Mar 12 (TN) TNA candidates led by the lead candidate Mr.R.Sampanthan began addressing election seminars and pocket meetings in the areas held by the LTTE since Friday, as TNA's campaign efforts swung into full gear, political sources in Trincomalee said. more..

Mar 12 (TN) "The ceasefire will continue. We are committed to take all measures required to prevent the nation from going back to war," said the UPFA in its forty four-page election manifesto released Thursday night at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, more..

Mar 12 (PTI) The LTTE on Friday admitted that the renegade regional commander V Muralitharan had fighters under his command. The outfit warned Muralitharan that he was pushing himself to a 'dangerous corner' by refusing to step down. But it vowed to resolve the issue without bloodbath. more..

Mar 13 (G2L) The renegade leader of the breakaway faction of the LTTE Col. Karuna, and his new Tiger faction of the Tamil guerillas have decided to approach, President Chandrika Kumaratunga to sign a fresh Ceasefire Agreement with them to avoid future military clashes with the Sri Lankan security forces, more..

Mar 13 (NW) The split between East and Vanni ranks within LTTE has opened up deep seated strife of ethno-cultural dimensions regarding the distribution of material resources within the two factions of Jaffna and Eastern Tamil communities is a comment of Attorney-At-Law Shiral Laktilleke made when contacted by Newswire. more..

Mar 13 (UNI) First Secretary to the European Union Francois Massoulie today said the European Union will send an electoral observer to monitor the April two snap poll. He, however, ruled out any EU interference in the controversy between President Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe. more..

Mar 13 (Hindu) After leading the LTTE in several battles, `Col.' Karuna,its longest-serving regional military commander, left the group on March 3 citing "discrimination." Three days later, the Tigers expelled him for "traitorous acts" — a crime that means death in the LTTE. more..

Mar 13 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's economy is healing as it emerges from 20 years of civil war, but the country must curb political instability and may have to raise interest rates again, the International Monetary Fund said on Friday. more..

Mar 13 (IPS) Sri Lanka's mixed population in the east may finally get a fair share in a settlement of the ethnic conflict as a result of the head-on clash between Tiger rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his main eastern commander, a tussle that has resulted in a split in the rebels' ranks. more..

Mar 13 (AFP) Sri Lanka announced yesterday it was setting up polling booths in no-man’s land to allow voters in rebel-held areas to cast their ballots at next month’s elections. Elections Chief said it would allow voting to take place in northern and eastern regions where neither government forces nor Tamil Tigers were in direct control. more..

Mar 13 (IMF) Over the last 18 months, the Sri Lankan economy has advanced on several fronts: the peace process has moved ahead, albeit with interruptions; the economic recovery has taken firmer roots; external vulnerability has declined; and reforms in several areas have progressed. more..

Mar 13 (LBO) Desperate to keep the lights on, the Energy Supply Committee (ESC) on Friday made a fresh appeal to generator owners to use them immediately. This the second appeal in a week, prompting generator owners to switch to self generated power. more..

Mar 13 (SLA) Eight youth supporters of the LTTE’s KARUNA fraction have staged a fast unto death campaign at MAMANGAMA KOVIL in the general area of BATTICALOA town on 12 March 2004 morning against LTTE PRABAKARAN’s decision to expel KARUNA from eastern leadership. more..

Mar 13 (SLA) A group of unknown persons had lobbed a hand grenade at a Muslim political activist’s residence situated in front of the AN-NOOR MAHA VIDYALAYA ODDAIMAVADI, about 02 km south of VALACHCHENAI on 12 March 2004 around 4.20 am. more..

Mar 13 (SLA) A trainee soldier and his non-commissioned officer instructor died due to an accidental explosion of a hand grenade on 12 March 2004 evening while they were under going training at the BOOGODA Army training centre, about 28 km northwest of ANURADHAPURA town. more..

Mar 13 (SLA) One thousand three hundred and thirty (1330) lorry loads of food and other essential items had been dispatched to un-cleared areas in the northern province during the period between 05 March 2004 and 11 March 2004. more..

Mar 13 (SLA) A high level delegation of the Colombo-based British High Commission, headed by Mr. Stephen Evans, British High Commissioner, during a two- day visit to Jaffna peninsula, met Commander, Security Forces Jaffna, Major General M. D. S Chandrapala in his office on 11 March 2004. more..

Mar 13 (TN) Mr.Sivagnanam Karikalan, a senior leader of LTTE from the East disclosed for the first time that the Batticaloa crisis was precipitated when LTTE leadership summoned Karuna to Vanni after discovering financial irregularities and receiving allegations of questionable conduct. more..

Mar 13 (TN) The Police Election Secretariat said Saturday that it receives daily at least ten complaints related to election violence from political parties. From February 17 until this Friday the Election Secretariat has received 373 complaints, Police sources said. more..

Mar 13 (TN) President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge expressed confidence that the LTTE would enter into democratic political process under the future UPFA government when she met leaders of business communities including members of legal and medical profession at the Presidential House Friday evening, more..

Mar 13 (TN) Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe addressing a election rally in Kurunagala Friday evening said that Ms.Kumaratunge thrust the general election on the people to cement her political future and to destroy Sri Lanka's welfare, sources said. more..

Mar 13 (Stuff) New Zealand A need eight wickets with two days still to play for outright victory over Sri Lanka A in their five-day cricket match at Queenstown. The home team's massive first innings total of 597 has given them the upper hand against the Sri Lankans, more..

Mar 13 (LT) Mr. Wimal Weerawanse, Propaganda Secretary of the JVP and Colombo District candidate of UPFA met the President of the National Police Commission to apprise him of partial treatment he had received at Welikade police station. more..

Mar 13 (Gulf) While Saudi Arabia's demand for domestic workers is rising, more of them are running away from their sponsors, the local English language daily Arab News reported. At present 80 runaway maids are being accommodated in a villa by the Sri Lankan Consulate General. About 100 are reported in Riyadh. more..

Mar 13 (DN) United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) leaders yesterday urged the National Police Commission (NPC) to take punitive action against police officers who are politically biased during the elections campaign. more..

Mar 13 (DM) Dismissing a remark by UPFA frontliner Anura Bandaranaike that he would stake a claim to the Presidency at the next elections, President Chandrika Kumaratunga last night assured the business community that the Executive Presidency would be abolished if the UPFA was elected to office at the April 2 polls. more..

Mar 13 (Hindu) The rebel military commander of the LTTE, `col.' Karuna, says it is "impossible" to create a separate state — the battle cry of the Tigers in the decades of a bitterly fought separatist battle against the Sri Lankan Government — as there is no international support. more..

Mar 13 (JT) The continuous conflict between Sri Lanka's two main leaders has been covered from nearl every angle. What have been largely ignored, though, are the complications and contradictions arising on that beautiful island from a political system of "cohabitation." more..

Mar 13 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers stepped up a war of words on Saturday against a powerful breakaway rebel commander in an internal fight that threatens efforts to end the island's civil war. more..

Mar 13 (AFP) Armed rival factions of Tamil Tiger rebels were face-to-face on the banks of a river dividing an area held by a breakaway group, the main guerrilla movement said here yesterday. more..

Mar 13 (HT) The revolt in the LTTE led by Eastern Commander Col Karuna is showing distinct signs of weakening. Even though his revolt is 12 to 13 days old, Karuna has failed to whip up tangible public enthusiasm even in his fiefdom of Batticalao-Amparai, leave alone the rest of the Sri Lankan East he claims to speak for. more..

Mar 14 (TN) Twelve women from refugee camps India sought asylum at the political office of the Liberation Tigers in Vavuniya Saturday. The women said they had forcibly been kept in safe houses in Colombo by men who had promised to get them jobs abroad. more..

Mar 14 (TN) TNA candidates from Jaffna will canvass support for their colleagues contesting the April polls in the east while TNA candidates from the east will campaign in the north for the victory of the alliance, Mr. Mavai Senathirajah, the general secretary of the Federal Party, said Saturday. more..

Mar 14 (TN) The Jaffna University Students Union announced Saturday that it will campaign in support of the TNA. A students’ spokesman told TamilNet the Union decided to take the unprecedented step “to fight against the divisive forces that are threatening the Tamil people’s political future and well being today”. more..

Mar 14 (AFP) Acknowledging that the renegade regional commander had fighters under his command, the LTTE on Friday said the breakaway faction leader was pushing himself to a “dangerous corner” by refusing to step down, but vowed it will resolve the issue without a bloodbath. more..

Mar 14 (HS) LEG-SPINNER Stuart MacGill has questioned Sri Lanka's defensive bowling plans and believes they may have to produce a second Muthiah Muralidaran to make them work. more..

Mar 14 (FL) THE flight from Chennai to Colombo is a kaleidoscopic experience. The plane cruises along the emerald coast of the Indian peninsula where waves flirt with beige sands, their pearly froth sketching an undulating design along the shores. more..

Mar 14 (FL) AS Sri Lanka hesitantly trudged along the path of an electoral campaign, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was faced with a reality check, in the first week of March. more..

Mar 14 (FL) ANY nation that goes to the polls for the third time in four years should have a tragic political tale to tell. The main characters in Sri Lanka's unending angst are a rigid Constitution that is biased towards one-party rule, competitive majoritarian politics, more..

Mar 14 (SL) "We will win by hook or by crook" -words that would have led to the downfall and disgrace of a president in any other land except, perhaps, Zimbabwe. In Sri Lanka in 2001, President Chandrika Kumaratunga uttered those very words to her party's election organisers and now, not three years later, has the gumption yet again to turn her promise into reality. more..

Mar 14 (SL) It has transpired that the renegade LTTE commander in the east, V. Muralitharan alias Karuna has made contact with the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) leadership long before he officially announced his decision to break away from the northern command. more..

Mar 14 (SO) It's official. The United National party has formalised its 'boycott' of the State media and will not invite coverage of party activities, in either the print or the electronic media which come under State control. more..

Mar 14 (SN) A group of armed thugs attacked Hela Urumaya supporters last night at Bandaragama town. Fifteen activists including four monks got severely injured as a result of this attack. Out of the fifteen, Mr Rohana Uduwage’s condition was critical and he was to undergo a brain surgery. more..

Mar 14 (SN) Mahanayaka thero of Amarapura Dhammarakshitha Nikaya Most Ven Weligama Gnanaratana thero addressed the Bodu Samuluwa held today at Borella. He is the successor to late Most Ven Madihe Pannaseeha thero. more..

Mar 14 (SN) Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna is now in dilemma with regard to parliamentary election. He has already fielded his supporters on TNA ticket for Batticaloa and Ampara. These candidates are still with Karuna. more..

Mar 14 (SN) An incident occurred early hours of yesterday clearly showed party colours of all print and electronic media institutes. They have reported the incident as per their party colours. more..

Mar 14 (SN) JVP former parliamentarian Mr Wimal Weerawanse sent a letter to Mr Siri Ranasinghe, Chief Editor of Lankadeepa newspaper, apologizing for threatening him over the phone. Mr Weerawanse has called Mr Ranasinghe on 11th March to ask him to remove an advertisement to be published in the newspaper for the following day. more..

Mar 14 (Age) Mercurial off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan believes a fit, rejuvenated Shane Warne could play another five years at international level and set an unattainable Test wickets record. more..

Mar 14 (Dawn) Sri Lanka will compete in all the 15 disciplines of the upcoming March 29-April 7 SAF Games with a 274-strong contingent. The contingent comprises 224 players and 50 officials, according to the 'Entries by Name' received by the SAF Games Secretariat on Saturday. more..

Mar 14 (UNI) A top LTTE leader, formerly a close confidante of the renegade rebel V Muralitharan, has charged "hostile foreign forces that are keen on subverting the Tamil National struggle" with exploiting the expelled rebel to weaken the outfit. more..