Nov 16 (TN) There are presently 4820 teacher vacancies and 132 vacancies for principals in northeast schools, a conference held Saturday at the provincial education ministry auditorium in Trincomalee and presided by the Minister for School Education Mr.Suranimala Rajapakse, was told. more..

Nov 16 (C365) Sri Lankan coach John Dyson feels his team can use the home side advantage to good effect in the forthcoming series against England, who he feels are lacking a bit of experience and is looking to capitalize on that. more..

Nov 16 (LBO) The government has tied up with the Carnegie Mellon University of US, to develop sector specific IT programmes. Initially, Carnegie Mellon’s Technology Peace Corps will work with the Science & Technology Ministry to develop ICT (Information Communications and Technology) solutions more..

Nov 16 (RD) The Sri Lankan housemaid who rescued two of her sponsor’s children who were trapped in the house soon after last week’s bomb blast here, as reported in Riyadh Daily Tuesday, will be awarded a cash prize for her act of bravery. more..

Nov 16 (TP) MORE than a 1,000 fishermen blocked the main highway at Ambalangoda in southern Sri Lanka with their boats and burning tyres in a dispute with the police, newspapers said. Police had seized a fishing trawler and its three occupants saying ‘light course’ fishing is banned by the government. more..

Nov 16 (AP) Despite lackluster performances against England in the last series, Sri Lanka is expected to be too strong for the inexperienced visitors in the three one-day international series starting Tuesday. more..

Nov 16 (Guardian) Let us hope that the state of emergency in Sri Lanka becomes only a reference to England's spin bowling. England have sent for reinforcements ahead of the Test series that begins on 2 December in Galle. more..

Nov 16 (Gulf) All overseas Sri Lankan workers registered with their country's foreign employment bureau will be issued machine readable identification cards, said a senior official from the bureau yesterday. more..

Nov 16 (Gulf) A proposed coalition between President Chandrika Kumaratunga's party and the Marxist JVP has collapsed forcing the two sides to postpone a ceremony to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the two sides. more..

Nov 16 (Gulf) President Chandrika Kumaratunga called for a National Government and Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe said he would – in principle – support a National Front between the country's two main political parties in a bid to resolve the country's constitutional impasse following the sacking of three cabinet ministers last week and the resultant collapse of the peace process. more..

Nov 16 (HT) Public attention in Sri Lanka is now focussed on the question: who is to handle the Defence Ministry - whether it should be President Chandrika Kumaratunga or a member of the Ranil Wickremesinghe Government. more..

Nov 16 (AFP) Sri Lanka's deepening political crisis has eased pressure on Tamil Tiger rebels to initiate an end to three decades of ethnic bloodshed and given them the moral high ground, analysts and officials said Sunday. more..

Nov 16 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's president denied reports on Sunday that she was willing to share the defence portfolio as the island's political confusion -- which put a peace bid with Tamil rebels on ice -- showed no sign of abating. more..

Nov 16 (AFP) Sri Lanka's president and premier have failed to end their feud fuelling fears that the embattled nation was headed for a snap poll that could endanger a peace process with Tamil Tiger rebels, analysts say. more..

Nov 16 (AFP) President Chandrika Kumaratunga has denied reports she has offered to share the vital defence portfolio with her estranged prime minister, her spokesman Janadasa Peiris said Sunday. more..

Nov 16 (TN) In a scathing editorial criticising President for endangering the peace process by her "precipitate and stupid" actions of proroguing the parliament and sacking the Defense, Interior and Communication Ministers, more..

Nov 16 (TN) The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, constituent of the ruling UNF government Sunday said it has alerted its rank and file to get prepared to face a snap general election if the President and Prime Minister failed to reach an accord to resolve the current political crisis during the second round of talks scheduled to be held on Tuesday 18. more..

Nov 16 (TC) Expressing confidence that the Sri Lanka 'A' cricket team would do well during their 35-day tour of India, starting on Monday, Lankan coach H Devapriya on Sunday said the team was a good mix of youth and experience. more..

Nov 16 (Reuters) Wet weather is set to produce a fast, bowler-friendly pitch for the opening one-day international between Sri Lanka and England on Tuesday. The lingering northeast monsoon season has hampered preparations for the opener to the three-match series, leaving the pitch damp and in urgent need of sunshine. more..

Nov 17 (TN) K.Ganesh, Government Agent (GA) Vavuniya inaugurated a one day UNHCR organized mobile service to assist displaced who had returned from India after seeking refuge in India during the last several years. Mr.Jim Warrall, head of Field Office in Vavuniya and Inspector of Police in Vavuniya joined the GA during the ceremony. more..

Nov 17 (Island) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who proposed the formation of a National Government then to me now observes silence when I propose the same to him to overcome this crisis situation in the country, said President Chandrika Kumaratunga in Kandy yesterday (16). more..

Nov 17 (TN) An emergency meeting of the central working committee of the SLFP, chief constituent of the main opposition Peoples Alliance (PA) will be held Monday at the President House to decide on forging a political and electoral alliance with JVP more..

Nov 17 (TN) The TNA Sunday denied reports in a section of the media that the President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge has invited the TNA for urgent talks. The leader of the TNA parliamentary group Mr.R.Sampanthan told that the TNA has not received any invitation from the Presidential Secretariat for such talks. more..

Nov 17 (TN) The high level committee appointed by the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and the Chief of Defense Staff Lt.General Lionel Balagalle to inquire into the recent spate of accidents involving army and civilian vehicles in the Jaffna district is to submit its report Monday, security sources said. more..

Nov 17 (TN) The second round of talks between the President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge and Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe are expected to be held Tuesday at the Presidential office for the first time after Norway’s pulling out of the peace process more..

Nov 17 (Hindu) Norway's Special Envoy for peace process, Erik Solheim, is scheduled to arrive in India tomorrow as part of his regular visits to keep New Delhi informed of the progress of the latest attempt to find a negotiated political settlement to the island-nation's decades-long separatist crisis. more..

Nov 17 (DN) The LTTE said yesterday its political offices in Government controlled North-East will continue despite the political turmoil and the suspension of the Norwegian facilitation. "Political activities in the North-East will continue irrespective of the political crisis. Our political offices are open," an LTTE spokesman said. more..

Nov 17 (FE) SriLankan Airlines is launching a new operating initiative to enhance and increase its routes in the South East region, and add new routes and launch air taxi services within Sri Lanka. more..

Nov 17 (UNI) Janata Party President Dr Subramanian Swamy demanded that India set pre-conditions before intervening militarily in Sri Lanka. Welcoming the views expressed by Vice Army Chief Lt General Shatanu Choudhary that all options were open in the Sri Lankan crisis, including military intervention, Dr Swamy said that a permanent base in Colombo will ensure that the Sinhala leadership "does not stab India as the President Premadasa did more..

Nov 17 (CM) With its clean cafes, boisterous markets, and law-abiding drivers, it's easy to forget that this is a town that terror built. Headquarters of the LTTE - perhaps the most highly trained and motivated militant group in the world - Kilinochchi is at the heart of a 20-year brutal war that has killed 65,000, and created an ethnic Tamil homeland that is fully under LTTE control. more..

Nov 17 (PD) Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga on Sunday vowed not to allow national security to deteriorate in the name of Norwegian-brokered peace process with the Tamil Tiger rebels. more..

Nov 17 (LBO) Top business leaders and civil society organizations were staying quiet despite political moves that have jeopardized the peace process and the economic recovery. Analysts criticized business community and other civil society organizations for standing by while political and economic uncertainty mounted in the country. more..

Nov 17 (LBO) The apparel industry is pushing to establish a local certificate that will guarantee buyers of compliance and cutting the cost for small timers. While big apparel exporters have a steady source of orders the small and medium scale factories are struggling to get noticed by the big buyers. more..

Nov 17 (wsws) In the days leading up to the president’s grab for power on November 4, various Sinhala extremist groups were stepping up pressure on the government, denouncing its attempts to restart peace talks with the LTTE as a betrayal of the country. more..

Nov 17 (SLA) A civilian, who reached troops on 14 November 2003 reported that his vehicle with its driver did not return after it went on a hired journey from BAMBALAPITIYA to PASSARA on 09 November 2003. more..

Nov 17 (SLA) Two out of three civilians, who had been abducted earlier by the LTTE have managed to escape from LTTE’s detention and reached the CHENKALADY Army camp, seeking protection on 13 November 2003 around 08.00 p.m. more..

Nov 17 (SLA) A passenger on board a state bus was taken into custody along with three others by Police after Policemen detected one T-56 weapon, four T-56 magazines, one T-81 Magazine with ammunition, 290 39mm rounds and one pouch while it was proceeding from MANNAR towards COLOMBO on 15 November 2003. more..

Nov 17 (SLA) A wooden butt of a 12 bore shot gun was recovered by the troops during a search conducted by them with the assistance of the Police in the general area of PULMODDAI on 16 November 2003. more..

Nov 17 (PSL) President Chandrika Kumaratunga felicitated His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on the 33rd National Day of Oman. In her message President Kumaratunga wished the Sultan good health, happiness and long life and for the further progress and prosperity of the Omani people.

Nov 17 (AFP) Pilots of an international airline on Monday refused to fly 102 Pakistan men who were being deported from Sri Lanka after overstaying their visas, officials said. The men were to be flown home on a commercial flight out of Sri Lanka’s only international airport, officials said, more..

Nov 17 (LT) The rumours that the President has consented to share the powers of the Ministry of Defence with the Prime Minister has been denied by the Presidential Secretariat. more..

Nov 17 (LT) The SLFP and the UNP should strive to form a National government says Muslim Congress. This decision has been taken at a Central Committee meeting of the party held last night under the leadership of Minister Rauff Hakeem. more..

Nov 17 (LT) Norway cannot resign from the peace process in an irresponsible way says the National Bhikku Federation. In a statement issued by the Federation it is stated that Norway’s functions in Sri Lanka went beyond a facilitator and was advantageous to the tiger organization. more..

Nov 17 (PSL) “The multiparty commitment to a peaceful negotiated and durable settlement of the ethnic conflict is a historic opportunity that should not be missed,” said a President’s office statement today. more..

Nov 17 (PSL) President Chandrika Kumaratunga talks to Edward Luce, the FT's South Asia correspondent, about her reasons for suspending parliament, how she plans to resolve the power struggle with her political rival prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe more..

Nov 17 (CI) It has already been a winter of hard work for England's cricketers, and that was just to get past the easy bit. But now, with Bangladesh successfully put to one side, and the West Indies tour still a dot on the horizon, it is time to get stuck into arguably the toughest six weeks of England's three-pronged campaign. more..

Nov 17 (HT) Pakistan's intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), may have begun using Sri Lanka as a conduit for trafficking in counterfeit currency, according to informed sources. more..

Nov 17 (Reuters) The government faces a balancing act on Wednesday when it presents a budget that will need to include promises of fiscal discipline to international donors as well as possible election goodies. more..

Nov 17 (DM) Some 25 Parliamentarians of the People's Alliance have decided to draw up a petition to be submitted to President Chandrika Kumaratunga seeking to remove Mahinda Rajapakse from the post of Opposition leader, informed sources said. more..

Nov 17 (Bloomberg) Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran will make a statement on the island's stalled peace talks next Thursday when the rebel group celebrates its ``Heroes Day,'' a rebel spokesman said. more..