Oct 9 (BS) The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Anand, will help the Sri Lankan government to set up a fruit and vegetable auction market. This will be in the line of NDDB’s Safal Auction Market in Bangalore. The government of Sri Lanka has also sought the board’s help to develop that country’s rural milk industry. more..

Oct 9 (DN) The Budget 2004 will be investment and development oriented, Finance Minister K.N.Choksy told the Daily News yesterday. The Budget will be presented in Parliament next month. Public officers, corporation employees and pensioners will also be beneficiaries, he said. more..

Oct 9 (TN) A veteran carnatic music exponent, Maha Vidwan Brahma Sri M.T.N.Veeramani Ayer, passed away Wednesday morning at the age of seventy-two at his residence at Inuvil in the Jaffna district. His body was cremated the same day evening at the Inuvil Hindu cemetery, in a function attended by a large gathering, sources said. more..

Oct 9 (TN) The Consortium of Humanitarian Organisations in Mannar Wednesday called upon the Sri Lankan government and military to reopen the coastal road connecting the northwestern district with Jaffna. “The road has to be reopened as soon as possible to address the dire marketing problems faced by farmers in the district,” more..

Oct 9 (TN) A bus used by the Sri Lanka Army to transport its soldiers knocked down a married woman, Ms. Ramkumar Jesuranee, 27, of Kachchai in Thenmaradchi division in the Jaffna district, Wednesday night around 7 p.m., and she is now in a critical condition, police said. more..

Oct 9 (TN) More than four hundred families from Aalangkulam, south of Trincomalee, left their village Wednesday evening in fear of attacks by a Muslim group, residents from the area said. “The situation remains tense here among the Tamils,” Mr. Ketheeswaran Arunasalam, President of the village temple’s trustee board, told more..

Oct 9 (TN) The branch of the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU) in Mullaithivu Wednesday evening urged the leader of the LTTE, Mr. Velupillai Pirapaharan, to secure an interim administration for the northeast ‘without giving up even in least measure’ the Tamil nation’s sovereignty.’ more..

Oct 9 (TP) The 15th Lanka Lions Nite which will be held this evening, promises spectators an extravaganza of western and Sri Lankan fusion music, dance and competitions, Lokitha Karavita, president of the Lanka Lions Sports Club, said here yesterday. The event also marks the 20th anniversary of founding of the organisation, he added. more..

Oct 9 (SLA) Major General S. H. S Kottegoda, the newly appointed Deputy Chief of Staff in the Sri Lanka Army assumed duties on Wednesday (08) at his office after a brief religious ceremony and a customary tea party hosted by staff at his new office. more..

Oct 9 (SLA) Three youngsters have been abducted and assaulted by a group of about 15 LTTE cadres while they were in the general area of PONNAIKADDUWAN, about 8 km. east of PALALY on 07 October 2003 for reasons best known only to the LTTE. Later in the evening victims have been released by the LTTE. more..

Oct 9 (PNS) The 42nd National Amateur Golf Championship, starting here on Thursday, will feature players from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh besides top-notchers from the home country. The Federal Capital will hold its maiden edition of the Caltex-sponsored championship, more..

Oct 9 (PSL) President Kumaratunga today sent greetings to President Museveni on the National Day of the Republic of Uganda. Mr. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. President of the Republic of Uganda. Your Excellency, more..

Oct 9 (DM) Minister Mahinda Wijesekara who has been in the centre of controversy is alleged to have declared that he is still a communist and remains an SLFPer at heart and that he has no faith in the UNP government. more..

Oct 9 (HT) A joint India-Sri Lanka study group has worked out a framework for negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries. The study group, comprising Sri Lankan business leader Ken Balendra and Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India Rakesh Mohan, had completed its report on October 6, more..

Oct 9 (AFP) Sri Lanka's defence minister accused Tamil Tiger rebels of doubling their military strength since they entered a Norwegian brokered truce in February last year, but said troops were ready if war broke out. more..

Oct 9 (TN) The subcommittee on Tamil-Muslim issues met Wednesday at 3pm at the Valaichenai Hindu College Hall and also on Thursday morning at the Vavunathivu Secretariat building to discuss issues confronting the muslims in different areas of the east, sources said. more..

Oct 9 (HT) Defence Minister Tilak Marapone on Wednesday accepted the opposition's charge that the threat to the strategic Trincomalee harbour and naval base from the LTTE had increased since the signing of the ceasefire agreement in February 2002. more..

Oct 9 (AFP) Sri Lanka's cabinet has formally nominated foreign minister Tyronne Fernando as a candidate to replace UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, a government spokesman said Thursday. more..

Oct 9 (HNS) Under new regulations, Sri Lanka has banned import of low quality dried and salted dried fish, Maldives exporters said Tuesday. Earlier, there was no such regulations, which resulted in low quality fish being imported into Sri Lanka. more..

Oct 9 (N24) Despite a near-heroic rearguard action from tailender Rangana Herath on the third day of their four day cricket fixture, Sri Lanka A were unable to prevent their South African counterparts from claiming a nine wicket victory at Willowmoore Park on Thursday. more..

Oct 9 (AFP) Police clamped a dusk-to-dawn curfew on a Muslim town in northeastern Sri Lanka Thursday to prevent an escalation of clashes between minority Muslims and Tamils, officials said. The troubles erupted overnight in the town of Kinniya when Tamil and Muslim villagers clashed over a land dispute more..

Oct 9 (TN) A delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Thursday told the new US Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Mr. Jeff Lunstead, that the US government should have helped to take forward the peace process by lifting the ban on the LTTE, TNA sources said. more..

Oct 9 (TN) A team of British military officers and defence specialists visited Jaffna Thursday. The team met the Bishop and the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) of Jaffna and discussed the situation in the peninsula and the stand of the LTTE on several issues, more..

Oct 10 (TN) Maj. Gen. Sunil Tennekoon, commander of the Sri Lanka army’s 22 Division, in a meeting with journalists Wednesday night, dismissed reports in the Colombo press that the Liberation Tigers pose a very serious threat to the Trincomalee port by strategically ‘encircling’ it with several new camps, more..

Oct 10 (DN) Attorney General K.C. Kamalasabeysan, PC noted with alarm that there was an acute shortage of judges in the country and warned of calamitous consequences if the problem was not addressed. more..

Oct 10 (TN) Units of the Sri Lanka army’s 51-4 Brigade in Ariyalai East are training for crowd control on the outskirts of Jaffna town from this week, military sources in the northern town said Friday. “The training was initiated to prepare the army too for tackling any civil unrest here”, said a source. more..

Oct 10 (SLA) Six men from LTTE political office in MANNAR were caught red-handed on 09 October 2003 while they were trying to exhume dead bodies of two persons buried in the general cemetery at PUTHUKAMAM, about 11 km southeast of MANNAR town for reasons best known only to LTTE. more..

Oct 10 (SLA) An outspoken critic of the LTTE, who had deserted LTTE some time back, has been hacked to death in the general area of MUTAIKUTTI, about 13 km southeast of MANNAR town on 08 October 2003 between 7.30-9.00 p.m. by an alleged LTTE man in revenge for victim’s criticism of LTTE activities in public. more..

Oct 10 (SLA) A deserted Army soldier, while being abducted on a motorcycle by two LTTE men, managed to flee from LTTE custody and surrendered to the Security Forces camp at KANCHANAKUDA on 02 October 2003. more..

Oct 10 (SLA) Students of AL-ADAM SCHOOL and KINNIYA MUSLIM SCHOOL on 08 October 2003 staged a protest against a move by a section of Tamils in ALANKERNI village to acquire a plot of land belonging to AL-ADAM SCHOOL in the general area of KINNIYA south in TRINCOMALEE. more..

Oct 10 (SLA) Three armed LTTE cadres in camouflage uniforms had asked for ransom from a metal crusher in the general area of KANTALE on 08 October 2003, threatening to take away one of the machines on the site, states a complaint made to KANTALE Police. more..

Oct 10 (SLA) The wife of a civilian in the general area of SAMBALTIVU in a complaint to Naval troops at SAMBALTIVU junction on 07 October 2003 claimed that her husband, J. C. EDWARD, has been shot and killed by unidentified gunmen in the general area of SAMBALTIVU hospital. more..

Oct 10 (SLA) A civilian abducted by LTTE from his residence in the general area of BATTICALOA town on 08 October 2003 managed to flee from their detention and reached BATTICALOA Police station seeking protection. more..

Oct 10 (PSL) President appointed former Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake as the Commissioner of Elections. His appointment is with retrospective effect from 29th January 2002.Mr Dissanayake retired as Elections Commissioner on 28th January 2002. more..

Oct 10 (Island) The Secretary of the "Deshapremi Bhikshu Peramuna" Bengamuwe Nalaka Thera on Tuesday at the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress Headquarters at Bauddhaloka Mawatha strongly appealed to the civil society to engage in a civil disobedience campaign irrespective of party politics. more..

Oct 10 (AFP) Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham announced Thursday he would visit India and Sri Lanka for the next seven days. His trip starts Friday, when he will meet with India's External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and other senior government officials in Delhi. more..

Oct 10 (Gulf) Defence Minister Tilak Marapana has said that Tamil guerrillas have strengthened themselves around the strategic north eastern port, but claimed that the government and the security forces are prepared to meet any eventualities. more..

Oct 10 (Gulf) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will visit India later this month to discuss his government's efforts to resolve its 19-year conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels. Wickremesinghe will also discuss strengthening economic relations between the two countries, more..

Oct 10 (GAP) The guns have been silent for 20 months in Sri Lanka as a result of the cease fire which ended two decades of civil war. The peace has allowed people to return to almost normal lives with a renewal of economic and social activity. more..

Oct 10 (DM) Some 1322 investigations including 50 indictment cases are pending before the Bribery or Corruption Commission since it became defunct -but the President and the government are still having disputes over how to get it back on track. more..

Oct 10 (DJ) Sri Lanka's import tariffs can only be reduced once improvements to customs administration and other measures to compensate revenue losses are put in place, officials said Friday. more..

Oct 10 (AFP) A senior US official is due to visit Sri Lanka next week for talks with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on setting up a free trade agreement, the US embassy said. The Deputy US Trade Representative Josette Sheeran Shiner will arrive Tuesday more..

Oct 10 (IC) Australia opener Matthew Hayden smashed his way into the record books today by making the highest-ever individual Test score. Hayden thumped his way to 380 off only 437 balls on the second day of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Perth. more..

Oct 10 (Reuters) The average prime lending rate of Sri Lanka's commercial banks fell to 9.27 percent in the week to October 10, from 9.31 percent in the previous week, the central bank said on Friday. The average lending rate one year ago was 12.62 percent,

Oct 10 (CNA) The President Chandrika Kumaratunga, will be in Singapore for a 3-day visit, starting on Sunday, October 12. The visit is at the invitation of President S R Nathan, and President Kumaratunga will be accompanied by a high level business delegation. more..

Oct 10 (CI) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has introduced an island wide coaching programme designed to stamp out chucking. The programme will see systematic and uniform coaching techniques employed across the country. more..

Oct 10 (DJ) The government Friday invited proposals from investment banks and chartered accounting firms for the restructuring and sale of farms operating under the state National Livestock Development Board, or NLDB. more..

Oct 10 (AFP) Two Buddhist monks and eight men have been remanded in custody for two weeks in connection with the sexual abuse of 11 war-orphaned boys, Sri Lanka's child protection authority said Friday. more..

Oct 10 (Reuters) U.S. trade officials will visit Sri Lanka next week to discuss a possible free trade agreement, the U.S. Embassy said on Friday. The United States is Sri Lanka's most important export market and the island is anxious to expand links before the end of next year more..

Oct 10 (AFP) Tamil Tiger rebels are to end five days of internal talks in Ireland on Friday which have focused on a power-share plan ahead of a final peace deal for the embattled South Asian island, Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen said. more..