Mar 16 (Age) Murali's old school was celebrating its 150th anniversary with a cricket match against its keenest rivals and word was about that the maestro might turn up. Murali was a boarder at St Anthony's, a Catholic school of 2500 boys whose motto is "Light from Heaven". more..

Mar 16 (Age) John Dyson's coaching resume was, at best, modest when Sri Lanka Cricket phoned last year. He'd served under Geoff Lawson with NSW. He'd coached at grade level. And since 1994, the former Australian batsman had worked as sports convenor with Sydney's Combined High Schools, with Brett Lee one of his graduates. more..

Mar 16 (TN) “Karuna could not have acted traitorously without external backing. He has been bought over by an external power that is intent on destroying our liberation struggle and our leadership. People in the Batticaloa Amparai district know this now. He was instigated by the external power to betray his own people”, said Mr. Sivagnanam Karikalan, more..

Mar 16 (SM) The wife and child of a Sri Lankan who skipped bail while awaiting trial over the death of a pregnant teacher have left the UK and returned to the couple’s home village, a court heard today. more..

Mar 16 (TN) "Denial of franchise to Tamil voters residing in the Liberation Tigers held areas in the northeast province in the forthcoming general election will have serious impact on the current peace process," Mr.R.Sampanthan, leader of the TNA more..

Mar 16 (TN) The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) concluded its four-day first phase of campaign in the Liberation Tigers held Muttur east and Eachilampathu villages in Trincomalee district Monday. more..

Mar 16 (NW) The Supreme Court has directed the Attorney General to prepare a charge sheet against minister S.B. Dissanayaka for contempt of the Supreme Court. Chief Justice, Sarath N. Silva has taken this decision following a speech made by Mr. Dissanayaka at Habaraduwa recently where he had highly criticised the Supreme Court. more..

Mar 16 (NW) Two intense sessions of talks between the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) and the finance minister ended in yet another deadlock today. The GMOA claimed that despite the ability to meet their demands the government so far failed to provide a proper response. more..

Mar 16 (NW) Many Jaffna businessmen have expressed their views saying that Karuna’s courage should be commended for raising his voice against Pirabaharan. They further said that the Eastern LTTE cadres have revealed their courage and bravery in the Jaffna and Vanni soil and it is the duty of the LTTE leadership to grant them their reasonable request during this Cease Fire period and while the MOU is still in effect. more..

Mar 16 (NW) The United National Front (UNF) today unveiled its election manifesto titled “Completing the peoples’ unfinished business”. The aim of the manifesto is to further strengthen development programmes implemented during the last two years under their government. more..

Mar 16 (TOI) Lanka IOC, a subsidiary of Fortune 500 oil refining and marketing major IndianOil Corporation, is setting up a $1-million plant for making lubricants in Sri Lanka as part of its plans to transform its Servo brand into a trans-national product. more..

Mar 16 (LBO) Local steel prices have shot up five times this year and continue to head north, due to supply shortages in the world market. “Steel prices went up three times in January and twice in February this year. Its been happening since last year,” more..

Mar 16 (LBO) Enforcement of Sri Lanka’s new food labelling regulations is to be shelved to help the trade but whether the national health authorities can get its act together during that time is anybody’s guess. New labelling and advertising regulations that were to come into force on April 1, more..

Mar 16 (LBO) The UNP says it is seeking a 130-seat majority in parliament to continue its program based on a strong peace platform. UNP says its work program, released on Monday in place of the traditional manifesto, will create 8 per cent growth and three million jobs. more..

Mar 16 (TN) The TNA candidates in Batticaloa who might be elected in the April polls to Parliament should be ready to work with the government that comes to power in Colombo, according to instructions issued Monday by the Karuna Group to Tamil politicians in the troubled eastern district, sources said. more..

Mar 16 (TN) "The future UNF government would recommence the stalled peace talks with minimum delay after the general election and would strive hard to establish an interim administration (IA) in the northeast province as a step towards find a lasting political solution to the ethnic conflict and implement it on the basis of community oriented development," more..

Mar 16 (TN) TNA leader Mr.R.Sampanthan has appealed to the European Parliament member Mr.John Walls Cushnahan to take immediate steps to ensure that voters in LTTE held areas in the northeast province to exercise their franchise freely and without any restriction in the polling stations located in no man zones in the forthcoming general election, more..

Mar 16 (TN) "Tamils are in the verge of achieving their legitimate rights after several years of freedom struggle through the military might of the LTTE. Hence it is the duty of Tamils to strengthen the hands of LTTE by sending at least twenty-one TNA parliamentarians thus making the TNA as a force to decide the future government," more..

Mar 16 (SLA) Three LTTE cadres trying to smuggle some photocopies of area maps into cleared areas across the Entry/Exit point at OMANTHAI on 15 March 2004 were taken in for questioning. more..

Mar 16 (SLA) Parents of an eighteen year old youth claimed that their son had been taken into LTTE custody inside un-cleared areas of NOCHCHIKULAM around 10.30 a.m. on 15 March 2004 for reasons best known only to the LTTE. more..

Mar 16 (SLA) A group of 43 refugees returning to Sri Lanka illegally from INDIA had been arrested by Naval troops on duty in the general area west of URUMALAI on 15 March 2004. These refugees had reportedly paid Indian Rs.3500/= for their passage to Sri Lanka. more..

Mar 16 (SLA) The soldier, who went missing on 12 March 2004 from his guard point after shooting another fellow-soldier who accompanied his senior Officer for routine inspection, has surrendered to the Military Police in the 51 Division in JAFFNA town on 15 March 2004 around 6.00 a.m. more..

Mar 16 (SLA) A video film, based on LTTE’s past attacks on Security Forces has been publicly screened at the AMBIGA NAGAR Fishing Camp in the general area of KAYTS around 9.00 p.m. on 15 March 2004, states a Police complaint lodged by a Naval officer attached to the KANCHADEVA Navy Camp. more..

Mar 16 (PSL) President Chandrika Kumaratunga today sent a message of congratulations to Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan on his capturing his 500th test wicket. Muralitharan reached the landmark on the first day of the second test match with Australia now in progress at the Asgiriya Cricket stadium in Kandy. more..

Mar 16 (NT) Col Karuna might have kicked up a storm in the media and the political establishment from his hideout in eastern Sri Lanka giving sleepless nights to his mentor V Prabhakaran. Yet life goes on in the emerald island with its typical tranquility least disturbed. more..

Mar 16 (Gulf) The two main parties vying to rule the country for the next six years have put forward their proposals to resolve the ethnic conflict enabling the public to decide at next month's elections who would be the better party to end the 20-year-old conflict through a political settlement. more..

Mar 16 (HP) A Norwegian special envoy held talks with Sri Lanka’s president on Monday to wrap up a visit aimed at reviewing stalled peace efforts and a fragile truce between troops and Tamil Tigers, an official said. The envoy Erik Solheim met President Chandrika Kumaratunga at her tightly-guarded official residence, more..

Mar 16 (TP) Government doctors in smaller hospitals in Sri Lanka are threatening to resign if the health ministry fails to rectify a salary anomaly, the Island newspaper reported. more..

Mar 16 (TP) A Royal College prefect drowned in the college pool on Saturday after the Royal-Thomian annual big match, newspapers reported. Nineteen-year-old Isharath Dawood of Kalubowila met with an untimely death when he and his colleagues were engaged in a traditional ducking at the end of the big match. more..

Mar 16 (TP) Speculation is rife in political circles as to whether Media Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar would be the next prime Minister in the event of the Opposition Freedom Alliance winning the April 2 poll and forming a government, the Daily Mirror said. more..

Mar 16 (TP) The Sri Lanka Red Cross has appealed for drought relief to help 120,981 families or more than 450,000 people affected by drought in the north-central district of Anuradhapura, the Island newspaper said. more..

Mar 16 (TP) The total number of pre-election violent incidents in Sri Lanka rose to 413 on Sunday since nomination day last month. The most serious of these incidents was the one involving a group of ruling UNP supporters who had allegedly attacked some monks and supporters of the National Heritage Party at Bandaragama in which three of them were seriously injured.

Mar 16 (PTI) Sri Lankan Ambassador and Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai, Sumith Nakandala, visited the Okkur refugee camp here. Nakandala, who visited the camp on Monday, said the purpose of his visit was to meet the Sri Lankan refugees in the camp and provide birth certificates to the children born in the camp. more..

Mar 16 (ML) When Naresh T. Gunaratnam was growing up in New York, his physician father would talk about his plans to return to his native Sri Lanka to open a clinic for the impoverished people there. Gunaratnam's father died of a heart attack in 1985 without realizing his dream. more..

Mar 16 (DM) President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday said the LTTE has informed her it is ready for talks under a UPFA government, but she warned it was not easy to take her for a ride. more..

Mar 16 (DN) The Supreme Court yesterday instructed its registrar to issue notice on Agriculture Minister S.B Dissanayake to appear in person before the Supreme Court and show cause why he should not be punished for contempt of court. more..

Mar 16 (AFP) Tamil Tiger guerrillas have begun pouring fighters along a district border in northeastern Sri Lanka, heightening fears of a showdown with renegades, the rival faction said. more..

Mar 16 (CI) Australia fought back magnificently to reduce Sri Lanka to 92 for 7 after being dismissed for 120 in 42.2 overs. Shane Warne and Michael Kasprowicz wrecked havoc as they picked up three wickets, each. Earlier that day, Muttiah Muralitharan and Nuwan Zoysa shared eight wickets to skittle Australia out. more..

Mar 16 (CI) Muttiah Muralitharan recovered from a stomach upset to become the third bowler in history to take 500 Test wickets, during the first day's play in the second Test against Australia. Muralitharan reached the milestone in record time, 21 matches faster than Shane Warne and 42 quicker than Courtney Walsh. more..

Mar 16 (NW) President Chandrika Kumaratunga said that former beauty queen Rosy Senanayake, the present Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Malaysis will be penalized if it was proved that she has taken part in UNF election propaganda without the permission of the Foreign Ministry. more..

Mar 16 (NW) Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando has denied charges by President Kumaratunga that High Commissioner Rosy Senanayake had come here from Kuala Lumpur and was indulging in party political activity. more..

Mar 16 (PTI) The United States denied reports on Tuesday that it supported a Sri Lankan renegade rebel commander who broke away from the main Tamil Tiger army taking with him nearly half of its fighters. "The reports are completely untrue. It's rubbish," Cody Taylor, spokeswoman for the US Embassy in Colombo, said more..

Mar 16 (HT) Rebel Eastern LTTE leader Col Karuna has asked the TNA in his fiefdom of Batticaloa-Amparai to fight the parliamentary elections on the basis of regional development issues and not on the political issue of "Tamil Nationalism" as demanded by the Prabhakaran faction, based in the northern part of the island country. more..

Mar 17 (LT) The statement by Premier Ranil Wickremasinghe that the clique in the UPFA is more dangerous than the suicide gang of the tiger organization and after the 2nd of April they would be permanently defeated is a very serious statement says Mr. Wimal Weerawanse, candidate of UPFA for Colombo District. more..

Mar 17 (NW) Minister of Trade and Commerce Ravi Karunanayake has complained to the Independent Police Commission alleging that Deputy Inspector General Jayantha Wickremaratne has tried to sabotage his election propaganda. more..

Mar 17 (TN) "The government of Japan is closely observing the emergency humanitarian needs of the people in the northeast in Sri Lanka and is supporting the efforts of the Government of Sri Lanka in demining operations," said Mr.H.Onishi, First Secretary Japan Embassy in Colombo, more..

Mar 17 (TN) The arrangements for opening and staffing polling stations in the Sri Lanka Army-controlled areas in the Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaithivu districts are complete, but no such arrangements have been made about opening voting booths for the voters in the Liberation Tigers-controlled areas, more..

Mar 17 (KT) The Dubai Criminal Court, on Monday sentenced a Sri Lankan man to life imprisonment for premeditated murder. Mohammed Nyas Mohammed Mourad who works as a waiter in Abu Dhabi was pleaded guilty for killing Salahuldin Jan Bahadir. The murder, according to the verdict, was connected with theft. more..

Mar 17 (TOO) Twelve final year undergraduates of the University of Colombo have received coaching in Business English by SriLankan Airlines, in a programme with the career guidance unit of the university. A total of 25 sessions were conducted at College House in Colombo by Business English instructor Priyan Fernando. more..

Mar 17 (LT) A free and just election cannot be held in the North and the East as a result of the obstructions from Velupillai Prabhakaran’s faction says EPDP. This situation prevails in the Vanni where Velupillai Prabhakaran’s authority exists says EPDP more..