Apr 7 (Hindu) The President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, is to discuss issues relating to bilateral relations and the progress of the ongoing peace negotiations between Colombo and the LTTE with Indian leaders during her visit starting Monday, more..

Apr 7 (AFP) The arrival of a Filipino and a Japanese suspected of having Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) created panic at a Sri Lankan hospital, with other patients with infectious disease discharging themselves against medical advice, officials said Sunday. more..

Apr 7 (CI) New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram hit the only century of the tournament to win the inaugural Double Wicket World Championship in partnership with Daniel Vettori in St Lucia today. The New Zealand pair beat Sri Lanka, who were represented by Aravinda de Silva and Mahela Jayawardene. more..

Apr 7 (LBO) The Swedish government on Monday agreed to lend Rs. 3.083 bn towards economic and social development projects. Spread over a three-year period starting 2003, this is the largest ever grant assistance allocated to Sri Lanka under Sweden’s new country assessment strategy. more..

Apr 7 (LBO) Prime government land could soon be released for development to the private sector under a new plan to put them to more productive use. The government, which is the largest landowner in the country, plans to implement the scheme with donor support. more..

Apr 7 (TN) Three Muslim fishermen, who had gone for fishing in the general lagoon area of ULLACKALIE, about 23 km southeast of TRINCOMALEE have been assaulted on 05 April 2003 around 8.00 p.m. by a group of LTTE men. more..

Apr 7 (SLA) About 500 armed LTTE cadres dressed in military type (Olive Green) uniforms have crossed the Main Supply Route (MSR) PANSALWATTE- SAMPOOR on 05 April 2003 around 7.00 p.m. without giving any prior notice. more..

Apr 7 (SLA) Two civilians on a three-wheeler have gone missing on 05 April 2003 from the general area of ANDANKULAM, about 06 km. north west of TRINCOMALEE town. Those two civilians have been identified as E.A SANDANA of No.30, MARATHADIYA and G. WASANTHA of No 70, MARATHADIYA more..

Apr 7 (EI) Sunethra Bandaranaike — who bears a slight resemblance to her sister, Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga — laughs and recalls how she and her troupe "in all shapes and sizes" aroused a lot of curiosity when they landed at the IGI Airport. more..

Apr 7 (Gulf) Discussions on a common concensus between President Chandrika Kumaratunga's People's Alliance (PA) and the Marxist JVP have been further delayed after they failed to reach an agreement on issues related to the ethnic issue. more..

Apr 7 (BL) Though the peace process in Sri Lanka has entered its first year, "a political settlement is a long way off". Before that happens, both the LTTE and the Tamil people will have to be given certain guarantees by the "Sinhala political class," said Prof Jayadeva Uyangoda, more..

Apr 7 (DOI) The Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Tryggve Teleffson is due to meet LTTE representatives in Trincomalee on Tuesday to discuss LTTE armed cadres' movements in government controlled areas at night. more..

Apr 7 (DOI) Preparations are now underway for the International Donor Conference for the reconstruction and development of Sri Lanka on June 9 and June 10 in Tokyo, followed by the eighth session of peace talks between June 12 and June 15, Japanese Ambassador in Sri Lanka Seiichiro Otsuka said. more..

Apr 7 (DOI) Another 320 million power units (320GWh), will be added to the National Grid annually from September with the completion of the Kukule Ganga Underground Hydroelectric Project (KGH), the country's second underground power project, the Ministry of Power and Energy announced yesterday. more..

Apr 7 (DOI) Japan has stood firmly and steadfastly side by side with Sri Lanka as a true friend and a constructive partner for its development, Japanese Ambassador Seiichiro Otsuka said. more..

Apr 7 (DM) The Private Bus Owners Association (PBOA) is to submit project proposals for the management of one of the remaining seven cluster bus companies shortly. more..

Apr 7 (Reuters) Sri Lanka stocks opened lower on Monday in thin trade pulled down by National Development Bank after its shares turned ex-dividend, despite hopes for gains this week after more aid commitments. more..

Apr 7 (IANS) With an eye on upcoming local elections, Sri Lanka's powerful Tamil separatists are planning to talk to a top Tamil moderate leader after he made a surprise but scathing attack on the deadly guerrilla group. more..

Apr 7 (TN) The Jaffna Missing Persons' Guardian Association (JMPGA) Sunday decided to meet Sri Lanka's Minister of Justice, Mr.W.J.M.Lokkubandara regarding several hundreds disappeared Tamil youths after the arrest by the Sri Lanka Army following 1995 military operation, more..

Apr 7 (IANS) President Chandrika Kumaratunga arrived here Monday on a "working visit" to India and held talks with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayaram Jayalalitha about Tamil Tiger guerrillas, their common foe. more..

Apr 8 (TN) The bullet ridden body of a member of the para military group Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) was recovered Monday morning from an abandoned sewage pit at Soorawatte American School in Chunnakam area in the Jaffna district, sources said. more..

Apr 8 (CI) In the best match of the tournament so far, Zimbabwe won a battle of nerves to beat Sri Lanka by four wickets and claim a place in the final of the Sharjah Cup. It was Zimbabwe's first win over Sri Lanka for three years. more..

Apr 8 (CI) An emotional Sri Lanka skipper Sanath Jayasuriya couldn't hide his disappointment as Sri Lanka lost their last game under his leadership and were knocked out of the Sharjah Cup. more..

Apr 8 (Island) SriLankan Airlines is taking all preventive measures against the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), an airline official said yesterday. more..

Apr 8 (NIP) Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa on Monday called on Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga at the Raj Bhavan here during the latter's day-long visit on her way to New Delhi via Bangalore. more..

Thanusha Dissanayake, 29 year old Medical Doctor from Kadugannawa, was treating numerous other patients till she was taken ill and was diagnosed with Leukemia a few days ago. Thanusha who was a brilliant student from her younger days fulfilled her parents' dreams and graduated as a doctor with honors in 2000. more..

Apr 8 (LBO) Colombo’s waterways could soon be a hive of activity with a Canadian firm studying its potential as an alternative to road transport. The Canadian firm recently concluded a preliminary study and has now signed an agreement with the UDA for a detailed study. more..

Apr 8 (LBO) A recently completed draft policy for the port and shipping sector is proposing to link all agencies working to serve the industry into one umbrella organisation. The maritime authority will oversee regulation and represent the foreign trade sector as the apex body among a long list of other tasks. more..

Apr 8 (TN) The Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Sri Lanka Monday held an inquiry into a complaint of Police assault on a LTTE cadre, Mr. Iyaivaanan on March 29, sources said. more..

Apr 8 (SLA) Police in CHENKALADY have managed to arrest a stolen motor bicycle on 5 April 2003 while it was being ridden away in the general area of CHENKALADY, about 15 km northwest of BATTICALOA town. more..

Apr 8 (SLA) A staunch political activist of ex-TELO has been threatened with death on 6 April 2003 by three armed LTTE cadres who arrived at his residence on two motor bicycle in the general area of KALLADY, about 01 km. north of BATTICALOA. more..

Apr 8 (SLA) An Army soldier, attached to the 6th VIJAYABHU INFANTRY REGIMENT was drowned on 7 April 2003 around 4.20 p.m. in URAWEVA tank at PULMUDDAI. Private R. A. W. PERERA (S/514627) of No. 180, KUMBURUGAMA, KANDY was the victim. PADAVIYA Police are conducting investigations.

Apr 8 (CO) What a week for SriLankan cricket. Nearly after two decades they are at a learning curve that every Test playing nation goes through at one stage. The same old familiar ceremony of reorganisation, yes the problem SriLanka has got is three-fold. more..

Apr 8 (PRIU) Marcus Heiniger of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland told the PRIU today, that they would be willing to host a session of peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, if asked. more..

Apr 8 (Reuters) Stocks closed higher on Tuesday, boosted by foreign buying in Asia Capital Ltd and John Keells Holdings Ltd as investors kept a close eye on the war in Iraq. The key Colombo all-share index ended up 1.75 percent, or 13.47 points, at 781.34. more..

Apr 8 (Hindu) The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, called on the Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, who was transiting the city today. The meeting, which lasted more than an hour, took place at the Raj Bhavan. more..

Apr 8 (Gulf) Scandinavians monitoring Sri Lanka's 14-month-old truce between government troops and Tamil guerrillas have made fresh proposals aimed at averting clashes. The monitors want the government and the guerrillas to respond. more..

Apr 8 (PSL) President Chandrika Kumaratunga expressed her dissatisfaction with the final report presented by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) on the sinking of a Chinese trawler in the North East of Mullativu on March 20. more..

Apr 8 (DOI) Discussing political issues systematically would be the way forward for the peace process, Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen said in Oslo over the weekend. Briefing an LTTE political delegation visiting Norway on a federal study tour, Helgesen said political discussions would be a difficult task. more..

Apr 8 (DOI) A proposal to ensure a strike-free healthcare service to the public put forward by the Sri Lanka Medical Council SLMC is now before the Health Nutrition and Welfare Minister P. Dayaratne. more..

Apr 8 (DOI) Minister of Economic Reform, Science and Technology Milinda Moragoda addressed a meeting of the Asia and Latin America Committee on April 4 ending two days of meetings at the European Commission. more..

Apr 8 (DOI) The Employment and Labour Ministry on Thursday inaugurated the first ever employment opportunities Web Site in Colombo that will enable the country's unemployed youth to find employment opportunities in the mercantile sector. more..

Apr 8 (DN) Health authorities yesterday denied reports that two patients detected at the airport and port were suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). A Health Ministry official said it has been confirmed that these two patients were suffering from different kinds of fever, "not SARS". more..

Apr 8 (DM) Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader Minister Rauff Hakeem has expressed gratitude for the return of agricultural lands belonging to Muslims in LTTE-controlled areas of the Batticaloa district. more..

Apr 8 (Gulf) Recent observations made by the outgoing chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and the International Monetary Fund's representative on the island summed up clearly the current state of Sri Lanka's economy. more..

Apr 8 (HS) The Tamil Tigers, who have fought for years for independence from Sri Lanka, are examining the administrative model of the autonomous Åland Islands as a solution to the years of violence. more..

Apr 8 (Bernama) The Sri Lanka Muslim Federation, a newly formed group since Gulf tensions arose, has launched a campaign urging the public to boycott American and British products and also the US currency, more..

Apr 8 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's chief peace negotiator G.L. Peiris leaves for South Africa on Tuesday to study its transition from apartheid as the island seeks international help to end a civil war with Tamil rebels. more..

Apr 8 (AFP) Sri Lanka said Tuesday the Indian government had confirmed it would take part in a key international meeting aimed at boosting the island's peace bid with Tamil Tiger rebels. more..

Apr 8 (AFP) Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga Monday began a visit India seeking the blessings of mystical guru Satya Sai Baba in the country's technology hub, an official said. more..