Jan 28 (LBO) Tyre manufacturer, CEAT has invested Rs. 45 mn in an expansion project, which is aimed at increasing the capacity of its Kalutara Plant by 15 percent to cater to rising export and domestic demand. The project involved the commissioning of two imported 55-inch presses for curing heavy-duty truck tyres. more..

Jan 28 (TN) Professor M.S.Mookaiah, Assistant Dean of the Eastern University submitted his resignation Tuesday night and left the campus after the undergraduates surrounded his office and protested against the lack of progress in the development of the Easter campus, sources said. more..

Jan 28 (SLA) A self-claimed LTTE man, who stormed the house of a civilian in the general area of BATTICALOA has relieved of her valuables and cash to the value of Rs. 1500 (US$ 15) on 26 January, according to a Police complaint made by RATNAM MANI MURUGAPULLAI (58) of No.117, Hospital Rd, BATTICALOA on 27 January. more..

Jan 28 (SLA) An LTTE man driving a vehicle sans proper documents was arrested by the Police when it was plying in the general area of CHAVAKACHCHERI on 27 January 2004. The LTTE suspect, K. RAGHU was on the vehicle (50-6128) when it was arrested and later produced before the court at CHAVAKACHCHERI. more..

Jan 28 (SLA) Naval troops on duty in the general sea area north east of DELFT ISLAND on 26 January 2004 have observed about 15 Indian fishing trawlers poaching in the Sri Lankan waters.

Jan 28 (LT) Ceylon Workers’ Congress has asked the government to immediately stop building the Upper Kotmale hydro power project. Minister Karu Jayasuriya has taken a decision to recommence the work on this project which would cause a major environment devastation emphasizes CWC stating they are totally against this project. more..

Jan 28 (LT) Tiger organization has started building new bunkers in tiger controlled areas at Muttur and the residents in the area have been forced to ‘contribute’ their labour for this. In areas such as Kunathivu, Senavur, Sampur and Muttur which are vital in military strategy have been selected to erect these new bunkers. more..

Jan 28 (LT) Two pistol clique leaders of the tiger organization have arrived in Colombo to expedite the assassination of Mr. Douglas Devananda, leader of EPDP. These two experienced assassins have arrived in Colombo last week via Omanthe say intelligence sources of the Security Forces. more..

Jan 28 (LT) The continues strike launched by several trade unions of the Railways demanding that the special gazette notification announcing the establishment of Railway Authority be abolished and Railways Department re-established with a new management was a great success say the trade unions. more..

Jan 28 (LT) A General election should be held as early as possible to rescue the country from the present hazardous situation it is faced with says Ven. Elle Gunawanshe Thera, Member of the Organizing committee of the Patriotic National Movement (PNM). more..

Jan 28 (Reuters) Sri Lanka is about 20 percent of the way to its goal of ridding the island of landmines laid during two decades of war, with work picking up pace despite a lag in the peace process, a top official said on Wednesday. more..

Jan 28 (DJ) Cabinet has approved the sale of the National Equipment and Machinery Organization, or NEMO, the government's privatization arm said Wednesday. "NEMO is a project under the National Housing Development Authority and handles large-scale earth works in the provinces," more..

Jan 28 (JS) Family footwear maker DSI is planning to expand into the high-end athletic footwear market under a long-term development plan to increase its current 37 per cent domestic market share. more..

Jan 28 (Sangam) Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akashi’s succinct comment “why should they suffer” and his indication that a new mechanism “will be established” to expedite delivery of some of the aid pledged by the international community to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of war damaged areas has stung the Sinhala leadership into action. more..

Jan 28 (DN) Colombo Fort Magistrate and Additional District Judge Sarath C. Karunaratne yesterday told Agriculture, Livestock and Samurdhi Minister S. B. Dissanayake that as a person holding a very important position in the country he should advise his sons to behave properly in public. more..

Jan 28 (DM) Observing that the agreement between the SLFP and the JVP has strengthened the hands of the chauvinists and racists, the Sri Lanka Communist Party, a PA constituent party, said yesterday it had decided not to join the new alliance, though it would offer its support from outside for its progressive programmes. more..

Jan 28 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's largest conglomerate, John Keells Holdings Ltd, reported a 48 percent jump in third quarter profits on Wednesday as a ceasefire after 20 years of civil war boosted business through its hotels and its port. more..

Jan 28 (AFP) Tamil Tiger rebels have sent a delegation to hold talks with peace broker Norway after warning that political instability could lead to a resumption of war at home. A four-member delegation of the LTTE will hold talks with officials in Oslo on Sri Lanka's political power struggle here that has undermined peace efforts, more..

Jan 28 (TN) "5995 families resettled in the NorthEast have received assistance from Rs60m given by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Organization (ECHO) and the Spanish Red Cross," said National Secretary to the Sri Lanka Red Cross (SLRC), Mr. Nimal Kumar, more..

Jan 28 (Kyodo) Japan has further increased mine-clearing assistance to war-wracked Sri Lanka with a contribution Wednesday of $605,000, raising the total for Japanese assistance to Sri Lanka in this sphere to over $2.5 million, Ambassador Akio Suda said. more..

Jan 28 (UNI) A four-member delegation of Tamil Tiger rebels today left for Norway to seek 'urgent humanitarian assistance' from European governments for Sri Lanka's war-ravaged North-East region. more..

Jan 28 (AP) Sri Lankan government and poultry industry officials held an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss further measures to prevent an outbreak of bird flu, which is ravaging farms elsewhere in Asia. more..

Jan 28 (PRIU) A Japanese economic cooperation delegation is due in Sri Lanka on Thursday 29th January. The high profile team is led by Deputy Director-General of Economic Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan Mr.Motohide Yoshikawa. more..

Jan 28 (HT) A noted Tamil columnist has warned that the LTTE will not enter into negotiations with the Sri Lankan government if the military balance is tilted in its favour by mechanisms like the International Safety Net and the proposed India-Sri Lanka Defence Cooperation Agreement. more..

Jan 28 (OW) The issue of unethical conversions to Christianity is snowballing in Sri Lanka, with the country's leading Buddhist organization demanding the government ban all nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) engaged in anti-Buddhist activities, and introduce an anti-conversion law by the month end. more..

Jan 28 (Age) Sri Lanka's top bowler Muttiah Muralitharan and its coach John Dyson believe Shane Warne will find it tough going if he is picked for Australia's coming tour to the subcontinent. "It will be really hard for him," Muralitharan said yesterday. "The conditions in Sri Lanka could be difficult for him. more..

Jan 28 (IANS) In a development that could have far reaching implications for Sri Lanka's fractured polity, the country's two main political parties seem to have decided to put behind their bitter rivalry and share power. more..

Jan 29 (TN) Trincomalee students took the first, second and fourth places at the national level in Tamil medium in the Year-5 scholarship examination conducted by the Sri Lanka's Department of Examination. In addition Trincomalee district secured the first place for the second consecutive year, more..

Jan 29 (AT) The Wellawatte Police arrested two suspected intelligence operatives of the LTTE, who bolted away, after attacking and stealing a service pistol from two policemen, who were walking back to the station after duty. They were arrested after locating them hiding in a ceiling of a LTTE safe house in the same area, more..

Jan 29 (AP) Foreign aid has helped Sri Lanka clear 20 percent of land mines in the island's war-ravaged north and east, but tens of thousands still litter the country threatening to maim and kill, a government official said Wednesday. more..

Jan 29 (TN) Two fishermen were wounded when a Sri Lanka navy vessel rammed their boat Tuesday night in the seas off Pt. Pedro in Jaffna. The injured fishermen were taken ashore by the SLN and admitted to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. The fishermen’s boat was rent asunder by the SLN vessel, according to relatives. more..

Jan 29 (TN) Sri Lanka's Country Representative of the UNICEF Mr. Ted Chaiban Wednesday handed over a consignment of vans, motorbikes and computers with printers valued at about Rs 17.7 million to the North East Provincial Ministry of Education, Cultural Affairs, Sports and Youth Affairs, as a step to support and strengthen the monitoring capacity of UNICEF's projects in education. more..

Jan 29 (TN) "India should desist from providing financial assistance to expand the runways of Palay airbase as it will help the Sri Lanka Government to annex additional fertile lands and residences of Jaffna people into the High Security Zone (HSZ)," said Minister of Hindu Affairs, Mr.Maheswaran, more..

Jan 29 (TN) The central working committee of the TULF, major constituent of the TNA, will meet on 1st February Sunday on a compromise formula arrived at the hearing of the case instituted by its leader Mr.V.Ananandasangaree before Colombo District Judge Tuesday, legal sources said. more..

Jan 29 (TOI) After the Gulf, Singapore and Malaysia , Hyderabadis can now fly directly to Sri Lanka. SriLankan Airlines is planning to launch a direct flight to Colombo. The service will begin from February 22 and the flights will be operated every Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday. more..

Jan 29 (Hindu) The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has termed Sri Lanka's political standoff "a dangerous situation" for the peace process, and has called upon the international community to "come to the rescue of the Tamil people." more..

Jan 29 (LBO) The newly minted labour compensation formula is likely to be amended, after union agitation to leave it flexible for negotiation. Under proposed changes, all firms governed by a collective agreement, with a profit in excess of Rs. 100 mn, will not be subject to the 30 month compensation ceiling. more..

Jan 29 (LBO) Police inspectors and sub-inspectors are tipped to take home an additional Rs. 900 every month above their salaries, calculated as set out in the 2004 budget. A committee appointed by Finance Minister K. N. Choksy to look into raising salaries of the Police force came back with the decision on Tuesday. more..

Jan 29 (LBO) The consortium led by Asia Capital will start due diligence work on Thursday, to revive the trouble Pramuka Savings & Development Bank. The start date follows another round of meetings with Central Bank authorities on Wednesday. more..

Jan 29 (TN) Parents protested in front of the Thenmaradchi Zonal Education office in Chavakachcheri Thursday urging the authorities to re-open the Eluthumadduval North Government Tamil Mixed School (GTMS), which is occupied by the Sri Lanka army now. more..

Jan 29 (TN) A signature campaign to collect signatures for a memorandum to be sent to the international community with six demands related to the Tamil national question would be launched on February 4 in the Jaffna peninsula, more..

Jan 29 (SLA) An LTTE vehicle with a stock of drugs was turned away at OMANTHAI Entry/Exit point on 28 January 2004 when it tried to enter the cleared area since no prior permission had been obtained for its passage. more..

Jan 29 (SLA) Information received confirmed that about forty armed LTTE men dressed in black uniforms had visited DIYATITTAWEVA-KUDAWEVA areas in the general area of HOROWPATHANA on 28 January 2004 in search of a civilian who had earlier been taken into LTTE custody and subsequently released. more..

Jan 29 (SLA) Two fishermen were admitted to JAFFNA hospital for treatment after their boat capsized when it collided with a naval craft on duty in the general sea area east of POINT PEDRO on 27 January 2004 around 10.00 p.m. more..

Jan 29 (SLA) A newly prepared basketball pitch by troops for Ushan Ramanadan School at Ushan, Jaffna was formally donated to the school at a ceremony held recently in the new playground premises. To mark the occasion, its principal Mr. N.Navaratne Raja ceremoniously cut the ribbon and declared it open for students more..

Jan 29 (LT) United Estate Unions Federation of Uva Province in a letter has called the Prime Minister to take disciplinary action against P. Chandrasekeran, Minister of Estate Infrastructure. more..

Jan 29 (LT) A special discussion between the JVP and the leadership of NUA was held at the JVP Head Office at Nugegoda today. The special feature of the discussion was the participation of Mr. Somawanshe Amarasinghe, the Leader of the JVP. more..

Jan 29 (LT) Trade union action would be taken again from the 1st of February if the promised uniforms allowance of Rs.2, 600/- is not made available to the hospital minor servants before the 31st of January says All Ceylon Health Services Union in a letter to the Minister of Health. more..

Jan 29 (PRIU) The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) the new political group formed earlier this month, as a result of a pact between the SLFP and the JVP, will hold its inaugural rally at the Town Hall grounds, Colombo this afternoon. more..

Jan 29 (PRIU) The idea of a National Plan of Action for Children was mooted in May 2002 by the UN General Assembly. World Leaders there committed themselves to a series of goals to improve the situation of children and young people. more..