Oct 27 (SLA) A lorry with a load of building materials has gone missing along with its driver after it left for KALMUNAI area on 22 October 2003, states driver�s father in a complaint made to AMPARA Police station. more..

Oct 27 (SLA) Suspected LTTE men, in an alleged attempt to set troops on duty in the area against fishermen in the general area of POINT PEDRO have damaged several fishing boats on 23 October 2003. The POINT PEDRO Police have been kept informed. more..

Oct 27 (SLA) A mobile patrol of the Security Forces in the general area of PUTUKULAM, about 11 Km northwest of VAVUNIYA town on 25 October 2003 around 8.30 p.m. asked LTTE to refrain from publicly showing a video film on LTTE attacks against Security Forces. more..

Oct 27 (IANS) Over 70 Hindus have embraced Buddhism at the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, the birthplace of the global religion of peace in eastern India's Bihar state. The programme was organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Baudha Mahasangh (ABBM), a Buddhist outfit, Sunday. more..

Oct 27 (DN) The Government has allocated Rs. 14 billion for infrastructure upgrading and rehabilitation projects. The Government is in the process of implementing these projects through five Regional Development Ministries, Government sources said. more..

Oct 27 (DM) Adding more fuel to the crisis how safe was the imported milk, a Health Ministry source said yesterday that it would be safer to depend on local milk produced from local and Indian bred cows as nobody could assure the safety of imported milk. more..

Oct 27 (HT) Sri Lanka's stern anti-abortion law, which allows medical termination of pregnancy only when the mother's life is in danger, has spurred illegal abortions, instead of bringing them down. Being illegal and done mostly by quacks, they are fraught with danger. more..

Oct 27 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's president stepped up the pressure on Norway on Monday to sack the Norwegian head of the body overseeing the island's truce, saying he had risked the security of the island. more..

Oct 27 (AFP) Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga Monday pressed for the immediate firing of the top Norwegian army general monitoring a ceasefire between the island's security forces and Tamil Tiger rebels. more..

Oct 27 (Xinhua) Norway is seriously considering the request by Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga to remove the truce monitor chief Tryggve Tellefsen from his post, the president's office said on Monday. more..

Oct 27 (TN) Following yesterdays confrontation between Muslim farmers and owners of livestock in Vattamadu, Muslim youths have attacked Tamil masons and warned them from coming to work in Akkaraipattu area, civil sources in Akkaraipattu, Amparai district said. more..

Oct 27 (TN) The Sri Lanka Army Monday commenced checking passes of the fisher folk of Munai village in the Point Pedro division under the direct supervision of the police, fisheries sources said. more..

Oct 27 (VNA) President Tran Duc Luong and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai appreciated Sri Lanka's contributions to maintaining peace, stability and cooperation in South Asia. President Luong spoke highly of Sri Lanka's achievements in developing its economy and improving people's living conditions. more..

Oct 27 (KT) Sri Lankan expatriates residing in the UAE can now renew their 'Registration Fee' at the Sri Lankan missions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The renewal, valid for two years, will be available for a fee of Dh91 ($25) for workers drawing a monthly salary of less than Dh800, and for Dh132 ($36) for those drawing a salary above Dh800. more..

Oct 27 (NT) Three Sri Lankan asylum seekers will appear at Northampton Crown Court this week charged in connection with the death of teacher Deborah Peaty and her daughter Charlotte. East London resident Rantham Yogan, aged 28, has been charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving. more..

Oct 27 (IL) The government will spend a sum of two billion rupees under an Indian line of credit programme to provide roofing for over 90,00 house in the island. Cadjan and thatched roofs of all houses in the island will be replaced with roofing sheets provided by government free of charge. more..

Oct 27 (IL) Government has drawn up a ten year plan to develop Hambantota. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, unveiling the plan, said that the Hambantota harbour project would form the axis of this Urban Development programme. more..

Oct 27 (SLA) The Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Lt. Gen L. P Balagalle, the senior most among all three-service chiefs assumed office on Monday (27) as new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) at a colourful ceremony held at Joint Operations Headquarters (JOH), Army Headquarters. more..

Oct 28 (TN) A meeting was held Monday at the Thirukkovil divisional secretariat between the Tamil and Muslim representatives, attended by the LTTE and the Sri Lanka Army, to discuss the clashes that occurred in Vattamadu in the Amparai district between Muslim farmers and cattle ranchers, sources said. more..

Oct 28 (Island) The Governmnet Medical Officers� Association (GMOA) has requeted the Central Provincial Director of Health (CPD) who was promoted while pending a decission of the National Public Service Commission for conducting private practice during working hours to step down from his post. more..

Oct 28 (TN) "There is an unfortunate stereotyping of Tamils in the minds of the Singhalese and vice versa. This literary/cultural festival will enable artistes from both sides to discover developments over the last twenty years. This would foster an understanding where it matters", said Prof. Sucharitha Gamlath, more..

Oct 28 (DN) Victims of the recent flood devastation, who lost their homes and other possession, are speedily receiving new rebuilt houses. A total of 88 houses will be handed today to the affected families in Millaniya, Kalutara, one of the worst districts to be hit by the floods. more..

Oct 28 (TN) The Point Pedro Magistrate, Mr.K. Ariyanayakam, Monday discharged two Indian boatmen, Mr.Thurairajah Mahendran and Mr. Thiruvonam Balamurugan, who had been in remand since their capture by local fishermen when they poached in Sri Lanka's territorial waters, on the instructions of the Attorney General, more..

Oct 28 (TN) The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Monday decided to appoint a panel comprising five judges to hear the application of President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge and to determine whether the Defence Minister of the UNF government had encroached the power vested with the Executive Presidency of the country under Section 129 of the Constitution, more..

Oct 28 (TN) Arulanantham Diloshan (8) and Arulanantham Nilojini (6) were seriously injured when a landmine exploded while they were playing near their home in Liberation Tigers controlled Vellaveli in Batticaloa district Monday, sources said. more..

Oct 28 (LT) Large scale extortions are being collected by the tiger organization to celebrate �Maha Weera Day� (Great Heroes� Day) which is said to fall on the 26th November. more..

Oct 28 (SLA) Two civilians on a motorbike without number-plates crashed into an Army soldier on duty at a sentry point in the general area of VALLAI POINT, about 15 km northeast of JAFFNA town on 27 October 2003 around 8.00 in the evening. more..

Oct 28 (SLA) Seven Indian immigrants, who were dropped close to First SAND BANK, off THALAIMANANR upon their arrival from INDIA, were apprehended by Naval troops on 27 October 2003 around 10.00 a.m. while those immigrants were waiting near URUMALAI Bus stand. more..

Oct 28 (SLA) One of the tractors forcibly taken away by LTTE on 24 October 2003 from the general area of PUWARASANTHIVU was released to its owner on 26 October 2003 in the presence of Police and representatives of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). more..

Oct 28 (SLA) A double-cab that belongs to an LTTE cadre, named VISHU was taken into Police custody along with one LTTE cadre and a civilian on 27 October 2003 from the general area of MANMUNAITHURAY, about 9 km southeast of BATTICALOA around 5.00 p.m. since those inside it failed to produce any documents relevant to the vehicle. more..

Oct 28 (SLA) A child, abducted by LTTE on his way to a nearby boutique on 12 October 2003 in the general area of AYITTIYAMALAI, about 15 km west of BATTICALOA, has been forcibly taken to an LTTE base at THARAWAI in un-cleared areas. more..

Oct 28 (LBO) The Appeal Court on Monday threw out the government�s tax amnesty law, saying it lacked legal teeth to become enforceable. Under the present Constitution, once parliament endorses a legislative amendment, it has to be endorsed by the Speaker. more..

Oct 28 (LBO) The Urban Development Authority (UDA) has drawn plans to dispose a number of its property holdings that don�t reap a minimum Rs. 1000 monthly rent, under a policy level decision taken to streamline its operations. more..

Oct 28 (LBO) Four firms have queued up to advice the government on its decision to divest and privatise nine state owned farms. SJMS Associates, Ernst & Young and Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka have responded to the government�s call to act as financial advisors, more..

Oct 28 (wsws) Hundreds of unemployed graduates have been engaged in maintaining a permanent protest outside Fort Railway Station in central Colombo. The campaign, which has now entered its second month, is to highlight the chronic lack of jobs faced by those who have completed their university studies. more..

Oct 28 (TS) A clandestine meeting in the smoky caf� of an Algerian town, a back alley rendezvous in Kabul, action in the Punjab or hot on the trail of Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. Just where Canadian spies are at work around the world, Ward Elcock won't say. more..

Oct 28 (PSL) �Though Sri Lanka has been rated as one of the best in Asia in respect of healthcare, there is yet a long way to go,� warned President Chandrika Kumaratunga who stressed that more attention should be paid to upgrade the healthcare services in the country. more..

Oct 28 (Bernama) SriLankan Airlines is offering two more flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sri Lanka, in addition to its five current flights via Singapore stopover. The two flights launched Tuesday are operational every Tuesday and Thursday and are direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sri Lanka without stopover in Singapore, more..

Oct 28 (DJ) Sri Lanka will in the next two months redeem its inaugural dollar-denominated bonds issued in 2001, a senior official of the Central Bank said Tuesday. "We will not be reissuing the bonds, but will redeem them from holders," more..

Oct 28 (AFP) The Netherlands minister for Development Cooperation, Agnes van Ardenne-van der Hoeven, has put off a scheduled visit to Sri Lanka, officials here said Tuesday. She was due to arrive early next month on a three-day visit more..

Oct 28 (AFP) Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando left Vietnam Tuesday at the end of a four-day official visit aimed at improving relations with the communist nation. During his stay, Fernando met Vietnam's top leaders including Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, President Tran Duc Luong and Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien. more..

Oct 28 (Gulf) A year after the collapse of the Pramuka Savings and Development Bank (PSDB) which left in the lurch around 15,000 depositors and employees, there is no solution in sight. more..

Oct 28 (DM) Residents of Ethgala Colony in Gampola face the threat of high tension wires that run over their homesteads. These wires run too low over their houses posing a danger to life and property of the occupants. more..

Oct 28 (Gulf) Armed forces have been caught up in the cohabilitation crisis between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe after the President ordered the armed forces commanders not to accept the orders of chief Scandinavian monitor whom she wants removed. more..

Oct 28 (HT) The LTTE's political wing leader, SP Tamilchelvam, has told the leaders of the Indian Origin Tamils (IOT) that his organisation cannot "directly" take up their cause. However, he has advised them to formulate their demands and press for their acceptance when a final solution to Sri Lanka's ethnic problem comes up for discussion. more..

Oct 28 (OW) The Sri Lankan Army has locked horns with thousands of displaced fishermen in the troubled Jaffna district, warning that their indiscriminate destruction of coral reefs could trigger massive coastal erosion here. more..

Oct 28 (Reuters) The head of a body overseeing Sri Lanka's ceasefire will return to Norway for talks, days after the island's president asked Norway to fire him, an official said on Tuesday. more..

Oct 28 (AP) The head of a mission monitoring a cease-fire between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels will return to Norway for consultations, after Sri Lanka's president called for his dismissal, officials said Tuesday. more..

Oct 28 (TN) E. Thurairatnasingam, former Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Member of Parliament (MP) for Batticaloa submitted his resignation from the party and from all positions he held in the party, political sources in Batticaloa said. more..

Oct 28 (TN) �It is a must that we talk to the Muslim �side� after we give the Sri Lankan government our proposal on the Interim Administration (IA) for the Northeast. I can say that Muslims will have their rightful place in it. The aspirations of all the communities in the northeast find expression in our proposals�, said Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, more..