Mar 27 (TP) Qatar has shown a keen interest in participating in the project to develop and operate the proposed, second international airport in Sri Lanka, which will be located in Wellawoya on the island state’s southern-most region, more..

Mar 27 (DJ) The U.S. Treasury on Friday applauded the U.S. Senate for approving an income tax treaty between the U.S. and Sri Lanka. "The U.S.-Sri Lanka tax treaty that has been approved by the Senate represents a new tax treaty relationship for the United States," said Treasury Secretary John Snow, more..

Mar 27 (Gulf) As politicians try their best to prepare a reluctant nation for yet another costly parliamentary election on April 2, their promises to usher in a golden era of peace and prosperity reflect the words of the poet who said "hope springs eternal in the human breast". more..

Mar 27 (Rupavahini) An electronic money order system has been launched for the first time in Sri Lanka’s postal service. This e-money order service will help customers send money orders form a post office to any other post office in the island quickly. more..

Mar 27 (DN) President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday gave a firm assurance that remaining State institutions engaged in businesses in the banking sector, transport, petroleum, electricity, ports and water supply will not be privatised at any cost under a Freedom Alliance Government. more..

Mar 27 (DM) The country's biggest newspaper group Lake House was in turmoil yesterday after a UNP backed union led some eighty percent of the employees on a walkout and protest demonstration, alleging that the newspaper group had been turned into the political headquarters of the UPFA and national newspapers turned into political rags. more..

Mar 27 (Reuters) Sri Lankans living in areas held by the Tamil Tiger rebels will travel to government areas to vote in next week’s general election, officials said yesterday, ending weeks of wrangling over how to hold the poll safely. more..

Mar 27 (AFP) His conflict with the president may have pushed Sri Lanka into early elections on April 2, but Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says he would rather talk peace with Tamil rebels than wage war with the head of state. more..

Mar 27 (HT) A recent pre-poll survey by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) may be causing jitters among Sri Lanka's mainstream political parties fighting the April 2 parliamentary elections. more..

Mar 27 (CI) Justin Langer - cleared of bringing the game into disrepute by the ICC's match referee last night after a bizarre incident in the field - bounced back to form to rescue Australia in the fourth day of their final Test against Sri Lanka. more..

Mar 27 (TN) Lead candidate for TNA in Jaffna district, Mavai Senathirajah, complained Friday to the Elections Commissioner that the Sri Lanka Navy soldiers are blocking TNA candidates and their supporter to carryout election campaign in Jaffna islets, more..

Mar 27 (TN) As independent poll monitors fear of an escalation in violence in the final week of campaigning for April 2 parliament elections, Police Election Secretariat reported Saturday that it has received 1113 complaints since the day of accepting nominations started on February 17 till Saturday morning 6 a.m. more..

Mar 27 (TN) Batticaloa government agent, Mr. Ratnam Mounagurusamy, was shot and wounded by unidentified gunmen near the eastern town Saturday evening around 6 p.m. Police said. He was travelling in a car when the gunmen opened fire at Pillaiyaradi on the northern outskirts of Batticaloa town. more..

Mar 27 (TN) Former Hindu Affairs Minister and ex. MP for Jaffna, Mr. Thiyagarajah Maheswaran was shot and seriously wounded by unidentified gunmen in downtown Colombo Saturday night around 8 p.m. Mr. Maheswaran is contesting elections as a UNF candidate in the Colombo district. more..

Mar 28 (TP) SriLankan Airlines will augment its operations between Doha and Colombo with the launch of its fourth flight on the route from June 30 and offer services between Doha and Calicut from July, Ajith Weerasekera, the airline’s country manager for Qatar, said here on Thursday. more..

Mar 28 (Age) There are times when, whatever your opinion of Nine's cricket coverage, you're forced to appreciate some of its little amenities. Third day of the third Sri Lanka-Australia Test in Colombo (Fox Sports Two), and play grinds to a slow and disinterested halt for very little apparent reason. more..

Mar 28 (CI) Sri Lanka A's bowlers had another hard day against New Zealand A, who scored 306 for 7, with most batsmen building on their starts. However, Dinuka Hettiarachchi salvaged some pride for his side with a four-wicket haul, and conceded only 69 runs in 34 overs. more..

Mar 28 (HT) Contrary to expectations, Sri Lankans are not dancing with joy following the split in the ranks of the separatist LTTE earlier this month. A survey by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) conducted in all the 22 districts of Sri Lanka, more..

Mar 28 (HT) In a string of shocking incidents in Sri Lanka on Saturday, suspected LTTE hit men shot at and seriously wounded a former Tamil cabinet minister, an electoral candidate and a senior government official. more..

Mar 28 (AP) Unidentified gunmen Saturday shot and seriously wounded a senior elections official in Sri Lanka's eastern province as the country prepares for Parliamentary polls in less than a week. more..

Mar 28 (SL) With just five days to go for the decisive general election, it is now certain, the United National Front (UNF) will emerge as the single largest party though falling short of the magical 113 seats to form a majority government. more..

Mar 28 (SL) The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) on Friday (26) requested the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Indra de Silva to question JVP Propaganda Secretary, Wimal Weerawansa over an alleged assassination plot on Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thero. more..

Mar 28 (SO) A Five judge bench of the Supreme Court has ruled that the Inland revenue Tax Amnesty Act No. 10 of 2003 violates the Constitution. The Supreme Court has made this ruling in accordance with the request made by the President to the Supreme Court to consider the legality of this Act and submit an opinion to her. more..

Mar 28 (TN) The body of the missing fisherman Mr.Nicholsamy Jeyasingham (35) of Point Pedro in Vadamarachchi division in Jaffna district was brought to the shore Saturday morning around nine a.m. by fellow fishermen who went Saturday morning in search of him, fisheries sources said. more..

Mar 28 (TN) The father of a twelve-year old girl student of Karampan Little Flower Girls' School Saturday made a complaint to the Kayts Police that his daughter had been sexually assaulted by a member of EPDP. The girl's family is from Karampan south village in Kayts division, Police said. more..

Mar 28 (TN) Former Hindu religious Affairs Minister Mr.Thiagarajah Maheswaran and the Batticaloa District Government Agent and the Returning officer Mr.Mounagurusamy who were injured when unidentified persons shot at them Saturday night in two separate incidents have been undergoing intensive treatment in Colombo. more..

Mar 28 (TN) Trincomalee Multi Purpose Co-operative Society (MPCS) Saturday opened its newly constructed eleventh retail and model shop at a cost of about 2 million rupees after about fourteen years in the resettled Tamil village Kanniya to cater to the urgent basic needs of the resettled families, more..

Mar 28 (TN) With five days to go for the Sri Lanka’s thirteen parliamentary election leaders of major political parties are conducting whirlwind tour of electorates to beat the deadline for ending their election campaign on midnight March 30th. more..

Mar 28 (TN) Essential facilities, including transport, have been arranged for the voters in the Liberation Tigers controlled areas of Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaithivu to vote in clustered polling stations in the areas controlled by the Sri Lanka Army, more..

Mar 28 (LBO) Sri Lankans are still keen to keep the peace process intact, though the rising cost of living still troubles the voting public, as the country heads for a snap poll on April 2. more..

Mar 28 (SLA) An unknown gunman attempted to shoot and kill Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) national list candidate Mr. KANDAIYA SANGAR alias WILSON at WELLAWATTA in COLOMBO whilst he was traveling in a three-wheeler on 27 March 2004 around 4.00 p.m. more..

Mar 28 (SLA) Naval troops on duty in the general sea area off URUMALAI have observed a flotilla of Indian fishing trawlers poaching in the Sri Lankan waters on 27 March 2004. Fifteen to twenty Indian fishing trawlers were sighted around 12.45 p.m. in the general sea area north of URUMALAI.

Mar 28 (SLA) It has been decided to suspend the passage of heavy vehicles laden with goods across the Entry/Exit points at MUHAMALAI and OMANTHAI on the A-9 Road effective from 4.30 p.m. on 01st April 2004 on account of the General Election scheduled for 2nd April 2004. more..

Mar 28 (NW) The SLMC yesterday claimed that they had received reliable information about an alleged firearms conspiracy against their party activists. SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem has alleged that a reliable government official has overheard walkie-talkie conversation between a police official and senior officer more..

Mar 28 (NW) President Chandrika Kumaratunga has declared that necessary arrangements have been made to promote foreign investments under a future Alliance Government with proper management. more..

Mar 28 (NW) Official communiqué from the LTTE leadership to the LTTE cadres and Divisional Heads in the context of the current crisis in Batticaloa-Amparai Dear fighters and Divisional Heads in Batticaloa-Amparai. more..

Mar 28 (NW) President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday pledged to make the country self-sufficient in basic crops within three years and to export milk and sugar within five years. President Kumaratunga in a meeting with small and medium scale entrepreneurs at the President's House said the ground work had been laid to achieve this target. more..

Mar 28 (LT) Mr. Wimal Weerawanse, Propaganda Secretary of the JVP in a letter to the Commissioner of Elections says private TV channels telecast an advertisement detrimental to the JVP and UPFA using video clips in which he appears and without his permission. more..

Mar 28 (LT) Ven Wevaldeniye Medhalankara Thero, Mahanayake of Sri Lanka Ramanna Chapter issuing a communiqué said Sri Lanka Ramanna Chapter doesn’t approve Bhikkus engaging in active politics as it would bring about devastation of the Buddha Sasana. more..

Mar 28 (SN) Mr Wimal Weerawansa appearing on a Political TV debate at ITN on the last Thursday, revealed a plot to kill Ven Omalpe Sobhitha thero. He alleged that the plot is formulated by the UNP to put the blame on the JVP. more..

Mar 28 (SN) “Mul Pituwa” meaning “Front Page” is a very popular daily program of Swarnavahini TV channel. It summarises daily news in Sinhala, English & Tamil newspapers and the leading websites within a short period of half an hour. more..

Mar 28 (SN) In response to SinhalaNet news item of 23rd March, Mr Susil Premajayantha, General Secretary of the UPFA told media that they had no intention to destroy Buddhist schools and this news item was a misinterpretation of their policy statement. more..

Mar 28 (SN) On 15th January 2004, SinhalaNet predicted in View Point that if a parliamentary election was held, the result would be a hung parliament. After two months, Org Marc Smart the most reputed opinion poll in Sri Lanka has confirmed the prediction. more..

Mar 28 (TN) The Omanthai check point along A9 highway will be closed from 1 p.m. on April 1st to 5 p.m. for civilian movement and transport of goods to enable civil and army authorities to make arrangements for general election, the Commissioner of Elections Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake said more..

Mar 28 (Hindu) With less than a week before parliamentary election, the race is still close between the UNF and the Freedom Alliance. However, available indications suggest the Freedom Alliance — a combination of the SLFP and the JVP — may emerge as the single largest party in this election. more..

Mar 28 (Hindu) Sri Lanka today saw the return of bloody violence, with three Tamils — including a former Minister and a senior Government officer — shot at by "unidentified gunmen" in three separate incidents. T. Maheswaran, former non-Cabinet Minister for Hindu Affairs, was shot at from point blank range after an election rally here tonight. more..

Mar 28 (AFP) Controversial Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan on Sunday was reported for his suspect bowling action following concern over his new delivery, match-referee Chris Broad said. more..

Mar 28 (Reuters) Sri Lanka votes this week for the third time in four years but a majority for either side is unlikely and a messy political feud that has stalled efforts to end war with Tamil rebels is set to continue. more..

Mar 28 (AFP) Sri Lanka's main parties contesting next week's elections have vowed to open talks with militant Tamil separatists, but fears of a factional war among the rebels and a persisting feud between the country's leaders have dimmed hopes of early negotiations. more..

Mar 28 (CI) Sri Lanka stopped Shane Warne from overhauling Courtney Walsh's 519-wicket world record - but could not prevent Australia from inflicting their first series whitewash on home soil with a 121-run victory at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. more..