Apr 23 (NZPA) New Zealand's cricketers have barely set foot on a Sri Lankan cricket pitch but they have already been slammed as "cry babies" by the local press. more..

Apr 23 (Island) Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse urged the Prime Minister to summon Parliament to discuss the LTTE suspension of participation in negotiation with the government and wrote to the PM pointing out that the LTTE may be moving to unilaterally withdraw from talks. more..

Apr 23 (TN) The JVP demanded in a letter to the Speaker of the Sri Lankan parliament that a special meeting of the parliament to discuss the SLMM’s 'Initial discussion paper' of April 03 to the Government on recognizing Sea Tigers as a de facto naval unit, and the recent incidents of violence in Muttur, more..

Apr 23 (TN) The local government ministry of the North-East provincial council and the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority for the North (RRAN) are in a dilemma to find ways to recover the pickup vehicles supplied to ten local bodies in the Jaffna district when the EPDP administered them, more..

Apr 23 (Hindu) India and Sri Lanka may be joined by a bridge, if a proposal being examined by the two countries is implemented. According to the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, Mangala Moonesinghe a joint India-Lanka group has been commissioned in partnership with the Planning Commission to assess the bridge project. more..

Apr 23 (HT) The LTTE’s decision to temporarily withdraw from the peace talks could jeopardise the one-year old process although the LTTE says it still believes in a negotiated settlement. more..

Apr 23 (Hindu) Regaining Jaffna and seeking greater international legitimacy are behind the latest brinkmanship by the LTTE, Sri Lankan analysts said today. But would rule out a possible return to war. "There is no doubt about the LTTE's intention is to regain Jaffna", a military analyst told more..

Apr 23 (TN) The Ambassador for Netherlands, Ms. Susan Blankhart, Tuesday inaugurated the scheme for granting livelihood assistance for resettled families in the eight districts of the North-East province and the donation of school furniture to improve education in the province at a function held at the Trincomalee Town Hall, more..

Apr 23 (LBO) The government is planning to spin off the aviation fuel market and split it among three players in a bid to foster greater competition. The move is part of the government’s petroleum re-structuring policy, which is aimed at deregulating the market and selling off CPC assets to settle its debts. more..

Apr 23 (LBO) Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya says there will be no power cuts in the medium term and 150 MegaWatts of expensive emergency power will be phased out as the contracts run out in June and July this year. more..

Apr 23 (TN) Mannar District Judge Mr.M.P. Mohideen Monday ordered fourteen-day remand for four Tamil youths for allegedly trying to steal a fishing boat kept in the custody of the Sri Lanka Navy, legal sources said. The boat belonged to an Indian fisherman and was confiscated when the fishermen were caught poaching in Sri Lankan territorial waters in Pesalai recently. more..

Apr 23 (AP) Sri Lanka's attacking batsman Sanath Jayasuriya has rejected a suggestion by the selectors to vacate his opening slot and move to the middle order, national selector Aravinda de Silva said Wednesday. more..

Apr 23 (AFP) New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said his depleted team can overcome the stifling heat and Sri Lanka's spin web when the two sides clash in their first Test series in six years later this week. more..

Apr 23 (AFP) NEWLY-appointed Sri Lanka Test captain Hashan Tillakaratne announced his retirement from limited-overs international cricket after a career spanning 15 years. more..

Apr 23 (BBC) Nobody believes a return to war is imminent in Sri Lanka, but it is clear the island's peace process has hit an impasse. Tamil Tiger rebels pulled out of peace talks earlier this week, saying the government was trying to marginalise their role in the negotiations. more..

Apr 23 (HT) V Balakumar, the LTTE's chief political motivator, has said that the LTTE's withdrawal from the negotiating process does not mean that war will break out. more..

Apr 23 (DOI) A top level emergency health meeting was held yesterday to decide on a further course of action urgently needed to counter an outbreak of the deadly Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). more..

Apr 23 (DOI) The decision of the IMF last Friday to grant its full aid quota to Sri Lanka amounting to US$ 567 million (Rs. 54 billion) and the World Bank channelling US $800 million (Rs. 76 billion) for the next four years would spur Sri Lanka's rating in the global financial community, more..

Apr 23 (DOI) The Petroleum Resources Bill will be presented in Parliament in May, Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya said yesterday. Minister Jayasuriya told the media that the Cabinet has endorsed the Bill. The Ministry also plans to organise a road show and workshops. more..

Apr 23 (DN) Health authorities yesterday confirmed that the suspected patient being treated at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital was not suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which is fast spreading worldwide. more..

Apr 23 (IANS) The Sri Lanka government is hopeful of resurrecting the country's peace process despite the temporary pullout from the talks by the Tamil Tiger guerrillas. Chief government negotiator G.L. Peiris admitted Wednesday that there were "problems" between Colombo and the LTTE, but politely declined to elaborate. more..

Apr 23 (SLA) As normalcy to the trouble-torn MUTTUR and its suburbs was fast returning, both public and private sector services have resumed by Tuesday (22) afternoon after lorry loads of essential goods and provisions arrived there on business. more..

Apr 23 (SLA) A teenaged LTTE member with his weapon and ammunition has given up LTTE and sought protection from DEVAGALA Police post in the general area of ARALAGANWILA, about 26 km southeast of POLONNARUWA on 20 April 2003 around 6.00 p.m. more..

Apr 23 (Reuters) Sri Lanka stocks ended higher on retail buying on Wednesday, as the market shook off fears the island's peace process would break down after Tamil Tiger rebels pulled out of upcoming talks. more..

Apr 23 (Gulf) The JVP has called on the Speaker to resummon parliament immediately to discuss a controversial proposal put forward by the Scandinavian monitors regarding recognition of the Tamil guerrilla's naval unit known as the 'Sea Tigers'. more..

Apr 23 (AT) India-Sri Lanka bilateral economic relations have never been so positive and there is adequate scope to enhance them further in order to create tremendous opportunities for the development of economic relations. more..

Apr 23 (IL) The ruling UNP yesterday charged that a section of the opposition SLFP and the JVP were in the process of forming an alliance to disrupt the peace process. In a statement, the party described the SLFP-JVP talks at forming a grand alliance as an opportunistic move aimed at dragging the country back to war. more..

Apr 23 (DM) In the first official government reaction to the LTTE's temporary withdrawal from the peace talks, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday he had noted the concerns of the Tigers and appreciated the reiteration of their commitment to a negotiated solution. more..

Apr 23 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's main opposition party on Wednesday called for an emergency parliamentary session to discuss the pullout of peace talks by Tamil Tiger rebels but said they were confident the peace process would not break down. more..

Apr 23 (AP) Sri Lanka may possess cricket's most dangerous spinner, but New Zealand's captain Stephen Fleming believes the island nation has little firepower besides Muttiah Muralitharan. "They've got the biggest strike power in the world in Murali, he can turn a match at any point," Fleming said more..

Apr 23 (BBC) Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka say they have no plans to break a year-old ceasefire, according to international peace monitors. The news comes after the Tigers suspended participation in peace talks on Monday. more..

Apr 23 (AFP) Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels said Wednesday a seven-month "honeymoon" period was over and they were bracing for hard bargaining when peace talks with the government eventually resume. more..

Apr 23 (OW) After more than a year of relative normalcy, Sri Lanka's majority Sinhalese are distressed by the sudden suspension of the ongoing peace process, accusing the LTTE of continually holding the government to ransom. more..

Apr 24 (TN) A meeting planned to be held Thursday in Omanthai between Sri Lankan military officials and the LTTE will not be held as the LTTE has decided not to attend, but the meeting of the SubCommitte on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN) will be held on April 25, 26, as planned, sources said. more..

Apr 24 (CI) Sri Lanka needs to win the two-Test home series against New Zealand starting in Colombo on 25th April to remain in contention for third place in the ICC Test Championship table. New Zealand is currently third in the table with an average of 1.18 behind Australia and South Africa with Sri Lanka fourth on 1.13. more..

Apr 24 (Island) The Ashraff Congress said on Tuesday it is not surprised at the Tiger decision to temporarily suspend participation in the peace talks "The LTTE is sending a message to the government and the international community that the group is once again ready to wage war," Ashraff Congress leader S. Subairdeen said. more..

Apr 24 (Hindu) The LTTE has ended its seven-month honeymoon with Colombo and prepared itself for a hard phase of peace talks. However, it has maintained that the latest suspension is only to air its disappointment and "not for resuming war". more..

Apr 24 (LBO) Next time you are in the countryside you might run into an ostrich as a government plan hopes to introduce non-traditional animals to local farms. The bobbing heads of ostrich or the jaws of a crocodile could be a common sight in Sri Lankan farms when a new seven-year agriculture and livestock policy is implemented. more..

Apr 24 (LBO) The Ministry for Agriculture and Livestock on Wednesday putout its seven year policy for the sector – with special emphasis on productivity improvements. The Ministry intends to steer the sector to meet a significant part of Sri Lanka’s demand for agricultural and livestock products by promoting productivity improvements and crop diversification. more..

Apr 24 (SLA) A Tamil businessman in the general area of CHAVAKACHCHERI, about 17 km east of JAFFNA has been cut and chopped to death on Wednesday night (23 April 2003) by suspected LTTE men. more..

Apr 24 (SLA) Two LTTE cadres have robbed a new unregistered motorcycle belonging to a Muslim civilian while he was riding it in the general area of PATTIADIPITI bridge at AKKARAIPATTU on 23 April 2003 around 8.00 p.m. more..

Apr 24 (SLA) Two LTTE cadres engaged in video-filming a section of the Main Supply Route (MSR) between KUMBURUMULLA and KIRAN in the general area of KIRAN were arrested on suspicion on 23 April 2003 and handed over to VALACHCHENAI Police station. more..

Apr 24 (SLA) A fibre glass dinghy fitted with an Out Boat Motor was arrested on 23 April 2003 around 11.20 a.m. along with seven persons onboard while it was fast moving from SAMBORE area towards DUTCH BAY in the restricted zone close to TRINCOMALEE harbour. more..

Apr 24 (DOI) The Sub-Committee meetings between the Government and the LTTE will go on as scheduled irrespective of the suspension of peace talks. The Government and the LTTE will meet in Kilinochchi on Friday and Saturday for another round of discussions of the Sub Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Reconstruction Needs, more..

Apr 24 (DOI) "Sri Lanka in the ancient times has been recognised as an agricultural country and was known to be the 'Granary of the East'. The agricultural production which was the lifeblood of the economy greatly strengthened the economy. more..

Apr 24 (DOI) In the wake of an improved situation in the Middle-East, overseas buyers from the region entered the Colombo tea market strongly yesterday, with low growns and other varieties preferred in the Middle East gaining several rupees, tea market sources said. more..

Apr 24 (DOI) Russian Ambassador, Michale Kerpov, on Sunday addressing the first anniversary celebrations of the Dakshina Lanka- Russia Friendship League at the Southern Provincial Governor's Auditorium said, that a highly privileged Russian delegation would arrive in Sri Lanka shortly, more..

Apr 24 (DOI) The Ministry of Tertiary Education and Training signed a co-operation agreement with City and Guilds, UK's leading vocational qualifications awarding body, to assist with strengthening Sri Lanka's vocational and technical education framework. more..

Apr 24 (PSL) Dear Friends, With the first anniversary of the permanent Ceasefire Agreement, I wanted to write to you to tell you a little about the Peace Process and what I see for the future of Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 24 (Gulf) Tamil guerrillas have vowed to honour the ceasefire agreement with the Sri Lankan government, despite making a surprise pullout from the peace talks. The position of the guerrillas has been conveyed by the head of the guerrilla's Peace Secretariat, Pulithevan to SLMM. more..