Mar 14 (SLA) A civilian named M.S. WAHABDEEN of Ward No. 3 JAYAH NAGAR have made a complaint to the Police station of KUCHCHUVELI, about 35 km north of TRINCOMALEE stating that he was assaulted and doors and windows of his house was damaged by five armed LTTE cadres on 13 March more..

Mar 14 (SLA) Six youths who were cheated and taken away by unidentified persons, suspected to be LTTE men have been detained them in an LTTE camp off NIDANWALA – ARALAGANVILA. Those youths have managed to escape and seek protection from the troops at NIDANWALA Police post, about 50 km. southeast of POLONNARUWA on 13 March more..

Mar 14 (BBC) Sri Lanka's impressive win over New Zealand in their opening World Cup match raised hopes that the team could produce a run similar to one in 1996 when they won the tournament. more..

Mar 14 (SI) Sri Lankan officials are currently on a visit to Switzerland to look at the Swiss federal system as a possible model for rebuilding their country. Bern has been stepping up its efforts to help the Sri Lankan government and the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels strike a peace deal after 19 years of civil war. more..

Mar 14 (DOI) Chief Government Negotiator and Cabinet Spokesman Minister Prof G.L. Peiris yesterday ruled out any change in timetable or the agenda of the next round of peace talks because of Monday's incident in the Mullaitivu seas. more..

Mar 14 (DOI) Government and private sector stakeholders of the country's apparel sector have joined hands to increase the industry turnover from its present position of US$ 2.3 billion to US$ 4.5 billion by 2007. more..

Mar 14 (DOI) The Sri Lanka Federation of Youth Clubs (SLFYC) together with the Youth Affairs Ministry and the National Youth Services Council will commence a new youth development programme named "Youth Sri Lanka" throughout the country assisting youth to improve their creative talents. more..

Mar 14 (DOI) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who was instrumental in setting up five economic zones in the country paid his first official visit to the Central Region Development Ministry in Kandy yesterday morning. more..

Mar 14 (DN) The islandwide power supply continued uninterruptedly despite the week-long strike by a group of Middle Level Technical Officers of Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). more..

Mar 14 (DM) Sri Lanka is closely screening Iraqi nationals entering the country following US warnings as the world prepared for an imminent war on Iraq, informed sources said yesterday. more..

Mar 14 (Dawn) A sixth round of peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels will open in Japan on 18 March and both government and rebels are gearing up for a donor conference in Tokyo in June from which they expect cash to help rebuild the war-ravaged north and east of Sri Lanka. more..

Mar 14 (Reuters) Stocks finished higher in thin trading on Friday as retail investors bought blue chips on signs peace talks were on track despite a clash at sea between the navy and rebels. The key Colombo all-share index closed up 0.96 percent, or 6.83 points, at 717.02 points. more..

Mar 14 (AP) The government plans to set up an office to address Muslim issues in Sri Lanka's north and east as part of efforts to broker a lasting peace on the island, a senior official said Friday. more..

Mar 14 (Reuters) Shops, offices and schools in Sri Lanka's eastern port city of Trincomalee were closed on Friday in protest against the sinking this week of a Tamil Tiger rebel ship by the navy, residents said. more..

Mar 14 (PTI) Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger guerrillas on Friday ended uncertainty over their participation at next week's peace talks and prepared to leave for Japan on Sunday, Tamil sources said on Friday. more..

Mar 14 (AP) Sri Lanka will treat Saturday's Super Six showdown with Zimbabwe as a must-win match regardless of the outcome of New Zealand's match against India, skipper Sanath Jayasuriya said. more..

Mar 14 (AFP) Sri Lanka's uneasy cohabitation government caused new concerns over the peace process Friday as Norway tried to ensure Tamil Tiger rebels would attend next week's talks in Japan. more..

Mar 14 (AP) European monitors supervising Sri Lanka's cease-fire said Friday they hoped to complete their inquiry into a deadly clash between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels ahead of upcoming peace talks. more..

Mar 14 (IL) Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) yesterday urged President Chandrika Kumaratunga to appoint members to the Election and Finance Commissions and a Secretary General to Parliament. more..

Mar 14 (IL) Sri Lanka will have a stall at the prestigious London, Book fair being held from March 16 -18 2003 at the Olympia in London. The fair, attended by booksellers, publishers and librarians from over 180 countries is considered to be the most important spring fair in the world for exhibiting books published In the English Language. more..

Mar 14 (IL) Awarding of United Nations Medals to 38 Sri Lankan Police Officers who contributed their services to East Timor (the first nation to declare independence in the new millennium) was ceremonially held recently in East Timor. more..

Mar 14 (TN) "The younger generation should be encouraged to shun white-collar jobs and facilities should be created to engage them in self-employment projects, which could ensure self-reliance and economic prosperity in their lives," said the President of the Trincomalee Rotary Club, Mr.R.Thirukumaranathan, more..

Mar 14 (AP) Sri Lankan skipper Sanath Jayasuriya says India's defeat of New Zealand has given his side a second chance at qualifying for the World Cup with a win Zimbabwe in Saturday's crucial Super Six match. more..

Mar 14 (Xinhua) Tamil Tiger rebels have decided to attend the sixth round of peace talks with the government due in Japan later this month, ending speculation that the rebel group may opt to stay out of the talks. more..

Mar 15 (NZH) If I had to pick an incident that best sums up Sri Lanka, it would be the day the monks beat up the peaceniks. It was just after midday during the hottest part of the year, and the heat hung in the streets, pungent and dizzying. Colombo's canals, polluted at the best of times, glowed iridescent emerald, and the air danced with clouds of diesel and dust. more..

Mar 15 (Hindu) President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, has called upon her Government, the peace facilitators Norway and the international community, to take up "crucial issues of political settlement" at the next round of talks between Colombo and the LTTE, to be held in Japan later this month. more..

Mar 15 (Gulf) The new Sri Lankan ambassador to the UAE says Colombo will focus on quality manpower exports and will emphasise the need for orientation to its labour force. "Every country has a right to employ its own nationals. But now it makes it all the more necessary for us to revamp and re-think the qualitative aspect of manpower from Sri Lanka to this part of the world," more..

Mar 15 (SLA) Two civilians who had gone to cut firewood on 14 March 2003 around 6.30 a.m. in the general area of NIDANWALA about 50 km. southeast of POLONNARUWA had not returned home as yet. more..

Mar 15 (SLA) Seven hundred and seventy eight lorry loads of food and other essential items had been dispatched to un-cleared areas in the northern province during the period between 07 March 2003 – 13 March 2003. more..

Mar 15 (Gulf) Tamil guerrillas are keeping the government in suspense over their participation in the next round of peace talks due to begin on Tuesday, but the government is confident they will attend. more..

Mar 15 (DM) Norway is proposing amendments to the 13-month-old ceasefire agreement in view of problems that were not foreseen when the agreement was signed, a Norwegian official said. more..

Mar 15 (DN) Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya has appealed to all striking employees of the CEB to report for work from Monday in consideration of the unnecessary suffering their action would cause to the public. more..

Mar 15 (FL) A YEAR since the guns fell silent in Sri Lanka, the peace process has continued to chart an uncertain course, with no clear indication of the destination available. more..

Mar 15 (AFP) Indian captain Sourav Ganguly rejoiced at his team's seven-wicket triumph over New Zealand, then hoped Sri Lanka will play them in the World Cup final. The Indian win virtually knocked the Kiwis out of contention and gave Sri Lanka a chance to enter the semi-finals if they defeat Zimbabwe, more..

Mar 15 (AFP) The first group of Sri Lanka's peace negotiators left for Japan Saturday to attend a crucial round of talks as a Norwegian-brokered truce came under severe strain at home, officials said. more..

Mar 15 (NZH) Opener Marvan Atapattu scored an unbeaten 103 as Sri Lanka compiled 256 for five in their World Cup Super Six match against Zimbabwe this morning. Atapattu anchored the innings after captain Sanath Jayasuriya was dismissed by his opposite number Heath Streak for 22, more..

Mar 15 (AP) An unbeaten century by opener Marvan Atapattu propelled Sri Lanka to a 74-run Super Six win over Zimbabwe and a berth in the World Cup semifinals. Sri Lanka needed to win Saturday to ensure a semifinal spot, otherwise New Zealand would have progressed in fourth spot. more..

Mar 16 (Island) Navy intelligence has received credible information that the LTTE are planning to attack a military vessel in retaliation for last week’s action against a Tiger ship off Mullaitivu. more..

Mar 16 (AFP) Australian captain Ricky Ponting does not fear the prospect of facing champion Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan in the World Cup semi-final despite the way Kenya's Asif Karim embarrassed his middle order. more..

Mar 16 (TN) “We wish to express our great displeasure and dispute the feeble argument you advanced to justify and legitimize the unwarranted and impulsive action taken by the Sri Lanka Navy in attacking and destroying our merchant vessel on the international waters,” said Mr.S.P.Thamilselvan, more..

Mar 16 (TN) North East Provincial Council Chief Secretary Mr.S.Rangarajah Saturday morning declared open a new computer-training centre at the Provincial Management Development and Training Department (MDTD). more..

Mar 16 (SO) Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando on Friday warned the Charge de Affairs of Iraq in Sri Lanka W. Abbas to be cautious about stirring up anti-war protests and demonstrations with regard to the current conflict situation between the United States of America and Iraq. more..

Mar 16 (ST) As the Sri Lankan government prepares to welcome a rush of donor aid from the Tokyo summit in June, the World Bank cautioned against expectations of heavy aid inflows saying disbursements would depend on the progress of peace talks. more..

Mar 16 (AP) Marvan Atapattu backed Sri Lanka to beat Australia in the World Cup semifinal after his century Saturday against Zimbabwe secured his country a place among the final four. more..

Mar 16 (AFP) Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger guerrillas said they would try to focus peace talks in Japan this week on the navy's sinking of a vessel that left dead 11 rebels. more..

Mar 16 (Gulf) The LTTE yesterday confirmed their participation in the next round of peace talks in Japan ending speculation over the issue. However, the Tigers said they would seek "guarantees" from the government over what they call the safety of their cadres for the continuation of the peace process. more..

Mar 16 (AFP) A LEOPARD at the Colombo Zoo in Sri Lanka has attacked an infant through the iron railings of its cage, causing the child severe head injuries, officials said. The father of the 16-month-old girl was leaning against the leopard's cage when the animal reached through and grabbed her by the head. more..

Mar 17 (TOO) Domestic workers’ problems among the Sri Lankans in Oman currently stand at an amazing zero level. In other words, there are no problems on this front, a top Sri Lankan Embassy official told the Times of Oman in a recent interview. more..

Mar 17 (TOO) Arumosam Vehi (Fancy Rains), a Sri Lankan film directed by Priyantha Colombage, will be screened at Star Cinema this Friday. Sponsored by SriLankan Airlines, the film show is in aid of Sri Lankan School in Muscat. more..

Mar 17 (FT) Indian Oil Corporation has struck a deal with Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals to export 240,000 tonne diesel and ATF to Sri Lanka. “We plan to increase our exports to Sri Lanka to 1.5 million tonne during 2003-04. We have concluded a contract with MRPL for exporting 240,000 tonne high speed diesel and ATF in the next six months,” more..