Apr 22 (TN) Mr. S. Jeyanandamoorthy, the Tamil National Alliance member of parliament from the Batticaloa district, on Sunday visited Thuraineelavani, a village 29 km south of Batticaloa town, in the Manmunai division, to thank the constituents for electing him and to listen to the needs of the village, sources said. more..

Apr 22 (TN) The first session of the thirteenth Parliament of Sri Lanka began Thursday morning around 10 am in a tense atmosphere to elect its sixteenth Speaker since independence. The two Bhikku parliamentarians of the JHU who were reported to be missing for the last few days were present in parliament more..

Apr 22 (Sportal) Legendary West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor has backed Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action. Bucknor admitted to sportinglife.com that the Sri Lankan spinner's action 'appears terrible' but insists Murali is doing nothing wrong. more..

Apr 22 (AFP) Sri Lanka’s minority government faces its first test on Thursday in a parliament where Buddhist monks, Marxists and militants could end up deciding President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s political future. more..

Apr 22 (NW) The Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2004 (ESCAP) yesterday forecast a 6% GDP growth for Sri Lanka during the current year. The ESCAP has made this forecast on the assumption that no major internal or external shocks and the continuation of the ceasefire agreement. more..

Apr 22 (NW) An acute shortage of drugs and medical equipment at the Medical Supply Division (MSD) is threatening to cause a severe crisis in the health sector in the near future even leading to the termination of certain surgeries, Health sources told the Daily News yesterday. more..

Apr 22 (NW) An attempt to smuggle priceless artifacts dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, by a foreign consultant to the former Tertiary Education and Training Ministry was foiled yesterday when the Customs seized the container at the Colombo harbour. more..

Apr 22 (Rupavahini) The Bauddhaloka Wesak Celebrations which will be the main Wesak attraction in Colombo will be organised along Bauddhaloka Mawatha in Colombo. It has been organized by the all Ceylon Buddhist Congress as in previous years. more..

Apr 22 (DN) The triple murder of a young couple and a 14-year-old boy in broad daylight has sent shockwaves among the public in Wadduwa, Police said. According to Wadduwa Police, Ruwan Priyashantha 32 and his wife Kumari 18, were travelling on a motor cycle along with Kumari's 14-year-old brother Lasantha when two men had shot at them. more..

Apr 22 (SLA) Pockets of LTTE cadres in their uniforms and with their weapons were observed in the general area of NAGARKOVIL, JAFFNA on 21 April 2004 within a matter of two hours. About seventy five uniform-clad LTTE cadres including some females for reasons best known only to them have suddenly appeared before an Observation Post in the general area of NAGARKOVIL around 9.15 a.m. more..

Apr 22 (SLA) Infrastructural development, needed for resettlement now goes on in the north in the aftermath of the war that ravaged this island-nation, is not without its consequent disastrous challenges and circumstances. more..

Apr 22 (Jang) India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets on Wednesday to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match women’s Singer Asia Cup series. Batting first, Sri Lanka were bundled out for 89 runs in the 40th over and India overtook that score in the 25th over with six wickets remaining. more..

Apr 22 (TN) Second round of voting to elect the sixteenth Speaker of Parliament is expected to be held Thursday afternoon as the two candidates contesting for the post of Speaker received 108 votes each in the first round of voting with seven parliamentarians abstaining and with one vote being rejected, parliamentary sources said. more..

Apr 22 (TN) Pandemonium reigns in Sri Lanka's thirteenth parliament in electing its sixteenth Speaker when the re-poll commenced around 2.20 p.m. Thursday as ordered by the Secretary General Ms Priyani Wijesekara. more..

Apr 22 (TN) Ms Priyani Wijesekara, Secretary General of Sri Lanka parliament Thursday afternoon ordered the Government Printer to send two sets of ballot papers to parliament to replenish her stocks so that fourth round of poll to the post of Speaker can be conducted. more..

Apr 22 (LT) The first session of the 13th Parliament commenced at 10.00 a.m. today. First the Secretary General read out the announcement by the President. Two Bhikkus elected from Jathike Hela Urumaya for the districts of Colombo and Gampaha sat with the Government before they moved to the place where the other Bhikkus of the JHU were seated. more..

Apr 22 (AFP) Voting for the speaker of Sri Lanka's new parliament ended in a tie between candidates put up by the minority government and the opposition, an official said, adding that a fresh ballot would be held. more..

Apr 22 (TN) Fourth re-poll to elect sixteenth Speaker of the Sri Lanka's thirteenth parliament finally began Thursday around five p.m. with the arrival of fresh stock of ballot papers from the Government printer more..

Apr 22 (CI) The harsh realities of international cricket caught up with the new, enthusiastic but very raw Zimbabwe team, as Sri Lanka overwhelmed them by nine wickets shortly after lunch in the second one-day international at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. more..

Apr 22 (TN) Mr.W.J.M. Lokkubandara of the main opposition UNF was elected Speaker of Sri Lanka's thirteenth parliament Thursday in the final round of re-poll by a majority of one vote. He polled 110 votes and his rival Mr.D.E.W.Gunasekara of the ruling party UPFA polled 109 votes, more..

Apr 22 (HT) The new UPFA government lost the first-ever trial of strength in parliament when its candidate for the post of Speaker was defeated in the voting held on Thursday. The opposition's candidate, WJM Lokubandara, secured one vote more than the ruling party's candidate, Dew Gunasekara, and became the Speaker of the 13th parliament. more..

Apr 23 (TN) Pandemonium reigned in parliament Thursday night after the election of the new Speaker and when the leaders of TNA and the JHU made speeches congratulating the new Speaker, Mr.W.J.M. Lokkubandara. Parliamentarians of the TNA and JHU voted in support of Mr.Lokkubandara who contested on behalf of the main opposition, more..

Apr 23 (UNI) A seven-goal pounding by Sandeep Singh, including the tournament's first double hat-trick, saw India humiliate minnows Sri Lanka 17-1 in their second Pool B match in the Junior Asia Cup here today. more..

Apr 23 (AP) Buddhist monks of the National Heritage Party attend a Parliament session in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, April 22, 2004. Sri Lanka's 13th Parliament opened its session with a stalemate over whom to appoint speaker, more..

Apr 23 (TN) Mr. Pakiaselvam Ariyanethiran, who will be replacing Mr. Kingsley Rajanayakam, the TNA MP elected from the Batticaloa district who resigned his seat last week, did not attend parliament when it opened on Thursday, as the Elections Commissioner will have to officially gazette his name, sources said. more..

Apr 23 (Reuters) A British-based rights group campaigning against the use of child soldiers called on Thursday for Sri Lankan separatist Tamil Tigers to immediately end recruitment of under-age fighters. more..

Apr 23 (AT) In an action packed thrilling political drama, UNP sponsored W.J.M. Lokubandara won the prestigious position of the speaker of the 13th. Parliament of Sri Lanka, defeating the Government nominee by one vote. more..

Apr 23 (LBO) National Development Bank (NDB) picked up a 29 per cent stake in its associate company NDB Bank (NBL), as part of its strategy to merge with the commercial banking entity. Friday’s acquisition effectively takes NDB’s stake in the commercial banking operation to 51.5 per cent more..

Apr 23 (TN) The Karaitivu office of the Amparai district TNA parliamentarian, Mr. M. Pathmanatahn, was set fire by unidentified persons on Wednesday night, sources in Amparai said. The documents in the office were completely destroyed, according to sources close to the MP. more..

Apr 23 (SLA) An EPDP candidate for DIGAMADULLA district at the last General Election in a complaint made to the SAMMANTHURAI Police on 22 April 2004 claimed that two suspected LTTE cadres abducted him and relieved him of his cash. more..

Apr 23 (LT) United Unemployed Graduates Union has written to Mr. Sarath Amunugama, Minister of Finance requesting for an opportunity to discuss finding employment for unemployed graduates. UPFA promised in its election manifesto that 30,000 unemployed graduates will be found employment within the first three months of their government. more..

Apr 23 (LT) The Speaker of the 13th Parliament has been elected from a contrasting, bizarre combination of elephant-tiger-Bhikku-Muslim unholy alliance says Mr. Wimal Weerawanse, Member of Parliament of the JVP. He made this statement in the Parliament wishing the new Speaker Mr. W.G.M. Lokubandara. more..

Apr 23 (Rupavahini) The Supreme Court is now focusing attention to re-issue notice on former minister S.B. Dissanayake to appear before courts as the fiscal failed to deliver the summons to him owing to the closure of the official residence of the former minister at Stanmore crescent in Colombo. more..

Apr 23 (DN) SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena yesterday said the election of the Speaker from the UNP with a majority of one vote will not cause any obstacle to the functions of the Freedom Alliance Government. more..

Apr 23 (PRIU) Sri Lankan Ambassador in Saudi Arabia, Ibrahim Ansar informed Colombo yesterday that no Sri Lankans were killed or injured in Wednesday’s, April 21st, suicide attack in Riyadh. The Saudi authorities confirmed the blast was caused by a suicide bomber and that two Saudi nationals were killed while 25 were injured. more..

Apr 23 (PRIU) Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse sent his felicitations to the Prime Minister of Tanzania Frederic T. Sumaye wishing him on the occasion of the country’s 40th National Day which falls on April 26. more..

Apr 23 (PJ) From the outside, the entrance to the Kagyu Thubten Choling Monastery in the Town of Poughkeepsie looks deceptively simple with two long paths, one made with dirt and the other made of asphalt. more..

Apr 23 (TN) Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) blasted the Sri Lanka Government for the pandemonium caused in Parliament on Friday and asked Ms.Kumaratunge's government to take responsibility for the defeat. more..

Apr 23 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's president, stung by the defeat of her candidate for speaker in parliament, searched on Friday for more allies for her minority government and strengthen her hand in peace talks with Tamil rebels. more..

Apr 23 (NW) TNA Parliamentary Group Leader R. Sambandan congratulating Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara for assuming the high office, said they will fight for self-rule. He said: "At the last General Election, 95 percent of the people in the North and East supported the TNA and sent 22 members to achieve a task. I thank them for their overwhelming support extended to our members". more..

Apr 23 (Reuters) More than 1,000 children who fought for Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers have returned home in the last month, in the biggest release since the start of the island’s 20-year civil war, UNICEF said on Friday. more..

Apr 23 (AP) In a major political setback, Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga's alliance has lost a crucial parliamentary vote, failing to get its candidate into the powerful speaker's post. more..

Apr 23 (AFP) Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels came under attack from an international rights group over alleged attempts to re-enlist hundreds of child soldiers freed this year. more..

Apr 23 (ABC) A political party of Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka says its MPs have been threatened with death unless they give up their seats in the new parliament. Our reporter in Colombo, Gina Wilkinson, says the monks hold the balance of power in country's hung parliament. more..

Apr 23 (Reuters) Sri Lanka took a step toward new peace talks with Tamil Tiger rebels on Friday by winning a promise from Norway to resume its role as mediator in the 20-year civil war. more..

Apr 23 (BBC) A biomechanics expert has confirmed that spinner Muttiah Muralitharan's 'doosra' delivery is illegal. Professor Bruce Elliott told BBC Sport: "It is true Muralitharan's arm does extend by 10 degrees, which is double the ICC's legal limit of five." more..

Apr 23 (OW) Political parties are wary of a civil society initiative to end their practice of sending outsiders to Parliament after election victories. The Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA) had filed a case seeking to prevent the Commissioner of Elections from appointing people whose names did not figure on the national or district lists before the polls, as members of Parliament. more..

Apr 23 (Scoop) In a meeting with Mr. S.P. Tamilselvan in Kilinochchi Mr. Dennis McNamara, Inspector General UNHCR, Geneva said in the context of rehabilitation and resettlement that all benefits should be focused first to the poorest of poor in the community, for the resources are limited and scarce. more..

Apr 23 (LBO) The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) says it is ready to work with the Alliance government on a clean slate and support issues in Parliament on a case-by-case basis. The clergy however did not support the government’s first test in Parliament in appointing a Speaker yesterday more..

Apr 24 (TN) A cell has been opened in the North East Provincial Ministry of Education, Cultural Affairs, Sports and Youth Affairs to co-ordinate the activities of the Basic Education Sector Programme, which is a joint venture of both the Ministry of Education and the German Technical Co-operation. more..