Nov 14 (Gulf) The LTTE believe that under the President Chandrika Kumaratunga government they may not be able to find a solution to the Tamil minority ethnic crisis. This is mainly due to the presence of the Marxist JVP within the government who are campaigning against the Norway-backed peace talks, said the LTTE's chief negotiator, Anton Balasingham. more..

Nov 15 (TN) Mr.Tyronne Fernando, Foreign Minister in the former UNF government, is tipped to be the next Governor of the North East Province replacing Major General (retd) Asoka Jayawardene who is to assume duties as the Secretarary to the Ministry of Defence with effect from December 1, provincial sources said. more..

Nov 15 (TN) "Sinhala leaders have no understanding of the Tamil question. They did not understand how to share power since 1948 (when the island was granted independence by the British). Power has been Sinhala. Sri Lankan armed forces are 99 percent Sinhala. Tamil is not implemented as an official language. more..

Nov 15 (NZH) An item on TVNZ's current affairs show Sunday blackened the reputation of all Sri Lankans with unbalanced presentation of Sri Lankan attitudes to child sexual abuse, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has ruled. more..

Nov 15 (BBC) Minister of Industrial Development, Tourism and Investment Promotions Anura Bandaranaike says that the government is prepared for war if necessary. "We won't go to war, but, we are ready to fight if attacked," said the younger brother of President Chandrika Kumaratunga more..

Nov 15 (BBC) Situation at Kodikamam in Jaffna is calm and quiet after people clashed with the security forces on Sunday, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) said. A court of inquiry will be appointed by the SLA after an accident involving a SLA bowser resulted in the death of a local Hindu priest, more..

Nov 15 (Rupavahini) A clash between angry residents and the police in Uda-Walawa has been erupted owing to the firing at a motor bicycle rider who dis-obeyed police orders. A youth was killed in the shooting by the police who were in night mobile patrol yesterday. more..

Nov 15 (SLBC) The countrywide rail strike planned for today was postponed at the eleventh hour following the talks with the minister and trains will operate according to the normal schedule today. more..

Nov 15 (SLBC) Deputy Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya made these observation addressing graduates who were selected to undergo training, prior to post them in permanent jobs in Government Service at the Kegalle Balika Vidyalaya. more..

Nov 15 (SLBC) The Cinnamon Gardens Police arrested five most wanted men three of them attached to the Ministerial Security Division as they have used their official weapons to threaten the businessmen and rob cash. Investigations were directed by Colombo DIG Sirisena Herath. more..

Nov 15 (TN) "Mosquitoes spreading dengue fever are found all parts of Trincomalee town and its suburbs. About 31 positive cases have been detected and one died following the second outbreak of the epidemic in east port town since October this year. In the first outbreak in March this year one died," more..

Nov 15 (wsws) The major plantation trade unions in Sri Lanka signed a collective agreement with the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC) late last month granting a pittance of a wage increase to hundreds of thousands of workers in the country’s tea and rubber estates. more..

Nov 15 (Reuters) Sri Lanka stocks ended lower on Monday as foreign investors sold off shares in blue chip conglomerate Hayleys Ltd , while other investors kept away from trade ahead of the 2005 budget due on Nov.18, brokers said. more..

Nov 15 (SPA) Sri Lanka's revenue from garment and textile exports to the United States, its biggest customer, is expected to fall about 20 percent next year following the expiration of a preferential trade agreement, an industry official said Monday. more..

Nov 15 (LT) "Forthcoming year is a year of challenges, sacrifices and dedication is necessary to overcome them," said Mr.Sarath Amunugama, Minister of Finance. The Minister says a programme of incentives for government employees will be put forward. more..

Nov 15 (LT) Gampaha residence of Gampaha District Parliamentarian, Sarana Gunawardene has been attacked with hand grenades and set on fire. At the time of the incident only one of his servants had been in the house. This servant too had been beaten up says the MP. more..

Nov 15 (LT) As soon as the report of the committee appointed to study the 'Upper Kotmale' project is received steps would be taken to implement it said Susil Premjayanth, Minister of Power & Energy. He said the UPFA Government has taken a policy decision to implement this project. more..

Nov 15 (LT) The Government intends levying a tax on government employees says UNP Parliamentarian Rajithe Senaratne. He made this observation at a press meeting held in Colombo today. He pointed out that a statement made by the Minister of Finance, Sarath Amunugam in Kandy confirms this. more..

Nov 15 (LT) The existing electoral system divides people says UNP Parliamentarian Ms. Amara Piyaseeli. She also said the most important need of the present time is to change the electoral system. She made these observations in a seminar on "Amendments to electoral system" held in Colombo organized by PAFFRL organization. more..

Nov 15 (AT) While India is ready to enter into a "defense cooperation agreement" with Sri Lanka, it is wary of being drawn into any military involvement in the island nation's two decades-old civil war that has seen violent strife between ethnic Tamils and the Sinhalese majority - leaving over 60,000 dead on both sides. more..

Nov 15 (AT) Chandrika Kumaratunga has to make her choices as her political future snowballs into a realm of uncertainty. Her immediate goal is to continue as the Executive President till 12 October 2006, but controversy is expected to loom over her extended period in office and expected to heat up after November 2005. more..

Nov 15 (LBO) Sri Lanka's export revenue from garments could fall around 20% next year as a preferential trade agreement with the U.S. comes to an end, but long-term strategic planning will help keep the sector afloat, said an industry official. more..

Nov 15 (TN) "Unless construction of a tank in the Bandarawela Farm Estate is completely stopped, all workers of not only the Estates in the Badulla District but the entire Plantation sector will rise against it," warned Badulla District Parliamentarian more..

Nov 15 (ANN) To me the most surprising was Madam President’s condemnation of the entire judiciary and police force. She exempted the Attorney General and Chief Justice by saying they agreed with her, or had told her so (I forget which). more..

Nov 15 (SLA) Tension that erupted in the aftermath of a motor accident in the general area of KODIKAMAM on 14 November 2004 around 9.30 a. m. after a motorbike rider who overtook a military vehicle from the wrong side struck it, was brought under control. more..

Nov 15 (SLA) LTTE men on Saturday (13) had threatened a former Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) supporter resident in the general area of VELVETTITURAI asking him to vacate the area with his family or face death otherwise. more..

Nov 15 (SLA) Investigations conducted on the murder of the twenty-eight year old, T. C JEBANESHAN of MANNAR further confirmed that the victim has been robbed of Rs. 500,000/= and seventeen gold sovereigns by LTTE men, identified as DAYALAN and others who visited his house on 25 October 2004 before he was assassinated on Saturday (13). more..

Nov 15 (SLA) Naval troops on duty have sighted a total of about 115 Indian trawlers in the general sea areas north of KACHCHATIVU, south west of DELFT and north east of TALAIMANNAR on 13 November 2004 while they were engaged in poaching inside Sri Lankan waters. more..

Nov 15 (BBC) Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan claims three of Australia's top pacemen bowl illegal deliveries. Murali, banned from bowling one of his deliveries, has accused Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath. more..

Nov 15 (DN) Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama said in Kandy on Saturday that under the 1st Budget of the Alliance Government 30,000 more jobs in the public services would be provided to unemployed youth in addition to 42,000 graduates who were already given jobs. more..

Nov 15 (PSL) ‘Politicians and their parties must agree if we were to resume direct negotiations with the LTTE and resolve the protracted ethnic crisis’ emphasized President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday. She reiterated her commitment to solve the North East problem, more..

Nov 15 (ANN) Approximately one hundred and fifty members of the Sri Lankan Police graduated from a round of training courses funded by the U.S. government. The training program began in March 2004 with basic criminal investigative and narcotics interdiction techniques courses for the SL Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB). more..

Nov 15 (Reuters) The Sri Lanka rupee hit a new all-time closing low on Monday, on increased importer demand for dollars to settle trade bills, dealers said. The rupee closed at 104.85 against the dollar, sliding from the previous record closing low of 104.60 hit on Nov.4. more..

Nov 15 (BBC) Government’s junior partner JVP should publicly apologise for interrupting the peace process, Sri Lanka’s main opposition said on Monday. Ranil Wickramasinghe said JVP is creating hurdles for President Chandrika Kumaratunga in her attempt to restart the negotiations with the LTTE. more..

Nov 15 (HT) One of the basic reasons for the conflict between the LTTE and the rest of the world is the difference of opinion on whether 'group rights' should take precedence over 'individual rights'. This conflict is a major factor stalling the peace process in Sri Lanka. more..

Nov 15 (Gulf) The Marxist partners in Sri Lanka's ruling coalition United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) have declared their intentions of forming their own party without President Chandrika Kumaratunga's support in future. more..

Nov 15 (HT) LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakran is believed to have told the Norwegian mediators that the Sri Lankan government, as such, should make a public statement about its stand on the agenda for the peace talks, and that he will not entertain any proposal which is from the Sri Lankan President only. more..

Nov 16 (LBO) Depositors of the failed Pramuka Bank have demanded Rs. 6 bn in damages from its regulator, Sri Lanka's Central Bank. "We sent out letters of demand to the Monetary Board asking for damages up to Rs. 6 bn on Friday," said President, Pramuka Depositors Association, Palitha Gamage. more..

Nov 16 (TN) EPDP, para military group and a constituent of the UPFA government has informed the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) that it would not participate in seminars on human rights organized for its members due to security reasons, sources said. more..

Nov 16 (TN) Mr.M.Kandasamy, acting Chavakachcheri Magistrate Sunday night remanded Mr.Mudiansalage Wijeyasiri, bowzer driver of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), till November 17, when the driver was produced by the Kodikamam police in connection with the death of Hindu priest Mr.Varatharajakurukkal Harihara Sarma more..

Nov 16 (TN) "Sinhala parties will never come to a consensus on a political settlement to the ethnic conflict. It won't happen even if we Tamils wait patiently for another fifty years in deference to the wishes of the international community. The so called 'Sinhala Consensus' is a perfidious mirage. more..

Nov 16 (LBO) Japan on Monday rapped Sri Lanka for repeated delays in large development projects, adding that it questioned the validity of the decision making process. “Sri Lanka has been losing many years in its development efforts by frequently reviewing and changing once decided plans of infrastructure projects,” more..

Nov 16 (Rupavahini) In this situation, hospital authorities are to obtain the laboratory services of the private sector to meet the emergency situation. The hospital laboratory technicians have launched the strike on issues such as the withdrawal of the stipulated allowance, more..

Nov 16 (BBC) Sri Lankan supreme court ruled Monday that Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) has taken illegal action in sacking parliamentarian Aparekke Punnananda thero. JHU decided to expel Ven. Punnananda after a disciplinary hearing led by former DIG H M G B Kotakadeniya, more..

Nov 16 (BBC) President Chandrika Kumaratunga can start peace talks based upon LTTE's latest proposals, if she agrees with the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) put forward by the Tamil Tigers, says the government's junior partner Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). more..

Nov 16 (Reuters) Cricket Australia defended three of their top pace bowlers on Monday after Muttiah Muralitharan accused them of bowling illegal deliveries. Muralitharan's "doosra" delivery was outlawed by the ICC last May after a report concluded that the Sri Lankan bent his arm during delivery and so threw the ball. more..

Nov 16 (PTI) As part of the close cooperation between Pakistan and Sri Lankan militaries, two Pakistan navy ships will arrive at the Colombo port tomorrow on a training cruise, officials said today. PNS Nasr and PNS Tariq will spend three days in Colombo, they said. more..

Nov 16 (SLA) Two fishermen, suspected to have stolen fish from a Thai trawler anchored inside the COLOMBOharbour High Security Zone, were arrested by naval troops on 15 November 2004 around 9.30 a.m. and handed over to the HARBOUR Police station for investigations. more..

Nov 16 (SLA) Poojas (offerings) to mark the Deepavali (Festival of Lights) were made by thousands of devotees in a number of Jaffna-based Hindu kovils (temples) on Deepavali Day, giving pride of place to the God Vishnu who occupies an important place in the ancient Hindu pantheon. more..

Nov 16 (SLA) In what was seen as a move to foster the growth of goodwill and cooperation among different communities that live for generations in the Jaffna peninsula, the Security Forces (SF) have launched a number of relief and welfare measures that benefit poverty-stricken members of the civil population resident in areas under their control. more..