Mar 17 (AT) Despite the blow it has suffered following the rebellion of its eastern commander "Colonel Karuna", it does seem that the LTTE will play a significant role in Sri Lanka's post-election government formation. more..

Mar 17 (SLA) The he Sri Lanka Army, the single largest organization in the country in terms of its manpower mobilization is to strengthen its Information Technology (IT) infrastructure to keep abreast of fast developing computer technology in the world. more..

Mar 17 (TN) The Karuna Group, led by the renegade LTTE regional leader, Mr. V. Muraleetharan, stopped the distribution of a popular Tamil daily in the Batticaloa Amparai districts from Wednesday. Armed cadres from the Karuna Group had threatened manager of the Thinakkural paper's regional office in Batticaloa with death. more..

Mar 17 (TN) The rebellion by the LTTE’s former Batticaloa-Amparai commander is “not a major politico-military crisis in the LTTE,” the movement’s theoretician and chief negotiator, Mr. Anton Balasingham, said this week in his first public comment on the estrangement between Mr. V. Muraleetharan (Karuna) and the LTTE leadership. more..

Mar 17 (SLA) Naval troops on duty in the general areas of THALAIMANNAR, KANKESANTHURAI and DELFT ISLAND continue to observe hundreds of Indian trawlers engaged in poaching inside Sri Lankan waters during 15 and 16 March 2004. more..

Mar 17 (SLA) A foreign team engaged in de-mining activities in the general area of OMANTHAI had recovered some unexploded mortar bombs, fuses, cartridges, etc on 16 March 2004 from an abandoned well used for agricultural purposes. more..

Mar 17 (CM) CYPRUS Airways (CY) is axing its Sri Lanka flights from the end of this month, spokesman Tassos Angelis said yesterday. “We are restructuring our network and this is part of it,” Angelis said. “It was considered by the specialists that it would be better to suspend it.” more..

Mar 17 (CI) The man who cleared Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action five years ago has reopened the debate by questioning the legality of Murali's new doosra. Bruce Elliott, a professor at the University of Western Australia, and a member of the ICC's committee which investigates suspect actions, said that Murali's new ball, which behaves very much as a legbreak would, is questionable. more..

Mar 17 (DN) The Colombo National Hospital was yesterday overcrowded with patients rejected by the Colombo South Teaching Hospital (Kalubowila) and Ragama Teaching Hospitals which had stopped admitting patients as the doctors' strike entered its seventh day. more..

Mar 17 (DM) The Programme for Protection of Public Resources (PPPR) yesterday called on government servants to decline to cooperate in the misuse of public resources and resolutely resist wrongful orders of superiors and politicians in this regard. more..

Mar 17 (Gulf) Tamil guerrillas are setting the stage to wrest control of the eastern region where deposed regional leader of the movement is holding on to his base along with hundreds of cadres along with heavy weapons, refusing to give up. more..

Mar 17 (AP) The U.S. ambassador said Wednesday he would watch next month's Sri Lankan parliamentary poll "very carefully," while donating nearly US$600,000 for election monitoring. more..

Mar 17 (AFP) Hundreds of government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels have died trying to take this arid northern Sri Lankan town, but two years after a truce it is blossoming amid bombed out buildings. more..

Mar 17 (CI) In a stunning contrast to the first day, the bat held sway at Kandy on the second and Adam Gilchrist swung the momentum Australia's way with an unbeaten hundred, full of grit and character after an unlikely and hugely entertaining 79-run last-wicket partnership between Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan had helped Sri Lanka gain a 91-run first-innings lead. more..

Mar 17 (Reuters) Voting for Sri Lankans living in areas held by Tamil Tiger rebels was still in limbo on Wednesday, with officials unable to decide how to hold polls safely despite the island's two-year ceasefire. more..

Mar 17 (TN) A demining official, Bala, attached to the Swiss Demining Federation, involved in demining in Vavuniya and Mannar, said that deminers have discovered a cache of ammunition and grenades from a irrigation well located in a field behind the Omanthai Maha Vidiyalayam, sources said. more..

Mar 17 (TN) The Sri Lankan Government on Wendsday ratified the United Nations convevtion against Corruption. Sri Lanka is the second country in the world to ratify the convention,after Kenya. more..

Mar 17 (TN) General Secretary of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) Mr. Mavai Senathirajah addressing an election rally in Trincomalee Tuesday evening said, "Tamils have got a historic opportunity in their freedom struggle to show their unity. more..

Mar 17 (TN) Attorney General Mr.K.C.Kamalasabeyson has issued instructions to authorities to file indictments against 26 Indian boatmen out of sixty seven now in remand after their capture by local fishermen and the Sri Lanka Navy personnel while poaching in northern waters recently, legal sources said. more..

Mar 17 (KI) Today in the afternoon State Secretary of Kazakhstan Oralbai Abdykarimov has received Ambassador of the Democratic Socialistic Republic of Sri-Lanka Vidzhekun Mudiyanselage Ukku Banda in the Presidential Residence. more..

Mar 17 (NW) Public funds amounting to a staggering Rs. 990 million has been squandered through several wasteful deals and projects initiated by the Board of Investment (BoI), the Auditor General's report for 2002 reveals. more..

Mar 17 (NW) The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) yesterday alleged that their former dissident, Anver Ismail who is a national list nominee of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), is indulging in unlawful activities in Ampara District. more..

Mar 17 (NW) UPFA Ampara Candidate, M. Hareez who was rumored to bounce back to his original party, the SLMC that has pledged support to the UNF, has decided against his move following intense persuasion from his Leader A.L.M. Athaullah and National Unity Alliance (NUA) Leader Ferial Ashraff. more..

Mar 17 (NW) The residents of Akkaraipattu staged a Hartal yesterday in protest against a campaign rally of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC). Minister Rauf Hakeem was scheduled to address the meeting. The protest Hartal organized by the Akkaraipattu youth organization. more..

Mar 17 (NW) A Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) activist was has been killed. This is the third election killing. The murder has occurred in Sammanthurai of Digamadulla district. The victim is K. Salaam a 45-year-old father of four and a fisherman by profession. more..

Mar 17 (AP) Tamil Tiger rebels warned the government Wednesday not to recognize or negotiate with a renegade guerrilla leader, saying it would cause "irreparable damage" to Sri Lanka's fragile peace process. more..

Mar 17 (Reuters) Tamil Tigers vowed on Wednesday to peacefully end a "temporary" split that endangers the island's peace process and said talks to end a 20-year civil war can still restart after next month's general election. more..

Mar 17 (NW) The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing 600,000 dollars in support of election monitoring activities during Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election scheduled for April 2. more..

Mar 18 (TN) The Jaffna Police Wednesday filed a plaint in the Chavakachcheri Magistrate’s Court on a complaint made by Mr. Veerasingham Anandasangaree that a group of persons had attacked his supporters when they were campaigning on March 11, legal sources said. more..

Mar 18 (TN) In a statement to Tamil media on the recent raising of regionalism in the East by renegade commander Karuna, Mr. Kasi Anandan, a well-known poet from the East, said that the more than 17,700 fighters from Tamil Eelam who sacrificed their lives in the liberation struggle did not do so for Jaffna or Batticaloa, but for Tamil Eelam. more..

Mar 18 (TN) The Trincomalee Rotary Club last weekend conducted a one-day medical clinic in the village Nallur which is located in the LTTE held Muttur east in the Trincomalee district. Rotarian Dr.G.Gnanagunalan organized this clinic with the assistance of Humanitarian Rehabilitation Services of NE (Lanka) Ltd, Colombo, that provided thirty thousand rupees worth of medicine to the clinic, more..

Mar 18 (TN) A vehicle belonging to the EPDP was badly damaged during a clash between a group of Jaffna university students and activists of the EPDP. The clash is alleged to have erupted when a group of EPDP activists assembled to create trouble in front of the residence of Ms Pathmini Sithamparanathan, a Tamil National Alliance candidate, more..

Mar 18 (IL) The Chairperson of the National Committee on Women and Senior Women's spokesperson for the UNP, condemned the JVP-SLFP Alliance manifesto today as an insult to women. Chairperson Indrani Iriyagolle said: "The section in the JVP-SLFP Alliance manifesto entitled 'Women and Children' was an insult to women. more..

Mar 18 (IL) President Chandrika Kumaratunge has pledged that an SLFP-JVP Alliance government would never privatize the National Film Corporation. At the same time, she said that sports and arts would be completely depoliticized and their administration would be vested in veterans of those sectors. more..

Mar 18 (IL) The Free Media Movement has condemned JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa's threat to Lankadeepa Chief Editor Siri Ranasinghe, saying his action tantamounts to forceful censorship by politicians. more..

Mar 18 (CI) The big question at Kandy, as Australia's batsmen sailed into the lead on the second evening, was just how big a lead would be big enough. This pitch is not nearly as bad as both sets of batsmen, facing slightly juicy conditions, made it look on the first day. more..

Mar 18 (LBO) Norway and Sweden are looking at assisting the Sri Lankan government in a stock taking exercise of the islands fisheries resources. Sri Lanka’s last comprehensive fisheries assessment took place in the late 70’s with Norwegian assistance. more..

Mar 18 (LBO) The Supreme Court sought time till March 29, to give President Chandrika Kumaratunga an opinion on the controversial tax amnesty law. President Kumaratunga had used her constitutional powers on March 8 and asked the Supreme Court for its opinion. more..

Mar 18 (LBO) Intel Expanded its product offer in Sri Lanka as it faces growing demand for its processors from the state and private sector and a growing population of individual personal computer users. more..

Mar 18 (LBO) Most of Sri Lanka’s fish catch goes waste, but some good new is the possibility of turning fish waste into a business opportunity. A Sri Lanka-Norway joint research, funded by NORAD, shows that there is money making potential - on commercial levels - in local fish waste. more..

Mar 18 (Hindu) The chief negotiator of the LTTE, Anton S. Balasingham, today said "irreparable damage" will be caused "to the peace process" if the "dissent" expressed by the expelled rebel military commander, V. Muralitharan, is exploited. more..

Mar 18 (TOI) The split in the LTTE leadership augurs well for peace in Sri Lanka. The revolt by Colonel Karuna, considered number two in the military hierarchy of the Tamil Tigers, not only dents Pirabhakaran's claim as the sole representative of Tamil interests but it also weakens the military capabilities of the Tigers. more..

Mar 18 (TN) During a meeting with Government Agents from Vanni electoral district and Sri Lanka Army commanders held in Vavuniya Wednesday evening it was agreed to locate polling stations in the SLA side of checkpoints at Omanthai, Madhu road and Uyilankulam, for residents of LTTE controlled areas in Vanni district to vote, more..

Mar 18 (TN) "I will carryout my campaign only on the basis of the LTTE's cardinal principles - find a political solution to the Tamil national problem based on the acceptance of the fundamental proposals regarding Tamil homeland consisting of North and East, Tamil Nation, Tamils’ right to self-government. more..

Mar 18 (SLA) Four teenagers and one 21-year old youth of the LTTE, who broke ranks and escaped from an LTTE camp have surrendered to the Naval troops stationed at MUTTUR jetty area during early hours on Thursday (18 March 2004). more..

Mar 18 (SLA) A complaint lodged at JAFFNA Police station by supporters of the EPDP on 17 March 2004 claimed that some TNA members backed by LTTE men snatched their propaganda materials while EPDP men were canvassing for the forthcoming General Election in the general area of KANDARAMADAM in JAFFNA. more..

Mar 18 (SLA) Unidentified men have relieved seven gold necklaces (seven gold sovereigns) of the statues at MAVADIPURAM Kovil (temple) in the general area of KANKESANTHURAI, states a Police complaint made on 17 March 2004 by temple’s priest. more..

Mar 18 (SLA) Troops at the request of the Police had to move in and disperse a crowd of about eight hundred political supporters from the general area of OTTAMAVADI on 17 March 2004 around 6.45 p.m. since they were planning to obstruct another election meeting of a rival political party. more..

Mar 18 (SLA) An Army soldier, who had ignorantly tampered with an Anti-Personnel Mine (APM) which he recovered from the JAYASINGHAPURA Army camp area in WELIOYA fell victim to its explosion on 17 March 2004 around 4.45 p.m. more..

Mar 18 (LT) Doctors’ strike would be continued as the Minister of Health and the government has not taken any decision to find solutions to the anomalies in their salaries says GMOA. more..