May 20 (G2L) The LTTE yesterday morning killed a police intelligence operative near the Batticaloa hospital. Authoritative army and police officials said that they were certain the LTTE ordered the hit, the third since the Scandinavian truce monitors worked-out a special agreement between the security forces and the LTTE on May 11, more..

May 20 (DN) SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem who is at the centre of an alleged love scandal that has rocked the Muslim community has been castigated by the Majlis Al Shoora of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress for creating a conflict between the SLMC and the Government. more..

May 20 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers are hopeful for a quick restart to stalled peace talks to end 20 years of civil war, but only on the basis of a power-sharing proposal they submitted last year, a rebel negotiator said. more..

May 20 (AFP) Tamil Tiger rebels are insisting their blueprint for self-rule in Sri Lanka, which was rejected by the government as a stepping stone to a separate state, should be at the core of a revival of the stalled peace negotiations. more..

May 20 (AP) Stalled peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels won't resume soon because of unresolved key differences between the two sides, a senior guerrilla official said, reversing earlier optimism that talks were imminent. more..

May 20 (Reuters) Muttiah Muralitharan was given a hero's welcome when he returned home as the highest wicket-taker in test history on Thursday. The off spinner, currently embroiled in a controversy over his bowling action, broke Courtney Walsh's 519 wicket record during Sri Lanka's successful tour of Zimbabwe more..

May 21 (CI) Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim is scheduled to arrive in Colombo on May 24. He is expected to hold talks with the President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge and Prime Minister Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse the same day regarding peace process, Colombo media sources said. more..

May 21 (BBC) The special Japanese Peace Envoy, Yasushi Akashi, has said that aid funds pledged last year are tied to progress in the peace process. Mr Akashi said he hoped peace talks in the island - which have been stalled for the past year - would restart within the next few months. more..

May 21 (IL) The powerful estate sector party, Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) has begun discussions with the Opposition United National Party (UNP) in their bid to seal an agreement so that they could contest under the UNP banner at the forthcoming Provincial Council polls. more..

May 21 (TN) The Mannar government agent Thursday declined a directive by the district magistrate to send back by sea three Indian fishermen jailed for illegally ferrying Tamil refugees and for smuggling explosives to the island's northwestern coast last year. more..

May 21 (TN) Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan, Vanni district parliamentarian, Thursday made an urgent appeal to President, Ms.Chandrika Kumaratunge, to take immediate steps to hand over the defunct Mannar saltern to the Mannar Fisheries Co-operative Society to reactivate it. more..

May 21 (TN) The peace talks with the LTTE, being considered by the UPFA, do not violate the agreement reached by the SLFP and the JVP before the two parties joined to form the UPFA, said Mr. Wimal Weerawansa, the propaganda secretary of the JVP, more..

May 21 (IL) Sri Lanka’s predominant Muslim party, SLMC has stressed the need for a separate Muslim delegation at peace talks, so that the aspirations and security of the Muslim community could be safeguarded, if the government decides to set up the LTTE demanded Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA). more..

May 21 (AT) V. Ramarajah - Program Director of the London based Thamil Broadcasting Corporation – A radio that broadcast programs in the Tamil language, told “Asian Tribune” that TBC and its millions of listeners all over the world condemn the extra-judicial killing committed recently by the Ellalan Padai in Jaffna. more..

May 21 (TB) Shane Warne has admitted he may never snatch Muttiah Muralitharan's world bowling record even if Australia feasts on bunnies Zimbabwe this month. Warne said Muralitharan might still be out of reach in the short-term after surging past Courtney Walsh's record more..

May 21 (AFP) India on Thursday assured its support to Sri Lanka's beleaguered spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan, whose doosra delivery has been banned by the International Cricket Council, saying the bowler was a "pride and pleasure" for the Indians as well. more..

May 21 (CI) Muttiah Muralitharan has returned home to a hero's welcome in Sri Lanka. Politicians, cricket administrators, family and close friends welcomed him at the airport before crawling in a four-hour motorcade through rush-hour traffic to the cricket board headquarters in central Colombo. more..

May 21 (Reuters) Sri Lanka Telecom, the country's second-largest stock, wants any further Government sale of the company's shares to take place on the Singapore exchange rather than Colombo's, a senior official said on Thursday. more..

May 21 (NW) Personal Assistant to the Ven. Kathaluwe Rathanaseeha Thera told the Daily News yesterday that he was witness to the abduction of the MP monk and that he had tried to prevent it. more..

May 21 (NW) Alleged acts of bribery and corruption and other misdeeds at the Central Region Development Ministry will be probed soon to take legal action against those found responsible for them, said Posts, Telecommunications and Udarata Development Minister D. M. Jayaratne. more..

May 21 (NW) Inspector General of Police Indra de Silva yesterday directed all DIGs to take stern action against those attempting to violate elections laws during the forthcoming Provincial Council elections. more..

May 21 (NW) For nearly 20 years Dilmah Tea has delivered fresh, Single Origin Ceylon teas to tea lovers around the world. Now Americans can enjoy Dilmah Tea, which will be available to US markets this spring. more..

May 21 (NW) The Government announced yesterday that it expected a "more positive role" for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) over violations of the ceasefire agreement in future as another police intelligence operative was killed by unidentified gunmen on Wednesday. more..

May 21 (ES) Seeing how animals are treated among some of the poorest communities in Sri Lanka was a real eye-opener for Felixstowe veterinary nurse Jennifer Mann. She found many sick animals, others suffering from mange, lack of food and water, fleas and worms. more..

May 21 (LBO) Human resource (HR) personnel need to come out of the box and integrate more to improve corporate performance, says three of Sri Lanka’s leading businessmen. The CEO’s were addressing HR personnel at the National HR Conference organised by the Institute of Personnel Management (IPM). more..

May 21 (LBO) The Chinese government has come forward with a US$ 5.6 mn loan to help the Ceylon Electricity Board build two fuel storage tanks. The tanks, which have a storage capacity of 10,000 MT each, are currently under construction at CEB’s Kelanitissa power station. more..

May 21 (LBO) An action plan to re-haul bus transport and enforce regulation on a decentralised, largely out-of-control sector, is being rolled out by the National Transport Commission over the next few weeks. “Buses are a Rs. 30 bn industry and a very large component doesn’t have the management and the regulation that it deserves”, more..

May 21 (LBO) Russia is sipping more fine teas as the influence of rising average income increases average spending above US$ 5 per kilo in the wholesale markets. The switch to premium quality beverages is taking hold across Russia along with the rising purchasing power of Russian consumers. more..

May 21 (Reuters) Sri Lanka government revenue in the first two months of 2004 was 45.8 billion rupees, compared to 51.7 billion rupees in the same period in 2003, the central bank said on Friday. more..

May 21 (SLA) A Muslim civilian has been shot dead and another injured by two unidentified armed persons in the general area of KARATIVU about 3.5 km south of KALMUNAI on 19 May 2004 around 08.00 p.m. more..

May 21 (TN) A member of the Liberation Tigers was killed in an explosion in Aalankerni, 42 kilometres north of Batticaloa, Thursday night, LTTE sources in the eastern town said. Aalankerni is close to the Batticaloa-Polannaruwa Road which is controlled by the Sri Lanka Army. more..

May 21 (AFP) A man accused by Canadian intelligence services of being a Tamil Tiger leader won a stay of his deportation to Sri Lanka, after claiming he could face torture. Muralitharan Nadarajah was to be put on a flight from Toronto on Thursday night to Colombo, but a judge gave him a stay of deportation on Wednesday, more..

May 21 (SN) Police Constable Dissanayake attached to Intelligence Wing of Battcaloa Police Station yesterday became the third victim of the LTTE within a short period of three weeks. He was shot dead yesterday in the morning when he was on his way to the Police Station. more..

May 21 (PSL) President Kumaratunga by powers vested in her by the Constitution appointed the following as President’s Counsels, with effect from May 18, 2004. Jayantha de Almeida Gunaratne, Nihal Fernando, Nigel Hatch, Mohan Peiris, Harsha A.J. Soza, A.R. Surendran, S.C.B. Walgampaya, T. Walaliyadde more..

May 21 (CI) Sri Lanka will play three one-day internationals and two Test matches in Bangladesh during a three-week tour later this year, the Bangladesh Cricket Board confirmed this week. It will be Sri Lanka's first full tour of Bangladesh and will include a Test each in Dhaka and Chittagong. more..

May 21 (IANS) The plot to kill Rajiv Gandhi, one of India's most dynamic prime ministers whose 13th death anniversary is being observed Friday, was hatched deep in the jungles of northern Sri Lanka in 1990. more..

May 21 (AAP) Shane Warne has launched a stinging challenge to spin rival Muttiah Muralitharan - grow a thicker skin or quit international cricket. The Australian legspinner wants the Sri Lankan offspinner to play in the two Tests against Australia in Darwin and Cairns in July so the pair can continue their rivalry and go head-to-head for Test cricket's wicket record. more..

May 21 (DN) The Government is expanding and strengthening its program of providing wholesome morning meals to grade 1 students in under developed rural sector schools. The project in 3,000 schools, which will cost the Government Rs.360 million a year (at Rs.15 per meal) will be implemented step by step starting from 600 schools next year, more..

May 21 (AT) An old couple living in Ariyalai, in Jaffna, has received a warning letter from the Ellalan Padai – Ellalan Army. Last Tuesday, the old couple who lives in Ariyalai received this letter. It is said in the old couple’s house also lives one of their relative’s daughter - a young buxom girl. more..

May 21 (AT) The 13th death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi falls today, at a very critical time, when the new Congress led coalition Government is to take shape, but unfortunately the alleged killers who were allegedly instrumental for the death - Tamil Tiger leader and his intelligent chief are still at large and by killing Rajiv Gandhi, Tamil Tigers has so far not achieved their Tamil Eelam. more..

May 21 (AT) Seven LTTE fighters were killed and ten seriously wounded when a bomb exploded yesterday evening at Palaimunai in the Batticaloa district. The incident took place around yesterday evening 9.55 pm and it is said that the LTTE area Commander Nagesh survived. more..

May 21 (Gulf) Plantation industry which mainly constitute tea, rubber and coconut besides numerous small-scale cash crops and lush spice gardens have been integral part of Sri Lanka's landscape besides being the country's economic life nerve. more..

May 21 (Reuters) At least one Tamil Tiger has been killed in Sri Lanka's volatile east, officials said on Friday, but residents in the region said an explosion heard from rebel-held areas could mean many more had died. more..

May 22 (Bloomberg) The prime ministers of Sri Lanka and Australia, accustomed to debating political actions, this week are jousting over bowling actions. Muttiah Muralitharan, cricket's most successful bowler, is the subject. more..

May 22 (AFP) Sri Lanka yesterday demanded a near trebling of salaries for its 1.27 million nationals employed as housemaids in Middle Eastern nations. Labour Minister Athauda Seneviratne said he had talks with Saudi diplomats here to secure their support for a hike in their wages.

May 22 (VNA) A Sri Lankan trade delegation is on a visit to Ho Chi Minh City to explore business and investment opportunities and seek trade partners in the city. The delegation, led by Prema Cooay, Director and Secretary General of Sri Lanka's Ceylon Trade Chamber, more..

May 22 (AP) Sri Lanka's sports minister on Friday named former Test fast bowler Ashantha de Mel to head the national selection committee and appointed four other former Test players as members, the cricket board said. more..

May 22 (TN) Board of Investment (BOI) has established a Regional Economic Development Office (REDO) in Trincomalee town. The main objective of the REDO is to lure people from overseas, especially Sri Lankan expatriates, to invest in the eight districts of the northeast province, more..

May 22 (TN) Sri Lanka Police in Vavuniya has arrested fifteen suspects in connection with armed robberies, house-breaks, murders and abductions in Vavuniya town and surrounding areas, and recovered jewelry and cash worth 3 million rupees. more..

May 22 (TN) The Federation of Jaffna District Civil Organizations Friday condemned the decision of the Government to curtail the distribution of dry ration relief given to hundreds of thousands of families, a majority of whom are displaced and languishing in refugee camps and welfare centres without employment. more..