May 13 (AFP) Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen was due here on Wednesday as part of a renewed diplomatic effort to end the deadlock in Sri Lanka’s stalled peace process, officials said. more..

May 13 (KT) President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday ruled out a dissolution of parliament over the current cohabitation cum constitutional crisis precipitated by her decision to take over a lucrative agency handled by a government minister. more..

May 13 (Reuters) Sri Lanka said on Tuesday it was still preparing for a donor conference in Tokyo despite no sign from Tamil Tiger rebels they will attend the meeting, which it is hoped will raise billions for rebuilding after 20 years of war. more..

May 13 (AFP) The State Department's top South Asia policymaker will urge Sri Lanka's battling political factions to unite in the cause of peace with Tamil Tiger rebels during her current visit to the country, officials said. more..

May 13 (DOI) Sri Lanka is enjoying increasing patronage from international business travellers who have helped net in Rs. 5.2 billion (US $ 54m) revenue to the national coffers last year, mainly from Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourist traffic. more..

May 13 (DOI) The Government has allocated Rs. 25 million to purchase paddy from the farmers in Mannar District. The Government Agent will disburse this money to multi-purpose co-operative societies and farmer welfare associations for purchasing paddy from farmers of the district. more..

May 13 (DOI) The second Ranweta Project at Jaya Sri Maha Bodhiya, Anuradhapura will be opened by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister of Thailand at the auspicious time 3.30 pm. on Wednesday 14. more..

May 13 (CI) Sri Lanka's cricket officials have confirmed that Arjuna Ranatunga will contest for the post of board president against Thilanga Sumathipala, a local businessman. The elections will be held on June 6. more..

May 13 (AFP) Man-of-the-Match Romesh Kaluwitharana's determined innings of 48 helped Sri Lanka register a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the third match of the Bank Alfalah Cup triangular one-day tournament on Tuesday. more..

May 13 (AP) Aravinda de Silva was elected vice president of the Sri Lankan cricket board on Tuesday, less than two months after ending his playing career at the World Cup. "Cricket has given me so much, I feel now is the time to give some of it back to the game," de Silva told reporters. more..

May 13 (HT) LTTE Chief Negotiator Anton Balasimgham, who suddenly left Sri Lanka for London late last week for the treatment of post-kidney transplant complications, was "not seriously ill", according to Sri Lankan government spokesman and chief negotiator GL Peiris. more..

May 13 (TN) The Assistant Secretary of State in the US government Ms Christina Rocca cancelled her visit to Trincomalee due to inclement weather, diplomatic sources said. more..

May 13 (TN) UNF government Tuesday said the taking over of the Development Lottery Board that comes under a minister in the UNF cabinet by President Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge is contrary to the constitution of Sri Lanka. more..

May 13 (PTI) Sri Lanka's World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga was set for a humiliating defeat at June 6 elections for president of country's cricket board with his own club abandoning him on Tuesday. more..

May 13 (UNI) Visiting United States envoy, Christina Rocca met Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday and discussed the current status of the Norwegian-brokered peace process, an official statement said today. more..

May 14 (TN) Eight cadres of the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam, were wounded when unidentified persons lobbed a grenade at them in front of their office in Batticaloa town Tuesday around 6.20 p.m. Sri Lanka Police in the eastern town said. more..

May 14 (PTI) Heavy rains in Sri Lanka have forced Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to cancel his two-day visit which was to start tomorrow, the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry here said today. more..

May 14 (Island) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe has told a special cabinet meeting chaired by him on Monday night that the Attorney General in his opinion had indicated that there should be consultation between the President and the Prime Minister on issues relating to subjects that come under ministries, informed sources said. more..

May 14 (Hindu) The visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Christina Rocca, on Monday, called on the President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, and "exchanged views" on the "current status of the negotiations" with the LTTE. more..

May 14 (LBO) The United States is stepping in with technical assistance in an attempt to ease siting battles for the proposed coal power plant. The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is to appoint a consultant to carry out feasibility studies at three locations, government officials say. more..

May 14 (LBO) Sri Lanka Telecom is seeking approval for an all inclusive rental package for its low usage customers. The package will include the monthly rental and a fixed number of call minutes, with an additional charge for extra minutes. more..

May 14 (TN) The North East Provincial Ministry of Education with the financial assistance by the UNICEF Tuesday distributed eye-glasses to students with impaired vision at an event held at Trincomalee St.Joseph's College hall Tuesday, sources said. more..

May 14 (TN) The security at the EPDP office in Batticaloa district has been strengthened with effect from Tuesday, said Batticaloa district EPDP leader, Paraneetharan Pratheepan. Number of Police officers in permanent security duty has been increased from 6 to 8, he added. more..

May 14 (TN) A young woman suffering from symptoms akin to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome was diagnosed at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital (JTH) Tuesday, medical sources in the northern town said. more..

May 14 (PSL) On this Vesak Poya Day I wish all my Buddhist brethren a happy Vesak. Today we Buddhists commemorate with deep devotion the Thrice Blessed Day in the life of Lord Buddha. Vesak is a day devoted to material acts of worship as well as to rededicate ourselves to the practice of Buddhist principles. more..

May 14 (PSL) “It is indeed a pleasant coincidence that the observance of Meelad-un-Nabi by the Muslims and the celebrations of Vesak by the Buddhists are taking place during the same week this year. Religious events such as these are occasions that can pave the way for peace and harmony our Nation is striving to achieve”, more..

May 14 (PSL) President Kumaratunga today responded to the Prime Minster’s request to reconsider her decision to bring under her authority the management of the Development Lotteries Board. In a letter delivered to the Prime Minister’s office today she says; more..

May 14 (SLA) A hand grenade has been hurled at a group of PLOTE members while they were playing volleyball in front of the PLOTE office in the general area of PULIYANTIVU, about 1 km south of BATTICALOA town on 13 May 2003 around 5.40 p.m. more..

May 14 (SLA) A soldier who has deserted the Army about three years ago was found hacked to death on 12 May 2003 in the night in the general area of UPPODAI, about 2 km southeast of BATTICALOA town. The deceased soldier has deserted the Army since 26 August 2000. more..

May 14 (SLA) An Army vehicle collided with a motorcycle ridden by a Police constable caused slight damages to the Army vehicle and serious damages and injuries to the motor bicycle and the rider in the general area of NUNAVIL WEST about 15 km east of JAFFNA town on 13 May 2003 around 9.00 a.m. more..

May 14 (DM) In a tough challenge to President Chandrika Kumaratunga, the UNF government categorically said yesterday that the Development Lotteries Board continued to be under it whatever the President said or did and there would be no change in the legal status now or in the future. more..

May 14 (BP) Police and military intelligence are bent on tracing the source of 13 semi-automatic pistols and 45,000 rounds of ammunition seized from three Sri Lankan men believed to be gun-runners for Tamil rebels. The weapons were en route to Sri Lanka for use by members of the insurgent LTTE. more..

May 14 (Hindu) India is still to take a decision on whether or not it will attend an international donors' pledging conference scheduled to take place in Tokyo on June 9-10. According to sources, India's decision on whether or not to attend the conference, being hosted by the Japanese, could well hinge on whether or not the LTTE will be present. more..

May 14 (DN) Mohamed Abdul Malik of Madawala who pretended to be dead among the brutally killed ten at the Udatalawinna mass murder on the 2001 general election day in his evidence before a specially constituted three High Court Judge Bench at Hulftsdorp said the 3rd accused Chanuka Ratwatte, shot his already injured friend in the mouth at close range saying, "you talk too much," while the deceased pleaded "Sir we are not for that." more..

May 14 (AFP) The United States has linked international aid for Sri Lanka to observing human rights and respect for democracy while renewing a demand that Tamil Tiger rebels give up violence. more..

May 14 (AFP) The United States would encourage Sri Lankan companies to take part in the post-war reconstruction of Iraq, a visiting US official said Wednesday. more..

May 14 (AFP) The United States has warned Sri Lanka's deeply-divided cohabitation government that its latest political crisis must not be allowed to undermine the fragile peace process with Tamil rebels. more..

May 14 (Reuters) The United States urged Tamil Tigers on Wednesday to attend a donor conference in Tokyo and called on the island's feuding government and president to speak with one voice on the stalled peace process. more..

May 14 (KT) As the latest cohabitation crisis between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the UNF government rocked the political scene in Colombo, the two sides were seen wooing the diplomatic community to justify their respective positions while accusing the actions of the other. more..

May 14 (TN) The Batticaloa magistrate issued an arrest warrant on Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Mr. Mohideen Abdul Cader, Tuesday for failing to appear in court on four consecutive hearings for a case in which he stands accused of fraud. more..

May 14 (TN) Humanitarian De-mining Unit (HDU) officials in Kilinochchi said Wednesday that an NGO operating in the Vanni had created a dangerous precedent when it recently removed fences demarcating areas infested with mines and unexploded ordnance in Sannaar, on the northern coastal sector of the Mannar district. more..

May 14 (TN) “The LTTE is of the view that before it participates in the Tokyo Aid Conference currently fixed for 9th and 10th June, the administrative, financial and other structures with adequate powers need to be established in order to reconstruct the northeast and to rehabilitate and restore normal civilian life in the northeast province”, said the TNA more..

May 14 (HT) The constitutional crisis deepened on Wednesday with President Chandrika Kumaratunga writing to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to say that she was not budging an inch from her decision to take over the Development Lotteries Board (DLB) without consulting the Prime Minister, more..

May 14 (AFP) Sri Lanka headed for a crippling constitutional crisis as President Chandrika Kumaratunga raised the stakes in her confrontation with the cohabitation government, officials said. more..

May 14 (TNA) Elephants and aeroplanes with both play a part tomorrow when a Bodhi tree and relic of the Lord Buddha travel from Sri Lanka to their new home in Thailand. Mae Chi Sansunee Sathirasut, one of Thailand’s leading nuns, said that the tree and relic would arrive on a Sri Lanka Airlines flight tomorrow afternoon, more..

May 14 (TP) Sri Lanka was an important link in trade relations between the Arabs and the Chinese in ancient times and there were Arab settlements in the island country even during pre-Islamic days, said an Islamic historian and scholar from Sri Lanka who was here on a brief visit. more..

May 14 (IL) The Muslims in Sri Lanka join their brethren in the rest of the world in celebrating the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad today. The Holy Prophet changed the course of history for the better through his teachings and exemplary conduct. more..

May 14 (IL) Lauding the salutary results of the strenuous efforts made to achieve and maintain a cessation of hostilities in the country, the Organization of Professional Association of Sri Lanka (OPA) expressed its grave concern on the apparent brake down in the peace talks. more..

May 15 (TN) The Catholic Bishop Conference of Sri Lanka in a statement issued Wednesday expressed “profound disappointment” over the present political situation especially about the current standoff between Prime Minister and President over the latter’s decision to take over a ministry amid objections and protests by the ruling party. more..

May 15 (Hindu) There is nothing wrong in enlisting the assistance of the private sector in maintaining or managing sites of archaeological importance but the ultimate control over such sites should only rest with archaeologists, according to Professor Sudharshan Seneviratne, more..