May 11 (NDTV) Thirteen years ago, over 1600 Tamil people from Sri Lanka who had fled war-torn Jaffna were settled temporarily in a camp in Malkangiri in south Orissa. All of them have returned to their homeland except for 19 families - all hardcore ENDLF supporters - who see no chance of striking peace with either the Sri Lankan government or their old rivals, the LTTE. more..

May 11 (Reuters) Medical problems have forced the chief negotiator for the Tamil Tigers to return to London, Norwegian peace mediators said on Sunday, casting another shadow over efforts to revive a bid to end Sri Lanka's civil war. more..

May 11 (HT) As the spat between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesimghe over the Development Lotteries Board threatened to lead to a fresh general election, the impeachment of the President and the derailing of the peace process, the Indian High Commission here is understood to have stepped in to urge both sides to exercise moderation. more..

May 11 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's team management is concerned over the health of former skipper Sanath Jayasuriya after his fourth bout of tonsillitis in three months. Jayasuriya stayed in bed and missed practice on Sunday after suffering with what manager Ajit Jayasekera described as "a severe fever." more..

May 12 (TN) LTTE has invited the parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for a meeting at the LTTE's political head quarters in Kilinochchi Tuesday 10am, political sources in Vanni said. more..

May 12 (PTI) Top Tamil Tiger negotiator Anton Balasingham was on Sunday airlifted from Sri Lanka's rebel-held north and brought to Colombo for urgent medical treatment, the Norwegian embassy said. more..

May 12 (Island) UNP General Secretary Senarath Kapukotuwa yesterday said that chairman-elect of the Hikkaduwa Urban Council (UNP) has been arrested in connection with the alleged involvement in the recent assassination of his predecessor Gamini Pinnaduwa. more..

May 12 (TN) "We will regain hope for peace if the response from the Sri Lanka government to our letter is positive and constructive," said the Trincomalee district commander of the LTTE, Colonel Pathuman, more..

May 12 (FE) In a strategic move, WPP Marketing Communications — part of the $19-billion media conglomerate WPP Group Plc—is planning to launch its operational unit MindShare in Sri Lanka within two months. more..

May 12 (DM) The Government is prepared for any eventuality and will not hesitate to resort to impeachment process as the final weapon when the time comes, Justice and Buddha Sasana Minister W.J.M. Lokubandara warned yesterday as the confrontation continued with President Kumaratunga over the take over of the Development Lotteries Board. more..

May 12 (LBO) The government is to re-tender for private investors to manage Sri Lanka’s Air traffic, after discussions with tech giant Lockheed Martin, fell through. The company had already made a preliminary bid last year, to manage Sri Lanka’s upper airspace, with negotiations on its way to a firm commitment. more..

May 12 (TN) Anthony Thevarajah (40) and his wife Francis Catherina of Sorikalmunai village near Kalmunai in Ampara district were injured when unknown assailants fired at them around 9pm Sunday, security sources said. more..

May 12 (Reuters) Coach Duleep Mendis has criticised the mental approach of his top order on the eve of Sri Lanka's tri-series match against New Zealand on Tuesday. Sri Lanka were dismissed for 120 by Pakistan on a seaming pitch over the weekend and Mendis believes his batsmen are making too many excuses for their recurrent failures. more..

May 12 (SLA) A civilian, who pleaded for help while he was being abducted by LTTE on a cab plying from cleared areas to un-cleared areas, was rescued by Police at the KIRAN entry/exit point, about 6 km south of VALACHCHENAI on 11 May 2003 around 2.00 p.m. more..

May 12 (SLA) A member of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) in a complaint made at the KALLADY Police station claimed that three LTTE men stormed his house on 6 May 2003 around 8.20 p.m. and searched it for reasons known only to them. more..

May 12 (SLA) Two EPRLF members, who had fled in fear of their lives, in a complaint made to the KATTANKUDY Police Station stated that four LTTE cadres on 5 May 2003 around 8.30 p.m. tried to kill them while they were inside one of their residences in the general area of KALLADY, about 01 km. north of BATTICALOA. more..

May 12 (SLA) A complaint made to the MANNAR Police station by a fisherman claimed that his colleague was abducted by a group of LTTE cadres while they were fishing in the general sea area off PUTHUKUDYIRUPPU, about 10 km. southeast of MANNAR on 10 May 2003 around 6.00 p.m. more..

May 12 (DOI) At a Conference sponsored by the Institute for International Economics (IIE) titled "Free Trade Agreements and US Policy" Ambassador Robert Zoellick, United States Trade Representative (USTR) has mentioned Sri Lanka as a potential candidate for a FTA with the United States. more..

May 12 (DOI) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday reiterated that the decision taken by President Chandrika Kumaratunga to vest the Development Lottery Board under her purview must be reversed to avoid a Constitutional crisis. more..

May 12 (DOI) US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca arrived in Colombo yesterday on a three-day visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. She is part of the delegation of Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage visiting Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. more..

May 12 (DOI) The government is planning to start 20,000 Small and Medium Scale Industries (SMIs) on an islandwide basis, the Ministry of Enterprise Development, Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion said yesterday. more..

May 12 (OW) As a humanitarian crisis unfolds in northern Sri Lanka's Thenmarachchi division, where 100,000 war victims await basic necessities, a key donor meet to garner funds for their resettlement may be derailed by the cold war between the government and rebels. more..

May 12 (Gulf) A former Tamil guerrilla leader and later a cabinet minister in President Chandrika Kumaratunga's government has said that the LTTE cannot be trusted as a peace partner and would continue to eliminate political and military opponents despite peace talks with the Colombo government. more..

May 12 (DN) Assistant Elections Commissioner M. C. Arundachelvam said yesterday that all arrangements are set to hold the North East Local Government elections on June 25. He said the nominations called for the North - East elections scheduled for March 25, more..

May 12 (AFP) Sri Lanka skipper Marvan Atapattu believes favourable playing conditions have effectively given home advantage to New Zealand ahead of their crucial tri-series one-dayer here Tuesday. more..

May 12 (Reuters) Stocks opened lower on Monday on retail selling, despite foreign buying in John Keells Holdings Ltd , the market's second-largest listed stock. The key Colombo all-share index fell 0.79 percent, or 6.74 points, to 845.57 after about 25 minutes of trade. more..

May 12 (IANS) Norwegian Foreign Minister Dan Petersen is arriving here on Wednesday to try to persuade Tamil Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran to rejoin the peace process from which he pulled out last month. more..

May 12 (AP) Tamil Tiger rebels said on Monday they were training more fighters to maintain their military strength. "The arms' training given to our cadres is to strengthen the security of our people and our military infrastructure," Col. Pathuman, the rebel's military commander in eastern Trincomalee city, was quoted as saying more..

May 12 (Gulf) President Chandrika Kumaratunga has accused the United National Front government of illegally preventing her from acting as the Head of State to issue a valid gazette notification and maintained that she had done the right thing in bringing in a state lottery under her charge. more..

May 12 (PTI) Sri Lanka's main opposition party today asked President Chandrika Kumaratunga to sack the cohabitation government to avoid a major constitutional crisis. Kumartunga's People's Alliance said it wanted the President to take strict action to prevent the country from slipping into anarchy. more..

May 12 (IANS) Indian cricket star Rahul Dravid and his wife Vijeta Pendharkar, who were married about a week ago in Bangalore, are to honeymoon in Sri Lanka. Dravid and his doctor-wife will travel to an undisclosed destination in the island nation which tour operators said would most probably be in the central hills or along the southern coast. more..

May 12 (Reuters) The United States stepped up efforts on Monday to try to put back in motion stalled peace process to end two decades of war. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca held talks with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and was also to meet President Chandrika Kumaratunga. more..

May 12 (PTI) A top home ministry official today said that talks were on between Indian and Sri Lankan officials to work out the modalities of sending back refugees in the Mandapam refugee camp here to the island nation. more..

May 12 (IL) In a new twist to the so-called unification move among the three main Muslim groups, the SLMC rebel group called the Athaullah Faction has received a letter on Friday, from an unknown party but believed to be the Hakeem group, emphasising the immediate need for unity among the three parties with a view to pressurise the government to win the demands of the Muslim community. more..

May 13 (Island) The crisis on the Development Lotteries Board (DLB) loomed large with government Printer Neville Nanayakkara awaiting a decision by the Attorney General whether to print or not the Gazette notification bringing the DLB under the President. more..

May 13 (HT) The on-going row between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe over the sudden Presidential take-over of the Development Lotteries Board (DLB) from a minister in the government, is unlikely to be allowed to precipitate into a constitutional breakdown and affect the peace process, given the fact that the international community has begun putting pressure on both the parties to cool off. more..

May 13 (SLA) Information received by the BATTICALOA Army camp on 12 May 2003 claimed that three teenaged girls from the general area of KORAKALLIMADU have been abducted by LTTE on 07 May 2003. more..

May 13 (SLA) Two Army soldiers, who had deserted the KIRAN Army camp, about 6 km south of VALACHCHENAI have gone missing since 9 May 2003 after their exit from the camp during early hours of the day. more..

May 13 (SLA) A former activist of the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and his wife were shot and injured by two LTTE gunmen on motor-cycle on 11 May 2003 while they were at home in the general area of SORIKALMUNAI. more..

May 13 (SLA) Dealers and owners of filling stations (petrol sheds) in the general area of KALMUNAI have been ordered by LTTE to increase the prices of fuel by fifty cents and that additional income thus collected be given to LTTE, effective from 15 May 2003. more..

May 13 (wsws) The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in Sri Lanka held a successful May Day meeting entitled “For World Socialist Revolution against Imperialist War” in Colombo on May 1. more..

May 13 (DN) The LTTE hierarchy yesterday met in a crucial meeting to decide on the movement's participation in the Tokyo aid conference, two days before Japanese special envoy Yasushi Akashi's deadline to confirm LTTE participation in the donor parley. more..

May 13 (DM) The Catholic Bishops of Sri Lanka have called on the government and the LTTE to resume peace talks soon and to accelerate the process of finding a just and peaceful solution to the ethnic conflict. more..

May 13 (Reuters) Indian Oil Corp will open its first petrol station in Sri Lanka this month and expects to renew a $100-million deal to supply diesel and jet fuel to the island, a company official in Colombo said on Tuesday. more..

May 13 (DJ) Sri Lanka's Ministry of Finance Tuesday launched a government interdepartmental information network aimed at boosting government efficiency. The project was funded by an Asian Development bank grant worth $3 million. more..

May 13 (Reuters) The threat of a tournament washout after persistent monsoon rains in Sri Lanka has prompted organisers of the triangular series, also involving New Zealand and Pakistan, to play all the remaining matches at Dambulla. more..

May 13 (AP) Unexpected monsoons have forced Sri Lanka's cricket officials to shift venues for the limited-overs tri-series against New Zealand and Pakistan to ensure the series isn't washed out by heavy rain that has lashed Colombo. more..

May 13 (AP) Thai police have arrested three suspected Tamil Tiger rebels and seized from them 13 pistols that they allegedly planned to smuggle to Sri Lanka, an official said Tuesday. more..

May 13 (AFP) Sri Lanka's cohabitation government discussed the tense stand-off between the president and the premier with a top US envoy here to urge both sides to unite for the sake of peace. more..

May 13 (BBC) In a secondary school auditorium in an outer suburb of Canada's largest city, Hindu gods walk the stage and talk in monologues about a homeland for the Tamil people. more..