Mar 21 (TN) Trincomalee campus of the East University has been struggling for survival without funds from the University Grants Commission (UGC) since its inception to develop its infrastructure facilities to meet the demands of students, said Campus Rector Rev. Fr.C.P.Rajendram. more..

Mar 21 (TN) "About sixty percent of our cadres who crushed the military operation "Ginihera" of the Sri Lanka Army in Muhamalai area were women. The credit for the Muhamalai victory goes to our women cadres," said LTTE Jaffna district political head, Mr.C.Ilamparuthi, more..

Mar 21 (CI) Four batsmen passed 50 as New Zealand A made a strong reply to Sri Lanka A's total of 276 at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln. Having started the day on 14 for 0, New Zealand A finished at 336 for 3, with Matthew Bell and Jamie How - both made 92 - narrowly missing out on their centuries. more..

Mar 21 (SL) In Ratnapura, known as the City of Gems, the political viewpoints are so polarised that while the urban dwellers appear to favour the incumbent UNF regime, those living in the more interior areas hold a diametrically opposite view. more..

Mar 21 (SO) Minister of Information and Telecommunication, Senior Advisor to the President on Foreign Affairs Lakshman Kadirgamar said the politicians of the United States of America and Sri Lanka have much in common. Both breeds have a habit of making promises which they have no intention to fulfil. more..

Mar 21 (Hindu) The LTTE today continued to downplay its severest crisis, maintaining that the split engineered by its regional military commander Karuna, was "an individual's problem." This would not affect the organisation and would be "brought under control very quickly." more..

Mar 21 (WT) Sri Lanka's pineapples are the sweetest in the world. Stop at one of the many roadside stands selling fruits and vegetables from the local area and ask the vendor to trim a pineapple, cut it into cubes, add a bit of salt and pepper and shake it in a plastic bag. Pineapple doesn't get any better. Yes, salt and pepper. more..

Mar 21 (TN) Internally Displaced families (IDPs) from Nagar Kovil area in Vadamaradchy East, temporarily living in a refugee camp located in Thumpalai, Point Pedro, near the Lourdes Virgin Mary Church, are said to be pressured to vacate the premises by people claiming to be Church Administrators, more..

Mar 21 (TN) The LTTE Sunday morning handed over thirty-five youths who are under 18 years of age to the UNICEF at an event held at its political secretariat in Sampur in the LTTE held Muttur east in the Trincomalee district, sources said. more..

Mar 21 (TN) In Kovil Kulam, Vavuniya district, Sunday around 12 noon, Sri Lanka's Special Task Force (STF) soldiers, dug several areas using heavy machinery near the tomb stone of Uma Maheswaran, leader of PLOTE, in search of weapon cache alleged to have been buried there, more..

Mar 21 (Stuff) New Zealand have plenty of batsmen in form on the evidence of the prolific scoring at Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln, as well as in the Eden Park test match. With their first six batsmen contributing between 50 and 107 runs, New Zealand A reached 570 today more..

Mar 21 (Gulf) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's party has been identified as the best party which could resolve the country's prolonged ethnic conflict, but President Chandrika Kumaratunga's alliance contesting the upcoming elections has been identified as the best to reduce corruption, reduce cost of living and reduce unemployment. more..

Mar 21 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers released 35 child soldiers on Sunday, but are still recruiting more under-age fighters than they allow to go free, the United Nations' children's agency said. more..

Mar 21 (LT) Ranil Wickremasinghe would not have been the Prime Minister today if the report of Batalanda Commission on mass executions was properly implemented says the President Ms.Chandrika Kumaratunga. more..

Mar 21 (NW) The Elections Secretariat has decided to set up 64 polling centers for the people in the LTTE controlled areas in the North and East, so that they can exercise their franchise. Several polling centers will alsobe set up in Omanthai on the Jaffna - Kandy A-9 highway. more..

Mar 21 (NW) Ven. Samandeniye Dhammaloka Thero, a candidate of the Jathika Hela Urumaya for Kurunegala district had been threatened by a UNP member of Mawathagama Pradeshiya Sabha demanding him to resign. more..

Mar 21 (NW) Financial assistance was given to displaced families of Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Moneragala bordering the North-East by the Commissioner General of Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation on a directive by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. more..

Mar 21 (NW) President Chandrika Kumaratunga claims that a large number of Sri Lankan women faced various harassments and abuse since 2001, after the UNP came to power. She said that the aim of the Freedom Alliance Government is to prevent such situations. more..

Mar 21 (NW) The Auditor General�s department yesterday called for an immediate clarification from the Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees Ministry Secretary over his respective Minister�s (Jayalath Jayawardena) failure to hand backs 12 vehicles given to him by the Ministry. more..

Mar 21 (Age) In defeating Sri Lanka by 27 runs in the second cricket Test in Kandy, Australia safely negotiated the Bermuda Triangle of the sub-continent. When Australia arrived in Kandy fast bowler Jason Gillespie admitted to having a flashback to the sickly collision which hospitalised he and Steve Waugh with a broken leg and nose respectively. more..

Mar 21 (Reuters) He's a leading candidate in Sri Lanka's election, but V. Anandasangaree can barely leave his compound in northern Jaffna peninsula let alone campaign before the masses. The Indian Ocean island is enjoying a period of peace with a truce between the government and Tamil Tigers keeping the guns silent for more than two years. more..

Mar 21 (HT) If the LTTE Supremo, Velupillai Prabhakaran, is hailed by his followers as the "Tamil Desiya Thalaivar" or Tamil National Leader, his rival and head of the breakaway faction, Colonel Karuna, is hailed as "Desa Pitha" or Father of the Nation. more..

Mar 21 (PTI) With peace talks emerging as a key issue in the run-up to the April 2 polls in Sri Lanka, the LTTE and its breakaway faction leader today rejected claims by President Chandrika Kumaratunga that her party was in contact with them. more..

Mar 21 (TN) "Voters from Liberation Tigers controlled area in Vanni will not undergo regular checking at Omanthai Sri Lanka Army checkpoint, and voters from remote areas will be given the option to stay overnight at Puliyankulam with free transportation, lodging facilities," more..

Mar 22 (TN) The UNICEF is to donate a consignment of ambulances and transport vehicles to improve medical facilities provided by the health institutions in the northeast province. more..

Mar 22 (TN) Twice postponed Millennium Presidential special scholarship awards ceremony for students in the NorthEast province is to take place on March 24th morning at Trincomalee St.Mary�s Girls College auditorium. Provincial Education Ministry is organizing the event, sources said. more..

Mar 22 (SLA) An EPRLF candidate for JAFFNA district engaged in canvassing for the forthcoming elections has been threatened with death by some unidentified men on 20 March 2004 while he was in the general area of MOHANDAS junction in JAFFNA with his supporters. more..

Mar 22 (SLA) EPDP men, who were harassed after snatching their political literature while they were canvassing in the general area of KANDARAMADAM in JAFFNA on 17 March 2004, have been able to identify those men involved and their vehicles used for this intimidatory act. more..

Mar 22 (SLA) The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) was kept informed about the screening of an LTTE propaganda film on 19 March 2004 around 7.00 p.m. in the general area close to the AMERICAN MIXED SCHOOL at VALANTHALAI, about 01 km northeast of KARAINAGAR. more..

Mar 22 (SLA) Several LTTE cadres busy collecting ransom by way of LTTE �taxes� from the general area close to the TAMBILUWIL LTTE camp in THIRUKKOVIL on 20 March 2004 around 2.00 p.m. fled the area, abandoning their bag with collected ransom when they saw a Police team reaching the scene. more..

Mar 22 (SLA) Large groups of people, who gathered in the general area of MAMANGESHWARA KOVIL in BATTICALOA town on 19 March 2004 in connection with an LTTE commemoration, had burnt effigies and portraits of LTTE leader PRABHAKARAN while demanding LTTE�s KARUNA be recognized as LTTE leader for BATTICALOA and AMPARA. more..

Mar 22 (SLA) Four armed LTTE cadres in civil clothes were seen walking along the beach close to NORWAY ISLAND in the general area of SAMPOOR on 20 March 2004 around 11.00 a.m. These LTTE men dressed in shirts and trousers had stayed there for about half an hour and made their way towards the jungle afterwards. more..

Mar 22 (AFP) In-form Australian spinner Shane Warne will be hoping to cap his dream return to international cricket with twin world records in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo. more..

Mar 22 (Reuters) Sri Lanka need to improve their fielding if they are to win the third and final test against Australia, coach John Dyson said on Monday. Australia took an unassailable 2-0 lead with a 27-run victory in Kandy last Saturday to win their first series on the subcontinent since October 1998. more..

Mar 22 (BBC) Sri Lanka will have all-rounder Thilan Samaraweera back in their side for the third Test against Australia, which starts in Colombo on Wednesday. He will replace Avishka Gunawardene after recovering from the groin strain which kept him out of the second Test. more..

Mar 22 (TB) Off line SriLankan Airlines has reported strong growth in passenger bookings from Australia. The airline said it expected to announce a big increase in passengers from Australia when the current financial year ends for the carrier on March 31. more..

Mar 22 (GU) A split in the ranks the Tamil Tigers has placed further strain on the Sri Lankan peace process in the run-up to a controversial election next month. Why is the division in the Tigers significant? A rift within the LTTE, which has fought a 20-year insurgency for a sovereign Tamil homeland, has jeopardised the ceasefire. more..

Mar 22 (AP) Losing a Test series to Australia could help revolutionise Sri Lankan cricket if the right lessons are learned, coach John Dyson said yesterday. Sri Lanka had been unbeaten since February 2001 in Test series at home until consecutive defeats at Galle and Kandy ensured Australia will win this three-Test series. more..

Mar 22 (LBO) A fire broke out at the AES Kelanitissa Power complex this morning, with the reason for the fire and the extent still unknown. Some households reported a slight power disruption within the last two hours but officials could not link the two incidents. more..

Mar 22 (UNI) In a move apparently to keep the Tamil Tiger rebels away from the negotiating table in the future, President, Ms Chandrika Kumaratunga has set preconditions for the LTTE to recommence peace talks if her UPFA came to power in the general elections on April 2. more..

Mar 22 (SN) According to the survey conducted by Social Indicator, 23% of the participants have rejected both President Kumaratunga and Premier Wickremasinghe. This survey was conducted between 5th and 12th March 2004. more..

Mar 22 (SN) Anton Balasingham, Chief Negotiator and Theoretician of the LTTE has mentioned to Tamil Guardian of 17th March that President Premadasa was willing to offer full political independence for the North, under the condition of giving up the East by the LTTE. more..

Mar 22 (SN) Unofficial UPFA sources told SinhalaNet that JVP Propaganda Secretary, Mr Wimal Weerawanse would be the Minister of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage, if the UPFA captured the power at the parliamentary election. more..

Mar 22 (SN) It was reported from Australia that LTTE dissent leader, Karuna�s wife Niru has condemned her husband�s action in an interview given to Tamil radio station in Australia. She has reportedly charged that Karuna had betrayed to Tamil people and their liberation struggle. more..

Mar 22 (NDTV) The thousands of Sri Lankan refugees living in Tamil Nadu have been issued temporary passports to help them return home. But several refugees, who have lived away from home for almost 21 years, are not optimistic, because they also need funds to be able to go back. more..

Mar 22 (TP) SriLankan Airlines is considering pulling out of Abu Dhabi after having sharply cut its ticket prices on the route following increased competition, according to a report in The Sunday Times. more..

Mar 22 (TP) Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake is considering a ban on political advertising in private and state media if a meeting on Tuesday fails to produce consensus on standards of balanced reporting, department sources were quoted as saying in newspapers. more..

Mar 22 (UL) A letter of demand seeking a non qualified apology or 50 million rupees worth of damages was last week sent to Bandaranaike by Attorney Seevali Delgoda acting on behalf of SSP of the Gampaha division SSP Lucky Peiris. more..

Mar 22 (LT) Lord Buddha and the Buddhist flag, considered as greatly revered symbols being sold on the election stage and Bhikkus contesting elections is an activity that creates division among the Sangha and bring disrepute said Ven. Elle Gunawanse Thero. more..

Mar 22 (LT) Under a future UNF government Bogambara prison would be shifted from its present place and located at Pallekele says Premier Ranil Wickremasinghe. Premier made this statement addressing a UNP propaganda rally at Bogambara in Kandy yesterday. more..