Sep 21 (SLBC) The United National Party said that a protest campaign against the government will be launched on the 24th of this month. Parliamentarian Gamini Lokuge addressing a press briefing today said that the protest is organized to agitate for a pay high and on escalating cost of living. more..

Sep 21 (TP) Police have intensified its fight against the narcotics trade with action taken to seal off all known entry points in coastal Sri Lanka from where the contraband finds its way into the country catering to a burgeoning drugs market, the Daily News said. more..

Sep 21 (TP) The ruling UPFA government has taken many incorrect and inappropriate decisions by selecting nominees to high posts mainly based on issues like favouritism and not in the interest of the state, Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) said. more..

Sep 21 (TP) The post of Diyawadana Nilame — custodian of the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha — will fall vacant in May 2005 and powerful sections in the government are now campaigning for a suitable candidate, the Daily Mirror reported. more..

Sep 21 (TP) Treasury Secretary P B Jayasundera says the 2005 budget — to be presented in mid-November — is expected to include an “impressive” salary hike for public servants numbering 850,000 including those in the armed forces whilst facilitating effective public sector reforms, more..

Sep 21 (Hindu) The LTTE has brought in top level changes in the two troubled eastern districts — Batticaloa and Amparai — by replacing its Special Commander, Ramesh, with the rebel group's head of heavy mortar division, Bhanu. more..

Sep 21 (AT) Ms. Valerie Raymond, High Commissioner for Sri Lanka, who visited yester day to Kilinochchi and met with S.Paramu Tamilselvan, expressed the concern of the Government of Ganada over the delay n restarting peace talks and warned that there is a great danger if the parties allow the gap to widen any further. more..

Sep 21 (AT) President Chandrika Kumaratunga in her address at the Asia Society in New York said that Sri Lanka Government has so far not insisted on the disarmament by the LTTE but has only insisted the acceptance of the solution that is not the dismemberment of the state. more..

Sep 21 (IANS) Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga says the Tamil Tiger guerrillas should explicitly give up their dragging campaign for an independent Tamil Eelam homeland. more..

Sep 21 (PIS) The Canadian government yesterday expressed its strong support for the Norwegian-facilitated peace process and showed concern about the continuing impasse that prevents a resumption of peace talks, a communique from the Canadian High Commission said. more..

Sep 21 (DN) The Inspector General of Police should be allowed to work independently without any interference, Ministry of Public Security, Law and Order Secretary and Central Environmental Authority Chairman Tilak Ranaviraja said yesterday. more..

Sep 21 (UTHR) The United Nations General Assembly declared 21st September the International Day of Peace - to be observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence. It is a remarkable irony that Rajani Thiranagama was killed on September 21st 1989 by a violent force, for which the current peace process has served only as means to fasten its grip over its people, and use them as hostages to attain its declared goal of Eelam. more..

Sep 21 (AP) Sri Lanka observed World Peace Day on Tuesday, amid fears that the nation could slide back into war as efforts to revive peace talks with Tamil Tiger rebels fail. "We live in turbulent times where violence and killing have literally become a lifestyle in Sri Lanka," said A.T. Ariyaratne, more..

Sep 21 (HT) The University Teachers for Human Rights, Jaffna (UTHR-J) has said that the LTTE seems hell-bent on eliminating all traces of dissent among the Tamils, before it agrees to resume peace talks with the Sri Lankan government. more..

Sep 22 (TN) Hundreds of Buddhist monks and other religious leaders participated in a peace meditation to mark Universal Peace Day on the Bandarnaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) grounds in Colombo Tuesday. The meditation was organized by Sarvodaya and other civil society groups. more..

Sep 22 (TN) The UNP will hold a mass demonstration in Colombo on Sept 24, to protest against the UPFA Government. UNP MPs Mr. Gamini Lokuge and Dr. Rajitha Senaratne told a press conference in Colombo Tuesday, that the protest would be the first step to topple the UPFA Government, which has not fulfilled its promises to the people. more..

Sep 22 (TN) Forty-nine member delegation of Deva Sarana Centre, a Sinhala organization with its headquarters in Kurunagala district in the northwestern province, visited Jaffna Tuesday and held discussion with the representatives of Jaffna Non-Governmental Organizations' Consortium (JNOC) and Jaffna university students, more..

Sep 22 (AT) In their aspiration for a peace, the LTTE, on behalf of the Tamil People, consider it a rare privilege to join hands with UN and the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day of Peace on 21 September 2004. This was a message from the LTTE Peace Secretariat on the International Day of Peace, as posted in its website. more..

Sep 22 (CI) England ended their 14-match losing streak in one-dayers against Australia, thrashing them by six wickets at Edgbaston to enter the finals of the Champions Trophy. Requiring 260 for victory, England's stars were Michael Vaughan, who scored a classy 86, and Marcus Trescothick, whose 81 came off just 88 balls. more..

Sep 22 (PTI) Sri Lanka today strongly supported India's candidature for permanent membership of the expanded UN Security Council, saying New Delhi along with Brazil, Germany and Japan fulfil the objective criteria for taking its place on the powerful body. more..

Sep 22 (TN) Fisheries co-operative society of Kerudavil village in Vadamaradchchi north coastal area has commenced deepening the fisheries jetty amid opposition by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA), fisheries society sources said. The Jetty had been abandoned due to war for about eight years. more..

Sep 22 (AT) In her address in the 59th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, President Kumaratunga pointed out that Asia, the most populous continent that is home to expanding economic powerhouses is grossly under-represented in the present UN Security Council and urged that India and Japan should be included As members of the Security Council. more..

Sep 22 (AT) The minority Tamil and Muslim parties expressed their fears over the deprivation of voting right for majority of their community yesterday amidst the effort by the ruling UPFA Government to pass laws in the parliament to make the produce of identity cards mandatory for future elections, as an emergency legislation. more..

Sep 22 (Xinhua) Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumarantunga said Tuesday Sri Lanka wishes for reform of the United Nations so that the world body would become more effective in safeguarding world peace and promoting development. more..

Sep 22 (IL) Acting Mayor Azath Sally has handed over a letter to Chief Minister Reginald Cooray seeking the immediate removal of Municipal Commissioner Jayantha Liyanage, on grounds that he has been a hindrance to the activities of the Council for the past two-and-a-half years. more..

Sep 22 (IL) The Government, which assumed office after the April 2 General Election, took many incorrect and/or inappropriate decisions by nominees to key high posts mainly based on leadership, favouritism and not in the interest of the state, Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) revealed yesterday. more..

Sep 22 (IL) In what could be described as a significant feat to the country's landmine problem, the Sri Lankan Government has acceded to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) in New York. The convention will prohibit or restrict the use of certain conventional weapons, which maybe deemed to be excessively injurious or to have indiscriminate effects. more..

Sep 22 (NW) The battle against bribery and corruption - dormant for more than two years over a logistical problem - hit the headlines and high-spots yesterday when a senior police officer who played the role of an ombudsman was arrested on charges of graft. more..

Sep 22 (NW) The United States yesterday defended the statements made by State Department anti-terror expert J. Cofer Black in the face of criticism from pro-LTTE elements including the TNA. more..

Sep 22 (NW) The Government said yesterday that the agenda for the negotiations between the government and the LTTE had not been agreed upon so far, and that the resumption of peace talks was currently under discussion through Norwegian facilitation. more..

Sep 22 (AT) The first ever Sri Lankan contingent designated for United Nations Peace keeping Operations from the Sri Lanka Army are scheduled to leave for Haiti on UN Chartered flight from Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport on September 25. more..

Sep 22 (Reuters) Chandrika Kumaratunga, the President of Sri Lanka, addresses United Nations General Assembly September 21, 2004, in New York. more..

Sep 22 (LBO) The Asian Development Bank kept Sri Lanka’s growth figure at 5.5 percent of GDP but warned that pass through oil shocks and erratic weather conditions is fanning inflation in the South Asian region. more..

Sep 22 (SLA) An armed and uniform-clad group of LTTE men had suddenly proceeded from RALKULIYA across PACHCHANOOR village in MUTTUR about 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday (21) for reasons obvious only to them, villagers reported to the Police. more..

Sep 22 (SLA) Normalcy returned to TRINCOMALEE town by Wednesday (22) morning after agitators demanding the release of two LTTE-detained Home Guards peacefully ended their protest late in the night. more..

Sep 22 (SLA) A nineteen-year old LTTE cadre with gunshot injuries to his right leg was admitted to the BATTICALOA hospital at about 8.00 p.m. on 21 September 2004. The LTTE cadre, SUDUKANTHAN of ILUPPADICHENAI, ERAVUR has reportedly received gunshot injuries at about 10.00 a.m. inside a location in un-cleared areas. more..

Sep 22 (SLA) On a tip-off given, the Police on 21 September 2004 around 8.45 a.m. unearthed a cache of unserviceable arms ammunition from a pit in the general area of KEKIRAWA. The cache contained four 81 mm mortar rounds, four 60 mm mortar rounds and one hand grenade. more..

Sep 22 (AFP) British insurance giant Aviva announced plans to export 950 more jobs to India and Sri Lanka next year, with a total of 7,000 staff expected to be offshored by the end of 2007. The workers will service the group's Norwich Union arm. more..

Sep 22 (SLBC) Systematic training will be provided to the personal staff of members of parliament. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs says the 225 parliamentarians have personal staffs numbering around 900. more..

Sep 22 (SLBC) The 2nd stage of the training programme to provide employment to graduates will commence before the 15th of next month. Deputy Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya says 24 thousand graduates will undergo training under the 2nd phase. more..

Sep 22 (LT) The Treasury Secretary has promised that no attempt will be made to privatize the state assets. Mr. P.B.Jayasundara has given this promise to media. He has explained that the remaining state institutions will never be a problem as they are given to the hands of proper people. more..

Sep 22 (LT) The National Festival of Literary Arts held at Viharamahadevi Park has been daily participated by tens thousands of people, Lankatruth learns. The festival is held from 20th to 26th and a variety of programmes have been scheduled in the agenda on each day. more..

Sep 22 (PSL) In the world’s fight against terrorism, the use of force and violence by a State should be the last resort, Sri Lanka’s President Chandrika Kumaratunga said this afternoon at a Headquarters press conference. more..

Sep 22 (TN) The International Organization for Migration (IOM) with the financial support of AUSAID of the Australian Government commenced Monday in Trincomalee the distribution of livelihood development assistance to Tamil refugees returning from India, civil sources in Trincomalee said. more..

Sep 22 (Rediff) In an apparent dig at US military intervention in Iraq, Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga Tuesday said Colombo does not believe that war is a solution to quell terrorism anywhere in the world, and as such it would not send peacekeepers to Baghdad. more..

Sep 22 (Reuters) Sri Lanka stocks rose on Wednesday as retailers continued to buy hotel shares on expectations higher tourist arrivals will boost earnings of leisure sector companies this quarter, brokers said. more..

Sep 22 (NW) WGI Heavy Minerals, Inc. today announced its 50-percent-owned subsidiary in Sri Lanka has received a 10 year mining lease on a 10.5 kilometer mineral deposit with an average width of 80 meters, in Hambantona, Sri Lanka. more..

Sep 22 (AT) I am not easily impressed, but this time I am. President Kumaratunga has just proved in New York why the country is luckier to have her than Ranil Wickremesinghe as its leader, and why she is the best leader that Sri Lanka could have given the available choices at this moment in history. more..

Sep 22 (AT) India’s daily newspaper, The Hindu, mainly published from Chennai, has strongly suggested that the Indian government brief Colombo on the Rs.2000-crore (approximately USD 1.09 billion) Sethusamudram ship Canal Project to rule out any future bilateral problem, among other things. more..

Sep 22 (AT) President Chandrika Kumaratunga expressed her disagreement with President George Bush of the USA, who had argued that the main strategy of meeting terrorism in the world is through force, and also with LTTE over the issue of Interim Self –Governing authority more..