Jan 5 (DJ) Sri Lanka Telecom Ltd. (SLTL.SL), the country's dominant telecommunications player, plans to seek an international listing soon as part of a long-term development plan, Chairman Thilanga Sumathipala said Monday. more..

Jan 5 (CI) Thilanga Sumathipala, the president of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), faces an anxious week. A long and complicated legal battle is drawing to a close, and on Thursday (January 8) Sumathipala will appear before a Sri Lankan court. more..

Jan 5 (HT) International Affairs Advisor to Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga and a former Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, has said that the countries of South Asia must show concern for India's security. more..

Jan 5 (PTI) Britain's business ambassador and leading NRI Lord Swraj Paul on Monday opened talks with Sri Lankan leaders on increasing bilateral trade and assessing the island's political situation, officials said. more..

Jan 5 (OW) As Sri Lanka's war-weary population protests tax hikes on petrol, diesel and a slew of household goods in the new year, the government - which is on an austerity drive - says it's a bitter pill the sick economy urgently needs. more..

Jan 6 (LBO) Business leaders from SAARC countries are calling on the governments to initiate regional cooperation to develop eight identified areas in return for greater intra-regional investment and trade. more..

Jan 6 (LBO) Feeling up to the demand for upmarket intimate apparel, Sri Lanka�s number two elastic manufacturer, Fantasia Elastics is trimming existing facilities with a Rs. 50 mn expansion. more..

Jan 6 (LBO) Sri Lanka�s two giant industrial zones, Moratuwa--Ratmalana and Ja-Ela�Ekela, are in urgent need of a clean up � in Ratmalana the ground water quality is so poor it can�t even be used in garment washing plants without first being treated and certainly can�t be used for cooking or drinking. more..

Jan 6 (TN) �I saw today that the Tamils of Jaffna face difficulties due to the war. The Liberation Tigers and the government should start the peace talks again�, said Ven.Udugama Sri Ratanapala Buddharakkita Thera, chief incumbent of the Asgiriya Chapter of the Siam Nikaya, more..

Jan 6 (TN) The Humanitarian Demining group of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) is to resume demining in the Batticaloa district with an expanded staff starting from Friday, said S.Thevarajan, Batticaloa district TRO co-ordinator. more..

Jan 6 (TN) The Nava Lanka Sama Samaja Party (NLSSP), Democratic Left Front (DLF), Sri Lanka Communist Party (SLCP) and Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) Tuesday said they had informed Prime Minister to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the President on three points to bring about a conducive environment to restart the peace process. more..

Jan 6 (TN) The Vice Chancellor of the University Jaffna, Professor C.Mohanadas, was locked in his office from 9:30 a.m to 2:00 p.m by protesting members of the non academic staff Tuesday. The VC and other university administration officials were allowed to leave after negotiations regarding the grievances of the protestors. more..

Jan 6 (TN) A student traveling from the Naseevantheevu village, a suburb of Valaichenai, to the Valaichenai Hindu college was severely attacked by the driver of the bus Monday, sources said. more..

Jan 6 (TN) �Some Non Governmental Organizations in Jaffna are only interested in self-promotion. But a few NGOs have been serving the people quiestly, despite facing several difficulties since 1995 [when the Sri Lanka Army wrested control of Jaffna], and we have to commend their service. more..

Jan 6 (TN) A Pongu Thamil (Tamil upsurge) event jointly organized by the Batticaloa and Amparai districts will be held at the Eastern University on January 21, according to a decision made at a preparatory meeting held at the Batticaloa Government Teachers� College Monday, sources said. more..

Jan 6 (SLA) New construction of an alleged LTTE monument in the general area of VELVETTITHURAI, about 10 k.m., east of PALALY in memory of their dead LTTE cadres was brought to the notice of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) on 05 January 2004. more..

Jan 6 (SLA) Two LTTE men, identified as BAMA and DEEPAN from the LTTE office at AKKARAIPATTU have assaulted a civilian in the general area of AKKARAIPATTU on 04 January 2004 around 12 noon for his refusal to go with them. more..

Jan 6 (SLA) An LTTE cadre, named RUBAN from AKKARAIPATTU LTTE office, who was on a motorbike has kidnapped a twenty-two year old young man from his residence, claims a complaint made to AKKARAIPATTU Police station by next of kin of the victim on 05 January 2004. more..

Jan 6 (SLA) A female LTTE cadre, trained at KUDUMBIMALAI LTTE camp has escaped LTTE detention and surrendered to the AKKARAIPATTU Police station on 04 January 2004 seeking protection. more..

Jan 6 (SLA) Two hand grenade held LTTE cadres have threatened two Muslim firewood cutters in the general area of VAKANERI south on 05 January 2004 around 3.00 p.m. and taken away their bicycles while they were there for firewood collection. more..

Jan 6 (TOI) HPCL is set to acquire 100 retail outlets of Sri Lanka 's Ceylon Petroleum Corporation for $100 million. HPCL, India 's third largest oil company, has offered $23 million more for these petrol pumps than its domestic rival Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), which put in a bid of $77 million. more..

Jan 6 (PTI) Leading UK-based NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul today asked British companies to explore commercial opportunities in the Indian market through Sri Lanka taking advantage of the free trade agreement between the two South Asian neighbours. more..

Jan 6 (AN) The first group of 132 Sri Lankan pilgrims arrived by Saudi Arabian Airlines flight (SV783) at the Haj Terminal of King Abdul Aziz International Airport yesterday. �Our missions in Riyadh and Jeddah have finalized all arrangements to receive 6,000 of our pilgrims for Haj,� said Sri Lankan Ambassador I. Ansar, more..

Jan 6 (WSWS) In the midst of the ongoing political crisis in Sri Lanka, President Chandrika Kumaratunga dispatched the country�s defence chief, General Lionel Balagalle, to India in early December to meet with the military top brass. more..

Jan 6 (PT) President General Pervez Musharraf, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khalida Zia and Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga Monday agreed that joint efforts were the only option for progress of South Asia. more..

Jan 6 (PSL) President Chandrika Kumaratunga met Pakistani President General Pervez Musharaff at President�s House, Islamabad yesterday, January 5. The two leaders had discussions to strengthen the bilateral relationships between the two countries. more..

Jan 6 (DJ) More than 20 foreign companies have submitted expressions of interest to build a 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Sri Lanka, an official said Tuesday. "The response was very promising and we had got over 20 proposals when the deadline lapsed last week. Now the proposals will be evaluated in detail," more..

Jan 6 (AT) The LTTE will not go for talks with the Government as its destiny could be determined by a third party, said Jaffna District Parliamentarian Appathurai Vinayagamoorthy representing the TNA which supports the incumbent UNF Government in Parliament. more..

Jan 6 (DN) The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) has called to amend several areas in the proposed National Health Policy. However, it has agreed to work together to move necessary amendments for the early implementation of the National Health Policy. more..

Jan 6 (DM) A top Minister has criticised the Mano-Malik round of talks aimed at defusing the present constitutional crisis, describing them as a joke and urging Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to discontinue the talks. more..

Jan 6 (UNI) A Sri Lankan Minister has urged the US government to lift the ban on the Tamil Tiger rebels to help advance the peace process in a bid to end the bloody ethnic conflict. Hindu Religious Affairs Minister T Maheswaran made this request when US Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead paid a courtesy call on the Minister yesterday. more..

Jan 6 (LP) Sri Lanka's main telecommunications carrier Monday launched an ambitious 52 million-dollar project to break into the growing call centre market that has been a boon for neighbouring India. more..

Jan 7 (TN) The North East Provincial Education, Cultural Affairs and Sports Ministry's Secretary, Mr.R.Thiayagalingam, said Monday that sports performance in his province had recorded a low standard last year compared to other provinces in the country and this was due to lack of qualified sports coaches, resource persons and sports equipment. more..

Jan 7 (TN) Sri Lanka�s Sports Ministry has decided to award certificates in English language to winners of national level sports competitions organized by the ministry from this year onwards. This change will be strictly adhered to in the 30th National Sports Festival scheduled to be held later this year, more..

Jan 7 (AT) Establish Indian Defence forces cantonment in Colombo to diffuse the threat posed by the LTTE in the sea region of Palk straits, urged Janata Party President Dr. Subramanian Swamy, when he met George Fernandes, India�s Minister of Defence in his office in New Delhi today. more..

Jan 7 (LT) Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and another person were taken into custody by Bentota Police on suspicion of stealing vehicles. The Police have found two vehicles at Wattala and Bentota alleged to have been stolen by the two individuals. more..

Jan 7 (LBO) Plantation companies are keen to push through a long over due productivity pegged wage formula when estate worker wages come up for negotiations in June 2004. The June negotiations will be a deciding factor for the plantations companies� survival as they prepare for a tough year ahead. more..

Jan 7 (LBO) The Commercial Bank of Ceylon and the Ceylon Bank Employees Union (CBEU) recently entered into a Collective Agreement pertaining to salaries and other perquisites offered to two categories of staff. more..

Jan 7 (TN) "Our expectations of resuming peace talks with the Government of Sri Lanka under a united leadership with clear authority to command Sri Lanka's security forces are fast receding," said V.Balakumaran, a senior member of LTTE, more..

Jan 7 (TN) Norwegian ambassador in Sri Lanka Mr. Hans Brattskar said in Trincomalee Wednesday that clarity should prevail in the current political crisis to restart the stalled peace process between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE. more..

Jan 7 (TN) The Sri Lanka�s stalled efforts to end two decades of war with the Liberation Tigers took another nosedive Wednesday when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he wanted to pull out of the ceasefire agreement he signed in February 2002. more..

Jan 7 (TN) Wednesday at 1.30pm, about 10 Muslim youths in Nainakadu, Sammanthurai in Amparai district attacked Tamil workers and Muslim owners in a brick factory and forced them to flee the workplace, security sources in Amparai said. more..

Jan 7 (SLA) Two LTTE cadres, who were initially trained at the THOPPIGALA LTTE camp have escaped from the LTTE detention and surrendered to the Army detachment at NAMALGAMA, about 3 km. east of WELIKANDA on 06 January 2004 around 8.00 a.m. more..

Jan 7 (SLA) A twenty years old LTTE member who had refused to report back to the organization after completing his leave has attempted to commit suicide by drinking poison on 27 December 2003. Subsequently he was admitted to MANNAR hospital for treatment. more..

Jan 7 (SLA) An Army motorcycle had collided with another motorcycle belonging to a civilian in the general area of CHUNDUKKULI, about 1.5 km. east of JAFFNA town on 06 January 2004 around 9.30 a.m. Civilian rider had received minor injuries and was admitted to the JAFFNA hospital for treatment. more..

Jan 7 (SLA) A group of LTTE cadres who arrived at the MANKERNI Army/Police road block in the general area of VALACHCHENAI, about 29 km. northwest of BATTICALOA town has attempted to cross over to un-cleared area of VAKARAI through the checkpoint without proving their identity on 05 January 2004 around noon. more..

Jan 7 (AP) The signing of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has reportedly been delayed due to reluctance of Pakistan and Sri Lanka to scale down the customs duty on one item each. Well-placed sources told that Sri Lanka wanted Pakistan to allow at zero rate import of tea, while Islamabad asked for zero rate export of rice to Colombo under the proposed treaty. more..

Jan 7 (AFP) British industrialist Lord Swraj Paul urged Sri Lankan leaders yesterday to end their power struggle and revive peace efforts on the island in order to clear the way for increased trade. more..

Jan 7 (HP) Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has said that Saarc could play a more vibrant role in the region if the political differences of two major players-India and Pakistan-are resolved without further delay. more..

Jan 7 (AT) Police and Security Forces sources in Sri Lanka�s Northern Vavuniya District said that they have strengthened the muscle power of the check points and security barriers in the district after the LTTE has dispatched its assassination squads armed with pistols to kill police informers and members of Tamil political parties suspected of leaking information to the government. more..