Nov 1 (TOI) A Sri Lankan tourist was reported missing from the Paharganj area in central district late on Monday. The 74-year-old woman was part of a 39-member group of tourists from Sri Lanka. "We have registered a case of kidnapping though no foul play is suspected. more..

Nov 1 (TN) The General Officer Commanding of the Sri Lanka Army for the Trincomalee district, Major General Sunil Tennekon, and the Trincomalee district commander of the LTTE, Colonel Pathuman, held discussions Friday evening more..

Nov 1 (Hindu) The LTTE today submitted its counter-proposals for an interim administrative structure for Sri Lanka's Tamil-majority northeast. "It is no doubt a historic document. It will serve as a foundation for taking forward the political process to a peaceful resolution of the conflict," the LTTE's political wing leader, S.P. Tamilchelvan, told more..

Nov 1 (DN) TULF President V. Anandasangaree has written to President Chandrika Kumaratunga appealing to her to forget the past and extend her full co-operation to the peace process and make her Presidentship a golden era in the history of Sri Lanka. more..

Nov 1 (IOL) I think I came across as good a definition of globalisation as any this week when a woman from Sri Lanka rang me on my mobile phone to ask if I was interested in investing in fine French wines. more..

Nov 1 (DT) An unbeaten knock of 72 runs by Harsh Vithana inspired Sri Lanka to four-wicket triumph over India in the Videocon Asian Under-19 Cricket Tournament at the Gaddafi Stadium here Friday. Chasing the target of 195 runs set by India, spirited Lankans completed the rout in only the 41st over for the loss of six wickets. more..

Nov 1 (LBO) Indian electrical appliance manufacture Remson Appliances is nailing down plans for a factory in Sri Lanka towards the end of 2004. Remson is popular in India for its geysers, irons and other electrical kitchen appliances. more..

Nov 1 (LBO) September Customs data indicates that US dollar value of tea exports was US$ 504.9 mn, up form the US$ 499.95 mn posted in ‘02. Commodity brokers credited the increase to a rise in imported tea blending activities, boosting revenues from the category up US$ 6 mn to US$ 20 mn. more..

Nov 1 (DM) In a rare outburst in the Supreme Court the country's highest judicial officer Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva and the highest legal officer of state Attorney General K.C. Kamalasabayson crossed swords in open court over an opinion sought by President Chandrika Kumaratunga on the powers of Defence Minister Tilak Marapana, himself a former Attorney General. more..

Nov 1 (Island) The Ports Authority had made a claim that Mundogas Lanka Pvt Ltd., which occupies warehouse No. 01 adjacent to the Closenberg Jetty, Galle with an extent of 20,000 square feet has not paid its dues amounting to Rupees six million, as port charges, more..

Nov 1 (TN) Vettimanai ("Victory Home"), a counselling aid center for mentally ill women, located in the village of Akkarayan, Kilinochchi district, celebrated its twelfth anniversay on Friday afternoon, sources in Vanni said. more..

Nov 1 (LBO) The government is tipped to raise money from Indian financial institutions to fund the 25 km Colombo-Katunayake Expressway. "The Indian bond markets are booming and we will most certainly look at raising money in Indian capital markets", BOI Chairman, Arjunna Mahendran told more..

Nov 1 (NN) Two-day discussion meeting between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) begins today in Dhaka. The joint secretary level meeting will be held in the conference room of the Commerce Ministry. This is the second meeting on free trade agreement. more..

Nov 1 (Reuters) England captain Michael Vaughan has warned team mates to expect a tough contest in Sri Lanka after his side's 2-0 test series win over Bangladesh on Saturday. England travel to Sri Lanka for three tests after finishing a one-day series in Bangladesh on November 12. more..

Nov 1 (WSWS) On October 24, the SLFP, the main component of the opposition Peoples Alliance (PA), conducted the first of a series of planned protests, as part of a campaign aimed at capitalising on growing disaffection with the UNF government. more..

Nov 1 (AFP) Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels have sought a federal state with the lion's share of sweeping powers in historic proposals aimed at ending three decades of ethnic bloodshed, diplomats said Saturday. more..

Nov 1 (TN) The ISGA proposed by the Liberation Tigers will have plenary power for the governance of the northeast including powers in relation to resettlement , rehabilitation, reconstruction and development, raising revenue, law and order, and over land, according to the LTTE document released on saturday. more..

Nov 1 (CNN) The Sri Lankan government has given a cool response to proposals by the Tamil Tiger rebels for a power-sharing arrangement aimed at kick-starting peace talks broken off in April. A statement on Saturday said the rebel proposals differed fundamentally from the government proposal. more..

Nov 1 (AP) Sri Lanka's peace process suffered another blow Saturday when the government said it had fundamental differences with a proposal by Tamil Tiger rebels for an interim administration in the island's war-battered northeast. more..

Nov 1 (BBC) The proposal by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on behalf of the Tamil people for an agreement to establish an interim self-governing authority for the north-east of the island of Sri Lanka. more..

Nov 1 (HT) The LTTE have proposed an Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) for the North Eastern Province (NEP), which will enjoy a very large degree of autonomy from the Sri Lankan Government and give the LTTE an effective control over it. more..

Nov 1 (HT) The LTTE seems to be wooing India. Its political wing leader, SP Tamilchelvam, refused to be trapped into passing critical remarks against India at his press conference in Kilinochchi on Saturday, despite provocative questions by the media. more..

Nov 1 (KN) The historic power-sharing plan announced by Tamil Tiger guerrillas rely heavily on a constitutional amendment based on the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka peace accord which the rebels repudiated at the time. more..

Nov 1 (AFP) European Union (EU) member states have welcomed the unveiling of a Tamil Tiger blueprint for a power-sharing arrangement as an "important step forward in the peace process". more..

Nov 1 (BBC) The Sri Lankan Government has reacted cautiously to proposals for power sharing that the Tamil Tiger rebels have called historic. "It differs in fundamental respects from the proposals submitted by the government of Sri Lanka," said a statement from chief negotiator G L Peiris. more..

Nov 2 (SL) While the government was all set to present a sunshine budget on November 12 as a peace dividend for the people, President Chandrika Kumaratunga had other ideas and planned to pull the rug right under Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's feet before D-day. more..

Nov 2 (SL) The government has decided to give a four figure monthly salary increase to all public servants, personnel of the security forces and police in the forthcoming budget scheduled to be presented by Finance Minister K.N. Choksy on November 12. more..

Nov 2 (SO) Barely 24 hours after submitting a landmark power-sharing proposal to the government, the LTTE indicated its readiness for a dialogue with the government and has asked the Norwegian facilitators to arrange a meeting with the government at a mutually convenient time and venue. more..

Nov 2 (Hindu) The LTTE today demanded an "Interim Self-Governing Authority for the NorthEast (ISGA)," with a majority stake for itself and full control over regional administration "until a final settlement is reached and implemented." more..

Nov 2 (Hindu) The Government today said the offer made by the LTTE "differs in fundamental respects" from the proposals made by Colombo for resuming the stalled peace talks. But in an attempt to restart the process, the Government said it was "convinced that the way forward lies through direct discussion of the issues". more..

Nov 2 (ST) SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem yesterday dismissed as unacceptable the LTTE proposals for devolution of power saying they do not reflect at all the aspirations of the Muslim community. more..

Nov 2 (DS) Sri Lanka has agreed to consider Bangladesh as a least developed country and simplify the rules of origin for signing a free trade agreement (FTA) with it. On the first day of the two-day FTA talks in Dhaka yesterday, both nations decided to sit again in Colombo in January and expressed their commitment to take the talks to a defining level. more..

Nov 2 (BBC) While countries like Afghanistan and Iraq continue to seek foreign aid for reconstruction, Sri Lanka is in the unusual position of having billions of dollars pledged for re-building after the long years of civil war but of not being able to spend the money. more..

Nov 2 (TS) Four-year-old Swetha Para Rajasingam looks expectant and grown-up in her red silk blouse with the band of gold around her waist. The bracelets on her wrists brush against her shimmering blue skirt, with its red silk and gold embroidery around the hem, and ornaments dangle from her hair. more..

Nov 2 (PNS) Sri Lankans will be looking for their second win and likely a place in the final of Asian Under-19 Cricket Tournament when they clash Bangladesh at National Stadium Sunday. more..

Nov 2 (Gulf) New Medical Centre's (NMC) Saqib Ali enthralled the Friday crowd at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium with an unbeaten 72. His knock helped his team beat Lanka Lions by 63 runs in the CSS Homeward Bound Sharjah Ramadan Cricket tournament. more..

Nov 2 (Hindu) Only those who believed that the LTTE had toned down its demands will be surprised by the proposals for an "interim self-governing authority" that the group gave to the Sri Lankan Government on Friday and announced publicly today. more..

Nov 2 (SLA) The Sri Lanka Army high command in the Jaffna district has taken steps to provide driving license to all its personnel who drive army vehicles on Jaffna roads. Hence the first written driving test examination for army drivers was held at the Varani Central Maha Vidiyalayam last Friday, more..

Nov 2 (TN) Civil organizations in Vadamaradchi east division in the Jaffna district have lifted the nearly one month old ban on removing sand from Manalkadu and other villages in the division for construction works in the peninsula. more..

Nov 2 (TN) A housing project comprising thirty-five houses constructed at a cost of about 3.46 million rupees for the returnees of internally displaced Tamil families implemented by the Trincomalee Rotary Club with the financial assistance of German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) was declared open Saturday at Varothyanagar, more..

Nov 2 (TN) Noting "a great deal of effort has gone into formulating the proposals with the assistance of both local and international expertise and is indicative of a serious approach to dialogue and to the peace process", the National Peace Council (NPC), a Colombo based Sri Lankan peace group, said more..

Nov 2 (TN) At a special meeting of the Amparai district TULF, main constituent of the Tamil National Alliance held Sunday it was unanimously decided to call Mr.V.Ananadasangaree to step down from the post of presidentship or face expulsion, TULF sources said. more..

Nov 2 (TN) Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Mr.Sarath N.Silva, is to face an impeachment motion in parliament shortly, according to a decision taken by the UNF government, ruling party parliamentary group sources said Sunday. The motion will be included in the Order Paper in parliament on 6th November. more..

Nov 2 (SLA) A civilian on a motorbike (500-2984) has collided with an Army truck moving from KANKASANTHURAI to JAFFNA in the general area of ANAIPANTHY, about 2 km north of JAFFNA town on 01 November 2003 around 1.00 p.m. The accident had taken place when the raincoat of the rider covered his face by high wind making the rider out of control. more..

Nov 2 (SLA) Naval troops on duty in the general sea area north of URUMALAI have observed altogether about 300 Indian fishing trawlers poaching in the Sri Lankan waters on 01 November 2003 around 11.30 – 17.00 hours. Later two trawlers with eight persons onboard were arrested along with three Ice boxes and five fishing nets in their possession. more..

Nov 2 (Island) Navy Commander Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri wants US help to strengthen the navy on a priority basis. Sandagiri was recently in the US to attend the 16th international seapower symposium and took advantage of the opportunity to discuss the navy’s requirements with US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Vern Clark. more..

Nov 2 (AFP) Sri Lanka's minority Muslims are preparing their own peace plan in response to an historic power-sharing proposal offered by Tamil Tiger rebels, the main Muslim party here said Sunday. more..

Nov 2 (Reuters) Tired of a 20-year ethnic war that killed 64,000 people, Sri Lankans today welcomed a watershed power-sharing proposal by Tamil Tiger rebels that could revive stalled peace talks. more..

Nov 2 (HT) The LTTE's proposal for an Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) in the North Eastern Province (NEP),which is tantamount to seeking "virtual independence" from Sri Lanka, has raised the hackles of radical elements among the Sinhalas, the majority community in Sri Lanka. more..

Nov 2 (AFP) The landmark power-sharing plan by Sri Lanka's Tiger rebels has left a window for manoeuvring and raised hopes of ending three decades of ethnic bloodshed, politicians and diplomats said Sunday. more..