zambia on it National Day that fell on October 24, in a letter to the President of Zambia Levy Patrick Mwanawasa. �We look forward to further strengthening the close ties of friendship and co-operation that exists between our two countries, for the mutual benefit of our two Peoples in the year ahead�, said President Kumaratunga in her letter. more..

Oct 31 (SA) Australia�s tour of Sri Lanka has been confirmed for next February. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed that the tour will begin on February 14 and take in three Tests and five one-day internationals over six weeks. more..

Oct 31 (Gulf) The fast growing economic and trade ties between Sri Lanka and India were given a shot in the arm when the prime ministers of the two countries formally received in New Delhi last week the first two copies of the reports of the Indo-Lanka Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). more..

Oct 31 (AP) Singapore-based design consultancy CPG Corp, a subsidiary of Downer EDI (AUS:DOW), has been commissioned to design Sri Lanka's largest privately-run women's and children's hospital. The $S32 million Golden Key Hospital will be built in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo, more..

Oct 31 (CI) Sri Lanka Cricket is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Ajith Abeygunawardena as Manager Administration with effect from 1st October 2003. He has over 25 years of experience in Management, Marketing and Administration and was employed by Ceylon Tobacco Co. Ltd, Pure Beverages Co. Ltd. and Swiss Cheese Co. Ltd more..

Oct 31 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's biggest conglomerate, which has been on a buying spree, said on Friday it was looking for more growth opportunities as it posted a 3.7 percent drop in first-half net profit due to charges from a lay-off scheme. more..